Edmonton Columbian Choirs Announce 44th Season

The Edmonton Columbian Choirs, under the direction of Artistic Director Heather Bedford-Clooney, is pleased to announce its 2010-2011 Season which is proudly sponsored by the Edmonton Chapter of the Knights of Columbus, Magic 99 and Vue Weekly.

Greenwood Singers Announces 31st Season

Edmonton, AB – Greenwood Singers, under the direction of its founder and music director Robert de Frece, announces its 2010-2011 Season.  This is the choir’s 31st Season and once again, it will have the choir performing "Choral Music from Renaissance to Broadway" both in the a cappella style and by teaming up with various Edmonton artists.

Choral Concert with host Peter Togni, August 29, 2010 9:00 - 11:00 am, (9:30 - 11:30 NL) on CBC Radio 2

Schubert’s Mass in A Flat

Continuing in our August theme of great choral masterpieces as interpreted by the Orchestre Revolutionnaire et Romantique led by John Elliot Gardiner, this week Peter Togni will bring you the Mass in A Flat by Franz Schubert. One of Schubert’s most lyrical and appealing masses, it is perfect for a summer morning at the end of August.

You’ll also hear that incredibly charming theme to the television show ‘The Vicar of Dibley”, the Elmer Iseler Singers bring us joyful sounds with the Canadian Brass and also a few selections from the West Coast Mennonite Chamber Choir’s CD “Come, Hearts Delight”.

Edmonton Columbian Choirs Announce Auditions for 2010/2011 Season

The Edmonton Columbian Choirs (Edmonton’s family of choirs), under the direction of Artistic Director Heather Bedford-Clooney, is pleased to announce auditions for its 44th Season.  Auditions will take place on Tuesday, September 7, 2010 at St. Joseph Catholic High School (10830 109 Street) starting at 6:30PM.

This year, the Edmonton Columbian Choirs has opportunities for singers in the following choirs:

Vancouver Chamber Choir 2010 - 2011 Concert Season

Artistic Director Jon Washburn and the Vancouver Chamber Choir are pleased to present their 40th anniversary concert season! This calendar of engaging repertoires from around the globe includes tradition and innovation and, as always, the consummate craft of Jon Washburn and the Choir.

There are many special highlights, starting with the last three of the Choir’s six 40th anniversary commissions for choir and orchestra. (The first three were premiered last season - the outstanding new pieces by John Tavener, Peter Berring and R. Murray Schafer). This year the composers are Canadian superstars Stephen Chatman and Imant Raminsh at the Orpheum concerts and the brilliant young British composer Tarik O’Regan at the Chan Centre.

The Amadeus Choir launches the 24th annual Christmas Carol and Chanukah Song Writing Competition

Though we may be in the throes of a seemingly never-ending summer heat wave, it’s never too early to start counting the days until the holiday season is upon us.

With that in mind, the Toronto-based and world-renowned Amadeus Choir (www.amadeuschoir.com) is launching its 24th annual Christmas Carol and Chanukah Song Writing Competition.  Established in 1987 by the choir and its celebrated Conductor and Artistic Director, Dr. Lydia Adams, the competition’s goals are threefold: to provide a forum for new compositions to be created, to motivate composers to develop their craft and to augment the existing choral repertoire for Christmas and Chanukah. 

The international competition is open to children and youth (in odd numbered years, the competition is open to all composers regardless of age or level of experience).  Entries must be original, unpublished music compositions and can be submitted under any of the following Composer Categories:  Individual Compositions – Child (under 10 years, 10-12 years and 13-14 years), Individual Compositions – Youth (15-17 years and 18-20 years) or Group Compositions (group of two or more individuals and small class or smaller group of children). Voicing Categories include:  Unison unaccompanied, Unison with accompaniment by organ or piano, Harmony (e.g. SATB, SSA or other combination) unaccompanied and Harmony (e.g. SATB, SSA or other combination) with accompaniment by organ or piano.

Choral Concert with host Peter Togni, August 22, 2010 9:00 - 11:00 am, (9:30 - 11:30 NL) on CBC Radio 2

Beethoven’s Choral Symphony

This week on Choral Concert Peter Togni brings you one of the great Choral Masterpieces of all time, the final movement of Ludwig Van Beethoven’s Choral Symphony number 9 in an incredible recording by the Orchestre Revolutionnaire et Romantique led by John Elliot Gardiner. You’ll also hear a heart stopping performance of Mozart’s sacred aria “Laudate Dominum” with Barbara Hendricks and the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields led by Sir Neville Mariner.

See What You Can Hear: DaCapo's 2010-2011 Concert Season

DaCapo's upcoming concert season promises to be a vibrant one.  Each of their three concerts will musically showcase an element of visual art.
Vanishing Point ~ music for choir, organ, and saxophone (November 13 & 14, 2010)
Chiaroscuro ~ music for choir and two harps (March 5 & 6, 2011)
A World of Colour ~ exploring and exploding the colour palette:  tradition meets the present (May 7, 2011)

Choral Resources

Be sure to visit the ACCC web site and our new Choral Resources page which will keep you linked to useful articles, archived "Choralicious" columns, Podium 2010 session notes and more.

NATIONAL CONDUCTORS’ SYMPOSIUM

An intensive workshop with Master Conductor Jon Washburn and Canada’s premiere choral ensemble, the Vancouver Chamber Choir

February 7–12, 2011, Vancouver, BC
Entry deadline: November 22, 2010

The Vancouver Chamber Choir’s 31st 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 more information, please email info@vancouverchamberchoir.com or visit www.vancouverchamberchoir.com

Choral Concert with host Peter Togni, August 15, 2010 9:00 - 11:00 am, (9:30 - 11:30 NL) on CBC Radio 2

Studio de Musique Ancienne de Montreal  (SMAM) in Concert

Peter Togni brings us one of Canada’s (and the world’s) finest early music choirs in a concert. Praised for its "rich-textured, vibrant sound” and "hypnotic beauty”, the 10 to 13 singers in the Studio de Musique Ancienne de Montréal are led by the visionary organist and harpsichordist Christopher Jackson.  You’ll hear transcendent music by Guillaume Bouzignac, John Taverner, and Etienne Moulinie.

You will also have a chance to compare the great rivals Salieri and Mozart back to back, and you get to decide who deserves the highest praise!

Elektra Women's Choir Announces 24th Season

Vancouver's renowned Elektra Women's Choir and Artistic Director, Morna Edmundson, are pleased to announce their 24th season, which includes a reading session of new works for women's choirs, a choral singing workshop for women, benefit concerts, and their main series, with performances in Vancouver, Victoria, West Vancouver, and New Westminster.

The Krutzen/McGhee harp and flute duo and the Vancouver Bach Children's Choir are guest artists for Chez Nous: Christmas with Elektra. This annual event, traditionally scheduled earlier in the season, offers an opportunity to enjoy some favourite music before the hectic schedule of December takes your breath away.

Elektra's co-presentation with Pacific Baroque Orchestra, Spring: O Primavera, offers a musical trip back in time to the Venice of the Doges, with music by Vivaldi and more. The orchestra will present Vivaldi's Spring from his beloved Four Seasons, and Elektra will join the orchestra in a performance of his exciting Gloria. Solo sets by each ensemble will round out the programme of musical richness.

The choir's final concert of the season brings together a dear friend and Elektra to share music and insightful Canadian readings around the themes of friendship, love, and life. Kindred Spirits: Elektra & Shelagh Rogers will include a visual component as well, with a slide show curated by Shelagh.

Elektra's 2010/11 season offers a musical feast featuring the award-winning choir's lustrous sound. Visit www.elektra.ca or call the choir office (604.739.1255) to order season tickets and to sign up for their email newsletter, the Elektric Wire. Tickets to individual concerts are also available now through Brown Paper Tickets www.brownpapertickets.ca 1.800.838.3006

The choir can be found on Facebook and on Twitter (@ElektraYVR). Be part of Elektra's 24th season and get "Elektra-fied!"

Vancouver Chamber Choir Young Composers’ Competition

The Vancouver Chamber Choir and Conductor Jon Washburn are pleased to offer young composers (ages 8-22) the opportunity to compose for Canada's premiere choir, have their composition performed in the choir concert series, and receive a cash award!

The competition is open to young composers from any country. Entries will be judged in three age categories with special awards for the best submissions by BC residents. Entries will be assessed on originality, craftsmanship of the music and, where appropriate, the words. Finalist compositions will be performed at the Vancouver Chamber Choir concert Youth & Music on Friday, May 6, 2011 at Ryerson United Church in Vancouver, BC.


Entry deadline: March 7, 2011

For more information, please email info@vancouverchamberchoir.com or visit www.vancouverchamberchoir.com.

McGill Conservatory Choirs Announce New Directors for 2010-2011 Season

After 16 years as the Founder/Director of the McGill Children's, Youth, and Adult Choirs, Erica Phare will be leaving Montreal for Cochrane, Alberta this summer. The Conservatory is thrilled to announce that Erica will be succeeded by three talented young conductors: Lisa Perusse will direct the Children's Choir, Amy Henderson will direct the Youth Choir, and Scott Gabriel the Adult Choir. For more information on these choirs, visit http://www.mcgill.ca/conservatory/courses/choirs/.

Chor Leoni Plans Exciting New Season

Chor Leoni is very excited about our upcoming season! With thirteen main concert performances spread across the Lower Mainland and as far afield as Victoria, there really is something for everyone to enjoy.
The choir’s concert series includes their 18th annual Remembrance Day concerts (Noble Peace), which centres on the writings of Nobel Peace Prize winners; Yuletide Fires, a kind of musical spa to soothe your busy soul with music, hope, and expectation during a hectic season; a first-ever foray into children’s entertainment (Kidz Koncert), that features stories, lullabies, sing-alongs, and tunes based on children’s literature and poetry but sung in a "grown up" style, and Bard Boyz, Chor Leoni’s “anything goes” tribute to boy bands through the ages.

Add in our much-anticipated At Home with Chor Leoni fundraiser and performances for the Vancouver Writers' Festival, CBC Food Bank Day, and several other community events, and it comes together into a busy season of singing.

"In this digital age, where it seems that everything has been done and captured on the internet, it is a particular pleasure to welcome you to a season of live, visceral, and immediate music, sung heart to heart," says Diane Loomer, our fearless leader. "Our intention is to move you to a joyful affirmation through moments of quiet reflection, enjoyment and outright laughter! Along the way you’ll find us premiering brand new works, singing in new venues (St. Mary’s Kerrisdale and UBC’s beautifully renovated Old Auditorium), and launching an exciting new young men’s choir programme, MYVoice."

Choral Concert with host Peter Togni, August 8, 2010 9:00 - 11:00 am, (9:30 - 11:30 NL) on CBC Radio 2

Musica Intima

This week on Choral Concert we are featuring one of the most successful and interesting choirs in Canada, Musica Intima, the group that performs at an incredibly high standard without the insight and direction of  a conductor.  You’ll hear them in a concert called “Voyages” that features Eric Whitacre’s amazing and virtuosic piece  “Leonardo Dreams of his Flying Machine”.

You’ll also hear a selection from Paul McCartney’s “Ecce Cor Meum” for choir and orchestra, and a beautiful folk mass written by fiddler Mark O’connor.

Setmana Cantant Tarragona 2011

We are pleased to inform you that we have started working on the sixth edition of the Setmana Cantant Tarragona 2011, under the musical direction of Josep Prats and within the framework of the festivals of the Catalan Federation of Choral Associations (FCEC) and the European Federation Europa Cantat.

The Singing Week will be held in Tarragona, July 16—24, 2011.

Technology for the 21st Century Choir by Philip L. Copeland

Thank you to Philip Copeland for sharing his Podium 2010 session notes: Technology for the  21st Century  Choir