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Central Region
Central Manitoba Youth Choir 2012
By Cheryl Dousselaere, Central Manitoba Choral Association Committee Member and CMYC 2012 Tour Mom
October 2012 saw another very talented group of singers audition, get accepted and come together to form the 28th Central Manitoba Youth Choir. The Choir worked together for two intense rehearsal weekends in September at Circle Square Ranch under the direction of conductor Nathan Poole, and long time CMYC accompanist Loren Hiebert.
The tour started on Thursday evening, October 11th at Carman United Church with a performance at the Senior Choral Workshop. We ended the tour with an afternoon performance at the Junior Choral Workshop on Monday, October 15 at Plum Coulee Bergthaler Mennonite Church.
The time between the first and last concerts was filled with lots of singing, riding in our bright pink bus literally from one corner of the Central Manitoba Region to the other, and bonding of choristers forming lasting friendships. Concert stops included Cartwright School, Grace Mennonite Church in Winkler, Taber Home in Morden, Kenmore Theatre in Morden, Baker Colony, MacGregor EMC Church, McKenzie United Church in Portage, Schoenfelder Mennonite Church in Pigeon Lake, Buhler Hall in Gretna, W. C. Miller Collegiate in Altona, Winkler Senior Centre and Parkland School in Winkler.
During the weekend, there were some additional activities that added to the enjoyment and education of the weekend, including an impromptu private performance in the recently restored Little Anglican Church in Cartwright ,as well as a tour of Baker Colony and having the choir at Baker Colony perform for us.
Conductor Nathan Poole did an excellent job of choosing a wide variety of challenging repertoire for this very talented group of singers. This group was fortunate to sing the Premier Performance of “My Soul Doth Magnify the Lord” by Michael McKay. Mr. McKay was in the audience for the first public performance of his song in Winkler on Friday, October 12.
CMYC, along with other projects sponsored by the Central Manitoba Choral Association would not be possible without the generosity of many people. Thank you for your financial donations for hosting concerts, for providing billets, for serving us delicious meals, and for coming to our concerts – giving the choir an audience to perform for.
Applications are already in for CMYC 2013, and we look forward to another amazing year!
14th Annual Central Region
Vocal Jazz Workshop
For Junior or Senior High individuals or groups who are interested in learning about and singing vocal jazz!
$20 per student
Thursday, February 7, 2013
Buhler Hall
Mennonite Collegiate Institute 900 – Schellenberg Avenue Gretna, MB
Clinicians
Kristel Peters and Michael Dueck
Evening Concert
7:00 PM at Buller Hall
General Admission: $5.00
Central Manitoba Youth Choir 2012
2012 marks the 28th Anniversary of the CMYC. It is with great pleasure that we welcome Nathan Poole as our conductor, and welcome back, as accompanist, Loren Hiebert. The Choir will perform at the Central Region Senior School Choral Workshop on October 11, 2012 at the Carman United Church, followed by a tour through the Central Region from October 12 through to October 15, 2012.
TOUR & PERFORMANCE DATES
Central Manitoba Youth Choir Tour 2012
Thursday, October 11
7:30 pm Carman United Church
- -Senior School Choral Workshop Concert
Friday, October 12
2:15 pm Cartwright School
7:30 pm Grace Mennonite Church, Winkler
Saturday, October 13
9:30 am Tabor Home, Morden
11:30 am Kenmor Theatre, Morden
3:30 pm Baker Colony
7:30 pm MacGregor EMC Church
Sunday October 14
10:30 am McKenzie United Church, Portage la Prairie
2:30 pm Schoenfelder Mennonite Church, Pigeon Lake
7:30 pm Buhler Hall, Gretna
Monday October 15
9:00 am W C Miller Collegiate, Altona
11:30 am Winkler Senior Centre
1:30 pm Parkland School, Winkler
4:00 pm Plum Coulee Bergthaler Mennonite Church
--Junior School Choral Workshop Concert
Conductor and Accompanist
Nathan Poole was born in St. Paul, Minnesota, and came to Winnipeg in 2000. Originally intending to pursue orchestral conducting, it was in Winnipeg that Nathan met and worked with Henry Engbrecht of the University of Manitoba, and found a real passion for the intense, human emotions that are inherent to the choral instrument. Nathan was a member of the U of M Singers for six years, working under the direction of both Henry Engbrecht and Dr. Elroy Friesen, founding artistic director of Prairie Voices. During this time, Nathan travelled across Canada and abroad, experiencing and learning about the rich world of choral music. He has had the unique opportunity to work under the direction of respected conductors such as Robert Sund, Martin Neary and Maria Guinand. In 2009, Nathan performed as a part of Dr. Elroy Friesen's specially-formed Winnipeg Soloists Choir to present Finnish composer Einojuhani Rautavaara's Vigilia (All-Night Vigil). As a conductor, Nathan is currently working with the Winnipeg Philharmonic Choir, and the Spirits Call Choir. He is the current Director of Music in Worship at Westminster United Church, and is the past artistic director of Prairie Voices. In addition to conducting, Nathan has a busy schedule teaching violin and piano.
Loren Hiebert grew up in rural Saskatchewan, Kansas, and Manitoba. His early musical influences were hymn-singing and southern gospel music. His piano teachers have included Glenn Loewen, Donald Henry, Jenny Regehr, and Joan Passey. He holds a B. A. degree in music, and A.R.C.T. diplomas in Piano Performance and Piano Teaching. Since 1980, Loren has been a music teacher in the Altona/Morden/Winkler area, with a large and active studio. His students have excelled at local festivals, and have been awarded numerous scholarships at the provincial level. Loren has adjudicated in music festivals across the province. Loren has been the accompanist for numerous individuals and groups, including the Faith and Life Male Choir and Canzona. He has also been active as a chamber musician in various other classical and jazz combinations. Loren has made four recordings with violinist Rosemary Siemens. In 2009, Loren and Rosemary performed in several concerts to release their most recent CD “Gospel” which raised over $33,000 for the Canadian Foodgrains Bank. 2011 saw the release of a third CD of German Hymns sung by the acclaimed choral ensemble “Canzona” with Loren at the piano. Loren and his wife Lori live in Altona and have some grown-up kids and a slightly insane 18-pound black and white cat named Miles.
Central Manitoba Choral Association
The First 25 Years
Submitted by Loretta Thorleifson
I was honoured to be given the opportunity to share the history of the CMCA at a gala reunion banquet celebrating the 25th annual tour of the Central Manitoba Youth Choir, and it was suggested that I share the following text with the MCA readership.
1985 was the year that saw the invention and release of the Nintendo Home Entertainment system, and the first “Live Aid” concert to raise money for famine relief. Michael J. Fox starred in “Back to the Future”, REO Speedwagon came up big with the hit “I Can’t Fight This Feeling Anymore”, and Rick Hansen circled the world in a wheelchair. History was in the making.
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And in small towns throughout Central Manitoba, telephones were ringing. An Arts Council staffer by the name of Bev Murray, and a music teacher by the name of Henry Peters were calling people to join forces to create a body which would promote choral music in the region. The Central Region Choral Committee was formed. Besides Bev and Henry, the inaugural members of that committee were Pat Adam from Treherne, Cindee Broeska from Carman, Craig Cassils from Gladstone, Peter DeRoche from Winkler, Margaret Loepp from Morris, Muriel Milgrom from Portage la Priarie, Dick Myers from Morden, and Loretta Sawatsky from Manitou.
The first Central Manitoba Youth Choir actually pre-dated the formation of the choral committee, as Henry, Bev, Craig and Peter had galvanized earlier in the year to initiate this project. The first conductor was Henry Engbrecht, and the accompanist was Cary Mead. The first School Choral Workshop was held in Winkler and Morden, with the Junior High Choir directed by Gerry Price, and the Senior High Choir directed by Ed Hildebrand, who this year is directing the 25th CMYC.
As the years went on, the committee changed faces many times, with committee members too numerous to mention joining or leaving the committee. People moved, people got married, people had babies, people brought their babies to the meetings – and in the blink of an eye, those babies grew up, participated in the workshops and choirs that their moms or dads had invested so much time in, graduated, and moved on.
The choral programs in the region grew and changed as well. In 1986, an Elementary School Choir component was added to the school choral workshop.
In 1987, a new initiative was added, with the first Central Region Church and Community Choir Workshop. Singers from throughout the region would meet for a one day workshop in February, forming an adult choir and a youth choir, and learning new songs with guest clinicians. After a banquet, the groups sang their newly learned songs for each other, and also listened to guest performances by local church or community choirs. This wonderful annual event carried on for nine years.
Also in 1987, the committee took on the formation of a regional adult chamber choir, directed by Henry Peters. This auditioned choir would meet in Carman and rehearse intensively over a period of a few weeks, and then present formidable concerts featuring works such as Handel’s Dixit Dominus, and Brahms’ Liebeslieder Waltzes, with Loren Hiebert and Verna Wiebe dashing off the four-hand accompaniment. Although this choir continued for only two years, it was a significant choral connection for the adult singers in the region.
In 1989, the committee decided to change its name to the Central Manitoba Choral Association, to more closely reflect its relationship with our parent organization, the Manitoba Choral Association, whose interest and support we have deeply appreciated over the years. In the same year, we were called to be part of a major review of funding for the arts in Manitoba. The monumental task of composing a paper to present to the panel coincided with the purchase of Al’s and my first computer, my first experience of losing and having to rewrite 10 pages of unsaved text, and no doubt Al’s first experience of witnessing my unleashed wrath in the face of technology.
As the work of the committee began to bear fruit, more and more students in the region began to take interest in CMCA events. In 1997 we expanded the school choral workshop to a two day event, in order to accommodate our increased numbers. This meant involving even more communities, volunteers, supper makers, billeters, and those countless other behind the scenes workers who continue make our events run as smoothly as they do. If the committee is the vision behind choral music in the region, then the local volunteers are certainly the hands, the feet and the backbone.
In the year 2000, CMCA responded to a growing province-wide interest in vocal jazz, by offering the first Central Region Vocal Jazz workshop. This one day event allows singers from established vocal groups to come and perform for each other, and receive on-stage feedback from a guest adjudicator, while inexperienced singers can come together to create a new group, learn some charts with a jazz expert and perform them at the end of the day. After supper, a local school jazz group opens the evening concert, and a featured guest group rounds out the entertainment. We are pleased to continue offering this exciting event every February.
The Central Manitoba Youth Choir has also evolved over the years. In the early years, the rehearsal camps rotated through various locations, including Winkler, Altona, Carberry, La Riviere, Holland, Boissevain, and even the Hotel Fort Garry. Over time, the choir happily settled in to the Circle Square Ranch near Austin as home base for rehearsals, where camp managers Lyle and Bev have graciously hosted us for many years now. Although we do not know exactly how many young people have sung their way through CMYC over the years, we do know that for many of them, the experience has been life changing. We have at least one pair of witnesses to that statement, as Justin Ried and Catherine Howatt, who sang together in CMYC later added the Wedding March to their repertoire. Their two sons could now be listed in the annals as pureblood CMYCers. Those are good genes!
In the year 2000, CMYC joined with Manitoba’s other two regional youth choirs, Westman and Eastman, in a gala Millenium Tri-Choir event held in Portage. This concert featured performances by each youth choir, followed by several rousing mass choir pieces. It was a truly momentous occasion.
Our committee has also been visited by sadness, with the passing of Mae MacNair last summer. Mae was a dedicated and tireless committee member for 10 years, and we fondly remember her attention to detail, her energy, and her love of music. Her legacy lives on in many ways.
There is no doubt as to the impact this committee has had on our region and on countless individuals, young and old. Over the years, when financial constraints are sometimes felt, deadlines sometimes loom, time and energy sometimes runs short, we ask ourselves “how” do we do this? But one question we never ask ourselves is “why” do we do this? The answer to that question is evident every day, in our schools, in our homes, and in our communities, as we see the richness that singing brings to our lives.
Choral music cannot be produced individually. It is only possible in a group. I believe that this interdependence, this shared discipline, this attention to detail, this appreciation of beauty and the resulting sense of profound joy represents values that are most fundamental and critical in our society.
On behalf of CMCA, I thank everyone who has shared in our journey.
2010
This year's CMCA school choral workshop was held in MacGregor, Manitoba, on Thursday, October 14. A total of 74 students from Grades 9 -- 12 from throughout the Central Region converged on the MacGregor Collegiate and the MacGregor Evangelical Mennonite Church to learn a variety of repertoire in preparation for an evening concert.
The guest clinician for the Intermediate (Grade 9/10) Choir was Simone Gendron of Winnipeg, and the accompanist was Vanessa Klassen of La Riviere. Guest Clinician for the Senior (Grades 11/12) Choir was 2009 CMYC director Ed Hildebrand, and accompanist was MCA's own Robert Neufeld.
After a hearty pizza supper, the final evening concert was held at the MacGregor Collegiate at 7:00pm. Also performing at the evening concert was CMYC 2010, in the first performance of their tour.
The CMCA extends a hearty "thank you" to Mark Borgfjord and his local committee for helping create another successful celebration of choral music!
The 2010 Central Manitoba Choral Association (CMCA) Junior School Choral Workshop was held on Friday, October 15 this year in Holland, Manitoba. A total of 214 enthusiastic students from Grades 5 – 8 participated hailing from the communities of Langruth, Manitou, Winkler, Glenboro, Roland, Miami, Elm Creek, Crystal City, Holland, Oakville, Treherne, Gladstone, MacGregor, St. Francois Xavier, St. Eustache, Cartwright, Starbuck, Carman, and Portage La Prairie. Clinicians and accompanists were as follows: Grade 5 – Loretta Friesen, Clinician; Emmy Friesen, accompanist; Grade 6 – Sharon Marshall, Clinician, Cary Denby, accompanist; Grade 7/8 – Liz Kristjanson, Clinician, Helen Black, accompanist.
The singers rehearsed throughout the day at Holland School, Holland United Church, and Holland Community Hall, and performed their selections at a final 4:00pm concert held at Holland Community Hall. Special guests at the afternoon concert were the Central Manitoba Youth Choir 2010, on the second day of their five day tour.
The CMCA extends a hearty “thank you” to Jacqui Hurton and her local committee for their hard work in making this another successful event!
Director: Carrie Schellenberg Wilson
Accompanist: Loren Hiebert (C) 324-3241
Tour Organizers:
The CMCA Executive
Contact: Craig Bennet (H) 856 0012
Tour Manager:
Craig Bennet (H) 856 0012
James Reynolds (H) 239 7240 (C) 870 9051
Chaperones:
Jocelyn Van Koughnet (H) 745 6321 (C) 745 8144
Marie Dyck (H) 745 1316 (C) 750 3333
Bus transportation provided by:
Beaver Bus Lines 989 7007
Contact:
Wayne fax 231 2645 wayne@beaverbus.com
Rick Brown 989 7007 rickbrown@beaverbus.com
Driver:
TBA
Contact: Al Thorleifson (H) 242 2794 (W)242 2640
Financial Support of CMYC 2010
We would like to thank Larry McIntosh and Peak of the Market for their generous support of CMYC 2010. This generous donation has been designated to covering part of the choir’s travel costs.
Unless another arrangement has been made beforehand, each sponsor is asked to make a donation of $100 to the Central Manitoba Choral Association to help defray costs of the tour.
A collection in support of CMYC 2010 will be taken at each concert.
Individual donors may write cheques to the CMCA. These donors will be provided with a tax deductible receipt. Cheques may be placed in the donation bags at any of the concerts or may be sent to the treasurer,
Al Thorleifson
Box 557
Manitou MB R0G 1G0.
Bus Schedule
The bus will be available for loading at 11:20 am at Portage Collegiate Institute on Friday, October 15. The choir can load their luggage on the bus in front of the small parking lot by the band room which is on the south side of the west building along St. George Avenue. Risers, luggage, the electronic piano, drums and all other tour gear must be loaded for departure on tour by 2:40 pm Friday.
The bus will return the choir members to the Carman Active Living Centre after their final concert on Monday, October 18. The bus will also deliver students to Portage Collegiate Institute to disperse the singers who live closer to Portage. After the choir has dispersed, the bus will return to Winnipeg.
Billets
Over-night hosts will be required for 50 choristers, the director, accompanist, one chaperone, and the tour manager in all instances from Thursday night to Sunday night. The bus driver will require a billet from Friday night to Sunday night.
Thursday, October 14
Members of the CMYC have been encouraged to attend the Central Manitoba Grade 9 to 12 School Choral Workshop which will be held beginning at 9:00 am in MacGregor. Rehearsals will be held in the following venues:
Grades 9 & 10 MacGregor Collegiate, 150 Fox Street N
Grades 11 & 12 MacGregor EMC, Highway 350, East end of Hampton Street
All members of the CMYC 2010 must be at the MacGregor Collegiate by 6:00 pm for warm-up. CMYC 2010 will perform as a part of the workshop concert.
Concert 1
Central Manitoba Grade 9 to 12 School Choral Workshop Concert
MacGregor Collegiate, 150 Fox Street N, MacGregor MB
7:30 pm
Contact: Mark Borgfjord (H) 285 2979 (W)685 2047
Overnight billets for Thursday night will be provided by the MacGregor / Portage community.
Hosts are asked to provide choristers with breakfast and a bag lunch for Friday noon.
Billet Contact:
Craig Bennet (H)856 0012
James Reynolds (H)239 7240
Friday, October 15
CMYC choristers and chaperones must be at the Portage Collegiate Institute 8:30 am to store their luggage and prepare for rehearsal.
Opening Rehearsal
Portage Collegiate Institute, 65 - 3rd Street SW.,Portage la Prairie
9:00 am
Contact:
Craig Bennet (H)856 0012
James Reynolds (H)239 7240
The choir will be rehearsing in the band room. The choir can store their luggage in the band room. Please enter the band room from the small parking lot by the band room which is on the south side of the west building along St. George Avenue.
The rehearsal will run from 9:00 am to 12:00 am. Bus loading procedure will be reviewed as a part of this rehearsal time. This will include loading all personal luggage, the piano, risers, and all instruments. Bus loading procedures will be reviewed from 11:30 to 12:00. Lunch will be in the Portage Collegiate – 12:00 to 1:00.
Concert 2
The West Building Gymnasium
Portage Collegiate Institute
65 - 3rd Street SW
Portage la Prairie
1:30 pm
Contact :
Craig Bennet (H)856 0012
James Reynolds (H)239 7240
Bus loading 2:30 to 2:40 pm. Departure at 2:40 pm for Holland – 80 km. Arrival at Holland at 3:40 pm.
Concert 3
Central Manitoba Grades 5 to 8 Choral Workshop
Holland Community Hall 526 2384
136 Broadway Street
Holland MB
4:00 pm
Contact:
Jacqui Hurton (H) 526 2068 (W) 526 2179
Bus loading 5:20 – 5:30 pm. Departure for Morden at 5:30 pm.- 104 km. Arrival at Morden Alliance Church at 6:45. Supper will be provided by the Morden Community –6:45 – 7:15.
Morden Alliance Church 822 4060
181 15th Street
Contact: Ruth Polonenko (H) 822 9913 .
Departure for Morden Mennonite Church at 7:20. Arrival at Morden Mennonite at 7:25 pm. Setup – 7:25 to 7:35 pm.
Concert 4
- Morden Mennonite Church 822 7450
- 363 Gilmour Street
- Morden MB R6M 1M5
- 8:00 pm
- Contact:
- Loretta Letkeman, Church Secretary
- Laura Matychuk (H) 822 3552
- Rachel Hiebert (H) 331 3699
- Bus loading - 9:00 to 9:10 pm. Following the concert, the choristers will be billeted by the Morden community. Choristers should be picked up at the Morden Mennonite Church at 9:10 pm.
- Please provide the choristers with breakfast and a bag lunch for Saturday noon.
- Billet Contact: Erika Dyck (H) 822 6825
- Saturday, October 16
- Choristers are to meet the bus at the front door of the Morden Mennonite Church for loading at 9:00 am. Departure for Winkler at 9:15 am. Arrival at the Salem Home in Winkler by 9:30 am. Choristers may alternatively meet the choir at Salem, if they have made prior arrangements with the tour director. Set up from 9:35 to 9:45 am.
Concert 5
Salem Home 325 4316
165 15th Street
Winkler
10:00 am
Contact: Julie Ruban-MacDonald 325-4316
Bus loading 11:00 - 11: 10 pm. Bus leaves for the Arocha Site at 11:15 – 60 km. Students will eat their lunch upon arrival at the Arocha site at Pembina Valley Provincial Park – 12:00 to 12:30.
Students will be provided with a tour of the Arocha site and will be introduced to the programs provided there by
Larry Danielson, Nic and Susan Pharoah
During their tour of the trails at Arocha, the choir will be invited to perform some of their works, a capella, in the Stone Circle.
Concert 6
Stone Circle
Arocha 246 2059
NE 1 1 7W
Just off Hwy # 201
1:15 pm
Bus loading at 2:00 pm. Departure for Crystal City – 80 km at 2:05 pm. Arrival at Crystal City at 3:00 pm. Set up 3:00 – 3:10 pm.
Concert 7
Cornerstone Ministries Church 873 2000
131 New Hope Drive
Crystal City
3:30 pm.
Contact: Heather Hildebrand (H) 873 2630
Bus loading 4:40 to 4:50 pm. Supper will be provided by the Crystal City community – 5:00 to 6:00.
Bus leaves for Manitou at 6:15 pm. – 37 km. Arrival at Manitou at 6:45 pm. Set up 6:50 to 7:00 pm.
Concert 8
Manitou Opera House 242 3160
325 Main Street
Manitou
7:30 pm.
Contact: Al Thorleifson (H) 242 2794 (W) 242 2640
Load bus 8:30 to 8:40 pm. Overnight billets will be provided by the Manitou community.
Billet Contact:
Joy Pauls 242 2817
Evelyn Lea 242 2703
Sunday, October 17
The choristers are to be delivered to the front doors of the Manitou Opera House at 8:20 am for departure to Altona. The bus will leave at 8:30 am – 90 km. Arrival at Altona at 9:30 am. Set up 9:40 – 9:50 am.
Concert 9
Altona Bergthaler Mennonite Church (worship service) 324 8122
117 2nd Street NW
Altona
10:30 am
Contact: Pastor Rick Neufeld 324 9027
CMYC will be seated as a group in the choir loft at the front of the church and will rise to sing. They will perform three or four selections from their sacred repertoire at appropriate points during the service.
Following the service, there will be a 10 minute break. A lunch will be provided by the church community -12:00 to 1:00 - in the Church Fellowship Hall.
Concert 10
Altona Bergthaler Mennonite Church 324 8122
117 2nd Street NW
Altona
1:30 pm
Contact: Pastor Rick Neufeld 324 9027
Bus loading 2:30 to 2:40 pm.
Bus leaves for Winnipeg at 2:40 pm. – 112 km. Arrival at Crescent Fort Rouge United Church at 4:00 pm. Set up 4:00 to 4:10 pm.
The choir will rehearse with Ecco for their evening performance. Supper will be provided by the Winnipeg community.
Concert 11
Crescent Fort Rouge United Church
NE Wardlaw & Nassau
Winnipeg
7:00 pm
Contact: Carrie Schellenberg Wilson
Load bus 8:50 pm to 9:00 pm. Bus departure for St. Francois Xavier at 9:00 pm. – 33 km. Overnight billets will be provided by the St. Francois community. Hosts are asked to pick up their billets in front of the St. Francois Community Club next door to the Elementary School at 9:45 pm.
Hosts are also asked to please provide choristers with breakfast and a bag lunch for Monday noon.
Billet Contact: Crystal Jochum 864 2834
Monday, October 18
Choristers are to be back at St Francois Xavier Community Club to load their luggage and to prepare for set up at the Elementary School by 8:45 am on Monday morning. Set up – 8:50 – 9:00 am.
Concert 12
St. Francois Xavier Elementary School 864 2868
991 PTH 26
St Francois Xavier
9:30 am
Contact: Mrs. Tiltman, Principal
Bus loading 10:40 - 10: 50 pm. Bus leaves for Carman at 11:00 am – 80 km. Arrival at 11:50 pm. Setup 11:50 – 12:00 pm.
Concert 13
Carman Active Living Centre
47 Ed Belfour Drive
12:30 pm
Contact: Jocelyn Van Koughnet (H) 745 6321
CMYCers will have their lunch together at the Centre after their concert – 1:40 – 2:20.
CMYCers who wish to may depart the tour at:
Carman Active Living Centre
47 Ed Belfour Drive
2:30 pm
Jocelyn VanKoughnet (H) 745 6321
or at
Portage Collegiate Institute
65 - 3rd Street SW.
Portage la Prairie
3:30 pm
James Reynolds (H)239 7240 (C) 870 9051
All instruments and risers will be distributed for return to their owners at either Carman or Portage.
The bus will depart for Winnipeg at 3:30 pm.
The Central Manitoba Choral Association would like to thank everyone who has helped to make this tour a success. The Central Manitoba Choral Association is proud of the Central Manitoba Youth Choir. The members of this choir are our region’s musical ambassadors and they deserve our support and encouragement. Please join us at whichever concerts you wish, and bring someone with you.
Thank you for you support!!!
The sound that we all created was so special because of who we were singing with. The group was very memorable. I will never forget the experience.
Ceone (singer)
….we are all alike. We all love to sing and have many musical talents. CMYC for me was a life-changing experience and I can't wait to come back next year!
Patricia (singer)
CMYC was a career highlight for me! Each singer is a musician, so I was able to collaborate with them and the music-making was evident right from the first weekend. I didn't anticipate getting so attached to each of them...but I guess that's what happens when you share such an intensely beautiful experience. I am truly grateful for the opportunity. It has made me a better musician and teacher.
Carrie (director)
CMYC was so awesome! I loved singing with ECCO in Winnipeg and meeting 49 other people that I have something in common with; we all love to sing. CMYC is like the place every teenager dreams of. It’s a place where you don’t get judged or ridiculed for being yourself. It was the most life-changing and unforgettable experience of my life. I can’t wait for next year!!
Salina (singer)
CMYC for me was definitely a life changing experience. All the choir members are very friendly, and everyone became friends before the end of the first rehearsal camp. As for the music, singing in a choir of that calibre is a phenomenal experience, and nothing else can compare to it.
Josh (singer)
The CMYC experience was absolutely amazing! To be able to sing in such a high-calibre choir along with the some of the most talented choristers in the province was an incredible privilege and blessing. The friendships and memories that were created during CMYC will stay with me forever!
Amber (singer)
This was my last year in CMYC and it was so memorable! The great people that you get to sing with and the awesome billets you get to meet makes the social aspect of CMYC really great. And the food....phenomenal!
Louise (singer)
I made more friends then I ever thought I would get from CMYC. It was a blast and I loved all the people I was with and hope to see them again soon ‘cause I already miss them!!
Nolan (singer)
I just hope the legacy continues to grow! This marked my last of three years singing in this choir, and all of them have become some of the most profoundly enjoyable experiences of my teenage years!
Skye (singer)
Your countryside is gorgeous, your hospitality is amazing, and your CMYC singing has left an impression on my heart.
Donna and Bucky (parents)
CMYC is a little bit of heaven on earth for me.
Loren (accompanist)
CMYC has already been an incredibly influential part of my life. Learning music quickly, memorizing and perfecting the songs was a fun challenge, but the best part is the other people there. You all share interests immediately and become friends very quickly. You get to know the other singers for only a few short weekends, but the bonds between the individuals, the director, and the choir as a whole are strong and long lasting…it's a phenomenal experience.
Katie (singer)
2009 marks the 25th Anniversary of the CMYC. It is with great pleasure that the Central Manitoba Choral Association welcomes Elroy Friesen to direct the CMYC Alumni Choir 2009 in celebration of a quarter century of great music.
Central Manitoba Youth Choir was formed to provide a high quality choral experience for senior high students demonstrating musical ability. The members have the opportunity to develop their skills and talents in an intensive choral setting. It is an honour, in our 25th year to celebrate all of those choristers who have been a part of the CMYC experience over the years.
The Central Manitoba Choral Association depends on the donations of those who love choral music. If you are able to help us fund our special celebrations this year, we would be pleased to accept your support. Just make donation cheques out to the Central Manitoba Choral Association and mail them along with your registration for the Alumni Choir.
Elroy Friesen is Director of Choral Studies at the University of Manitoba. He directs the University Singers, Cantata Singers and Women’s Chorus and teaches conducting, graduate conducting and music education. He is currently completing his doctoral studies at the University of Illinois (DMA) researching the choral music of Finnish composer, Einojuhani Rautavaara.
He has been a high school choral specialist in Manitoba where his programs included concert, chamber, and vocal rhythmic choirs. His ensembles have received numerous awards for their performances in Manitoba and Canada; they have toured internationally, and have performed with many outstanding arts organizations, including the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, the Royal Canadian College of Organists, Kokopelli, the Winnipeg New Music Festival, Soundstreams Canada and Groundswell. Mr. Friesen earned his bachelor degrees in music (B. Mus.) and education (B. Ed.) and his masters in conducting (M.Mus.) from the University of Manitoba, receiving numerous study grants and scholarships from the Manitoba Arts Council, the Canada Council for the Arts, and the Foundation for Choral Music in Manitoba.
Mr. Friesen is the founder and past artistic director of Prairie Voices, has recently held the positions of Artistic Director of the Mennonite Community Orchestra, Director of Choirs at St. Matthew Lutheran Church in Urbana, and director of the U of I University Chorus in Illinois. He is in demand as a clinician, adjudicator, and guest conductor, and has conducted youth choirs and orchestras throughout Canada and the United States and has recently had conducting engagements in Sweden and South America. Elroy and his wife Heidi are raising their family of four children in Winnipeg, Manitoba
CMYC Tour 2009
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Concert 1 - Manitou - 7:30 PM
Central Manitou Grade 9 to 12 School Choral Workshop Concert
Manitou Opera House, 408 Fuller Avenue, Manitou MB
Friday, October 16, 2009
Concert 2 - Pilot Mound - 12:40 PM
The Gymnasium Pilot Mound School, 225 Norquay St S, Pilot Mound MB
Concert 3 - Carman - 4:00 PM
Central Manitoba Choral Grades 5 to 8 Workshop Carman Collegiate Carman Collegiate Theatre, 121 4th Street SE, Carman MB
Concert 4 - Morden - 8:00 PM
Morden Mennonite Church, 363 Gilmour Street, Morden MB
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Concert 5 - Morden - 10:00 AM
Tabor Home, 230 9th Street S, Morden MB
Concert 6 - Winkler - 2:00 PM
Altona Mennonite Church, 267 8th Ave NE, Altona MB
CMYC 25th Anniversary Banquet - 5:00 PM
Winkler Emmanuel Mennonite Church, 750 15th Street, Winkler MB
Concert 7 - Winkler - 7:30 PM
Winkler Emmanuel Mennonite Church, 750 15th Street, Winkler MB
Sunday, October 18
Concert 8 - Starbuck - 10:00 AM
Trinity Lutheran Church, 43 River Avenue, Starbuck MB
Concert 9 - Baker Colony - 4:00 PM
Baker Colony School, SE 14-10-10 W
Concert 10 - Portage la Prairie - 7:30 PM
Trinity United Church, 15 Tupper Street S, Portage la Prairie MB
Monday, October 19
Concert 11 - Gladstone - 1:25 PM
William Morton Collegiate, 141 Morris Avenue S, Gladstone MB
Concert 12 - Elm Creek - 1:25 PM
Elm Creek School, 194 Gordon Avenue, Elm Creek MB
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