A fond farewell to the Vancouver Opera Chorus's elder statesman

Don Wright is retiring from the Vancouver Opera Chorus after 51 years and 168 productions. Here he is pictured at his West Vancouver home on Saturday, May 2, 2026. Photo by Jason Payne /PNG

Article content

When the longest serving (and singing) member of the Vancouver Opera Chorus, 83-year-old Don Wright, retires on Sunday, he’d like to be remembered for more than just the timbre of his vocals after 51 years on the job.

Article content

When the tenor joined the Vancouver Opera Chorus in 1975, Wright still had to support himself as a trucker, although he admits stealing glances at his script and memorizing his lines behind the wheel.

Article content

Article content

Article content

He’d roll in to the theatre after a long day on the road, and get to work doing what chorus members did back in the day, which could include assembling the stage or moving scenery before donning the elaborate costumes and makeup.

Article content

Article content

Chorus members don’t need to drive trucks or move scenery today, thanks in part to Wright’s work with the Canadian Actors’ Equity Association.

Article content

“After I joined Equity in 1977, I served with equity, and did a lot of negotiation with Vancouver Opera,” said Wright. Although he performed in 168 productions with the Vancouver Opera chorus, it is his 16 years with CAEA, including nine on the executive, and the Larry McCance Award for his service, he hopes to be remembered for.

Article content

Singing may have been his greatest pleasure, but making a difference for Canadian theatrical performers was his greatest pride.

Article content

“The young people in the chorus don’t know anything about that,” said Wright with a chuckle.

Article content

Wright has mixed feelings about his farewell performance in the Sunday, May 3 matinee of La Bohème. “I may shed a tear,” said Wright.

Article content

Don Wright is retiring from the Vancouver Opera Chorus after 51 years. He performed in 168 productions. Here he is in La Boheme (far right). Photo by Emily Cooper / Submitted

Article content

Wright grew up in a musical family — his father Don Wright was a popular radio singer, who also performed with the Vancouver Opera in 1960. Although Wright had joined his father onstage as a “super,” in non-singing crowd scenes when he was a kid, he joined the opera later in life.

Article content

Article content

Like any respectable young person who came of age in the 1960s, Wright embraced the music of the era, performing in a folk duo at Vancouver coffee houses with his wife Eileen singing the protest songs and ballads of the day. He later joined a barbershop quartet. When the quartet broke up, he decided to audition for the opera, despite having no formal opera training.

Article content

Article content

The pageantry, the acting, choreography, singing and the response from the audience made it a thrilling place to be.

Article content

“Performing in an ensemble with an audience is very satisfying,” said Wright. He was determined to stay, and began taking formal operatic vocal lessons.

Article content

Article content

Although it is rare for chorus members to move into lead roles, the chorus itself is a collective character in any opera, and an important one. Vocally, chorus members must be accomplished artists, able to sing anything, in any language, vibrato when required, or pianissimo, to project over the orchestra without a microphone and hold their line independently in harmony with others. They must have some acting chops, collaborate and be able to deal with complex staging.