Come Sing with Us!

If you love to sing, dance, act, play instruments, compose music, create synthetic sound scapes - let us know!

Everyone is welcome!

Spring Session:

Westben Festival Chorus starts February 5, 2025

Youth & Teen Choirs start February 5, 2025

Cookie Choir begins April 2, 2025

WESTBEN FESTIVAL CHORUS

(16 years and over)
Wednesdays at 7:00 to 8:30 pm
The WFC will be preparing for a large choral work. News coming soon!

Tuition: $140 - Bursaries are available to cover tuition

YOUTH & TEEN CHORUSES

YOUTH (ages 8 to 11) • TEENS (ages 12 to 21)
Wednesdays at 5:00 pm & some weekends closer to the production in June.
Youth & Teen Choruses will be involved in an upcoming musical. News coming soon!

Tuition: $99 - Bursaries are available to cover tuition

COOKIE CHOIR

(ages 5, 6, 7)
Wednesdays at 4:00 to 4:30 pm
Starting April 2 for 6 weeks. At The Schoolhouse.

Repertoire

The Chorus has been performing at The Barn since 2002. The repertoire has included: Vivaldi’s Gloria, Franz Schubert’s Mass in G Major, J.S. Bach's Magnificat, selections from Handel’s Messiah, selections from Gilbert & Sullivan, Broadway classics, traditional Christmas fare as well as original music by Brian Finley.  Season 2008/09 included the new musical written by Brian Finley and Michael Nitsch called The Magic Ornament and Wind in the Willows with Tom McCamus and the new musical by Brian Finley and Ken Tizzard, The Selfish Giant. In 2016 the choir performed in the world premiere of Brian Finley's opera, The Pencil Salesman. The choir also joined the four youth choirs on July 2, 2017 at the free concert called Canada Dreams at The Barn.  In the Fall 2017 a new narrated concert production called Upper Canada Christmas was performed based on the writings of Susanna Moodie and Catharine Parr-Traill. It featured original music, winter songs and traditional Christmas favourites. In 2018 the Choruses performed a fully staged version of the musical Joseph & the Amazing Technicolour Dream Coat at The Barn. The spring of 2019 the choruses help celebrate 20 years of Concerts at The Barn with a performance at The Barn June 2 (and Dress Rehearsal Preview Performance June 1). The Cookie, Youth, Teen and B Natural choruses performed in June 2019 and 2022 a program of classical, broadway, and rock choral music. Choruses were excited to meet, sing and perform with Spoken Word Artist Sarah Lewis from Curve Lake First Nation. In the Spring of 2024 the Youth Choruses performed in a new production of The Selfish Giant’s Garden musical. The Festival and Youth and Teen Choirs performed with Chick Reid and Tom McCamus in a new production of the Westben Christmas Carol December 2024. Next session starts February 5, 2025 bringing a fully staged musical to life and choral concerts for the Festival Chorus.

Mandate

The Westben Festival Chorus and Westben Youth and Teen Choruses  are singing ensembles committed to artistic excellence through the preparation and presentation of both dramatic and concert-style choral projects. They seek to involve dedicated, able and committed singers in a rigorous and stimulating atmosphere. Members study vocal production, music-reading, musical styles and languages, and perform a wide range of sacred and secular repertoire. Designed to be a self-sustaining entity, the WFC, YC and TC perform independently and with professional guest artists.

Auditions

No auditions to be part of the choir but there will be auditions for those wishing to sing a solo role.

Spring Session 2025

The Youth & Teen Choruses will be working on a community musical to be performed June 11 to June 22. The Westben Festival Chorus is working on a large scale choral work for 3 performances. More news coming soon! Next sessions begins February 5 for Youth & Teen and Festival Choruses and April 2 for the Cookie Choir. Contact donna@westben.ca for more information.