Association of Canadian Choral Condutors

Association of Canadian Choral Condutors

Friday, July 27, 2012

Advertise in Anacrusis

Get the word out about your chorus, event, company, or product by advertising in the national choral journal of the Association of Canadian Choral Communities! By advertising in Anacrusis, you’ll be reaching hundreds of Canadian choral conductors, singers, administrators, composers, and industry leaders, from coast-to-coast.
Advertising Rates for 2012 available here.

Tuesday, July 24, 2012

CHORAL CONCERT, with host Peter Togni Sunday, July 29, 2012 9:00 - 11:00 am, (9:30 - 11:30 NT) on CBC Radio 2

A focus on men’s voices

This week on Choral Concert Peter Togni is bringing the rich, thick and lyrical sound of men’s voices to center stage.

It wasn’t long ago that male choirs seemed to be fading into history. With many choirs abandoning the practice of using boys as trebles, the trend was towards blended choirs – allowing for a full mature sound right across the range of voices.

However, it seems that lately there is a return to same sex choirs, and especially all-male choirs. Their sound is rich, thick and warm - kind of like an orchestra of cellos.

Choirs like Chor Leoni, Chanticleer, the Los Angeles Master Chorale, and the Mungano National Choir from Kenya have all released superb discs in the past few years, and this Sunday we will sample all of them.

Don’t forget that CBCMUSIC.CA has lots to offer for classical music lovers, there are 10 classical streams, available 24 / 7. You can also check out the Choral Concert blog plus extensive videos and concerts in all genres.

A New Choral Voice


Shattering any sense of social formality that would be expected of an interview at a choral music conference, I quickly direct the conversation to Michael Zaugg’s bid for Artistic Director of Pro Coro instead of asking him about the conference.

“Oh, you’re talking about Pro Coro, not Podium!” Zaugg remarks, surprised at my conversation starter.

“I’m here to talk about you,” I state.

“O.k.!” he says with a smile as he readies himself.

In addition to his roles as the conductor of the St. Lawrence Choir in Montreal, the Cantata Singers in Ottawa, and voces boreales at the Montreal Choral Institute, over this past year Zaugg participated in a comprehensive selection process for the position of Artistic Director and Principal Conductor for Pro Coro Canada. As a Pro Coro chorister, I was able to participate in a small portion of this process and blogged about the experience. The news of Zaugg’s successful appointment as Artistic Director was welcome news not only to me but to the entire Edmonton choral community.

Monday, July 23, 2012

Chor Leoni Launches 20th Anniversary By Winning a Dozen Awards at 51st Seghizzi International Choral Festival (Italy)

Vancouver’s Chor Leoni Men’s Choir, Artistic Director, Diane Loomer, C.M., and Associate Conductor Erick Lichte ended an 18 day tour of Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, and Italy with stellar performances at the 51st Seghizzi Concorso Internationale Di Canto Corale in Gorizia, Italy, where they received a dozen prizes including second place in the Grand Prix, and won a total of €6500. The Seghizzi Competition, held July 12 to 15, drew fifteen adult choirs of all voice types (mixed, women’s choirs, men’s choirs) from Canada, Columbia, Croatia, Hungary, Indonesia, Italy, Poland, and Russia.

“Wins are always exciting but the implications and relevance of wins are often far-reaching,” says Loomer. “Chor Leoni's triumphs at the Seghizzi International Competition in Italy feel especially sweet since they mean a more world-wide recognition of choral accomplishments and excellence coming from Canada. Perhaps the fact that we won so many firsts in various categories, as well as winning both 'audience favourite' awards and 'best artistic programming' tells me that we are achieving our mission of performing a widely eclectic assortment of choral music and doing it well.”

Thursday, July 19, 2012

CHORAL CONCERT, with host Peter Togni Sunday, July 22, 2012 9:00 - 11:00 am, (9:30 - 11:30 NT) on CBC Radio 2

Brand new releases for your summer listening part 2

This week on Choral Concert Peter Togni continues to bring you everything that’s new in choral music - all new releases that have come out since the beginning of the year.

You’ll hear the Elektra Women’s Choir from their brand new CD Pure Elektra, some incredible samples from the US choir the Voices of Ascension, the Collegium Stuttgard doing JS Bach, and the Capella Pratensis doing a 15th century masse by Joseph Obrecht.

Capella Pratensis are an all male choir, from the basses right up to the sopranos. They take authentic practice very seriously. They even go so far as to read their music all from one giant book, rather than from individual parts, as was custom in the 1400’s. Many people say this gives the choir a blended, unified sound, and requires deeper listening from each chorister.

You can see and hear more of them at the  Choral Concert blog plus extensive videos and concerts in all genres at  CBCMUSIC.CA

Tuesday, July 17, 2012

Vancouver Chamber Choir appoints Kevin Zakresky, Pacifica Singers Conductor

The Vancouver Chamber Choir and Artistic Director Jon Washburn are pleased to announce the appointment of Kevin Zakresky as the new conductor of Pacifica Singers. This is the fourth season for Pacifica Singers, an associate vocal ensemble of the Vancouver Chamber Choir. They perform with the Vancouver Chamber Choir regularly each season and also present one or two independent concerts.

"We are pleased with the appointment of outstanding young Canadian musician Kevin Zakresky as the conductor of Pacifica Singers," said Mr. Washburn. "Kevin recently completed his doctorate in conducting at Yale University and also serves as Music Director of the Prince George Symphony Orchestra. He brings excellent musical and leadership skills to his new position and we're all looking forward to working together."

Mr. Zakresky is becoming well known in Canada as an orchestral and choral conductor, clinician, and teacher. He has degrees from UBC and Yale and taught  conducting at the School for Contemporary Arts at Simon Fraser University. He was also an adjunct faculty member at Douglas College and a regular faculty member of the Vancouver International Song Institute. He contributed articles on contemporary choral music to the Association of Canadian Choral Communities' Anacrusis, the American Choral Directors Association's Choral Journal, and the Journal of Singing by the National Association of Teachers of Singing. He will begin conducting Pacifica Singers in September and teaching at the Vancouver Symphony School of Music. For more information, please click here.

Wednesday, July 11, 2012

CHORAL CONCERT, with host Peter Togni Sunday, July 15, 2012 9:00 - 11:00 am, (9:30 - 11:30 NT) on CBC Radio 2

Brand new releases for your summer listening

This week on Choral Concert Peter Togni brings you everything that’s new in choral music - all new releases that have come out since the beginning of the year.

You’ll hear the Cambridge Singers, the St Paul’s Cathedral choir, and a wonderful new release by the Arion Baroque orchestra and Chorus doing excerpts of  Bach’s St John Passion.

You will also hear a brilliant new disc by the Elora Festival Singers: “I saw Eternity” features all Canadian composers in a collection that is lyrical, immediate and beautifully  performed and recorded. Composers Leonard Enns, Peter Tiefenbach and Glenn Buhr all get stunning performances in this release.

Don’t forget that CBCMUSIC.CA has lots to offer for classical music lovers with 10 classical streams, available 24 / 7. You can also check out the Choral Concert blog plus extensive videos and concerts in all genres.

Vancouver Chamber Choir introduces Steven Bélanger, General Manager

The Vancouver Chamber Choir and Executive Director Jon Washburn are pleased to introduce Steven Bélanger, the organization's new General Manager. He succeeds Violet Goosen who served as General Manager for 24 years and retired in June.

"Steven has now stepped into the position of General Manager. During the last year he has served with distinction as the Choir's Associate Manager, and has sung with the ensemble for five years," said Mr. Washburn. "He has an excellent array of administrative, managerial, musical and language skills that are going to be of great benefit to our organization. He has a deep love and understanding of choral music and is totally committed to the art form and the Vancouver Chamber Choir's role in sustaining it."

Mr. Bélanger brings a diverse administrative background to the Vancouver Chamber Choir. He has worked with the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal, the award-winning classical music magazine La Scena Musicale, and was the Development Coordinator and Production Assistant of the Studio de musique ancienne de Montréal. He has served as Production Coordinator for CBC/Radio-Canada and has participated in several negotiating committees for Union des artistes in Montreal. He has also acted as Communications Director of the Canadian Chamber Choir, as well as serving on their Board of Directors.  His artist biography is available here

Take Every Opportunity: An Interview with Hilary Apfelstadt


Conductor, Music Educator, Scholar, Author, Director of Choral Studies at the University of Toronto (U of T) --- these are all roles which Hilary Apfelstadt has seamlessly integrated into her life. At the Podium 2012 conference, Apfelstaft’s University ensemble, the MacMillian Singers, performed a joint concert with the Elmer Iseler Singers and she discussed with me her experiences within each of these different roles.

While Apfelstadt enjoys conducting a wide range of ages, she confesses that she loves working with University students because “they are still teachable and in the teaching process they have enough knowledge that they can contribute… it is very collaborative.” A recurring theme in our discussion is the concept of education because Apfelstadt first and foremost sees herself as a music educator. She exudes no air of conductor superiority.

Thursday, July 5, 2012

Call for Papers: The Phenomenon of Singing International Symposium IX July 7-10, 2013 St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada

If you are interested in singing...

The place to be in the summer of 2013 is Newfoundland and Labrador. Indulge your musical, creative and scholarly spirit and join us for this exciting event!

Festival 500, in cooperation with Memorial University of Newfoundland, invites proposals for presentations at The Phenomenon of Singing International Symposium IX. This highly acclaimed symposium is an integral academic component of Festival 500. Its purpose is to gather international expertise and provide a forum for interdisciplinary discourse and performance, the dissemination of research, and the generation of further knowledge relating to the phenomenon of singing. The Symposium invites submissions relating to all aspects of singing and the voice.

Go to http://www.festival500.com to download the Symposium Call for Papers and Presentations brochure... OR continue to read on for information on the following items:
  • Proposal Information
  • Submission Information
  • 2013 Invited Keynote Presenters
  • Earn Graduate Credit - Festival 500 Choral Institute
  • Festival 500 Sampler
  • Registration
  • Web Links: Newfoundland and Labrador, City of St. John's, Memorial University, and Festival 500

CHORAL CONCERT, with host Peter Togni Sunday, July 8, 2012 9:00 - 11:00 am, (9:30 - 11:30 NT) on CBC Radio 2

The Tallis Scholars in Concert

This week on Choral Concert Peter Togni brings you the Tallis Scholars in Concert. The Tallis Scholars are world renowned for their precise singing, perfect intonation and profound musicality. You will hear them in concert at the Church of Our Saviour in Copenhagen, Denmark.

You will also hear two pieces written by famous composers trying to keep their jobs; find out more at the  Choral Concert blog.