‘A relationship between colleagues’
Choir conductors Ben Pauls and his son Matthew share enthusiasm, talent and a passion for choral music. This fall, they had the unexpected opportunity to share the stage at a fundraising concert for the Canadian Foodgrains Bank. The concert—the first they shared together as conductors—featured a joint performance of the Faith and Life Male Choir…
Singing a new song
What will the Mennonite church in North America look like in the next 30 years? No one has a crystal ball, but one group of forward-thinking people is helping us imagine how we might be doing congregational worship in the next generation. Last weekend, I attended a one-day resourcing event on Voices Together, the new…
Grebel sings to bridge gaps and build community
At the beginning of the 2018-2019 school year, students, staff and faculty at Conrad Grebel University College took a deep breath and sang together, first in unison, and then in several different parts to build a new melody. The piece called “We All Sing” was written by Karen Sunabacka, a Grebel prof, and commissioned for…
Thought-provoking pop
Looking for new music? Check out these singles from three exciting Canadian acts: “RAYZ” by Royal Canoe Paper Bag Records (royalcanoe.com) Royal Canoe’s fourth full-length recording, Waver, doesn’t come out until the end of January, but the Winnipeg-based sextet has already put out the album’s first single. Released during the dog days of summer, “RAYZ”…
A cry for ‘no revenge’
Stephanie Martin had often led practises with the Pax Christi Chorale at Calvin Presbyterian Church in Toronto. But during one practice in 2015 she was drawn to a plaque on the north wall of the sanctuary honouring nurse Mary Agnes ‘Nan’ MacKenzie, “who after three years of service lost her life by the torpedoing of…
The end in mind
How will people remember you when you die? That’s the question at the heart of “Stone Cutter,” one of the key tracks on Etch Your Own Stone, the new album from Saskatoon bluegrass quartet Sparky and the Plugs. In the song, written by banjo player Curtis Wiens, the singer contemplates how he will spend his…
Growing community, one song at a time
At a time when many churches and their choirs are dwindling, music teacher Kim Friesen Wiens created something amazing in Edmonton with the potential to help reverse both trends. Inspired by the legacy of a church kids club and using funds donated in her grandmother’s memory, Friesen Wiens brought together children from her church, First…
RJC performs Godspell
Every year, as part of homecoming and graduation weekend at Rosthern Junior College, the students present a large-scale musical. This year they performed Godspell by John-Michael Tebelak and Stephen Schwartz. Godspell has been around since the late 1960s and is based on the story of Jesus from the Gospel of Matthew. Through parables and lessons,…
Worth the wait
If good things come to those who wait, exciting times are ahead for Kenzie Jane. The Winnipeg-based singer-songwriter recently released her debut EP, Love Me From Scratch, more than three years after she first started recording it. Jane says she was encouraged to take her time by her mentors in the Winnipeg Folk Festival’s Stingray…
Gospel songs with an edge
Jess Reimer recalls the first time a friend told her about Jeremy Hamm, the man who would become her musical partner and husband. “I remember being excited there was a guy who wasn’t a senior citizen who was into bluegrass like me,” she says. When the two met in 2002, they connected immediately. “Within 10…
