Arctic Echoes concert to celebrate ‘magic of the north’ in Fort St. John

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — A concert celebrating choral music “inspired by winter landscapes, stillness and the magic of the north” happens this weekend.

Arctic Echoes takes place on Saturday, January 17th at the North Peace Cultural Centre, with performances by the Northern Lights Choral Society (NLCS).

The NLCS is a non-profit society dedicated to promoting the enjoyment of music within the community, according to its website.

It has five groups within the choir, including Nova (kindergarten to grade two); Lumina (grades three to six); Aurora (grades seven to 12); Vespera (ages 19 and up); and Cantus Astra (all-women acapella group).

Rheanna Morris-Richert is the chair for the NLCS, and is also both a director and performer in several acts within the choir. 

Morris-Richert says the group has been preparing for the concert since September, and promises a unique experience for first-time concert-goers.

“I’m hoping that people just experience [this] beautiful music,” said Morris-Richert. “We don’t hear this type of music on the radio. It’s a unique experience to listen to a group of voices all come together and sing.

“I’m hoping that people just have a different experience and see what our community has to offer.”

As the concert name suggests, the inspiration for the concert came from winter-themed songs the NLCS will sing at the concert.

“When we were choosing music, we started choosing some music that had the [winter] theme,” said Morris-Richert. “Tundra is one of our pieces. We have two pieces that are actually called Northern Lights. We have some [songs] about snow. It all just came together around that theme of the Arctic and that beauty and sereneness of the season.”

In an effort to make the concert intimate, local guest instrumentalists will be providing music for numbers, including a pianist, percussionists, violinists, violists and more.

Additionally, local photographer Darcy Shawchek will be providing backdrops of his pictures during the performance.

“He’s photographing the Northern Lights here in our area, as well as doing time-lapse photos of the Northern Lights,” said Morris-Richert. “He has given us his artwork to have on display while we’re singing.

“Behind us, there’s going to be these beautiful local landscapes of the Northern Lights while we’re singing this beautiful Northern-themed music, it’s going to be really great. It’s going to be really special.”

Tickets for Arctic Echoes are on sale now and cost $20. They can be purchased at the North Peace Cultural Centre box office or online at the centre’s website.

The concert happens on Saturday, January 17th, beginning at 6 p.m. Visit the NLCS’s website for more details about the society.