St. Albert Catholic High School’s graduating class of 1980 is hosting a casual reunion at O’Maille’s Pub on Saturday, Sept. 17.
And organizers are putting out a special call to the school’s PITCH and SPICE choirs from 1977 to 1982 to attend.
”We’re not only trying to find our classmates, but we’re also trying to find people we sang with in those choirs. We developed a range of friendships over those three years we sang in the choirs. PITCH and SPICE really brought a lot of people together and we’d like them to join us for a brew at O’Maille’s,” said Mary-Lou Drachenberg, a St. Albert producer, actress, film instructor and one of the reunion’s go-to organizers.
PITCH (stands for People in the Crowd Harmonizing) and SPICE (Spreading Peace in Crowds Everywhere) in 1967.
Father Ubald Duchesneau, affectionately dubbed ‘Father Duck’ by his students because of his ducktail hairstyle, founded the choirs.
The choirs sang at numerous venues including the Jubilee Auditorium and in the spirit of the day recorded the revolutionary Godspell and Jesus Christ Superstar.
In addition, the oblate priest provided students with additional exposure organizing choir tours for the 1976 Spokane Olympics and later to Alaska in 1978.
“We had hard rock music and played it in the church for mass. I think the CWL (Catholic Women’s League) had a heart attack, but it kept the kids interested in the church,” Drachenberg laughed.
At the moment about 25 people are attending the reunion from across Alberta and as far away as the Cayman Islands, Texas, the North West Territories and British Columbia.
Most of the attendees were located through Facebook. Choristers and 1980 graduates are invited to check out the Facebook page titled SACHS Reunion Facebook Group.
The reunion starts Saturday at 3 p.m. in O’Maille’s Guinness Room, 398 St. Albert Trail.
