Joyful voices

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This article was published 28/09/2024 (362 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Assiniboine Park will be alive with the sound of vocal harmony.

The Manitoba Choral Association’s second Gather festival takes place today at the Lyric Theatre as part of the Winnipeg Arts Council’s City of Song initiative. A dozen local choirs and vocal ensembles are set to perform at the free outdoor festival.

The inaugural edition of Gather in 2022 was meant to be a one-off event.

“During the pandemic, choir was one of the most dangerous activities that anybody could engage in,” says MCA executive director Jenny Steinke-Magnus. “So we were really excited to be able to gather again … and get back to group singing and performance.”

The concept received a standing ovation from attendees and singers alike.

“It was really, really well received,” Steinke-Magnus says, adding support from City of Song, a year-long celebration to mark Winnipeg’s 150th anniversary, allowed for an encore this fall.

The non-profit association dedicated to supporting Manitoba’s choir community has been involved in several other City of Song events this year.

“A lot of people outside of the choir world don’t know about us,” Steinke-Magnus says. “It’s been really exciting and a new area for us to be more present in the community.”

Gather activities are set to run today from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. on the field in front of the Lyric stage.

In addition to a full slate of concerts, the event includes an artisan market, food vendors, games and workshops, including an early morning “yoga for singers” class and an arts and crafts area hosted by ArtsJunktion.

Therapy dogs from St. John Ambulance will be onsite and a fundraising 50/50 raffle will be running throughout the day.

The lineup features youth, adult, senior and cultural choir groups — including Nigerian church choir Dominion Voices and Philippine cultural choir Musica Singers — performing in a range of musical styles, from folk to jazz to pop to classical.

“There’s going to be a smattering of anything you can think of,” Steinke-Magnus says.

The Mishkode bizhiki Anishinaabek Drum Group will open the festivities. Those Guys, a local a cappella group, are scheduled to perform at 1 p.m. and the day wraps with an audience sing along led by local choir director Dorothy Dyck. The sing along will be a mixture of old and new contemporary hits by the likes of Coldplay, Bastille, Whitney Houston and John Denver. Hard-copy and digital lyrics will be available to follow along.

Gather will run rain or shine; bring a lawn chair or blanket and dress for the weather. Visit mbchoralassociation.ca for a full lineup of events.

eva.wasney@winnipegfreepress.com

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