ELK POINT – Happy that the Spring Concert date fell on a non-Oilers playoff game night, Elk Point Community Choir’s Don Conrad was pleased to tell the audience at Friday night’s concert at the Elk Point Allied Arts and Leisure Centre that the choir has increased its membership from the post-pandemic 24 members, “and we’re now back to 34. We are growing, we are strong, and (the newcomers) are all friends with us now.”
Led by director Udo Mueller and with Krista Chenard at the piano with her page turner Lilly Taylor, the concert began with the choir’s traditional ‘Just Let Us Sing!’, followed by ‘We Are Not Alone’ with soloist Dixie Coleman, ‘May it Be’ and ‘All Night, All Day’ before the men trooped off the stage, leaving the ladies in the spotlight to sing ‘Do Doo Ron Ron’. Then it was the men’s turn, with another long ago hit, Marty Robbins’ ‘A White Sports Coat’.
The entire choir joined in the next six numbers, ‘Row Together to the Kingdom’ with soloist Lawrence Pidluzny, ‘Jump Down Spin Around with soloist Danielle McArthur, ‘A Place in the Choir’, ‘The Scarlet Tide’, ‘Pitter Patter’ with Mueller at the keyboard and ‘I’m Going Home’.
Mueller then took up the microphone to recall that the choir was established in 1989 and has performed at various venues and events through the years, along with traveling to the Maritimes and twice to Europe. Following the pandemic, he said, there has been “the resurrection of normalcy for our healthy but fragile arts community,” with dinner theatres and now the youth theatre returning as well as the concerts, and adding that these endeavors are “valuable and necessary for the community.” Inviting former members of the choir to come onstage for the final number, ‘Amazing Grace (My Chains are Gone)’, he wrapped up the choir’s 2023-24 season by commenting, “The healthiest thing about harmony is that you can’t do it alone.”
