Sounds of Switzerland will be heard during Saengrfest 2012

London Community News

Kitchener’s Centre in the Square will be resonating with Swiss music on the Canada Day long weekend as a local Swiss choir teams up with 14 other Swiss choirs from Canada, the United States and Switzerland for a singing and yodeling festival. A choral competition will be held on June 29 at 1:15 p.m. where 14 choirs will compete for honours in various categories of artistic, folk and yodel music. During the grand concert Sounds of Switzerland on June 30 at 7:30 p.m., an astounding 300 singers will combine their voices to perform many traditional and contemporary Swiss songs. Other highlights will include contributions by smaller groups and typical Swiss elements such as the alphorn, cowbells and whip cracking. In addition, a medley of German folk songs, commissioned especially for this event to honour the cultural heritage of this area, will be presented to the public for the very first time. These two exciting events are part of Saengerfest 2012, a singing and yodeling festival, held every three years by the North American Swiss Singing Alliance (NASSA) and alternately hosted by one of its individual member choirs. This wonderful tradition dates back almost 120 years. NASSA was formed in the late 1800s and the first singing festival took place in 1897 in Cleveland, Ohio. Saengerfest 2012 is being organized by the Swiss Choir Thames Valley, a group of enthusiastic singers with Swiss roots living in the southwestern Ontario counties of Huron, Perth and Wellington. The mixed choir of 25 active members is conducted by Anne Loeffler of New Hamburg, who will also be conducting the massed choir at the Grand Concert on June 30. “This is a unique opportunity to experience Swiss folk music, performed by 300 singers in traditional Swiss dress,” Loeffler said. Tickets range from $17.50 to $27.50 and are now available from the box office at the Centre in the Square. Visit www.centre-square.com or phone 519-578-1570 For more information please go to: www.saengerfest2012.ca