A total of 29 youth from the Fraser Valley will participate this summer in an Olympics-inspired choral festival and competition in Auckland, New Zealand.
The youth are members of the Abbotsford-based Pacific Voices – A Family of Choirs, which competes July 10 to 20 in the 13th World Choir Games and expects to welcome singers from 41 countries.
Pacific Voices, under the direction of artistic director Sonja Hindmarsh, will participate in the Youth Choir Open Competition as well as in Music of Spirit and Faith.
The local youth singers, ranging in age from 12 to 25, leave on July 7 and will take part in competitions, workshops, and concerts; watch top-performing choirs; and enjoy the stunning backdrop of Auckland.
Taylor Mulder, 17, is among the local participants.
“I’m most looking forward to watching and competing against other choirs and seeing the beautiful sights of New Zealand,” Mulder said.
Hindmarsh said the choir is excited about the opportunity.
“Beyond performing our repertoire in a brand new country, for new audiences and for world-class jurors, I look most forward to the profound impact this tour will have on our singers by the sheer amount of exceptional choirs that they will see perform, the new friends they’ll meet from around the world and the rewards they will reap by working together towards a common goal,” she said.
To make the trip, Pacific Voices has held several fundraisers and performances, including a gala on March 2 at the Clarion Hotel and Conference Centre.
Their next performance, How Can I Keep from Singing, is at Gateway Community Church in Abbotsford on June 8.
Pacific Voices was formerly known as the Pacific Mennonite Children’s Choir, which has performed and travelled extensively over its 45-year history.
Last year, Hindmarsh welcomed changed-voice male singers into a youth division, and the choir re-branded as Pacific Voices.
There are currently six choir divisions practising and performing in the organization. Visit pacificvoices.ca for more information or for tickets for upcoming events.
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