Church choir heading to Carnegie Hall
Our Redeemer Lutheran choir uses YouTube to draw views from New York City
Choir director Shayla Sipila likens the chance to sing at Carnegie Hall in New York City to winning the Stanley Cup.
“We are just so excited. It’s such a huge honour,” said Sipila, who has been the conductor of the 17 voices of the Our Redeemer Lutheran Church Choir for almost eight years. “I had been putting our Sunday choir on YouTube for some time now and for whatever reason, the Distinguished Concert International New York came upon it and really liked how we sounded,” said Sipila.
That was back in April when they emailed her, asking if the Penticton choir would like to sing in the premiere performance of Joseph Martin’s cantata The Winter Rose.
“At first I was pretty skeptical if it was even a real email and not a scam,” she said. But she did her due diligence and turns out, New York really liked the choir.
They will sing among other chosen choirs in one of the most prestigious music halls in the world on Nov. 26.
The cantata is a long piece of music with readings in between, explains Sipila. “It tells a story,” she said. The Penticton Lutheran church choir, made up of men and women, is largely geared toward sacred music, but they do sing pop songs like You Raise Me Up by Josh Groban and Prayer by Celine Dion.
Sipila said the choir members are like family to each other.
But, sending 18 choir members to New York for five days is not cheap, she said.
That’s why the conductor has kicked it into high fundraising gear.
The choir even sang in last Saturday’s Peachfest parade.
“We sang New York, New York, and had a sign that read Choir for Carnegie,” she said.
One fundraising concert in May sold out. Another is planned for Sept. 20 at 7 p.m. at the South Main Drop In Centre, 2965 S. Main St. Tickets are available at the Lutheran church, at the door or from choir members.