This Sunday, February 9, at 2 p.m. at Westworth United Church, audiences can enjoy a lively concert featuring the Westworth Choir, the Westworth Choral Scholars, and Winnipeg’s own soprano superstar Tracy Dahl.
Titled P’Opera: Love Songs, Arias and Choruses, the concert will showcase beloved opera classics, including O Mio Babbino Caro from Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi, The Barcarolle from Offenbach’s The Tales of Hoffmann, and La ci darem la mano from Mozart’s Don Giovanni, among many others.
Leading the concert is another Winnipeg vocal standout, soprano Valdine Anderson. In addition to serving as choral director of Winnipeg’s Esprit Singers, she is also the choir director at Westworth United Church.
This concert promises to put the “pop” in opera while adding a vibrant touch to your Sunday afternoon.
Westworth United Church has a thriving music program. The choir, consisting of 35 to 40 members, has a rich repertoire and a passion for performing. “They love to sing; they have been doing this for a long time. They have a vast amount of repertoire. They are just a great gang of people and can really put on a good show when they get together,” says Anderson.
The church also features four section leads who take on solo performances when needed. This year’s soloists are baritone Dariyan Dubik, tenor Evan Glazier, mezzo-soprano Isabelle Buisson, and soprano Sloan Smith. “We are so lucky this year to have four terrific soloists... we just thought, why not let them showcase their talents in solos and ensemble as well as leading sections of the choir in some fabulous choruses,” says Anderson.
The choir’s repertoire for this performance includes Va, pensiero (The Chorus of the Hebrew Slaves) from Verdi’s Nabucco, Beautiful City from Godspell by Stephen Schwartz, and a rendition of Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah.
Joining the singers on stage is Winnipeg soprano Tracy Dahl. Anderson and Dahl have been friends for years, and when Anderson invited her to take part in the event, Dahl was delighted to join.
A key figure in P’Opera is pianist Megan Dufrat. From the music of Gilbert and Sullivan to Stravinsky, Puccini, Stephen Sondheim, and more, Dufrat will accompany the choir and soloists in a concert that truly offers something for everyone.
P’Opera: Love Songs, Arias and Choruses, presented by the Westworth United Church Choir and the Westworth Choral Scholars, promises to be a delightful and entertaining way to spend a Sunday afternoon in February.
The concert takes place this Sunday, February 9, at 2 p.m. at Westworth United Church.