What a year! The Little Lambs rose....

What a year! The Little Lambs rose to the programs, challenges and expectations with an enthusiasm and joy which constantly reminds me of how blessed I am to be at the schola. I have sung their praises throughout the year.

What a Year End Concert! Congratulations to all of our schola directors. Brava/Bravo to all.

To the Senior Choir - I had the opportunity to watch my Little Lambs as audience members and they were enthralled by your greatly diversified program. All selections had a ‘wow’ response from them; their wide-eyes spoke volumes. Ninety singers create a wall of glorious sound that is undeniably magical. Where else does this happen with singers of this age? That so many smaller groups were also showcased - some of them self-directed speaks to the power of music. The Barbershop element has become a beloved tradition - a testament to the talent and intrinsic motivation of all past, present and future students who have connected with the genre. That Malcolm has such superb accompanists is also a blessing. The joint piece that has become an expected tradition is certainly a highlight for all in attendance and those whose perform - including the many alumni that return to the stage.

To the Junior Choir - Thank you for always raising the bar with including a great classical selection. The uniformity of vowel and vocal production is something I always appreciate and your singers do this superbly. This year, one of the folktales that I read to the Little Lambs was a version of the Tailor of Gloucester. When they heard another variant of this folktale, their knowing smiles gave them another meaningful connection. That traditional songs/games play an important part in your program certainly gave those moving up great taste of what they may expect.

To the Little Lamb Choir - Yes! There were many who commented that the Little Lambs stole the show but this year the comments surpassed the mere cuteness factor. There were focussed, sang in-tune - on the air - and moved simultaneously.  Our two part song was also handled very well. Thank you to those who commented on their quality of sound as this is a very important program goal. I was so delighted that they were entertaining, truly got into the character of each individual piece, and were bigger than life storytellers. It was great to see them having fun with making music. However, I owe a gratitude of thanks to Miss Lisa for her amazing gifts as a choreographer and teacher. Our affiliation goes back decades and I am blessed that she is still willing to work with me.

I must also comment on the overall effect of “The Three Little Pigs: A Howling Success Story”. When and to whom to react - what character am I playing at any given point (pig or narrator) and remembering the modified storyline with all those words was no small feat. I think that the Little Lambs did a superb job. Thank you to our wolf Matthias who totally got into the role and scoped out a headpiece that was just perfect. He had a looming presence which was made even scarier when he rose above on the raised boxes. In rehearsal it was obvious that the Little Lambs love Matthias and he is a natural with young children. A word about our narrator, John. He was given the task of coming up with a two-minute introduction. While in the score there were some jokes to set the stage, John was given freedom to create something of his own and what he created was brilliant and delivered with the perfect balance of seriousness and tongue in cheek. His delivery of his lines advancing the plot were spot on. Thanks also goes to Mrs. Chedraui for allowing me to take Matthias and John out of class as needed for rehearsal time.

There were two events that made the evening even more exciting:

1. The  anticipated revealing of the next musical.  Obviously there is great acting talent in the team that mounts our musicals. What a perfect way to introduce us to a musical that may not be known to all.  What fun to see this musical team in action in a different way. A very clever mini-presentation, indeed. Thank you as well to the mystery dinosaur guest!!!

2.  I wanted to thank Rianna Neufeldt for taking on the First Schola Cookbook project. This was obviously a labour of love and the end result is a beautiful cookbook. The photography is stunning, the quotes are inspirational and the overall quality with certainly stand up to the messy cook that I am.     

At the time of submitting this final newsletter for the 2025-2026 schola year, there are 89 more sleeps until I welcome returning and new singers to the Little Lamb Choir. I can hardly wait.



Love Miss Katheryne