Nine-year-old Jeremy Grella is only in his second year with the Winnipeg Boys’ Choir but he’s already finding his tune.
“I enjoy when it’s the grand ending of the song and everybody is doing all the harmony and it just sounds really good when we are all in the zone,” Grella said.
His fellow junior chorus member, Salvador Tait, is also in his second year. He says his family’s long history of loving music drove him to join and he loves the discipline of it.
“We always have a goal and I think that’s really important in choirs. It’s always to exceed excellence,” Tait said.
While both boys have been in the choir for just two years, they’re part of a long-standing tradition. The Winnipeg Boys’ Choir was formed a century ago and hasn’t missed a year since. In fact, it’s the oldest freestanding boys’ choir in Canada and continues to attract top talent with its rich history.
“Well, we are a fairly young city, a fairly young province, and for something to have the longevity of 100 years is a pretty big milestone,” said artistic director Carolyn Boyes.
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Boyes has been with the choir for 27 years. She’s proud to be part of an organization that’s comprised of three ensembles with boys ages 6 to 21.
“They can only achieve the goal they set for themselves with the help of others – relying on others and communicating with others – and when those goals are achieved the impact is that much greater,” Boyes said.
Conductor Albert Bergen noted the boys are eager to learn.
“They’re musical, they always want to improve their singing, they’re enthusiastic, excited,” Bergen said.
The choir is 52 singers strong this year, and all are dedicated to high-quality music-making and vocal training.
Right now, the boys are in the thick of the Christmas concert season – one of their most special times of the year.
Greer Kanhai, who’s part of the senior chorus, said the season brings out many feelings. “(I’m) usually pretty nervous cause there’s a lot of people but it’s all fun.”
Kanhai is looking forward to showcasing all their hard work, over two performances on Sunday and Tuesday.
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