In its 26th year Choir Kids returns April 14 and May 5 for a collaboration between elementary school choirs with the Red Deer Symphony Orchestra (RDSO).
The event brings together elementary school choirs from across Central Alberta, some as far as Leslieville, to not only perform but also be accompanied by members of the RDSO.
Claude Lapalme, Music Director of the RDSO comments on how the event works, "We perform the two pieces with the school and a subset of the red deer symphony a small sort of 12-piece orchestra. And we do a concert with a bunch of schools, and at the end, all the schools sing a single song together.”
That means the final song for each show will feature about 400 little voices singing in unison. The children are able to simply enjoy singing, as the event is not a competition or judged. “The nature of the program is that it is not invasive in terms of curriculum, and it is also not competitive,” says Lapalme.
While the event is not competitive for the students, there is competition among the symphony members. They apparently compete yearly for a spot in the event, but Lapalme ensures everyone has a chance to participate in the joy. "We love the kids. Everybody keeps it pleasant. It’s a really special day. The Choir Kids event is, you know, often my two favourite days of the year. Because of what it means and because of what it does," he says.
Considering the long history of the event, Lapalme is beginning to see a new trend for Choir Kids: “What’s great is, after 26 years, we’ve started to see kids who were in Grade 4 in 1999 now bringing their own children, who are in Grade 2. We’re now seeing the second generation participating."
Tickets for both dates of the event are now available at www.rdso.ca and proceeds go towards covering the costs and ensuring the future of Choir Kids for years to come.
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