Elektra Announces Tapestry International 2012 * May 2-5, 2012

“Tapestry International” is the name of a special, international choral festival that will be one of the highlights of Elektra Women’s Choir’s 25th Anniversary Season. Taking place in May 2012 in Vancouver, the project will see up to four outstanding women’s choirs from North America and beyond joining with Elektra for four days of rehearsal, collaboration, and public performance. Artistic excellence is at the heart of the project, with a goal of including a diverse mix of interesting musical cultures and repertoire. Full details and online registration available on Elektra’s website, www.elektra.ca
 
Application deadline: Received online or postmarked before March 18, 2011

Choral Concert with host Peter Togni, January 30, 2011 9:00 - 11:00 am, (9:30 - 11:30 NL) on CBC Radio 2

Schubert’s Mass in A flat

This week on Choral Concert Peter Togni brings you what he calls “one of the most sublime mass settings on the planet”, Franz Schubert’s Mass in A Flat. One of 6 of his mass settings, this is Schubert at his most lyrical and most powerful, what he called his “Missa Solemnis” as he was reflecting on the earlier work of the same name by Beethoven.

We are playing this work in its entirety in honour of the fact that Sunday marks the day before what would have been Schubert’s 214th birthday. You will hear an incredible performance by the Monteverdi Choir and the Orchestre Revolutionaire et Romantique conducted by Sir John Eliot Gardner.

You will also hear new releases by the Vancouver Chamber Choir, and the choir of King’s College Cambridge.

Learn more about the birthday boy on the Choral Concert blog at:  http://cbc.ca/choralconcert

Terry Hurrell Retires from Nova Voce

After seven memorable years with Nova Voce, Nova Scotia's Provincial Men's Choir, founding Artistic Director Terry Hurrell has decided to retire. Terry has been recognized and honoured for his many accomplishments and achievements in choral music by The Heritage Registry of Who's Who, based in New York. His duties with Nova Voce have been taken over by Bill Perrot as Artistic Director, with Bryan Crocker as Associate Artistic Director. Both Bill and Bryan are well known choral conductors in Nova Scotia.

Choral Concert with host Peter Togni, January 23, 2011 9:00 - 11:00 am, (9:30 - 11:30 NL) on CBC Radio 2

The Vancouver Chamber Choir in “Nova: Rising Choral Stars”

This Sunday on Choral Concert Peter Togni brings you the Vancouver Chamber Choir in concert. From Ryerson United Church you will hear this national treasure sounding at their very best. This concert focuses on hand picked rising choral composing stars, like Fredik Sixten, Timothy Corlis and Ivo Antognini. It's a beautiful concert and not to be missed.

You will also hear selections from some of the Vancouver Chamber Choir’s finest CD releases, as well as Schubert’s famous Mass No. 3 in B flat performed by non other than the Immortal Bach ensemble and the Leipziger Kammerorchester.

Tallis Scholars Summer School * July 23 - 30, 2011 * Seattle, Washington

Why not consider joining the Tallis Scholars for a week sight-singing Renaissance masterpieces, rehearsing with the world's finest polyphony specialists, and performing Renaissance polyphony under Peter Phillips?

This summer, singers will have the opportunity to perform Tallis' Spem in Alium, an epic choral work for 40 parts. Detailed course information and links are below.  All course information and applications are available at www.tsss.uk.com

DaCapo Chamber Choir NewWorks National Choral Composition Competition Reminder

The purpose of the NewWorks competition is to foster new and engaging choral works by Canadian composers.  The DaCapo Chamber Choir was founded in 1998 and is dedicated to exploring unaccompanied music, primarily of the 20th Century and later. We are continually looking for new pieces to perform which will challenge us and our audiences - both musically and emotionally.

The winning entry will receive a $1,500 cash award plus travel expenses to Kitchener to attend the premiere of his/her composition by the DaCapo Chamber Choir, under director Leonard Enns, in the choir’s 2011/2012 season.  Entry deadline is February 14th, 2011.

New this year - we are also inviting young composers (aged 25 and younger) to submit compositions for consideration in our new Young Composers Reading Sessions (YCRS).

Le Domaine Forget International Music and Dance Academy: Chorale-Choir 2011

Visit Le Domaine Forget for detailed information in English and French.

Electra Presents Choral Singing Workshop for Women

Join Elektra on Saturday, January 29, 2011 from 9:30am - 4:00pm  at Ryerson United Church, 2195 West 45 th Avenue, Vancouver, BC, for a day of singing together, vocal exercises and development, and musical camaraderie! Our Choral Singing Workshop for Women is an opportunity to sing new music together, get expert vocal technique pointers, sing together and for each other, and to enjoy a welcoming and fun day of music making.  Details and registration form here. Registration deadline is January 21.

Choral Concert with host Peter Togni, January 16, 2011 9:00 - 11:00 am, (9:30 - 11:30 NL) on CBC Radio 2

From Halifax: The King’s College Chapel Choir with Ensemble Regal”

This Sunday on Choral Concert Peter Togni brings you the most recent group in Halifax to rise to choral prominence: the King’s College Chapel Choir directed by Paul Halley.

Paul Halley spent 10 years as the music director of St John the Divine Cathedral in New York City and his presence has been something of a miracle for King’s College in Halifax. In 4 short years he has shaped a wonderful amateur choral group out of their senior students. In this concert they are taking on the difficult Requiem by Maurice Durufle with the Ensemble Regal, and they rise to the occasion beautifully.

You will also hear a brand new recording of the Kiev Chamber Choir from the Ukraine, a beautiful sounding disc featuring among other composers, the music of Randall Thompson.

Finally, you will hear a wonderful performance of Eric Whitacre’s “When David Heard” performed by the Elora Festival Singers under the direction of Noel Edison.

Elektra Launches New Repertoire Resource for Women's Choirs

The internet has made it possible for Elektra to launch a brand new resource.  Everything Elektra has sung for 24 seasons is there including, in some cases, notes on what the piece is like to teach and conduct, notes from composers, links to composers and publishers, texts and English translations, durations, and more.  Visit elektra.ca, choose "Repertoire Resources" and click on "Collections" to see a list "Suitable for Young Voices" or "All Canadian Works" or "Christmas Music."  Happy browsing!

“Interplay: Workshops For Canadian Choral Composers” Application Deadline January 21

Jon Washburn and the Vancouver Chamber Choir will deliver the award winning "Interplay: Interactive Workshops for Canadian Choral Composers", March 4, 2011 in Winnipeg, Manitoba and March 30, 2011 in Vancouver, BC.

Application deadline: Friday, January 21, 2011

Visit www.vancouverchamberchoir.com/interplay to download an application form, email info@vancouverchamberchoir.com or call 604-738-6822.

Auditions 2011 Université de Sherbrooke Maîtrise en direction chorale/Masters in Choral Conducting

L’Université de Sherbrooke est fier d’offrir pour une quatrième année un programme de maîtrise en direction chorale inédit et innovateur, en français et offert sur le Campus de Longueuil, QC. Les auditions qui auront lieu le 17 avril 2011 au Campus de Longueuil. Plus de détails ici:

Auditions 2011 Université de Sherbrooke Maîtrise en direction chorale/Masters in Choral Conducting

L’Université de Sherbrooke is proud to offer for a fourth year its unique and innovative French-speaking masters degree program in choral conducting at its Longueuil campus. April 17 2011 auditions will take place at the Longueuil campus. Details here:

Choral Concert with host Peter Togni, January 9, 2011 9:00 - 11:00 am, (9:30 - 11:30 NL) on CBC Radio 2

The Hilliard Ensemble from the Music and Beyond festival in Ottawa

The Hilliard Ensemble is one of the great choral ensembles established anywhere in the world over the past 40 years. With only 4 of them, each to a single part with no back up, every voice must be perfect. They seem to be able to pull off this perfection over and over again in performance. Focusing on music from the renaissance, they also do a wide range of contemporary music. You will hear them in a performance from the Music and Beyond Festival in Ottawa this past summer.

You will also hear the choir of First Baptist Church in Halifax, the Elmer Iseler Singers doing the Glory of Palestrina, and Studio Musique Ancienne de Montreal doing the music of Orlando di Lasso.

Visit the Choral Concert blog at:  http://cbc.ca/choralconcert

Singsation Saturday: January 15th Choral Workshop

The Toronto Mendelssohn Choir (TMC) presents Singsation Saturdays, choral workshops where anyone who loves to sing is invited to join with noted local conductors, TMC choristers and other singers to sing a variety of works from the choral repertoire. Musical scores are available for singers to borrow during the workshop.  During the 2009-10 season, between 70 and 100 singers from across Toronto joined their voices together at each Singsation event.

Saturday, January 15, 2011: Works by Toronto composers with Guest Conductor Shawn Grenke
Yorkminster Park Baptist Church, Cameron Hall, 1585 Yonge Street; 10:30 am – 1 pm. Participants can register at the workshop.

The Chorus Management Institute, January 28 - 30, 2011, Washington, DC

The Chorus Management Institute (CMI) is the closest thing to a chorus management “crash course” you’ll ever experience. Expert faculty will deliver valuable information and best practices in strategic thinking & planning, governance & board development, communications, and fundraising. Thanks to a generous anonymous donor, Chorus America is pleased to announce a complementary registration fee for Emerging Leaders for the Chorus Management Institute in Washington, DC, January 28-30, 2011.

A Winter Choral Symposium in Guelph

Laurier Centre for Music in the Community, Lyrical Lines Education Network, and Music Plus Corporation present A Winter Choral Symposium for choral conductors, music teachers, singers and lovers of music with Hilary Apfelstadt, Director of Choral Programs, University of Toronto, on Saturday January 22, 2011, 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at Duff’s Presbyterian Church, Guelph, Ontario. Details and Registration form available here.

Choral Workshop with Latvian Conductor Ints Teterovskis

St. John’s Latvian Vocal Ensemble is pleased to sponsor our second three-day choral workshop with Latvian choral conductor Ints Teterovskis. Registration for the workshop will follow an application process to ensure a balance of voices.  We invite both choral singers and conductors to join us and encourage you to register early as space is limited!  Registration fee for all participants - $70.  Deadline January 21, 2011.  The workshop and mini-concert will both take place at St. John’s Latvian Lutheran Church, 200 Balmoral Ave, Toronto.