Canadian Conductor, Composer and Arranger Lydia Adams Wins Prestigious 2013 Ontario Premier’s Award for Excellence in the Arts

The Boards of Directors of two of Canada’s top choirs, the Elmer Iseler Singers and the Amadeus Choir of Greater Toronto, are thrilled to announce that Artistic Director and Conductor Lydia Adams has won the 2013 Premier’s Award for Excellence in the Arts.

Dr. Adams was one of six finalists for this prestigious award, which recognizes Ontario artists who have made outstanding contributions to arts and culture.

Deemed “the leading exponent of the Canadian choral composer” by the Canadian Music Centre, Dr. Adams is the 2012 winner of the Roy Thomson Hall Award of Recognition given by the Toronto Arts Council Foundation, a 2009 winner of the Ontario Premier’s Finalist Award for Excellence in the Arts, and a 2003 Honourary Doctorate recipient from Mount Allison University for her outstanding contributions to choral music in Canada and internationally.

“As the conductor of the Amadeus Choir of Greater Toronto for 30 years and of Canada’s Elmer Iseler Singers for 15 years , Lydia Adams has consistently promoted and programmed music by both time-honored and contemporary Canadian composers, while at the same time promoting young Canadian artists, many of whom have gone on to establish a career in singing and/or composing. Some of the finest performances of my music have come from Dr. Adams’ choirs.” -Ruth Watson Henderson, celebrated Canadian composer.

Lydia Adams named Joel Tranquilla as the winner of the 2013 Emerging Artist Award. Joel currently serves as Artistic Director of the Windsor Classic Chorale and Chorus Master of the Windsor Symphony Orchestra.

Join us in congratulating Dr. Adams in this recognition of her mentorship, dedication, and artistic excellence. We also extend our congratulations and best wishes to Joel Tranquilla for a long, prosperous and meaningful career.

www.amadeuschoir.com
www.elmeriselesingers.com

CHORAL CONCERT, with host Peter Togni Sunday, June 30, 2013 9:00 - 11:00 am, (9:30 - 11:30 NT) 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.

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 releases by the Vancouver Chamber Choir, and the choir of King’s College Cambridge.

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

CHORAL CONCERT, with host Peter Togni Sunday, June 23, 2013 9:00 - 11:00 am, (9:30 - 11:30 NT) on CBC Radio 2

Mozart’s Mass in C Minor with the Cologne Radio Choir and Orchestra.

This Sunday on Choral Concert Peter Togni will bring you the great Mass in C Minor by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

It was a work of thanksgiving for the recovery of his wife Constanza from a serious illness. When it looked like she wasn’t going to make it he swore he would write a piece of thanksgiving if she did.

She did recover, but from the tone of Mozart’s work it sounds like he was still reflecting on the possibility of what might have occurred. From the first notes the piece is dark, full, rich and intense and it points to Mozart’s  awareness of the fragility of life and some ways, to his own destiny. He died 8 years later in 1791.

You will also hear a wonderful performance of “Jesu Joy of Man’s Desiring” with the Elmer Iseler Singers, and a beautiful Alleluia by Imant Raminsh with the Vancouver Children's Choir.

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

NewWorks Announcement

After much and difficult deliberation, the NewWorks jury has concluded not to name a winning work in the 2013 competition.

The jury is looking for compelling works of highest musical, expressive, and structural quality and integrity; works that are idiomatically appropriate and performance-ready; and works that will appeal to both singers and audience. While there was much to be commended among the twenty-eight submissions, there was no work that was deemed to suit the needs of the choir.

We look forward to the next (5th annual) competition, and encourage all composers to submit again when information is made available for the 2014 competition. Details will be posted on the DaCapo website (as well as our facebook and twitter accounts) in the fall.

CHORAL CONCERT, with host Peter Togni Sunday, June 16, 2013 9:00 - 11:00 am, (9:30 - 11:30 NT) on CBC Radio 2

Eric Whitacre conducts the Vancouver Chamber Choir

This Sunday on Choral Concert Peter Togni brings us a concert with Eric Whitacre conducting his own works with the Vancouver Chamber Choir.

Eric Whitacre is as close to a rock star as you can get in the choral world. His music is featured with astonishing regularity by all of Canada’s choirs, and this high profile concert with the Vancouver Chamber Choir speaks to his international stature and his broad appeal.

In this encore edition of Choral Concert you will hear some of his lesser known early works, plus the works that has made him an international celebrity like “Five Hebrew Love Songs” and “Leonardo Dreams of His Flying Machine”.

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

CHORAL CONCERT, with host Peter Togni Sunday, June 9, 2013 9:00 - 11:00 am, (9:30 - 11:30 NT) on CBC Radio 2

Old Music, New Music and nothing in between

This week on Choral Concert Peter Togni will bring us some of the earliest choral works known, but he will also bring us some 20th century choral classics. It’s either old or new, but nothing in between.

There’s a wonderful similarity between these two worlds, as if for many composers the complexity of the music of the 18th and 19th century just disappeared in the 20th, and the celebration of simplicity became the common ground between the old and the new. From the music of Hildegard von Bingen, the earliest known composer of western music to the contemporary sounds of Jan Garbareck and his improvising saxophone, choral concert will span one thousand years in a few moments.

In this encore edition of Choral Concert, you will also hear the music of Josquin Des Pres, Ralph Vaughn Williams, Thomas Tallis and Carl Orff.

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

The Association of Canadian Choral Communities announces the finalists in the 2013 National Competition for Canadian Amateur Choirs

A treasured Canadian choral tradition, the prestigious ACCC National Competition for Canadian Amateur Choirs inspires choirs to strive for excellence, provides visibility for amateur choirs of all types and traditions, and encourages the creation and performance of Canadian works. The Competition is open to all Canadian amateur choirs and attracts diverse participants from coast to coast.

The 2013 Finalists are:
Category 1: Children's Choirs
Spurrell Studio Choir – Natalie Spurrell (Oakville, ON)

Category 2: Upper-Voice Youth Choirs
Calgary Girls Choir (Brava) – Elaine Quilichini (Calgary, AB)
WoCo (Etobicoke School of the Arts) – David Ambrose (Toronto, ON)

Category 3: Lower-Voice Youth Choirs
St. Michael's Choir School Tenor Bass Choir – Teri  Dunn (Toronto, ON)
Testostertones (Catholic Central High School) – Don Sills (Seaforth, ON)

Category 4: Mixed-Voice Youth Choirs
Chorale De La Salle – Robert Filion (Ottawa, ON)
Coastal Sound Youth Choir – Carrie Tennant (Vancouver, BC)
Medway Madrigal Singers – Jeff Beynon and Kathy McNaughton (London, ON)

Category 5: Mixed-Voice Collegiate Choirs
University of Manitoba Singers – Elroy Friesen (Winnipeg, MB)
University of Saskatchewan Greystone Singers – Gerald Langner (Saskatoon, SK)
Western University Singers – Victoria Meredith (London, ON)

Category 6: Mixed-Voice Adult Choirs
Chorale Saint-Jean – Laurier Fagnan (Edmonton, AB)
Guelph Chamber Choir – Gerald Neufeld (Guelph, ON)
Spiritus Chamber Choir – Timothy Shantz (Calgary, AB)

Category 7: Mixed-Voice Adult Chamber Choirs
I Coristi Chamber Choir – Debra Cairns (Edmonton, AB)
That Choir – Craig Pike (Toronto, ON)

Category 8: Equal-Voice Men's Choirs
Primus: Amabile Men's Choir – Carol Beynon (London, ON)

Category 9: Equal-Voice Women's Choirs
Canadian Mennonite University Chamber Choir – Janet Brenneman (Winnipeg, MB)
Elektra Women's Choir – Morna Edmundson (Vancouver, BC)
Xara Choral Theatre Ensemble – Christina Murray (Halifax, NS)

Category 11: Contemporary Music
Quintessential Vocal Ensemble – Susan Quinn (St. John’s, NL)
Spiritus Chamber Choir – Timothy Shantz (Calgary, AB)
University of Regina Chamber Singers – Dominic Gregorio (Regina, SK)

Winners will be announced at Festival 500 Sharing the Voices, an international festival of choral music which runs from July 3-10, 2013 in St. John’s, NL. Cash prizes will be awarded for the top performances in each category. The choir with the Best Performance of a Canadian Work in any category will also receive a cash prize. The prestigious Canada Council for the Arts Healey Willan Grand Prize will be awarded to the choir who gives the finest overall performance in musicianship, technique and program.

Each choir has created a CBC Music artist page, where audiences can listen to performances by and engage with the participating choirs. Links to each competitor’s CBC artist page and competition audio are available from the ACCC’s National Competition for Canadian Amateur Choirs portal page. For links, please visit http://choralcanada.org/ACCC_en/Canadian_Amateur_Choirs.html.

Outstanding performances from select participants will be featured on CBC Radio 2's Choral Concert in the coming weeks.

The National Competition of Canadian Amateur Choirs is a signature program of the Association of Canadian Choral Communities, Canada’s national service organization for choirs and the choral community. For more information please visit www.choralcanada.org.

L’Association des communautés chorales canadiennes a l’honneur d’annoncer les finalistes pour l’édition 2013 du Concours national pour chœurs amateurs canadiens

Précieuse tradition chorale canadienne, le prestigieux Concours national pour chœurs amateurs canadiens de l’ACCC inspire les chœurs à viser l’excellence, met en valeur les chœurs amateurs de toutes sortes et de toutes les traditions, et encourage la création et l’exécution d’œuvres canadiennes. Ouvert à tous les chœurs amateurs du Canada, le concours attire des participants d’un littoral à l’autre du pays.

Les finalistes pour 2013 sont les suivants :

Catégorie 1 : Chorales d’enfants    
Spurrell Studio Choir – Natalie Spurrell (Oakville, ON)

Catégorie 2 : Chorales de jeunes, voix aigues
Calgary Girls Choir (Brava) – Elaine Quilichini (Calgary, AB) 
Vocum (Canterbury High School) – James Caswell (Ottawa, ON) 
WoCo (Etobicoke School of the Arts) – David Ambrose (Toronto, ON)

Catégorie 3 : Chorales de jeunes, voix graves 
Testostertones (Catholic Central High School) – Don Sills (Seaforth, ON) 
St. Michael's Choir School Tenor Bass Choir – Teri Dunn (Toronto, ON)

Catégorie 4 : Chorales de jeunes, voix mixtes
Coastal Sound Youth Choir – Carrie Tennant (Vancouver, BC) 
Chorale De La Salle – Robert Filion (Ottawa, ON) 
Medway Madrigal Singers – Jeff Beynon et Kathy McNaughton (London, ON)

Catégorie 5 : Chorales universitaires, voix mixtes
University of Manitoba Singers – Elroy Friesen (Winnipeg, MB) 
University of Saskatchewan Greystone Singers – Gerald Langner (Saskatoon, SK) 
Western University Singers – Victoria Meredith (London, ON)

Catégorie 6 : Chorales d’adultes, voix mixtes
Chorale Saint-Jean – Laurier Fagnan (Edmonton, AB) 
Guelph Chamber Choir – Gerald Neufeld (Guelph, ON) 
Spiritus Chamber Choir – Timothy Shantz (Calgary, AB)

Catégorie 7: Chorales de chambre, voix mixtes
I Coristi Chamber Choir – Debra Cairns (Edmonton, AB) 
That Choir – Craig Pike (Toronto, ON)

Catégorie 8 : Chorales d’hommes, voix égales
Primus: Amabile Men's Choir – Carol Beynon (London, ON)

Catégorie 9 : Chorales de femmes, voix égales
Canadian Mennonite University Chamber Choir – Janet Brenneman (Winnipeg, MB) 
Elektra Women's Choir – Morna Edmundson (Vancouver, BC) 
Xara Choral Theatre Ensemble – Christina Murray (Halifax, NS)

Catégorie 11 : Musique contemporaine
Quintessential Vocal Ensemble – Susan Quinn (St. John’s, NL) 
Spiritus Chamber Choir – Timothy Shantz (Calgary, AB) 
University of Regina Chamber Singers – Dominic Gregorio (Regina, SK)

Les lauréats seront annoncés à Festival 500 Sharing the Voices, festival international de musique chorale qui aura lieu à St. John's, à Terre-Neuve-et-Labrador du 3 au 10 juillet. Des prix en argent comptant seront décernés pour les meilleures prestations dans chaque catégorie. Le chœur ayant la meilleure interprétation d’une œuvre canadienne, toutes catégories confondues, se verra aussi décerner un prix en argent. Le prestigieux Grand prix Healey Willan du Conseil des Arts du Canada sera remis au chœur qui donne globalement l’interprétation la plus convaincante sur les plans de la musicalité, de la technique et du programme.

Chaque chœur a créé une page d’artiste sur CBC Music permettant au public d’écouter les prestations et de mieux connaître les chœurs participants. Les liens à la page d’artiste de CBC de chaque concurrent et à la diffusion audio sont affichés au portail du Concours national pour chœurs amateurs canadiens de l’ACCC. Prière de visiter le site 
http://choralcanada.org/ACCC_fr/choeurs_amateurs_canadiens.html.
 
Les prestations exceptionnelles de participants seront diffusées à l’émission Choral Concert de la chaine Radio 2 de la CBC au cours des prochaines semaines. 

Le Concours national pour chœurs amateurs canadiens est un programme distinctif de l’Association des communautés chorales canadiennes, l’organisme de services nationaux du Canada pour les chœurs et communautés chorales. Pour obtenir de plus amples renseignements, prière de consulter le
site www.choralcanada.org.