The Y.M.C.A. chorus of which R. J. Brown was a member, was founded in the mid-1930s by Don McLaren. It was formed with the support of the Y.M.C.A. quartette which had been established some years earlier. The chorus was disbanded during World War II when many of the chorus members served in the armed forces. Moreover, in 1941 Don McLaren moved overseas to become a representative of the Y. M.C.A. in England.

The first year of this chorus was 1935 and as it started to grow and become more proficient, rehearsals came to be held twice a week instead of once a week. Later on a female section was added to the chorus. This included five girls and a female pianist, Miss Dorothy Schweitzer, who replaced the previous pianist, Freddie Oliver, who had moved to Toronto. The Y.M.C.A. Chorus broadcast over C.F.R.B., Toronto in both 1938 and 1939 for J. M. Schneider Ltd. The broadcasts were carried out from the Y.M.C.A. gymnasium on the corner of Queen and Weber Street in Kitchener.