Cafe des Voix will honour the late Lillian Strauss and the music she loved on Friday evening at the Guild Hall.

“Café des Voix has been around since 2016, and since then, one of our most beloved and frequent contributors to our events has been vocalist Lillian Strauss,” organizers said last week.

Strauss passed away unexpectedly last May, and her presence at Café des Voix events will forever be missed, the group said.

On Friday, “many of our singers will join together with members of the community to pay tribute to Lillian through one of the gifts she offered to us … the gift of song.

“Each singer was invited to choose a song from Lillian’s vast repertoire, or a song which speaks to them about who Lillian was in their lives.”

More than 20 singers will take part, including members of Strauss’s family.

“It will be a beautiful evening of music and remembrances,” the organization said.

Accompanists will be Two Piano Tornado, which is Annie Avery and Grant Simpson, both of whom knew Strauss well and performed regularly with her.

There will be a special guest appearance from members of the Whitehorse Drum Circle, led by Lonnie Powell and Dave Haddock.

The drum circle and Café des Voix were both important elements of Strauss’s rich musical life.

The event will include singers Telek Rogan and her daughter Alice, Claire Strauss, Nicole Bauberger, Lorene Charmetant, Dale Cooper and Grant Hartwick, Dave Haddock, Susanne Hingley, Gary Lachance, Coralie Langevin, Jeszika Mae, James McCullough, Krisandra Reid, Brooke Rudolph, Kelly Scott, Kaori Torigai, Caroline Watt and Elaine Schiman.

Tickets are now on sale at https://www.yukontickets.com

Café des Voix features established and developing singers presenting jazz, blues and Broadway tunes, with occasional detours into pop, folk and other genres.

Café des Voix has been featured at various restaurants and bars in Whitehorse, the Guild Hall’s Round Back series, the Globe Theatre in Atlin, Village Bakery in Haines Junction, the Yukon Arts Centre and the Frostbite and Atlin Music Festivals.