St. Albert Singers turn silver

Landmark years tend to swing open portals of nostalgia, and musical director Criselda Mierau took flight when addressing the St. Albert Singers’ 25th Anniversary Concerts coming up May 27 to 28 at the Shrine Centre.

“When I first started I thought of it as my passion. In retrospect it’s my legacy to the singers and the community,” says Mierau, who has manned the helm for 20 years.

The Edmonton-based artist was the organization’s fifth conductor after founding director Lillian Upright, symphony conductor Tim Hankewich, music teacher Jan Dammann and Eric Mierau, her father.

Upright founded the St. Albert Singers as a small mixed group with 20 choristers. Under the younger Mierau’s leadership and passion, it expanded to six choirs promoting 170 voices.

And she has certainly presented an impressive catalogue in the past two decades. The Singers have tackled everything from pop, rock ‘n’ roll, jazz and folk to Broadway, gospel and country.

Leafing through the Singers’ album of concerts, there are snapshots borrowed from identifiable classic and pop culture phenomena such as Scrooge, Alice in Wonderland, the Grinch, Polar Express and Cirque du Soleil.

But not all was fluff. Mierau has always woven strands of social conscience into concerts by honouring pioneers, saluting the environment and raising money for African AIDS charities.

And unlike many choirs where choristers are presented in penguin-attired formation, the Singers’ concerts are packed with a heavy dose of theatrical, colourful costumes, zany props, and a liberal use of slideshows and multimedia.

“When I started, I knew I was passionate. I thought I’d give it five years and move on before I burned out. I wanted everybody to have fun. But the choirs kept growing constantly. At the twelfth year, I stopped asking. As long as there is joy and we keep raising the bar every year, why not keep going?”

For the 25th anniversary celebration, Mierau has structured a program of three musical sets interspersed with catered appetizers and desserts.

The internationally renowned jazz saxophonist P.J. Perry and pianist Charlie Austin are stepping in to accompany the 100 St. Albert Singers and St. Albert Women’s Vocal Ensemble.

Timothy Andersen, a long-time narrator for their annual Christmas special, returns as emcee. As well, Upright and Damman will once again step up to the podium as guest conductors.

And Mierau is inviting any attending alumni attending to join the choristers for the finale. “We’re not sure how many will attend. But the numbers will probably swell and spill onto the floor. We’ll find a way to make everyone fit. We always have.”

The concert’s three sets consist of 25 favourites, one for each year, plus an additional song to toast the future. The first set explores serious works such as Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah and Andrea Bocelli’s The Prayer.

The second set launches into upbeat, casual pop numbers that include You’re the One That I Want and Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy. Closing the concert are inspirational tunes such as Josh Groben’s You Raise Me Up.

“This is an amazing community of people that strive toward excellence. As a result, friendships have been made and forged that will last a lifetime. Words don’t always do justice to the experience of creating music together. Only music does it justice.”