Grand River Chorus (GRC) is closing out its 25th anniversary season with a gala concert featuring favourites from the past and a special nod to the future at St. Andrew’s United Church on Sunday, May 26, 2024.
“We wanted to close out our silver anniversary season with something special,” said Susan Zakamarko, President of the Grand River Chorus. “So instead of our normal concert we are hosting a fantastic show followed by a catered reception for all of our concert attendees and supporters.”
Grand River Chorus performed its first choral concert in spring of 1999 and became a registered charitable organization the following year. Since then, the Chorus has grown from 40 to 60 members and has expanded its repertoire to over 300 songs. Sixteen charter members are still in the chorus.
For the closing gala, GRC members collaborated on a list of favourite songs from past performances. For the first time, the choir will perform the full Vivaldi Gloria. Artistic Director, Ron Cheung also commissioned a custom composition to mark the milestone.
“We will be winding down the concert with a debut performance of a brand new composition created just for GRC by composer, Frank Horvat,” said Zakamarko. “The lyrics for the song were written by our very own chorister, Stuart Bergstra and we are so excited to bring this piece to life.”
In addition to commissioning this composition, GRC marked its anniversary year by launching an Emerging Artists program. These talented music students will also be performing at the 25th Anniversary Gala.
