A Foothills music society is gearing audiences up for the Christmas season with two concerts the next two weeks.
The Foothills Philharmonic Society’s chamber choir is kicking off a trio of shows before Christmas with its concert Beginnings, in collaboration with the Alberta High School of Fine Arts Vocal Ensemble, Nov. 22 at 7 p.m. at the Okotoks Alliance Church, accompanied by Ana Loewen.
Conductor Tim Korthuis said the 17-member choir is performing a varied repertoire from classical to classic - like The Beatles’ Blackbird.
“I picked Blackbird because I thought these lyrics are very nice and feel very freeing as the blackbird begins to fly, but I didn’t know at the time that the song was written specifically about Rosa Parks,” he said. “The Beatles heard about her stance when she refused to give up her seat on the bus and they wrote that song about her. I thought, what a wonderful connection.”
The chamber choir also has Christmas pieces in it repertoire, which Korthuis said is fitting with the Beginnings theme.
What makes the choir different from the society’s other choral groups is the difficult harmonies and rhythms it selects, said Korthuis.
“We always wanted to create an additional choir for those who wanted to challenge themselves,” he said. “Pretty much everyone in the chamber choir has extensive singing experience - some have music degrees, some are music teachers and some have been singing a long time. They have beautiful voices that blend together beautifully.”
A week later, the men’s chorus will collaborate with the Dr. Morris Gibson School Choir on Dec. 1 at 2 p.m. for an afternoon of Christmas songs in the concert We Wish You a Merry Christmas at the Okotoks Alliance Church. The men will be accompanied by Heather Haaland, and the audience is invited to sing along to some of the songs.
“The men’s chorus concert culture focuses a lot on making sure we have some really fun and humourous pieces that make people laugh,” said Korthuis. “The men’s choir always does a wide variety – a couple of classics like Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer and All I Want for Christmas. We’ve got a wonderful arrangement called Christmastime and some beautiful carols.”
The men invited special guest Maria Zimmerman, a BuskersFest winner, to sing and play piano for a 20 to 30 minute set.
“I heard her at BuskersFest a few years ago and she has a wonderful voice,” Korthuis said. “We’ve made it one of our mandates to give musicians in the community the opportunity to perform in front of audiences they may not have been able to perform in front of otherwise. For any growing musician, being able to perform in front of an audience helps you develop your own style.”
Korthuis said he’s an advocate for offering an encouraging environment to young and up and coming musicians.
“It’s a concert where people laugh and joke and have fun and it helps young musicians to see it’s a formal concert but they’re still having fun,” he said.
Seventeen-year-old Zimmerman said she was initially invited to participate in last year’s concert but was unable. When she was asked again this year, she was elated.
“It was really unexpected but I was very honoured and very excited to be asked to be a part of it,” she said.
The Grade 12 Alberta High School of Fine Arts student said she’s prepared a varied repertoire from pop music by Kelly Clarkson to Christmas classics like What Child of This.
“I love Christmas songs,” she said. “There are so many Christmas songs that everybody knows. It just brings joy to everybody.”
Zimmerman said she’s been singing as long as she could walk, and began taking singing lessons in Grade 6.
“I just loved singing,” she said. “I did the talent show at my school in Grade 5 and really loved it and my mom said, ‘We should get you set up with some singing lessons.’”
Zimmerman performed on the Olde Towne Plaza for Light Up last weekend and is in next month’s Alberta High School of Fine Arts musical Beauty and the Beast, playing Mrs. Potts.
She’s currently writing music and plans to compete in the High River and Calgary music festivals this spring. She also intends to audition for the Calgary Stampede Talent Search Competition next year.
Tickets for both concerts cost $20 for adults, $15 for students and seniors and children ages 12 and under are free. For more details or to purchase tickets go to foothillsphilharmonicsociety.com
The Foothills Philharmonic Chorus and Orchestra will perform Messiah Part 1: The Beauty of Christmas on Dec. 14. See more details in an upcoming edition of the Western Wheel.
