Tag: reunion

30th Reunion Roundup!

This past weekend was our 30th Reunion celebrations! An absolutely wonderful time was had by all, and a big thank-you to all of the volunteers , parents, teachers, conductors, alumni, and the wonderful Mrs. White who helped us make this weekend a success!

On Friday night we had a reception at the Crescent Heights Church. It was a wonderful chance to see everyone and catch up with old friends, as well as meet new ones! We shared lots of memories, and some of our photos from past tours were beautifully displayed on trifolds, so many of our alumni took a trip down memory lane! Following the reception we had a rehearsal, so we could all go over the music together. We had 30 years of favourites to cover, and many voices to blend together!

On Saturday morning we all met at the Rozsa Centre to rehearse. It was so wonderful to hear all the voices together, especially with the beautiful accompaniment of the instrumentalists!

Following the rehearsal there was a light lunch served in the beautiful foyer of the Rozsa. We were treated to two delightful performances; first Katie gave a wonderful performance of a musical theatre piece ‘Practically Perfect’ from Mary Poppins (which she hilariously dedicated to Marni Strome!), then brother and sister duo Josh and Kristen performed a duet together!

Then we opened up the floor to anyone who wanted to share some memories, or since something for us. We were fortunate to have a number of people speak, and it was wonderful to hear which choir moments had stuck with people over the past 30 years. Even more poignant were the moving tributes people gave; poignant stories about how choir had personally impacted their lives, and even shaped their decisions, and life choices. We had many laughs, and shed many tears together!

Our evening concert began at 7:00 with a selection of pieces performed by the current members of the Calgary Children’s Choir. After intermission, the current members were joined onstage by our CCC Alumni! We sang several of our favourite pieces, all orchestrated by the amazing Tim Janz!
(photos and videos below are courtesy of Donna Pahl)
It was a wonderful concert, full of friends, laughter, and of course – wonderful music! As Marni Strome said, “Here’s to another 30 years of the Calgary Children’s Choir!”

You Shall Have A Song:

Away From The Roll of the Sea:

A Child’s Carol:

Streets of London:

One of our alumni, Alex Guebert, put together this amazing video, with footage from the past 30 years. We showed it at our luncheon on Saturday afternoon, and had so much fun looking back at the last three decades of CCC!

What was your favourite part of the 30th Reunion Celebrations? Tell us in the comments!

May 15, 2017
Celebrating 30 Years of the CCC

We are very excited about our 30th Reunion celebrations this coming weekend. We have spent the past few weeks looking back on the changes we have seen in the CCC community over the last 30 years, and we look forward to the exciting future ahead for the Calgary Children’s Choir.

Our founder, Rosmarie Sherban started the Calgary Children’s Choir 30 years ago to provide children in Calgary with the opportunity to learn choral technique, and to have an enjoyable activity in which to participate outside of a school music programs.

The CCC program thrives on inclusiveness, engagement, and is incredibly focused on singing as an enjoyable pursuit, for anyone who wants to learn more about music. Our motto, ‘Singing For The Joy Of It’, has served us well for the past three decades; enhancing our delight in singing, strengthening the bonds between our choristers, and introducing us to a variety of wonderful musicians and artists – not just in Calgary, but all around the world!

We are so excited this weekend, to celebrate that core mission, to reunite with old friends from near and far, to perform some of our old favourites (and some wonderful new commissioned works), and most of all to celebrate our shared love of music at this weekend’s upcoming 30th Anniversary Celebrations. We hope to see many of you at our Reunion concert!

The CCC has been a proud member of the choral and musical community in Calgary for the past 30 years, and we look forward to another 30 years (and more!) of wonderful music, fantastic friends, and great community!

What are you most excited about for this weekend’s upcoming 30th Anniversary Celebrations? Tell us in the comments below!

May 8, 2017
The Alumni Advantage

As we approach our 30th Reunion Celebrations, it is important to look back over the past years, at all of the people who have come and gone from our organization. Choir is ultimately about people, and how those people come together for a time and form a community.

The ‘alumni advantage’ then is the lasting benefit we receive from the ever-connected web of people who have been directly, and indirectly impacted by their time with the Calgary Children’s Choir. This is an on-going, mutually beneficial relationship. The current choir members can benefit from the mentorship, and relationship with alumni who come back; to teach, to perform as soloists, or collaborate as guest musicians, and those who support the choir in other ways.
The alumni benefit from always having a welcoming place to come back to, and a comfortable group with whom they can share their talents, and who will always support them.

Re-connecting with alumni is rewarding, and inspiring – we get to see what our choristers have been up to since they’ve left our organization, and see how they’ve changed, and how they’ve stayed true to themselves. We are so grateful that every five years, our alumni come back home, to help us celebrate another milestone in the CCC legacy!

How else do alumni benefit our organization? Tell us in the comments!

May 1, 2017