A gathering of voices
- Details
- Published on Friday, September 9, 2016
By Tony Eu
Neepawa Banner/Neepawa Press
In Neepawa, there’s no shortage of music. From the high school band and chorale to community groups, there are plenty of people making wonderful sounds. One such group is the Neepawa Community Choir.
The choir brings together voices from Neepawa, Gladstone, Minnedosa and the areas surrounding the towns. Typically, the group has between 20 and 30 people, aged high school and up.
Since starting in the fall of 2012, the choir’s rehearsal season has been from September to June.
“Since 2012, we have performed two concerts a season, Christmas and spring,” said Loren Huck, a choir member.
The choir also performs as a guest at other events. Huck elaborated, saying, “As a community choir, we strive to support local musical events such as the Choraliers’ ‘Christmas in Song,’ the Neepawa Fine Arts Festival and the Kaleidoscope concert series.” More recently though, the choir has started performing in Forrest and Brandon as well.
“The choir is organized and maintained by a committee, with the support of a choral director and piano accompanist,” Huck noted. He continued saying, “All choir members contribute to the planning of events.”
As far as repertoire goes, the choir sings choral arrangements from the classics, like Handel’s Messiah, to modern composers, such as Eric Whitacre and Morten Lauridsen.
During rehearsal season, the choir meets once a week, historically a Wednesday evening, for one and a half hours. As they get closer to performance events, they usually add a second weekly practice on Sunday.
As phrased by Huck, “The choir is open to anyone who has a gift in music and is able to carry a pitch. We’re always looking for new members.”
This year’s season starts on Wednesday, Sept. 21 at 7:00 pm in the HMK School music room and while anyone can join at anytime, Huck noted that, “it would be beneficial to join at the start of a new session.”
For more information, contact Pat Martin (204-966-3832), Denise Kennedy (204-386-2510), or Loren Huck (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. ).
