Members of the Abbotsford Youth Orchestra along with the British Columbia Boys Choir performed as part of the official ceremonies on Parliament Hill on July 1st in Ottawa.
"It was a great honour to perform for the Prime Minister, the Governor General, and the thousands of people gathered in Ottawa for the televised celebration," said Calvin Dyck, director of the Abbotsford Youth Orchestra. "An unexpected bonus was to be VIP guests of honour for the evening concert, fireworks, and reception in the House of Commons".
The ensemble is performing 18 concerts in all 10 provinces, and is featured in the CBC "Highlights from Canada Day" on YouTube.
The next stop for the group is the Maritimes, and then back across Canada by bus, arriving back in B.C. on July 25. the Abbotsford Youth Orchestra is an auditioned group of advanced string players from the Fraser Valley. This is their 14th year of operation.
Their next free local concert will be at 7 p.m. on Aug. 1 in Fraser Valley Heritage Park in Mission.