The Men of Note Concert on Sunday, October 5, 2008 was magnificant!  It was completely sold out and we unfortunately had to turn people away at the door.  This was one of the best concerts the Grande Prairie Boys’ Choir put on to date!

The Male Voice Jamboree Concert was preceded by a community supper, attended by staff from the Research Farm and distinguished guests.  Member of parliament Chris Warkentin was in attendance.  The concert was a sold out affair with many people at the concert from the town of Beaverlodge.  Trent Worthington, Associate Conductor of Pro Coro Canada commented that it was one of his most memorable and favourite concerts.

Jeannie, the conductor of the GP Boys’ Choir was thrilled with the entire weekend.  ”It surpassed all expectations” she said.  Although she is often crazy, she has been known to sit quietly before a concert and collect her thoughts.  The last photo is Elaine Leer standing with Jeannie at the end of the GP concert.  Jeannie says that :  ”Elaine has been a gift to the choir and everyone loves her. She is marvelous to work with.”

Elisa Milner and Ryan Herbold performed together at both concerts.  With a little practise (left hand photo) and great creativity, they managed to merge Bach’s Concerto for Two Violins with Fiddle music!  It was certainly quite a show, and the audience loved it.

Trent Worthington proved to be an exceptional teacher and leader.  He has been involved with Pro Cor since 1981 – first as a member of the tenor section, and currently serving as Associate Conductor.  He is seen here during one of our rehearsals, probably talking about rhythm, or perhaps asking Curtis Dueck to recite from the infamous ‘Choral Singing Handbook!’  Trent is seen below explaining the finer points of Pseudo-Yoik, which proved to be an audience favourite!  Trent’s work in choral music has included almost 100 original works and arrangements including more than 50 vocal and rhythm section arrangements of traditional hymns and contemporary Christian songs, and numerous arrangements for children’s choirs.  We performed several of his arrangements at the concert, including Billy Boy, Blood on the Saddle and Bonnavist Harbour.

David Garber, was simply fantastic.  Seen here giving a rousing speach to the audience about the importance of the Boys’ Choir, shaking hands with a Men of Note soloist, Landon Doell, and finally singing as a member of Pro Coro Canada.  David is a trombonist, and has a Masters degree in choral conducting. He gave an excellent session on ‘The Conductor as Painter’ which resonated with everyone.  David is well known for his unmatched ability to motivate young people and was extremely successful during his years as a junior high and high school choral teacher.  He has been a professional singer with Pro Coro since day 1, and was the Administrative Director for over a decade.  Currently, he is in demand as a clinician and conducts a very successful adult community choir known as the Edmonton Metropolitan Chorus.

Epsilon, a group of 5 young men from Edmonton who also sing with Pro Coro Canada were fantastic!  They are a contemporary vocal ensemble consisting of five members with extensive backgrounds in jazz, classical, and choral music  Their love for singing and their ability to create a soundscape with their voices have inspired audiences both young and old. The are seen here performing at a Male Voice Jamboree in Beaverlodge, Alberta.

The group’s repertoire ranges from the upbeat stylings of pop music to the complex nuances of jazz, drawing infulence from the Beatles, Real Group, Take 6 and others.  Epsilon believes in musical education and appreciation as a form of self-expression and introspection.  The members of Epsilon from left to right are:  Caleb Harder Nelson, Nathan Willis, Brett Ludwig, Kyle Carter, and Andrew Malcolm.  They are seen here performing at Christian Fellowship Assembly in Grande Prairie, AB.

The first part of the Pro Coro project has come and gone, and what an amazing event it was!  Three days of fantastic rehearsals with the best mentorship possible.  The entire weekend surpassed every expectation the choir director had!  Rehearsals covered such topics as:  Rhythm in Music, The Conductor as Painter, How to sing in a Pop Style, Sight Singing, great warm ups and many more.