The Canadian University Dubai EnSEmble Choir, UAE’s first choir for the determined ones, won the hearts of the audience yet again with outstanding performances at its annual concert in Dubai recently.
The event, backed by the Dubai Chamber Orchestra and Ranches Primary School Choir and Dubai College Chamber Choir, reflected a stride towards integration of the determined children with mainstream students and professional musicians.
Conducted by Rivaan Mager, the Choir aptly began their performance with Rebecca Lawrence’s ‘Power in Me’, a song about encouragement, personal empowerment and being internally resourceful. Accompanied by the Dubai Chamber Orchestra, the choir sang with gusto to wild cheers from the audience.
The choir then rendered ‘Hero’, a Mariah Carey hit, conveying an inspirational message that ‘the hero lies in you’ and concluded with the equally fitting song, Stephen Schwartz’s ‘When You Believe’ which contains these inspirational lines: ‘there can be miracles when you believe.’
The 30-odd choir members, with their resplendent smiles and full-throated exuberance, swept the audience off their feet with their soulful performances.
For the grand finale, the Canadian University Dubai EnSEmble Choir teamed up with the Ranches Primary School Choir and the Dubai College Chamber Choir to give a powerful rendition of ‘You Raise Me Up’, followed by ‘I am but a Small Voice’, sung in perfect unison and choral harmony.
The Dubai Chamber Orchestra also performed Mozart’s ‘Eine Kleine Nachtmusik’, under the baton of Jonathan Barrett. Adding further touch of musical excellence to the show were young violinists Shou Ishikawa and Ayami Umezawa, winners of the ‘Which School Advisor Musician of the Year’ contest.
In a welcome address, Dr Rami El Khatib, Associate Professor, Dean of Student Affairs, and Acting Head of the Department of Environmental Health Sciences at Canadian University Dubai, said the Choir reflects Canadian and UAE values as a testament to tolerance, diversity and the unifying power of music. He thanked the Dubai Chamber Orchestra, Emirates Community Symphony Orchestra, Ranches Primary School Choir, Dubai College Chamber Choir, the sponsors and musicians for contributing to the success of the event.
Concert Master Roger Norkie commented: “It was a moving and wonderful experience to play with the Canadian University Dubai EnSEmble Choir and the two other school choirs. They sang with such passion and energy. It was a real privilege to perform with the stars of tomorrow.”
Rivaan Mager, conductor of the Canadian University Dubai EnSEmble Choir, said: “This was our best concert to date. It was a fine example of the results of our hard work over the past three years. Each choir member sang with pride and demonstrated eloquently that music does unite us all, and that physical and mental challenges are no hindrance to enjoying music.”
The Canadian University Dubai EnSEmble Choir has been winning wide acclaim for heart-warming performances across the UAE. Its proudest moments were to perform at the opening ceremony of the Special Olympics World Games in Abu Dhabi in February this year and at the QE2 earlier this month.
The choir was founded three years ago by Canadian University Dubai. Most of the choir members are those with physical and mental disabilities like autism, Down Syndrome and cerebral palsy.
