Brentwood senior choir to perform with RMSO

Adelle Ellis
Times Reporter

 

Brentwood School is well known in the community for producing incredible choral performances, and the knowledge of the school’s superb music program is spreading.
The Brentwood senior choir will be presented in two back-to-back weekend performances with world-renowned conductors and the Rocky Mountain Symphony Orchestra.
“I was first contacted by the conductor of the Rocky Mountain Symphony Orchestra (RMSO) who asked if the school would like to sing with the orchestra. I said yes to that immediately because the kids have never sung with an orchestra before,” said Brentwood music specialist, Carolyn Steeves. “A few days later we were contacted by Choir Alberta asking us to be one of the special guest choirs in the Alberta Children’s Choir Concert.”
Steeves immediately surveyed the students’ parents, asking for their permission.
“The parents were overwhelmingly in support,” said Steeves.
The Brentwood senior choir will sing three songs at both concerts.
The first concert will take place on Jan. 28 at 7:30 p.m. at the Hope Covenant Church in Strathmore. Here, the RMSO will perform and the Brentwood senior choir will sing three songs accompanied by the orchestra. Tickets range between $15 and $50, and are available at rmso.ca.
“The choir will be hearing the music for the very first time right before the concert, about an hour before,” said Steeves.
The second concert, the Alberta Children’s Choir South Gala Concert, takes place on Feb. 4 at 7 p.m. at the Knox United Church in Calgary. The Brentwood senior choir will sing the same three songs, this time accompanied by a string quartet (two violins, a viola and a cello) from the RMSO.
“These two events are unprecedented in our school history and the choir is very excited,” said Steeves.

Strathmore youth join choir
Five Grade 6 Brentwood School students have been selected to sing in the Alberta Children’s Choir South.
Raygan Johnson, Shaelynn Mckay and Rylee Walstra will be going to the Alberta Children’s Choir (ACC) for their first time. Emma Moore and Tegan Deloli will be joining ACC for their second year. These five students will also be joined by Crowther Memorial student Zhara Harney, who will be a part of the ACC for her fourth year.
About 80 students have been chosen for the choir. For Strathmore music programs to have produced six exemplary choral students, and Brentwood to have five of them, is nothing short of impressive.
“I think they’ll be very prepared and feel confident when they go to sing. Some of their jitters got taken out when they had their first rehearsal and realized the songs are going to sound nice and that they actually know what they’re doing,” said Steeves, who added that the ACC performance only happens once a year.