Southern Manitoba Choral Society celebrates its 50th Anniversary throughout 2007.

In 1957, the newly founded Altona radio station, CFAM, hired Mr. Ben Horch as its first director of classical music. Mr. Horch immediately announced choir rehearsals for the preparation of Handel's Messiah. The first 2 oratorios which the choir prepared, and performed were Messiah and Haydn's Die Schoepfung (Creation).

    The Altona Community Choir, which later became SMCS, has continued to do two seasons of singing ever since: September to December for its Christmas Concerts, and January to March/April for its spring concerts.

    In 2007 the January to March rehearsals will consist of preparing one of those early oratorios...Haydn's DIE SCHOEPFUNG, with the performance taking place at Buhler Hall, Gretna, on March 31, 7:30 PM with full orchestra. Soloists are Andriana Chuchman, soprano, Eric Shaw, tenor, and Ray Giesbrecht, bass.

    In September SMCS will begin preparation of MESSIAH for performances in Gretna and Winkler on December 2 and 3. 

    The choir is privileged to have Linie Friesen, soprano, and Waldo Schulz, tenor, singers who were part of the original 1957Community Choir, still singing in the choir!

 

Submitted by

Henry R. Peters

Conductor of SMCS