Chorale at CAMS in Winnipeg

We are in Winnipeg enjoying the musical experience at Canadian Association of Schools Music Festival.

The Chorale has spent Friday intensively (6 hours today - mostly on their feet) rehearsing for the  Mass Band and Mass Choir concert on Sunday.  The guest conductor is Dr. Elroy Friesen of the University of Manitoba, and a former director at one of the CAMS schools. He has pushed the singers to new heights of musicianship!



This evening each school sang/performed a song for each other in a very informal concert. We sang "Deep River".

The singers get to sleep in tomorrow, the directors have brunch, and then back to the rehearsing in the afternoon!

Chorale Tour and CAMS

On Thursday, Chorale leaves for Winnipeg and the Canadian Association of Mennonite Schools Music Festival.

CAMS Music Festival is a non-competitive celebration of the strong music tradition in our Mennonite Schools. Participating schools are sending their choirs and bands to a central location in Winnipeg to socialize, sing, and perform together. This event happens generally every 4 years, though the last one was hosted here at RJC in 2005 as part of our centennial celebrations.


The choir's weekend schedule looks somewhat like this:

Thursday, April 7

• travel day
• evening concert for the participants by local music groups 
• Winnipeg Wind Ensemble
• Winnipeg Boys Choir
• Prairie Voices
• ice cream social

Friday, April 8

• full day of rehearsals
• evening inter-school performances (each school performs pieces for each other.) 
• NOTE: due to space, this performance is not open to the public. Sorry.

Saturday, April 9

• afternoon dress rehearsal
• evening hockey game at MTS Centre - the Manitoba Moose

Sunday, April 10

• CAMS Worship Service with Jon Buller and Nathan Koslowskyk (morning)
• CAMS Music Festival Concert
• 3:00 pm
• North Kildonan Mennonite Brethren Church (1315 Gateway Rd)
• Free Admission
• RJC supper out after the concert

Monday, April 11

• travel day
• evening program at North Star Mennonite Church, Drake, SK

Participating CAMS Schools this year:

• Rosthern Junior College, Rosthern, SK
• Mennonite Educational Institute, Abbotsford, BC
• Menno Simons Christian School, Calgary, AB
• Mennonite Brethren Collegiate Institute, Winnipeg, MB
• Westgate Mennonite Collegiate, Winnipeg, MB 
• Winnipeg Elementary & Middle Schools, Winnipeg, MB
• Steinbach Christian High School, Steinbach, MB
• Mennonite Collegiate Institute, Gretna, MB

SVMF Awards

The Sask Valley Music Festival handed out their awards to the top performers at their Awards Concert on Sunday night in Waldheim. Several students were invited to perform again, including Chorale who performed "Deep River."

RJC students were recognized for outstanding performances throughout the festival. The top three awards were presented to Nicole Brockman, piano (top instrumental performer), Ryan Epp (top vocal performer) and Concert Choir (top choir.)  As well, Chorale was nominated to compete in the National Festival, and will send a recording on to the next level of competition. Congratulations all!

Jamieson Fitzgerald captivates the audience with his rendition of "The Lion King"

Clay Buhler and Luke Driedger Enns entertained the audience with their musical theatre piece "Agony" from Stephen Sondheim's INTO THE WOODS

Sara Bartel sings "When Sweet Ann Sings"

Chorale sang the beautiful and moving "Deep River" at the awards concert.

FINAL CONCERT HIGHLIGHTS

All the award winners at the SVMF Awards Concert.

FULL PERFORMANCE OF "DEEP RIVER" by CHORALE

FULL PERFORMANCE OF "AGONY" by LUKE & CLAY

Sask Valley Music Festival

A lot of students have been performing at the SaskValley Music Festival this past week. The awards concert is Sunday night at 7 pm in the Waldheim Mennonite Brethren Church in Waldheim. Chorale will also be singing there.

Richard prepares Concert Choir for performing at the Festival this past Wednesday. Here Judith is at the piano for "Battle of Jericho"

The choirs (Concert  Choir and Chorale) each performed 4 pieces - all by memory!

Richard gives some animated encouragement and instructions to the singers.

Guys and Pies

Another successful and exciting Guys and Pies fundraiser in the Rehearsal Hall on Sunday evening raised money for the program at Rosthern Junior College. A Bunch of Guys (directed by Russ Regier) and the RJC ManChoir (directed by Richard Janzen) performed while a large group of around 250 people enjoyed coffee and pies. The cake auction brought in thousands of dollars. Thank you to all volunteers and generous supporters!

2011 Spring Musical Announcement

The musical of choice for 2011 will be:

HONK! is a musical comedy based on "The Ugly Duckling"

Based on Hans Christian Andersen's "The Ugly Duckling", “Honk!” tells the story of an odd looking baby duck, Ugly, and his quest to find his mother. Soon after Ugly is born, he is enticed away by a wily Cat who wants to eat Ugly for dinner. Eventually, Ugly manages to escape but has no idea how to return home. Along his way, he encounters a beautiful swan, Penny, tangled in a fishing line. After saving her, the two birds fall in love. However, she must return to her flock and fly south for the winter. Eventually, Ugly’s mother finds him frozen in snow. Luckily, her warm tears manage to thaw him out and he comes back to life – as a handsome swan! Soon, Ugly is reunited with Penny and two swans decide to live the rest of their days in the same pond as Ugly’s loyal mother.

Winner of the 2000 Olivier Award for Best New Musical in London, England, HONK! beat out all other new musicals that year, including the newly produced LION KING (the Disney stage production.)  Charming to a fault, the story is full of British humour, catchy tunes, and an ending to warm the most stoic of hearts.

Produced under arrangement with Music Theatre International, New York NY.

Christmas performances

The Choirs at RJC were very busy leading up to the Christmas Break. Here are a few pictures from their performances.

Chorale, under the direction of Richard Janzen, performed at the Station Arts Centre as part of the SAC Christmas Noon Hour Concert Series on December 17, 2010

Concert Choir at the opening of the Christmas Concert, December 17, 2010 in the evening.

SRC Co-Presidents Hannah and Clay were the MCs for the Christmas Concert.

Emily Hooge, Kerstin Balzer Peters and Luke Driedger Enns complimented the Concert Choir with their string trio, with Judith Schulz at the piano.

"We Three Kings" - Ryan, Jamieson and John.

"God of Surprises" - Macaila

The Chorale and Women's Choir also performed at the Christmas Concert.