The Halls Are Alive With the Sound of Music

18 March 2016Hannah R, Mackenzie ‘18

The havoc of third term has now begun, bringing festival season for the Concert Choirs. Polishing and fine-tuning repertoire learned in second term, both the men’s and women’s choirs, led by Mr. Clausen and Mr. Newns, recently travelled near and far to participate in music festivals. At the Kiwanis Music Festival in Vancouver, we had the opportunity to listen to other vocal groups from the area. It was wonderful to hear what the other singers had to offer, and the girls were surprised – and a bit indignant – to hear Sililiza, one of our prepared songs, before we had the chance to go onstage! Watching was lovely, but the real opportunity was the occasion for each choir to perform three songs and receive tips from choral experts. The bus was lively with music as, still in kilts, blazers, and dress shoes, we made a mad dash for the ferry, returning to campus just in time for bed. A few days later we were back on the festival scene – this time at the Greater Victoria Music Festival. At a smaller venue than Kiwanis, we were again privileged to be able to listen to a few other choirs before performing. In general, our second try was an improvement over the first, with all songs performed well. The energetic adjudicator then provided each choir with additional suggestions to improve our delivery, such as key changes to make the boys sing in falsetto and lift the altos out of the mud…my sincere apologies to the sopranos! Our hard work preparing for these festivals has certainly paid off, as the girls’ choir has been invited to perform at the Choral Honours Concert in Victoria and receive an award for high achievement in Female Voice Ensemble. Best of all, though, the girls were asked to send recordings of two of our songs to provincials! Congratulations! Both festivals provided us with the opportunity to learn and grow as choirs, while showcasing our hard work. We now have a clear calendar until Concert For A Summer’s Eve, leaving us to take adjudicators’ recommendations to heart and prepare for the year-end concert. On behalf of all members of the Concert Choirs, I would like to thank Mrs. Widenmaier, Mr. Newns, and Mr. Clausen for organizing these ‘away games’ and pushing us to be our best! Hannah R, Mackenzie ‘18

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