OUTLOOK - The Friggstad family is well known to have music coursing through their veins. Parents Kirk and Kristen, and daughters Julianna, Mari, Birgitte and Annika have impressive musical backgrounds so it isn’t surprising that Kristen sought out further opportunities to nurture that talent. The search led to the Saskatoon Children’s Choir which just returned from an international competition after capturing impressive awards including the top honor of the festival.
The Saskatoon Children’s Choir (SCC) has an international reputation for standards of excellence and high-quality performances and this is something Kristen was seeking for Birgitte. “We wanted to get her more involved in music and there just weren’t other kids at her interest level here,” she said. “I didn’t want her hiding her abilities and knew she needed something more challenging so I began researching the SCC.”
Three choirs make up the SCC; Preparatory Choir for children ages 7-9, Apprentice Choir ages 9-12 and Concert Choir for vocalists 11-18.
In the eighth grade Birgitte was a member of the Apprentice Choir and the next year auditioned and became part of the Concert Choir. Unfortunately, COVID impacted the next two years but by grade 11 the choir was functioning fully again.
When younger sister Annika saw them perform, she was hooked. “Since I first saw the choir I said I wanted to be in it. I wanted to sing in that choir.” She felt drawn by the emotion of the music and how much fun the singers seemed to be having. She began with the Apprentice Choir and then moved into Concert Choir.
Rehearsals are held twice each week at Knox United Church in Saskatoon. In addition to those hours, students are expected to work on their own at home. Since Annika is a soprano and Birgitte an alto they don’t always practice with each other, but on occasion they enjoy doing their musical homework together.
Concert Choir attends prestigious festival
This summer the 34-member Concert Choir was invited to take part in the prestigious International Choral Kathaumixw in Powell River, BC. Kathaumixw means “many nations coming together” in the Coast Salish language, and that is exactly what this unique festival is; a coming together of choirs from different nations for concerts, competition, seminars and social events. It is attended by world renowned choirs who audition to be invited.
The Concert Choir recorded a successful audition tape last fall, and on July 2 began their journey to the festival. Annika said, “We took a plane, then a bus, on to a ferry, another bus, another ferry, and then another bus to Powell River.”
Full travel days soon became busy competition days that included concerts, juries, rehearsals, and a bit of sightseeing, all making for a remarkable experience.
Getting ready to perform requires more than getting vocal chords warmed up. Each choir member had seven costume pieces to keep organized and looking sharp. Hair is also an important component. The signature choir look is two French braids so getting 34 girls ready for the stage requires organization. “On days with early juries we would have 10 chairs lined up in front of the chaperones’ door so people could get their hair braided before breakfast,” Birgitte explained. “Everything is clean and polished.”
Singing in front of juries could have proven to be nerve-wracking, but the Friggstad girls handled it well. “For me, it wasn’t that I was nervous, it just felt a little more stressful,” Annika explained. “But also it made me want to do more and have fun.” Birgitte noted that once they started singing there was nothing to be anxious about. “At the start and end you were aware of the presence of the jury,” she said, “but then you just kind of got lost in the performance and in the music.”
And the winner is...
Musicians of all ages took part in the competition; children, youth, university students to seasoned choirs with international reputations. Kristen remarked, “Some of the other choirs had competed all over the world, even represented Canada at the World Choir Games.” One group had a combined performing history of 2500 years! The Saskatoon Children’s Choir had children ages 11-18 yet they commanded the stage and grabbed the attention of the adjudicators, earning two first place finishes and a second place. But they weren’t done yet.
Two different juries recommended two different choirs for consideration for the Elmer Iseler Award which recognizes the best performance of a piece by a Canadian composer. The Concert Choir was selected by one of the juries so they performed that piece at awards night along with a set of three other pieces to be judged for the Choir of the World Kathaumixw honor.
They placed second in the Elmer Iseler competition and then waited for the announcement that had everyone on the edge of their seats anticipating the Choir of the World winner. “It was incredible,” Birgitte remarked. “The MC started saying Saskatoon and the whole crowd just blew up! My heart stopped. All of us were in shock and tears.”
Annika is still coming to terms with what it meant. “I can’t really understand my emotions yet,” she said, visibly moved by the honor. “I’m still processing.”
Following the announcement, the Concert Choir took to the stage to perform and the girls were overjoyed by the excitement of the moment. For their win, the choir was presented with a stunning piece of artwork by a Coast Salish artist of a wooden paddle inlaid with stones. They also received stone carvings of seals for their first place finishes.
The girls had a chance to meet and listen to some of the other groups and that proved to be a highlight of the week. “It was very enjoyable listening to the other choirs,” Birgitte noted, “seeing their energy and enthusiasm, and hearing the different styles of music performed.” Annika added, “I liked being able to meet a lot of people and making new friends with different choirs.”
Having turned 18 and after five years with SCC, this was Birgitte’s final year. “It’s sad, honestly,” she said. “It will be different being part of the audience now for these concerts.” But she leaves with cherished memories. “I’ll remember the community. Obviously we learned a lot about musicianship and responsibility, but community and friendship is a big part of this choir. People helping each other.”
Thirteen-year-old Annika will be continuing in Concert Choir and says she also appreciates what it has given her in terms of “community and friendship.”
Parents appreciate choir excellence
The dedication required by choir members and their parents is high, but the end result is more than worth it for the Friggstad family. “We always knew they were a high-quality choir and that they expected a lot,” Kristen said, “but actually seeing them compete against university choirs or groups made up of mostly professional singers and see how they can easily hold their own, we saw how technically excellent this education is. Then seeing how they were learning, growing and loving music was important. Everything in the choir is so positive.”
The time and financial commitment is one they are more than willing to make. Kirk explained, “We really wanted our kids to have a love of music and to do as much with music as they can.” With a laugh he added, “We might not be able to retire early but we’ll at least have good music to listen to!”
It may take a while for all the experiences and successes at International Choral Kathaumixw to sink in but for the moment Birgitte had one word to sum it up…“unforgettable.”
