The Battlefords Children's Choir program and the Gallery Singers along with special guests presented their annual WinterSong concert Sunday, Dec. 14 with the usual near-to-full-house crowds.
Performing at the Dekker Centre for the Performing Arts, the choirs, whose artistic directors are Dianne Gryba, JoAnne Kasper and Jan Michael Bourgeois, presented a musical lineup of seasonal songs.
The singers included the Battlefords Children's Junior and Preparatory Choirs, Kamala Youth Choir and the adult choir of the Gallery Singers.
Singing as special guests were former Battlefords Children's Choir members Jean Van Der Merwe and Katrina MacKinnon.
Kasper said Van Der Merwe sang with them for many years, and they miss him now that he's moved on. He is studying vocal performance at the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg, sings with various choirs, performs in musical theatre and a does solo work, as well, said Kasper.
MacKinnon was also a long time member of the choir and played Dorothy in 2014's Wizard of Oz, a production of the choir program.
Gryba said, "She added so much to our group for the time she was here."
In addition to having a beautiful voice she was appreciated for her mentoring of younger children in the program.
She is now studying piano performance at McGill University in Montreal.
Musical guests were Joan Savage, violin, and Scott McKnight, cello.
Kasper described Savage as a "friend" of the choir. She is from Saskatoon, plays with the symphony orchestra there and teaches. She is also a writer, said Kasper.
McKnight is another "friend" to the choir and has performed several times with the choir, including in its musical theatre productions.
Gryba said, "His gracious spirit brings him down that road from Saskatoon," where he, like Savage, teaches and plays in the symphony. He also heads up El Sistema in Saskatoon, a strings program for underprivileged children.
Also helping out musically was local teacher Tom Kroczynski, who accompanied the choirs on bass guitar. Kroczynski has performed with numerous musical groups in the area.
The directors, Kasper and Gryba, have been committed to building a strong choral program in the Battlefords for more than a dozen years. As well as co-conducting the Battlefords’ adult chamber choir, the Gallery Singers, they also co-conduct the Battlefords Children’s Choirs.
Gryba teaches a private studio of voice and piano students and holds a masters degree in piano performance. She has also appeared as both a soloist and duo-pianist with the Saskatoon Sympathy Orchestra.
Kasper is a language and literacy consultant with the Living Sky School Division and holds a masters degree in Curriculum and Instruction.
The two directors have welcomed local teacher Jan Michael Bourgeois to their program. He will be working with Gryba as co-artistic director for the Gallery Singers.
Bourgeois is the band, jazz and choir teacher at John Paul II Collegiate.
Kasper says, "I'll continue to support whenever I'm needed, but Dianne and Jan Michael will be in charge."
