A mainstay of the Nelson musical scene for the past 23 years has been named the city’s cultural ambassador for 2019.
Allison Girvan performed alongside her son in council chambers tonight upon being named to the honour.
Girvan is a singer/performer, music director and choral arranger who has lived and worked in
Nelson for 23 years. She leads youth choral ensemble Corazón, which in 2009 was named the inaugural recipient of the cultural ambassador title.
The citation presented tonight read: “Allison has made a difference in the lives of hundreds of youth, inspiring and training them to perform at an extremely high level and encouraging them to enjoy and in many cases pursue musical studies.”
The cultural ambassador award recognizes individuals, groups or collectives “who have achieved a high standard of excellence in their artistic discipline and who are active not only in Nelson’s arts and cultural community but extend their talents to other communities and countries.”
They are expected to represent and promote Nelson on their travels, something Girvan says comes naturally anyway.
“It sells itself. For anybody who feels pride in where they come from, it’s not a big ask to speak highly of it. It’s just a natural outcome of being fond of the people and geographic location we’re in.”
She says the honour is gratifying.
“We all as artists in Nelson are very proud of where we come from and the support Nelson gives to its artists. This represents a concrete way to acknowledge what we all do as artists when we leave city limits. So it feels pretty special to get that recognition.”
Girvan is currently developing her latest project, Quintessence, along with previous cultural ambassadors Hiromoto Ida and Slava Doval, and her husband, composer Don Macdonald.
She describes it as an exploration of the loss of hope in a time of climate change and divisive politics. It will be workshopped in February and performed at the Capitol Theatre in October.
Allison Girvan performs Silent Night with her son in Nelson city council chambers