Local choir to sing for food security

A local choir will sing for food security in conflict zones later this month.

Eastman Male Choir is participating in the Canadian Foodgrains Bank’s Singin’ In The Grain concerts in Winkler and Winnipeg with Winnipeg’s Faith and Life Male Choir.

“It’s really a very significant event for us. Of course it’s fundraising, but just as much it is awareness raising and it beings together people with different interests especially this year with people who have an interest in music. We have a lot of farmers and agricultural people supporting (us), but this is a way that our choral community is helping,” said Gordon Janzen, regional representative in Manitoba and Northwest Ontario.

The Canadian Foodgrains Bank is an association of 15 national church agencies who work together to address global hunger. There are numerous community groups across Manitoba that support the organization’s work, which has just launched an appeal for Lebanon.

“We don’t’ usually have these appeals on but there’s a big emergency there. (We have) four members working there and we’re raising funds,” said Janzen, noting the money will be distributed to other conflict zones as well. Last year, money raised was sent to South Sudan and Gaza.

All the money raised will be sent to the Mennonite Central Committee which will distribute the funds.

“The 2023 Singin’ In The Grain concerts raised over $21,000 for food relief in East Africa. We are hoping to raise that much and more this year for our food security work in countries that have been affected by conflict,” noted Janzen.

The 28 member Eastman Male Choir has been singing together for more than 30 years in Steinbach. Its members are all ages from the Eastman region who meet twice a month to rehearse and sing in churches in the region.

Eastman got involved with Singin’ In The Grain through the Faith and Life Men’s Choir. Eastman choir director Shannon Sawatzky said it was important to the members of the choir to get involved.

“I think the cause is something that would be very important to the members of our choir and they’re always looking for ways where they can use the gift of music to help others. And I think this cause is important to them to help to feed the hungry.”

Songs that will be sung by the Eastman Male Choir include Shall We Gather At The River, Pressing On The Upwards Way, and The Doxology: Praise God From Whom All Blessings Flow.

“We specifically chose those (songs) so that they would be familiar to the audience, but also some of the songs we’re singing together (with) the Faith and Life Men’s Choir from Winnipeg, so we chose some songs that they are already working on so that we could prepare them together. Our choir is going to perform four (songs) on our own and their choir (will) perform four of their own songs and (then) four (songs) together,” said Sawatzky.

What Sawatzky wants the audience to take away from the concert is a sense of community and the gift of music to come together to help others.

The concert is free but donations are welcome. The first concert will take place on Oct. 26 at 7 p.m. at Emmanuel Mennonite Church in Winkler and the second concert will take place on Oct. 27 at 3 p.m. at Douglas Mennonite Church in Winnipeg.