USask music groups to listen to this season.

The lights are beaming down on my fellow choristers and I, as the sea of proud parents, loved ones, and fellow music folk of Saskatoon give us a standing ovation when we finish our final piece.

I have loved music ever since I can remember. My love of music comes from my baba, who loves to sing classical Indian pieces. Growing up, road trips were filled with old classical Indian music. In Grade 3, my parents bought my first guitar and signed me up for voice and guitar lessons. I would love to say that’s what sparked my musical abilities, but starting out on a string instrument with no prior music knowledge and a shy streak a mile long I would not say it was the start of… anything, really.

Over the years, through countless hours of practice, unyielding familial support and some of the most encouraging teachers ever, I developed a passion and love for singing, specifically for choral singing.

I joined the Saskatoon Children’s Choir (SCC) in the fall of 2018, and I currently sing in their alumni choir, Cantare. The SCC was founded in 1996 by Phoebe Voigts, the current Artistic Director, to nurture young singers between the ages of 7 and 17, to strive for artistic excellence through the Preparatory, Apprentice, and Concert choirs.

Along with being the artistic director for SCC, Voigts is the conductor for the Preparatory and Apprentice choirs and Cantare. In the fall of 2023, Kerry Agnew began to conduct the Concert choir and is also the pianist for the Apprentice Choir. Naomi Piggott-Suchan is the pianist for the Preparatory and Concert choirs and Terri-Lynn Mitchell is the pianist for Cantare.

The choir uses its repertoire and creative performances to further promote global understanding. Notable performances that demonstrate SCC’s commitment to humanitarian causes include: “For Sake of Life”, performed in support of the International Campaign to Ban Landmines; “Brudibár”, an opera that was performed in the Terezín concentration camp; “Still We Rise” and “Sing Africa!”, which were sung in solidarity with the international fight against HIV/AIDS. SCC has performed globally including in Europe, Asia, and South Africa. 

When I first joined SCC, most of the other choristers had already been part of the choir for several years, so they had a strong musical foundation and friendship I was initially intimidated by. However, in the span of one rehearsal, I found a lifelong sisterhood. One that would be a constant in times of joy and rain, through their countless actions, making sure I always know how loved I am and, above all, ensuring that I never forget the power I hold. With each rehearsal, I grew more and more inspired by the senior choristers’ musical abilities and found a way to unwind from busy academic weeks with the beautiful melodies we created. 

It is the power of music that has continued to draw me to sing in a choir. Music has the ability to bring people together. It has the power to heal, spread hope, and inspire change in the hearts of all those who listen to it. As I stand on those risers, shoulder to shoulder with my fellow choristers, harmonizing through pieces such as “Untraveled Worlds”, “Famine”, or my all-time favourite “Yo Te Nombro”, a Chilean resistance song with the arrangement commissioned for SCC specifically, I feel the power of those lyrics. We are many voices coming together for one cause. 

As our conductor, Phoebe Voigts, often tells us, “In a world where you can be anything, be kind.” 

I encourage you, reader, to attend a music performance this year. Surround yourself with the melodies of different instruments playing together and really listen to the meaning of the pieces, which can perhaps inspire you to make a difference in our community too. 

If you are wanting a break from your academic workload and destress before finals, here is a list of upcoming performances by music groups on campus: 

Jazz Ensemble 

Date: November 22nd at 12:30 p.m.

Location: Quance Theatre, Education Building

Address: 28 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, SK

Greystone Singers & University Chorus 

Date: November 24th at 3 p.m.

Location: Knox United Church 

Address: 838 Spadina Crescent E, Saskatoon, SK

Concert Band 

Date: November 27th at 7:30 p.m.

Location: Quance Theatre, Education Building

Address: 28 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, SK

Wind Orchestra 

Date: November 29th at 7:30 p.m. 

Location: St. Joseph High School

Address: 115 Nelson Road, Saskatoon, SK

Music Theatre Ensemble 

Date: December 1st at 7:30 p.m.

Location: Quance Theatre, Education Building

Address: 28 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, SK

Chamber Ensemble

Date: December 2nd at 12:30 p.m.

Location: Quance Theatre, Education Building

Address: 28 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, SK

Symphony Orchestra 

Date: December 3rd at 7:30 p.m.

Location: Quance Theatre, Education Building

Address: 28 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, SK

Amati Concert #2

Date: December 8th at 3 p.m.

Location: Convocation Hall, Peter MacKinnon Building

Address: 107 Administration Place, Saskatoon, SK