Westman Youth Choir hitting the road
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- Published on Thursday, October 13, 2016
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The Western Manitoba Youth Choir is preparing to tour the Westman region in October, after having had two intensive weekend rehearsals at Riding Mountain Conference Centre at Clear Lake in September. The 54-voice choir is drawn from 15 Westman communities. The following represent the Neepawa area: Graeme Chapman, Logan Enns, Ray Andi Marcel Ignacio, Jayden Lowe, Christopher Eu, Jamie Pottinger and Jody Pottinger.
Conductors are Sarah Hall and Rob Monson and accompanist is Luis Ramirez.
Sarah Hall holds a Master’s Degrees in Vocal Pedagogy and Musicology from the New England Conservatory of Music (Boston) and a Bachelor’s Degree in Voice Performance from West Chester University of Pennsylvania.
As an Adjunct Professor of Music at Brandon University, Sarah teaches voice, diction and vocal chamber music. In addition to her work at the university, she appears regularly as an adjudicator and clinician for voice, speech arts and choir.
Rob Monson currently teaches instrumental and choral music at Glenlawn Collegiate in Winnipeg. Over the past 20 years, he has had the privilege to sing and direct with many choirs and bands throughout Manitoba. As a tuba player, Rob has performed with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, Winnipeg Wind Ensemble and Winnipeg Brass Quintet.
Rob has adjudicated at the Solo and Ensemble Festival and at the Level One Band Festival for the Manitoba Band Association. He has also conducted workshops for Central, Eastern and Western Manitoba Choral Associations. He directed Provincial Honour Choir in 2008 and Manitoba Junior Honour Band in 2014.
Accompanist Luis Ramirez, originally from Mexico, is particularly enthusiastic about chamber music and composition, as well as the implementation of technology in musical performance.
Luis is the winner of the Western Young Artist Series 2016 and will be performing across the Canadian prairies in September and October of the current year.
This year’s tour (October 15-18) will include evening concerts in Souris, Killarney, Deloraine and Brandon, a church service at Wawanesea and school concerts in Boissevain, Melita, Hartney and Brandon.
