Grant and Funding Programs Offered by Sing Canada Harmony Scholarship Fund

Sing Canada Harmony Scholarship Fund is a registered Canadian charitable organization dedicated to strengthening vocal and a cappella music across the country. The fund raises donations from individuals, quartets, choruses and supporters, and reinvests these resources as scholarships and awards for vocal music education. Its programs target Canadians involved in a cappella harmony, from youth singers to experienced choral directors and music administrators.

The organization focuses on learning and capacity-building in vocal music. It provides financial assistance for education and training in vocal performance, music leadership, choir and chorus direction, administration of choral organizations, and composition, arranging, adjudication and staging of vocal music. Supported opportunities include youth a cappella programs, Harmony University and related colleges, leadership academies, international education symposia, chorus and choir coaching, workshops, retreats and other recognized seminars and courses in vocal a cappella music.

Sing Canada Harmony offers recurring scholarship intakes four times a year, with application deadlines on March 1, June 1, September 1 and December 1. Scholarship amounts depend on available funds and the volume of eligible applications. The fund supports several recipient profiles such as choral conductors, chorus directors, music educators, music administrators, vocal music students and community groups working with schools to foster singing culture. In addition to general scholarships, the organization administers endowed awards like the Dr. Paul Tamblyn Music Educator Scholarship and the Ed Arnold Seniors Quartet Award, which recognize excellence in music education and quartet singing through annual financial awards.

Funding is directed to Canadian groups, Canadian citizens and legal residents of Canada engaged in vocal music education activities, with a strong preference for a cappella repertoire. Applications are normally submitted electronically and reviewed by a Scholarship Selection Committee. General guidelines emphasize regular involvement in choral music, the potential for recipients to share acquired skills within their ensembles, and priority for new applicants or those with limited formal training. Travel expenses are explicitly excluded from support.

The fund is governed by a board of directors drawn from major barbershop and a cappella organizations such as the Barbershop Harmony Society, Harmony, Incorporated and Sweet Adelines International. Board members are based in communities across Canada, reflecting the national reach of the fund. Named endowments and memorial awards created by donors, families and friends further anchor Sing Canada Harmony in the Canadian choral community and ensure ongoing support for training, leadership and artistic excellence in a cappella harmony.