Voices in Harmony: Choral Celebration 2023 Strengthens Community, Belonging, and Music Education
On Wednesday, November 8, around 430 student voices from across the Louis Riel School Division (LRSD) joined in harmony on Centennial Concert Hall Stage to an almost sold-out audience for the 2023 Choral Celebration.
Students gathered for three rehearsals leading up to the big night in three groups: Junior (grades 5 and 6), Intermediate (grades 6 to 8), and Senior (grades 9 to 12). For some students, it was their first time singing in a big choir or on stage!
Choral Celebration is a learning opportunity for both students and teachers; they’re challenged to master brand new repertoire over three short rehearsals. Each year we are blown away by what the students accomplish.
We brought in a talented group of guest conductors to work with students and teach our educators about leadership in the fast-paced setting Choral Celebration demands. All of our conductors are music specialists themselves: Amanda Ciavarelli from Pembina Trails School Division conducted the Junior Choir; Leanne Cooper-Carrier from St. James-Assiniboia School Division conducted the Intermediates; and GiUng Lee from St. John’s-Ravenscourt School conducted the Senior students. They led each of their choirs through an evening full of incredible and moving performances. You can read their bios here. These conductors are highly regarded in the Manitoba music industry; our students and Music Specialists learned such valuable tools and knowledge from them.
Between rehearsals, students got to enjoy a fun and beautiful performance from the RIEL Harmony Choir; this choir is made up of students completing Individualized Programming. Their performance brings such an uplifting and joyful energy to the day!
LRSD values Choral Celebration not just for the visible impact it has on staff and students, but also because of how it moves our Multi-Year Strategic Plan (MYSP) priorities forward. The learning structure encourages students to focus on the mastery of their skills, and our educators work hard to provide necessary support so they can do so both independently and as a team. Opening this opportunity to students and families from all our schools enhances the feeling of belonging.
On top of this event being an excellent opportunity to further music education and our strategic priorities, we are donating more than $7,000 to United Way Winnipeg thanks to the success of our ticket sales for the event.
This event and the success of it wouldn’t be possible without the families and friends supporting our students on concert night. Thank you for your constant support! A list of Music Specialists and divisional staff who contributed to the success of the evening is available here.
