The Moose Jaw Community Choir is working hard during their regular Monday evening practices to ready more than 80 members, including a strong men's section, for the group's annual Spring Sing Concert, set for May 11 at Zion United Church.
"We can't accept any more people, we are full!" laughed Diane Rhodes, the choir's director and chief organizer. "We are practicing on Monday evenings at First Free Methodist Church, who have been very good to us, and we have a large group of people coming out and they're really enjoying their time together.
"We have around 80 people — a pretty good group — and a healthy bunch of men. We always have to hope we'll have enough men to balance with the women, and they're doing really well."
Rhodes said that far from the usual post-Christmas slowdown in attendance that she usually sees, the Community Choir's first practice in January actually attracted more numbers than December.
"Usually, I suppose people are going down south for a bit, or they just aren't as eager to get out during the winter cold," Rhodes said. "But we had even more people than before, so now we have to get ready together and put the work in."
Rhodes finds it challenging to pick music each year, but she focuses on songs the choir will have fun with, without getting overwhelmingly technical.
One of the highlights they are rehearsing is a choral arrangement of the 1999 Smash Mouth hit "All Star", which Rhodes said is quite funny. They also have folk songs, some contemporary hits, a jazz piece, a sacred piece incorporating Handel's Messiah, and more.
The most important aspect of the choir is social — bringing people together for regular connection, and learning to blend their voices harmoniously. It's a casual atmosphere with lots of chatting, until Rhodes brings her gentle, soft-spoken, 'let's get started' hammer down.
"Our people really enjoy getting together and getting to sing together," she said. "When everyone first arrives and they're sitting down and getting ready to sing, it's hard to get them quieted down for rehearsal at first because they're so happy to visit, and I have to get their attention and we start working on our pieces."
Fans of the Moose Jaw Community Choir can follow them on social media with an easy Facebook search. A ticket sale announcement is coming soon, hopefully with a convenient online format for 2024.
