-- a word from EKOSingers’ conductor, Paula Roberts

Welcome September! A new season. New music. New singers. New friends. I have been told more than once that EKOSingers is Edmonton's best kept secret. That is such a wonderful compliment but we'd rather not be a secret! We have vowed this year to find ways to let Edmonton get to know us better. ……so read on!

At one point, we called ourselves the “un-choir”, because that term seemed to describe us better than any of the standard choir descriptors. We are not strictly a pop choir, a jazz choir, a show choir, a classical choir, or even simply a choir! We look and sound different than any choir in town. We present most of our concerts on a theatre stage, so the visual component is important, and we love to perform. Whether we do an entertaining pop tune with a bit of choreography, or a powerful spiritual, we are serious about presenting every style as professionally as possible, and we like to have some serious fun doing it!

Thanks to our pianist, Charlie Austin, and various musicians from the Edmonton jazz community, our band is as much a part of our sound as our singers, and I have to say that this is a highlight for everyone. When you sing with great players, they lift you to places you didn’t know you could go! And it doesn’t bother us that some people come to our concerts because they want to hear the band!

So I am busy putting the final repertoire together for this season. Pouring over the brand new choral releases is exciting (at least for me…!) and has me singing Christmas music in July! We have our plans for a trip to Victoria over the March spring break underway, and have arranged for our usual trek out to Battle Lake for our April retreat.

It’s time to sing!

EKOSingers - the “un-choir” - check us out!