2010 Inductee - John Trepp

Jim Sparks presented the Willan Award for Outstanding Service to the BCCF to John Trepp at the 2010 Chorfest concert held in Vancouver BC.

JOHN TREPP is widely known for his long and successful tenure at Magee High School, where he taught award-winning Choirs and vocal jazz Ensembles. John’s service to the BC Choral Federation reaches back to Vernon in 1983, when he conducted the Chorfest Youth Choir. He was subsequently called upon to develop the original curriculum of the Choral Directorship Course and most recently, worked as a faculty member in 2009.  

He is the former Choral Editor for Hal Leonard Publishing Co., the Choral Advisor for Canadian Rocky Mountain Festival, a Life Member of ACDA, Honorary Award recipient from BC Music Educators, Honorary Member of Vancouver Welsh Men's Choir and former Choral Chair for MusicFest Canada; to name just a few of his accomplishments.

John holds degrees from St. John's University in Minnesota, University of Montana, & University of Arizona. Upon coming to Canada, he established choral music divisions at Northwest Music, Ward Music & Tom Lee Music, all in Vancouver. After his career at Magee High School, he now works as Artist-in-Residence for Vancouver School Board and is frequently working as clinician and adjudicator throughout Canada, USA, Thailand and Mexico. 

I was introduced to John Trepp at a concert at a BC Music Educators conference in 1982 –which was held in the gymnasium of an Abbotsford School.

The Magee Chamber Choir was progressing through a program of Palestrina, Vittoria, Bach, and arrangements by Christiansen, Rutter, and Luboff to name a few – he not only presented this wonderful music to his singers - the sound from them was transforming a gym into a Cathedral..  I knew I wanted to do this:  The whole thing was intense and inspirational –and that’s the way it’s been for all of us in the choral community with  John or affectionately -JT, papa Trepp –or just simply Trepp 

But to give you an insight into the depth of love of choral music of this man –indulge me in a small anecdote- 

John and I were at the American Choral Directors Assoc. National Convention in Phoenix Az. in 1990 - primarily to hear Robert Shaw rail against “Electronic Church”, revisit our alma mater and most importantly, hear Paul Salamunovich and the Los Angeles Master Chorale on the Sat afternoon 

I had lived in Tucson the year before and on the Sat morning we took a break from the program to jump into the rental car and travel south down to have lunch at a my favourite restaurant across the border in Nogales, Mexico- – somehow--we lost track of time and realized - we had way to little time to get back –

Or so I thought… 

Nothing was getting in the way of Trepp and the exquisite choral sound of Los Angeles Master Chorale –  

This is a profile of Trepp driving that afternoon -------- 

This is a profile of the several state troopers poised at the side of the road ---------------  you could just hear them….“too much work”

And sure enough -we ran in to the concert Hall, sat in our seats just as the LA Master Chorale came on the stage. 

Nothing gets in the way of his need for inspiration-   

John Trepp’s contribution to life-long singing is perhaps best summed up by one of his students, -I quote- 

“The best thing that occurred to me in high school was meeting this man. If academic classes helped you in gaining success in the future, being in Trepp’s Choir helped you succeed as a human being” 

For all of us, it’s been a privilege to work along side this wonderful mentor and on behalf of the BC Choral Federation and the Willan Council, I would like to present this award to John for his outstanding contribution to Choral music in British Columbia and Canada.