Hough Memorial Cancer Society secretary Audrey Hyde is hoping the whole community will come out to support the annual Parade of Choirs coming up on Sunday, Feb. 28.
“We appreciate the continued support of the Parade of Choirs and the community as a whole for all the donations made over the years,” Hyde says in inviting the public to the event.
She says the Hough Memorial Cancer Society recently purchased a microscope for the lab at Cariboo Memorial Hospital valued at $8,089, and a laparoscope for the hospital valued at $4,961.
“We are now waiting for a request from the hospital for our next project,” Hyde says.
Over the past seven years since the Parade of Choirs first started Cariboo Men’s Choir director Carl Johnson says event has raised more than $15,000 in donations for Hough Memorial Cancer Society which purchases early detection cancer equipment for the hospital.
The 2016 Parade of Choirs takes place on Sunday, Feb. 28 at 2 p.m. at Cariboo Bethel Church with admission by donation.
In addition to the Cariboo Men’s Choir, the afternoon will include performances by Quintet Plus, directed by Michelle Erlandson; The Seniors Choir directed by Sharon Taylor; and the choir Eclectica from 100 Mile House.
While the entire program isn’t firmly set yet, Johnson says the Cariboo Men’s Choir will be debuting two new selections: Maria from West Side Story written by Bernstein and Sondheim; and Loch Lomond, a traditional Scottish folk song arranged by Jonathan Quick.
Johnson says the songs by Quintet Plus songs will include The Lass From the Low Countree-Folk Song with additional verse by John Jacob Niles; Time in a Bottle by Jim Croce; and You Raise Me Up by Graham and Lovland.
The full program will be announced later, Johnson says.
Johnson says the Cariboo Men’s Choir will also sing Maria for their entry in the Cariboo Festival this spring.
The choir includes 15 to 20 men who have been singing together for 12 years.
They meet to rehearse on Saturday mornings at 9:30 a.m. in the library at St. Andrew’s United Church.
He says Williams Lake and 100 Mile House choirs also take turns hosting choral workshops for choirs each year with Williams Lake hosting three regional workshops over the past decade.
“In October 2015 Eclectica hosted a BC Choral Federation workshop with Geordie Roberts who taught us a lot,” Johnson says.
“The workshop finished up with a short concert.”
