Sound of Light

L-R: Gwen Nickel, Gordon Nickel, Lena Schroeder, Ray Harris, Larry Nickel, Daryl Klause

The SOUND OF LIGHT was a coffeehouse band that performed in the Vancouver area for five years. Larry Nickel, 18 years old, formed the group in 1970. Lena Schroeder, soprano, was the first to join. Gordon Nickel (Larry’s brother) – played bass and Gwen Dueck became the alto. Then Ray Harris (tenor) and Darryl Klause (mandolin, fiddle and harmonica) came on board. Gordon, Ray and Larry were the song writers – often collaborating on ideas. Phil Schroeder can be heard playing a guitar solo on “Time Traveler”. (watch the video at the bottom of this page) Other notable band members were Heinz Borck (tenor) and Ben Neumann (violin, mandolin). Other keys players were our managers; Edna Nickel and Peter Hauser.

In 1973 most of the band members were studying at UBC and they landed several gigs singing backup vocals and jingles (radio ads) at recording studios. In payment for their studio work, engineer Laurie Wallace offered to record the group at Timbre One Sound Studio. We simply set up a few mics and performed a typical coffeehouse presentation in the studio. There was no overdubbing, cutting or splicing. The mix was made on the spot – straight to two track tape. The result is the LP Album – “Dwelling Place“.

The SOUND OF LIGHT proclaimed the love of God at coffeehouses in Gastown, throughout the Fraser Valley, at the Banff Arts Centre, church basements, university and college campuses, banquets, fund-raisers, high school proms, chapel services, conferences, summer camps and wherever they were invited. At one point they were averaging three bookings each week. The band was very portable because they did not use a sound-system and Larry says, “We were amazed at the way audiences became quiet and attentive during our concerts”.

Two of the songs on this album have since been arranged for choir – Remember Thy Creator and Where I Am (aka – In My Father’s House).

Ken Scott:
Six-person Canadian male/female folk outfit with quaint appealing acoustic style. Clean folksy harmonics of the Gamble Folk or New Creation (Experience, Folk Sound Of Freedom) variety, joined to light rustic instrumentation that includes mandolin, harmonica, melodica and fiddle in addition to the acoustic guitars and electric bass. Bluesy moves on ‘Time Traveller’ (good lead guitar) and ‘Bank Book Blues’. Other titles: ‘Refuge And Strength’, ‘Problems’, ‘Remember Thy Creator’, ‘Backslider’ and ‘Good Reason’. The songs were recorded “live” in the studio in order to retain their “natural spontaneous sound”.
-Ken Scott, The Archivist, 4th edition

Dr. Larry Nickel (b. 1952) is the owner and chief editor of Cypress Choral Music. An Associate Composer of the Canadian Music Centre and a prolific writer, Larry had 60 pieces with 12 publishers in 2003. His music has been performed around the world; in every province in Canada and every state in the USA. Recent locations include Taipei, Singapore, Jakarta, Corfu, Kiev, Bayreuth, Örebro, Kyoto, Glasgow and Magdeburg.

Nickel has a big heart for high school, church, and community groups – specializing in approachable/intuitive voice leading and rich harmonies. His style has been describe as “ecclesiastical and jazz inclinations combined”. He enjoys working with song-writers to create attractive choral arrangements. For example, his arrangement of Four Strong Winds by Ian Tyson – has been performed by hundreds of choirs.

Requiem for Peace is Larry’s doctoral thesis; a call for forgiveness and reconciliation in 13 languages – a “monumental work” for chorus, soloists and orchestra. As of 2021 is has had 27 performances (including Sweden, Germany, Greece, Ukraine and at Carnegie Hall).

Nickel has composed for a wide spectrum of genres; electronic and computer music, string quartet, woodwind and brass quintet, Symphony Orchestra, Symphonic Wind Ensemble and choral ensembles, including both secular and ecclesiastical music. Primarily, he has written hundreds of compositions for choirs. Check out his West Coast Mennonite Chamber Choir collection here.

Larry and his wife, Edna, live in Vancouver – close to Stanley Park and only minutes away from their 3 children and 7 grandchildren.

Gwen Nickel: glockenspiel, alto vocals
Gordon Nickel: bass
Lena Schroeder: melodia, soprano vocals
Ray Harris: acoustic guitar, tenor vocals
Larry Nickel: acoustic guitar, bass vocals
Daryl Klause: harmonica, mandolin, fiddle