The Medicine Hat College Girls Choir practicing for their spring concert taking place May 22. (Eli J. Ridder/CHAT News)

By Eli J. Ridder

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Medicine Hat girls choir to perform never before heard piece in spring concert

May 16, 2024 | 4:00 AM

A piece of music that has never been heard before public will be performed on Wednesday by a choir of Medicine Hat school girls.

The journey to get to this point started some eight years ago when the Medicine Hat College Girls Choir, made up of girls aged 12 to 18, won a competition in South Africa.

The choir’s prize was a commissioned piece of music just for them. Years passed, but in September 2023, current choir director Justine Wilks received the composition.

The choir is performing never before heard music. (Eli J. Ridder/CHAT News)

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In January, the 19-member choir got to work.

“It’s a lot of practice from all the girls and we all have to put in a lot of effort,” Hannah Masar, one of the chorists, said.

The composer, Karen Sunabacka of Waterloo, Ont., has put together a piece sung in an Indigenous language.

“It’s really neat to work on something that nobody has ever heard or seen before,” choir director Wilks said.

“Most importantly, it’s really neat to have a composer who’s alive and well coming to see her piece premiered.”

Justine Wilks, choir director, says the girls have been working hard ahead of the spring concert. (Kevin Kyle/CHAT News)

Tia Comstock, another member of the choir, wants to get it right for Sunabacka.

“I’m very, very excited because she’s going to be here so I want to do the piece well for her and do it justice,” Comstock said.

For Comstock, it’s also about carrying on the legacy of the 2016 choir.

“It’s a big responsibility trying to build back the choir since COVID and all the wonderful girls that have come before but I think we’re really making progress in that.”

The spring concert, featuring the commissioned music and classical pieces, will begin at 7 p.m. on Wednesday at Fifth Avenue Memorial United Church.

It’s free to attend but donations to the choir are appreciated, organizers said.