WEYBURN – The nine performers of the Spirit Singers, plus seven chaperones, flew to New York City on Tuesday morning, in preparation for the group’s performance at Carnegie Hall on Saturday, June 1.
The Spirit Singers group includes Brinlee Klapak, Brittany Barber, Jyllian Payak, Donald Alexander, Tauren and Emerson Jack, Camden Husband, Calla Hrynewich and Natalie Butz. They are directed by Kendra Gonczy, and accompanied by Colleen Weimer.
“With all the support we got from the community, local business donations and our Grace United Church members during our two musicals, we were very successful with our fundraising. We can’t thank everyone enough for their continuous gracious support,” said Kendra Gonczy, director of the Spirit Singers, who explained what the trip will entail for the group.
“We will be in New York City for six days. We rehearse on Thursday afternoon, and on Friday morning with the 100-voice mass choir at a hotel. Then we have a dress rehearsal on Saturday morning at the one and only Carnegie Hall,” she said, noting their concert is on Saturday evening at 8 p.m.
“Following our concert, we will go on a riverboat cruise with the whole choir in the harbour to see the city lights at night!” she added.
Besides this unique opportunity for performance, the group will be able to take in three Broadway musicals, do lots of sightseeing in Manhattan, touring various attractions, and biking through Central Park among other things.
“Our days will be extremely busy, but everyone is beyond excited to start our journey,” said Gonczy on Monday.
“We have been planning this trip since September and it’s hard to believe it is already here! Our nine teens and seven chaperones are ready to take on the big city,” she said.
The fundraising for the trip included two musicals, “You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown”, put on at the Tommy Douglas Centre on Feb. 23-25, and “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” staged at Grace United Church.
The singers reprised their Charlie Brown roles for the Mayor’s Luncheon for Mental Health Week, hosted by the Canadian Mental Health Association’s Weyburn branch.
The opportunity for this performance in New York arose as Gonczy is an alumnus of the Greystone Singers, and they were invited (along with other Saskatchewan groups) to come to New York City to perform at Carnegie Hall. She inquired about the possibility of her oldest group of performers to join them, and they were welcomed.
