École Deer Meadow School’s (an elementary school in Olds) choir is excited to have been invited to the provincial music festival.
The group's first performance at the Olds Music Festival in March earned them an invitation to provincials.
“I am honoured that we were recommended to provincials,” says teacher Cali Wright, Deer Meadow teacher and choir director.
Wright says she has attended provincials previously with another group, and the caliber of the choirs there was astonishing.
"It is an honour to be considered to sing in front of and listen to such wonderful choirs.”
According to Chinook's Edge School Division, the choir sang “There is Sweet Music Here” by Mary Lynn Lightfoot and “Shake the Papaya Down”, a Jamaican folk song arranged by Ruth E. Dwyer and Judith M. Waller. The group’s accompanist is Chelsea Pederson, the band teacher at École Olds High School.
“The adjudicator gave us a lot of things to continue working on,” says Wright. “She was impressed with the clarity of our words, our faces during the performance, and how well our voices blended when the whole choir was singing in unison.
Wright says the experience of singing at the festival was positive for students.
“We got to watch the Grade 4 and 5 students from River Valley School and the Reed Ranch School choir,” she says. “It was a pleasure to get to listen and share our music with other schools in Chinook’s Edge. Many of the students from Deer Meadow were still singing songs from the other choir when we loaded the bus to head back to the school.”
The choir consists of 20 students from all grade levels who voluntarily give up their lunch hour to participate.
“The students bring their lunches and eat together for the beginning of our time together, which I think is one of the favorite parts of the experience for many of the students,” says Wright.
The provincial festival is set for May 22 in Edmonton, and both students and staff are looking forward to the opportunity with excitement.
The school division has 12 schools in neighbouring communities, including Olds, Mountain View County, Didsbury and Carstairs. Chinook's Edge has a total of 11,000 students across 40 Central Alberta schools.
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