Men of the Deeps miners choir seeks new members

North America's only coal miners chorus, The Men of the Deeps, is looking for new members.

Conductor and business manager Stephen Muise said he is looking to "replenish the stock, as they say."

The choir's bylaws state it can have 28 members, but this year the chorus is trying something different.

"We are going to take on four additional members to that," said Muise. "One to take on each of the sections of the choir, so the tenor, the baritone, tenor 2 and bass."

Non-official members

"You have to be ready," said Jim MacLellan, 83, who has been with the choir since it formed in 1966.

"If you had a sudden drop-off, if fellows took sick or for God blessed, pass on, we could have a loss of three, four, maybe five members and they could be critical. So Stephen wants to be ready," MacLellan said.

The four extras will not be "official" members, but they won't have to wait in the wings either, as they will perform in local shows and will rehearse with the full choir.

'Kitchen singers'

"This choir is made up of kitchen musicians, kitchen singers," said Muise, who encourages potential applicants not to be intimidated by their lack of experience.

"Very few of these guys had sung in choirs before The Men of the Deeps. We are looking for people who just love to sing and who want to be dedicated to carrying this Cape Breton mining story across the country."

MacLellan, who sings bass, says he enjoys the camaraderie of the chorale, but the best part is the reaction of audiences.

"The response to our singing is the favourite part. The looks on their faces when we sing, especially when we sing Working Man at the end of the show, to see the tears coming down," he said.

Auditions in February

The average age of the chorus is about 70, but MacLellan says he has no plans to retire.

"My body, my voice or my lungs will tell me when it's time." 

People have until Feb. 2 to apply.

Applicants must have two years of mining experience, and although Muise said he did not believe the bylaws stipulate that members must be men, he said he's never been asked whether women could join.

​Auditions will be held on Feb. 9 and 10.