The Ode to Joy, the final movement of Beethoven’s Symphony No.9 (1824), is one of the world’s best-known pieces of classical music. Much less well-known, however, is his 1808 Choral Fantasy for piano, mixed chorus and orchestra, which is often seen as an early precursor of his later setting of Schiller’s Ode to Joy. Other works this session of Come to the Concert will examine are A Walk to Beethoven by Swedish composer, Britta Byström, A Guest on these Lands by Canadian composer T. Patrick Carrabré, and the ever-popular Divertissement by Ibert.

Adored by mathematicians, the Fibonacci numbers have surprising connections to many aspects of life, such as music, technology and growth patterns exhibited in nature. Join us for an exploration of how these numbers give rise to beauty and efficiency across many disciplines — no prior knowledge is necessary.

This is the story of the most famous French actress in history. Dismissed by the Comedie-Francaise at the start of her career,  the divine Sarah recovered from the disappointment and went on to attract huge audiences from around the world for decades. She opened her own theatre in Paris, and toward the end of her career, she began appearing in silent movies. Contributing to her fame along with her beautiful voice and poignant emotional portrayals on stage were her scandalous love life, her exotic pets and her penchant for sleeping in a coffin. This is a zoom class; attendees can join from the comfort of their own home only. You will be sent a zoom link through your email a couple of days before the class.

They begin by dipping their wheels in the Atlantic Ocean and end with their wheels in the Pacific Ocean..Join this enlightening presentation and learn about the Rolling Barrage and their dedicated support for Canadian Veterans and First Responders who have sustained trauma in the line of duty.  Karen will share her experiences riding with this amazing group as they are welcomed, celebrated and hosted across the country.

What features define birds as a group? Where did birds come from and where are they going? How many species of birds are there—in the world, in Canada, in BC? What characteristics can we use to identify the many types of birds we see around us? What tools can use help us in the quest to know the birds that make the world around us a better place? This course will try and provide the answers!

We will visit a McArthur Island, a local birding “hotspot” where the walking is easy, and the birds are usually diverse and abundant. We will likely see a variety of duck species and other water birds as well as gulls—in the slough and the river. Our walk will take us into open, grassy habitat as well as a wooded area where we can find members of the crow family, a diversity of song birds and if we are lucky some raptors.

Come out and learn about Geocaching — a real-world, outdoor adventure that is happening all the time in 190 countries. To play, participants use the Geocaching app and/or a GPS device to navigate to cleverly hidden containers called geocaches. McArthur Island is a geo-training playground for new geocachers with a variety of cache types and difficulty levels. Come to this and meet indoors for a brief introduction to the sport, and then we will go for a sensible walk (rain or shine). We will find some caches!

Bob Haywood-Farmer and his cousin own and operate Indian Gardens Ranch, a cattle ranch in the Thompson Nicola Region. His family has been ranching in Savona, BC for almost 100 years; the fourth generation will be keeping it in the family when Bob is ready to retire.  They produce hay, have a 12,000 acre grazing lease at Wallachin, and run a herd of almost 2000 cattle.  This modern ranch is steeped in history and has a number of original buildings still standing.  Bring your questions about local history as Bob is a wealth of information on the area.

Qigong was developed in China thousands of years ago as part of traditional Chinese medicine. It involves using exercises to optimize energy within the body, mind and spirit, with the goal of improving and maintaining health and well-being. Qigong has both psychological and physical components and involves the regulation of the mind, breath and body’s movement and posture . Dynamic (active) qigong techniques primarily focus on body movements, especially movements of the whole body or arms and legs. Meditative (passive) qigong techniques can be practised in any posture that can be maintained over time and involve breath and mind exercises, with almost no body movement.

Mission Flats is a well-known name in Kamloops, but surprisingly few Kamloopsians know how it received its appellation. It was in 1880 when three Catholic nuns from Victoria to teach children at the newly erected St. Louis school along the Thompson River, a couple of miles west of the incipient town of Kamloops. The nuns belonged to the Sisters of St. Ann, a name that lives on in Kamloops as St. Ann’s Academy.  Geographical historian, Ken Favrholdt has studied the evolution of the mission and pinpointed the site of the buildings. In his presentation  Ken traces the history of the people connected to the school, a venture that lasted less than a decade.

In the last of this season’s Come to the Concert classes, we explore two contrasting works: the challenging Symphony No.1 of Gustav Mahler of 1889 and Sherwood Legend by Canadian composer Elizabeth Raum. Mahler’s symphony has acquired the nickname “Titanic,” a name which certainly describes the task facing listeners of this complex work, who must find a shape for the experiences of the hero of this musical adventure. A similar rewarding but less daunting task faces listeners to Raum’s Sherwood Legend, whose more accessible hero is “Swashbuckling,” ”Pensive,” and an “Unabashed Scoundrel” more in the manner of movie heroes of the recent past.

The Kamloops Freemasons will present a history of the establishment of the Masonic in Kamloops since 1886. They will highlight the Masons’s role in the growth of Kamloops and the contributions of some of their prominent leaders. You may well recognize some of the names of schools, buildings, land features and streets which were named after prominent people who were also Free Masons. Afterwards the presenters will conduct a short tour showcasing the Masonic Lodge facility.

KALS Invites you to the KALS Volunteer Appreciation Social and Presentation of the Margaret Cleaveley Award.

Wednesday May 20, 2026, 2pm – 3:30pm, Kamloops Sports Council, 1550 Island Parkway Drive, Kamloops.

Food, Friends, Door Prizes and Music by Jeremy Kneeshaw!

Free to attend for current members. Please register for the event here. Deadline to register is May 15, 2026

Session 1: May 21st at the Kamloops Sports Council.  Introduction to the Venables Valley and Mantra Music Event: Join us for an introductory event that will delve into the details of the beautiful Hare Krishna community in Venables Valley. This session is a prerequisite for anyone interested in registering to visit the valley on May 28th. The event will feature a presentation about the community, accompanied by live, traditional, meditational music. This will provide a unique opportunity to experience the culture and spirituality of the Hare Krishna community.
Session 2:  May 28th A trip to the Hare Krushna community.  Tour to Venables Valley: Exploring the Hare Krishna Village, also known as Saranagati Village. The name “Saranagati” means surrender to the Lord, and the approximately 30-35 families residing there live by the principle of surrendering the results of their actions to the service of Lord Krishna The village features a stunning temple, a goshala (a shelter for protected and worshiped cows), and a school that is aligned with the BC school district and also teaches according to the ancient traditions of India. Remarkably, the entire community lives off the grid, without access to gas or water lines. Some families have been residing here for over 45 years. Many community members also engage in small-scale farming, growing their own basic produce. We have had some success with growing wheat and look forward to expanding our efforts in the future. The community is known for its simple, vibrant, and colorful culture. Regular programs and gatherings are organized, attracting many visitors who come to witness the community’s warmth and hospitality. We look forward to welcoming you to Venables Valley and sharing the beauty of our community. Lunch will be provided.

We will tour lower and middle grasslands in the Ashcroft area looking at native and seeded grasslands, wildfire recovery, invasive plants and grazing use. Led by Mike Dedels, Executive Director of the GCC (Grasslands Conservation Council). We will arrange carpooling from Kenna Cartwright Park parking just east of the prison. Please dress for the weather, wear good walking shoes and bring enough food and drink for the day.

Join award winning journalist, Mehdi Hasan, as he sits down with the Guardian’s Arwa Mahdawi to discuss the current seismic changes in geopolitics, the alarming rise of populism and nationalism, and it’s global implications.  They will be answering questions.  This will be a London based livestream event so please arrive on time and feel free to bring a lunch.

On this field trip, we will briefly review the different types of land conservation mechanisms in BC and then go for a short walk on NCC’s Lac du Bois Conservation Area to review of some of NCC’s more recent land management projects on the property. We will go for a meander and find a nice spot to have lunch and answer any questions participants have about NCC and the things we see that day.