A student-driven initiative to dedicate a performance at Carnegie Hall in New York after their fellow peer Joshua Ché Ablack passed away this year, is coming to fruition this Sunday.
Students from the Guelph CVI chamber choir were given the opportunity by Kim Omelchenko, conductor of the Wilfred Laurier University Symphony Orchestra, to sing alongside her orchestra on Perelman Stage in Stern Auditorium at Carnegie Hall.
Omelchenko went down a YouTube rabbit hole and came across a video of the chamber choir performing and loved the choir.
When she offered the choir to sing with the orchestra, Lane Osborne, choir director at GCVI for the last 10 years, couldn’t say no.
It’s been 14 months since the offer and many months in the making of practice but this weekend they get to show off their chops.
The choir and orchestra will perform Dreamweaver by Norwegian composer Ola Gjeilo. Along with two other choirs from the United States.
The performance is part of the New England Symphonic Ensemble presented by MidAmerica Productions, an independent producer of choral concerts at Carnegie Hall.
MidAmerica Productions is expecting a full house for the performance, with 85 per cent of the capacity already filled from the 2,100 allocated seats in the auditorium, said Andrea Niederman, director of public relations for MidAmerica Productions.
This isn’t the only opportunity the choir has come across. Canadian musician Emm Gryner invited the choir to join her and members of David Bowie’s former band to sing Life on Mars? at City Winery in New York on Friday.
“Honestly, I'm really lucky to work with kids who are so devoted to becoming the best musicians that they can be. And I think that when they've worked as hard as they have all year towards the goal of performing at Carnegie Hall, as we get closer and closer to the date the excitement is off the charts,” said Osborne.
Musicians like Jay-Z, Led Zeppelin and Duke Ellington have played at Carnegie Hall, said Osborne. “Everybody who has made a really, really successful career in every genre of music has played there, which is really neat for the kids too.”
Osborne played a prank on the students last year when she gave them the news. She told them they were going to be singing a jingle for African Lion Safari.
Many of the students didn’t know what Carnegie Hall was and after looking it up on the internet they realized what a big deal it is.
“It's a once in a lifetime opportunity that we've been given. And the idea of it definitely makes me very nervous,” said Lucy Gouthro, Grade 11 student and soprano in the choir.
Out of the 53 students in the GCVI chamber choir going to New York for this performance, one will be missing.
Joshua was supposed to go on the trip so his peers thought the best way to pay tribute to him was to dedicate the performance to him. When they brought the idea up to their choir director her eyes welled up.
Immediately she asked Omelchenko if this is something they could ask Carenegie Hall to do. They were more than happy to dedicate the performance to Joshua and his name will be on the playbill, said Osborne.
“I mean, it was very difficult losing Josh. It's only been a couple months, but the students are very empathetic,” said Osborne.
He passed away unexpectedly on Mar. 19, 2023.
Osborne described Joshua as a fantastic, motivated student with high grades and a joy to teach. After he passed away students shared with her that Joshua taught them the repertoire of music they were learning. He learned the music inside out and guided his fellow choir members through the music.
“We never want to make students feel sad, but I feel like they also have dealt so well with this and have been so supportive,” said Osborne.
“It's not surprising to me that they will probably sing better than they ever have on the Carnegie Hall stage, because they know that this is dedicated to him.”
Joshua's mother, Michelle Sammy-Ablack, shared her memories about her son with GuelphToday through email.
His love for music started before he was born. “He would poke and protrude in different directions stretching my womb in excitement at the sound of his dad singing to him,” said Sammy-Ablack.
“Joshua resolutely believed in being true to himself and had a rare confidence I wish I had,” she said.
He cared, helped, encouraged and stood up for people.
“He was extremely creative and innovative, immensely talented. Joshua always set his sights high and his greatest competition was himself,” Sammy-Ablack said.
Joshua was ecstatic to go on the trip to New York and perform. “In fact, one morning he's getting ready for school sitting on the steps doing up his laces for his Converse, and I just heard him saying to himself, ‘Caaaarrrrr-nnnnneee-gggiiiieeee,’” his mother said.
Sammy-Ablack knows the choir is going to give a performance of a lifetime. The performance will be emblematic, she said.
She is honoured by the dedication and it is a way for his memory to be held in their hearts.
Before his passing Joshua's family was going to go to New York to support him, but after he passed they cancelled their tickets thinking it would be too difficult to watch the choir knowing he was supposed to be up there singing with them.
June 6 would have been Joshua's 15th birthday. To commemorate him there was a balloon release. After Osborne shared with Sammy-Ablack that it feels like Joshua is still part of their performance she rebooked the trip.
She felt she needed to go for Joshua, his honour and his friends who are paying tribute to him.
The performance date falls on a Sunday, three months to the day that Joshua passed away. It also lands on Father’s Day.
“Josh was a very important member of our choir,” said Gouthro.
He was excited to go on the trip and now that he doesn’t have the chance anymore, it’s very upsetting, she said.
Joshua was also known for his sense of style. He would walk into the music room wearing black head to toe.
His best friend, Michael Weinstangel, is in Grade 10 and sings bass in the choir. He will be holding a black flag in honour of Joshua while the choir takes a boat ride near the Statue of Liberty after Sunday’s performance.
Weinstangel still puts out a chair at choir practice for Joshua.
“When we rehearse, I hear his voice in my head also performing with us. So when we get up onto the stage, I will feel his presence and know that he's there,” said Weinstangel.
“We just got to do this for him. Honestly, all the hard work and dedication we’ve put into it is for him,” said Gouthro.
“We know Joshua will be singing with them at Carnegie Hall and always,” his mother said.
