Laura Power
Northern News Services
Published Wednesday, December 12, 2007

YELLOWKNIFE - A great number of singers and musicians in Yellowknife will perform the world premiere of a new piece by American composer Steve Dobrogosz tonight.

It's a choral and orchestral number depicting The Night Before Christmas that will feature a 20-person orchestra - made up of about half Yellowknife musicians and half Albertan musicians - plus three choirs under the Yellowknife Choral Society.

Jackie Boersma, director of Fireweed Children's Chorus, plays flute last week during a rehearsal. - photo courtesy of Jennifer Obleman

The choirs have previously performed some of Dobrogosz's pieces including Kyrie and Te Deum. Shad Turner, co-director of Aurora Chorealis and director of the Yellowknife Chamber Choir, had access to the composer's work, and when he came across this piece, which had never been recorded or performed, they decided to be the first to take a shot at it.

"It's really exciting, because I mean we know that in some way we're going to be setting the standard for whoever comes along next to do this, and in essence we'll be sort of creating this for the first time," said Turner. "It's up to us to interpret that and bring it to life."

Margo Nightingale, the other co-director of Aurora Chorealis, explained the line up of the concert.

"The first half is opened by the chamber choir singing a piece by Eric Whittaker, which is a really beautiful kind of haunting and reflective piece," she said. "Then we're going to be serenaded by Keri Zwicker ... She plays harp and she has arranged a few Christmas carols."

Following that will be the performance of John Rudder's Magnificat.

In the second half of the show, the third choir in the mix - the Fireweed Children's Chorus - will make their public debut as part of the Yellowknife Choral Society.

There are more than 20 children singing in this choir, according to Nightingale, they have been singing together since earlier this fall.

"We're really excited to have a youth choir again because kids who start choir generally grow up to be choral singers, too," she said. "Someday we want them to be able to come back and join the adult choir."

Turner said the children are doing well so far.

"It's quite exciting to see them come together - they're doing a really great job," he said.

The show will end when all three choirs plus the orchestra will collaborate for the premiere of Dobrogosz's The Night Before Christmas.

"This is a concert that people are going to remember for a long time," said Nightingale. "I think when we get everybody onstage ... there will be 100 people actually performing."

The show takes place tonight and tomorrow night at Northern Arts and Cultural Centre.

Both shows start at 7:30 p.m.

Greg Cousineau, president of Yellowknife Choral Society, is encouraging people to come to tonight's show as tickets have been selling very quickly for Thursday.