Monday, April 23, 2012

Rocky Mountain Festival in Banff (Chorale Tour)

Chorale has returned safely from a short and intense tour to Alberta. In addition to singing at various schools and churches, they spent a day in Banff at The Banff Centre where they performed at the Canadian Rocky Mountain Festival. Chorale had their best performance of the year and deeply impressed the judges with their versatility and sincerity of performance. 

One of the highlights (just one of them - there were MANY more) was Canadian composer Stephen Hatfield jumping out of his chair at the end of Chorale's performance, stomping his foot and shouting "Now THAT'S a set you can be proud of!!"

In the bus on the way.

In Hanna Alberta - a much needed bus break.

First stop on tour was Westberry Elementary School in Kindersley. Here Chorale is shown singing at Didsbury Bergthal Mennonite Church in Didsbury Albert where we stopped for night.

Free time means creative time-killing for Landon.

There were some interesting art pieces in the Cross Iron Mills Mall in Calgary.

At Menno Simons Christian School in Calgary, where Sara read a story to the rest of Chorale.

Chorale sang at Menno Simons Christian School in their atrium - pretty good acoustics there.

Paradise and Meghan have some fun with Val's Generation Next stuff.

The Tenors and Basses performed "Let's Hang On" from the hit musical "The Jersey Boys"

The Menno Simons Christian School musical cast joined Chorale for the final song of their concert. Both groups had prepared "Hold Me Rock Me" by Brian Tate just that afternoon.

Saturday was the day in Banff. What a beautiful day it was!

In Banff, mixing it up with many other choirs and singers.

Some of the singers soak up the sun while waiting for their clinic with one of the judges. Chorale had an AWESOME performance and were rewarded with very favourable and encouraging comments.

On Sunday morning, Chorale sang both services at Foothills Mennonite Church in Calgary. All in all an exhausting tour - short but fulfilling.

The back of the Chorale tshirt. Can you find the errors?

Tuesday, April 3, 2012

Sunday, April 1, 2012

Sask Valley Music Festival Awards

The Sask Valley Music Festival came to a close on Sunday with the final awards concert. Several RJC students performed and received awards. Congratulations to Chorale (Top High School Choir), Sara Bartel (Top Musical Theatre Performance), Emily Hooge (Instrumental Runner Up - violin), Jamieson Fitzgerald (Vocal Runner Up), and Ryan Epp (TopVocalist.)

Sara Bartel won the Station Arts Centre trophy for top musical theatre performance.

Ryan (Vocal Rose Bowl) and Louella Klassen Friesen (voice teacher)

Emily Hooge with her Oma. Emily was awarded the instrumental runner up award for playing violin.
All the SVMF winners.