Alberta Youth Choir to perform in Strathmore
By Christine Foshaug Times Contributor
On Oct. 26, the Alberta Youth Choir (AYC) will perform in Strathmore for the first time, in one of the stops on their fall tour. Hosted by the Strathmore Children’s Choir, they will perform at the Strathmore First Alliance Church. Strathmore’s own Finale choir will also perform at the concert.
The AYC is an auditioned choir made up of almost 80 singers aged 16-22 from across the province. This year the choir is doing its residency in Calgary, in conjunction with Music Conference Alberta. In addition to performing at a gala concert, they are appearing in Strathmore and in Rosebud. Last year they toured in Edmonton and Grande Prairie.
The choristers learn the music in advance, and then have one rehearsal weekend prior to their residency and tour. Renowned conductor Dr. Sandra Snow, professor of Choral Conducting and Music Education at the Michigan State University College of Music, is this year’s guest conductor. She leads the choir and selects the repertoire, incorporating a variety of musical styles.
“The Finale choir will be performing a few songs of their own on the night of the Strathmore concert, and then joining AYC for their final number,” explained Loralee Laycock, director of the Strathmore Children’s Choir. “Our girls don’t have many opportunities to participate in mixed voice choirs, and to hear a choir of this calibre perform, as well as be given the chance to perform with them, is exciting.”
Three members of Strathmore’s Finale choir – Susanne Sevcik, Shelby Laycock and Tayah Maher – are participating in the AYC this year, and it’s evident how special the experience is to them.
“AYC has made me a better singer because I have been exposed to lots of different genres of music,” said Maher. “The words on the page came to life when I heard everyone together. The practice that we had already was so powerful and I can’t wait until we all have our music memorized and sing together at the concert.”
“When I sing a song at AYC I am not only getting to experience the emotions of the composer, but I get to share in the various experiences of 77 other people which is truly a powerful and humbling experience,” added Sevcik.
“It’s been unbelievable to hear how many people around Alberta appreciate music, and although most of us don’t know each other, we blend like we’ve been singing together for years,” said Shelby Laycock.
The performance will be held at the Strathmore First Alliance Church on Saturday, Oct. 26 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $10 per person and can be purchased at the door.