Festival of Choirs with CMU and Station Singers

On March 16, Chorale joined Canadian Mennonite University and The Station Singers of Rosthern for a FESTIVAL OF CHOIRS in Saskatoon at Third Avenue United Church. The concert was a fundraiser for RJC and CMU. A large audience enjoyed the beautiful singing in the wonderful sanctuary at Third Ave.

Rehearsal on Saturday night at RJC

Mass Choir rehearsal on Saturday at RJC.

3 choirs together with a great mix of generations.

The Station Singers of Rosthern opened the program. Many singers in this choir are RJC alumni, CMU alumni, or sometimes both!

The Station Singers are directed by Duff Warkentin (RJC and CMU alumnus.) Sharryl Riekman (at the piano) is a former RJC instructor.

RJC Chorale is directed by Richard Janzen (CMU alumus.) At the piano is Audrey Falk Janzen, also a CMU alumnus.

Third Avenue United Church in Saskatoon is a beautiful structure.

Canadian Mennonite Universtiy Singers are directed by Dr. Rudy Schellenberg. The choir has a few RJC alumni singing in it.

The Mass Choir sang three songs, conducted by each of the directors.

The following YouTube playlist features four of the songs performed at the concert.

ChorFest in Regina - NEW PICTURES

Thank you to the Saskatchewan Choral Federation for sending pictures and video from ChorFest '14 held back in February.

Chorale participated in two ways at ChorFest. First by taking in a clinic workshop with "musica intima", a professional vocal ensemble from Vancouver, and later by performing in a "pod" with Miller Catholic High School (from Regina) for a panel of professional conductors/educators who then worked closely with each choir.

A previous blog entry right after ChorFest described a bit of what went on for the weekend. Today RJC received a DVD of pictures and video from the Sask Choral Federation that showed more of what RJC did there.

In Case You Missed It (ICYMI) here are some new pictures and a video of one of our pieces.

During one of the workshops, the choir explored ways of unifying vowels using hand gestures.

Learning a new piece at the musica intima workshop.

The singers got to work closely with professional musicians during their workshop.

musica intima is a professional vocal ensemble from Vancouver. They are wonderful!

Chorale performs for the clinicians while Miller Catholic High School listens and waits their turn.

Jordan Travis (from Burlington, ON) worked with Chorale with other participants looking on.

Breathing exercises with Jordan Travis.

Jordan Travis was quite animated while he worked with Chorale.

Elroy Friesen (from the University of Manitba) took Chorale further with 45 minutes of intense work after their performance pod.

Elroy Friesen is passionate about choral music and it was evident in how he encouraged Chorale.

Vowels, vowels, vowels!

It seemed like Elroy Friesen never stopped moving!

Unhinging the jaw.

Chorale performed with musica intima at a public noon hour concert.

This is an SCF video of Chorale performing "Lux Aurumque" in Knox-Metropolitan United Church in Regina.  Chorale will perform this piece again in Saskatoon on March 16 at the Festival Of Choirs Concert.

Concert with Pembina Trails Voices

Chorale joined Pembina Trails Voices - a school divisional choir from Winnipeg, MB - for a concert on Thursday, March 6 in Rosthern. Rosthern was the first stop for PTV on their Sask/Alberta tour.  PTV is a program of the Pembina Trails School Division in Manitoba and maintains a choral program for K-12 singers. On this tour, PTV brought a women's choir and a men's choir of high school aged singers. They are directed by Janet Brenneman and David Sawatzky.

It was a great concert that featured fine singing by all the groups. It ended with "City Called Heaven" performed by PTV and Chorale.

PTV Cantemus Women's Choir, directed by Dr. David Sawatzky.

PTV Men, directed by Janet Brenneman. Janet is also a professor of music at Canadian Mennonite University.

RJC Chorale, directed by Richard Janzen. Audrey Falk Janzen is a the piano.

Dr. Sawatzky directed the combined choirs in "City Called Heaven." The concert was at Rosthern Mennonite Church.

Guys and Pies Sunday March 2nd

On March 2nd  the annual Guys and Pies dessert fundraiser took place at RJC.  The audience enjoyed a set of music presented by Russ Regier and his choir the Bunch of Guys before 12 cakes that were baked and generously donated were auctioned off.  It was great to see the enthusiastic support for RJC and the good natured bidding for the cakes.  Everyone enjoyed coffee and a slice or two of pie while the RJC Manchoir presented two songs then joined again with a Bunch of Guys for another number in the their last set of the evening.  

One of the 12 delicious cake donated for the evening.

Yes really . . . this is a cake! And brought in over $4,000 on its own!

Admiring a replica of the old school building still on campus.

An arms lengths of ticket for one of the two gift baskets donated for the evening.

The SRC served coffee and pie.

A Bunch of Guys.

ManChoir

Brent was one of three auctioneers for the evening.

Tremendous support for $100 cupcakes!

The youngest contributors - Ava, Sarah, and Jesse with their creation.

Combined Choirs