The University of Manitoba Singers Return from a Successful Tour to Argentina
"A Musically Educating Trip of a Lifetime"
 The University of Manitoba Singers of Canada returned in May from their 13 day tour with Classical Movements to Paraguay and Argentina.
One evening in May, the University of Manitoba Singers gave their first concert at the Loma Plata Town Hall in Paraguay. The crowd loved their rendition of Sid Robinovitch's Spanish piece Sensamaya (Chant for Killing a Snake). This piece moved one elderly gentleman to shout out in celebration at the end when the snake finally died. "Excited at the prospect of singing for nearly the whole colony of Loma Plata, we sang our hearts out to a welcoming audience of about 500 people", says second year voice student Nicole Kirton. The choir gave their second concert in Asuncion. This concert was well received by a large crowd.
Later on in the tour, the University of Manitoba Singers had the honor of participating in a workshop with Dr. Oscar Escalada, the renowned composer from Argentina. The choir learned a great deal from Dr. Escalada about the history of Argentinean music and the tango. He taught techniques on how to sing the tango and Argentinean rhythms. That evening, the choir sang a joint concert with The University of La Plata Choir in La Plata, Buenos Aires. After the concert, the choir was presented with a beautiful silver plate and a book about the history of La Plata.
During the tour, the choir sang for a girls' school in Buenos Aires. The girls attending the school were between first and sixth grade, and most came from underprivileged families. At the end of the concert, the singers were all bombarded by the young girls, who wanted autographs from every member of the choir.
One concert in the Buenos Aires portion of the tour was at the Metropolitan Cathedral, the most important Catholic cathedral in Argentina. Here they sang their sacred repertoire for an appreciative audience in one of the most glorious cathedrals in the world. Their final concert, which directly followed this one, took place at the Isaac Fernandez Blanco Museum, where the crowd greatly enjoyed their pieces.
"From billeting and concert-giving in the Loma Plata Mennonite colony in Paraguay to singing with the La Plata University Choir in La Plata, Buenos Aires, this was a trip that we will forever remember as the trip of a lifetime- one that greatly expanded our musical education and experiences."
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