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'Ottawa Or Busque' -- Local School Choir Close To Realizing Goal

By 250 News

Members of the Quinson School Choir, with conductor Carolyn Duerksen

What began as a lofty, almost unattainable goal is close to becoming a reality for members of the Quinson Elementary School Choir.

After being recommended for the national band and choral festival two years in a row, in 2004 and 2005, music teacher Carolyn Duerksen decided to embark on what has been for her, personally, and probably many others, a life-changing experience.

Duerksen jokes that’s probably to be expected when you “take on something as silly as raising $93,000.00” to get 44 choristers and 12 chaperones to the national event – Musicfest Canada – in Ottawa this May.

“In some instances, you could get parents to write cheques and it’s a done deal,” says Duerksen, “We could not do that because of the nature of our community, so we’ve had to work together.”

And work they have, from running the concession stand, to pizza days, to cupcake sales. But Duerksen says they also realized they would need to raise the bulk of the cash through corporate and private sponsorships. She says the response has been overwhelming with a few large donations, but the bulk being in the $10, $20, and $50 dollar range. “Our secretary, somebody stopped her on the street and said, ‘Oh, you’re with the Quinson choir, here’s $10.00.’”

To date, the group is just $8500.00 shy of their goal and a benefit concert and silent auction is planned for Sunday, April 2nd at the Prince George Playhouse. (Last fall, the City of Prince George gave the group $10,000.00 and donated use of the Playhouse.)

According to Duerksen, the “Ottawa or Busque!” concert will focus on “Quinson students, past and present, who continue to pursue their love of the arts – visual arts, music, theatre, dance and drama.” She says there will be a wide variety of performances, everything from highland dancing to an alumni choir. There will be two shows, at 3pm and 7pm, and tickets at $10.00 are available at Studio 2880.

The choir is set to leave for Ottawa on May 16th. As for what it will mean to them, Duerksen says, “I hope it opens some windows for them, in terms of what the choices are in life, that maybe their choices are a little bit more…they have more choices than they think they do.”

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