Local choir groups will be joining together for Wintersong, a choir concert with singers of all ages, at the Dekker Centre Sunday at 3 p.m.
Dianne Gryba who, along with JoAnne Kasper, is the concert's co-artistic director, says Battlefords Junior and Preparatory Choirs, Kamala Youth Choir and Gallery Singers will all be taking part, along with some special guests.
North Battleford native Tricia Florence, a former Kamala Youth Choir member, will be joining the choirs for Wintersong, along with former-resident Matthew Armet, who has been a member of the Stratford Theatre Company for six seasons.
Accompanying the choirs and special guest singers will be Tom Kroczynski on bass, Jan Michael Bourgeois on percussion and Connor Newton on saxophone.
Gryba says that the idea to combine the choirs for an end-of-year, Christmas-themed concert was partly the result of having the space for it, with the Dekker Centre playing host since it opened in 2013, which was the debut of Wintersong.
"We've been edging up to 80 singers or so," says Gryba, "and it's really nice to put them on that big stage and we are thrilled to be able to call the Dekker Centre our home because it's a first-class venue."
In fact, Moe McGinty, Dekker Centre general manager, will also be taking the stage. McGuinty will join Battlefords Junior Choir to perform I Like Candy Canes.
Wintersong will feature a variety of musical styles, but Gryba says this year, "We've leaned pretty heavily towards the more accessible music. We've got Blue Christmas by Elvis Presley," as well as "standards from the ‘50s [in the style of] Frank Sinatra," and Josh Groban's You Raise Me Up.
Tickets for Wintersong are available at the Dekker Centre box-office at www.DekkerCentre.com or by phone at 306-445-7700 Ext. 2.
