On Sunday, February 12th at 3:00 p.m. folks are in for a real treat if they head on down to the William Kelley High School Auditorium in Silver Bay. The North Shore Voices will be performing in concert that afternoon at the high school. A second performance will be held on February 19th at 3:00 p.m. at the Baptism River Church located in Finland. Both concerts are free and open to the public. All are welcome and encouraged to come and listen.
North Shore Voices is a local choir that has been around since the 1990s and was originally called Community Sings. There are currently 16 members in the choir, consisting of 10 women and 6 men. In the past, the choir has had upwards of 40 members joining their voices together in harmony. The choir had been put on hold for the last 3 years due to the pandemic, so members have been very happy to be able to get together and share their passion of singing and performing once again.
Faith Frahm is the choir director this year and Annie Andrus is the choir accompanist who plays piano for the group of singers. The choir has been meeting since October, every Sunday at the William Kelley School, and practicing a variety of music to perform for the upcoming community concerts. They have been focusing on a mix of songs ranging from spiritual and sacred to show tunes and secular music. “It’s a real mixed bag,” comments Judy Waxlax, president and participant of the North Shore Voices Choir.
There are both solos and ensembles to be presented, including both special women’s and men’s pieces. The women will be singing “Can’t help falling in Love” by Elvis Presley and the men will be performing a song with Australian origins called the “Wellerman Sea Shanty”. This song is about an outfit in Australia that would take supplies out to the whaler ships at sea, such as salt, tea, and rum, as well as bringing staples over to New Zealand.
After these public performances the choir will be taking a break until next fall, but is always looking for more interested participants! If you would like to stay in the loop and practice with the choir starting in September of 2023, please reach out to the North Shore Voices Choir president Judy Waxlax at 218-353-0376. “We have a lot of fun together and we all love singing,” says Judy. All levels of skill and ages are welcome. “You just have to love to sing,” says Judy.
The power of music is a truly incredible thing. Using your voice and joining with others can be life-altering for folks and is an incredible outlet to share with one another. Come out to experience what the choir has been working on this year!
