The audience of over 800 leapt to their feet time after time, to show support for not only the outstanding music, but the cause. It truly was an evening of music, by women, about women, for women!
The four female Amabile choirs: Amabile Da Capo Choir, Junior Amabile Singers, Amabile Youth Singers and Prima: Amabile Women’s Choir, hosted the amazing “A Song For Our Sisters” benefit concert at The Grand Theatre last November and at their Christmas Concert last month the singers were able to present cheques to Plan Canada’s “Because I Am A Girl” initiative, and to Brescia College’s “Girls LEAD” program.
It has been often said that “when you educate a girl, you change her community”. As the Amabile Choirs rehearsed and prepared for “A Song for our Sisters”, the themes of education and community surfacing often – in the music commissioned for the event, the songs choices and the four “Reason To Sing” guest speakers who offered encouragement and motivation to the singers at their rehearsals.
It therefore seemed appropriate that the choir chose to direct concert proceeds plus matching funds, totaling $60 000 to girls’ education initiatives all over the world:
• Bursaries for Brescia “Girls LEAD” allowing 6 girls in financial need to attend Brescia’s excellent summer leadership camp
• Educational scholarships for 100 girls in developing countries
• Literacy training for 230 women in developing countries
• Monthly Food Rations for 600 girls who must regularly attend classes in order to receive their rations, encouraging families to keep sending their daughters to school.
“We are very grateful to celebrities Liona Boyd, first lady of the guitar who also performed, and Marnie McBean, who hosted the evening, for sharing their incredible talents towards this worthwhile cause,” said Lisa McCracken, co-organizer of the event. She continued, “To the “A Song for our Sisters” community of volunteers, “Reason to Sing” motivational speakers, financial sponsors, conductors, musicians, choristers, and organizing committee members, thank you for helping to raise money and awareness for girl issues.”
The incredibly talented girls & women of Amabile, conducted by Brenda Zadorsky, Jackie Norman and Wendy Landon, raised their beautiful voices to create positive change for their sisters in London and around the world.
Their songs truly made a difference.