Work is underway to get the Westman Youth Choir back on stage this fall.

The choir started in 1980 so this will be the 42nd year of the Westman Youth Choir’s existence.

Jackie Sallow of Carberry is helping coordinate this year’s program.

“After having nothing in 2020, the board was eager to create a new choral experience in keeping with strict provincial health guidelines in 2021. I believe we were successful when we created an amazing professional video with 29 choristers, musicians, our accompanist Kate Gray, and our conductor, Michelle Chyzyck from Virden. It was filmed by Rob Lovatt and recorded by Paul Archambault. We were fortunate for some very generous sponsors including Tundra Oil and Gas, and Virden Collegiate.”

A challenge this year is getting enough youth to register for auditions. By early May only 19 people had signed up. ‘With the disruption over the past two years we’ve lost our momentum. Students usually come off a fall tour and go back to their schools and say how much fun they had and urge other people to try out for the choir but that hasn’t been the case over the past year or two.”

This leaves then with a period of rebuilding since most of the students auditioning will have no Westman youth choir experience.

The choir has room for 55 choristers in grade 10 - 12 this fall. Auditions will be in Brandon at the B.U. School of Music on May 28 and 29.

They are hoping this fall to get back to the usual 2 weekends at Camp Wannakumbac on September 15 - 18 and September 28 - October 2, and a tour of South Westman on October 15 - 18 which may include Souris, Melita, Boissevain, Killarney, and Brandon.

Details of the tour have yet to be finalized