When Jayson Cervantes arrived in Canada in 2022, he held a void. Not only was he grieving recent deaths in the family, but he had also left a community. Back in the Philippines, he sang with the Bukas Palad Music Ministry, a musical group famous in the country for compositions heard on the radio and turned into movie titles. He spent at least two nights a week in rehearsals, and nearly every weekend in concerts, for all of nine years. Unfortunately, he had to say goodbye.
Two years passed, and Jayson found his footing in Canada. He found gainful employment as a healthcare home support worker and regularly volunteers for nonprofits. One evening, while searching for opportunities, he came across Chor Leoni’s website:
“Music brings us together. The singers of Chor Leoni are brought together by common vulnerability and sensitivity to the music. Through the collective choral experience these musicians, audiences, and communities become more interconnected. For Chor Leoni music is more than just entertainment; it brings people together and provides healing. Now, more than ever, we need people to sing in harmony together.”
Vulnerable—being open to injury—comes from the Latin word for “wound”. The void was a wound: raw and tender and painful. But this pain was necessary because it compelled him to take action. The pain was a sign of a need to connect. So he took a leap of faith and auditioned. While a new group will never fill a void left by another, he is opening a new chapter with Chor Leoni—singing, harmonizing, and healing himself and others through music.
-Written by Ms. Pola del Monte
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Which neighbourhood are you in?
I live in New Westminster, BC.
What do you do?
I’m an on-call home support worker and choral member with Chor Leoni.
What are you currently working on?
I am catching up on learning Christmas songs for Chor Leoni in my free time since we only have a few rehearsals before the concert days. On some days, I run and I try to be physically active. Last September, I joined my first 10K race in Vancouver and I had a great experience. I already signed up for a couple of races and marathons for 2025!
Where can we find your work?
I’ll next be performing with Chor Leoni in Christmas With Chor Leoni on Dec 19-21. You can learn more and buy tickets here.
You can also see some of my past performances:
- Awit ng Pagsuyo – Bukas Pålad 2021
- Awit ng Paghahangad 2020 (All Male A Capella) – Bukas Pålad 2020
- The Times They Are-A Changin’ – Chor Leoni 2024
- Bonny Wood Green – Chor Leoni 2024
