SUBMITTED PHOTO About 75 people from the Selah Singers Choir sing outside the home of their former conductor, Ralph Browne, who is battling cancer.
gslade@medicinehatnews.com@MHNGillianSlade
A year ago the Selah Singers choir was still performing under the direction of conductor Ralph Browne, but on Wednesday night they were performing for him outside his home.
About 75 Selah Singers stood outside his home and sang to Browne, who is battling cancer after 30 years of teaching music and being involved in various music groups in the community.
Frances Barnes is one of the Selah Singers.
“Ralph was a wonderful director who’s mantra was, ‘It must be a pleasure not a pressure.’ I learned many things about singing and passion, always in a fun, non-threatening environment,” said Barnes.
She says part of her Christmas tradition had always been attending the Selah Singers concert and she’d dreamed of being part of the choir and then it happened.
“We were a family and Ralph was our fearless leader. I am blessed to have been a part of this choir and will think of my time as a Selah Singer whenever I sing a Christmas song,” said Barnes.
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Last summer Browne spoke to the News about being diagnosed with cancer.
“We had an amazing Christmas show this past year with the Selah Singers but I started to feel very weak afterwards – we eventually found out that I have cancer,” Browne said last June. “I had to start treatment right away and that has stopped me from doing a lot of the things I normally do.”
Browne said he wanted his students to go on and embrace their new teachers because he did not know what the future held for him.
“Music is something that has always pursued me,” said Browne. “It wasn’t something I had to do but no matter where I went it was always what I ended up doing – it eventually became the main thing. It really brings me joy.”
In November 2018 the Selah Singers had celebrated 15 years of performing.
“This year we’re celebrating 15 years as a group and we have people as young as 13 in the choir and people in their 20s, 30s and a couple people well into their 80s,” said Browne a year ago.
“It’s really a multi-generational choir and there’s over 100 singers this year.”
