Big Noise in the big city, local choir sings at Carnegie Hall

For her, it was inspiring to stand on the same stage as Simon and Garfunkel did once upon a time or the Beatles or her favourite jazz singer, Ella Fitzgerald.

“It was a bucket list venue to perform in for sure and really full circle to share the stage with my students as well.”

The Saskatchewan choir was one of three acts to perform that evening and sang Illuminare by Elaine Hagenberg, conducted by Dr. Jennifer Lang, the Associate Professor of Music Education and the Director of Choral Activities at the University of Saskatchewan.

Dr. Jennifer Lang conducts a 100 person choir performing Illuminare by Elaine Hagenberg. (submitted/Lauren Lohneis)

Lohneis used to teach choir at Rivier Academy and some of the students she taught there were standing beside her on the Carnegie stage.

Willow Vogelgesand, a student at Ecole St. Mary who is graduating this year said it was difficult to describe the experience.

“You feel the people around you when you’re singing, especially in harmony with so many people. It’s there’s this energy you don’t feel anywhere else. At least I can’t say that I felt that anywhere else. And to get to do it in this giant hall that was so beautiful,” she said.

Willow has been singing one way or another her entire life, starting with Disney musicals at a very young age and going to New York was the fulfilment of a lifelong dream.

For her, music brings people together and does so in a beautiful way.

“It felt so real and raw and it was just it was an incredible experience and honestly, we wouldn’t have been able to do it without Lauren. She is the only reason that I even got to go and without the help of, you know, some of the sponsors that helped us go, it was, it was so incredible,” she said.

Willow will be chasing her musical rainbow in the fall at the Canadian College of Performing Arts in Victoria, BC.

Another Prince Albert student who was part of the choir was Sam Malenfant. His career dreams do not include singing professional as he has plans to train as a nurse and then possibly on to medicine, but he had a strong appreciation for being part of the larger group.

“It was so incredible to have the opportunity to go and sing in such a historical monument and landmark in basically the birthplace of theater, which is something I’ve been doing for the past roughly 10 years. So, it was really cool to kind of experience the art and the history and just being able to be someone that was able to sing on the stage and be part of history,” said Sam.

The Prince Albert students that went were all involved with the Broadway North Youth Company and a choral group created from that, which Lohneis named the Big Noise Youth Choir.

Lohneis sang as part of the Grey Stone Singers (the U of S choir) and performs in an alumni group called Aurora Voce.

After Lang successfully applied to be a guest conductor at Carnegie, she needed to bring a 100-person choir with her.

Even if the Grey Stone Singers and Aurora Voce were combined, there were not enough singers to make up the 100 so auditions were held to make up the difference.

Some of those were the Big Noise Youth Choir.

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susan.mcneil@pattisonmedia.com

by Susan McNeil

Big Noise in the big city, local choir sings at Carnegie Hall

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