ELDERBERRIES CONCERTS MUCH MORE PLEASANT AND EASY TO HEAR AT SENIORS CENTRE WHERE THEY BEGAN 32 YEARS AGO

Mark Clairmont | MuskokaTODAY.com

GRAVENHURST — “When I’m 94 ….”

You’d never believe it to hear the Elderberries Choir last night at the first of two weekend Journey concerts.

After a week’s delay due to illnesses, like troopers the slightly diminished choir carried on like a good aged wine.

So when Jack Cline shouted out at the end of “When I’m 64” and the choir responded one more time with “When I’m 94” the audience mostly grey hairs got the joke.

The return to the Seniors’ Centre made hearing the lyrics more understandable for the audience, even if the Trinity Church and Opera House seem more grand. It’s about the music and sound, not the grandiose of a hall. PHOTOS Mark Clairmont

It was much the same for 90 minutes with 13 songs that were a roller coaster of a ride.

Starting with two verses of O Canada (who knew) including one sung entirely en francais.

Celebrating their 32 year of singing — back at the Seniors Active Living Centre where a small number once gathered to raise voices — director Louise Jardine coaxed sweet music out of them.

A sound that was much more intimate and able to be heard than at the Opera House and Trinity United Church where they rehearse. The choir didn’t have to stretch their vocal chords to project to the back of the hall and the audience didn’t have to strain to understand the lyrics.

It was a much more pleasant presentation.

The lovely high voices of the women fit more seamlessly into those of the male choristers.
Director Louise Jardine coaxed all she could out of the diminished choir decimated last week by illness and this week by prior commitments when the dates were shifted back.

From the opening it was a “Sentimental Journey” full of “Fields of Gold” that went more than “Nine Hundred Miles” letting the Elderberries stretch their “Wings” as a “Happy Wanderer” “Flying Free” bidding “Bye Bye Blackbird” and making everyone hope that “May the Music Never End.”

But it did with their traditional finale of “Go Now in Peace” with a couple of past choir members going up to join in.

You can hear their final concert Sunday afternoon at 2 p.m. on First Street in Gravenhurst.

Tickets are $20 and previously purchased ticket will of course be honoured.

It was a sentimental Journey for sure as the choir celebrated 32 years of memorable joyful choral singing together.
With Carolyn Grant accompanying, the Journey included 13 song that helped the audience traipse through countries while chasing black birds, hopes and dreams.
The bass section could certainly relate to the lyrics of “When I’m 64” as they sang “When I get older, losing my hair …” they combed over what little left they had.
A reunion of sorts for former choir member Pat Beecham-Cooper, centre who joined in on the final song, with her husband Noel and fellow chorister Julie Alexander.
It was crowd-pleasing concert for all ages to applaud and cheer and that can be heard one more time Sunday afternoon at 2 p.m.
Back to back the choir could be more distinctly heard as the basses projected to the front door with clarity and understanding unlike other concerts around town.
Next year’s executive is excited to get started after a bit of a challenging year. Left, Sue Ward, Sara Conron, Sheila Dunn, Louise Jardine, past president Lynda Valcourt, Roger Pinney, new president Terri Paul, and Elizabeth Wilson.

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