Last Thursday night the St. Paul community choir Les Musicos gave the concert they had planned to give three years ago.
Their 2020 spring concert was cancelled because of Covid. And while they started a busy new season in the fall, it was last week’s performance that closed the circle for them.
“The group was so excited to do it. We had been starting this four years ago and never fully finished, so they were so excited to complete it and be able to share the selection of songs with everybody,” said Les Musicos’ director Don Buryn.
As always, they gave an energetic and polished performance that included a variety of styles and
genres.
Midway through the program Lloyanne Yaremko-Galas sang a moving and inspiring rendition of Oi u luzi chervona kalyna, a Ukrainian patriotic song.
Students from St. Paul Regional High School also performed at the concert, offering popular selections with guitar, electric bass, ukulele, keyboards, and drum set accompaniment.
The final piece of the choir program was “You Do Not Walk Alone,” dedicated to longtime choir member Linda Peters. The song was on the intended program in 2020; as Linda developed health problems this past January she, her husband Harry, and the choir found it to be especially meaningful.
Linda died about a month ago and the choir sang the song at her memorial service. When they sang it again Thursday, with Harry in the choir, the poignancy of the moment and the positive message of the song were evident.
“Tonight was the final night and we’re closing up our season,” Buryn said. “This is a family and they really, really depend on each other. They just love enjoying time together with the choir.
“They walk out with a full heart that I think is hard to explain to people. But we’re very lucky because they are very close. We go beyond the page, beyond the notes, it’s more about when it’s time to sing the message of whatever we’re doing, you can feel it.”
Northeast Seniors’ Choir Festival
St. Paul Choir and Regional High School
The Bonnyville Singers
