Yellowknife (Nov 10/06) - Tonight and tomorrow, the Yellowknife Choral Society will bring the sounds of remembrance to St. Patrick's Church.

The Yellowknife Choral Society will present "Goin' Home," honouring Canada's soldiers, past and present.

"It's a tribute in song and readings to soldiers and peace keepers, looking forward to the moment of coming home... and to those who are never coming home," says musical co-director Shad Turner.

During a Halloween night practice, low, drawn-out tones fill the high timbers of St. Patrick's Church. The choir is separated into four groups, singing at one another from the building's corners.

The droning sounds filled the church, washing over those in attendance.

"That sounded pretty spooky," Turner commented as the choir, more than 50-strong, took a short break.

Turner said the piece was a re-imagining of a Bach composition, separated into smaller parts and stretched out.

"It has several layers," he said. "It completely mashes every note together and comes together at the end."

The challenging piece may or not be part of the group's Yellowknife performances, which will include songs and readings from all over the world, in languages as diverse as Estonian and Latin.

"It's certainly a broad spectrum of stuff," he said.

Following two shows in Yellowknife, the choral society will perform in Hay River Sunday.Fellow co-director Margo Nightingale said this is the first "tour" the group has ever done.

"We're just so excited," she said.

"We've been talking about doing a road trip for a long time.

"Most field trips are great for bonding people, for bringing them together."

Nightingale says she and Turner share duties as co-directors, which allows them to step back from the conductor role and embrace their first love: singing.

"I get to sing half the time and she gets to sing half the time," Turner said.

"It's been great to experience both worlds by taking turns," Nightingale said.

The group performs at 8 p.m. today and 2:30 p.m tomorrow at St. Patrick's Church.