The Chamber Singers with conductor Henry Schellenberg.
The Providence Chamber Singers will tour the UK from April 21 to May 9, 2009. This will mark their seventh tour of the UK since 1987. “The Great Britain tour always generates a great deal of excitement. Even though it is a lot of hard work fundraising and planning, the benefits far exceed the effort,” exclaims conductor Henry Schellenberg.
One of the patrons, J. Alexander of Oakington, sent the following message to the choir after a performance. “I just want to thank you very much indeed for coming and for putting on a marvellous performance. We thought the concert was extremely professional and yet the music was very accessible. But chiefly it was a ministry and anointed for God’s service.”
In addition to connecting with local parishes from a wide variety of denominations including Brethren, Baptist, Presbyterian, and Anglican, the Chamber Singers will also be performing in some historic churches and cathedrals. One of these includes the ‘Round Church’ in Cambridge, built during the medieval Crusades. This church features a museum of the history of Christianity in the British Isles and is visited by pilgrims and tourists from around the world
The tour also affords many opportunities for cultural enrichment, such as taking in a Shakespeare play or Broadway show in London, attending Evensong at King’s College (Cambridge), or visiting ‘Robbie Burns’ country in Ayr (Scotland).
While the ongoing tours build lasting cross-cultural relationships with hosts from another country, one of the legacies of these British tours has involved some Providence students who have gone on to do graduate studies in the UK. These include two former Steinbach residents: Joel Klassen who earned his graduate degree in music therapy from the University of Edinburgh and Chris Banman who earned an MBA from the University of Dundee.
Fundraising projects this semester have involved seeking sponsorships from individuals, a bake sale at the annual Festival of Christmas Praise, and Encore: an evening of chamber music. Upcoming fundraising events are the Spring Concert on March 29, a giant garage sale in April, and the production and sale of a compilation CD featuring choral performances from the current year as well as past British tour choirs. For an itinerary of the Chamber Singers performances this semester and during the tour, please visit here.
