Children’s Choir plans Canadian tour
A trip to the Indian River Festival in Summerside, P.E.I. in July, 2019, is the next major adventure for the Saskatoon Children’s Choir.
Major trips are a traditional feature for the choir every second year and the three most recent ones have been to Ireland, Wales and England in 2013, the European Grand Prix of Nations in Germany in 2015 and the Musica Eterna Roma Festival in Italy in 2017.
“We are a Canadian choir,” said Phoebe Voigts, the artistic director since the choir’s beginning in 1996, “and Canadian festivals have a very meaningful component that we have not been able to experience during our last three tours of Europe.
“The European tours gave us a sample of what music and culture meant in Europe, and gave us the chance to sing in some majestic buildings, but each lacked the philosophy of common singing.”
The Saskatoon choir has applied to participate in the Toronto Children’s Choirs Festival from July 1-4 and that is where “our choristers will spend the majority of their time in rehearsal with accomplished choirs from Canada and the United States and be able to learn under some of the world’s most renowned directors.
“Through ongoing rehearsals and shared artistic expression, in a remarkable musical and personal environment, our choristers will be challenged and inspired,” said Voigts.
From Toronto, the choir will travel by coach to Halifax where they will give a benefit performance which will feature the works of Canadian composers.
Indian River is about 55 kilometres from Charlottetown. The festival is staged near the Confederation Bridge and Voigts said the choir is excited to give two concerts at the festival. The key venue for the choristers is St. Mary’s Church, which was built in 1902 and remains an architectural and acoustical treasure to this day.
The recently completed 2018 festival featured a mix of folk, jazz, blues, roots, classical and choral works. Among its recent headliners were Sarah Slean with the Atlantic String Quartet, jazz pianist Michael Kaeshammer and another jazz group, the Amanda Jackson Trio. The festival’s artistic director is pianist Riobert Kortgaard, who was born in Regina, grew up in Calgary, studied at Juilliard in New York and has been a guest artist with many Canadian symphonies.
There are three units: the Preparatory Choir for ages seven to nine; the Apprentice Choir for ages eight to 13; and the Concert Choir from ages 11 to 16. They rehearse from September until the middle of April. Voigts said most begin at seven years of age and stay the course. All get to participate in the annual Christmas concert and a spring concert.
But there are special events along the way.
One special concert happened April 13 when the choir performed a 30-minute opera sponsored by the Saskatchewan Music Educators’ Association, titled, The House of Aetreus: It’s Not Easy Being Greek! The text was by Peter Tiefenbach, a noted Canadian composer who has often worked with the Saskatoon choir, Mark Mccondach and Voigts.
“Not all operas are serious,” said Voigts, “and this one was a parody, based on confusing Greek myths, with the feel of a witty cartoon British farce. It was about mayhem, murder and misunderstandings.”
Another special evening occurred June 24 when the Saskatoon choir, along with many other artists, joined in what was called a musical farewell to Third Avenue United Church, where most had performed over the years. Michelle Aalders, the choir’s principal accompanist, played a big hand in arranging the performance for the congregation which surrendered its place of worship late in June.
Some of the Apprentice Choir members also took turns in the Saskatoon Opera production of La Boheme, which was staged two weekends in June.
The next Saskatoon performances will be Sing Choirs of Angels, the Christmas show, Nov. 30 and Dec. 1, at Knox United Church.