A chance to conduct a familiar song has brought a 95-year-old Saskatoon woman back to the role she once knew well, creating a moving moment for a local choir and residents of a seniors’ community. June Dyck lives at the Sherbrooke Community Centre, where the Fireside Singers have been holding rehearsals for the past two years. Since the choir began practicing there Dyck has become a regular audience member - and she’s never been content to just listen. “Immediately I started conducting in my lap. I was pleasantly surprised,” Dyck told CTV News. She says she knew the music like the back of her hand. One day choir director Marilyn Whitehead noticed Dyck conducting along from her wheelchair. “I could tell she had lots of musical background and lots of experience with choirs,” Whitehead said. She decided to give Dyck an opportunity to lead the group in a performance of Silent Night. “She just came across the floor and looked at me. And, I thought, ‘What have I done?’” recalled Dyck. And she said “Conduct the next song.” For Dyck, the invitation brought back decades of musical experience conducting church groups. “I had teenage choirs, children and then adult choirs.” Although it had been at least 30 years since she worked as a choir director, Dyck quickly found her rhythm again. “I thought, ‘Oh, gosh. I haven’t done this for so long.’ Well, you start and there’s no stopping,” she said. The moment proved just as meaningful for those watching. One choir helper, Cheryl Kiefer, was the one who initally noticed June’s passion. She says the powerful moment was not lost on any of the choir members, who range froms age three to 55. “There are no real words or description. I was standing up front watching the choir and their expressions and the emotions they all had, because they all understood what was going on,” she said. The partnership has also created opportunities for residents to connect with music and the people who make it. Eric Anderson, a representative of the Sherbrooke Community Centre, said having choir members visit regularly has made a significant difference. “It has just been amazing to have so many choir members come twice a week here to sing, to make friends with our residents,” Anderson said. The music has also drawn in curious residents who hear the singing throughout the hallways. “Literally, they’re hearing something in the building and they’re curious. They might come check it out. And, you know, they come here once and then they’re hooked,” he said. For the Fireside Singers, the arrangement offers more than a place to rehearse at in a time when rehearsal space in Saskatoon is limited. It allows the choir to share their music while building connections and bringing joy to the community. Whitehead hopes other groups will consider similar partnerships, finding ways to share their talents with people who might not otherwise have the opportunity to experience them. The choir is also looking ahead to a busy performance season. The Fireside Singers are preparing for their Christmas Memories show Dec. 19 and 20, followed by Shrek the Musical in March. For Dyck, this curtain call proves her musical passion never lost a beat, and still creates joy in unexpected ways. “I’ve never been applauded in a church when my choir sang. That was a thrill.”
