Sudbury Chamber Singers go to the movies. Take 2

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Bet your favourite movies had the best soundtrack. With just a few notes, you are transported and are whistling, humming, or singing along to something catchy, memorable, monumental and timeless.

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The Sudbury Chamber Singers concert on May 17 is focusing on music that has been composed for or used in the movies.

“There will be a big variety, from the classical like Lacrimosa from Mozart’s Requiem to big band Jazz like Mancici’s The Pink Panther. You may know that The Pink Panther is not a song. There are no words.The choir will sing it by imitating the Jazz band. It is very fun to do and funny too,” concert organizers said in a release.

Other favourites include Be Our Guest from The Beauty and the Beast; Bridge over Troubled Water from The Graduate; and Somewhere Over the Rainbow from The Wizard of Oz.

Two of the choir’s soloists will also sing Delibes’ beautiful Flower Duet, made famous by the British Airways TV Commercial.

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The young musicians will have their own solo pieces, including works by Chopin, Gerswin, and Shore.

“We are featuring some of Sudbury’s best young musicians and guest artists. They are representing Sudbury at the Ontario Music Festival,” said Christine Kraus, president of the choir and a SNOLAB physicist.

“Our music director Susan Urquhart is wholeheartedly devoted to music education of the highest quality, so in this concert, we are featuring three of the best young musicians in Sudbury.”

Jacob Zhong is first place winner for Grade 6 piano at the provincial; Chloe Smilek was last year’s first place winner for Grade 7 voice and will represent Sudbury again for Grade 8; Kalyani Krishnaa Nair is multi-talented in three categories – Grade 7 voice, Music Theatre, and Songs and Music from the Movies.

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The Sudbury Chamber Singers is one of Sudbury’s many community choirs. In the tradition of Western music, chamber refers to smaller scale groups that usually perform more delicate and intimate compositions.

The group formed in 1975 and has been performing ever since,

Kraus is justifiably proud of the choir: “We aim to bring good quality music to the community and have a lot of fun. We have had singers from their teens to their 80s. We sometimes have to divide ourselves into six or even eight parts.

“As a small group of about 20 singers, it can be a bit challenging. So we usually recruit singers who have some experience in choral singing. But we do not require a background in voice.”

There has been lots of work and practice to make it perfect.

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“The singers are pumped to perform,” said Kraus. “It is (actually) called Sudbury Chamber Singers Go to the Movies, Take 2, because we planned the first take of this concert before the pandemic. We are very eager to entertain our live audience.”

A recently added element to the repertoire for the event is special guest Kevin Closs. He will be paying tribute to the recently deceased Canadian music icon Gordon Lightfoot.

If you go

Sudbury Chambers Singers Go to the Movies TAKE 2

Date and time: May 17, Wednesday, 7:30 p.m.

Place: The Church of the Epiphany, 85 Larch St.

Tickets will be available at the door for $20 each, free admission for children 12 or under. This is a community and family event; children are welcome.

Contact: president of the choir, Christine Kraus, christine.kraus@snolab.ca or call 705-561-8413.

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Twitter: @SudburyStar