Choral society to host concert

By Lethbridge Herald on October 8, 2024.

LETHBRIDGE HERALD

Vox Musica Choral Society on Oct. 19 at 7:30 p.m.will present “Between Friends: A Choral Celebration” at Southminster United Church.

The concert will showcase five Lethbridge choirs spanning a wide range of ages: award-winning Ventus Women’s Choir, led by Regan Brooks; the Incanto Singers, led by Kathy Matkin-Clapton; Chinook High School Concert Choir, led by Stephanie McFarlane; the Lethbridge Collegiate Institute Choir, led by Greg Sheen; and host choir Vox Musica, led by Joanne Collier.

Each choir will sing pieces on their own, then come together as a mass choir to sing several selections. Guests can expect a wide range of genres—from classical to folk to international—and the glorious sound of over two hundred voices joining together to blow the socks off of everyone in Southminster.

“One of the most exciting aspects of this project is the wide age range of individuals who will join together in song,” says Vox conductor Collier in a press release. 

“From teenagers to young adults to those who have been singing in choirs for decades plus everyone in between, music is the thing that brings us all together—choirs and audience alike—and it will be powerful. Vox is especially thrilled to showcase youth choirs from our city and purposefully highlight the importance of music education in our schools.”

“Between Friends” will be the culmination of a week of workshops led by the concert’s guest conductor Dr. Marc Hafso. Dr. Hafso is Emeritus Professor of Music at Whitworth University in Spokane.

 His expertise in conducting, composition, and choral music has taken him across Canada and the United States, including a sixteen-year stint in Camrose at Augustana University (now part of the University of Alberta) where he developed a nationally recognized choral program.

During his time in Lethbridge, he will work with all five choirs and hold  one on one sessions with their conductors. He says he is “thrilled to be Alberta bound” again: “I am passionate about ensemble-team work, so the opportunity to make music and create memories with five gifted Lethbridge-area choirs and their directors is very exciting for me!”

Lethbridge conductors also value this opportunity to work with a new voice.

 “It is always an extremely beneficial experience to learn with and from another conductor,” says McFarlane, conductor of Chinook High School Concert Choir.

“Watching my students respond to a different approach or technique is a meaningful learning opportunity for everyone involved.”

“Between Friends: A Choral Celebration” promises to show the fruits of such an opportunity in an evening of choral camaraderie and a dazzling array of music.

Tickets are $25 for adults, $15 for students, and free for children 12 and under. They are available in advance at CASA or at the door—cash only.