Check out this article in the Wellington Advertiser by Robin George about our February 6 Youth Workshop.

UGDSB singers band together for choral workshop

The sanctuary at Harcourt Memorial  United Church reverberated with the sounds of teenagers singing in Cree and Malay on Feb. 6.

The Guelph Chamber Choir (GCC) hosted a choral workshop taught by Wilfrid Laurier University choral head Dr. Tracy Wong and sponsored by Robert Munsch.

The children’s author was hoping to pop in at the end of the workshop to listen to a mini-concert put on by the students, but did not end up feeling well enough to do so.

The workshop included students from the Upper Grand District School Board’s  MADE Urban Arts program and John. F. Ross, Centennial and Guelph Collegiate Vocational Institutes.

Conductor Dr. Charlene Pauls said the GCC hosted the workshop because it’s important to foster a love of choral music in the next generation.

She said youth music programs are important and the benefits far-reaching, including boosting mental, social and physical health.

Wong taught the students two songs: her own song JAM! (Jom-Ayuh-Mari) in Malay, and a Cree song by Cree-Dene composer Sherryl Sewepahagam called mitêh.

You can read the full article on the Wellington Advertiser website.