lues and rejuvenate with performances by the Northern Lights Chamber Choir.
The choir presents Rejuvenation under the direction of Steve Guidone and with accompaniment by Jim Johnston.
While the word rejuvenation elicits thoughts of health, renewed energy and joy, Guidone believes it is through life’s hard moments that we learn to appreciate happiness.
“The idea of the concert is about all the things we encounter in life, the happy parts, looking back, looking forward… that’s how I put the concert together,” he says. “I am very excited about it.”
Guidone is also excited that Johnston will again be at the piano.
“I need to challenge Jim and he’s playing some really virtuosic stuff this time around,” Guidone says. “One of the pieces was so difficult the only way he could do it was memorize it.”
Sandy Cameron will perform in one of the pieces that has a cello and clarinet, Barbara Ennis will play the cello and Jaeden Izik-Dzurko will play a piece by Franz List.
“He’s an amazing pianist, playing music adults would find difficult,” says Guidone, who notes the first half of the concert is a balance of serious and lighter material, but the second half is very light.
“They’ll be bopping out the door,” he laughs.
Guidone says a workshop with George Roberts, director of music at Vancouver’s Capilano University in January, was extremely valuable.
He says Roberts, who was the vocal/choral adjudicator at Shuswap Music festival last season, focused on challenges the choir was having.
“He has an earthy way of dealing with issues; he uses images where I would tend to the technical,” says Guidone. “He was getting some nice sounds out of choir and corrected some language pronunciation issues.”
And that’s a good thing, since seven pieces in this year’s concert are in different languages.
For information on what the choir will sing, visit – http://www.northernlightschamberchoir.ca.
The concert takes place at 2:30 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 17 at St. Mary’s Anglican Church in Sorrento followed by shows at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 22 and 2:30 p.m. Sunday Feb. 24 at St. Andrews Presbyterian Church in Salmon Arm. Tickets are $15 and are available at Acorn Music, from choir members and at the door.
