Glee fans, mark Dec. 16 on your calendars.
On that date, Calgary vocal ensemble Oncue will perform at the TransCanada Theatre.
The group, which is an adult division of the Youth Singers of Calgary, is semi-professional.
“We represent the top notch of choral singing,” said David Morton, director of Oncue.
“We focus largely on a cappella singing, although we are not exclusively a cappella.”
The group hopes to bring a fun and entertaining musical experience to Olds audience members.
“We will sing a mix of Christmas and non-Christmas songs,” said Morton.
“I know the concert will be right in the heart of Christmas season.”
The group does mostly contemporary a cappella songs.
“We really pride ourselves on bringing a pop-oriented sound,” said Morton.
“That used to be a very difficult thing to explain but most people now have seen Glee.”
Most of the Oncue singers have a lifelong commitment to singing.
“To get into Oncue, you have to audition. The demands are quite high,” explained Morton.
“Everyone has to demonstrate certain levels of music ability and performance ability.”
Morton himself has been involved with the Youth Singers of Calgary since he was 16. He is now 39 years old.
There are 10 singers in Oncue, ranging in age from early 20s to late 30s.
“As a semi-professional endeavour, everyone else has something else that they do,” said Morton.
“We have doctors and teachers.”
While vocal ensembles have grown in popularity recently because of Glee, the group has never been at loss for numbers.
“There has been a steady interest in Oncue, because Oncue represents the thing to aspire to within our organization,” said Morton.
Tickets are on sale on the Olds Kiwanis website or at the door of the theatre on the day of the concert. The show starts at 7:30 p.m.
