NACI choir joins WMYC

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By Micah Waddell 
Neepawa Banner & Press

It’s time to sing, as choir season continues to get going here in Neepawa and seven students from NACI have taken their choral dedication to a whole new level by joining not only the high school choir, but also the Westman Youth Choir.

The students,Graeme Chapman, Logan Enns, Jessica Gibson, William Kramm, Vicky Elgert, Selina Santos and Christopher Eu, have all taken a large step in their musical journey.

The students learned of the opportunity through family and friends at the time and most have been participating for a couple of years now. Westman Youth Choir is one of the more exclusive youth choirs in Manitoba, requiring participants to audition. After they have made it into the choir successfully, though its quite a bit of fun, all practices take the shape of entire weekends spent at Camp Wannakumbac. Graeme Chapman says, “In the beginning, you don’t know many people and you keep to yourselves, but as the season goes on, everyone starts to open up and you will make friends that you will remember for life.”

The practice weekends are jam packed with singing, essentially the students wake up and, eat breakfast after which, they go straight to practice, after practice, it’s lunch time. They eat and get a short break before the next session of music. Once that is completed, the students go for supper and head to bed. It’s not all practice though, apparently they also play games such as Red Rover (injuries tend to occur).

During the last weekend, before tour time, the girls cabin play pranks on the boys cabin and vice versa. Pranks include throwing taped air horns into cabins during the early hours of the morning or simply messing with the light bulbs in the cabins.

WMYC focuses on many cultural pieces for its musical line up, including a song from the Philippines, Ugoy Ng Duyan, a song about childhood years and longing for the safety and care of a mother. Many other pieces will be sung during this years WMYC tour, which takes place between Oct. 14 and 17. The tour starts in Strathclair then goes to Virden, after which, it comes to Neepawa on Oct. 16. The tours final destination is Brandon.