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 Every year German Canadian choirs of
Ontario get together in song. As last year, it has become a
tradition, several of them met up at the German Canadian Club
Hansa in Mississauga.
The Hansa Choir under the baton of Dieter Wütherich opened the
evening, after a delicious dinner and welcoming address by the
president Rainer Walter, with the traditional "Saengergruss": "
Brueder reicht die Hand zum Bunde" and continued with several
other lovely songs, including the Hansa Kanon. The end of this
portion was "Lasst Frieden sein", Lyrics and melody by Danuta
Grigaitis, who lives among us in Kitchener and has written many
a wonderful poem. This song is part of the German music library
overseas and has become a favorite,
 especially now, when the
world needs peace as never before. It is a gripping song that
touches all our deepest emotions. The choir must have worked
very hard all summer. It sounded much improved from the last
time we heard it.
| The Hansa Choir
Brampton under the baton of Dieter Wütherich |
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The Loreley Singers of Oshawa with Monica Cotton directing
presented a really good international mix of songs, certainly
not forgetting a German song : Guten Abend und das
Lied der Berge.
| The Loreley
Singers of Oshawa with Monica Cotton directing |
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 Manfred Petz directed the Edelweiss Choir and this choir too
sounded much improved. A special treat was again Margarete
Schauer and her Jodler.
| The Edelweiss
Choir with Manfred Petz directing |
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After an intermission we heard from Lyra London, Alvin Reimer
director, who arrived late because of tremendous difficulties on
the highway. This choir offered some spirituals like "My Lord
what a morning", an all time choir favourite and other great
songs.
| Lyra London,
Alvin Reimer director |
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At the very end all the choirs got together and delighted with
"We are marching in the light of love" and everyone sang along.
This singing along is a very important activity. It ties
everyone together in harmony, literally!
| All the choirs together |
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We remember more than 4 choirs participating in the past, but
that makes for a very different type of event. This way it was
an intimate evening, not too long, not too short, where the
German tradition of song could be celebrated.
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