Brian Wood used to love to sing for others, and now his former choir-mates are singing for him.

The Espiritu Vocal Ensemble will host a concert with Pandora's Vox, the A Capella Chorus and St. Andrew's Children's Choir on Feb. 27 to celebrate the life of Wood, a former member who was killed in a car crash last September.

It's a goodbye of sorts for many who knew him well or just a little bit, but it's meant to celebrate their friend, not mourn him, said Gillian Hunt, co-ordinator of Espiritu and Pandora's Vox.

"It's going to be everyone singing pieces that we love to sing," she said.

The crash occurred on Whidbey Island in Washington State when an SUV travelling the opposite direction crossed the centre line and hit his vehicle head-on.

His wife, Erin, who was six months pregnant at the time, survived the crash and gave birth to Sierra on Oct. 28.

Brian is well known as the lead designer of the award-winning video game Company of Heroes, a popular Second World War strategy game developed by Vancouver-based Relic Entertainment, but his fellow choir members at the Espiritu Vocal Ensemble most remember his eloquent voice, friendship and modesty.

"He was always very smart, very quick, very creative, but he was also very private, which made talking to him really fun because it was this voyage of discovery," said friend and choir member Mat Burke.

It wasn't until the two of them had been friends for years that Burke discovered Brian had completed a music degree, for instance.

"He would never brag about it and he would never, unsolicited, bring up all these interesting facets about himself, but he was such an interesting guy," he said.

Rob Cutler, another member of the choir, remembered his dry sense of humour on those long days of rehearsals when the group just couldn't hit the right notes.

"He would often have these sort of quick responses to lighten things up at various intervals, and they're missed," he said.

Brian had just joined Burke's "Daddy Club" three months before the crash in anticipation of his newborn baby, but never saw Sierra for himself.

Still, she will know lots about him, said Erin.

"I'm already keeping a digital scrapbook for her with pictures of him and articles of what happened . . . so when she's older and wanting to learn more about why her dad is not in the picture, she'll have the opportunity," she said.

St. Andrew's United Church offered to host a concert for free shortly after the crash last year without ever having been requested, and all the musicians will be donating their voices free of charge.

The show starts Sunday, Feb. 27 at 3 p.m. Tickets are $25 and are available at the door, with performances followed by tea and coffee. Children under 12 admitted by donation.

Funds raised go to the Brian Wood Memorial Trust Fund, which helps support Erin and Sierra.

tholloway@nsnews.com