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Dynamic
Choirs Ontario
September 2015 |Volume 44, Issue 1
Dynamic is published four times
a year by Choirs Ontario. Reproduction or translation of any work
herein without the express permission of Choirs Ontario is unlawful.
Editor, design & layout
Linda T. Cooke
[email protected]
Editorial
Dynamic welcomes your letters,
commentary, photos, audio clips,
video files, and article submissions. send to: [email protected]
Advertising
Info. on advertising contracts, rates & specifications:
416.923.1144 or
[email protected]
Choirs Ontario.
A-1422 Bayview Ave. Toronto M4G 3A7
416.923.1144 or 1.866.935.1144
f: 416.929.0415
[email protected]
Charitable registration:
11906 7536 RR0001
Board of Directors
President
Matthew Otto, Toronto
Past President
Rachel R.-Hoff, St. Catharines
President elect
Elaine Choi, Toronto
Secretary
Melanie Tellez, Hamilton
Treasurer
Liz Araujo, Oshawa
Directors
Carole Anderson, Mississauga
Shana Brown, Sault St. Marie
David Buley, Sudbury
Eli Clarke, Toronto
Linda Cooke, Mississauga
Robert Filion, Ottawa
Gloria Gassi, Komoka
Jackie Hawley, Kanata
Hussein Janmohamed, Toronto
Executive Director
Elizabeth Shannon, Toronto
Choirs Ontario
Editor’s Letter
President’s Message
Meet your new Board of Directors
Renew your Membership
Ruth Watson Henderson Competition Sing Ontario: Register Now
Choral Canada Request
Important Notice
Library News
Support Choirs Ontario
President’s Leadership Award OYC Conductor Nominations Invitation
Concert Listings/Festivals & Events
Job Openings/Singers Wanted 3
4
5
8
8
9
10
10
11
12
12
13
66
68
Features
Ottawa’s Children’s Choir
14
Ontario Youth Choir News
17
Vesnivka Choir
22
Celbrating Life: Janet Heerema
24
Ann Cooper Gay
27
Canadian Children’s Opera Company 29
Cantiamo Girls Choir of Ottawa
31
Composer’s Pen- John Beckwith
32
From the Maestro - Mervin W. Fick
36
Singers Take e - Stéphane Potvin39
Sing ntario
November 14, 2015
Register Now
OYC 2015
Renew Membership
Connect chorally, make life sing!
Upbeat
Amabile Choirs of London
41
Atlantic Voices Ottawa
42
Bach Festival Choir of Canada
43
Bel Canto Chorus
45
Cambridge Kiwanis Boys’ Choir
46
Canadian Children’s Opera Company 47
Cantata Singers of Ottawa
48
Duet Club of Hamilton
49
Guelph Youth Singers
50
Hamilton Children’s Chorus
51
Kingston Chamber Choir
53
MCS Chorus, Mississauga
54
Mississauga Children’s Choir
55
Orillia Vocal Ensemble
56
Penthelia Singers
57
St. Michael’s Choir School
58
Summer Institue of Church Music
59
Tone Cluster60
Toronto Children’s Chorus
61
University of Windsor (SoCA)
63
Univox Choirs Toronto
64
Young Singers
65
2 Dynamic | September 2015| volume 44, issue 1
Celebrating Life
Ann Cooper Gay Retires
Like us on facebook
HOME
From the Editor
T
he summer seemed to fly by, and
here we are at the beginning of a
new and exciting choral season.
I was thrilled with the response to my
‘promote your year’ request earlier in the
summer. Thanks for all your wonderful
submissions describing the concerts,
tours, milestones, and special events
occurring in your 2015-16 season. If I
could ‘bilocate,’ I’d love to attend all of
them. Just watch for me!
Linda Cooke is a professional
graphic designer with
certification from the
International Academy of
Design. For many years she
has done free lance design
work, and she acted as Graphic
Design and Publicity Chair for
the Mississauga Choral Society
for six years. Throughout her
career as a Coronary Care
and ICU registered nurse, she
pursued her love of music and
art, becoming a professionally
trained vocalist and an
accomplished watercolour
artist. She served as soloist
in a prominent church choir
for many years, and has
participated in concert choirs
for most of her adult life.
She has joined the Board of
Choirs Ontario as Media &
Communications Chair.
I like to take this opportunity to introduce
my colleague, Judith Fine, who assists
me in producing Dynamic. She comes
to Choirs Ontario with many years of
experience in educational research and
professional editing.
The theme of this issue is together,
highlighting how choirs can connect
singers with one another and with their
conductor, and invite the audience into
the choral experience. I believe that
forming this very special kind of ‘human
harmony’ is essential to our musicmaking, and also enhances our physical,
emotional, and spiritual well being.
Your articles included wonderful
examples of the benefits of this essential
flow of energy. Jackie Hawley (page 14)
describes the personal and cross-cultural
bonding that enriched the joint musicmaking of the Ottawa Children’s Choir
and the Inusksuk Drum Dancers.
In ‘From the Maestro,’ Artistic
Director Mervin W. Fick talks about
the importance of achieving musical
and human harmony in the choral
experience. Jane Pickett (page 31) notes
that their board is especially effective
because of members’ mutual respect
and support, and their commitment
to “communication, cooperation, and
collaboration.”
Other articles mention a “spirit of
community involvement and support”
and “a choral community founded on
relationship building, social responsibility,
and musical excellence.” The choir
experience is beautifully described as “a
family” in which “you breathe together
to create art.” I could go on and on, but
what’s important is that we continue to
nurture this special kind of bonding that
inspires us and the music we make!
I’d like to highlight a few new features
for Dynamic readers. ‘The Composer’s
Pen’ features Canadian composer John
Beckwith talking about his new work,
Wedake/Huronia, which premièred this
summer. This issue also introduces a
series of articles by Stéphane Potvin,
an expert on training singers. In ‘What
Happened to Vocal Training?’ he
discusses the bel canto technique, why
it fell out of favour, and why it is an
important approach to ensure singers’
vocal health.
A new column, ‘News from the Net,’ will
be introduced in our next issue. It will
connect you with informative articles
on such topics as singing, conducting,
audience development, and fundraising.
I hope you enjoy this issue and please
keep in touch. I’d really appreciate
your feedback and suggestions -- and
remember that November 2 is the
deadline for the December issue of
Dynamic.
Linda
Linda Cooke
Editor
an Ontario government agency
un organisme du gouvernement de l’Ontario
HOME
President’s Message
Matthew Otto is a passionate
and innovative conductor,
adjudicator and pedagogue,
establishing himself as
a leading voice in the
Canadian choral scene.
Twice-recipient of the Elmer
Iseler Fellowship in Choral
Conducting, and finalist in
both the Leslie Bell Prize for
Choral Conducting and Sir
Ernest MacMillan Foundation
Fellowship Award, Matthew
holds a Bachelor of Music
and a Master of Music
in Conducting from the
University of Toronto.
Matthew is founder/
conductor of Incontra Vocal
Ensemble, a professional
level choir based in Toronto,
serves as Choir Director &
Organist at Christ Church
Deer Park and conducts
the award-winning Toronto
Children’s Chorus. He
has served as Associate
Conductor of Toronto
Mendelssohn Choir, and
has led a number of church
and community choirs. His
current research focuses on
cultural identity as seen in
the choral music of Canada
in the twentieth and twentyfirst centuries.
At Choirs Ontario, we are bound
together by our passion for the choral
art-form, no matter where we sing in
this great province. While we may be
unaware of it, we are connected with
other like-minded choral artists of all
levels, ages, and backgrounds. This
communal act of singing enables us to
create a collective identity, history, and
culture rooted in our commitment to
the art-form.
If you live in these areas or in the
surrounding regions, grab your choir
and go!
I am thrilled to be sharing my
passion, energy, and leadership as
the new President of Choirs Ontario! I
strongly believe in this organization’s
ability to connect and advocate for
its membership, and I am firmly
committed to enhancing its outreach
to the broader choral community.
In addition to these great initiatives,
we continue to celebrate the
achievements of choral music in our
province through several awards. We
are pleased to call for submissions
for the Ruth Watson Henderson
Choral Composition Competition. The
winning entry will receive a premiere
performance with the Elmer Iseler
Singers.
Currently, we have a fantastic Board
of Directors helping to steer this
ship. Each person brings a wealth of
experience, collaborative energy, and
profound respect for choral singing.
This season we welcome a number
of new board members – I would
encourage you to read up on them. We
also welcome our new President-Elect,
Elaine Choi. Elaine has vast experience
as a conductor and educator. I would
also like to take this opportunity
to thank Past President, Dr. Rachel
Rensink-Hoff, for her immense
dedication and contribution to this
organization during her presidency.
With Rachel at the helm, Choirs
Ontario has steadily built momentum,
continuously reaching new stages of
growth.
We have an exciting few months ahead.
On September 26th Choirs Ontario will
be “on the road,” presenting choral
workshops for singers and conductors
in Ottawa, Hamilton, and Sudbury.
In November, we present SingOntario,
our premiere choral event, featuring
choir performances, open clinics, and
workshops with some of Canada’s
finest choral leaders. If you’re in
the GTA, mark the date – Saturday,
November 14. Register today!
Looking ahead, we have established
a partnership with Chorus America
to present their Chorus Management
Institute in Toronto in the late
summer of 2016. This will be a unique
opportunity to enlarge our network
and work together with such a thriving
organization. In the upcoming months,
we also look forward to deepening our
collaboration with the provincial choral
federations, Choral Canada, and more.
This is an exciting time to be a member
of Choirs Ontario! Don’t forget to
renew your individual membership and
please be in touch with us. We always
welcome your feedback.
On behalf of the board of Choirs
Ontario, I wish you all the best as you
embark on a new season!
Chorally yours,
Matthew Otto
President
HOME
Meet your new Board of Directors for 2015-16
Matthew Otto, Toronto, President, is a passionate and innovative conductor,
adjudicator and pedagogue, establishing himself as a leading voice in the Canadian
choral scene. Twice-recipient of the Elmer Iseler Fellowship in Choral Conducting, and
finalist in both the Leslie Bell Prize for Choral Conducting and Sir Ernest MacMillan
Foundation Fellowship Award, Matthew holds a Bachelor of Music and a Master of Music
in Conducting from the University of Toronto. Matthew is founder/conductor of Incontra
Vocal Ensemble, a professional level choir based in Toronto, serves as Choir Director &
Organist at Christ Church Deer Park and conducts the award-winning Toronto Children’s
Chorus. He has served as Associate Conductor of Toronto Mendelssohn Choir, and has
led a number of church and community choirs. His current research focuses on cultural
identity as seen in the choral music of Canada in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries.
Rachel Rensink-Hoff, St. Catherines, Past President, directs the choral program at
McMaster University and also teaches courses in conducting, vocal-choral pedagogy and
music education. She is the 2014 winner of the Leslie Bell Prize for Choral Conducting
awarded by the Ontario Arts Council, and in 2015 her Women’s Choir was awarded first
prize in the National Canadian Choral Competition for Amateur Choirs of the CBC and
Choral Canada. Rachel is Past-President of Choirs Ontario and presently serves as VicePresident of Programmes for Choral Canada.
Elaine Choi, Toronto, President Elect, contributes to Toronto’s vibrant choral
community as a conductor, educator, and accompanist. She holds advanced degrees and
qualifications in music education, choral conducting, and piano performance. Elaine is a
three time recipient of the Elmer Iseler Fellowship in Choral Conducting, and a finalist in
the 2012 Sir Ernest MacMillan Foundation Fellowship Award in Choral Conducting. She is
currently the Director of Music at Timothy Eaton Memorial Church, and also works as a
faculty member at the National Music Camp and as a guest coach at The York School and
Rosedale Heights School of the Arts.
Melanie Tellez, Hamilton, Secretary, brings an active, energized approach to
choral leadership. An experienced conductor, clinician, and pedagogue, Melanie holds
a Master of Music degree in Choral Conducting from the University of Alberta. She is
the Assistant Artistic Director of the Hamilton Children’s Choir, and directs the Early
Education Music Programme at Hillfield Strathallan College. A finalist in the 2012 Sir
Ernest MacMillan Foundation Award in Choral Conducting and the 2015 Leslie Bell Prize
in Choral Conducting, Melanie is an emerging leader in Canada’s choral community.
HOME
Liz Araujo (CPA, CGA), Oshawa, Treasurer, is experienced in public sector
finance, budgeting, strategic planning, process improvement, and financial system
implementation. She is currently the Treasurer/Manager of Accounting and Budgets at
the Town of Whitchurch-Stouffville, and has held the position of treasurer in various
not-for-profit social service, sports, and arts organizations during her career. Although
educated as an accountant, Liz has been involved in music for many years, starting as
a church organist at age 13. Liz sings with the County Town Singers and is also their
assistant director. She is also a member of the Durham Philharmonic Choir. Carole Anderson, Mississauga, Ontario Youth Choir Chair, received her
Bachelor of Music from the University of Western Ontario. During her 35-year teaching
career, Carole taught music at all grade levels and was a music consultant in both Brant
and Peel District School Boards. In 2012 the Ontario Music Educators’ Association
presented her with an Honorary Life Membership, and in 2013, she was invited to join
the Board of Directors for Choirs Ontario, with responsibility for the Ontario Youth Choir.
Carole has also served as a choral adjudicator in Manitoba and Ontario, and is currently
Associate Conductor with the Toronto Children’s Chorus.
Shana Brown, Sault Ste. Marie, Regional Chair North is a recent gradu-
ate of the Don Wright Faculty of Music, Western University, holding a Master of Music
in Voice Performance and Literature, a Bachelor of Music with Honours in Education
(Piano), and a Bachelor of Education, Althouse College. She also holds an ARCT both
in Piano and Voice. Ms. Brown recently began her career as a secondary school music
educator in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. With her extensive musical background in piano,
voice, choral and opera, she brings a wealth of experience to her new position, where
she is developing a successful music program.
David Buely, Sudbury, Regional Chair North Central, is Associate Professor
of Music Education in the Concurrent School of Education at Laurentian University in
Sudbury. He is the founding director of the Young Sudbury Singers, an all city choir for
ages 7-17, and Octatonic Decadence, an a cappella group dedicated to presenting high
quality choral music. A practitioner of Jaques-Dalcroze Eurhythmics, Dr. Buley offers
workshops in music education, choral music and vocal technique, as well the worship
arts. He loves making music and spends quite a bit of time singing outdoors with the
largest choir on earth.
Eli Clarke, Toronto, Development Chair holds a Master of Music degree in
Performance from the University of Victoria. As Development Manager at Toronto
Summer Music, he is responsible for maintaining and developing Toronto Summer
Music’s individual giving, major gifts, and corporate sponsorship. He was instrumental
in Toronto Summer Music’s receiving the Mo Davies Small Organization for Excellence
in Fundraising Award from the Association of Fundraising Professionals, the first arts
organization to do so. Eli is also a sought-after tuba player who has performed across
North America. He is Principal Tuba of the Stratford Symphony Orchestra and a founding
member of Band Bajha Brass, North America’s first Bollywood Brass Band. 6 Dynamic | September 2015| volume 44, issue 1
HOME
Linda Terrence Cooke, Mississauga, Media & Communications Chair,
is a professional graphic designer with certification from the International Academy of
Design. For many years she has done free lance design work, and she acted as Graphic
Design and Publicity Chair for the Mississauga Choral Society for six years. Throughout
her career as a Coronary Care and ICU registered nurse, she pursued her love of music
and art, becoming a professionally trained vocalist and an accomplished watercolour
artist. She served as soloist in a prominent church choir for many years, and has
participated in concert choirs for most of her adult life.
Robert Fillion, Ottawa, Awards & Competitions Chair: Au rythme des
années, Robert Filion cultive l’excellence du chant choral. Franco-Ontarien d’origine, il
dirige des chœurs depuis plus de vingt ans les Ensembles vocaux De La Salle qui ont été
sacrés Champion national à quatre reprises. Depuis 2011, il est le directeur artistique
du festival Unisong au Centre national des Arts. M. Filion a été le chef invité des Chœurs
de jeunes au Nouveau-Brunswick et en Alberta. Il travaille en étroite collaboration
avec l’Orchestre du Centre national des Arts. M Filion est fier récipiendaire du Prix du
Premier ministre pour l’excellence dans l’enseignement au Canada.
Gloria Gassi, Komoka, Regional Chair Southwest, lyric soprano, has
been described as “vocally outstanding, with an empathy for the spirit of the song”
Handel’s Messiah (LFP). She holds a Master of Music with Honours, Voice Performance
and Literature UWO, a Licentiate and Associateship Voice Performance, Gold Medal,
and ARCT Piano. In addition to opera and oratorio performances, Ms. Gassi sang with
the acclaimed Elmer Iseler Singers. A dedicated teacher, her graduates are successful
educators and performers. Presently, Ms. Gassi teaches Voice and Choir at the Don
Wright Faculty of Music. She is a recipient of the Western University Award for
Excellence in Teaching.
Jackie Hawley, Kanata, Regional Chair East is the founding Artistic
Director of the Cantiamo Girls Choir of Ottawa and former Artistic Director of the
Ottawa Children’s Choir (2008 – 2015). Ms. Hawley has conducted and toured
internationally with adult, youth, and children’s choirs and has been a clinician for
choirs and schools throughout Ontario for more than 25 years. Ms. Hawley has
presented at numerous events and festivals and works frequently with the Education
Department of the National Arts Centre. She was also a teacher with the Ottawa
Carleton District School Board, and continues to give music leadership workshops to
Board staff.
Hussein Janmohamed, Toronto, Regional Chair South Central, is
a Toronto based choral artist, composer, and educator. By partnering with choral
professionals, educators, and cultural organizations he facilitates choral music
experiences with culturally diverse youth so they can negotiate identity, make
connections, and feel a sense of belonging. Hussein sings with the Elmer Iseler Singers
as the James T. Chestnutt Choral Scholar, and he is a PhD student in Music Education at
the University of Toronto. He is the first recipient of the BC Choral Federation Malcolm
McDonald Youth Achievement Award for his musical leadership.
HOME
Time to renew your Membership!
Membership for individual members expires soon. Please renew today and enjoy the benefits of membership
while providing crucial support for Choirs Ontario and the programs, resources and opportunities that we offer.
As a Choirs Ontario member, you are helping to nurture and encourage choristers, conductors and educators
through our vital programs, including the Ontario Youth Choir, Choirs Ontario on the Road, Sing Ontario!,
the Conductor Training Programs, and the Ruth Watson Henderson Choral Composition Competition. Your
membership helps us to do all of this!
As a Choirs Ontario member, you receive:
· A charitable donation tax receipt for the full amount of your membership fee
· Single copy borrowing privileges from our extensive choral library
· Access to the Member’s Only section of the Choirs Ontario website featuring the “How To” Series for
choral administrators
· Submission privileges to our popular newsletter, Dynamic
· Free postings of your concert listings / special events, singers wanted, available for hire & job postings
· The chance to connect with and contribute to Ontario’s vibrant choral community
As a member of Choirs Ontario, you are an integral part of our choral community. Please renew online today at
choirsontario.org/becomeamember.html Thank you!
Call for Submissions
Ruth Watson Henderson Choral Composition Competition
C
hoirs Ontario is pleased to announce the 2015 Ruth
Watson Henderson Choral Composition Competition. The
competition exists to provide Canadian composers with
an opportunity to contribute to Canada’s rich choral tradition.
The winning entry will receive a premiere performance with
the Elmer Isler Singers, conducted by Lydia Adams in the spring
of 2016, and a cash award of $1,000.
For information on Composition Guidelines, Submission
Requirements and Eligibility please visit:
www.choirsontario.org/ruthwatsonhenderson.html
HOME
w
o
n
r
e
t
egis
R
Sing ntario
Saturday, November 14, 2015
Ontario's premiere choral event, featuring choir performances,
open clinics, and workshops with some of Canada's ﬁnest choral leaders!
• OBSERVE guest adjudicators in open clinics
• HEAR participating choirs in concert
• LEARN effective strategies, tips, and tools for conducting and singing
CLINICIANS
Karen Burke!
Lori-Anne Dolloff!
Jennifer Moir!
Jennifer Swan!
Gerard Yun! !
ADJUDICATORS
VENUES
Choral Gospel Music
Inuit Vocal Music
Vocal Production for Choristers
Bodyworks for Singers
Choral Improvisation
Christ Church Deer Park
1570 Yonge Street, Toronto
Calvin Presbyterian Church
26 Delisle Street, Toronto
Come as a choir or come solo!
Lydia Adams
Zimﬁra Poloz
Mark Vuorinen
For more information:
.org
IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII
ADVERTISE IN DYNAMIC!
Our popular choral newsletter, Dynamic,
is now available on the Choirs Ontario
website, reaching readers in the furthest
corners of our province, as well as across
Canada.
36th Annual
National Conductors’
Symposium
JANUARY 18–23, 2016
VANCOUVER, BC
An intensive workshop with Master Conductor Jon Washburn and
Canada’s premiere choral ensemble, the Vancouver Chamber Choir.
The Vancouver Chamber Choir’s 36th Annual National Conductors’
Symposium is an opportunity to take part in master-classes as a
conductor or observer. Learn choral techniques, conducting gesture,
score interpretation and more. Each conductor will conduct before
an audience, as part of the Choir’s regular concert season.
For information and an application form:
[email protected]
www.vancouverchamberchoir.com
Application deadline: November 6, 2015
Dynamic offers advertising opportunities
to all our members and to the wider
community. If you would like to
purchase an ad spot, click here for
pricing information and contact us at
[email protected]. We are pleased
to offer a 15% discount for ads that run in
four issues of Dynamic per year.
Connect chorally. Make life sing!
HOME
Request from Choral Canada...
Dear Choirs Ontario Members,
Let your voice be heard! The Canadian election campaign offers each of us an opportunity to shape the future of
our country. In collaboration with Choral Canada, we offer you an easy way to voice your support of Canadian choral
music and the arts to our political leaders.
As part of a nation-wide letter writing campaign, Choral Canada has provided us with letter templates in English and
French. These messages highlight many of the benefits choral music provides for people in Canada. They also outline
ways the government can support our efforts.
It’s easy to be involved! Take a few minutes to personalize a letter and send it to the federal politicians and candidates
in your riding. Share these letters widely to your colleagues, fellow choristers, and friends. When you share through
social media, use #ChoralCanada (English) or #CanadaChoral (French).
Thank you for helping us spread this important message. While Choirs Ontario does not endorse any particular
parties or candidates, we hope to bring the choral art into sharper focus as an essential part of the fabric of Canada’s
communities. The letter templates can be obtained on our Choirs Ontario website!
The English form: www.choirsontario.org/stream/257/Advocacy_Letter_EN.pdf
The French form: www.choirsontario.org/stream/258/Advocacy_Letter_FR.pdf
Sincerely,
Rachel Rensink-Hoff, Past-President, Choirs Ontario
Vice President of Programmes, Choral Canada
Important Notice
This is our first paperless issue of Dynamic! We believe that the online Dynamic will better serve all members and
allow us to reach readers in the furthest corners of our province, as well as across Canada.
Dynamic can be read by clicking the link on the Choirs Ontario home page (www.choirontario.org). If you find that
any of the hyperlinks are inactive, please download the document and open it with Adobe Reader, which is a free
program: Clear here to dowload Adobe Reader.
This issue is filled to the brim with submissions from choirs, updates on Choirs Ontario events, and lots of other
choral news. Be sure to read the first in a series of articles by Stéphane Potvin, ‘What Happened to Vocal Training?’
Our new feature, ‘The Composer’s Pen,’ showcases Canadian composer John Beckwith talking about his new work,
Wedake/Huronia.
To navigate this jam-packed issue, be sure to use the HOME button at the bottom of each page – it will take you
back to the table of contents where you can select another article to read.
Please share this issue of Dynamic with other members of your organization, and/or direct them to the Dynamic link
on the Choirs Ontario home page.
HOME
Library News
This is an exciting time of year for choristers and conductors, and a lot of the excitement centres around new music!
Donations and recent purchases continue to be added to the Choirs Ontario music library. Many titles have been
added for trebles, women’s choirs, and mixed voices (SAB and SATB) in all styles -- classical, pop, jazz, sacred, folk
arrangements, etc. Sets of orchestral scores for Bach cantatas and masses by Haydn and Mozart have also been
added.
Peruse our new acquisitions: Pour yourself a cup of coffee (or something stronger!) and click here
https://goo.gl/cLeyzK to look at a representative list of new acquisitions, as well as some older highlights.
The list is divided into music for treble and/or women’s voices; mixed voices; orchestral scores; and/or instrumental
parts. Please note that not all of these titles have not yet been added to the website listing, although they are
available for borrowing. Adding new titles to the online database is time consuming, so if you see a title that you are
interested in borrowing, and you can’t find it online, send your e-mail request to the Choirs Ontario office
([email protected]). And please keep checking for updates!
Music for sale, too! If you attended SingOntario last November, you would have noticed boxes of music available for
purchase at very nominal prices. Proceeds from this sale enabled us to replace and/or augment other titles in the
Choirs Ontario library. It was heartening to see how many conductors and students spent time going through these
boxes and went home with their arms full of scores!
This sale will be repeated at the upcoming SingOntario event on November 14. The music for sale varies from sets
of three copies to reasonably large sets. All sets must be sold in their entirety. The prices are: $1.00 for 3-9 copies
of one title: $2.00 for 10-19 of one title; and $3.00 for 20-35 copies of one title. A representative listing of titles
and quantities for sale is posted here: http://goo.gl/XcjfMi. Please keep checking for updates!
Eileen Baldwin, Linda Beaupre Choirs Ontario Library
Support Choirs Ontario
Donate to Choirs Ontario and Support Choral Singing in Ontario
At Choirs Ontario we believe that choral singing is vital to our lives, builds strong communities and enriches our society. We foster a vibrant and inclusive choral community by providing resources, creating opportunities and engaging
Ontario’s diverse population in the transformative power of choral music. Your gift helps us to support and promote
choirs, choristers, conductors, composers, educators and choral administrators with training, advocacy and communications that raise the profile and quality of choral music across the province.
We rely on support from many sources, but the core of our support comes from our loyal and committed individual
donors. Donations like yours make it possible for us to make our vision a reality.
www.choirsontario.org/supportus.html
HOME
2015 President’s Leadership Award Winner
Patricia LeClair
C
ongratulations to Patricia LeClair for her outstanding
contribution to the choral community. Choirs
Ontario is pleased to honour choral administrator
and life-long arts supporter, Patricia LeClair, as the
recipient of the 2015 President’s Leadership Award, in
recognition of her extraordinary contribution to the choral
community. Patricia has been a critical force within the choral and
arts community in Hamilton and beyond. She has been
General Manager of the world renowned Hamilton
Children’s Choir, member of the City of Hamilton Arts
Funding Task Force, and Chair of the Juno 2015 Music
Education Committee.
She is a consummate professional, who demonstrates
an incredible ability to balance between contributing to
the community, developing the award-winning Hamilton
Children’s Choir, and volunteering her time in the arts
and culture sector in Hamilton. Quoting Zimfira Poloz,
Artistic Director of the Hamilton Children’s Choir, “Our
organizational strength, our international success, and our
sustained and measured growth are due to her tireless
commitment, passion, and vision.”
Patricia received her award at the Ontario Youth Choir
concert at Grace Church on-the-Hill, Toronto, on August
23, 2015. On behalf of the members of the Board of
Choirs Ontario, and Ontario’s choral community, we extend
our sincere congratulations to Patricia LeClair for her
outstanding work, and we wish her many more years filled
with the joy of song!
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Choirs Ontario Invites Nominations for
Conductor of the 2016 Ontario Youth Choir
THE POSITION:
Nominations are now being accepted for Conductor of the 2016 Ontario Youth Choir (OYC). Founded by Choirs Ontario
in 1971, OYC provides a unique opportunity for young singers from across Ontario to work with some of Canada’s
outstanding choral leaders. Every summer 40 remarkable singers, aged 16 – 23, are selected to take part in OYC’s
exceptional choral experience. The choristers are challenged with the finest choral repertoire, while enjoying an
exciting programme of rehearsals, master classes, and voice lessons. The 2016 Ontario Youth Choir programme runs
from Friday, August 19 to Sunday, August 28.
OYC is an unforgettable experience for both the singers and artistic staff. There are now more than 1,300 OYC alumni
who continue to enrich their communities as choristers, conductors, accompanists, composers, educators, and soloists.
REQUIREMENTS:
The Conductor of the Ontario Youth Choir is responsible for conducting chorister auditions, selecting repertoire (in
consultation with the OYC Committee), selecting and providing training for the conductor intern(s), conducting all
choir rehearsals and performances, touring with the group, and being available for promotional purposes. The OYC
Conductor will be assisted by a manager, two chaperones, and two vocal coaches.
The successful candidate is well-established in Canada’s choral community as an exceptional choral conductor,
experienced with, and knowledgeable about, young voices. She or he is capable of motivating and inspiring young
people in choral training and performance, and has a thorough knowledge of the choral repertoire. In addition, the
candidate must possess the requisite skills to collaborate and work effectively with the Choirs Ontario office, OYC staff,
the volunteer OYC committee, and the Choirs Ontario Board of Directors.
Applicants must be Canadian citizens or landed immigrants living in Canada.
This position pays a fee of $1500.00. Accommodation, meals and travel, will be provided by Choirs Ontario.
THE APPLICATION:
If you are a member of Choirs Ontario, and you believe you know the right person for this extraordinary opportunity,
please follow the steps in the Nomination & Selection Process listed below.
STEPS IN THE NOMINATION & SELELCTION PROCESS:
1. Nominate an appropriate candidate, but do not not inform the candidate of your nomination. Submit your
letter of nomination by email, no later than Friday, October 9, 2015, to Elizabeth Shannon, Executive Director,
at [email protected]
2. The nominations will be reviewed by a selection committee which will provide a short-list of the most qualified
candidates.
3. Short-listed candidates are contacted to verify whether they wish to allow their name to be put forth for
consideration for the position and, if so, to submit support material.
4. The successful candidate will be notified in writing.
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Ottawa Children’s Choir
Not “Just Another Choir Trip”
Jackie Hawley
Nipiit Katittut – Voices United
is a unique educational engagement project. Educational engagement is
long term, ongoing, reciprocal, and about the ‘big picture.’ It involves careful planning, long- and short-term goal setting,
making and maintaining connections, and a clear vision.
The Chamber Choir of the Ottawa Children’s Choir, under my direction, and the Inusksuk Drum Dancers of Iqaluit,
directed by Dr. Mary Piercey, collaborated to create Nipiit Katittut – Voices United. The project was inspired by a desire
to create meaningful links between the two groups and have them share in an unforgettable experience through
their shared love of music. During May-June, 2015, the two groups exchanged visits, participating in workshops,
performances, festivals, and cultural events in Iqalui and in Ottawa. (These shared events were described in the January
2015 issue of Dynamic, in the article entitled Connecting with Iqaluit.)
During the 2014-15 season, as well as teaching vocal/choral techniques and artistry through repertoire, I focused on
showing my choristers how to be full participants in educational engagement. They learned to think critically about
why we do what we do, and how to share those insights to educate, encourage, and affirm others while building selfconfidence and leadership skills in themselves. They were guided to be open to new and different ideas and challenges,
without trepidation or judgement of themselves or others.
Throughout the year, choristers built a resource chart from which they created their own workshops for the various
grade levels with which we would be working. In Iqaluit, I was continually impressed with the maturity, confidence,
competence, collegiality, enthusiasm, and professionalism with which choristers presented their workshops. I was also
pleased to hear insightful reflection and adaptive, proactive planning for improving upcoming workshops.
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T
he engagement was reciprocal, and the
Iqaluit students from pre-kindergarten
to grade 12 offered workshops to us
as well. It was as fascinating and impressive
to listen to six-year-olds throat sing as it was
to hear the most experienced performers in
the Inuksuk Drum Dancers. The sharing was
often spontaneous and was always done with
generosity, patience, and humour. This kind
of engagement builds strong community.
It creates one cohesive group among all
involved allowing significant growth and
development in learning and in fostering
positive relationships.
This meaningful growth and development continued when the Inuksuk
Drum Dancers visited Ottawa. Chamber Choir choristers and Drum
Dancers had maintained their friendships through social media, and
when they met again at the airport, they reconnected immediately and
were ready for the shared activities and team building in the week to
come.
Mary Piercey and I will continue the NKVU educational
engagement initiative, and plans are already underway for the
next chapter. I look forward to ongoing educational engagement
opportunities for all of our choristers as we connect and share in
the rich experiences we can achieve through music!
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“This is not goodbye. It’s until we meet again.”
For more photos and information, go to NKVU on Facebook: www.facebook.com/NKVU2015
and read this article in the Ottawa Citizen: http://goo.gl/Qrh6Bi
Visit the Ottawa Children’s Choir website:
www.ottawachildrenschoir.ca
Jackie Hawley is the Founding
Director of the Cantiamo Girls Choir
of Ottawa and its Training Choir, and
former Artistic Director of the Ottawa
Children’s Choir (2008 – 2015). She has
conducted and toured internationally
with adult, youth, and children’s
choirs, and has been a clinician for
choirs and schools for more than 25
years.
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ntario Y uth Ch ir
OYC News Updates
T
he summer of 2015 was action-packed for OYC singers, alumni, and staff. An OYC alumni ensemble were
among the 12 choirs who performed in R. Murray Shafer’s Apocalypsis at the Luminato Festival, and 40
young singers participated in the annual OYC vocal training program, culminating in three exciting public
performances.
OYC and Apocalypsis: Luminato Festival 2015
Kyle Canton
I
n July, 2015 a group of Ontario Youth Choir alumni (and some first year singers) had the
privilege of performing in R. Murray Shafer’s Apocalypsis at the Luminato Festival. We
were one of 12 choirs performing in Part II, Credo, joining the 1,000 performers who
had gathered to present this massive work. To say the experience was unique would be a
ludicrous understatement, and I think that years from now we will be proud to say that
“we were there!”
Although Apocalypsis is distinctive in its size, scope, and the variety of media involved
-- music, movement, and the spoken word -- what impressed me most of all was
the sense of collaboration that permeated the experience. As choristers we are
used to collaborating with one another and our conductor, but it was fascinating
to see each choir work in partnership with 11 others – not to mention watching
13 conductors getting used to conducting as one! It was also incredible to see so
many singers slip quietly onto the balcony each night to watch Part I of Apocalypsis
and support the performers we didn’t work with directly.
Much like the work itself, the thrill of performing Apocalypsis alongside 1,000 other musicians and artists is beyond
description. It perfectly encompassed that which I love most about choral music: being simultaneously insignificant and
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utterly essential to the whole; getting lost in the
crowd but still being heard; and possessing in your
voice and in your collaboration the power to move
people. Apocalypsis is the most adventurous – and
definitely the largest – project in which I have ever
been involved, and I am privileged and humbled
to have performed with so many other incredibly
talented people.
It was a real pleasure to take the stage once again
under the Ontario Youth Choir banner, and I am
deeply grateful to Choirs Ontario and the Luminato
Festival for this phenomenal experience. I must also
say a special “thank you” to Marta McCarthy, who
led the OYC Alumni Ensemble with such sincerity
and sensitivity, as always.
If you didn’t catch a performance of Apocalypsis, or want to experience it again, you
can listen to a full recording on the CBC Music website for the next year! http://goo.gl/LLnruW
Kyle Canton is currently a medical student
at Western University. He sang with
the Ontario Youth Choir for six seasons,
finishing last summer.
You Can’t Create Harmony Alone
Nila Rajagopal & Clara McNamee
O
n Friday, August 14th, 40 smiling, young singers lugged their suitcases
through the corridors of University of Western Ontario’s London Hall. Under
the direction of Bob Anderson this collection of strangers would become
a cohesive choir over the next 10 days -- certainly no small feat! By living in close
quarters and rehearsing together, the Ontario Youth Choir of 2015 would quickly
become more than just your average choir.
The OYC summer program is unlike any other choral experience. The 40 singers
selected for the program all had musical training, but this program posed unique
challenges for even the most seasoned veterans. The group rehearsed for about
eight hours every day, a physical, vocal, and mental test of endurance. The choristers
also engaged in private vocal lessons and master classes under the direction of
Patricia Green and Torin Chiles. Camp director Elizabeth Shannon and chaperones
Sarah Leung and Tim Wong kept the machine running smoothly.
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ntario Y uth Ch ir
V
isits to rehearsals by past OYC conductors Gerald Fagan and
Victoria Meredith, OYC alumni Brian MacIntosh, Gloria Gassi,
and The Most Reverend Paul-André Durocher, Archbishop of
Gatineau, increased the group‘s focus and intensity -- we DO love to
perform! After seven whirlwind days of rehearsal, this new choir set
out for a three-day concert tour of Stratford, London, Port Elgin, and
Toronto.
Gerald Fagan & Bob Anderson
Bob Anderson & Mary Willan Mason (Ontario Choral Federation member and daughter of composer, Healey Willan)
Very Reverend Paul Andre Durocher, Brian McIntosh & Bob Anderson
Elizabeth Shannon, Camp Manager
Carole Anderson OYC Manager
Janelle Scharinga, Accompanist
Tim Wong, Camp Chaperone
Sarah Leung, Camp Chaperone
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H
ow did this group of
strangers transform
into a cohesive choir so
quickly?
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P
erhaps the transformation grew out of the exact balance that was struck between individual vocal attention and
working on the collective sound. Perhaps the repertoire, expertly chosen by Mr. Anderson, was so perfectly suited
to our voices that we couldn’t fail. Perhaps the interplay between social and musical factors played a large role.
Or maybe it was just a group
of gifted and motivated young
musicians willing to put their
energy into accomplishing
something great together. The
warm hospitality of Betty Ann
Younker and the Faculty of Music
at Western University certainly
added to the program’s success,
and the food at Essex Hall was
superlative!
But there was another influence
at work adding to the group’s
success. A choir can be
completely solid musically, but
if they do not gel socially, they
won’t produce exceptional
music. Living with roommates in
the Western dorms, trekking to
and from rehearsals, having late night ukulele jam sessions, and making speedy frozen yogurt runs, made us much more
than just a collection of good singers. We became a group of friends as well. Herein lies the magic of OYC: exquisite music
created through new relationships that will last a lifetime!
Written by
Clara McNamee recently graduated from the Cawthra Park
Secondary School vocal program. She is currently attending the
University of Toronto where she is studying Life Sciences.
ntario Y uth Ch ir
Nila Rajagopal was a member of the OYC for four years and is currently
working toward her Bachelor of Music Education at the University of
Toronto. She sings with the University of Toronto MacMillan Singers
and Pax Christi Chorale, and has just begun working as a Conductor’s
Assistant for the Toronto Children’s Chorus.
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Vesnivka Choir: 50th Anniversary Clebrations
Leslie Ferenc
C
onducting came naturally to Halyna Kvitka Kondracki. While a student at
the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Music, she often practiced in front
of a mirror, fine-tuning her conducting technique. Kondracki envisioned
the day she would have her own choir to perform the Ukrainian music she
loved, and introduce audiences to the songs that were such a large part of her
heritage.
Following her dream, Kondracki established Toronto’s Vesnivka Choir in 1965
with a group of girls at St. Nicholas Ukrainian School. Together they embarked
on a musical odyssey that has spanned 50 years, three continents, and
inspired scores of women to pursue their joy of singing. Kondracki’s talents as
a conductor and her ability to build on the choir’s strengths, paired with the
dedication of Vesnikva members, have catapulted the choir into the spotlight,
earning national and international acclaim.
“We learned as we grew,” says Kondracki, Vesnivka’s choral and artistic director. Choir members share their conductor’s
passion for Ukrainian folk, classical, contemporary, and sacred works, and they have become a ‘musical family’ – a key to
Vesnivka’s enduring success.
Because of the scarcity of Ukrainian music for female voices. Kondracki, re-wrote music for men’s choirs for the women
of Vesnivka to sing. She also commissioned a liturgy for Vesnivka, which the choir performed for the first time in 1969.
Ukrainian-Austrian composer Andrij Hnathyshyn’s Eastern Rite Liturgy became the foundation of Vesnivka’s sacred
repertoire, and was the first of many works by Canadian and Ukrainian composers commissioned by the choir.
Looking back, 1969 was a pivotal year for the choir -- they performed their first solo concert outside the Ukrainian
community when Toronto’s Community Folk Arts Council invited them to sing in a music festival at the St. Lawrence
Centre. Later that year, the choir traveled to Rome to take part in a Papal mass. Vesnivka also gave a highly praised
concert in Rome, the first of many international performances in Canada, England, the Netherlands, Ukraine, South
America, Spain, Portugal, Austria, France, and Poland.
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A
udiences from diverse cultures have praised Vesnivka’s repertoire and professionalism, earning the choir accolades
as Canada’s preeminent Ukrainian women’s choir. For those of Ukrainian heritage, Vesnivka is a connection to
their heritage. For those outside the community, it’s all about the music, which transcends language barriers.
A Vesnivka performance is a high energy choral experience that draws concert-goers from all walks of life and diverse
cultures, including world and religious leaders such as Canada’s former Ambassador to the Netherlands and Pope John
Paul II.
Vesnivka’s reputation for musical excellence continues to grow, thanks to Kondracki’s commitment to expanding the
choir’s repertoire by commissioning new works by Canadian and Ukrainian composers. As part of the Golden Anniversary
legacy project, the choir’s musical library will be available online. Canadian and Ukrainian composers will be featured
during Vesnivka’s 50th anniversary season, beginning with the October 2015 world-première of Canadian composer
Roman Hurko’s Liturgy No. 4
(Vesnivka).
Composer Roman Hurko recalls that
as a boy, he listened in awe as the
choir sang its liturgy at St. Nicholas
Ukrainian Catholic Church in Toronto’s
Queen West neighbourhood. “It was
magical,” says Hurko. “It is an honour
to have been invited to write a new
liturgy for the choir.” Kondraki says
of Hurko’s compositions, “There’s a
certain peacefulness in his music. His
liturgy doesn’t have to be sung in a
church to feel the spirituality.”
While concerts are the choir’s mainstay, Vesnivka has also participated in many competitions and earned high praise
and numerous awards, including first place in the CBC Choral Competition, top honours at the 1993 International Choral
Eisteddfod in Llangollen, Wales, and the W.S. Gwynn Williams International trophy for outstanding performance.
Vesnivka has also participated in prestigious choral celebrations -- including
the XXI International Music Festival in Spain; the first choral Olympics in
Austria (2000); and Festival 500: Sharing the Voices in St. John’s Newfoundland
(1997). Their appearance at Festival 500 was an opportunity for Kondracki to
collaborate with her mentor and former professor, Elmer Iseler. After hearing
Vesnivka sing, the maestro invited members to join his choir’s Christmas
concert that year, sealing a relationship that continues to this day. In a 2007
live broadcast on CBC Radio 2 Choral Concert, Vesnivka joined the Elmer Iseler
Singers, Amadeus Choir, Canadian Brass, Pavlo Hunka, and Canadian opera
singer Isabel Baryadkarin in Pascha – Easter Sunrise Concert.
And while choir members are preparing for their Golden Anniversary year
performances, they’re also looking forward to exploring new musical roads
with the same verve and passion that has endured and kept the tradition alive
for half a century. For more information, visit www.vesnivka.com.
Leslie Ferenc, author of this article, is a former member of Vesnivka who sang in the choir’s alto section for more
than 30 years. Among the most memorable highlights of her Vesnivka years was the 1991 tour of Ukraine, the birthplace
of her parents. A feature writer at The Star, Leslie is currently a volunteer member of the Vesnivka 50th Anniversary
Committee.
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Celebrating Life Through Music
A
difficult journey: It was only two weeks after
retiring from 35 years of church music leadership
that I was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. Every
person tackles life’s issues in different ways. I am very
fortunate to be surrounded by a wonderful husband,
children, grandchildren, friends, colleagues, and my church
family. With their support, I have, for the most part, been
able to remain positive and thankful.
While laid up after extensive surgery and 18 weeks of
chemotherapy, I resolved that once I got through this
challenging time, I would find a way to thank the doctors,
the healthcare team, family, and friends who had helped
Janet Heerema
me on this difficult journey. My vision was a fundraising
choral concert at a large performance hall here in London,
with 100 or more singers! As a cancer survivor, I felt it was
my mission to raise funds for ovarian cancer research.
A
dream realized: After a year of preparation to
engage accompanists, soloists, instrumentalists, and
singers, we held our first choir rehearsal at the end
of May, 2015, at Oakridge Presbyterian Church where I was
organist and choir director for 10 years.
The rehearsal was attended by more than 150 singers
who traveled from 39 different communities, including
Michigan, Niagara, Toronto, Kitchener, Guelph, and
Goderich. Because of these distances, we decided on
once-a-month rehearsals. From the beginning, the singers
shared my vision and were eager and passionate about the
cause. There were cancer survivors in the group, including
some who were currently undergoing chemo treatments.
When I was surrounded by their voices raised in harmony,
I felt truly close to God. An amazing team!
The concert, Celebration of Life, showcases world-class
musicians from London, Ontario, and Canada. Master-ofCeremonies, Terry Zavitz, who is co-chair of the Women’s
Health Care Campaign Cabinet with the London Health
Sciences Foundation (LHSF), will lead the evening with
humour, a generous heart, and deep compassion for
health care issues. The audience will experience an
inspiring program with a variety of musical genres selected
to reflect hope, encouragement, joy, and even laughter!
The program was designed to fill the evening with ‘songs
of thanks’ to celebrate life and its rewards.
I am grateful that the London Health Sciences Foundation
(LHSF) has endorsed this concert and is the charitable
organization supporting the event. I was so fortunate to
have had a wonderful team of LHSF oncologists and other
health care staff to help me organize all the necessary
details. As well, the Rowbust Breast Cancer Survivor
Dragonboat Racing Team got onboard and spearheaded a
silent auction at the concert! This vigorous team of cancer
survivors has also shared my journey from the beginning.
T
he music: Music takes the spoken word to heights
that transcend the mind and brings us to a level of
spirituality that can’t be explained. I hope the music
performed at the concert will do this for others, as it has
done for me. My great reward is the celebration of life
through music.
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The program includes glorious and
powerful choral music like Parry’s
I Was Glad When They Said Unto
Me, requiring double choir, as well
as Canadian patriotic and folk songs,
such as Halley’s Song For Canada
and Allister MacGillivray’s Song For
The Mira. Also on the program are
songs for freedom and peace in
the world -- for example, Halley’s
exciting Freedom Trilogy, Rutter’s
Distant Land, and the Williams/Page
compelling anthem, Creation Will Be
At Peace. The audience will
also hear reflective
pieces to lift the
spirit, such as Karl Jenkins’ Agnus Dei
and Benedictus, Beck’s It Is Well With
My Soul, and Faure’s Psalm 84: Cantique
de Jean Racine. Since the concert takes
place just after Remembrance Day, the
program includes Chilcott’s beautiful
Londonderry Air. The Men’s Chorus will
perform Morte Christe (When I Survey
the Wondrous Cross), and the Ladies’
Chorus will sing Be Still My Soul/You
Raise Me Up. The concert concludes
with Handel’s great and glorious
Hallelujah chorus!
The concert will also feature talented instrumentalists
and soloists, such as as soprano Catharine Sadler and
baritone Mathias Memmel. We have Anita Evans on flute
and Julia MacGregor on cello. Our percussion trio (Rob
Inch, Rob Larose, and Greg Mainprize) will accompany the
choir, but will also give a solo poerformance -- and one of
their pieces will be funny! Of course, with organ virtuoso,
Ian Sadler, and amazing piano accompanists, Mary Ellen
Ferguson and Anne Spivey, the team is complete!
Visit the Celebration of Life concert on Facebook:
http://is.gd/ueYiJ9
For details on concert date, time, venue. tickets, etc., visit:
http://is.gd/Dgo5IX
Watch a short CTV News London video about Janet’s
journey: http://goo.gl/E72Qb3
The London Free Press has an online video and write-up on
Janet and the concert: http://goo.gl/RKjyfE
L
ooking ahead: Organizing and presenting this concert
has created a remarkable amount of interest and
enthusiasm. Building on this momentum raises the
possibility of continuing this fundraiser on a yearly basis.
Stay tuned!
(continued)
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The wig is put away, and I am now part of a clinical
research trial with a drug designed to repair the mutation
gene that caused the cancer. My energy has returned
-- we’re travelling again and enjoying gatherings with
children and grandchildren. There’s always some anxiety
about what the future holds, but my determination to
help make a difference has made me focus on returning
to what I love to do – sharing my passion for music with
others who are touched by cancer and those who want to
to make a difference.
I feel blessed that God didn’t retire me after all! There’s
so much I want to accomplish, and I’ll succeed with the
love and support of family, friends, and community. If we
walk together with hope, faith, and courage, miracles can
happen!
J
anet Heerema’s career spans 35 years as a choral conductor and organist. Over the years, she has played
services and directed choirs in many churches in Ontario, as well as in Los Angeles. She has her A.R.C.T. in Organ
Performance with the Royal Conservatory of Music of Toronto, and her R.M.T. (Registered Music
Teacher Certificate) with the Ontario Registered Music Teachers’ Association.
Janet has performed organ recitals in London,
Niagara, Sarnia, and Toronto, and has taught piano,
organ, theory, history, and harmony, preparing
students for all levels of examinations. She has
directed a number of children’s and youth choirs,
as well as ecumenical and community choirs
numbering up to 150 singers.
Although she retired from full-time work as a
Church Choir Director and Organist in 2013, Janet
continues to perform and conduct occasional
highlighted concerts and is involved with a number
of leading musical organizations, such as The Bach
Music Festival of Canada, the London Centre Royal
Canadian College of Organists, and the Ontario
Registered Music Teachers’ Association.
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Ann Cooper Gay
A Mentor with an Extraordinary Gift for Nurturing Young Talent!
T
his tribute honours Ann Cooper Gay, who retired
at the end of May as Executive Artistic Director
and Conductor of the Canadian Children’s
Opera Company. In her 15 years with the choir, she
transformed the Company into the musical and
dramatic entity that it is today. Ann is an accomplished
conductor, opera singer, organist, pianist, and
flutist, well known in the artistic community for her
extraordinary enthusiasm, energy, and consistently high
level of artistic achievement. She is a mentor with an
extraordinary gift for nurturing young talent. Ann holds Masters degrees in Music and Music
Education, as well as a Diploma in Opera Performance. Before becoming Assistant Professor of Music at
Houghton College, New York, she was a soprano
soloist with the Canadian Opera Company, touring
North America as Despina (Così fan tutte), Mimi (La
bohème) and Violetta (La traviata).
After settling in Toronto, Ann dedicated much of her
time to improving children’s music education in the
city. She founded the Children’s Choir at the Royal
Conservatory of Music and the award-winning High
Park Choirs of Toronto, and also served as conductor of
the University of Toronto Women’s Chorus, Associate
Conductor of the Hart House Orchestra at the
university, and string / orchestra instructor for
the Toronto Board of Education. In 1998, she was
recognized for her work by the Toronto YWCA as a
“Woman of Distinction” who “has made a profound
impact on an entire generation of young musicians in
Toronto.”
In 2000, General Director of the Canadian Opera Company, the late Richard Bradshaw, selected Ann Cooper Gay as
Artistic Director of the CCOC. Shortly after her arrival, Ann was instrumental in instituting a formal bursary program to
ensure that talented children from all socioeconomic backgrounds would have access to the company’s programs. During her tenure, she added two new choruses to the CCOC: the Youth Chorus, which extends the age range of young
singers to 21, and the Butterfly Chorus, in response to a demand for an early childhood program. She also established
a drama instruction program for all divisions in order to steer the CCOC toward a greater commitment to complete
theatrical productions. During her 15 years with the Company, Ann commissioned an astonishing seven operas for children’s voices by
Canadian composers and librettists. Projects covered a wide range of literary and historical subjects: Alice in
Wonderland (2015); East o’ the Sun and West o’ the Moon (2014); Laura’s Cow: The Legend of Laura Secord (2012; The
Secret World of Og (2011); Dragon in the Rocks (2009); A Dickens of a Christmas (2005, rev. 2008); and The Hobbit (2003). Laura’s Cow, which was co-presented by the CCOC at Luminato 2012, was nominated for a 2012 Dora Mavor
Moore Award (Errol Gay, composer, Michael Patrick Albano, librettist). The CCOC also took part in many critically
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acclaimed and award-winning productions by other companies, including R. Murray Schafer’s Dora Mavor Moore
Award-winning opera, The Children’s Crusade, and many Canadian Opera Company productions, including soloists
for The Magic Flute. As well, Ann led the CCOC in a recording of Harry Somers’ opera, A Midwinter Night’s Dream,
nominated for a 2007 Juno award.
S
he also led the CCOC on four
major tours, including visits to
Europe in 2001, 2007, and 2011. A
musical highpoint was placing second in
the Summa Cum Laude International
Youth Music Festival (treble category),
resulting in an invitation to sing
in the Gala Concert at Vienna’s famed
Musikverein in 2011. In 2008, Ann created OPERAtion KIDS,
a program bringing in-school and afterschool introductory opera workshops to
neighborhoods and schools with little
or no access to arts programming. All
students are welcome, regardless of
experience, knowledge, or ability. Each
workshop includes an introduction to
acting, singing, prop-making, costumes,
writing scripts, creating sets, and stage management. Children
and youth participating in OPERAtion KIDS are also invited to
attend CCOC dress rehearsals.
Ann Cooper Gay has left a lasting impression on every child
who has been fortunate enough to cross her path. Her
dedication and commitment to the young singers in her care
have nurtured their talent, encouraged them to achieve beyond
their own expectations, and prepared them to pursue musical
careers. Through her extraordinary gift of love, music, and
learning she has fostered and encouraged countless children. Ann
Cooper Gay, you are in our hearts forever. Thank you!
For more information about CCOC, please visit: www.canadianchildrensopera.com/
You can also read about Ann Cooper Gay in a recent WholeNote
magazine article: http://goo.gl/xmR74G
This article was written in collaboration by those who admire Ann
Cooper Gay and hold her in the highest regard.
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Canadian Children’s Opera Company: 48 Years of Inspiring Young Singers
T
he Canadian Children’s Opera Company (CCOC) is a world-class ensemble that introduces the magic of opera
to children and youth. This is accomplished through professional musical and dramatic education, and the
performance of established and newly commissioned operatic and choral repertoire. The company includes
about 200 young singers aged 3-19, in six divisions. The CCOC provides a progressive, graduated education program
beginning at age 3 with the Butterfly Chorus and moving to the late teen years in the Youth Chorus. All children receive
regular vocal, dramatic, and musicianship training from world-class instructors, and the company is involved in 20 - 40
performances in a given year.
Founded in 1968 by Ruby Mercer (opera singer
and CBC host) and Lloyd Bradshaw, The Canadian
Children’s Opera Company was formed to provide a
permanent children’s choir for the Canadian Opera
Company, and to commission and produce new
works to be performed by children and youth. In the
2015-16 season, COCC choristers will be featured in a
production of Bizet’s Carmen. The CCOC remains the only permanent children’s
opera company in Canada that regularly commissions
and produces operas for children. Under Executive
Artistic Director Ann Cooper Gay (2000 - 2015),
seven new Canadian operas were commissioned and
premiered. Two of these operas have since been
performed internationally by other companies: The Hobbit (USA), and A Dickens of a Christmas (Ireland). In June 2016,
the CCOC will present a re-mount of their premier production of The Hobbit.
The company has released six albums, including this year’s Lullabies, which will be given away to new mothers in the
Toronto area, and the 2006 recording of A Midwinter Night’s Dream that garnered a Juno nomination in 2007. In addition
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to performing with the Canadian Opera Company, the CCOC
regularly provides chorus and soloists to a number of leading
arts organizations, including the Toronto Symphony Orchestra,
Luminato Festival, Toronto Operetta Theatre, University of
Toronto Opera School, Soundstreams Canada, Against the
Grain Theatre, Esprit Orchestra, and Tapestry New Opera.
Many CCOC alumni have launched successful professional
careers, including David Fallis (conductor); Alana Bridgewater
(‘Killer Queen’ in We Will Rock You); Jamie McKnight (recently
‘Scarecrow’ in The Wizard of Oz, and founding member of The
Canadian Tenors); Karina Gauvin (world-renowned soprano
and JUNO Award winner); Laura Bertram (actress); and Katie
Stelmanis (the Austra band). The CCOC features at least three shows annually for schools,
reaching nearly 1,000 young audience members in grades 1 to
8. In addition, since 2008, the CCOC has maintained an active
outreach arm called OPERAtion KIDS, which includes after- and in-school programs to introduce opera to children in
neighbourhoods where little or no music education is available.
Although Ann Cooper Gay retired this May as Executive Artistic Director and Conductor, she is maintaining her ties to the
CCOC by acting as the Artistic Advisor. Artistic Director Dean Burry, Music Director Teri Dunn, and Managing Director Ken
Hall form the new creative team who will lead this
remarkable organization into the future.
Dean Burry is well known in the opera community
as a composer of children’s opera and as an opera
educator-facilitator. This award-winning composer
and librettist has12 operas to his credit, two of which
were commissioned by the CCOC: The Hobbit and
The Secret World of Og. Ken Hall, an active flutist,
is now in his twelfth season with the CCOC in
expanding administrative roles. Teri Dunn served in
various capacities with the CCOC for ten years (19922002), became Assistant Artistic Director for the
Toronto Children’s Chorus from 2002-2012, and has
been at St. Michael’s Choir School since 2008.
The CCOC is currently accepting new members, aged
5–19, for the 2015-16 season. For information on
scheduling an audition: 416-366-0467,
or [email protected]
For more information: www.canadianchildrensopera.com
This article was written in collaboration by those who admire
Ann Cooper Gay and hold her in the highest regard.
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Cantiamo Girls Choir of Ottawa: Our Board
A
Jane Pickett
s board Chair of the Cantiamo Girls Choir of
Ottawa (CGCO), I work with a group of committed
volunteers who collaborate to make the board
function effectively. People join our board because they
like what CGCO does and stands for, and they want to be
involved in charting the choir’s future directions.
Observing Board Meeting Etiquette: We start on
We are a working board: we discuss items on the agenda,
make decisions, take action, and follow up at the next
meeting. Based on my experience with CGCO, I would
like to share what I think makes our board function so
effectively.
Annual Board Retreat: At the end of each choral season
First Steps -- Define Who and What You Are: Our
board reviews in detail each process involved in running
the choir, defining for each area who is to be responsible,
accountable, consulted, and informed. This review allows
us to create very specific roles and responsibilities for
board members.
The choir also has a constitution that states clearly
who we are and what we do, along with a concise
mission statement that we frequently reference in
our decision making. As the choir evolves, so does our
constitution, along with the scope of the board’s roles and
responsibilities.
Before Our First Meeting of the Year: As board Chair,
I create an initial schedule for the year’s meetings. The
year’s schedule remains at the bottom of our monthly
board minutes, giving us a real sense of making progress
and keeping critical information handy at each meeting.
At Our First Board Meeting: At the first meeting of the
year with our new board, we review roles / responsibilities
and the year’s major activities, and then determine
who will fill each role. Those members currently filling a
position have the right to renew, after which the remaining
roles are filled according to each person’s interests and
skill sets.
time, and members call if they will be late. If people
begin having side conversations or veer off topic, I use
a humourous reminder to restore the meeting’s focus.
As Chair, my job is to listen to everyone’s ideas, and to
summarize and communicate what I hear from the group.
we have a retreat, which is essential for reinforcing the
bonding among board members and for improving the
organization as a whole. In addition to social time, we
meet to share our year-end reflections on what went well,
what didn’t, and what we will focus on for the next year.
Having said all this, the main reason that our board works
so well is because we respect and support one another
and feel secure enough to participate in open discussion
even if we are expressing contrary opinions. Our meetings
are business-like but pleasant. We use humour, check
our egos at the door, listen to one another, ensure that
people feel heard, and respect all opinions. I like to think
of this as ‘the three Cs’ – communication, cooperation, and
collaboration. I am privileged and proud to be part of such
a special group of people.
Visit our website at: http://cantiamogirlschoir.ca/
Jane Pickett is an
Ottawa visual artist and
the current Manager and
Chair of the Board of the
Cantiamo Girls Choir of
Ottawa. She has been
on the Executive Board
at Cantiamo for four
years and has been the
Manager and Chair of the
Board for two years. At Our Regular Monthly Meetings: If any action items
from the last meeting have not been accomplished, we
offer help and re-prioritize, re-assign, reschedule, or
defer to the next meeting, as necessary. With respect to
new and/or important issues, I present an initial plan to
stimulate discussion and am open to revisions based on
input from the members.
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Composer’s Pen
John Beckwith’s Wendake/Huronia: World Première of a New Work
I
n July, 2015, a concert commemorating the
400th anniversary of Champlain’s arrival in the
Southern Georgian Bay area was held in Midland,
Parry Sound, and Meaford. The program included
Wendake/Huronia, a new work by John Beckwith. The
six-movement composition for choir, instrumental
ensemble, alto soloist, narrator, and First Nations
drummer, is a musical summary of the Huron people’s
experience, before and after Champlain’s arrival.
John Beckwith Talks About Composing
Wendake/Huronia
My experience on delivering a commissioned work
for choir is that I often have to warn singers and their
directors, “Messiah it ain’t.”
Seasoned choristers get special enjoyment from
the classical masterpieces (as I did when I sang in
choirs in my younger days), and sometimes they have
to be persuaded that innovative demands are still
‘music.’ In my choral works I have often asked choirs
to produce abstract syllables in place of words, to
mumble, shout, make percussive noises rather than
precise pitch sounds, and even imitate animal and
bird cries. In fact these devices have been a standard
part of the modern choral repertoire since WWI
and therefore hardly ‘innovative.’
In the opening section of Wendake/Huronia, the choir doesn’t ‘sing’ at all, but rather makes regular slow coughing noises
suggesting the crunch of snowshoes in winter. The early French visitors remarked on this novel sound, and it seemed to
me a useful image for the pre-contact period.
They also marveled at the skill and rapidity of aboriginal canoeists, and the third part of my piece illustrates this.
Here the instrumental ensemble plays in a regular flowing style, suggestive of canoe travel, while the choir sings an
independent chanting rendition of Gabriel Sagard’s factual description of these vessels.
In the central movement, based on an account of the ‘Festival of the Dead’ from the writings of Jean de Brébeuf, the
choir produces realistic crowd reactions (sighing, moaning, excited shouts) as well as some choral phrases to illustrate
the story spoken by the narrator.
It was gratifying that the 20 singers of the Brookside Festival Chorus (an auditioned selection of choristers from various
Georgian Bay area organizations) showed such a fine spirit of commitment and even enthusiasm for a new work -- a
work which made extended vocal demands and had a sung text in old and modern French with a few Wendat phrases
thrown in. My warmest thanks to Germaine L’Espérance who prepared the choir and to David Fallis who conducted the
performances.
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Wendake/Huronia...Sample page from score
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The premiere of John Beckwith’s Wendake/Huronia: A report
by Robin Elliott, professor of Musicology, University of Toronto
O
n August 1st, 1615, the French explorer Samuel de Champlain landed on the
shores of Georgian Bay, followed soon after by missionaries. This year, numerous
events are taking place to mark the 400th anniversary of Champlain’s arrival
in this part of Canada. A fine musical contribution to these commemorations is John
Beckwith’s Wendake/Huronia, which had its highly acclaimed, premiere performance
before a packed and appreciative audience in Midland, Ontario on Thursday, July 30th,
2015, with subsequent performances in Parry Sound on Friday and in Meaford on
Saturday. The 30-minte work is scored for choir, small instrumental ensemble, alto soloist, narrator, and First Nations
drummer.
Beckwith compiled his text from varied sources: lists of Wendat clan names and words, and the writings of Champlain,
Brébeuf, and the contemporary Wendat poet, essayist, and historian, Georges Sioui. Beckwith’s aim was, in his own
words, to create “a sort of impressionistic summary of the Wendat experience, before and after Champlain.”
The work is in six movements: Raquettes (‘snowshoes’); Champlain; Le canotage (‘canoeing’); La grande fête des âmes
(‘Feast of the Dead’); Lamentation, 1642; and À l’avenir (‘in the future’). The writing for the chorus is richly varied,
ranging from onomatopoeic evocations of the sound of walking in snowshoes, through dramatic spoken and shouted
choral recitations, to more traditional contrapuntal idioms.
For the small accompanying ensemble, Beckwith chose instruments that might have been heard in 17th-century Canada:
recorder, lute, mandolin, viola da gamba, chamber organ, and percussion instruments. The on-screen projection of
an English translation of the Wendat and French text enhanced the audience’s appreciation and understanding of the
work. Deftly encompassing both European and First Nations perspectives, Wendake/ Huronia is a compelling musical
documentary which met with a resounding standing ovation.
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The Concerts were conducted by David Fallis. The talented performers
were the Brookside Festival Chorus (comprised of auditioned members
of various regional choirs), the Toronto Consort, alto soloist Laura
Pudwell, narrator Patrick Bowman, and drummer Marilyn George (a
member of the Serpent River First Nation). In addition to Wendake/
Huronia, the concert featured a selection of 17th-century French
music such as Champlain might have heard, performed by the Toronto
Consort, and a few wonderfully moving solo songs by Marilyn George,
who accompanied herself on drum.
J
ohn Beckwith, composer, music educator, and writer, was born
in Victoria, BC and received his musical education in Toronto and
Paris. He joined the University of Toronto Faculty of Music in 1952
and served as its dean (1970-77) and first director of its Institute for
Canadian Music from 1985 until his early retirement in 1990.
His more than 150 compositions include four operas, a dozen
orchestral works, chamber and solo compositions, songs, and works
for chorus. He has edited or co-edited ten books, and is the author
of Music Papers: Articles and Talks by a Canadian Composer, 19611994; In search of Alberto Guerrero; and Unheard Of: Memoirs of a
Canadian composer. He is a former music columnist and reviewer for
the Toronto Star and script writer / program planner for CBC Radio.
His articles and reviews have been published in Canadian, British, and
American musical journals. In 1987 he was made a member of the
Order of Canada, and he holds honorary degrees from five Canadian
universities.
For more about John Beckwith, visit:
http://individual.utoronto.ca/John_Beckwith/
For more information about Wendake/Huronia -- and a short sound
bite--visit: http://is.gd/CKKWho and http://is.gd/hiGpMD
Joseph Boyden’s celebrated novel, The Orenda (2013), puts a dramatic and compelling spin on the story of this early
contact between Europeans and First Nations communities in Huronia, which was called ‘Wendake’ by the Wendat
(Huron) peoples. See http://is.gd/qQBRmG for a synopsis of Boyden’s novel.
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From The “Maestro”
Music: A Universal Language
A
rtistic Director Mervin William Fick was asked to share his views on
how choral music creates a shared experience that unites singers,
conductor, and audience and builds a unique sense of community.
On one of your choirs’ websites, you say, “I believe the choral
experience is one of the most intensely exciting of all musical
experiences. Its benefits reach far beyond the concert hall … the
musical experience is a shared one.” In your work with choirs
over the years, have you observed singers building musical and
emotional harmony with one another?
Yes, absolutely – but to quote a great line from Meeting Venus, the 1991
film about the world of Grand Opera, “There are no miracles without a lot
of hard work.” One of the exciting challenges of teaching choral musicians
is building singers’ listening skills so they can evaluate their sound and make
appropriate coordinated responses, such as brightening the tone, giving
more attention to blending, etc.
Mutual ‘tuning in’ happens after a singer begins listening to the sound of
his/her own voice, and to its effect within the voice section. Then comes
listening for the contribution of their voice section to the larger ensemble
sound, and finally hearing whether the ensemble’s performance fulfills the
vision of the work. Each type of listening contributes to a chorister’s self fulfillment and to building values and emotions
shared with other singers. It’s a lot of hard work, but it can offer incredible rewards.
How does your own passion for teaching motivate your choristers? Does their response to your direction
give you renewed energy?
I think it’s imperative to encourage an atmosphere of commitment and shared purpose in which choristers can achieve
high standards of musical excellence. Toward this end, I try to communicate my own enthusiasm for a choral work
by setting it in a context – often by describing the historical period in which the work was written and/or providing
harmonic examples. I then have choristers express in their singing their emotional response to the harmonic and
rhythmic content of the score, which adds significant meaning to the work.
Creating a dynamic and shared ‘culture of learning’ is essential! I try to increase choristers’ understanding of music’s
technical ‘language’ while instilling emotional expressiveness in their singing. It’s tremendously rewarding for me and
the choristers when they experience those “aha” moments, and the music reaches new heights.
The audience is a vital part of a choir’s music-making. What are some of the ways you share the choral
experience with your audiences and make performances more meaningful and engaging for them?
I agree that audience involvement is a vital element, and engaging audiences in choral performances is a very
important priority. At times I remind myself that new audience members may not understand what happens at a
choral concert. They may be thinking, “Why are they standing in rows?” or “Why are they singing from books?” I try
to enhance the audience’s understanding and appreciation of the music by giving informative commentary about the
social and historical setting of the work -- and on occasion, I include a slideshow, conduct the singers in short musical
demonstrations, and even have professional actors give dramatic readings from poems or plays written in the same
period as the work being performed.
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I also build connecting musical narratives into my programming to make the concerts more meaningful, and I strive to
promote music’s universal appeal as a way to create shared bonds with audiences from different backgrounds, cultures,
and religions. For example, I encourage listeners to approach works in the Western classical choral repertoire as ‘pure
sound,’ or a kind of ‘absolute music,’ which communicates in an inclusive and universal language.
I should also mention an annual concert series
which I introduced two years ago for MCS Chorus,
one of my choirs. Called Mozart for Mississauga,
these concerts are designed to engage new
listeners and renew audiences’ appreciation of
Mozart’s music. The first two concerts in the
series have been very well received by audiences.
I’ve programmed these performances to present
Mozart’s major works in their historical context,
replacing spoken texts and Bible readings between
movements with some of his short instrumental
sonatas and motets.
What about sharing the choral art form
with the wider community? How do you
accomplish that?
Taking the choral art form out of the concert
hall and sharing it with the wider community is another high priority for me. All my choirs participate in numerous
community events -- Canada Day, Family Day, and Culture Day celebrations, local Santa Claus parades, community
caroling events, and benefit concerts for local charities. We’ve also mounted ‘flash mob’ performances at a shopping
mall, a hospital cancer centre, and a number of Christmas bazaars.
A central part of my community
outreach vision is the integrated
arts education program for
elementary students which I
developed five years ago. Along
with a small ensemble of singers
and a professional accompanist,
I involve young listeners in an
in-school interactive session of
Canadian song, visual art, and
poetry. To date, the program has
been presented to more than
4,000 grade 3-8 students.
(page 54)
Are there other ways in which you promote partnerships in the
choral and wider musical community?
I took a leadership role in launching a dynamic network among
Mississauga’s 15 established musical organizations, which has been
formalized as Mississauga Partners in Music (MPIM). MPIM fosters collaboration and communication among the
member groups and is exploring innovative possibilities for sharing resources. By working together, MPIM is creating a
context where musical excellence can thrive and connect more meaningfully with the community.
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In conclusion, how would you sum up the importance of enhancing the choral art form as a shared
experience for singers, conductor, musicians, audience, and the community at large?
For all choirs, there is something invaluable and incredibly fulfilling in creating musical and human harmony. The
sometimes magical interaction among singers and between singers and their conductor transforms performances into
memorable experiences for the audience.
Sometimes during a rehearsal, I wonder if the choir will be able to master the score’s musical thoughts and perform the
work with the perfect balance of awareness, imagination, and expressive intensity. Yet each time the singers breathe
for a phrase, there is a new opportunity to recreate the composer’s vision and for us to share the experience with one
another and with the audience.
This is every choir’s opportunity -- the work and its rewards are worthy of our best efforts!
Mervin William Fick brings to his role as an artistic director more than 35
years of creative leadership as a choral conductor, vocal coach, voice teacher, and
clinician. His extensive knowledge of choral repertoire, his dedication to singers’
development, his innovative programming, and his commitment to community
involvement have revitalized many community, church, and professional choirs and
added scope and depth to their performances.
His strong belief in arts education for young audiences led to his developing a
successful interactive program of Canadian music, art, and poetry for elementary
students, now in its sixth year. He also guided the implementation of a Choral
Scholars program to give older students the opportunity to study and perform with
an adult concert choir.
A graduate of the University of Toronto Faculty of Music (B.Mus), Mr. Fick has
diplomas in vocal performance and pedagogy from the Royal Conservatory of
Music, as well as a Diploma and Certificate in Service Playing from the Royal Canadian College of Organists.
Mr. Fick has led a number of choral tours in Europe, successfully showcasing Canadian works. He directs four concert
choirs in the greater Toronto area: MCS Chorus (www.mcschorus.ca), PCS Singers (www.peelchoral.ca), Toronto Beach
Chorale (www.torontobeachchorale.com), and the award-winning Esprit Chamber Choir (www.espritcc.net )
Promote your choir or special event
We’re gearing up for our next exciting issue of Dynamic, and we’d love to include your stories,
updates, and news of special upcoming events!
Having your choir featured in Dynamic is one of the benefits of membership in Choirs Ontario.
The deadline for submission of articles for the December issue is November 2.
Send us your stories – our next issue will be published in at the beginning of December, and we’d
love to share your news and photos with the wider choral community.
Guidelines for submission are found at
http://www.choirsontario.org/dynamicsubmissions.page
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Singers take
e
What Happened to Vocal Training?
T
Stéphane Potvin
his is the first in a series of articles in which I will
reintroduce some of the basic principles of that outof-fashion technique known today as ‘bel canto.’ I will
also debunk a few myths about singing, such as: ‘singing is
all about breathing’ and ‘singing in the mask’ and ‘forward
resonance.’ In subsequent articles I will also describe healthy
and safe ways to develop the voice -- specifically in a choral
setting -- and offer easy and efficient warm up exercises.
First, a bit of history. Vocal training today has little in common
with the technique used for centuries, right up to the late
19th century, known as ‘bel canto.’ Since antiquity, vocal
training was based on the natural function of the voice. Over
time, training techniques evolved to extend the limits of the
vocal range and ability, an evolution that culminated in the
bel canto technique (an Italian term adopted in the 19th
century, meaning ‘beautiful singing’).
The bel canto technique is the traditional Italian head
voice vocal technique and style of the18th century, with an
emphasis on beautiful sounds and brilliant performances.
The technique focuses on building the voice, strengthening
vocal muscles, and unifying the registers, while refining the
tone. A dramatic shift occurred 160 years ago, and the bel
canto technique almost completely disappeared. Thankfully,
a few teachers kept it alive and passed it on, while others had
to rediscover it from old texts and experimentation.
What happened that caused such a shift? In the mid 19th century, Manuel Garcia
II, the son of a famous bel canto teacher -- either motivated by scientific curiosity,
or simply looking for shortcuts to vocal training -- tried to explain the functions
of the voice by looking inside the throat. He invented the laryngoscope (which
doctors still use today to examine the vocal cords) and used it to explore the
human vocal instrument.
With his new invention, Garcia observed that the vocal cords were flat in the
throat. This contradicted the principles of the bel canto taught by his father,
which maintained that the vocal cords are on a downward angle in the throat
and need to be stretched and strengthened to give the voice its range and power.
Garcia concluded that the old principles of the bel canto no longer held true. He
theorized that the difference between a non-singer and a trained singer depended
on other aspects of the body, and that breathing and resonator placement were
the basis of voice training. His theories caught on like wildfire, or in today’s
lingo, ‘went viral.’ These two elements became the cornerstone of vocal training
techniques used today.
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T
here was a serious flaw in Garcia’s theory, however. When a foreign object is inserted into the throat, the body
reacts defensively and the throat closes to prevent choking. It is impossible to sing properly with a medical
instrument in one’s throat, as I experienced recently during a visit to the E.N.T. doctor. As an experiment, have
someone throw a grape into your mouth and you will feel your throat close in reaction. When Garcia inserted his mirror
into the throat, the throat closed defensively. He saw horizontal vocal folds with a high larynx. The vocal folds are indeed
flat when at rest, when speaking, or when singing without proper technique. In full singing mode, the vocal folds should
be angled and stretched, and the larynx lowered.
To his credit, Garcia eventually realized his mistake and retracted his original findings. He realized that there are no
shortcuts in training a voice properly. Unfortunately, by then singers and teachers had already embraced his theories
and much preferred the easier and supposedly faster approach to voice training.
The results of this ‘modern’ and ‘scientific’ approach are voices that are weak and superficial, with little foundation to
the sound. Singers must push the sound, forcing their voices without really being able to project and have their sound
carry in performance spaces. This can result in vocal problems such as polyps, nodules, and voices that lose their ability
early on. Singers used to be able to sing with full, strong, mixed voice well into their seventies and eighties. Nowadays,
those who can still sing in their sixties can count themselves lucky. Although many claim to use or teach the bel canto
method, in-depth knowledge of the technique has been lost, and a misunderstanding of how the voice really works can
cause misreading of the old texts.
It is important to bring back the bel canto technique because it is the truly natural way to develop the voice. The bel
canto has many benefits -- it develops and protects the voice, ensures longevity, broadens the vocal range, allows
flawless and easy projection, encourages clear diction, and blends registers (head voice and chest voice). It also adapts
to all styles and genres of singing, from opera to pop, and most important, it can repair damaged voices.
In subsequent articles, I will describe modern approaches to singing and show how they conflict with the bel canto and
natural function of the voice.
Stéphane Potvin, (M. Mus., B. Ed., B. Mus.) is an accomplished, creative conductor recognized for his impeccable
technique, highly efficient rehearsals, and his profound and inspirational approach to music making. With more than 25
years of experience, he is equally at ease leading choirs and orchestras. A respected composer, arranger, and clinician,
he also has a wealth of experience in education and adjudication.
In recent years Maestro Potvin has served as resident conductor of Orchestra London and the Thunder Bay Symphony
Orchestra, where he also filled the role of Artistic Administrator. As a well established choral conductor; he has led the
Niagara Children’s Chorus, the Canadian Orpheus Male Choir, the Brott Music Festival Choir, and worked with the McGill
Chamber Singers.
Maestro Potvin is the Founder and Artistic Director of Musikay, a group of professional instrumentalists and singers
dedicated to the performance of classical music in the Oakville area. Mr. Potvin is an excellent, fully bilingual
communicator who engages audiences of all ages in French or in English. www.voicebuilder.ca
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UPBEAT
Amabile Choirs: Animato, a Music Readiness Program
Chris Harding
FOR
AGES
5-7
T
he Amabile Choirs
of London, Ontario,
announce the launch of Animato, a music readiness
program for children aged 5-7. Animato (Italian, meaning
‘animated and lively’), is based on the philosophy that
play-based learning is a vehicle for children to explore,
learn, develop new skills, and connect with others.
Animato is designed to introduce children aged 5–7 to
essential musical skills, build a solid foundation, and
provide them with their first exposure to choral music in a
non-performance setting. Taught by specialists in the early
childhood music methodologies such as Orff, Kodaly, and
Dalcroze, the classes not only develop musical skills, but
also self-expression, creativity, and confidence.
Through play-based activities, the children use movement,
singing, and instruments to explore basic musical concepts
such as tempo, rhythm, dynamics, notation, and form.
Emphasis is placed on creativity and enjoyable activities,
while providing a carefully planned curriculum that
includes developmentally appropriate activities.
Each lesson combines learning musical skills, group singing,
and play-like activities. In the first part of each lesson,
students learn about pitch exploration, proper breathing,
and singer’s posture as they participate in singing activities.
The second half of each class is devoted to play-based
learning and developing basic music reading skills through
creative movement, musical games, improvisation, and
playing simple percussion or barred instruments. Animato
A new young musicians program
presented
bywith
the
Classes meet on Saturday
mornings,
a maximum class
size
of 15 students.
Amabile of
is pleased
to have developed
a
Amabile
Choirs
London,
Canada
in conjunction
with London
Children's
Museum where all
partnership with
The London
Children’s
Museum,
Over an eight
week will
session,
Animato
classes
beprimarily
held.through singing games, unison songs and
rhythmic activities, children will practise the skills essential to music making.
Emphasis will be on creativity and fun while the children develop in their ability to
distinguish between speaking and singing voice, to know the difference between comparative
musical
concepts
such as high/ low,
fast/ slow, loud/
soft, to match pitch, to keepor
a steady
For
more
information:
contact
[email protected]
call beat,
to perform simple rhythms, and to read musical language.
(519) 641-6795
FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE VISIT US AT www.amabile.com
Chris Harding is
Promotion and Funds
Development Officer for
the Amabile Choirs of
London, Ontario.
The Animato program consists of three sessions, each
running for eight weeks. For an overview of the three
sessions, please visit http://is.gd/KnIffc
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Atlantic Voices: Music and Mascot!Joy Phillips-Johansen
A
tlantic
Voices: the
Newfoundland
and Labrador Choir of
Ottawa was founded
by a transplanted
Newfoundlander in
2002. Since then, the
choir has grown to 65 members, most of whom have roots
in Newfoundland, Labrador, and the Maritimes. There
are also choristers from Nova Scotia, New Brunswick,
Prince Edward Island, and Ontario who love singing the
repertoire of Newfoundland, Maritime, and Celtic music.
Atlantic Voices is unique in that they have a 61 kilo, eightyear-old black Newfoundland dog as their mascot, named
‘SS Maritime Atlantiika,’ a.k.a. ‘Tiika.’ Always a lady, this
gentle giant greets the audience, bows to them, stands
proudly as the choir opens each concert with Ode to
Newfoundland, and then lies down to enjoy the concert.
She attends most of the choir’s public appearances,
from the stirring Beaumont Hamel service on Canada
Day to performances at seniors’ residences, the Mayor’s
Christmas party, and the choir yard sale where she gives
small children rides in her cart.
Tiika also attends weekly rehearsals. When her owner,
soprano Joan Fisher, gathers her music to leave for choir
practice, Tiika knows she’s going to a place where she will
be petted and maybe enjoy a treat or two. Her presence
has a calming effect on the singers, who are often stressed
after a long day at work.
The choir purchased a red blanket with a paw-print
pattern for Tiika to lie on during rehearsals, but if she
sees our director make a sweeping upward motion while
conducting, she becomes alert and sits up, just in case
this is a signal for her. Tiika is also a music critic. After the
choir sang a Mic’mac song from Nova Scotia which ended
in a high-pitched yelp, Tiika leaped to her feet. This was
not a sound she approved of, and every time the song was
sung, she walked to the back of the rehearsal room, as
removed from the offending yelp as possible!
Tiika is certainly a well-loved member of our choir -Atlantic Voices President calls her “our loveable, calming
canine!”
Please visit us at www.atlanticvoices.ca/
Joy PhillipsJohansen is a former
teacher, an author, and
a proud member of
Atlantic Voices.
HOME
Bach Festival of Canada 2015: A Choral Success Story I
n the pastoral setting of rural Ontario, 30 minutes
north of London, the town of Exeter again hosted the
Bach Festival of Canada. From July 13-18, the Festival
featured 11 concerts in a variety of musical genres.
The ‘buzz’ created in this, the Festival’s fifth year,
attested to the professionalism and excellence of all the
performances. This groundswell of support gives us
confidence in the future success of this unique Festival!
Anchored by two resident musical ensembles (the Festival
Chamber Choir and the Festival Chamber Orchestra),
two of the performances presented choral / orchestra
repertoire of international standard -- material entirely
new to this region and to the majority of the listening
public.
In the first concert, A Summer Evening, the audience
reacted very favourably to featured works by Ontario
composers, including Smallman’s Brier, Sirett’s A Summer
Evening, and Emery ‘s The Lover’s Chant. Equally
captivating were two masterpieces by Ola Gjeilo (Dark
Night of the Soul and Luminous Night of the Soul), as well
as Whitacre’s The Seal Lullaby, Stroope’s Amor de mi Alma,
and Canteloube’s Bailero. 43 Dynamic | September 2015| volume 44, issue 1
Gerald Fagan
Included in this concert
were four demanding Bach
choruses performed by the
combined ensembles: Gloria
from the Lutheran Mass in F,
and choruses from Cantata
11 (Lobet Gott), 31 (Der
Himmel lacht), and 67 (Halt
in Gedachtnis). The amazing
ambience of Trivitt Memorial Anglican Church made a
perfect performance venue for this repertoire.
The other concert in the Festival involving chorus and
orchestra was the Gala Closing performance of the
monumental St. Matthew Passion. It featured the
Festival Massed Choir, full Baroque Symphony Orchestra,
and six major Canadian soloists: Colin Ainsworth,
tenor (Evangelist); John Avey, baritone (Christus); Leslie Fagan, soprano; Laura Pudwell, mezzo-soprano;
James Maclennan, tenor; and Daniel Lichti, bass-baritone.
This major work was performed in the local arena
of South Huron, which had perfect acoustics for the 150
performers. The Massed Choir represented 22 choral
organizations from 27 communities in Ontario and
Michigan -- one singer even traveled from New Jersey!
HOME
Fewer than 20 of the choristers had ever performed the St. Matthew Passion, perhaps reflecting the imbalance of cultural opportunity across our province. Although a number of the choristers had never performed a major choral/
symphonic work, participating in the Festival gave them some understanding of their capabilities in performing major
repertoire. This thrilling performance of the St. Matthew Passion received a prolonged standing ovation and confirmed
the success of the entire week’s musical offerings. We now prepare with vigour for the next Festival in 2017, which will
be a great year for Canadian repertoire -- we can hardly wait to rehearse!
Gerald Fagan, O.Ont., presently Artistic
Director of the Bach Music Festival of Canada,
has enjoyed a distinguished career as a choral
and orchestral conductor. His enthusiasm for
choral singing continues as the conductor of
the Festival Chamber Choir, an ensemble of
professional musicians from across Southern
Ontario.
The recipient of numerous awards and
honours, Mr. Fagan conducted all-Provincial
Choirs across Canada; was one of the
founders of ACCC and Choirs Ontario; and
was the Founding Conductor of the Toronto
Mendelssohn Youth Choir. In 2011, he was
awarded the province’s highest civilian
honour, The Order of Ontario. This year he
begins his 70th year of performance, having
first conducted in 1945.
HOME
Bel Canto Chorus: Happy 40
th
Birthday!
T
Erin Todd
he Bel Canto Chorus (BCC), Sudbury’s premier
community choir, made its grand debut 40 years ago
this fall. Since then, under the baton of a number
of talented directors, the choir has provided a welcoming
venue for people of many ages, from many walks of life,
and with many levels of ability, who simply love to sing
together.
In late February, we will mark this special year once again
in fine style, with an Anniversary Gala and Silent Auction.
Guests will be treated to a gourmet dinner, interspersed
with live entertainment featuring choir members and past/
present directors, video clips, and culminating in a much
anticipated grand finale! Proceeds from this event will be
gratefully accepted by the Bel Canto Capital Campaign.
From oratorio, to romantic art song, to 21st century
Broadway, the choir’s repertoire covers a wide variety
of musical genres and eras, both sacred and secular. In
addition to its regular local concert schedule, the Bel
Canto has been asked to participate in a number of special
events, including the Olympic Torch run for the 2010
Winter Games, and the 2012 professional figure skating
show, Celebration on Ice. In 2013, the choir was invited to
participate in a 400-voice performance of Handel’s Messiah
at Lincoln Centre in New York City. About 20 members
were fortunate enough to experience ‘Messiah Boot Camp’
and the mass-choir public performance.
Both as choral music lovers and as citizens of Sudbury,
we are very proud of BCC. On this, our 40th anniversary,
we celebrate our history and look forward with great
anticipation to our future as an active ‘key player’ in our
city’s arts and culture scene.
As a not-for-profit organization, the Bel Canto Chorus
perpetuates a spirit of community involvement and
support. Annual scholarships are awarded to the local
Kiwanis Music Festival, donations are regularly made to
various local charities including the Food Bank, and free
concerts are given at hospitals and long-term care centres.
Some very special events are planned as part of this
milestone year. As a kick-off to the Christmas season, we
will join forces with the Sudbury Symphony Orchestra
in November for two joint Christmas concerts, featuring
excerpts from Handel’s Messiah.
For more information about the Bel Canto Chorus and the
upcoming anniversary events, please visit:
www.belcantochorus.ca
Erin Todd has been
singing in the choir as a
second soprano for six
years, and is currently
serving on the Executive as Publicity Director.
She describes herself as
a “second generation
chorister,” since her
mother sang with the
Bel Canto since it was
formed. Erin adds, “I attended my first BCC concert in the womb!”
HOME
Cambridge Kiwanis Boys’ Choir TourJim Kropf
T
he Cambridge Kiwanis Boys Choir (CKBC) was
founded in 1978 by to provide musical training for
boys and young men in the Region of Waterloo. This
award winning Choir is a member of the Royal School of
Church Music, Choirs Ontario, and the Choristers Guild.
The CKBC toured the Netherlands and England from June
28 to July 14, 2015, and performed at several memorial
and church services. Their first stop was at the Groesbeek
Canadian Memorial Cemetery in the Netherlands, where
they led a memorial service to honour the more than
2,000 Canadian soldiers who died in that area while
fighting the Nazis in WWII.
Something very special happened while touring
Groesbeek Cemetery. The boys inquired about a tattered
Canadian flag they saw flying from a pole at a nearby
farmhouse. They were told that the farmer had raised
the flag on the day the Canadian troops freed Holland in
1945 and had never taken it down. After his death, his son
continued to fly the flag to honour the Canadians who had
liberated his country. The choir went to the farmhouse
and presented the startled owner with a new Canadian
flag, which was raised while the boys sang O Canada. A
memorable event!
Read more in this article featuring CKBC, published in the
August 12, 2015, Cambridge Times: http://is.gd/tOH9PU
For more information, call Jim Kropf at 519-622-4897 or
visit: http://www.ckboyschoir.ca
Jim Kropf and his late
wife, Jean, were founding
directors of the Cambridge
Kiwanis Boys Choir in 1978.
James continues to direct
the Cambridge Kiwanis Boys
Choir and Young Men’s
Chorus. He is also the
director of music at Avenue
Road Baptist Church and at
Fairview Mennonite Home,
both in Cambridge, Ontario.
HOME
Canadian Children’s Opera Company: Lullabies
T
he Lullabies CD: 2015 is an important landmark for
the Canadian Children’s Opera Company (CCOC), now
in its 48th year. For the past 15 years the organization
--whose members regularly perform in the Canadian Opera
Company’s productions -- has been under the direction of
Executive Artistic Director Ann Cooper Gay. Ann retired
this summer, but as a parting gift, she conceived and led
the CCOC in recording Lullabies, a collection of cradle
songs from around the world.
The Lullabies CD features 17 beautiful songs, performed by
the CCOC’s Principal Chorus (aged 8-13) and Youth Chorus
(aged 13-21), with Ann Cooper Gay as conductor and
accompanist. Some tracks are also conducted by Errol Gay,
and Gergely Szokolay accompanies on additional tracks.
Other contributions include Ken Hall on flute and Sonia
Szokolay on violin.
The lullabies
are sung in
12 different
languages,
including
Zulu, Lakota,
Arabic, Welsh
and Greek,
reflecting
the cultural
universality
of the
mother-child
relationship.
Soloists were
chosen from
within the company and its alumni: Erin Cooper Gay,
Jacoba Barber-Rozema, Lori Lewis, Georgia Perdikoulias,
Charmaine Chang, and Julia Sebastien. Also featured
on one track is Egyptian-Canadian singer/songwriter
Maryem Tollar.
The CCOC is now working with local hospitals to
coordinate the distribution of the first 500 copies of the
disc, and is seeking donors to enable additional copies to
be made and given to new mothers. Limited copies are
available for sale to the general public through the CCOC
office.
Ann conceived the project after reading that Toronto
Symphony Orchestra’s Music Director (and CCOC’s
honorary patron), Peter Oundjian had recorded orchestral
lullabies with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, with
the express purpose of presenting copies to new mothers.
Ann decided that, since the CCOC was in a great position
to sing lullabies in many different languages, they could
produce a choral CD that would pay respects to Toronto’s
diverse multicultural scene. In keeping with her vision of
the CCOC as an organization integral to and inclusive of all
Torontonians, she also planned to distribute the CD free to
new mothers.
For more information, visit:
www.canadianchildrensopera.com
Written in collaboration by those
who admire Ann Cooper Gay and
hold her in the highest regard.
HOME
Cantata Singers of Ottawa: New Artistic Director and New Season
worked with community, academic, and professional
ensembles throughout the UK. He particularly enjoys
directing modern premiers of rediscovered renaissance
works and liturgical performances of Bach’s Passions. Visit
his website at: http://www.andrewmcanerney.com
The CSO’s new Artistic Director has planned a vibrant 201516 season. The choir’s October concert, Rachmaninoff
Vespers by Candlelight, celebrates the 100th anniversary
of the performance of Rachmaninoff’s Vespers (All-Night
Vigil), with a complete performance of this work. This
unique candlelit performance is introduced by three short
works for evening by Holst, Pärt, and Dove.
T
his past May, the Cantata Singers of Ottawa (CSO)
appointed Andrew McAnerney as their new Artistic
Director. Andrew first heard the choir perform in
2010 and says that he was “immediately impressed by
their musicianship and dedication. Almost five years later,
I am delighted to become their new Artistic Director.
During our 52nd season, we will perform a wide variety of
interesting works for all music lovers to enjoy.”
Andrew McAnerney is a versatile musician with a passion
for choral excellence and music accessibility. Since
graduating from Magdalen College, Oxford, in 1998,
Andrew has worked as a conductor, tenor soloist, consort
singer, and arranger. Prior to relocating to Canada, he
founded choirs in Oxford, Guildford, and London and
The choir’s March concert, Miserere Mei: Lenten
Masterworks, presents musical masterpieces written for
the season of Lent, including a work by Canadian composer
Mark Sirrett, and two North American premières: John
Duggan’s Lamentations, and a new edition of Allegri’s
Miserere Mei.
The CSO’s season concludes with A Musical Bouquet
for Tulip-Tide, a May afternoon floral journey from the
Elizabethan madrigal to contemporary Canada, featuring
flora-inspired works of beauty and passion.
http://www.cantatasingersottawa.ca
HOME
Duet Club of Hamilton:
T
2015 Scholarship Awards
he Duet Club of Hamilton, founded in 1889. is the
oldest existing women’s musical club in Canada.
It has a long history of presenting gifted classical
artists to Hamilton audiences and supporting
young talent. The May 2015 issue of Dynamic included a
profile of The Duet Club and its activities, as it celebrated
126 years since its founding.
A bit of history: The group was first known as the Haydn
Duet Club because the original members performed Haydn
symphonies arranged as piano duets. Later meetings
focused on the study of specific composers, with members
providing musical examples and private performances. In
the early 20th century, the club began sponsoring public
recitals for Canadian and foreign pianists, instrumentalists,
and vocalists, including such acclaimed musicians as Gerald
Moore, Jan Rubes, Gladys Swarthout, Eby and Reginald
Bedford, Vladimir Horowitz, and Reginald Godden.
Susan Ricketts
The Duet Club is very proud of the fact that over the
decades it continues to fulfill its mandate of supporting
young, emerging Hamilton artists by providing scholarships
and performance opportunities.
For more information, visit: www.duetclub.ca
Susan Ford Ricketts is chair of the Duet Club
Scholarship Competition and Concert Series. Now retired,
she has taught voice and piano privately, as well as church
and school choirs in Hamilton, Barrie, and Toronto.
An important anniversary: This year the club marks
an important milestone -- their 75th year of awarding
scholarships to talented young Hamilton-area musicians.
The club’s first scholarship, The Ellen Ambrose Memorial
Scholarship for piano, established in 1940, was awarded in
memory of their founder.
The Duet Club also collaborates with well known musician
Ken Gee to offer the annual Michael Geryk Memorial
Piano Competition for advanced piano students, aged 1423, from the greater Hamilton area. The live performance
competition features up to four finalists, with a first prize
of $500 and performances with the Cathedral Bluffs
Symphony Orchestra, and in the Duet Club’s Annual
Concert Series.
T he
Fo
ub
One of the awards, the Rhena McIlroy Memorial
Scholarship, is designated for a Hamilton-area choir. The
winning choir (to be announced at a later date) will be
featured in the Duet Club’s Annual Choral Concert in April,
2016.
D uet
Cl
Since then, the club has added other scholarships and
provided many performance opportunities for young
artists. This year 11 scholarships in piano, vocal, and
instrumental music were offered to Hamilton-area
students up to 25 years of age. The recipients of the
awards were announced on August 31, 2015:
www.duetclub.ca/scholarships The winners are invited to
perform at a Scholarship Winner’s Recital in November,
where they also receive their scholarships.
und
ed
HOME
Guelph Youth Singers Celebrates 25 Years
W
here has all the time gone? The
Guelph Youth Singers (GYS) turns
25 this year! It all began in 1991
when GYS was formed as a joint project of the
Guelph Arts Council and the Guelph Chamber
Music Society.
The Guelph Youth Singers is an award winning
choir with deep roots in the community.
Comprised of four main auditioned choirs and
several specialized choral groups, GYS brings
together children and youth aged 6 to 19+ for
a musical adventure like no other.
Under the expert guidance of founder and
long-time artistic director, Linda Beaupré, and its present
artistic director,
Markus Howard,
GYS has more than
fulfilled its mandate
of choral excellence.
It has released three
CDs over the years,
been honoured with
many national and
international awards,
and has become
one of the jewels of
Guelph’s musical arts
community.
The choir continues to provide a special place where
children enjoy singing and grow in their musical ability.
They thrive as they learn together about music, the arts,
and culture. They gain confidence and poise as they
perform in public. They experience the power and magic of
teamwork as they blend their voices to create music that is
only possible through cooperation!
GYS creates a higher level of awareness and enthusiasm
for choral music by involving children, schools, parents,
families, and the general public. Its existence adds richness
and beauty to our community, our province, and our
country.
GYS is having a party to celebrate its 25th, and YOU are
on the guest list. Join us in the season-long festivities as
we celebrate our favourite music from the past quarter
century, and blaze a musical trail of new melodies and
lyrics that will have you coming back for the next 25 years.
Guest artists, newly commissioned music, spectacular
collaborations, alumni participation, and many more
surprises highlight the 2015-16 season. Join these amazing
young musicians as they sing their hearts out and remind
us why Guelph Youth Singers is a cornerstone in the
musical life of our community. Come and experience why
GYS has put Guelph on the map in international music
circles. You don’t want to miss the party!
For more information, visit the GYS website:
http://guelphyouthsingers.com
Written by Katie Case, Marketing Coordinator and
Cathy Meggison, Administrator.
HOME
Hamilton Children’s Choir: UpdatesGillian Alexander
W
hat keeps alumni coming back? In May,
2015, the Hamilton Children’s Choir (HCC)
celebrated its 40th anniversary. Since I was
coordinating alumni relations for the celebration, I had
to think of ways
to encourage
alumni of all
ages to return
for this special
occasion. I sang
in the HCC for
12 years, and
although the
choir wasn’t
my only extracurricular activity, it was the one I stuck with. Why?
A choir is a family. There’s a sense of community that
is difficult to find anywhere else. When you sing in a
choir, you breathe together –you create art, which
has a je-ne-sais-quoi life-enriching quality that is hard to
replicate.
The conductors of the HCC ‘family’ have a huge impact
on the chorister’s experience. The HCC has had four
fearless artistic leaders over the course of its lifetime.
I had the opportunity to work with two: the late David
Davis, and the world-renowned Zimfira Poloz. I was young
when I knew David, but I remember him as a charismatic
conductor. Zimfira Poloz brought the HCC to places that
were only a dream in 2003 when she became conductor.
But more important is Zimfira’s heart -- she makes every
member of the HCC feel important and loved. When
Zimfira asks, you deliver!
What has been especially
profound for me are the
lasting friendships that
are formed in choirs. In
1997, I made my first
friend in the HCC, and
in 2014 I attended her
engagement party. In
2016, I will be maid
of honour at another
friend’s wedding, also a
former HCC chorister. My
experience isn’t unique.
In conversations with
other alumni the same
theme recurs
-- the friends
they made in
the HCC are
the ones they
have for life.
It may sound
like a cliché,
but what
keeps alumni
coming back
is ‘love’
– love of
community,
love of art,
love of music, love of friendship.
HOME
T
he HCC at the Pan AM Closing
Ceremony: The Hamilton Children’s
Choir joined the star-studded Toronto
Pan Am Closing Ceremony on July 26 for
a solo performance of Shine Your Light, to
mark the Pan Am flame being extinguished.
The piece was composed by Canadian
Aboriginal artist Robbie Robertson and
arranged by HCC alumna and artistic staff
member, Emily Taub. Ninety choristers
aged 9-18, from the HCC’s Esplori,
Esprimas, and Ilumini choirs rehearsed
throughout the summer for the ceremony.
They took the stage to perform Shine Your Light in front of
thousands, followed by grand finale performances by
artists Serena Ryder, Kanye West, and Pitbull. “It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for us and
the choristers. We’re truly honoured to represent
Hamilton and stand on a national stage to perform
for Canada and the world,” said Tricia LeClair, HCC
executive director.
For artistic director Zimfira Poloz, the Pan Am
experience captured the spirit and diversity of the
games. “The closing ceremony was a wonderful
celebration of cultures and their uniqueness. This is
one experience that our children will never forget.”
Visit the HCC website at:
http://hamiltonchildrenschoir.com
Gillian Alexander is the
new Operations Coordinator
of the Hamilton Children’s
Choir. In this role, she will
help develop and enhance
HCC’s donor relations
strategy and volunteer
engagement. Gillian is
also an acclaimed singer/
songwriter (Gillian Nicola),
and has been nominated
for the Hamilton Music
Awards and the Toronto
Independent Music Awards.
In her spare time, she
volunteers with Girls Rock Camp Toronto, an organization
that builds self-esteem through music creation.
HOME
Kingston Chamber Choir: Music to Move and Inspire You
T
his season, the Kingston Chamber Choir (KCC) is
discovering a new meaning for its motto, ‘music to
move you.’
A newly formed partnership with the Alzheimer Society of
Kingston, Frontenac, Lennox & Addington will see the choir
present its richly varied repertoire to those suffering from
dementia and to their caregivers. The partnership, which
has been in the works since the spring, will also give rise to
a special choir for people with dementia.
“We’re coming to know
that music is not only one
of the last things we lose
through dementia, but also
that music is a powerful
trigger for memory,” said
Gordon Sinclair, KCC artistic
director. “If we needed any
more convincing of the
importance of music in our
lives, that would be enough,”
he said. “To engage those
with dementia with music
speaks of therapy, but also
the power of music.”
Appealing to a broader audience also continues to be a
top priority for the choir. The choir’s 2015-2016 season
includes a wide-ranging repertoire to ‘move and inspire’
audiences. Their November concert, Memories Sweet &
Sad, features Faure’s Requiem. At the end of November,
KCC will also present Homes for the Holidays, a walking
tour of festively decorated homes in historic Kingston.
This fundraising initiative, introduced last season, will
now be an annual event.
Marjorie Sim
The choir will perform Handel’s
Messiah in December. “This
is the choral piece most often
performed the world over. It is a dearly loved work, and
the choir is proud to perform it again after a two-year
hiatus,” said Sinclair.
At their February, 2016 concert, Made in Canada, KCC
will première a commissioned work by local Canadian
composer, Sarah Quartel, whose compositions evoke
images of Canadian landscapes and who is becoming
recognized as bringing a distinctly Canadian voice to the
international choral scene. As the only Canadian ‘featured
composer’ with Oxford University Press, her pieces have
been performed widely throughout North America and
Europe, and are now gaining popularity in Australia and
Asia.
The season will culminate in April with Magnificently
Mozart, featuring Regina Coeli, K. 108, and Piano Sonata in
C minor, K. 457.
Please visit: http://www.kingstonchamberchoir.ca/
Marjorie Sim is a
communications, media
relations, and development
consultant. A freelance
writer and former journalist,
she currently provides
administration, development,
and communications services
for the Kingston Chamber
Choir. Sim has also served as
communications consultant
to the Oakville Children’s
Choir.
HOME
MCS Chorus: Innovative Arts Ed Program for ChildrenJudith Fine
T
he MCS Chorus is a chamber choir of 30 auditioned
voices, based in Mississauga. Under the direction of
Mervin William Fick, the chorus performs a varied
repertoire, actively supports emerging artists, performs
regularly at community events, and brings a unique
and innovative arts education program into elementary
schools.
Developed by Artistic Director Mervin William Fick, the
program provides a free, in-school session of Canadian
poetry, music, and visual art for grade 3-8 students.
Designed to spark students’ curiosity, creativity, and
imagination, it also ties into curriculum-based music, art,
and literacy activities. Successfully launched in 201011, this live-performance, in-school program has been
presented to more than 4,000 students.
The program centers around The Gallery of Song: Spirit
of the Land, a series of nine choral vignettes for women’s
voices, composed by Dr. James Wright, Carleton University.
The lyrics are based on poems written by students (aged
8-16) in response to selected Group of Seven paintings.
The choral score’s dynamic and lyrical soundscapes express
Dr. Wright’s interpretation of the students’ creative writing.
The presenting group includes Artistic Director Mervin
William Fick, who leads the sessions, an accompanist,
and a small ensemble of MCS Chorus singers. The nine
paintings that originally inspired the students’ poems
are projected onto a screen as each song is introduced.
During the one-hour session, Mr. Fick actively engages
the students before and after each song, using lively
commentary and question-and-answer dialogue, showing
them how the songs and piano accompaniment reflect the
lyrics and the paintings, and asking for their reactions. One
or two of the students also have a chance to conduct the
singers with Mr. Fick’s baton.
Teachers’ reactions:
~ You truly brought art and music alive today at our school.
~ The students were blown away by the impact of the
paintings coming to life through live performance.
~ It was one of the most inspiring arts presentation
we’ve ever had.
Some student comments :
~ You can hear the painting when they sing!
~ Thanks for telling us that creativity is all around us.
~ I liked talking about the painting before they sang.
~ I never knew that you can turn a painting into a song.
http://mcschorus.ca/arts-education/school-program/
Judith Fine has sung
with MCS Chorus
since 1984 and is
the communications
coordinator for the choir.
She was the Research /
Assessment Consultant
for the Peel Board of
Education for 30 years,
and has worked as a
professional editor.
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Mississauga Children’s Choir: New Artistic Director
T
he Mississauga
Children’s Choir
is very pleased
to announce that
Dr. Glenda Crawford
has accepted the
position of Artistic
Director, effective
August 1, 2015. The
choir’s outgoing
Artistic Director, Dr.
Caron Daley, has been
appointed Director of
Choral Activities and
Assistant Professor of
Music at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, PA.
Choristers. She was awarded the Oakville Arts Leadership
award and Queen’s Jubilee Medal for her work with the
Oakville Children’s Choir. She has been a guest clinician
at many choral workshops in Ontario, including the Peel
Board of Education and the Kodaly Society of Ontario, and
she is an examiner for the Royal Conservatory of Music.
Her musical interests include Renaissance choral music, the
child’s voice, and female conductors.
As Glenda leads the Mississauga Children’s Choir into
its 36th season, they look forward to continuing to offer
Mississauga youth an exceptional musical experience
through excellence in performance, education, touring, and
service to the community.
www.mississaugachildrenschoir.com
Dr. Glenda Crawford, a conductor and music educator from
Oakville, Ontario, recently completed her Doctor of Musical
Arts degree (DMA) at the College-Conservatory of Music,
University of Cincinnati, where she majored in Choral
Conducting. Over the course of her 20-year career in music
education, she has proven to be a dynamic and energetic
educator, dedicated to the highest musical standards in
performance, teaching, and research. She has worked
with a number of ensembles in North America, producing
choirs of outstanding quality who have performed in worldfamous concert halls in North America and Europe.
Glenda has held positions at a universities in Canada and
the US, where she has taught conducting technique, voice,
choral literature, and musicianship. Prior to completing her
doctorate, she was the founder and Artistic Director of the
Oakville Children’s Choir, and Artistic Director of the Milton
HOME
Orillia Vocal Ensemble Supports Charities
T
he Orillia Vocal Ensemble (OVE) is a community choir
that performs to raise money for local charities -- it’s
known as Orillia’s ‘Pay-It-Forward Choir!’
Since Musical Director Roy Menagh founded the OVE in
2010, it has become a successful community chorus with
a core chamber choir. The organization has developed a
unique and effective ‘Pay-It-Forward’ operational model,
with a focus on raising money for local charities. Since
its inception, the OVE has raised more than $60,000 for
local organizations, including the Community Foundation
of Orillia and Area, Couchiching Jubilee House, Camp
Couchiching, Big Brothers, Big Sisters, and Telecare
Distress Line of Greater Simcoe.
The OVE’s business sponsor, Dapper Depot Menswear,
covers the concert costs for these fundraisers, and
admission is always free. The charity to benefit from
the concert assists in promoting the event, and collects
and retains all donations gathered at the performance.
An annual Christmas concert sponsored by Orillia Thor
Motors raised over $6000 for the Sharing Place Food Bank
last year. and expectations are just as high for this year’s
event. According to OVE Music Director Roy Menagh, ”It’s
a perfect partnership between business, the arts, and the
community. Everyone wins!”
Carol Benedetti
positive that OVE
decided to hold the
workshop on an
annual basis. Read about the April 2015 workshop here:
http://is.gd/c30sQt
The OVE is also an active member of the Orillia Performing
Arts Forum (OPAF), a committee of local performing arts
groups who advocate for the arts, coordinate and crosspromote their concerts, and produce Orillia Performs!
each November -- a gala concert of OPAF member groups
with proceeds going into a fund to assist groups with
venue costs.
The Orillia Vocal Ensemble rehearses on Tuesday evenings
and is open to all singers. Membership in the smaller core
chamber choir is by audition only. To learn more about
Orillia’s ‘Pay-It-Forward choir,’ visit the website at
http://orilliavocalensemble.com, or contact Roy Menagh at 705-327-3105.
Carol Benedetti is
the Manager of the Orillia
Vocal Ensemble and Chair
of the Orillia Performing
Arts Forum.
In April 2014, the Orillia Vocal Ensemble organized a
choral workshop, sponsored by Lakehead University.
Clinicians Dr. Dean Jobin-Bevans and Dr. Leonard Enns
presented themed and sectional workshops to more
than 80 participants from 11 choirs. The feedback was so
HOME
Penthelia Singers: Exciting New Season Alice Malach
A
vibrant ensemble of 20 women, Penthelia Singers
is an inclusive and supportive Toronto-based
auditioned choral group, committed to performing
culturally diverse and musically sophisticated repertoire
from the Renaissance to the 21st century. Founded in
1997, the group is named after the ancient Egyptian
priestess-musician, Penthelia. Now in her ninth season as
Artistic Director, Alice Malach is honoured to continue the
work of founding Artistic Director, Mary Legge.
The choir aims to demonstrate the diversity of choral
works and to connect with their community through
music. They have earned a reputation for presenting
innovative concerts in a multitude of languages. Costumes,
inventive concert venues, and unique programming create
an original and engaging concert experience.
Over the past decade, Penthelia Singers has often engaged
in collaborations with exceptional artists -- for example,
Shades of Araby Belly Dancers as part of a Middle
Eastern themed concert; multi-musician Suba Sankaran,
who has run workshops for the choir and arranged and
transcribed many pieces for the group; and percussionist
Steve Mancuso, who taught the choir a Capoeira piece
accompanied by traditional Brazilian folk instruments
and choreography. The Choirs Ontario Professional
Development Grant for Choirs program, for which the choir
is grateful, has supported several of these initiatives.
and other illusions. This concert, Magic, Mystery, and
Miracles, focuses on music that sets the stage for MAGIC!
In the spring of 2016, the choir will present In the Kitchen
with Penthelia, a concert dedicated to the music of Eastern
Canada in the form of a Kitchen Party.
Please visit their website at: www.Penthelia.com
For information about joining Penthelia Singers, please
visit http://penthelia.com/join-us/, or
email [email protected]
Alice Malach, Artistic
Director of Penthelia
Singers, is a graduate of
the University of Toronto
Faculty of Music. She
holds an Artist Diploma
in Piano Performance
and Pedagogy from the
Glenn Gould School, an
A.R.C.T. diploma in Piano
Performance, and a
Kodaly Certificate. Alice
is a faculty member of
The Royal Conservatory
of Music, and currently
teaches music at Northlea Elementary School, Toronto,
where she co-directs their award-winning choirs.
In November, Penthelia Singers collaborates with an
illusionist, providing choral accompaniment for levitation
HOME
St. Michael’s Choir School: Music to Download
Kate Rosser-Davies
A free online catalogue of the music of Monsignor John Edward Ronan,
founder of St. Michael's Choir School, Toronto, Canada.
Catalogued by Dr. Robin Williams
T
he Second Vatican Council named the music
of the Roman Catholic Church as a treasure of
inestimable value. After several years of organizing
and cataloguing, followed by many months of digitizing
and uploading, the music manuscripts of our founder,
Monsignor John Edward Ronan, which were left in the
care of the St. Michael’s Choir School, are now available
for digital download. We are thrilled to offer this music
as a gift to churches throughout the world.. To view the
collection and download copies of these manuscripts,
please visit www.smcs.on.ca/ronancollection.
St. Michael’s Choir
School wishes to
express its deepest
thanks to Dr. Robin
Williams, whose
research made this
online repository
a reality. His work
was completed
under the auspices
of the Pontifical
Institute of Sacred
Music in Rome,
where Msgr. Ronan received his training in liturgical music,
and with which our school has enjoyed a long-standing
affiliation. Availability of the collection via the internet is
intended as a gift from our school to the Universal Church.
It is the hope of St. Michael’s
Choir School that the music of
Msgr. Ronan will take its rightful
place in the vast treasury of
sacred music and will resound in
churches throughout the world.
Msgr. Ronan has left us an
invaluable legacy. May his music be a blessing for all who
partake in it.
If your musical group makes use of the Ronan collection
in print, or performs his pieces, please let us know
at [email protected]. SMCS Archives actively collects
programmes of concerts at which pieces composed by
Msgr. Ronan have been performed.
Kate Rosser-Davies,
Heritage and Special
Events Manager, looks
after the St. Michael’s
Choir School archives
and choral library, as well
as managing concerts,
tours, and special events.
She can be reached at
[email protected]
HOME
Summer Institute of Church Music: Update
Dawn Duncliffe
“There is a balm in Gilead to make the wounded whole,
There is a balm in Gilead to heal the sin-sick soul”
O
n July 5, 2015, the Summer Institute of Church
Music (SICM) gathered at Trafalgar Castle School in
Whitby, Ontario for its 46th session, entitled Care
of Self, Care of Others. The objective of the week was to
provide a series of sessions that would promote the selfcare of church musician, as well as to enable them to feel
more comfortable in caring for others in their choirs and
congregations. These sessions were in addition to the
Institute’s annual offering of choral directing and organ
sessions.
Along with the full-day sessions, the Institute offered the
ever-popular Chorister Program, in which choral singers
who could commute to Whitby and Oshawa joined the
day students for all five of the choir rehearsals and for the
Institute’s final Gala Concert.
Directed by Dr. Lee Willingham, the rehearsals provided
an opportunity to sing a variety of choral pieces,
including excerpts from Brahms’ Ein Deutsches Requiem,
arrangements by Moses Hogan and Stephen Hatfield, and
a new work by Jeff Enns, Be Thou My Vision, commissioned
by SICM in honour of this year’s recipient of the Fellow
of the Summer Institute of Church Music, Winnifred Sim.
The students were also invited to share in SICM’s opening
concert, featuring vocalist (and former SICM Board
member) Mark Ruhnke and his accompanist, Matthew
Coons.
Tradtional Sprititual
The sessions offered at this year’s SICM by Dr. Willingham
included choral leadership, choral language, and choral
literature. Day students were also invited to participate
in the daily Taizé-style chapel services, led by this year’s
chaplain, Rev. Dr. Betty Lynn Schwab. There were also a
variety of reading sessions, featuring selections available
through Music Plus, as well as works composed by
students of SICM.
The overall purpose of the Summer Institute of Church
Music is “to aid church musicians in their efforts to enrich
and improve the musical offering within church worship.”
The next session of the SICM will be held in Whitby on July
3 -8, 2016, at which Dr. Evelyn Grieger will be the Choral
Instructor. http://sicm.ca/new/
Dawn Duncliffe
is the Director of
Music at DunbartonFairport United Church
in Pickering. She is a
graduate of Lakehead
University’s Department
of Music and also teaches
piano, flute, and theory.
Dawn serves as Secretary
and Registrar for the
Board of Governors for
the Summer Institute of
Church Music.
HOME
Tone Cluster: Quite a Queer and Wonderful Choir
W
hen Tone Cluster began in 1994 as a gay madrigal
group with a temporary name, no one was
thinking about what the future might hold for
the group. More than 20 years later, Tone Cluster is a
vibrant musical ensemble that contributes musically to the
Ottawa arts scene and socially as part of Ottawa’s LGBTQ
community. Over the years it has grown into a group of
LGBTQ singers and their allies who rehearse each Monday
night to celebrate diversity, enjoy each other’s company,
and make some great music.
Tone Cluster donates its time to helping the groups who
support Ottawa’s gay community; the choir has sung at
events hosted by Pink Triangle Services and Egale and
for organizations concerned with HIV/AIDS. They have
marched as a group in support of Bruce House and equal
marriage in Canada.
The choir’s concerts continue to attract a wide audience
who enjoy the group’s eclectic repertoire -- everything
from madrigals to Manhattan Transfer arrangements. Tone
Cluster takes pride in showcasing talented performers from
Ottawa-Gatineau at its concerts and in commissioning new
works by Canadian composers.
Particularly noteworthy, is the group’s participation in
GALA 2016. GALA Choruses, Inc. was incorporated in 1983
and is now the leading association committed to serving
the GLBT choral movement throughout the world. More
than 100 choruses and 48 ensembles performed in Denver
in 2012, with over 6,000 delegates in attendance. Tone
Cluster is the only Canadian choir selected to perform a full
Kita Szpak
hour concert in the prestigious line up of Coffee Concerts
at the International LGBTQ Choral Festival in Denver,
Colorado, July 2-5, 2016. The concert is entitled (and here,
Tone Cluster’s special brand of humour comes to the fore),
WE GOT ISSUES – A Canadian Queer Choir’s Guide to Being
a Royal Pain in the Ass.
The first Ottawa concert this season, Upon a Midnight
Queer, takes place in December and continues the Tone
Cluster tradition of injecting humour and fun, along with a
great capacity for caring, into each of its concerts.
For further information about the choir’s concerts and
performances in 2015-16, please visit www.tonecluster.ca
Kita Szpak, publicist
for Tone Cluster, is
an author, happiness
expert, speaker, and
publicist who positions
people for personal and
professional excellence. She began writing over
15 years ago, first telling
her stories to her three
now-adult sons. In
2012 she published
her first book, You’re
Special Wherever You
Are, a children’s book finalist in the 6th Annual U.S. Indie
National Excellence Awards. HOME
Toronto Children’s Chorus: 27
th
T
o crown its 37th concert season, in late June the
Toronto Children’s Chorus (TCC) embarked on an
exciting nine-city tour to Russia, the Baltics, and
Poland. The 30-member Chamber Choir, under Artistic
Director Elise Bradley and Associate Conductor Matthew
Otto, had countless memorable experiences -- performing
concerts with wonderful host choirs, singing several solo
performances, and sharing the richness of each country’s
musical and cultural heritage.
International Tour Bradley Christensen
in Krakow, choristers had the rare honour of performing
under guest conductor and legendary Polish composer,
Maestro Krzysztof Penderecki, singing his beautiful
Sanctus.
Choristers and
tour staff had
many unique and
emotional sightseeing
experiences along
the way -- seeing
the Kremlin at
sunset; travelling
from Moscow to St.
Petersburg on an
overnight train (with
Performances included collaborative concerts with
Moscow’s Alye Parusa (‘Scarlet Sails’) Girls’ Choir; St.
Petersburg Music College’s Female Choir; Riga’s Balsis
Choir; and the Ugnele Choir of Vilnius, Lithuania. The choir
also enjoyed a wonderful reception in the 13th century
courtyard of the Riga Dom, hosted by the Riga Dom Girls’
Choir. Although schedules did not allow for a joint concert,
the members of both choirs shared a memorable evening
of song and friendship!
In Russia, Latvia, and Poland, the choristers had the honour
of performing for a number of Canadian Ambassadors. Mr.
Alain Hausser, Canadian Ambassador to the Baltic States,
expressed his deep gratitude for the choir’s excellent
representation of Canadian repertoire. Ms. Alexandra
Bugailiskis, Canadian Ambassador to the Republic of
Poland, so enjoyed the choir’s performance in Warsaw
that she travelled hundreds of miles to Krakow to attend
the TCC’s next concert! During the choir’s final concert
in the magnificent and historic St. Peter and Paul Church
four choristers sharing
each tiny cabin);
celebrating Canada
Day with an evening
concert followed by
a St. Petersburg canal
cruise in the neardaylight of ‘White
Nights;’ dipping
toes in the Baltic
HOME
Sea; visiting numerous historic churches, synagogues,
museums, castles, and palaces; and sharing the
unfathomable tragedy of the Holocaust at sites in Lithuania
and Poland.
As chorister Alisha Suri wrote to families on the TCC’s Tour
blog: “If someone had told me that I would be travelling
to all these amazing places when I first joined the TCC, I
probably wouldn’t have believed them.”
Incoming Head Chorister Georgia Lin agreed: “This tour
has been an unforgettable experience for all of us, filled
with lifelong memories and sights I couldn’t have imagined
I would be seeing before the trip began.”
For more information, visit
wwwtorontochildrenschorus.com
Bradley
Christensen,
the Marketing and
Communications
Coordinator for the
Toronto Children’s
Chorus, plans and
implements all marketing
and communications
activities. Bradley is
also a solo singer who
recently graduated from
the University of Toronto
with a Masters degree in
Voice Performance and Pedagogy.
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University of Windsor, SoCA
T
he School of Creative Arts (SoCA) at the University
of Windsor has appointed Dr. Bruce J. G. Kotowich
as Assistant Professor and Director of Choirs. Dr.
Kotowich has also accepted the positions of Chorus Master
for the Windsor Symphony Orchestra and Artistic Director
of the Windsor Classic Chorale.
Dr. Kotowich has a Doctor of Musical Arts in Choral
Conducting from the College-Conservatory of Music,
University of Cincinnati, as well as an Associateship of
Music in Vocal Performance from the Royal Conservatory
of Music, Toronto. He has conducted and judged numerous
festival and conference choirs, toured North America,
Europe, and China with his choirs, and presented at
professional conventions and symposia. He is published in
the Choral Research Memorandum Series through Chorus
America, and is the editor of a choral music series.
“It is exciting to join the School of Creative Arts at
the University of Windsor. The possibilities in fine arts
education and contributions to the greater Windsor
area are limitless,” explained Dr. Bruce Kotowich. “I am
honoured to head the SoCA Choral Program and begin
a new era in exciting music programming. The students’
talents and the passion of my new colleagues will provide
an artistic environment with which I hope to have a long
relationship. I feel very welcomed by the Windsor music
community -- especially the Windsor Symphony Orchestra
and the Windsor Classic Chorale. What a rich choral
community!”
Susan A McKee
Richard Householder,
Professor Emeritus of
Music, commented
that Dr. Kotowich
will “generate a
resurgence of the
University choirs, and bring leadership throughout the
entire Windsor and area musical scene. His knowledge,
expertise, musicianship and ability to engage all kinds
of singers provides important new energy in our choral
community.”
For the concert schedule and more information about
SoCA, visit: www1.uwindsor.ca/soca/
Susan McKee has
been Marketing/Publicity
Coordinator for the School
of Creative Arts, University
of Windsor, for eight
years. Prior to joining the
University, she was Director
of Marketing and Public
Relations with the Windsor
Symphony Orchestra. An
amateur singer, Susan is a
member of the Windsor
Symphony Orchestra Chorus
and All Saints’ Anglican
Church Choir.
HOME
Univox Choirs Toronto Celebrates their 10th Season
U
nivox is a mixed-voice community choir for
young adults, with relationship building, social
responsibility, and musical excellence at its core.
Concerts are mainly a cappella and span a wide range of
the choral spectrum: Renaissance madrigals and motets,
choral classics, modern compositions, spirituals, and
international folk songs.
Thanks to the remarkable efforts of our conductor,
board, and singers, Univox’s 2014-15 season -- our 10th
anniversary – was a memorable one. We were involved in
many special projects, including an appearance on CTV’s
MasterChef Canada; late night singing at Nuit Blanche; a
performance of Beethoven’s 9th Symphony in memory of
Elizabeth Krehm and benefitting St. Michael’s Hospital;
and participation in R. Murray Schafer’s Apocalypsis at the
Luminato Festival. And that was in addition to presenting
five other concerts which allowed us to raise money in
support of our partner charities: Sistering, Doctors without
Borders, and OpenMedia.ca.
One of our greatest accomplishments this past season
was expanding our organization to encompass two choirs:
Univox, the original young adult SATB choir, and a new
women’s choir, Florivox. Fran Farrell led Florivox in three
wonderful concerts – and with almost 50 members,
Florivox is growing quickly!
In April, 2015, 27 members of Univox visited Cuba, our first
international tour! Besides sight-seeing and soaking up
the sun, we had the privilege of attending workshops and
performing with three local choirs. We closed our concert season in June with our first
curated concert. Software artist and Univox member, Ryan
Kelln, collaborated with Artistic Director Dallas Bergen to
present Creo Animam. A mashup of choral concert, lecture
presentation, and video installation, the performance
featured an artificial
intelligence soloist,
poetry, stories, and a
look at what the next
20 years may bring. The
concert also explored
how technology,
community, and music
can transform society.
We are very proud of
the organization we’ve
become over the last
decade. Dallas Bergen’s
vision of a choral
community founded
on relationship building, social responsibility, and musical
excellence is flourishing, supported by the community
we have built together. Our tenth season was a year to
celebrate – and we look forward to many more!
For more information, visit: http://univoxchoir.org/
Tara Shuster has been
singing with Univox for five
years. She was Secretary
of the Board from 2011-13
and President from 201315. She was instrumental
in organizing the expansion
of Univox and making the
10th season of Univox so
memorable. She works
as a Case Manager for
a community mental
health organization and is
pursuing her Masters of
Social Work.
HOME
Young Singers: Durham’s Choral Ambassadors Y
oung Singers (YS) is a dynamic community choral
program for youth in the Durham Region. Directed
by founder Anna Lynn Murphy and accompanied by
Lois Craig, this program provides young singers aged 6-20
with opportunities to combine the discipline of learning
Stephanie Pritchard
had the opportunity to work with Dr.
Jeffrey Spratt at the Cork School of
Music.
The choir gave several performances
in Dublin, including a noon-hour concert at
St. Patrick’s Cathedral, which was attended
by Kevin Vickers, the Canadian Ambassador
to Ireland.
At this season’s annual retreat, the two
older choirs will be joined by Karen Burke,
director of the Toronto Mass Choir. Under
her guidance, they will hone their singing
and performing skills, while enhancing
their repertoire with gospel sound.
with the joy of singing and the art of performing. Since its
formation in 1992, more than 800 children in the Durham
Region have enjoyed the benefits of this program.
Known as Durham’s ‘Choral Ambassadors,’ Young Singers
is comprised of four choirs. Children in the two youngest
groups are introduced to music and teamwork in an
enjoyable and welcoming atmosphere. The Director’s
Choir (aged 10-16) and Random Notes (aged 14-20) form
the auditioned treble and teenage choirs, who toured
Ireland in March, 2015 -- the trip of a lifetime for these
young singers!.
Highlights from the Ireland tour included singing with
the Athenry Youth Orchestra in Galway, marching in the
Limerick St. Patrick’s Day parade, and performing in the
amazing acoustics of St. Mary’s Cathedral. In Cork, they
The 2016-2017 season ushers in Young
Singers’ 25th anniversary, and the choirs
are planning special performances and
festivities to mark this milestone. This
will be a great time to reconnect with
alumni, supporters, and all Young Singer friends. It will be a
wonderful chance to catch up!
www.youngsingers.ca
Stephanie Pritchard
is the mother of a singer
in the Director’s Choir.
She frequently volunteers
her time at rehearsals
and concerts, as well as
participating on the Choir
Executive.
HOME
Concert Listings / Festivals & Events
October 17, 2015
The Queensmen Male Chorus & the Women of the
Harmony Singers of Etobicoke Date Night - A Celebration
of the Joy of Singing St. Paul’s United Church, 123 Main
Street East, Milton. 7:30 p.m. $20/$10 905-878-8895
www.queensmen.net
October 18, 2015
Vesnivka Womens Choir Roman Hurko, Liturgy No. 4
(Vesnivka) St. Nicholas Ukrainian Catholic Church, Queen
Street & Bellwoods Avenue, Toronto. 3:00 p.m. Free
admission 416-246-9880 or 416-763-2197 www.vesnivka.com
October 21 and 24, 2015
Toronto Mendelssohn Choir & TSO, Vaughan Williams,
Symphony No. 1. Sea Symphony, Roy Thomson Hall, 60
Simcoe Street, Toronto. 8:00 p.m. 416-593-4828
http://tso.ca/
October 23, 2015
Ottawa Choral Society Shining Light Christ Church
Cathedral, 439 Queen Street , Ottawa. 7:30 p.m. $35
(reserved); $30 (general seating); $10 (students); age 16
and under, free 613-725-2560 www.ottawachoralsociety.com
October 24, 2015
Toronto Children’s Chorus Let Earth Resound St. Anne’s
Anglican Church, 270 Gladstone Ave., Toronto. 3:00 p.m.
$25 adult, $20 students/seniors; $10 children 416-9328666 torontochildrenschorus.com
October 24, 2015
Pax Christi Chorale Hands Across the Water Grace Church
on-the-Hill, 300 Lonsdale Road , Toronto. 7:30 p.m. $40
regular; $35 senior; $25 student 416-786-2509 www.paxchristichorale.org
October 25, 2015
Bach Chamber Youth Choir Coffee House St. Barnabas
Anglican Church, 361 Danforth Ave., at Chester, Toronto.
7:00 p.m.. $15 416-431-0790 www.bachchildrenschorus.ca
October 30, 2015
Orpheus Choir Phantom of the Opera: The perfect
Halloween treat! Grace Church on the Hill, 300 Lonsdale
Rd., Toronto. 7:30 p.m. $35 adult; $30 senior; $10 student
416-530-4428 www.orpheuschoirtoronto.com
November 01, 2015
Amadeus Choir Luminosity - A Celebration of Light! Eglinton
St. George’s United Church, 35 Lytton Boulevard, Toronto.
4:00 p.m. Regular $135/ Senior $105/ Under 30 $85/
Student $45 416-578-8592 www.amadeuschoir.com
November 07, 2015
Tafelmusik Sing Along Messiah Workshop Trinity-St. Paul’s
Centre, Jeanne Lamon Hall, 472 Bloor St. W., Toronto. 2:00
p.m. $10 416-964-6337 http://www.tafelmusik.org
November 08, 2015
Kingston Chamber Choir Memories Sweet & Sad St.
George’s Cathedral, 270 King St East, Kingston. 2:30 p.m.
$15-$35 613-639-9814 www.kingstonchamberchoir.ca/concerts.html
November 14, 2015
Toronto Mendelssohn Choir Singsation Saturday: Open
Choral Workshop Yorkminster Park Baptist Church, 1585
Yonge Street, Toronto. 10:30 a.m. $10 www.tmchoir.org/singsation-saturdays/
November 14, 2015
York Regional Police Male Chorus 23rd Annual “In Harmony
WIth the Community” Victory Baptist Church, 18408 Yonge
Street, East Gwillimbury. 7:30 p.m. $10 905-727-9676
November 21, 2015
Grand Philharmonic Choir Chamber Singers Arvo Part,
Passio St John the Evangelist Anglican Church, 23 Water St.,
Kitchener. 7:30 p.m. General Admission $30 519-578-6885
www.grandphilchoir.com
November 25, 2015
Toronto Mendelssohn Choir German Romantics Koerner
Hall, TELUS Centre for Performance and Learning, 273
Bloor St West, Toronto. 10:30 a.m. $20-$81 416-596-0422,
ext. 221 www.tmchoir.org
November 28, 2015
MCS Chorus Welcome Chirstmas St. Andrews Memoral
Presbyterian Church, 24 Stavebank Road, Mississauga. 7:30
p.m. regular, $20; youth (up to 18), $10 905-278-7059
www.mcschorus.ca
December 02, 2015
Libertas Male Choir Christmas Sing-Along Alexandra
Presbyterian Church, 410 Colborne Street, Brantford. 7:30
p.m. $10 - $20. Children under 10, Free 905-522-0001
www.libertasvoices.com
HOME
December 03, 2015
December 06, 2015
Libertas Male Choi Christmas Sing-Along Canadian
Reformed Church of Smithville, 330 Station Street,
Smithville. 7:30 p.m.. $10 - $20. Children under 10, Free
905-522-0001 www.libertasvoices.com
St. Michael’s Choir School Golden Anniversary Concert
Massey Hall, 178 Victoria St., Toronto. 3:00 p.m. $50-$20
416-872-4255 www.smcs.on.ca/concerts/
December 03, 04, 05, and 06, 2015
Grand Philharmonic Children’s and Youth Choirs Sing For
Peace St. John’s Lutheran Church, 22 Willow St., Waterloo.
4:00 p.m. $10 general admission, children under 12 free
519-578-6885 www.grandphilchoir.com
Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra and Chamber Choir Bach’s
Christmas Oratorio Trinity-St. Paul’s Centre, Jeanne Lamon
Hall, 472 Bloor St. West, Toronto. 8:00 p.m. $20 - $93
416.964.6337 www.tafelmusik.org
December 04, 2015
Libertas Male Choir Christmas Sing-Along Knox
Presbyterian Church, 142 Ontario Street, Stratford. 7:30
p.m. $10 - $20. Children under 10, Free 905-522-0001
www.libertasvoices.com
December 04, 2015
Upper Canada Choristers Wolcum Yole! Grace Church onthe-Hill, 300 Lonsdale Road, Toronto. 8:00 p.m. $25 for
adults; children and high school students free 416-2560510. www.uppercanadachoristers.org.
December 05, 2015
St. Michael’s Choir School Golden Anniversary Concert
Massey Hall, 178 Victoria St., Toronto. 3:00 p.m. $50-$20
416-872-4255 www.smcs.on.ca/concerts/
December 06, 2015
December 09, 2015
Toronto Mendelssohn Choir & Canadian Staff Band, Festival
of Carols Yorkminster Park Baptist Church, 1585 Yonge St.,
Toronto. 7:30 p.m. 416-598-0422 www.tmchoir.org
December 12, 2015
Ottawa Choral Society Noel Christ Church Cathedral, 439
Queen Street , Ottawa. 7:30 p.m. $35 (reserved); $30
(general seating); $10 (students); age 16 and under, free
613-725-2560 www.ottawachoralsociety.com
December 12, 2015
Dufferin Concert Singers & New Tecumseth Singers
Handel’s Messiah Westminster United Church, 247
Broadway Avenue, Orangeville. 7:30 p. 519-925-6149
thedufferinconcertsingers.com
December 12, 2015
Bach Children’s Chorus and Bach Chamber Youth Choir
Across the Frozen Night Toronto Centre for the Arts, 5040
Etobicoke Centennial Choir Sacred Traditions 2015 Humber Yonge St., north of Sheppard, Toronto. 7:30 p.m. $40 / $35
Valley United Church, 76 Anglesey Blvd., Toronto. 7:30 p.m. 416-431-0790 www.bachchildrenschorus.ca
$25 416-759-9271 www.etobicokecentennialchoir.ca
December 05, 2015
December 05 and 06, 2015
Pax Christi Chorale Berlioz: L’ enfance du Christ Grace
Church on-the-Hill, 300 Lonsdale Road , Toronto. 7:30
p.m. on December 05, and 3:00 p.m. on December 6. $45
regular; $40 senior; $25 student; $5 child 416-786-2509
www.paxchristichorale.org
December 05, 2015
Tone Cluster Upon a Midnight Queer Centretown United
Church, 507 Bank St., Ottawa. 8:00 p.m. $10, $18, $20
www.tonecluster.org
December 05, 2015
Mississauga Festival Choir A Celtic Christmas with the
Barra MacNeils Living Arts Centre , 4141 Living Arts Drive,
Mississauga. 8:00 p.m. $37 /$32 / $15 Box Office: 905 306
6000 www.livingartscentre.ca
December 12, 2015
Grand Philharmonic Choir Handel’s Messiah Centre in the
Square, 101 Queen St N. , Kitchener. 7:30 p.m. regular,
$25 - $75; seniors, $22-$67; Under 30, $14; high school &
younger, $5 519-578-6885 www.grandphilchoir.com
December 13, 2015
Kingston Chamber Choir Handel’s Messiah St. George’s
Cathedral, 270 King St East , Kingston. 2:30 p.m. $20-$30
613-389-9814 www.kingstonchamberchoir.ca/concerts.html
December 13, 2015
New Tecumseth Singers & Dufferin Concert Singers
Handel’s Messiah Banting Memorial High School, 203
Victoria St. East, Alliston. 3:00 p.m. 519-925-6149 http://thenewtecumsethsingers.com
HOME
December 15, 2015
Festivals & Events in Ontario
December 15, 16, 18, 19, and 20, 2015
October 24, 2015
Queensmen Male Chorus Christmas Concert Humber Valley
United Church, 76 Anglesey Blvd., Toronto. 7:00 p.m. www.
queensmen.net
October 18, 2015
CAMMAC Toronto Region Reading: Larry Nickel’s Requiem
December 15, 2015
for Peace
Orpheus Choir Welcome Christmas: The Gospel according
Christ Church Deer Park, 1570 Yonge St., Toronto. 2:00-4:30
to Jackie Yorkminster Park Baptist Church, 1585 Yonge
CAMMAC members $6; non-members $10; students free
St., Toronto. 7:30 p.m. $40 adult; $30 senior; $10 student
http://cammac.ca/en/activites-regionales/Toronto
416.530.4428 www.orpheuschoirtoronto.com
Toronto Mendelssohn Choir & TSO, Handel’s Messiah Roy
Thomson Hall, 60 Simcoe Street, Toronto. 8:00 p.m. on
Dec. 15, 16, 18, and 19; 3:00 p.m. on Dec, 20. 416-5934828 http://tso.ca/
AMCO Choral Workshop for Male Voices
St. Steven’s-on-the-Hill United Church, 988 Indian Rd.,
Mississauga, with clinician Richard Householder
$25 (9:30 am - 3:30 pm); lunch included. Students $10.
http://goo.gl/0KkI0P
December 16, 17, 18, and 19, 2015
Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra and Chamber Choir Handel’s November 07, 201
CAMMAC Toronto Region Workshop
Messiah Koerner Hall, 273 Bloor St. West, Toronto. 7:30
Northern District Library, 40 Orchard View Blvd., Toronto.
p.m.. $30 - $121 416-408-0208 www.tafelmusik.org
2:00-4:30
December 19, 2015
CAMMAC members $25; non-members $30
Toronto Children’s Chorus A Chorus Christmas http://cammac.ca/en/activites-regionales/toronto
Across the Universe Roy Thomson Hall, 60 Simcoe St.,
Toronto. 2:00 p.m.. $35.50 - $45.50 416-932-8666
torontochildrenschorus.com
December 19, 2015
Amadeus Choir The Season of Joy Yorkminster Park Baptist
Church, 1585 Yonge St, Toronto. 7:30 p.m. Subscriptions:
Regular $135/ Senior $105/ Under 30 $85/ Student $45
416-578-8592 www.amadeuschoir.com
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