Prairie Blend Choir to make beautiful music together

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This article was published 13/10/2023 (775 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Prairie Blend Choir is raising their voices in a celebration of the season on at their Harvest of Harmonies fall concert this Sunday.

Deanna Ginn, the choir’s director, said the group is a unique collection of between 25 and 28 lower voice singers, including tenors and basses.

“They’re a super enthusiastic, hard-working bunch and they really make beautiful music together,” she said.

Prairie Blend meets once a week for about an 90 minutes, or a little longer when they’re getting closer to a performance. Most of the repertoire they deal with is pretty challenging, Ginn said.

“The members of Prairie Blend have really grown in their skills over the years, and one of the great things about choir is you’re always singing at a level that is higher than the sum of your parts.”

Ginn said that the choir members are a really dedicated group of people who also have a lot of fun and laughter when they get together. Despite the jovial atmosphere, they always keep striving to be better.

“I can put some really challenging repertoire in front of them, but they’re willing to dig in, make mistakes in front of each other, be vulnerable, learn and grow, and that’s how you make great art,” she said.

The COVID-19 pandemic was challenging for all of the entertainment industry, but presented a unique – and difficult – situation for choirs and other singing groups, Ginn said.

“It was one of the first activities to be cancelled because of COVID-19. And obviously we understood that, but it made it really hard on our hearts for those of us who like to spend our time making art that way.”

Despite the challenges of the pandemic, the group kept in touch via video meetings on the internet, not so much to practice together but to keep in touch and to share their love of music.

“We maintained our connections as friends and people, and that helped everyone,” Ginn said.

After the pandemic, when the group was able to get back together again, it was a very beautiful experience, and made the group appreciate each other a lot more, she added.

“Community choir is an easy thing to come and go from, but we really missed the connections we make there when we weren’t able to do it safely.”

People who are singing together reap amazing benefits, Ginn said, not the least of which is making beautiful music.

“It’s a real privilege to be a singer or a conductor in a group like that, and to be able to celebrate the gifts we give to each other and the community,” she said.

The best feeling comes when a member of the audience approaches one of the choir members to tell them that a particular piece of music moved them deeply, Ginn says.

“We’re very lucky people to be able to do what we do.”

And while singing in front of people can be challenging, being vulnerable enough to put your voice out there is rewarding, Ginn said, especially when in a choir with other like-minded people.

As one of the newest members of the group that has existed for two decades, Todd Ward, who has been singing with the Prairie Blend Choir since last fall, said he’s been “blown away” by the camaraderie that exists within the group.

“It’s more than just the music. It’s friendship, and a feeling of belonging, and companionship,” he said.

Ward has done a handful of concerts with Prairie Blend, and each one has been a tremendously uplifting experience, he said. He’s excited about the upcoming concert, which he says showcases the diversity of the group.

“There’s these songs with some powerful lyrics and melodies … then there’s light-hearted songs,” he said, adding he expects some will even have the audience laughing.

The music will also include an eclectic mix ranging from challenging arrangements of traditional choral pieces to Canadian folk songs and easy listening. A lot of the pieces are inspired by nature and the world, Ginn said.

“We have a set of pieces inspired by the elements, and we have a set of pieces inspired by birds.”

The group also chose to include a song called Prayer of the Children, which was written years ago inspired by children living in a warzone. The composer, Kurt Bestor, recently revised the song and added a phrase in Ukrainian in solidarity to the people of Ukraine during their struggle against Russian aggression.

“That is really special to us on the program, and a way to offer our art as a healing voice,” Ginn said.

Music gives those making it and experiencing it a chance to express their lament for things happening in the world and to celebrate things as well, Ginn said.

“It gives us an outlet to express how deeply we’re moved by things happening around us, and things that are out of control.”

The event takes place at the Knox United Church on 451 17th Street in Brandon at 3 p.m. Admission is $10.

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