A local Portage la Prairie choir is reflecting on a historic trip to New York City after representing Canada on one of the world’s most prestigious musical stages.
The Prairie Vox Community Choir travelled to Carnegie Hall earlier this year to perform as part of an international mass choir. The group was the sole Canadian ensemble selected for the performance, sharing the stage with choirs from Germany, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Honduras, and the United States.
The opportunity arose through Distinguished Concerts International New York (DCINY) after artistic director Janine Waines bypassed the traditional audition process due to her prior alumni status with the organization. Waines, who previously brought a Saskatchewan-based choir to Carnegie Hall in 2019, knew her Portage la Prairie ensemble was ready for the same grand stage.
“I felt like there was absolutely no reason why we couldn’t do the same kind of thing because they were just as good,” Waines said.
The choir spent months mastering Karl Jenkins’ Symphonic Adiemus, a complex 12-movement piece written entirely in an invented, nonsense language. Waines noted that despite the lack of translatable words, the singers connected deeply with the music.
“The choir in general found the piece very musically satisfying,” she said. “They still were able to find meaning in the music and they sang with such amazing passion and commitment.”
The journey itself proved turbulent when a massive winter storm system disrupted flights across Winnipeg, Toronto, and New York. While the weather forced flight cancellations and caused most members to arrive a day late, local travel agents managed to rebook the singers in time for crucial weekend rehearsals ahead of the Monday dress rehearsal.
The self-funded trip concluded with members taking in Broadway shows and touring Central Park. Waines is currently planning a community watch party and fundraiser for the fall once official video recordings of the performance arrive.
Prairie Vox, which grew to about 80 singers last year, is open to all community members regardless of past musical experience. The choir’s new 14-week winter season is scheduled to begin rehearsals in September.
