Sunday, December 10, 2023
Seven Oaks Performing Arts Centre
711 Jefferson Avenue, Winnipeg, MB
Show starts at 2:30 PM with doors opening at 2:00 PM
Chickadees, Rhapsody & Coda from the Winnipeg Youth Chorus
The Winnipeg Youth Chorus acknowledges that we are gathered on ancestral lands, treaty 1 territory, traditional territory of the Anishinaabeg, Cree, Oji-Cree, Dakota, and Dene peoples and on the National Homeland of the Red River Métis people. We respect the spirit and intent of Treaties and Treaty Making and remain committed to working in partnership with First Nations, Inuit and Métis people in the spirit of truth, reconciliation, and collaboration.
Artistic Directors and Music Directors for Rhapsody and Coda – Garth and Lisa Rempel
Chickadees Music Directors – Jorrel Camuyong & Melanie Spulnick
Accompanist for Rhapsody & Coda – Samson Romaniuk
Accompanist for Chickadees – Hudson Thiessen
Additional Musicians:
Bass – Chris Berti
Drums – David Rozgonyi
Choral Assistant – Chelsea Hertzog
The Winnipeg Youth Chorus
The Winnipeg Youth Chorus Inc. (WYC) strives to provide an opportunity for young singers aged 7 to 25 from Winnipeg and the surrounding area to develop: choral skills, choreography skills, dramatic skills, and performance skills.
They provide a variety of performance opportunities for the singers from performances within Winnipeg to performances outside of Canada, recording, special small group performances and many other opportunities.
Most importantly, the WYC is here to provide a positive experience for singers to develop their self-concept and self-esteem. Friendships, family involvement, commitment and hard work are stressed at all times within a structure that is always caring but also demanding in terms of time, energy, drive, and commitment.
The WYC is flexible and innovative in style believing that choral excellence is achieved through proper training, hard work and instilling within the members a love for what they do, an enthusiasm for performance, and pursuit of excellence.
Message from the Artistic Directors
‘Oh lord, it’s been a year with little joys and little fears‘. This line from the lyrics of Thank You by Pentatonix sums it up in a quiet and honest understatement. Some of the joys and fears haven’t been so little. Much has happened in our world this year, and it’s easy to get caught up in the turmoil, bad news, and constant hustle. Our hearts ache for those who are struggling to survive through violent oppression and misunderstanding. Sometimes it can be hard to see a bright side or a silver lining amid the relentless onslaught of sensationalistic news reports.
However, despite all of that we need to remind ourselves that we never have to look very far for hope. Every day, we walk among incredible people doing incredible things, for no real reason other than they just want to make the world a bit better for others. Look around you; one of these everyday heroes is probably sitting near you, and they may not even know it. With this concert, we want to celebrate those people. We want to build up those people. We want to BE those people. Music has the most amazing power to unify us, to bring us together, overcoming differences and diversity and hate.
At WYC, we want nothing more than for the singers to feel safe, included, loved, and engaged with each other and their community. We see community in action every time we get together with them, and we’re happy to share that love with you our audience and with anyone else who needs it. We’ve chosen music that celebrates the best of this season and so many other great things about being human. We have enjoyed putting this music together for you and are excited to share it with you today. So, here’s hoping that today’s program captures some of that love and helps you to feel the magic of the season and restores a little hope that we’re going to be ok.
Garth & Lisa Rempel
Chickadees – Program Order
Mele Kalikimaka
Words and Music by R. Alex Anderson, arr. Jay Althouse
The Chipmunk Song
Words and Music by Ross Bagdasarian, arr. Audrey Snyder
Silent Night
Franz Gruber, arr. Mark Patterson
Take A Look at Us Now
Music and Lyrics by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, arr. Mac Huff
Feat: Katja Briones
Chickadees
Basanta, Joanna
Bedard-Simard, Kiana
Briones, Katja
Bults, Cadence
Ellis, Ethan
Peattie, Ava
Profeta, Leah
Pu, Diane
Shaddock-Kowalyk, Elizabeth
Warkentin, Samara
Wiebe, Riel
Rhapsody – Program Order
The Man with The Bag
By Dudley Brooks, Harold Stanley and Irving Taylor, arr. Julie Gaulke
Ding-a Ding-a Ding
Words and Music by Greg Gilpin
A Midnight Clear
Words by Edmund H. Sears, Music by Richard Storrs Willis, Original Words and Music by Mac Huff, arr. Mac Huff
Stretchy Pants
Words and Music by Christopher De Stefano, Hilary Lindsay and Carrie Underwood, arr. Erica Kelch-Slesnick
Rhapsody
Acorn, Kinley
Alby, Alayah
Atwal, Aniya
Blanco, Jocelyn
Cannon, Sophia
Haider, Addison
Jones, Eden
Jones, Livia
Jones, Paige
Mathu, Mila
Miniely, Sadie
Nichol, Amelia
Nichol, Isaac
Nocita, Eliana
Pratt, Mac
Profeta, Holly
Rankin, Ava
Rubiato, Olivia
Rushworth, Julia
Thiessen, Renelle
Wiebe, Anna
Zaluski, Brady
Coda- Program Order
Didn’t My Lord Deliver Daniel
Traditional Spiritual, Adapted and Arranged by Roger Emerson
Feat: Jessica Thomsen
Hallelujah
Words and Music by Toby Gad and John Stephens, arr. Christopher Santanelli
Jingle Bells
Words and Music by James Pierpont, arr. Garrett Breeze
Thank You
Words and Music by Scott Hoying, Kevin Olusola, Kirstin Maldonado, Mitchell Grassi, Mark Manio and Matt Sallee, arr. Mac Huff
Feat: Kevin Rempel, Jessica Thomsen, Allison Lage
Coda
Beinert, Kiernan
Hildebrandt, Nina
Klassen, Emily
Lage, Allison
Leonard, Niamh
Loughren, Daniel
Rempel, Anah
Rempel, Kevin
Rowan, Chelsea
Spulnick, Brandon
Spulnick, Grace
Thomsen, Jessica
Warren, Kaitlyn
Wright, Katie
Rhapsody & Coda- Program Order
Santa Claus Is Comin’ To Town
Words and Music by Haven Gillespie and J. Fred Coots, arr. Ed Lojeski
Feat: Brandon Spulnick
We Need a Little Christmas
Music and Lyrics by Jerry Herman, arr. Deke Sharon
Feat: Niamh Leonard, Livia Jones, Ava Rankin, Holly Profeta
Mass Choir – Program Order
One More Sleep ‘Til Christmas
Words and Music by Paul Williams
Somewhere in Your Silent Night
Words and Music by Matthew West, Bernie Herms and Mark Hall, arr. Joseph M. Martin
Feat: Mac Pratt, Kaitlyn Warren, Anah Rempel
Special Thanks to
Seven Oaks Performing Arts Centre
Chelsea Hertzog
Parent Volunteers
