A growing choir, based out of Steinbach, is performing this weekend and making some changes. 

Accent Women's Ensemble director Meredith Hutchinson says they have new music for Sunday's concert in Steinbach, plus, they have some special numbers that will include male voices. 

“That is to help us with the announcement that Accent is shifting to a soprano, alto, tenor, bass choir for the fall,” she explains. “So, we are bringing in the men’s voices to join us. We will no longer be Accent Women’s Ensemble; we will just stay with Accent, that’s the familiar name.” 

Hutchinson says the group is attracting singers from many communities across the Southeast, and she looks forward to taking the group in a new direction. 

“Even wearing my Eastman Choral hat, I’m looking for... where are the opportunities for our young male voices to sing when they just graduate high school? They come from these great high school choral programs, there’s not a lot for them to sing in locally. There should be more opportunities for them locally. So, I’m hoping that the word will spread.” 

Over the past few years, the choir has changed faces and grown a lot, says Hutchinson. 

“They are just Googling ‘Steinbach choirs’ and they’re finding us, and people want to sing,” she says. “It’s so great to meet a variety of different people that are coming from even outside of our community, we have people driving from even as far as Winnipeg to come sing with us, and St. Pierre and Oakbank. It’s just so great that we have this regional choir that’s forming.” 

The spring performance will happen on Sunday, June 4th in the auditorium at the Mennonite Heritage Village in Steinbach. 

“We’re trying to keep it light, it’s spring,” she says. “So, we have lots of fun tunes that might be considered from classical to contemporary, and some musical theatre, lots of folk stuff, and we always have a variety of small group numbers, some things from musicals, we even have something from The Mikado. Some girls singing Three Little Maids.” 

The show starts at 2pm, admission is paid at the door with cash or cheque. Tickets are $12, students 13 and older get in for $5. There is free admission for children 12 and under. 

-With files from Michelle Sawatzky