The voices of angels

Talk about it

Dickinson’s Cantabile, a Central Dakota Children’s Choir, will showcase its talent with a Christmas concert titled “Angels Sing” on Saturday.

The performance is 7:30 p.m. in Dickinson High School auditorium, under the direction of Maralee Sickler.

“We’re here to promote the choral arts and give kids and opportunity to express themselves through song,” Sickler said.

The choir consists of 33 students in grades four, five and six who auditioned for inclusion in the choir.

The concert will include a mixture of traditional Christmas music, as well as lesser-known holiday music.

Cantus, CDCC’s high school mixed choir from Bismarck-Mandan, also will perform at the concert under the direction of Mike Siel.

Cantabile and Cantus will perform several songs separately and combine together for “Do You Hear What I Hear” as a finale, CDCC Executive Director Karen Traeholt said.

“We’re trying to make sure that at every concert, we bring a Bismarck choir, and then we bring the Dickinson choir to our spring concert,” she said. “Cantabile is such a vital, integral part of the CDCC — it’s what we’re all about.”

Organized in 1998, CDCC has grown from one choir to six choirs and a pre-choir with 350 children in grades two to 12 from 47 schools throughout central and western North Dakota.

“It’s an opportunity for children in the area to combine in one choir,” Traeholt said. “Instead of schools in a competitive-type situation, they are working together.”

Sickler has been rehearsing with the choir throughout the fall.

“The level of music is more difficult than what you see in the classroom — it gives them a challenge as well,” she said. “We help their voices to grow and develop and help them develop into musicians.”

Sickler appreciates the support provided by the CDCC staff and directors.

“We sing with them a few times throughout the year,” she added. “The kids are getting a large choir experience, which is something they can’t experience in the classroom. They hear upper-level groups and can see the progression.”

Students may still join the choir by calling the CDCC office at 701-258-6516 to arrange for an audition.

“It’s not too late — we always welcome kids even after Christmas to finish out the year,” Sickler said.

She encourages the public to support the students by attending the concert.

“It will help everyone get into the Christmas spirit,” she said.

Tickets are $8 for adults and $5 for students and seniors. Children ages 5 and younger are free.

Tags: lifestyle, dickinson, local, choir