Swing West Jazz Society

NEWS RELEASE
Acclaimed swing jazz music camp for adults is back!
Volunteer board revives the camp after several years of pandemic and forest fire-related cancellations
 

UPDATE: Great news! Early Bird rates have been extended until April 30 as Sorrento Centre adds new camping accommodation options, and room for local off-site commuters.
 

Updated March 17, 2026

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
An exceptional and beloved week-long jazz music camp for adults will return to the Sorrento Retreat and Conference Center on Shuswap Lake, BC this summer, organized by a committed and energetic group of volunteers. This will be the first time the camp has run a full week of activities since before the pandemic. It will also be the first time the camp occurs in July, rather than August, an adjustment made due to the risk of forest fires.

Registration is now open for the 2026 Swing West Jazz Camp at swingwestjazzsociety.org. Early bird rates have been extended until April 30 as Sorrento Centre adds new camping
accommodation options, and room for local off-site commuters.
 

The camp, previously known as the BC Swing Camp, was run by Rosemary Campbell of Vancouver and occurred annually in mid-August in Sorrento for two decades. However, like so many activities and programs, the camp had to be cancelled during the pandemic. It was held again in August 2023 but had to be cancelled before the full week of classes was complete, due to a raging forest fire nearby and an evacuation of the community.

“The pandemic, followed by several years of severe forest fire threat in the Sorrento area, has meant holding this camp has been nearly impossible,” said Judy Johnston, Chair of the recently formed Swing West Jazz Society. “However, a core group of past attendees decided we didn’t want to lose the camp and all the benefits it has provided to so many of us. We missed the opportunity to gather annually, learn, create, perform, collaborate, have fun, and forge new friendships, all in an atmosphere that is welcoming, supportive, challenging, inspirational and non-competitive. So, we formed a volunteer board and have been working for the past year to revive the camp.”

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The 2026 camp will be similar in most ways to past years, but the timing has been changed from mid-August to mid-July, in the hope of avoiding any risk that forest fires may disrupt the camp.

This year’s program offers 5 full days of music and dance classes, workshops, concerts, big band dances, and jamming for adults at all levels with a celebrated faculty of instructors. A myriad of daily classes and workshops cover many aspects of jazz, including swing, swing dance, modern jazz, blues, rhythm & blues, Latin music, comping & soloing, guitar, percussion,
bass, horns/woodwinds, violin, piano, ukulele, songwriting, singing and harmony. “This camp has often been described as the happiest place on earth,” added Johnston. “Many people return year after year, with the camp being a highlight of their summer. Campers have gone on to write original music, perform live and record albums. Some have moved on to professional careers.”

There are classes and workshops for people at every level of learning from beginner to advanced.

The list of instructors for the 2026 camp is a “who’s who” of leading musical talent in Canada and the Pacific West Coast, including Phil Belanger, Toby Chernoff, Bill Coon, Itamar Erez, Cindy Fairbank, Neil Fraser, Rueben Gurr, Guido Heistek, Tom Keenlyside, Tanya Lewis, Diane Nalini, Kristina Olsen, Karin Plato, Mike Rud, Jennifer Scott, Julian Smedley, Matt Smith, Brian Tate, Joe Vinikow, and Rene Worst.

Accommodation options include camping and RV spots, as well as cabins and lodge rooms, all on-site, or a variety of local bed & breakfast, vacation rental, RV glamping rental, motel and
resort options nearby.

Learn more at www.swingwestjazzsociety.org or check with the Sorrento Centre (toll free: 1-866-694-2409), which can provide more information.

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For More Information Contact:
Judy Johnston
Chair, Swing West Jazz Society
Email: info@swingwestjazzsociety.org
Website: swingwestjazzsociety.org