Voices will rise, blend, grow and soar across the province from the Cariboo. Award-winning choirs will join in Quesnel not to compete but to learn together and collaborate for everyone’s benefit at Melody Makers 2024, the first of something that has never been tried before.
“Bev Haluschak and myself had been discussing the idea of creating a choral weekend experience here in Quesnel for our choristers,” said Melanie McKinnon, choral director for InSong - Quesnel Youth Choir. Haluschak is the group’s manager. “Our desire is to educate our choristers about the larger provincial choral community - how they are a part of this community and that we can connect with the community and create friendships and larger performance and learning opportunities.”
InSong was most recently seen in a provincial setting singing O Canada for the opening ceremonies of the Lhtako Quesnel BC Winter Games. They are traditionally front and centre at the Quesnel cenotaph during Remembrance Day observances. And they compete each year in the Quesnel Festival of the Performing Arts, last year going on to make the B.C. podium.
InSong took the silver medal in the Community Choirs: Average Age 12 & Under category for 2023.
After that sparkling result, they received a call from the choir that took the gold.
“Shortly after we started discussing this (enhanced learning experience, at that point still undefined) we were contacted by Frances Chiasson, choral director of the Okanagan Children’s Choir,” said McKinnon. “She was reaching out to us to see if we would be interested in just that sort of thing. To say we were enthusiastic would be understating the case. We reached out to Northern Lights Youth Choir in Fort St. John and they were also interested.”
In hockey, one can’t simply shout “let’s have a tournament,” and invite the visiting teams. Who will the referees be? Who will run the score-clock? Who will clean the dressing rooms? Who will pay for the ice time? Similarly, a choral event needs a whole ecosystem of helpers.
Northern Lights Youth Choir is directed by Nadine Aulin-Bell and Alice Maundrell and their pianist is Nasya Boyd.
Along with Chiasson, the Okanagan Children’s Choir also has a pianist in Jessica Crawford.
As hosts, McKinnon and Haluschak had the creative help of accompanist Anna Allan who was just as enthusiastic. They were joined by behind-the-scenes organizers Sheila Pritchard and Carole Mankowske.
They secured the spaces they needed to sing and learn from Bethel Church and Seventh Day Adventist Church. Aid and sponsorship was then obtained from Cariboo Cares Community Foundation, Cariboo Forest Consultants, Rotary Club of Quesnel, BC Choral Federation, Ideal Embroidery, Spa Rivier, Cam’s Chimney Service, and CJ Directory.
This is all to enable choral singing to flourish, and showcase Quesnel at the same time.
“We know that singing in a choir is about more than just singing. We learn to celebrate each others’ successes, to not point at others’ mistakes, to be a friend and to be good,” said Haluschack.
“I grew up singing in choirs and I loved it,” said McKinnon. “Many of my favourite childhood memories involve singing in choir, and taking part in a larger mass choir in Fredericton. I love to learn about music and I love to teach others about singing and I am thrilled that we are in a position to offer such a rich musical experience to our choristers.”
The event is starting off with the bar set high. The clinician coming to lead the multi-choir learning and collaboration event is one of Canada’s best choral singing educators. Sandra Meister was once one of this region’s most commanding arts and culture figures, based out of Prince George where she founded the internationally successful Die Meistersinger Children’s Choir, which earned the honour of singing for Queen Elizabeth II at the opening of the University of Northern British Columbia. She went on to live and lead choirs in other districts of the province.
In her stellar career, Meister has also earned the Governor General’s Medal for outstanding service to arts and culture in Canada, the British Columbia Music Educators Association Professional Educator Award, the British Columbia Choral Federation’s Willan Award, and was one of the inaugural inductees into the Prince George Arts Gallery of Honour.
“We are fortunate to have Sandra Meister as our clinician. She has picked out some wonderful music to work on with the choristers and we will be gleaning from her expertise,” said McKinnon.
Each choir will arrive with three pieces of music they have prepared for the event, plus they will collectively learn three pieces chosen by Meister. Once all 12 songs are rehearsed and refined, there will be a public concert to show the world the results of the mass collaboration.
The grand matinee happens Sunday, April 28 at 1:30 p.m. at Bethel Church Quesnel.
Tickets are available in advance from Bev Haluschak (250-255-0867) or Mankowske (250-983-2416). General admission is $20 and seniors/children 12 and under are $10.
“This is the first venture of its kind for us and we are very excited,” said McKinnon. “What an opportunity for all the children to get to know each and to work together.”