UGDSB singers band together for choral workshop
GUELPH – The sanctuary at Harcourt Memorial United Church reverberated with the sounds of teenagers singing in Cree and Malay on Feb. 6.
The Guelph Chamber Choir (GCC) hosted a choral workshop taught by Wilfrid Laurier University choral head Dr. Tracy Wong and sponsored by Robert Munsch.
The children’s author was hoping to pop in at the end of the workshop to listen to a mini-concert put on by the students, but did not end up feeling well enough to do so.
The workshop included students from the Upper Grand District School Board’s MADE Urban Arts program and John. F. Ross, Centennial and Guelph Collegiate Vocational Institutes.
Conductor Dr. Charlene Pauls said the GCC hosted the workshop because it’s important to foster a love of choral music in the next generation.
She said youth music programs are important and the benefits far-reaching, including boosting mental, social and physical health.
Wong taught the students two songs: her own song JAM! (Jom-Ayuh-Mari) in Malay, and a Cree song by Cree-Dene composer Sherryl Sewepahagam called mitêh.
County resident and GCVI student Tuuli Quilley said she enjoyed how Wong’s teaching style is more fast-paced than she and her peers are used to – which enabled them to learn two songs in one afternoon.
Wong would quickly move on after teaching them something new, not leaving much time to process. But to Quilley’s surprise, when she circled back to it later, she remembered just what she’d been taught.
“She’s a really effective teacher,” added GCVI student Arshia Shaharior.
Quilley particularly enjoyed the call-and-response aspects of the songs.
For Marden resident and MADE student Lauren Ferrier, the highlight of the workshop was learning music in Cree and singing along side students from different high schools across Guelph.
MADE students and members of the GCVI Chamber Choir will be travelling to the CBC headquarters in Toronto on March 26 to perform mitêh for CBC Music executives to promote the CBC Canada’s Greatest Music Class Competition.
GCVI’s music class was among 13 first place winners of the competition in 2023.
MADE student Priya Maden enjoyed the workshop too, and noted singing in a choir is outside of her comfort zone as her usual focus is on film.
MADE is an interdisciplinary, semester-long arts program in which students earn four credits: music, art, drama and English.
It highlights how art can be a tool for community building, cultural development and social change.
MADE operates out of the Heritage Hall in Guelph and includes students in Grades 10 through 12.
MADE applications for the 2026/27 school year are open until Feb. 28.
For more information about the MADE program, including how to apply, visit ugdsbmade.ca.
