The love of singing is what defines Eclipse Chorus. The forty member choir, backed by a full band, will be in Yorkton on January 13 to perform as part of the Yorkton Arts Council’s Stars for Saskatchewan series.
Director Roy Sydiaha says that the group has a wide range of content, focused largely on pop and gospel but also featuring jazz and original music. While a varied repertoire, Sydiaha says it’s about everyone in the room having as much fun as possible.
“The members of our choir love to sing, some of them have been singing their whole lives. What an Eclipse concert is, is a really good time. We have lots of fun on stage and make it impossible for the audience not to join in and have fun with us.”
Yorkton will have a full-band performance with Eclipse, with guitar, bass, drums and keyboard, which Sydiaha says makes the concert another layer of exciting.
“It really allows us to widen the variety of music that we do. It’s one thing to sing a song with a piano player that is a rock and roll number, it’s a whole different thing to actually be a rock and roll band... When Elvis comes out to sing his rock and roll numbers, it’s an extra kick.”
The January performance comes after a busy December for Eclipse, as they have had their annual Christmas program as well as performing at the Mother Son Gala at the Festival of Trees. Sydiaha says there will be a song or two as a nod to Ukrainian Christmas, including Elvis’ Blue Christmas, and a medley of winter songs.
“We felt like since we had all this Christmas repertoire we had to pull out some at least.”
Eclipse exists to support Canadian artists, and is actually registered as a charity with a mandate to find Canadian artists and composers and commission work from them, Sydiaha explains, whether that means original music or arrangements for a choral group.
“That’s a big part of what the choir does, we foster that Canadian talent... For us to say outright that this is one of the reasons we exist, that’s something unique.”
The choir has been around for 11 years as Eclipse, and started performing together after a previous choir, the Refiners Choir. Sydiaha says it’s a great feeling to have seen the chorus survive for over a decade, something which many choirs can’t claim.
“It feels like we’ve got a lot of strength behind us, a lot of history and a lot of drive.”
Eclipse Chorus will perform as part of the Yorkton Arts Council’s Stars for Saskatchewan series on January 13 at 7:30 p.m. at the Ann Portnuff Theatre. Tickets are available at ticketpro.ca or at Welcome Home Gifts.
