For 30 years, the Eastman Choral Association (EMCA) has been bringing people together over a shared love of choral music. Recently, however, the organization’s leadership roles have been left vacant. That is, until Meredith Hutchinson and Shannon Sawatzky stepped up.
“After moving back to Steinbach, I spent a year or two thinking about who might be a good person to take the reins, who loves choir but is organized as well,” says Hutchinson. “Everybody recognized the need, but nobody was volunteering. And then, this spring, I was talking to Shannon Sawatzky. We’re so involved in a lot of programs already, so we just looked at each other and said, ‘I think it’s going to have to be us!’”
There was initially some discussion of whether the various regional choirs needed to be joined under one administrative association. Hutchinson points out that most of the choirs function on their own without any trouble. Ultimately, it was decided that the association was still an important piece of the puzzle—helping organize events, providing funding and advertising, organizing collaborative projects, and generally keeping things in order.
Hutchinson and Sawatzky, both music teachers in the Hanover School Division, are now co-presidents of the association, working with a volunteer board. One of their big goals for the EMCA is to expand choir
participation.
The EMCA is one of six regional affiliates of the Manitoba Choral Association, and the region is large, stretching all the way to Manitoba’s east and southern borders, the Red River to the west, and all the way north to Berens River. Hutchinson says that one of her goals for the various choirs is to reach new people within the region, both near and far.
“We just want to broaden our reach,” Hutchinson says. “We want everyone who is in the area and is interested to be able to connect with us. It’s easy, in a smaller community, to assume we know everybody, but that’s not always the case.”
EMCA’s six groups include the Vespers Choir, a women’s ensemble, the Choral Society Community Choir, the Eastman Male Choir, an adult chamber choir, and the Eastman Youth Choir. While some groups, such as the Vespers Choir, are invitation-based, others require minor or no auditions.
Île-des-Chênes resident Corina Ruus has many fond memories of her years of participation in the youth choir.
“When I was a kid I was very shy, but I went out and tried it, and I loved it. I couldn’t wait to go back next year,” Ruus remembers. “Then I went out and joined my church choir, and I started making more friends—I’m still friends with a lot of them. It was a real confidence booster. It really brought me out of my shell.”
Now Ruus is supporting her daughter’s participation in the choir. Her oldest daughter, Mikayla Patenaude, sang in the youth choir for three years and is now a coordinator. Her second daughter is currently in the choir as well, and her son plans to try out next year.
“Coming together with a bunch of other people and creating this beautiful sound just gives me goosebumps,” Ruus says. “I loved being a part of that, and now I love sitting and listening to my kids be part of that. It’s just magical.”
One of the things she most appreciates about the Eastman Youth Choir is that its activities are funded largely through fundraisers and sponsorships, so that parents don’t have to bear the entire cost of participating in the choir. This is particularly important, she adds, because she feels that this experience should be available to everyone, regardless of their financial situation.
Hutchinson agrees that choir should be for everyone.
“When you make music with a group of people, there’s a sense of community, there’s a shared passion,” Hutchinson says. “No matter who you are, we can all relate to a melody. I think that’s something that everyone should have access to.”
Even for those who aren’t inclined to sing, she says, there is something in the EMCA for everyone.
“We have opportunities for kids, adults, and seniors who want to sing,” she says, “but we also always need volunteers at concerts, and we of course love a good audience who will be able to enjoy our music. We hope people will reach out to us as we are trying to re-establish ourselves!”
The Eastman Youth Choir will be performing in a variety of venues around the region from Thursday, October 11 until Sunday, October 14. In particular, the Eastman School Workshop will take place on Friday, October 12. The Choral Society will hold its annual Peace Concert on November 11 at the Steinbach Mennonite Church.
