COLUMN: Carillon Flashback June 8, 1967 – Treble Teens to compete in Canadian Centenary Festival

Twenty-six Steinbach girls, with voices like angels, have sung their way to centre stage of the most prestigious musical festival in Canada. The Treble Teens topped a field of nine junior choirs at the Manitoba Centenary Festival in Brandon and are now the province’s official representative for the Canadian Centenary Festival in Halifax.

The Mennonite Children’s Choir came a close second to the Steinbach choir in the junior category, while The Ukrainian Federation Choir from Winnipeg was named the best Manitoba senior choir.

The Treble Teens topped the senior choir in the marks they received, and on the basis of this, were selected as Manitoba’s top-ranking choir to compete in the national festival.

Earlier this year, the Treble Teens received an offer to go to Expo in Montreal and efforts are being made to co-ordinate an appearance there on the return trip from Halifax.

The Treble Teens will receive $1,000 from the Manitoba Centennial Corporation for this Expo trip and with the all-expense paid trip to Halifax, finances are looking brighter than they did at the first offer to go to Montreal.

Any financial backing the Treble Teens receive from the community will go towards buying blazers with a Steinbach crest for the girls. Rather than going by bus as they had previously planned, the Treble Teens will travel by air to Halifax.

Following the event in Halifax, concerts on the way home will include four appearances at Expo, a performance on Parliament Hill and one at Peoples’ Church in Toronto.

Seven concerts in all have been arranged, and according to Treble Teens director Shirley Penner, it is hoped all will coincide with the July trip.

Mrs. Penner, who organized the Treble Teens in 1963, received her music education at Moody and Trinity Colleges. She also has earned Canadian standing as an associate of the Royal Conservatory singing and voice instructor.

Gilbert Penner is the manager of the Treble Teens and is assisted by Ernie Dyck and Art Reimer.

The Canadian Centenary Festival in the Maritimes will feature 2,500 vocalists and instrumentalists from across Canada.

The Treble Teens choir is made up of girls ranging from 15 to 20, under the direction of Mrs. Penner, assisted by Johanna Dyck and pianist Faith Reimer.