Highest choral honours go to five Manitoba choral community members
Manitoba Choral Association (MCA) has selected five recipients for our 2024 Awards of Distinction, the highest honour for the province’s choral community. This year's recipients include Dorothy Dyck, Henry Engbrecht, Vic Pankratz, NOVOS – Clint McLachlan (Artistic Director), and Kendra Obach.
The Awards of Distinction were established in 2020 to honour individuals, choirs, institutions, corporations, and programs in recognition of their valuable contributions to the choral community of Manitoba. The awards fall into three categories: the MCA Award for Artistic Excellence, recognizing outstanding artistic achievement, innovation, and significant leadership in choral music; the MCA New Voice Award, recognizing emerging artists who inspire new projects, ideas, or display artistic potential in choral music; and the MCA Spirit Award, recognizing contributions such as outreach, service, education, diversity, sponsorship, or other significant advocacy work to the choral arts.
This year, the MCA Award for Artistic Excellence has been awarded to three individuals for their outstanding artistic work in the choral arts in Manitoba and beyond: Dorothy Dyck (Winnipeg), Henry Engbrecht (Winnipeg), and Vic Pankratz (Winnipeg).
Dorothy Dyck
Dorothy Dyck was born and raised on a farm in western Manitoba near Oak Lake, and her earliest memories revolve around singing with her parents and six siblings. Dorothy studied Education and Music at the University of Manitoba, and from 1997-2024 devoted her expertise and energy to developing the Maples Collegiate Choral Program in northwest Winnipeg. Beginning with one Concert Choir and one Vocal Jazz Choir, the school now has seven choral ensembles.
The Maples Collegiate Choirs collected a long list of accolades in Dorothy’s time working with them. The Chamber Choir and Senior Vocal Jazz group “Maple Sugar” were frequent performers festivals and received numerous MusicFest Canada recommendations since their beginnings in 1997. The Chamber Choir and Senior Choir were the recipients of multiple trophies and awards for consistent outstanding performances during Dorothy’s tenure.
In 2019 Dorothy received the Michael J. Proudfoot Award, presented to a conductor exemplifying a passion for and excellence in the choral field.
During her time teaching choir, Dorothy has worked to bring her energy and passion for singing to the classroom and has worked equally hard to develop a music curriculum that includes so much more than “just singing.” It has consciously included the involvement of critical thinking, discussion and presentation, learning about history and diversity, geography, ethnomusicology, math, poetry study, language and much more. Dorothy and her colleague Philip Lapatha (2011-2024) are proud to say that the Maples Choirs over the years have sung in 36 different languages.
Professionally, beyond teaching, Dorothy has directed Central Manitoba Youth Choir, Eastern Manitoba Youth Choir and Westman Youth Choir, Provincial Honour Choir Vocal Jazz (now MB Sings), worked as a choral and vocal jazz adjudicator/clinician across Western Canada, and served as co-chair of Manitoba Choral Association's ChoralFest committee from 2014-2017.
Dorothy is grateful for all the collaboration, support, and experience she has gained from choral colleagues and through working with choirs in our Singing Province and across Canada.
She currently co-directs SonoLux, a vibrant Winnipeg Community Choir and loves the energy and dedication in this wonderful group of singers. She also sings in a 6-member a cappella vocal jazz/pop group, “Due North Voices.”
Recently retired from teaching, Dorothy is looking forward to working with choirs in other capacities including as a clinician and adjudicator, maintaining her hobbies, and doing some travelling.
Henry Engbrecht
When Canzona, a baroque vocal ensemble conducted by Henry Engbrecht for 25 years, nominated him for the Winnipeg Arts Council’s 2013 Making a Difference Award, they declared, “No other single person has made such an enormous impact on choral music in Manitoba than Henry Engbrecht. From leading small choirs, training young conductors, leading advanced choral workshops and seminars, to conducting award-winning choirs, Henry has touched the lives of thousands of people in Manitoba and beyond.”
Manitoba Choral Association heartily agreed, and in 1996 we conferred our first Honorary Life Membership upon Henry in appreciation of his contribution to our choral community. Henry’s teaching career moved from high school and college (Mennonite Collegiate Inst., Sturgeon Creek, and CMBC) to the University of Manitoba, where he headed the choral department, directing all choirs. In 2013, he was awarded an honorary doctorate from the U of M’s music faculty. His extensive community work includes collaborations with Manitoba Opera, the WSO, the Royal Winnipeg Ballet, MusicBarok, and the Manitoba Chamber Orchestra, to name a few. Besides founding Canzona, he conducted the Winnipeg Philharmonic Choir for 15 years and the First Mennonite Church Choirs for over 20.
In 1976, Henry noted the need for an organization that would connect Manitoba’s choral communities, and assembled a team titled the Manitoba Choral Directors' Association, serving as its coordinator from 1976-1979. As interest and creation of opportunities broadened and the provision of advisory, support, and educational services developed, the organization changed its name to what it is today: Manitoba Choral Association. Henry was on the scene at the inception of the Manitoba Youth Choir in 1980, conducted by Jon Washburn. The choir was comprised of singers from all areas of the province, honing their choral skills in a one-week summer choir camp, followed by a provincial tour. Eventually this group was replaced by regional choirs in all corners of the province, while in February a weekend-long Provincial Honour Choirs (now MB Sings) provided a stimulating choral experience for hundreds of Manitobans. Ever mindful that choral societies are commonly in need of funding, Henry established the Foundation for Choral Music in Manitoba and its Endowment Fund that provides financial support to choirs and individuals to this day.
Henry Engbrecht’s passion for choral music and his devotion to the singers has been instilled in everyone fortunate enough to have been in one of his choirs. It is small wonder that under Henry’s watch, Manitoba became known as Canada’s “Singing Province”. He remains active as a conductor, advisor, and inspiration to many.
Vic Pankratz
Vic Pankratz's love of singing, conducting and teaching led to a long career at Westgate Mennonite Collegiate, and on stages and concert halls across western Canada. He received his formal training at Canadian Mennonite Bible College, and the University of Manitoba. He also studied opera at the Banff School for Fine Arts. Vic was artistic co-director of the Winnipeg Singers for five seasons with Mel Braun and artistic director of Prairie Voices for five seasons.
He has on numerous occasions conducted the Westman, Eastman and Central Manitoba Youth Choirs, the Manitoba Provincial Senior Honour Choir (now MB Sings) and the Louis Riel Senior Divisional Choir. He currently works with Dead of Winter as a member of the artistic team, leading and directing the Winter Sings concert. He has enjoyed a wealth of opportunities in music performance. Vic has done solo work with Robert Shaw and the Mennonite Festival Chorus, the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, The Winnipeg Philharmonic Choir, Groundswell, the Winnipeg Bach Festival, the Regina Symphony Orchestra and Philharmonic Choir, Prairie Theatre Exchange, Pro Coro of Edmonton, and The Winnipeg Singers. He appeared in productions with the Manitoba Opera Association, Dry Cold Productions, the Edmonton Fringe Festival and The Royal Winnipeg Ballet. Besides a life filled with music making, Vic enjoys riding his bike year-round and hanging out with his grandchildren, family, and friends.
NOVOS Choir – Clint McLachlan, Director
This year’s MCA New Voice Award has been awarded to NOVOS Choir, directed by Clint McLachlan (Brandon).
NOVOS Choir, founded by conductor Clint McLachlan, is based out of Brandon, Manitoba. NOVOS (meaning “new”) is made up of 33 treble voices, with renowned collaborative pianist Danielle Guina. Discovering the sound of NOVOS during their inaugural 2023/24 season was an amazing experience for all involved as they took on choral works new and old and bloomed a new community of outstanding choral musicians.
Clint is the choral teacher at Crocus Plains Regional Secondary School in Brandon, Manitoba where he leads the three choirs. Besides being the conductor and founder of NOVOS Choir, he is also assistant conductor of Konektis choir (Brandon, MB). Clint is a sought-after private voice instructor, music director/vocal coach for musicals, as well as teacher of choral classes with Mecca Productions.
Clint holds a Master of Music (Vocal Performance and Literature) from the University of Western Ontario, a Bachelor of Music (Vocal Performance) from Brandon University, and an Education After Degree from Brandon University.
Apart from sharing his passion for music with his students and choirs, Clint is a versatile Tenor performer of musical theatre, opera, solo works, and choral music. Clint and his beautiful wife Nadine live and teach in Brandon with their two dogs, Penny and Aria.
