Songbirds Unite! Newman Sounds Glee Club reborn after hiatus
New Music Director promises fun, collaborative atmosphere as rehearsals begin
By Paul Sinkewicz
The hallways of St. Thomas More College will once again echo with voices raised in song every Thursday evening.
The Newman Sounds Glee Club is returning after a forced absence of two years due to the pandemic.
Liz Whitbread is the new Music Director of the club, bringing with her extensive personal experience in church choir and community musical theatre. A relocated Winnipegger, she has a degree in drama from the University of Winnipeg.
Whitbread has connections to STM through her partner Kathleen Maclean, whose sister and grandmother took part in the glee club while in school.
She is determined to make the club a fun, stress-free experience.
“It will be ‘Hey, drop in and sing, and if you like it, stay,’” she said. “If we get consistent people coming back week-to-week, we’ll start learning some songs. I think it’s going to be pretty casual.”
Whitbread hasn’t programmed music for a concert, yet, but has flagged some potential pieces.
“I’d really like to talk to the folks who show up and see what they are interested in,” she said.
Whitbread, all of 30, is excited to hear what the younger ‘kids’ are listening to these days. New influences are always welcome, she says.
Above all, she stresses it is not important to think you have to sound perfect and can’t mess up.
“Let’s all have a good time and learn a song together.”
Rehearsals go each Thursday, excluding Feb. 23, and begin Thursday, Jan. 19 and run from 7-10 pm in the Fr. O’Donnell Auditorium.
For more information, or to express interest, please contact Music Director Liz Whitbread at newmansounds@stmcollege.ca
The Newman Sounds Glee Club is also looking for one or more accompanists to work with the Newman Sounds Glee Club. These could be USask students or not. They just need to be able to play musical theatre/pop/jazz on the piano. It is a volunteer position that comes with an honorarium that ranges depending on how much of the accompaniment they do.
Check out the club’s website at: https://www.facebook.com/NewmanSounds/