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The President's Message:
 
I hope everyone is enjoying their summer. While the choristers are not singing, there is still a lot going on in the GYS office!

The most important news is that GYS is putting on the Lion King Junior in the 2019/20 season! While our Musical Theatre Academy will be front and center in the production, our other choirs will also be contributing to this performance. This will be a major undertaking for the choir and we will be looking for help from our choir families - perhaps you can paint scenery, sew costumes, donate plywood ….stay tuned for more information from Markus and at our parent meeting in the fall.
 
Markus has enlarged his conducting team by bringing Marion Samuel-Stevens on board. Marion has a long history with GYS as a vocal coach and conductor. She is a member of the vocal faculty at the University of Guelph and has an active private studio. Marion has a special interest in New music and performs on both the operatic and concert stages. 

September 4 is our first rehearsal for SATB, Cantabile and Chamber. Musical Theatre Academy has their first rehearsal on Sunday, September 8th.  Choir 1 and 2 have their first rehearsal on September 10th. Our Choir 1 and 2 choristers will enjoy a Choir Carnival day on October 5th and Choir 3 will be heading to camp September 28 and 29th. ...and that is just the first 4 weeks of the year!

Please circle September 11 on your calendars for the GYS annual general meeting. All parents are invited to attend and learn more about our upcoming season!

We continue to seek out youth with a passion for singing. Auditions are held in September and we would love to have more voices join our GYS family. 

Best wishes for the remainder of the summer - and get ready for a wonderful 2019/20 GYS season. 

Pamela Young
President
Coming soon in the 2019-2020 season:
 
  The Artistic Director's Message:
 
Well, here we are, half way through the summer already. Usually at this time of year, I am lamenting the summer days lost, while urgency sets in as the new season approaches. There is always so much to do when planning our choral year with Guelph Youth Singers.

This mid-summer feels a little different for GYS as I look forward to the fall events. So many new and exciting initiatives are underway for all of the choirs and Music Theatre Academy. Our concert themes are being solidified, special performances are being planned, a renewed approach to rehearsals and learning are being honed, and some thrilling and exciting repertoire is being chosen. I couldn’t be more excited.

Choirs I and II will be team-taught this season by Heather Fleming, Marion Samuel-Stevens, Genny Barlow and myself, Markus Howard to broaden the experience, mentorship and quality of music excellence. This team approach will keep the excitement level high while allowing for personal attention when required by our younger singers. Our Choir Carnival welcomes these young people in the fall for a day of music making, games, food, and getting to know our new choir friends.

SATB has returned for the new season, and we can’t wait to hear what these experienced singers will undertake this year. Along with Chamber Choir and Choir 3, our choristers have chosen themes of social justice, personal well-being, and being a positive global citizen. I am overwhelmed by the passion of our young people and I can’t wait to share performances that we craft together as a group of young artists.

Our first fund-raising concert features music from Animated Film Musicals, and our multi-media winter presentation will leave you gasping at its sheer beauty. Tour talk and concert planning is well underway.

MUSIC THEATRE ACADEMY is taking a bold step this year, and we will be presenting Disney’s Lion King Jr. All choristers in GYS will be involved in this fantastic project with lead roles coming from the MTA performers. Other projects with our Sunday program include workshopping a brand-new children’s opera called Frog Song at IMPACT 2019, written by Dora-Award winning composers and librettists. Our season is concluded with the ‘Star Catcher Project”, based on material from the Peter Pan story. It is going to be a monumental step forward for this group.

Please spread the word about Guelph Youth Singers to all of your friends who have young people who love to sing. We are a growing organization and need new voices to keep our music alive. I’ve never been more excited about a season of music making.

Enjoy the rest of your summer.

Markus
Choir Coordinator's Message:

A special thanks to the many helping hands with regards to this year's planning and organizing, grant writing, fundraising, rehearsal help, making fun activities and costumes, mentoring or marking theory and seasonal concert tasks, such as stage crew, chaperones, front-of-house helpers, setup/clean up help, photography/videography, and so many more...    
At our Spring Concert alone, it took 25 volunteer roles to fulfill each needed task to make the event go smoothly and guarantee the success of our very talented singers.    Your commitment and hard work does not go unnoticed and is very much appreciated.  


Thank you for supporting
Guelph Youth Singers. 


From Bryan Stafford
Heather Mair (Member-at-large)
Why I joined the board

My daughter joined Choir 1 in 2016 and I was quickly impressed by the quality of the musical training she was receiving and the way Heather and Markus brought fun and movement into the learning process. I attended the parent meeting that September and saw a dedicated group of people volunteering on the board and in many other ways. By the end of my daughter's first year, she was hooked and so was I! I joined Pam (then Vice-President) and Sara (then President) for a coffee to explore opportunities to be on the board and found them to be open to new ideas and incredibly welcoming. This is my second year as a board member and I enjoy being able to contribute in ways that suit my talents (and schedule) and I love having a behind-the-scenes look at, and impact on, all things GYS. It's a really wonderful group of people filled with good humour, positive energy, and a strong belief in the organization. 

If you ever want to chat about becoming more involved,
send me a note:  hmair@uwaterloo.ca

Looking for a new challenge?

GYS is on the hunt for a chorister liaison. 

This person will be a senior chorister who likes working with people and using social media. You will bring choristers' ideas forward to the Board and use social media to build awareness of the choirs in our community. 

Interested? Email to admin@guelphyouthsingers.com and outline your interest in the position and background in 100 words. 
 
Upcoming Events:
 
   Dates to Note:                 Event to Remember:          

   Now until Sept.                  - Ask about GYS Auditions!

   Aug. 10 - Aug. 25              - GYS Office closed
                                              Have a GREAT Summer!

   Wed. Aug. 28 2019           -GYS Senior Choir
                                              Toronto Trip (Choir III)

   Wed. Sept. 4 2019            - First Rehearsal for SATB,
                                               Cantabile, and Chamber
                                               Choirs

   Sun. Sept. 8 2019             - First Rehearsal for Musical
                                               Theatre Academy

   Tues. Sept. 10 2019         - First Rehearsal for Choir I
                                              and Choir II

   Wed. Sept. 11 2019          - Annual Parent Meeting and
                                               AGM for 2019-2020


 
H A V E    A    W O N D E R F U L    S U M M E R ! ! ! ! 
Copyright © 2019 Guelph Youth Singers, All rights reserved.


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