CHORAL CONCERT, with host Nick Halley Sunday, December 1, 2013: 9:05 - 10:00 am, (9:35 - 10:30 NT) on CBC Radio 2

A tour of great Christmas concerts from across Canada

December 1st  - it's winter time and you might just want to just stay in bed in the morning with a book, or curl up in your living room on the couch, not quite ready to go out into the hubbub of the busy world...

But hey, this is the best time of year to go out and hear some great music! So bundle yourself up and head outdoors to catch one of the great concerts happening in December across Canada.

This Sunday on Choral Concert we'll take you from coast and give you just a sampling of what we think will be the best of the best - from the Vancouver Chamber Choir to the King's Singers in Halifax, hopefully you'll hear something about a great concert coming to a hall near you.

For the complete list check out cbcmusic.ca/classical from Friday onwards.

Fundraiser for Typhoon Haiyan Relief

As we watch the news and read the stories online and in print, we have been deeply troubled and touched by the plight of those whose lives have been shattered by the recent Typhoon Haiyan in the Phillipines. As our part to help in the relief effort, from now until December 7th, for every CD purchased through the link to iTunes or CD Baby from our website, or through our office, Elektra will donate $3.00 to the Red Cross to help in the humanitarian effort in the Phillipines. CDs purchased up to and including December 7 may be matched by the Government of Canada to double the impact of your donation. This offer will also apply to all CDs purchased at our upcoming Chez Nous: Christmas with Elektra concerts on November 29th and 30th.

To find out more about how to purchase our CDs, please click here.

Thank you for helping us to help others in this time of desperate need!

The Amadeus Choir of Greater Toronto launches its “Celtic Celebration” CD as part of the artsVestTM Business for the Arts Matching Grant and Business Sponsorship Development Programme

Ceud Mìle Fàilte! -- A Hundred Thousand Welcomes!

The Amadeus Choir of Greater Toronto, under the musical direction of Conductor Lydia Adams, excitedly announces the CD release of Celtic Celebration, a treasured assortment of Celtic arrangements that includes favourites like Auld Lang Syne, and the much-beloved Song for the Mira, among many others. You will hear stunning arrangements of beautiful melodies and toe-tapping tunes, both familiar and new, from Scotland, Ireland, Wales, and the east coast of Canada, written by some of our favourite composers and arrangers.

The release is being held at, and sponsored by, the Toronto Centre for the Arts on Tuesday, November 26th beginning at 6:00 pm. Amongst our special guests will be Laura Adlers, former General Manager of the Amadeus Choir. Laura is the National Program Director of the artsVestTM program. The Amadeus Choir has been pre-approved to participate in this innovative Business for the Arts matching incentive and sponsorship training program designed to stimulate business sponsorship and corporate engagement in arts and culture. The artsVestTM program is funded in partnership with Canadian Heritage and the Toronto Arts Foundation.

In conjunction with this special event and launch, conductor Lydia Adams invites guests to join the Amadeus Choir in song throughout the evening in The Gallery as the choir prepares for future concerts. Rehearsal is open to the public. Refreshments, hors d'oeuvres, and a cash bar will be available.

November 26, 2013 6:00 pm — 9:00 pm
The Gallery, Toronto Centre for the Arts
5040 Yonge Street, Toronto (at North York Centre subway station)

CHORAL CONCERT, with host Nick Halley Sunday November 24, 2013: 9:05 - 10:00 am, (9:35 - 10:30 NT) on CBC Radio 2

A sequence of great motets

What is a motet anyway?

Well, choral music is generally lumped into various categories, you have mass settings, canticles, anthems, songs etc... but like everything in life there are gaps in between, and the motet is the catch all for those gaps. Anything that doesn't fit into some other choral music box fits into the motet box.

So the definition of a motet is pretty vague, but that is why composers have loved them for centuries because you can do just about anything and call it a motet. There are thousands and thousands of them out there - in all shapes and sizes.

We have sifted through every single one of them for you and chosen 7 of the best, you'll hear great motets by Bach, Poulenc, Mozart, Heally Willan and more.

Rajaton Workshop and Concert to Benefit Sounds of the Next Generation

Sing with RAJATON!
Port Hope United Church, Port Hope Ontario
May 18, 2014

Registration is now open for a day-long workshop and performance with reknowned Finnish vocal ensemble RAJATON, May 18, 2014 at Port Hope United Church. February application deadline for workshop participants. Email rajatonnorthumberland@live.ca for more details.

In association with Kaleid on the Road, proceeds from this workshop and concert will benefit Northumberland County's El Sistema program, Sounds of the Next Generation (SONG). SONG, launched in September 2013, provides free choir, bucket drumming and orchestral programming for under-served children and youth in Northumberland County.

www.songprogram.org

Position in Choral Conducting

The Department of Performance invites applications for a tenure track position in Choral Conducting at the rank of Assistant or Associate Professor, for an initial 3-year appointment beginning August 1, 2014. View here.

Poste de professeur de chef de choeur

Le Département d’interprétation est à la recherche de candidatures pour un poste de professeur de chef de choeur adjoint ou agrégé, conduisant à la permanence, pendant 3 ans à compter du 1er août 2014. Voir ici.

CHORAL CONCERT, with host Nick Halley Sunday November 17, 2013: 9:05 - 10:00 am, (9:35 - 10:30 NT) on CBC Radio 2

A focus on men's choirs

Nick Halley brings you the rich, powerful and deep sound of men's choirs.

If you are a fire fighter, or know someone who is, you might suggest they get a choir going in their local fire department - because that was the genesis of one of the world's true choral hits, the "Ave Maria" by Franz Biebl (you may not recognize the name, but I bet you'll recognize the piece when you hear it). Back then their weren't any fire women like there are now, so the piece was originally written for men only.

That's how Nick is going to start this weekend's show, and then he'll go on to bring you men's choirs from around the world - Sweden, the Netherlands and France.

20th Annual INTERPLAY Interactive Workshops for Canadian Choral Composers

Jon Washburn and the Vancouver Chamber Choir will deliver the award winning Interplay: Interactive Workshops for Canadian Choral Composers February 7, 2014 in Sudbury, ON and April 8, 2014 in Vancouver, BC.

During this program, composers are allotted individual rehearsal time (usually 30-45 minutes) with the professional chorus and conductor. This time may be used to test completed work and/or try out new concepts. Choir, conductor and composer dialogue about musical and technical features, strengths, flaws, textures, colours, notations and many other aspects of successful choral writing. Each workshop is closely tailored to the needs and interests of the individual composer.

A cross-section of composers, ranging from full professionals to university composition students and representing varied musical styles from avant garde, concert and church music to school and educational repertoire are chosen to participate in the Interplay workshops.

Composers are also welcome to attend the workshops as observers.

There is no charge to composers for this workshop, thanks to the generous support of the SOCAN Foundation. 

Application deadline: December 10, 2013

The application brochure is here.

World Youth Choir 2014 Global Auditions Deadline: December 31, 2013

The World Youth Choir 2014, "Singing the World" is currently in the process of auditioning young, talented, experienced singers, between the ages of 17—26, who are interested in improving their choral singing skills while touring Croatia and Southeast Europe during three weeks in July 2014 (exact dates to be confirmed). Details and information on the audition requirements can be viewed at World Youth Choir Global Auditions. Eligible Canadian singers who are interested in auditioning for this exciting opportunity should read this information carefully prior to contacting the WYC directly to arrange for an audition.

CHORAL CONCERT, with host Nick Halley Sunday November 10, 2013: 9:05 - 10:00 am, (9:35 - 10:30 NT) on CBC Radio 2

Remembrance Day Weekend on Choral Concert

This Sunday Nick Halley brings you beautiful music in keeping with Remembrance Day.

If you've been lucky enough to catch some of the glorious fall weather that has been appearing here and there across the country over the past few weeks—where the low angled sun cuts through the vibrant colours of the trees with its straight rays of light—you might think about how such weather is in stark contrast to this time of remembrance, for events that are tragic and dark.

Many of you have commented about the power of choral music to express both darkness and light, sometimes at the same time. So this Sunday's show is dedicated to choral music that not only expresses darkness, but also cuts through like that beautiful fall light with clarity and loveliness.

You will hear everything from Felix Mendelssohn's beautiful Nunc Dimittis to the great Gabriel Faure's Requiem.