ACCC Choral Bytes

SING! The Toronto Vocal Arts Festival: April 13th—15th at Harbourfront Centre

2012-01-31T10:24:00.000-04:00

Thousands of Torontonians will celebrate a cappella music at the debut of SING! The Toronto Vocal Arts Festival, taking place April 13th to 15th at Harbourfront Centre. Tickets are available now at www.torontovocalartsfestival.com.

Toronto’s first-ever a cappella festival will feature Canadian and international vocal artists from a wide range of genres, including pop and jazz groups, classical and gospel choirs, and world music ensembles. Education will also be a focus of the event, with industry veterans leading vocal workshops for singers of all ages and levels of experience. A total of 43 performances and master classes are scheduled to take place over three days; more than 25 will be free to attend.

“This festival got started in the typical way – a casual conversation over a cup of coffee,” says artistic director Aaron Jensen, an award-winning composer, arranger, performer, and clinician. “Since then, that seed crystal has bloomed into a hugely ambitious and unique event, the likes of which have never been seen in Toronto.”
The festival’s aim to “give new voice to the voice” coincides with the current popularity of a cappella music on television programs like Glee and The Sing Off. “The timing is right for SING!,” says Jensen. “Vocal music is on the rise in a serious way. We are very excited to showcase some of Canada's top vocal groups in conjunction with international powerhouses such as the Grammy award-winning Swingle Singers and The New York Voices.” SING! The Toronto Vocal Arts Festival will include performances and interactive sessions geared to music fans, amateur singers, and professionals alike. Programs include the following:

Concert Performances
The festival will feature concert performances by The Swingle Singers, The Nylons, The New York Voices, Elmer Iseler Singers, Retrocity, Toronto Chamber Choir, Countermeasure A Cappella, High Park Choirs of Toronto, Cadence, Human Record, Cantores Celestes, and others.

Vocal Workshops
Vocal workshops for singers of all ages and levels of experiences will be led by industry professionals including world renowned a cappella groups The Swingle Singers and The New York Voices; award-winning composer Aaron Jensen; renowned producer/arranger Dylan Bell; award-winning recording artists Suba Sankaran and Cadence; musical directors/educators Dallas Bergen, Orville Heyn, and Pleasance Crawford; and music marketing expert Patricia Silver.

School Outreach Program
The school outreach program will bring approximately 800 Toronto-area middle school and high school students to workshops conducted by internationally renowned music industry professionals, offering a unique educational opportunity for school choirs.

Mass Singalong
Up to 3,000 festival performers and attendees will join together in a unique and inspirational singalong of two songs in multiple-part harmony. One of the songs will be a world premiere by Canadian composer Aaron Jensen, festival artistic director and a 2011 grand prize winner of The John Lennon Songwriting Contest.

Intimate and Interactive Sessions
The festival will offer the public the chance to meet and interview performers, recording artists, producers, and music industry personalities who have influenced music for decades.

Lobby Performance Showcases
Free performances from up-and-coming collegiate, community, and semi-professional groups will take place throughout the festival.

YouTube Competition
An online video competition (January 10th to March 15th) will award one vocal group the chance to perform as opening act for The Nylons, who will judge and select the winning group.

More information about SING! The Toronto Vocal Arts Festival is available at www.torontovocalartsfestival.com.

SING! THE TORONTO VOCAL ARTS FESTIVAL SCHEDULE AT A GLANCE
(Note: Schedule is subject to change)

Friday, April 13th
10:00 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.       School Outreach Workshops/Performances
7:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.         Opening Ceremonies and Welcome Speech
8:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.       The New York Voices (Brigantine Room)

Saturday, April 14th
9:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.         Vocal Workshops
9:30 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.         Free concerts/Events
1:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.         Toronto Chamber Choir featuring Cantores Celestes (Brigantine Room)
3:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.         Retrocity featuring Human Record (Brigantine Room)
8:30 p.m. - 10:30 p.m.        Concert Performance - The Nylons (Brigantine Room)

Sunday, April 15th
9:30 a.m. - 6:30 p.m.         Free Concerts/Events
10:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m.       Vocal Workshops
1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.        Mass Choir Singalong
2:30 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.        Elmer Iseler Singers featuring High Park Choirs of Toronto (Enwave Theatre)
7:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.         Concert Performance - The Swingle Singers (Enwave Theatre)
9:30 p.m.                           Closing Speech

Call for Research Papers

2012-01-26T16:18:00.000-04:00

The Editorial Committee for the Association of Canadian Choral Communities (ACCC) is now accepting research papers for the fall 2012 issue of Anacrusis, the magazine of the ACCC. For submission guidelines, please visit the ACCC website at http://choralcanada.org/ACCC_en/Guidelines.html. Submissions should be forwarded to the attention of Carolyn Nielsen at academic@choralcanada.org. All papers will undergo a process of blind peer review. Questions relating to the guidelines for submission should be directed to Dean Jobin-Bevans at djobinbe@lakeheadu.ca.
The submission deadline is April 1, 2012.

Appel de communications de recherche

2012-01-26T16:17:00.000-04:00

Le comité de rédaction de l'Association des communautés chorales canadiennes (ACCC) accueille des communications de recherche pour le numéro d'automne 2012 d'Anacrusis, le journal de l'ACCC. Pour les directives relatives aux soumissions, veuillez consulter le site internet de l'ACCC (http://choralcanada.org/ACCC_fr/Directives_pour_les_soumissions.html). On adressera les soumissions à l'attention de Carolyn Nielsen (academic@choralcanada.org). Toutes les communications seront soumises à un processus d'évaluation par les pairs en aveugle. On adressera toute question relative aux directives au Doyen Jobin-Bevans (djobinbe@lakeheadu.ca).

La date limite pour les soumissions est fixée au 1er avril 2012.

Choral Concert with host Peter Togni, January 29, 2012 9:00 - 11:00 am, (9:30 - 11:30 NL) on CBC Radio 2

2012-01-26T16:15:00.000-04:00

The Ottawa Bach Choir in Concert

This Sunday on Choral Concert Peter Togni brings you the Ottawa Bach choir in a wonderful concert of baroque masters: Schutz, Buxtehude, Charpentier, Telemann and the great man himself J.S. Bach. The Ottawa Bach Choir are quickly emerging as true force in choral music in our capitol city and this one is not to be missed. They will be joined by the Ottawa baroque orchestra.
You’ll also hear a wonderful rendition of the “Mass in G”, by Francis Poulenc with the venerable members of the choir of Trinity College, Cambridge.

Meanwhile, don’t forget to check out the great choral music on our video on demand service at cbc.ca: go to: http://www.cbc.ca/radio2/videos/

RBC Provides Key Support for MYVoice Initiative

2012-01-23T14:45:00.000-04:00

Chor Leoni is pleased to announce the ongoing support of their Mobilizing Young men’s Voices (MYVoice) initiative by the RBC Foundation through the RBC Emerging Artists Program. Leanne Harry, RBC's Senior Account Manager of Media & Entertainment, presented a cheque for $15,000 to Chor Leoni at the choir’s Rejoice concert on December 19.

This keystone support has allowed MYVoice to expand from two ensembles to three for 2012, with groups rehearsing now in Vancouver, New Westminster, and Langley. The program brings young men together through song and self-expression and is completely cost-free for participants.

MYVoice has exciting performances coming up. They sing February 12 (2pm) in the Great Hall of the Museum of Anthropology as part of the Exhibition Closing Performances of Hiroshima by Ishiuchi Miyako. Three participants from the Canadian Music Centre/Canadian League of Composers Mentorship Program will work with MYVoice and the British Columbia Girls Choir to produce three original compositions inspired by their experience of the exhibition. A documentary about the process will be screened at MOA before a public performance at the exhibition closing.

On April 28 they present Knights & Troubadours. Chor Leoni will be there to open the evening and to sing a couple of combined works at the end, but the spotlight will be firmly upon the young men of MYVoice!

Choral Concert with host Peter Togni, January 22, 2012 9:00 - 11:00 am, (9:30 - 11:30 NL) on CBC Radio 2

2012-01-19T17:23:00.000-04:00

I Coristi perform “Borealis”

This Sunday on Choral Concert you’ll hear the Edmonton based choir “I Coristi” perform music from the frozen north in a concert they call “Borealis”, a celebration of the northern lights.

“Boreal” gets its name from Boreas, the God of the north wind in Greek mythology, and it refers to the sub-Arctic lands of this world; Iceland, Finland, Russia, Denmark, Sweden, Norway and of course – Canada!

The composers from these northern lands represent a rich musical tradition, often with an underlying austere beauty that reflects the spirit of the north.

You can listen to the “Borealis” on Concerts on Demand at: http://www.cbc.ca/radio2/cod/concerts/20110212coris

Tallis Scholars Summer School July 7—14, 2012

2012-01-18T17:23:00.000-04:00

The UK branch of the Tallis Scholars Summer Schools is dedicated to exploring our great heritage of Renaissance choral music and developing a performance style appropriate to it, as pioneered by the Tallis Scholars. Under the direction of Peter Phillips and members of the Tallis Scholars we work on concert and service repertoire in a variety of small and medium sized groups. The week’s activities culminate in a Gala Concert by summer school participants, directed by Peter Phillips. The course also includes individual vocal tuition with members of the Tallis Scholars, for those that would like it, as well as a programme of talks and sung services in the chapel.

The course this year will be taking place at Uppingham School July 7—14, 2012. Activities are based around the chapel, located minutes from the picturesque and historic town centre. We welcome applicants aged 18 and over with good sightreading skills. The deadline for applications is 27 February 2012.

Please the website for more information

Choral Concert with host Peter Togni, January 15, 2012 9:00 - 11:00 am, (9:30 - 11:30 NL) on CBC Radio 2

2012-01-12T15:29:00.000-04:00

The Vancouver Chamber Choir – the best of Britain

This Sunday Peter Togni brings you one of Canada’s choral treasures, the Vancouver Chamber Choir.

They are known for their smooth, blended sound and a richness that only comes from years and years of practice. They've been around since Jon Washburn pulled them together back in 1971. Since then the group has won numerous honours, toured the world many times, and released over 30 CD’s.

This Sunday you will hear a program called “The English Touch”, where they present the best of British choral music from the past 500 years. This is your chance to hear one of Canada’s best choirs perform the best choral music from that small but very musical island.

You’ll also hear Jean Sibelius at his best, with the Helisinki University Chorus performing his very rousing “Patriotic Songs”

ACCC National Choral Awards

2012-01-12T15:23:00.000-04:00

A perfect opportunity to give national recognition to an individual or organization in your community that has made an outstanding contribution to the choral art, whether as a conductor, sponsor, administrator or producer. For a complete list of awards visit National Choral Awards and complete the Nomination Form.

Nomination Deadline: February 15, 2012

Prix nationaux de chant choral

2012-01-12T15:20:00.000-04:00

Voici la parfaite occasion de porter à l'attention du pays entier un individu ou une association qui a fait une contribution exceptionnelle à l'art choral, qu'il s'agisse de chef de choeur, de parrain, d'administrateur ou de producteur. Pour une liste complète des prix, veuillez visiter le portail Prix nationaux de chant choral et remplir le Formulaire de nomination.

Date limite pour poser une candidature: le 15 février 2012

National Youth Choir Conductor Search 2014

2012-01-12T15:09:00.001-04:00

ACCC is now accepting nominations for the conductor of the 2014 National Youth Choir. For details and Nomination Form see Conductor Search.
Deadline for nominations is March 1, 2012

Appel à candidatures pour le poste de chef du Choeur national des jeunes 2014

2012-01-12T15:05:00.001-04:00

L'ACCC accueille à présent les candidatures pour le poste de chef pour le Choeur national de jeunes 2014. Pour de plus amples informations et le formulaire de nomination voir Directives pour la recherche du chef pour le Choeur national des jeunes.

Date limite pour proposer les candidatures: le 1er mars 2012

Vancouver Chamber Choir Auditions Saturday, January 28, 2012

2012-01-12T15:03:00.000-04:00

The Vancouver Chamber Choir is holding auditions for professional-level singers on Saturday, January 28, 2012. All voices (SATB) are invited to audition but, before calling, please visit our website to see if you are eligible.

Contact Catherine for an appointment at catherinelaub@hotmail.com

NSCF Young Composers Competition

2012-01-11T15:37:00.002-04:00

As part of the Nova Scotia Youth Choir program, the Nova Scotia Choral Federation is announcing it’s second Choral Composition Competition for young Canadian composers.

Comprised of 35-40 talented singers aged 16 to 25 auditioned from around the province, the NSYC youth are provided a challenging opportunity to work, develop and perform choral music together under the leadership of talented local educators and accomplished Canadian conductors. The 2012 guest conductor of the Nova Scotia Youth Choir will be Elroy Friesen.

The composition competition applicants must be between the ages of 16 and 30. The winner will receive a monetary prize of $1000.00 as well as two premiere performances of the work by the NSYC, conducted by Elroy Friesen, on September 29 and 30th, 2012.

Visit NSCF Young Composers Competition for details. Submission deadline : March 30, 2012

Interplay: Interactive Workshops for Canadian Choral Composers

2012-01-11T09:20:00.001-04:00

Jon Washburn and the Vancouver Chamber Choir will deliver the award winning Interplay: Interactive Workshops for Canadian Choral Composers March 9, 2012 in Wolfville, NS and April 11, 2012 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 a 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: JANUARY 20, 2012
The application form is available here.

Choral Concert with host Peter Togni, January 8, 2012 9:00 - 11:00 am, (9:30 - 11:30 NL) on CBC Radio 2

2012-01-06T14:22:00.000-04:00

The Huelgas Ensemble in Concert

This Sunday Peter Togni brings you one of the world’s truly great choral ensembles, the Huelgas ensemble conducted by Paul van Nevel. Not only do they have total mastery over pitch, style and rhythm – but they also have a unique sound that is very rich in the mid range, producing a gloriously deep tone. This is the kind of "total immersion" music you could listen to forever.

Based in Switzerland, this group started off as specialists in contemporary music and over the years have become more and more focused on Renaissance and Medieval music. They take their name from a Gregorian Chant manuscript based in Burgos, Spain called the “Codex Las Huelgas”.

In this concert from Lunenburg, Germany you will hear music by Renaissance and Medieval masters Agricola, Rossi, Clemens non Pappa, Orlando de Lasso and with a jump ahead into the 1700’s, you will also hear the great baroque master J.S.Bach.

World Youth Choir 2012 Canadian National Auditions – Call for Applications

2012-01-06T14:20:00.000-04:00

Calling Young Canadian singers!

If you’re between the ages of 17 and 26 and an enthusiastic, experienced choral singer, the Association of Canadian Choral Communities invites you to audition for a chance to represent Canada in the World Youth Choir 2012! To be eligible to audition for the World Youth Choir, you must be between the ages of 17 and 26 as of July 1, 2012. Candidates must submit an application package and audition recording to the ACCC on or before February 1, 2012. The full details, audition requirements and application forms can be downloaded from the ACCC website.

Choeur Mondial des Jeunes 2012 Auditions nationales canadiennes -- Appel de candidatures

2012-01-06T14:14:00.002-04:00

Appel aux jeunes choristes!

Si vous êtes un choriste passionné et expérimenté de 17 à 26 ans, l'Association des communautés chorales canadiennes vous invite à passer une audition en vue de représenter le Canada comme membre du Choeur mondial des jeunes 2012! Tout candidat aux auditions pour le Choeur mondial des jeunes aura de 17 à 26 ans le 1er juillet 2012. Les candidats sont invités à soumettre leur dossier de demande et l'enregistrement de leur audition à l'ACCC le 1er février 2012 au plus tard. De plus amples renseignements ainsi que les conditions d'audition et les formulaires de demande peuvent être téléchargés depuis le site internet de l'ACCC .

Le Chant des Oyseaux Choral Workshops in France

2012-01-06T11:11:00.000-04:00

We wish you a Happy New Year and hope we can share choral music in our upcoming summer workshops. Feel free to talk about them with your best friends !

http://le.chant.des.oyseaux.monsite-orange.fr

Le Chant des Oyseaux Stages de chant choral

2012-01-06T11:08:00.000-04:00

Nous vous présentons nos meilleurs voeux pour 2012 et espérons que le programme de nos stages de chant choral vous donnera envie d'y participer ou d'en parler à vos meilleurs amis chanteurs.

http://le.chant.des.oyseaux.monsite-orange.fr

Choral Concert with host Peter Togni, January 1, 2012 9:00 - 11:00 am, (9:30 - 11:30 NL) on CBC Radio 2

2011-12-29T15:49:00.000-04:00

New Releases for a new year

To bring in the new year this Sunday Peter Togni brings you a wonderful collection of new releases from the past 6 months. Everything from the Elmer Iseler Singers with Eleanor MacCain to three incredible CDs that Peter picked up on his recent trip to Latvia – one of the world centers of great choral music.

You will also hear a new release from Analekta records, a feature performance from the inaugural concert in Montreal’s brand new concert hall, the Maison Symphonique de Montreal. You will hear a truly appropriate piece for new year’s day – the great Ode to Joy from Beethoven’s ninth symphony.

And to add some sugar and spice to the line up, you’ll also hear some cuts from the brand new CD from those incredible British boy sopranos: “Libera”.

Masters in Choral Conducting / la maîtrise en direction chorale à l’Université de Sherbrooke

2011-12-18T10:57:00.000-04:00

Auditions will be held on April 15th for admission to the Fall semester of 2012. The application deadline is March 15th, 2012 http://www.usherbrooke.ca/admission/.

Les auditions pour l’admission à l’automne 2012 auront lieu le 15 avril 2012 au Campus de Longueuil. La date limite pour poser une demande d’admission est le 15 mars 2012 http://www.usherbrooke.ca/admission/.

World Choir Games 2012 * Cincinnati * July 4 - 14, 2012

2011-12-13T10:03:00.000-04:00

INTERKULTUR, founder of the World Choir Games, is based in Pohlheim, Germany and organizes choral competitions and festivals all over the world. Since 1988 over 115 competitions and festivals have been held. The famous World Choir Games, formerly known as "Choir Olympics", are held every two years on different continents. For the first time in the history of the World Choir Games, the competition will be held in a U.S. city (July 4 - 14, 2012), with Procter & Gamble as the Official Presenting Sponsor. Cincinnati can look back on a rich musical heritage and was America’s first city to organize a choral festival! To find out more about the adjudicators and details on the registration deadline, please visit the website: www.interkultur.com

TMC Announces Participating Conductors for the 2012 Choral Conductors’ Symposium

2011-12-13T09:42:00.001-04:00

The Toronto Mendelssohn Choir has announced the five conductors who will be participating in the TMC’s 2012 Choral Conductors’ Symposium, January 24-28 in Toronto. The TMC’s Choral Conductors Symposium (begun in 2011) is designed to propel emerging conductors to new levels of artistic growth. The Symposium recognizes that, at the head of every successful choral organization, is a skilled conductor who possesses not just a clear vision of the repertoire being performed, but the musical ability and communicative power necessary to bring a group of singers together as a single unit.

The Symposium is led by conductor Noel Edison, and participating conductors have the opportunity to conduct the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir and the Elora Festival Singers.

Conductors wishing to participate submitted an extensive application package, including video footage from concerts or rehearsals. Conductor Noel Edison and TMC Executive Director Cynthia Hawkins recently selected an international roster of five conductors who will participate in the 2012 Symposium. This year’s conductors are: Ana Alvarez, Elaine Choi, Dominic Gregorio, Jared Oaks and Charles Tyler Turner.
These conductors will go through an intensive five-day program which includes daily professional development and coaching sessions with Noel Edison, and conducting sessions with both the Elora Festival Singers and the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir, rehearsing a wide range of choral repertoire. The Symposium will conclude this year with a free community concert on January 28 at 3 pm at Yorkminster Park Baptist Church. Workshops and rehearsals will take place in the Distillery District and at Yorkminster Park Baptist Church.

The repertoire to be covered includes:

Toronto Mendelssohn Choir:
Biebl                    Ave Maria
Faure                    Sanctus (from Requiem)
Halley                   Freedom Trilogy
Handel                  Excerpts from Israel in Egypt: He gave them hailstones; He sent a thick darkness;
                       and He smote all the first borne of Egypt
Haydn                   The Heavens are Telling (from Creation)
Mozart                  Credo (from Mass in C minor)
Stanford                Coelos Ascendit Hodie
Verdi                     Sanctus (from Requiem)
Whitacre               Water Night

Elora Festival Singers:
Britten                  Excerpts from Choral Dances from Gloriana: Time; and Concord
Byrd                      Haec dies
Corlis                    To see the cherry hung with snow
Harvey                  Remember, O Lord
Mendelssohn        Nunc dimittis
Poston                  Jesus Christ the Apple Tree
Rutter                   Dashing away with the smoothing iron
Somers                 Si j’avais le Bateau

More about this year's conductors:

Ana Alvarez
Originally from Columbia
Currently DMA student at University of Toronto
Holds M.M. from University of Victoria, and B.Mus from Pontificia Universidad Javeriana in Bogota, Columbia
Currently conducts the U of T Women’s Chorus, and is a member of the MacMillan Singers.
Current research focuses on authentic performance practice of Latin America Music

Elaine Choi
Torontonian
Graduated in 2010 with M.Mus Performance from U of T.
Also has B.Mus in Music Education from U of T, and is an Associate of Trinity College, London
Currently Director of Music at Timothy Eaton Memorial Church
Co-Founder/Conductor of Windago (chamber wind and choral ensemble, specializing in contemporary music)

Dominic Gregorio
From Guelph, Ontario
Currently DMA student at University of Southern California
Received M.M, Triple Major from Temple University, Philadelphia & BA from University of Guelph
Currently Conductor of McMaster University Choir
Extensive conducting experience in California, Taiwan and Philadelphia
Currently volunteers as a conductor and teacher with the Guelph Youth Singers

Jared Oaks
From Salt Lake City, Utah
Holds M.M. in Choral Conducting from Brigham Young University, and also B.Mus.
Currently Assistant Conductor of Ballet West
Currently Choir Director at Salt Lake High School for the Performing Arts
Was Assistant Conductor of Brigham Young University Singers
Passionate advocate for the performance and study of Scandinavian music

Charles Tyler Turner
From Boston, MA
MA student at Harvard University in Music Education
Has BA, Music and Educational Studies from Rhodes College, Memphis
Currently Teaching Fellow with Boston Children’s Chorus
Also works as a Choral Artist for the Metropolitan Opera

Choirs Wanted for UNISONG Choral Festival

2011-12-12T19:32:00.000-04:00

Quebec, Newfoundland & Labrador, Manitoba and PEI Choirs Wanted! These provinces are not currently represented at Unisong 2012 in Ottawa. Please contact Carla Ala-Kantti for more information at 1-800-267-8526 or e-mail calakantti@mkitravel.com

Concerto Della Donna Launches New Album

2011-12-10T19:28:00.000-04:00

Concerto Della Donna, under the music direction of Iwan Edwards, proudly announces the launch of their new album, parlez-moi, a collection of works for women voices, both accompanied and a capella, by Canadian composer Allan Bevan.

Concerto Della Donna performs a wide spectrum of traditional, classical, and contemporary repertoire drawn from both secular and liturgical sources, including madrigals, motets, Romantic lieder, spirituals, and avant-garde works. There is a strong emphasis on Canadian compositions and works by female composers. The ensemble's goal is to produce vibrant performances of both serious and light-hearted repertoire, while demonstrating the strength and beauty of young women’s voices through technical precision and emotional depth.

Hard copies and an MP3 version of the album are available through the CDD website at concertodelladonna.ca.

World Youth Choir Canadian Auditions

2011-12-08T17:03:00.000-04:00

Calling all young Canadian singers! We'll soon be announcing details for national Canadian auditions for the World Youth Choir! Read about the WYC, and what you'll need to prepare for your audition, here. Stay tuned here, on Twitter, and on the Choral Canada website for Canadian audition details.

Podium 2012 Choral Celebration Chorale Ottawa May 17—20, 2012

2011-12-07T22:14:00.001-04:00

The Podium 2012 website is now online and registration is open. View the exciting lineup of sessions, clinicians and performing choirs: http://www.podium2012.ca/

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

2011-12-07T13:56:00.000-04:00

Peter Togni’s best picks for Christmas

This Sunday Peter Togni brings you a collection of his favourite CD releases for Christmas, some brand new, and some classics. Any of them will be excellent additions to your Christmas collection, or to put under the tree for someone special in your life.

You’ll hear from Chor Leoni (the singing lions!) from Vancouver, the Robert Shaw Chamber Singers, the Monteverdi Choir and English Baroque Soloists doing Bach’s Christmas Oratorio, and those boys from London, England “Libera” doing their irresistible takes on Christmas melodies.

And for an added bonus you’ll hear two cuts from a concert presented this past year at Koerner Hall in Toronto, called the “Mystical Worlds of Pärt and Schaffer”. It was a wonderful event with many amateur choirs from across Ontario taking part, all conducted by the great choral master Tonu Kaljuste.

Choral Concert will be moving aside for the next two Sundays, with our annual EBU Sunday of incredible music from Europe taking place on December 18th, and also for a full day of special Christmas programming on Sunday, December 25th.

Choral Concert will be back for New Year's day on Sunday, January 1st.

The Tafelmusik Baroque Summer Institute JUNE 3 – 16, 2012 Faculty of Music University of Toronto

2011-12-02T17:11:00.000-04:00

The Tafelmusik Baroque Summer Institute is an intensive 14-day residency in baroque period performance for instrumentalists, singers and conductors/directors taught by members of the Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra and Chamber Choir and distinguished guest faculty. The Institute is open to advanced students, pre-professional and professional musicians.

For full information and applications visit tafelmusik.org/tbsi

Application Deadline MARCH 21, 2012

Contact: Emily Wall, TBSI Administrative Coordinator at 416-964-9562 ext. 241
Email: tbsi@tafelmusik.org

See also our website for details of the one-year Advanced Certificate in Performance programme
at the University of Toronto Faculty of Music. ACP application deadline: January 23, 2012

Choral Concert with host Peter Togni, December 4, 2011 9:00 - 11:00 am, (9:30 - 11:30 NL) on CBC Radio 2

2011-12-02T16:55:00.000-04:00

Highlights from the “Let the People Sing” competition

This Sunday Peter Togni brings you some wonderful highlights from one of the world’s biggest amateur choral completions; “Let the People Sing”. It started back 1961 as a BBC competition for British choirs, but in the last 50 years it has expanded to cover all of Europe, including some stunning eastern European entries. You will hear performances from Estonia, Finland, Sweden and Bulgaria – with a stunning entry of traditional Bulgarian women’s voices.

You’ll also hear some advanced Christmas entries from the Monteverdi Choir, Elektra Women’s Chorus and Michael Praetorius’ “Mass for Christmas Morning” with the Gabrielli Consort and Players.

Choral Concert with host Peter Togni, November 27, 2011 9:00 - 11:00 am, (9:30 - 11:30 NL) on CBC Radio 2

2011-11-23T15:15:00.000-04:00

From Australia: “The Idea of North”

This Sunday Peter Togni brings you “The Idea of North”, a vocal quartet from Australia that combine extraordinary tuning and incredible ensemble into a bright, eclectic a cappella sound. They are kind of a cross between the jazz sensibility of the New York based vocal group Manhattan Transfer, and the creative music sensibilities of the Finish sextet Rajaton.

You’ll also hear some wonderful contributions from Montreal’s Ensemble Caprice, the UBC singers, and the Elora Festival Singers.

The Amadeus Choir Announces the Winners of the 2011 Seasonal Song-Writing Competition

2011-11-23T13:57:00.001-04:00

The Amadeus Choir (www.amadeuschoir.com) and its Conductor and Artistic Director, Lydia Adams, are pleased to announce the winners of its 25th annual Seasonal Song-Writing Competition. Entries were received from composers both young and old throughout the GTA, across Canada and around the world, resulting in one of the most diverse collections of winning compositions to date.

The winners of the 2011 Amadeus Choir Seasonal Song-Writing Competition are (in alphabetical order by last name):

Artley, Chris from Auckland, New Zealand for The Ashwell Carol (Adult Amateur)
Arifin, Felix (19 years old) from Toronto, Ontario for Filius Deo Dormit (Youth - tie)
Cooper, Susan (co-winner with Brian Holmes) from Massachusetts for The Shortest Day (Adult Professional/Group Solstice)
Emery, Matthew (20 years old) from London, Ontario for In the Holy Nativity of Our Lord (Youth - tie)
Fullalove, Robin from Parksville, British Columbia for In Excelsis Gloria (Adult Amateur SATB a cappella)
Holmes, Brian (co-winner with Susan Cooper) from San Jose, California for The Shortest Day (Adult Professional/Group Solstice)
Naus, Julia (11 years old) from Toronto, Ontario for The Angels' Song (Child 10-12 years unison 2-part - tie)
Sloss, Imogen (10 years old) from Toronto, Ontario for The Star Shone Bright (Child 10-12 years unison 2-part - tie)
Winn, Allison (12 years old) from Toronto, Ontario for Quittez Pasteurs (Child 10-12 years SSA)The winning compositions will be performed on Saturday, December 17, at Yorkminster Park Baptist Church (1585 Yonge Street, Toronto) at 7:30 p.m., along with other holiday favourites, at a concert aptly titled Glorious Sounds of the Season. The first place winners in each category will also receive a cash prize.

To purchase tickets please visit: www.amadeuschoir.com
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The Toronto Children’s Chorus will partner with The Fairmont Royal York Hotel to present Sing Loo!, a four-hour long sing-a-thon concert

2011-11-17T12:12:00.000-04:00

The Toronto Children’s Chorus, in partnership with The Fairmont Royal York hotel, presents Sing Loo!, a free, four-hour long concert, in the festively decorated grand lobby of the hotel, 100 Front St W, on Sunday, November 27, 2011, 12 – 4 p.m. Sing Loo! is a pledge-driven sing-a-thon that raises money for the Chorus and is open to the community. The name, Sing Loo!, originates from the Toronto Children’s Chorus tradition in which someone sings the word “loo!” on a sustained pitch and other voices quickly join in unison so that the attention of the crowd is instantly captured.
This is the 4th annual Sing Loo! fundraiser and promises to be an enjoyable event for the entire family. The concert will feature performances by all four Training Choirs, the Main Choir, members of the Toronto Children’s Chorus’ alumni, guest artists and special hosts. Members of the community are invited to join the Toronto Children’s Chorus for a few minutes - or a few hours! - of exceptional choral music and will have a chance to support the choir through donations or pledges. The money collected through Sing Loo! will not only support an important charitable organization serving children and youth but also an exciting community event that has already become a wonderful Toronto tradition.

The Toronto Children’s Chorus is recognized as one of the world’s leading treble choirs. Founded 34 years ago by Jean Ashworth Bartle, the Toronto Children’s Chorus is celebrating its fifth concert season under the leadership of Artistic Director Elise Bradley.

Choral Concert with host Peter Togni, November 20, 2011 9:00 - 11:00 am, (9:30 - 11:30 NL) on CBC Radio 2

2011-11-17T10:31:00.000-04:00

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 their very best. This concert focuses on rising choral composing stars, like Fredik Sixten, Timothy Corlis and Ivo Antognini.

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 none other than the Immortal Bach ensemble and the Leipziger Kammerorchester.

A Winter Choral Symposium January 21, 2012 ~ Guelph, Ontario

2011-11-13T16:46:00.001-04:00

A full day choral workshop for conductors, church musicians and choristers featuring Dr. Julia Davids with the Canadian Chamber Choir, presented by Laurier Centre for Music in the Community, Lyrical Lines Education Network, Music Plus Corporation. Registration Deadline: January 15, 2012.

View complete details and registration brochure here.

Choral Concert with host Peter Togni, November 13, 2011 9:00 - 11:00 am, (9:30 - 11:30 NL) on CBC Radio 2

2011-11-09T16:03:00.000-04:00

The Tallis Scholars in Concert

They’ve been called the “rock stars of renaissance vocal music”, and “superstars” of the choral world – The Tallis Scholars have been together since 1973 and under the direction of their founder Peter Philips have reached the pinnacle of international choral performance. Their incredible blend, tuning and clarity brings out a beauty of sound that sets the standard for the rest of the world.

Peter Togni brings us the Tallis Scholars in concert from the Church of Our Saviour in Copenhagen, a concert recorded last fall.

You will also hear a Choral Concert run down of the Winnipeg Singers, the Tafelmusik Chamber Choir, Concerto Della Donna and Musica Intima, all doing music to Latin texts.

Ruth Watson Henderson Choral Composition Competition, 2011 Winner Announced

2011-11-09T13:20:00.001-04:00

The Ruth Watson Henderson Choral Composition Competition is a contest for new choral works. This biennial competition alternates between pieces for treble voice choirs and for mixed choirs. The 2011 competition asked for an SA or SSA work for children’s choir, which could be either a cappella or accompanied by piano. The eligible composers must be Canadian citizens or landed immigrants, residing in Canada; their submissions must be original; they must not have been previously commissioned or published, and must have been composed within the last two years.

The winner of the 2011 competition is Elise Letourneau with Ave Maria, for SA and piano.
Elise Letourneau is a performer, composer, arranger, and educator. She is the founding music director of Capital Vox Jazz Choir, and directs Vox Eclectica, a women’s chamber choir. Elise is a member of the music performance faculty at Carleton University, teaching jazz and contemporary styles of voice, piano, and musicianship.

The Toronto Children’s Chorus, under their director Elise Bradley, will perform the winning work at their concert at the George Weston Recital Hall, Toronto Centre for the Arts, Toronto, on May 5th, 2012.

Ruth Watson Henderson, one of Canada’s foremost musicians known for her work as a composer and pianist, is very pleased to encourage the contribution to Canadian choral music that her competition provides. She appreciates the work of Choirs Ontario, who administers this program.

VCC 32nd Annual National Conductors' Symposium February 6—11, 2012

2011-11-05T11:38:00.000-03:00

Jon Washburn and the Vancouver Chamber Choir will present the 32nd annual National Conductors' Symposium February 6—11, 2012 in Vancouver, Canada. The symposium offers selected conductors an opportunity to take part in masterclasses with Canada's premier choral ensemble.

Application Deadline: November 21, 2011

Details and application form available here.

IV European Music Competition, City of Filadelfia, May 5—13, 2012

2011-11-03T14:32:00.000-03:00

We wait to celebrate together a moment of music and friendship!

The competition is open to young musicians of any nationality with classes in Opera, Singing, Pianoforte, Strings, Woodwind, Guitar, Accordion, Percussion, Chamber Music. Lower Secondary school instrument classes, Choirs, Jazz Combo, Brass Band, Bands/Windbands.
Visit: WWW.ASSOCIAZIONE-MELODY.COM

Choral Concert with host Peter Togni, November 6, 2011 9:00 - 11:00 am, (9:30 - 11:30 NL) on CBC Radio 2

2011-11-02T17:18:00.000-03:00

Studio de Musique Ancienne de Montreal (SMAM) at the Darling Foundry

The Darling Foundry is a renovated, industrial artspace that has become the center of the contemporary art scene in Montreal. This Sunday on Choral Concert Peter Togni brings SMAM, Studio de Musique Ancienne de Montreal into the heart of the resonant acoustics of the foundry to bring you music of Roland De Lassus, Marc-Antoine Charpentier, and Thomas Luis de Vicotria. It’s lush, rich, and resonant – a full surround sound experience and a marvelous juxtaposition of the old and the new.
You will also hear the latest CD release on ECM records of the Hilliard ensemble, a beautiful review of the Russian-Isreali composer Boris Yoffe, featuring the Hilliard ensemble and the Rosamunde string quartet.

Arts Day Unites Parliamentarians in Support of the Arts

2011-11-01T11:35:00.000-03:00

Artists and arts workers from coast to coast to coast gathered in Ottawa on Tuesday October 25th to discuss the key role arts investment plays in the economic and social health of Canada. With one hundred participants and 120 scheduled meetings, it was the best attended Arts Day yet.

Recognizing the Government’s goal to reduce Canada’s deficit by 2014, members of the Canadian Arts Coalition presented a more modest set of priorities than in previous years. Parliamentarians were asked to maintain investment in the Canada Council for the Arts, integrate arts and culture in the government’s foreign policy initiatives, and to maintain funding levels to key arts, culture and heritage programs delivered by the Department of Canadian Heritage.
Members of Parliament across all parties signaled their support. Steering Committee members who met with Heritage Minister, James Moore reported a very positive dialogue, Moore assured the Coalition that the Government intends to find savings with minimal impacts to artists or the stability of the arts ecology, though the potential effects of future spending reductions remains an ongoing concern for the arts community. Moore addressed participants at the closing reception saying he was so pleased with the positive tone of the day and stressed that government and the arts sector must continue working together to find solutions to the challenges ahead. “Supporting culture isn’t a left wing issue or a right wing issue, it’s the right thing to do,” said Minister Moore.

Canadian actress, Cynthia Dale, also addressed participants. “We are an arts nation who create, perform and bring Canada to the world,” she said. The reception, hosted by Deputy Speaker Denise Savoie, was well attended with appearances by Parliamentary Secretary for Heritage, Paul Calandra; Minister of National Revenue, Gail Shea; NDP Heritage Critic, Tyrone Benskin; Liberal Heritage Critic, Scott Simms and other art supporting MPs such as Charlie Angus and Justin Trudeau. The meetings reflected a balance of members of Parliament from all parties with 40% of meetings with Conservative members.

“The MPs we met with understood the contribution the arts make to the life, vibrancy and economy of their communities and recognized the need to protect the most vulnerable elements of the sector’s ecology,” said Coalition spokesperson Shannon Litzenberger. “We hope to build on this success to create ongoing positive communication with MPs in all ridings and keenly await the results of the deficit reduction action plan.”

At the same time, the potential effects of future funding reductions remain an ongoing concern for the arts sector. The Coalition will continue to be watchful of forthcoming government decisions, and work with MP's across all parties in support of increased investment in arts and culture over the long term.

www.canadianartscoalition.ca

La Journée des Arts rassemble les parlementaires qui appuient le milieu artistique

2011-11-01T11:34:00.000-03:00

Des artistes et des travailleurs du monde des arts venus de partout au Canada se sont réunis à Ottawa le mardi 25 octobre pour débattre du rôle essentiel que les investissements dans les arts jouent quant à la santé économique et sociale du pays. Avec une centaine de participants et 120 rencontres planifiées, il s’agit de la plus forte participation à une Journée des Arts à ce jour.

Conscients de l’objectif gouvernemental consistant à réduire le déficit du Canada d’ici 2014, les membres de la Coalition canadienne des arts ont mis de l’avant un ensemble de priorités plus modeste que les années précédentes. Il fut demandé aux parlementaires d’insister pour que l’investissement au Conseil des Arts soit maintenu, que les initiatives de politique étrangère intègrent les arts et la culture, et que soit maintenu le niveau de financement fourni par le ministère du Patrimoine canadien aux secteurs clés des arts, de la culture et du patrimoine.
Des députés de toute obédience politique ont promis d'apporter leur soutien aux demandes de la Coalition. Suite à la rencontre avec le ministre du Patrimoine, James Moore, les membres du Comité directeur ont rapporté que le dialogue avait été très positif. Le ministre Moore a assuré la Coalition que le gouvernement compte trouver le moyen de faire des économies tout en heurtant le moins possible les artistes ou la stabilité de l’ « écosystème des arts ». Lors d'une réception à la Chambre des Communes à la fin de la journée, James Moore s’est adressé aux participants, se disant extrêmement satisfait du ton de cette Journée; il a insisté sur le fait que le gouvernement et le secteur des arts doivent continuer de travailler ensemble afin de trouver des solutions aux défis qui s’annoncent. « Appuyer la culture n’est pas un enjeu de droite ou de gauche, c’est simplement la bonne chose à faire », a-t-il affirmé. L’actrice canadienne Cynthia Dale s’est elle aussi adressée aux participants. « Nous sommes une nation favorable aux arts qui crée, performe, et amène le Canada à l’avant-scène mondiale », a-t-elle dit.

La réception, animée par la vice-présidente de la Chambre, Madame Denise Savoie, a connu un taux élevé de participation ; y participaient, entre autres, le secrétaire parlementaire pour le Patrimoine canadien, Paul Calandra ; la Ministre du Revenu national, Gail Shea ; le porte-parole du NPD en matière de patrimoine, Tyrone Benskin ; le porte-parole du Parti Libéral en matière de patrimoine, Scott Simms, ainsi que d’autres députés sympathisants de la cause des arts, tels Charlie Angus et Justin Trudeau. Les rencontres reflétaient la représentation au Parlement de l’ensemble des partis, 40 % des rencontres ayant eu lieu avec des membres du Parti Conservateur.

« Les députés que nous avons rencontrés comprennent la contribution des arts à la vie, à l’effervescence et à l’économie de leur collectivité, et ils reconnaissent le besoin de protéger les éléments les plus vulnérables de l’“écosystème” de ce secteur, a dit la porte-parole de la Coalition, Shannon Litzenberger. Nous espérons bâtir sur cette réussite afin de créer une communication constante avec des députés de toutes les circonscriptions, et nous anticipons avec optimisme les résultats du plan de réduction du déficit. »

Toutefois les effets potentiels des réductions futures des dépenses demeurent une préoccupation constante pour le milieu des art et la Coalition demeurera vigilante quant aux décisions gouvernementales à venir et continuera ses démarches auprès du gouvernement pour favoriser un investissement accru en arts et culture à long terme.

www.lacoalitioncanadiennedesarts.com

ACCC Student Chapter

2011-10-29T08:01:00.001-03:00

The recently formed Student Chapter is the official wing of the Association of Canadian Choral Communities that is designed to promote and foster student activities in choral arts across Canada. Their Incanto Blog which offers interesting articles, interviews, news and an opportunity to share ideas, is well worth a visit.

Employment Opportunity at Department of Music at the University of Regina

2011-10-28T15:14:00.000-03:00

The Department of Music at the University of Regina, a flexible, responsive and dynamic team of performers and scholars, invites applications for a full-time, tenure-track position in Choral Music at the rank of Assistant Professor, commencing July 1, 2012. Application Deadline: January 16, 2012

Details available on the ACCC web site at Employment Opportunities

IFCM World Summit and 11th China International Choral Festival, July 15–21, 2012

2011-10-27T23:05:00.000-03:00

The World Choral Summit is a unique initiative that will bring together thirty choral leaders from throughout the world. The Summit, a joint project under the sponsorship of IFCM, the China Chorus Association, China Entertainment and Arts Group, and China Cultural International Tours Inc, will be held simultaneously with the 11th China International Choral Festival.

Five choirs, each from a different continent, as well as many choirs from throughout the world, will join with their Chinese counterparts to participate in the Summit and Festival. The focus of the Summit will be on ideas, concerns, and ways to enhance communication and cooperation within the global community, as well as the exploration of choral traditions . . . especially those of China.

Appropriately, the theme will be Voices in Harmony. The host city of Beijing offers an ideal setting for choral leaders and choirs to experience the hospitality and rich cultural tradition of the Peoples Republic of China. The Summit and Festival will be events not to be missed!

For more information: http://en.cicfbj.cn/

Fondation commémorative Sir Ernest MacMillan – Bourse 2012 pour la direction chorale

2011-10-27T10:47:00.000-03:00

La Fondation commémorative Sir Ernest MacMillan a le plaisir d’annoncer que la bourse 2012 de 12 000 $ sera décernée pour la direction chorale. La Fondation a choisi la direction chorale en reconnaissance de la carrière de chef d’orchestre de Sir Ernest MacMillan, plus particulièrement ses nombreuses années à titre de chef du Toronto Mendelssohn Choir (1942-1957) et de l’orchestre de l’Orchestre symphonique de Toronto (1931-1956).

La bourse de la Fondation commémorative Sir Ernest MacMillan vise à soutenir de façon significative le développement de la carrière d’un jeune musicien canadien. Un concours national permettra de choisir le récipiendaire de la bourse. Depuis 1985, la fondation a octroyé 25 bourses.

De plus amples renseignements sont disponibles sur le site internet de la Fondation commémorative Sir Ernest MacMillan à l’adresse: www.macmillanfoundation.com

La date limite pour la réception des demandes et des lettres de recommandation est le 31 janvier 2012

Sir Ernest MacMillan Memorial Foundation - Award for 2012 in Choral Conducting

2011-10-27T10:41:00.000-03:00

The Sir Ernest MacMillan Memorial Foundation is pleased to announce its Award for 2012, in Choral Conducting, valued at $12,000. This is in recognition of Sir Ernest MacMillan’s celebrated career as a conductor, in particular his many years with the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir (1942-1957) and the Toronto Symphony Orchestra (1931-56).

The Sir Ernest MacMillan Memorial Foundation Award is intended to provide significant career development opportunities for a young Canadian musician. The recipient is chosen through a national competitive process; 25 awards have been given since 1985.

More information on the Award is provided at the web site of the Sir Ernest MacMillan Memorial Foundation: www.macmillanfoundation.com

Applications and letters of recommendation must be received by January 31, 2012.

Choral Concert October 30, 2011 special pre-emption for Canada in Concert on CBC Radio 2

2011-10-26T17:00:00.000-03:00

Choral Concert for Sunday, October 30th will be pre-empted for a special eight-hour broadcast marking 75 years of public broadcasting in Canada, but there will be lots of great singing to listen to!

From 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (9:30 to 5:30 in Newfoundland and Labrador) Canada in Concert, with host Bill Richardson, celebrates CBC's remarkable legacy of sharing Canada's greatest classical musicians with listeners from coast to coast.

This musical marathon, the result of an intense collaboration between CBC Radio 2 and Radio Canada's Espace musique, offers an eight-hour festival of live performance recorded in eight Canadian centers.

The programming features internationally renowned Canadian ensembles and soloists. We have singers galore - from Quebec City, Bernard Labadie leads Les Violons du Roy in a concert featuring the outstanding soprano Karina Gauvin; from Toronto, it's the Canadian Opera Company Orchestra with some of the countries biggest vocal stars including soprano Isabel Bayrakdarian and tenor Ben Heppner; from Halifax, soprano Suzie Leblanc joins the Tempest Baroque Ensemble for a program recalling the poetry of Elizabeth Bishop, and from Vancouver, some of the country's best choral ensembles celebrate CBC's 75th with an engaging program focusing on the work of Canadian composers.

We'll mark the opening of the new Maison symphonique in Montreal with a smashing performance of Beethoven's Symphony no. 9 with Kent Nagano leading the Montreal Symphony Orchestra. From Ottawa, we have an intimate recital with two Canadian classical superstars - violinist James Ehnes and the brilliant 16 year-old pianist Jan Lisiecki. From Winnipeg, it's highlights of the 2011 Winnipeg New Music Festival.

CBC has nurtured the careers of hundreds of artists across the complete musical spectrum. On October 30th, Canada's biggest classical stars come together to say "many happy returns."

Terry Hurrell Honored

2011-10-24T11:03:00.003-03:00

Terry Hurrell, founding Artistic Director of Nova Voce, Nova Scotia’s Provincial Men’s Choir, has been awarded an Honorary Life Membership and made Artistic Director Emeritus of that choir. Terry retired from directing Nova Voce in December, 2010.

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

2011-10-21T16:44:00.000-03:00

The Music of Nico Muhly and the Anglican Choral Tradition

This Sunday Peter Togni explores the Anglican choral tradition from convention through to innovation.

The conventional side will be the best of the best: The Vancouver Chamber Choir doing Handel, the Cambridge Singers doing Thomas Tallis and the Tallis Scholars doing even more Tallis. It will be a feast for the ears!
On the innovative side you will hear the music of Nico Muhly, a young American composer steeped in the British choral tradition through his Episcopalian upbringing – and who has gone on to put a distinctive contemporary stamp on the traditional British sound. You will hear a collection of his most beautiful works performed by the amazing Los Angeles Master Chorale conducted by Grant Gershon.

2nd annual TMC Choral Conductors’ Symposium January 24-28, 2012 Toronto

2011-10-14T14:41:00.001-03:00

The Toronto Mendelssohn Choir is now accepting applicants for the 2nd annual TMC Choral Conductors’ Symposium. The TMC created this national symposium in 2011 as part of its Emerging Conductors Program to bring together emerging choral conductors with acclaimed conductor Noel Edison and two internationally recognized choirs. During the symposium participating conductors work intensively with Noel Edison and the choirs to expand their own choral conducting skills. In 2012 the five-day Toronto-based symposium will take place from January 24 through 28, 2012.

Participating conductors will not only refine their skills in workshops with Noel Edison, but will be given the rare opportunity to conduct the 150-voice Toronto Mendelssohn Choir and the chamber-sized Elora Festival Singers. Working with these two ensembles of experienced and skilled singers will present the conductors with the opportunity to experiment with their own conducting styles and musical interpretation.

Five conductors will be accepted into the program. There will also be opportunities for others to participate as observers. The deadline for conductors to submit their application to participate is November 11, 2011. Details, including the registration form, are available on the TMC Choral Conductors Symposium web page.
To conclude the Symposium, the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir and the Elora Festival Singers, led by the five participating conductors, will present a Community Concert open to the public. This Community Concert will take place on Saturday, January 28 from 3:00-4:30 pm at Yorkminster Park Baptist Church, Toronto (doors will open at 2:30 pm).

Noel Edison is well established as one of the most versatile and charismatic conductors in the world today. As conductor and artistic director of two world-class Canadian ensembles, the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir and the Elora Festival Singers, Edison is widely recognized and appreciated for his skillful, interpretive work with both choir and orchestra. He is also an experience workshop leader, guiding other conductors in achieving their own artistic vision.

Founded in 1894, the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir (TMC) is Canada’s outstanding large vocal ensemble, numbering over 150 voices. The TMC performs an annual subscription series and makes regular guest appearances with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra. The TMC’s concert repertoire ranges from Renaissance masterpieces to large-scale symphonic works and new compositions.

The Elora Festival Singers, a professional chamber choir, was founded in 1980 by Noel Edison. Through a regular concert series, recordings, broadcasts and touring, the Elora Festival Singers has established a reputation as one of the finest chamber choirs in Canada and beyond.

The Choral Conductors’ Symposium is supported by RBC Foundation.

Singsation Saturday October 15th: Sing Renaissance Music

2011-10-14T14:35:00.000-03:00

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 learn about and sing some of the great choral masterpieces. Musical scores are available for singers to borrow during the workshop. During the 2010-11 season, between 70 and 120 singers from across Toronto joined their voices together at each Singsation event.

Saturday, October 15, 2011: Music of the Renaissance with Peter Mahon, Artistic Director of Tallis Choir
During this first Singsation Saturday of the 2011-12 season, participants will sing some Renaissance greats, including Byrd’s Mass for Four Voices and Ave Verum, and Palestrina’s Stabat Mater and Exultate Deo. Singers will be led by Peter Mahon, Artistic Director of the Tallis Choir, a chamber ensemble known for its performances of Renaissance music. Peter Mahon is also a professional singer, rehearsal conductor and singing instructor at St. Michael's Choir School, and Director of the Chancel Choir at Lorne Park Baptist Church in Mississauga.

Time: Saturday, October 15 from 10:30 am – 1 pm

Location: Yorkminster Park Baptist Church, Cameron Hall, 1585 Yonge St. (1 block north of St. Clair Ave.)

Price: $10 – includes refreshments

Participants can register at the workshop.

For more information call TMC at 416-598-0422, ext 24 or check out the TMC website at www.tmchoir.org.

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

2011-10-12T16:59:00.000-03:00

From the Soundshift Festival in St. John’s: Zari in concert

This Sunday Peter Togni brings you the trio of Georgian singers known as Zari. The republic of Georgia is a mountainous country on the crossroads of Asia and Europe, and the music reflects their deep history. It’s mysterious, unusual, and because of some of the modern sounding harmonies that use, can also sound strangely familiar.

You will also hear a selection of CD’s that has a sonic relationship to these very special Georgian sounds, music by Monteverdi, Stravinsky, and the renaissance composer Vincenzo Ugolini.

Want a feast for the eyes as well as the ears? Check out the new videos of the Indonesian Cordana Youth Choir from Festival 500 in St John’s on the Choral Concert blog at: http://cbc.ca/choralconcert

Choralies internationales Edmonton 2012 Registration Now Open

2011-10-12T09:25:00.000-03:00

From July 8 to 15, 2012, in Edmonton, Alberta, enjoy
A thousand voices, one chorus!

Toi, moi, tout un monde a hymn of praise to song and the international French community!

Soon Alberta’s capital will be at the heart of a thousand voices, with choral singers from all over the world taking part in a fabulous event, the French choral singing festival Choralies internationales Edmonton 2012. The founding partners of the event, the Chorale Saint-Jean, the Alliance des chorales du Québec and University of Alberta’s Campus Saint-Jean, are immensely proud to invite you to this extremely rare gathering, when Edmonton will be decked out in all its finery to welcome participants!
In the same vein as the Choralies and À cœur joie, the festival will concentrate particularly on communal singing. The thousand-voice choir will spend two hours together each day, rehearsing a variety of works of diverse origins to the delight of the singers who will present these at the closing ceremony in the magnificent Winspear Centre for Music, one of North America’s most beautiful concert halls. Classics like Jean Racine’s Cantique and Ma belle aurore will play alongside more contemporary works such as our superb theme song Toi, moi, tout un monde!

A dazzling array of workshops...

Le Requiem (Camille Saint-Saëns) – Conductor, Pierre Calmelet (Le Madrigal de Paris, Conservatoire de Boulogne). Saint-Saëns’ magnificent work is one of great lyrical beauty and its different movements are astonishingly diverse.

La Grand-messe (Gilles Vigneault) – Conductor, David Rompré (the Chœur les Rhapsodes and the Chœur de l’Orchestre symphonique de Québec). Created in 2008, this contemporary Quebec masterpiece, evoking the childhood of the great chansonnier and his faith in humanity will be presented by organ and small orchestra.

Elles s’appelaient Marie (France Levasseur-Ouimet) – Conductor, Laurier Fagnan (Chorale Saint-Jean, Campus Saint-Jean, Edmonton). In this moving sixteen-part suite, the Franco- Albertan writer and composer tells the story of Quebec migration to Western Canada at the beginning of the 20th century.

Treasures of the Renaissance – Conductor, Michel-Marc Gervais (University of California, Santa Barbara, Maîtrise Notre-Dame de Paris). The singers will be charmed by this great master of chamber music who will be working on Renaissance masterpieces with an advanced-level a-capella choir.

Le Gloria (Poulenc) – Conductor, Robert Ingari (Université de Sherbrooke, Chœur de chambre du Québec). All week long you will have the pleasure of discovering and celebrating the wonderful world of Francis Poulenc.

Traditional African Music – Conductor, Scott Leithead (Kokopelli Choir Association, Edmonton). Get set for a pulsating session combining music and movement.

Acadian and Western Canadian Music – Conductor, Andrée Dagenais (Brandon University, Manitoba). The singers will be delighted to discover some treasures from the Western Canadian and Acadian repertoires.

Psalm 63 – Conductor, Pierre Barrette (Chœur de l’Art Neuf, Montréal). The singers will be fascinated by this contemporary work by Quebec composer, Enrico Dastous.

Songs by the Great Chansonniers! – Conductor, François André Ouimet (Chœur de l’Orchestre Métropolitain de Montréal, les Voix ferrées). The singers will have the great pleasure of performing the most beautiful harmonies by great French and Quebec chansonniers. Vigneault, Brassens, Gainsbourg, Leclerc, Brel, Léveillée and other famous names will be at the heart of the program.

Could there be a better setting than Western Canada to hold the Choralies internationales Edmonton 2012?

Edmonton, over sixty ethnic communities; the largest city park in North America with 160km of trails crisscrossed by the North Saskatchewan River; a majestic valley; unique arts districts, including Old Strathcona, close to the nerve centre of the event; the fabulous West Edmonton Mall with its 800 stores, 100 restaurants and 9 world-class attractions.

Alberta boasts five UNESCO World Heritage sites; 70,000 Francophones; 225,000 French- speaking Albertans; the mighty Rocky Mountains, just four hours away from the capital , stunning turquoise lakes, and much more.

Western Canada means wide-open spaces and endless blue skies.

For more information...
The website is now up and provides detailed information on workshops, concerts and how to register. The site’s address is www.choraliesedmonton2012.ca. Singers can also obtain information by e-mail from accueil@choraliesedmonton2012.ca.

Choralies internationales Edmonton 2012 Les inscriptions débutent maintenant!

2011-10-12T09:24:00.001-03:00

Du 8 au 15 juillet 2012, à Edmonton en Alberta, nous serons

Un millier de voix, un seul chœur!

Toi, moi, tout un monde pour faire résonner le chant et la francophonie internationale!

Oui, la capitale albertaine sera la mire d’un millier de choralistes du monde entier pour participer à cet événement grandiose, le festival de chant choral francophone Choralies internationales Edmonton 2012. C’est avec une immense fierté que les partenaires fondateurs de l’événement, la Chorale Saint-Jean, l’Alliance des chorales du Québec et le Campus Saint-Jean de l’Université de l’Alberta, convient tous les choralistes et le grand public à ce rassemblement rarissime où Edmonton se parera de ses plus beaux atours pour vous souhaiter la bienvenue!
Dans l’esprit des Choralies et d’À cœur joie, ce festival portera une attention particulière au chant commun. Chaque jour, le chœur de mille voix passera deux heures côte { côte { répéter une variété de pièces de diverses provenances pour le plus grand plaisir des choralistes qui les présenteront au concert de clôture au magnifique Winspear Centre for Music, une des plus belles salles de concert sur le continent. Des classiques tels que le Cantique de Jean Racine et Ma belle aurore se joindront à des pièces plus contemporaines incluant notre merveilleux chant thème, Toi, moi, tout un monde!

Une programmation d’ateliers époustouflante...

Voici un avant-goût des ateliers offerts aux choralistes :

Le Requiem de Camille Saint-Saëns – chef d’atelier Pierre Calmelet (Le Madrigal de Paris, Conservatoire de Boulogne). Cette œuvre magistrale de Saint-Saëns est traversée par un grand souffle lyrique et présente des contrastes saisissants entre les différents mouvements.

La Grand-messe de Gilles Vigneault – chef d’atelier David Rompré (le Chœur les Rhapsodes et le Chœur de l’Orchestre symphonique de Québec). Créé en 2008, ce chef-d’œuvre contemporain québécois, évoquant l’enfance de ce grand chansonnier et de la foi dans les humains, sera présenté avec orgue et petit orchestre.

Elles s’appelaient Marie de France Levasseur-Ouimet – chef d’atelier Laurier Fagnan (Chorale Saint-Jean, Campus Saint-Jean, Edmonton) Dans cette suite émouvante de seize pièces, l’auteure-compositrice franco-albertaine raconte l’histoire de la migration des Québécois vers l’Ouest canadien au début du 20e siècle.

Les perles de la Renaissance – chef d’atelier Michel-Marc Gervais (Université de Californie, Santa Barbara, Maîtrise de Notre-Dame de Paris). Les choralistes seront charmés par ce grand maître de chœur de chambre qui travaillera les joyaux de l’époque de la Renaissance avec un chœur a cappella de choristes de niveau avancé.

Le Gloria de Poulenc – chef d’atelier Robert Ingari (Université de Sherbrooke, Chœur de chambre du Québec). Tout au long de la semaine, vous aurez le plaisir de découvrir et célébrer le monde merveilleux de Francis Poulenc.

Musique traditionnelle de l’Afrique – chef d’atelier Scott Leithead (Kokopelli Choir Association, Edmonton). Préparez-vous à une session énergique où on intègre le mouvement dans la musique.

Musique de l’Acadie et de l’Ouest canadien – chef d’atelier Andrée Dagenais (Université de Brandon, Manitoba). Les choralistes seront ravis de découvrir quelques-uns des joyaux du répertoire de l’Ouest canadien et de l’Acadie.

Psalmus 63 – chef d’atelier Pierre Barrette (Chœur de l’Art Neuf, Montréal). Les choralistes seront fascinés par l’oeuvre contemporaine du compositeur québécois Enrico Dastous.

Chantez les grands chansonniers! – chef d’atelier François André Ouimet (Chœur de l’Orchestre Métropolitain de Montréal, les Voix ferrées). Les choralistes auront beaucoup de plaisir à chanter les plus belles harmonisations des grands chansonniers français et québécois. Vigneault, Brassens, Gainsbourg, Leclerc, Brel, Léveillée et autres grands de renom seront au cœur du programme.

Y a-t-il meilleur décor que l’Ouest canadien pour tenir ces Choralies internationales Edmonton 2012?

Edmonton, c'est une soixantaine de communautés ethniques; le plus grand parc urbain sur le continent avec ses 160 km de sentiers sillonnés de la rivière Saskatchewan Nord; une magnifique vallée; des quartiers des arts remarquables, dont le Vieux Strathcona à proximité du centre névralgique de l'événement; son fabuleux West Edmonton Mall aux 800 boutiques, 100 restaurants et 9 attractions de classe mondiale.

L’Alberta, c'est cinq sites inscrits au patrimoine international de l'UNESCO; 70,000 francophones; 225,000 Albertains parlants français; les majestueuses montagnes Rocheuses à quatre heures de route de la capitale, les somptueux lacs turquoise, et beaucoup plus.

L'Ouest canadien, c'est l’immensité des grands espaces et un ciel azuré sans pareil.

Pour en savoir plus...

Le site Internet est en ligne et il est possible d’obtenir de l’information détaillée sur les ateliers, les concerts et les modalités d’inscription. L’URL du site est le www.choraliesedmonton2012.ca. Les choralistes peuvent aussi obtenir des renseignements par courriel accueil@choraliesedmonton2012.ca.

Pax Christi Chorale - General Manager Part-time Position

2011-10-11T21:43:00.000-03:00

Pax Christi Chorale, Toronto, is seeking an experienced Arts Administrator to fill the position of General Manager.

Pax Christi Chorale is a 90-voice auditioned choir dedicated to performing the great works of choral literature, with a view to achieving musical excellence and sustaining a supportive choral community.

Deadine for applications is October 19, 2011. Read the complete job description on the ACCC Employment Opportunities page.

Chor Leoni Releases New CD: Yuletide Fires II

2011-10-11T07:14:00.011-03:00

Vancouver’s renowned Chor Leoni Men’s Choir and Diane Loomer, C.M., Artistic Director, are pleased to announce the release of their latest CD, Yuletide Fires II. This eagerly anticipated follow-up disc to the award-winning Yuletide Fires seeks to answer the question of what Christmastime means in a culture where beliefs and customs are intermingling and becoming less defined.

Yuletide Fires II features serene Latin chant expressing the wonder of the Virgin and child, familiar words and melodies that connect us the Christmas of our childhood, and songs that explore new ways to celebrate the joys of Christmas as well as the hopes and possibilities of a new year. Chor Leoni is thrilled to welcome the renowned Canadian operatic superstar, Judith Forst as soloist on Adolphe Adam’s beloved "Cantique de Noël".

The disc is distributed in Canada through SRI and is available directly through the choir’s website at http://www.chorleoni.org/recordings/yuletide-fires-ii
Yuletide Fires II
Chor Leoni Men’s Choir
Diane Loomer, C.M. / *Kevin Zakresky, conductors

Cypress Choral Recordings, Catalogue No. CRR1101
Distributed by SRI
Recorded in Vancouver BC Canada

PLAYLIST

What Child Is This? English traditional
Alma Redemptoris Mater* Gregorian chant
A La Nanita Nana* Spanish traditional
Ubi Caritas Ola Gjeilo
Ave Regina Caelorum* Gregorian chant
The Gate of the Year Eleanor Daley
Ave Maria* Ambrosian chant
The Three Kings Healey Willan
Sweet Was the Song Jeff Enns
In the Bleak Midwinter Gustav Holst
Peace I Leave with You Knut Nystedt
Salve Regina* Gregorian chant
Koppången Pererik Moraeus
Cantique de Noël Adolphe Adam
Regina Caeli* Gregorian chant
A New Year Carol Benjamin Britten
O Tannenbaum* German traditional
Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas Hugh Martin
To Drive the Cold Winter Away English traditional
The Mummer Song Alan Doyle and Sean McCann
Christmas Time Is Here Vince Guaraldi

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

2011-10-08T20:07:00.000-03:00

For Thanksgiving: The Ottawa Bach Choir in Concert

This Sunday Peter Togni marks the Thanksgiving weekend with a beautiful concert from the Ottawa Bach Choir they called “Baroque and Beyond”. You will hear music by Antonio Caldara, Alessandro Scarlatti, and the great renaissance master Claudio Monteverdi.

You will also hear a collection of discs featuring music that gives thanks, from Bach’s “Now thank we all our God” to the music of Micheal Torke giving thanks to the moment with his “Boast not of tomorrow for you know not what any day may bring forth”. The program ends with a performance of the 15th century master of counterpoint Johannes Ockeghem, his “Deo Gratias” or “Thanks be to God”.

Happy Thanksgiving!

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

2011-09-30T17:58:00.000-03:00

Beethoven’s glorious 9th Symphony with the Tafelmusik Chamber Choir and Orchestra

This Sunday Peter Togni starts off Choral Concert with the final movement of Beethoven’s final symphony, the Symphony No. 9 in D minor. It’s one of the best known works of the western classical repertoire, and has even been adapted and used as the European Anthem. It stands alone by any standard of measurement as one of the greatest works of the canon of western classical music.

The symphony was the first example of a major composer using voices in a symphony. The words are sung during the final movement by four vocal soloists and a chorus singing the famous “Ode to Joy”.

This performance by the Tafelmusik Chamber Choir and Orchestra is sparse, lean and powerful - not to be missed! You will also hear the choir perform works by Mendelssohn, Brahms and Arvo Part.

Dr. Barbara Clark Receives 2011 Presidents' Leadership Award from Choirs Ontario

2011-09-29T18:29:00.000-03:00

The 2011 Presidents’ Leadership Award was presented to Dr. Clark at the Toronto concert of the Ontario Youth Choir, August 28, 2011, for her extraordinary and multi-faceted contributions, over an illustrious career, to the art of choral music.

Established in 2001 to commemorate Choirs Ontario’s 30th anniversary, the Presidents’ Leadership Award recognizes individuals who, through their support or engagement in choral music-making, have made an exceptional contribution to the promotion and advancement of choral music in their communities. Choirs Ontario is proud to present this year’s award to Dr. Barbara Clark, C.M., in recognition of her long and distinguished career in promoting and supporting choral music in Canada and beyond.
Dr. Clark began her career as an elementary school teacher and later worked as a music consultant with the Ottawa Board of Education. For many years, she conducted the Central Children's Choir of Ottawa and in 1982, she founded the Ottawa Regional Youth Choir. For the past fourteen years Dr. Clark has served as artistic director of Unisong, a national choral festival that brings together choirs from each province and territory in Canada in celebration of Canadian choral music.

As a volunteer, Dr. Clark has served on the Board of the Association of Canadian Choral Communities (formerly the Association of Canadian Choral Conductors), and on the board of Choirs Ontario (formerly the Ontario Choral Federation), service for which we at Choirs Ontario are particularly grateful! She has also served as the artistic director of the Niagara International Music Festival and the Canterbury International Music Festival in England, and has toured the world with her choirs giving masterclasses here in Canada, in the United States, Japan, New Zealand and Switzerland.

In 2006, Dr. Clark was conferred with the degree of Doctor of Laws, honoris causa from the University of Carlton, and is a member of the Order of Canada, this country’s highest civilian honour for her work in choral music.

Those who have known and worked with her over many years hail Dr. Clark as an “eloquent and tireless advocate” with “consummate organizational skill”. “She was the voice of reason at the table. She spearheaded many projects that included both fund-raising and artistic projects.”

The 2011 Presidents’ Leadership Award was presented to Dr. Clark at the Toronto concert of the Ontario Youth Choir, August 28, 2011 for her extraordinary and multi-faceted contributions, over an illustrious career, to the art of choral music.

Announcing the Diane Loomer Commissioning Fund

2011-09-29T15:52:00.000-03:00

Imagine Chor Leoni walking on stage to premiere a new work written specifically for the Choir. Imagine you wrote that music and were about to hear it for the first time. Magic.

Not all of us are composers, but all of us can help make the music happen. Knowing Diane Loomer is one of Canada's strongest advocates for choral music, it made sense for Chor Leoni to establish the Diane Loomer Commissioning Fund at the Vancouver Foundation. This Fund will, forever, generate and support the creation of major choral commissions.

There is a ‘time limited’ matching opportunity we hope will convince you NOW is the time to contribute. Canadian Heritage is offering up to 100% match for every dollar we raise by November 15th.
Click here to make your secure fully tax-deductible contribution today!

Remember – after November 15th, the match opportunity is gone. Please contribute to a song-filled future for choral music – the future of Chor Leoni – today.

NewWorks Choral Composition Competition 2012

2011-09-29T15:38:00.000-03:00

The award-winning DaCapo Chamber Choir is pleased to announce its 3rd annual, national choral composition competition, NewWorks. The purpose of the NewWorks competition is to foster new and engaging choral works by Canadian composers. 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 2012/2013 season. Young composers (aged 25 and younger) are also encouraged to submit compositions for consideration in our Young Composers Reading Sessions. Full details on DaCapo’s web site: www.dacapochamberchoir.ca/newworks
Entry Dealine: February 13, 2012

The ISME World Conference on Music Education Thessaloniki, Greece July 15-21, 2012

2011-09-27T21:02:00.000-03:00

Although still not widely recognized in Canada, the International Society for Music Education (ISME) World Conferences are widely recognized for their research into and promotion of music education and its benefits at all performance levels to all members of society.

The 2012 ISME conference theme “Music Paedeia” means to serve humankind in a way that will elevate it to higher levels of self awareness through music. This philosophy will be examined through an interdisciplinary approach covering all aspects of music education including: Pedagogy, Sociology, Musicology, Theory, Medicine, Teaching Practices, Psychology, Ethno-Musicology, Philosophy, and School Administration.

The value of experiencing one of the World Conferences is immense. There are numerous learning opportunities through interaction and idea sharing with a wide range of conductors, teachers, music educators and performance groups from around the world. Extensive programming includes a rich blend of concerts, presentations, workshops, a trade show and opportunities to participate in multiple general assemblies.
One 2012 ISME Forum will focus exclusively on the activities and concerns of independent, private and studio teachers of instrumental or vocal performance. In addition to a Special Interest Group (SIG) to study and further develop the El Sistema model linking music and a social purpose, other Commissions include: Early Childhood Music Education, Music in Schools and Teacher Education, Community Music Activity, Education of the Professional Musician, and Music in Cultural, Educational and Mass Media Policies.

ISME 2012 World Conference activities will all be
in the Thessaloniki Concert Hall,
one of the most advanced concert venues in Europe.

The venue for the 2012 ISME World Conference is Thessaloniki, Greece - renowned for ancient Greek, Roman and Byzantine monuments, charming shopping thoroughfares, and indulgent local cuisine - a fusion of Greek, Balkan and Southeastern European influences that co-exist in a multicultural and cosmopolitan environment where visitors always feel welcome. Shopping, dining and social attractions are all easily accessible from tourist areas via walking or a quick trip on public transit; and the boardwalk, along which most of the ISME host hotels are located, is a popular dining and unwinding area with both tourists and locals alike.

For more information on ISME, the 2012 World Conference, application deadlines and opportunities for touring Greece please contact Carla Ala-Kantti at MKI Travel, the Only ISME-appointed Global Travel Provider for ISME 2012 World Conference Performing Groups by phone at 613-234-1234 ext. 3367 or e-mail to calakantti@mkitravel.com. It’s going to be a wonderful time!

Lift Your Voices: The Amadeus Choir Presents 2011-12 Concert Season

2011-09-27T09:58:00.003-03:00

The internationally-recognized Toronto-based Amadeus Choir (www.amadeuschoir.com), celebrating its 37th anniversary season in 2011-12, is pleased to announce their 2011–2012 subscription concert series. Highlights of the season will include Karl Jenkins’ The Armed Man: A Mass for Peace along with the Hannaford Street Silver Band on November 12; Glorious Sounds of the Season featuring the winners of the Seasonal Song Writing Competition on December 17; an exciting collaboration with the Elmer Iseler Singers to present Rodion Shchedrin’s moving music drama, The Sealed Angel, on February 3, 2012 and a celebration of Dr. Roberta Bondar’s 20th anniversary of flight in space with Music of the Spheres: A Fusion of Music, Art and Science on April 21.

Subscription orders for the entire concert series are being accepted until November 11 with subscribers receiving substantial savings over single ticket purchasers. Subscriptions are priced at $120 for adults, $99 for seniors and $40 for students (including HST) and are available through the Amadeus Choir office at 416-446-0188.
On Saturday, November 12, the choir presents Karl Jenkins’ The Armed Man: A Mass for Peace along with the Hannaford Street Silver Band at the Metropolitan United Church (56 Queen Street East) at 8 p.m. Tickets are priced at $45 for adults, $40 for seniors and $15 for students (including HST) and are available through the St. Lawrence Centre Box Office at 416-366-7723 or 1-800-708-6754, and online at www.stlc.com.

Just in time for the holidays, the choir presents Glorious Sounds of the Season on Saturday, December 17, at the Yorkminster Park Baptist Church (1585 Yonge Street) at 7:30 p.m. The concert celebrates the 25th anniversary of the Seasonal Song Writing Competition and will feature the winning compositions along with other holiday favourites, as well as an appearance by the Bach Children’s Chorus. Tickets are priced at $40 for adults, $30 for seniors and $15 for students (including HST) and are available through the Amadeus Choir office at 416-446-0188.

The new year sees the choir joining forces with the Elmer Iseler Singers to present Rodion Shchedrin’s moving music drama, The Sealed Angel, on Friday, February 3, in Koerner Hall at The Telus Centre for Performance and Learning (273 Bloor Street West) at 8 p.m. The concert, a Soundstreams production, will also include a new choreography by ProArteDanza. Tickets are priced from $42 and are available through The Royal Conservatory Weston Family Box Office at 416-408-0208, and online at www.rcmusic.ca.

On the eve of Earth Day, Saturday, April 21, the choir celebrates Dr. Roberta Bondar’s 20th anniversary of flight in space with Music of the Spheres: A Fusion of Music, Art and Science in the Procter & Gamble Great Hall at the Ontario Science Centre (770 Don Mills Road) at 8 p.m. This is a co-production of the Amadeus Choir, Elmer Iseler Singers, The Roberta Bondar Foundation and the Ontario Science Centre. Tickets are priced at $40 for adults, $35 for seniors and $15 for students (including HST) and are available for a limited time through the Amadeus Choir office at 416-446-0188.

For more information about the 2011-12 concert season please visit: www.amadeuschoir.com.

About the Amadeus Choir
The Amadeus Choir is celebrating its 37th anniversary season in 2011-12. The 80 auditioned members of the choir perform a regular subscription concert series in Toronto, presenting well-known artists in works by Canadian and international composers, including major choral works with instrumental ensembles or full orchestra as well as challenging a cappella performances.

Vancouver Chamber Choir Voted Top Vocal Ensemble

2011-09-23T14:15:00.000-03:00

The Vancouver Chamber Choir has been voted Best Local Classical Vocal Ensemble in the Georgia Straight's Best of Vancouver reader's ballot.

Congratulations!

Choral Concert with host Peter Togni, September 25, 2011 9:00 - 11:00 am, (9:30 - 11:30 NL) on CBC Radio 2

2011-09-22T17:28:00.000-03:00

Musica Intima in Concert

This Sunday Peter Togni brings you one of Canada’s finest chamber choirs, Musica Intima. Based in Vancouver, this unconducted choir has gained an international reputation for its tight blend and extraordinary ensemble singing. Choral Concert recorded them at the Music and Beyond festival in Ottawa this past summer. Among many other works, you will hear a world premiere performance of a new concert work by the celebrated Canadian film composer Howard Shore – yes, the guy who won all of those awards for the music to the Lord of the Rings trilogy.

You will also hear Mozart’s mass in C major, in a classic performance with the Choir of King’s College, Cambridge and the Vienna Philharmonic all conducted by Karl Munchinger.

CHORAL CONCERT, with host Peter Togni The best choral music from across Canada and around the world SUNDAY, Sept 18th, 2011 9:00 - 11:00 am, (9:30 - 11:30 NT) on CBC Radio 2

2011-09-16T15:06:00.001-03:00

The Elmer Iseler Singers in Concert

This Sunday Peter Togni brings you one of Canada’s great choral groups, the Elmer Iseler Singers. This choir is based in Toronto, but Choral Concert caught up with them this past April at first Baptist Church in Halifax at the peak of their Eastern Canadian tour. This is the Iselers at their best!

You will hear Lydia Adams lead them in works by Mendelssohn, Schubert and John Estacio, plus some gorgeous arrangements of traditional Nova Scotian songs.

Want a feast for the eyes as well as the ears? Check out the Indonesian Cordana Youth Choir on the Choral Concert blog at: http://cbc.ca/choralconcert

Les Choralies 2012

2011-09-14T17:34:00.001-03:00

Avec un millier de voix à Edmonton, l’été prochain sera à l’image d’un grand chant commun!

C’est avec une immense fierté que les partenaires fondateurs des Choralies 2012, la Chorale Saint-Jean d’Edmonton en Alberta, une chorale francophone, l’Alliance des chorales du Québec et le Campus Saint-Jean de l’Université de l’Alberta, la faculté francophone de l’université, vous convient à un rassemblement rarissime où Edmonton se parera de ses plus beaux atours pour souhaiter la bienvenue!

Les Choralies, c’est un festival-rencontre où des choralistes ainsi que des chœurs entiers s’unissent pendant huit jours pour participer à des ateliers et se perfectionner dans leur art sous la direction de nombreux chefs de chœurs provenant des quatre coins du monde. C’est aussi plus d’une dizaine de concerts offerts au grand public. Habituellement tenu exclusivement en France à tous les trois ans, l’événement ne se produit que rarement hors de l’Hexagone, et encore moins en Amérique du Nord. Le dernier passage des Choralies à Edmonton remonte à 1973.

Afin de mener tambour battant la réalisation de cet événement grandiose, les trois organismes fondateurs ont créé la société sans but lucratif Choralies Edmonton 2012. Le conseil d’administration, composé de 13 membres, dont 11 nommés par les organismes fondateurs, de la direction générale et de la direction artistique, à titre de membres ex-officio, s’est réuni pour la première fois le 9 septembre dernier.

Les représentants nommés sont :

de l'Alliance des chorales du Québec : Paul Belzile, Claude Léveillé, Christian Picard et
deux autres représentants à venir,
de la Chorale Saint-Jean : Jean Johnson, Marcelline Forestier, Camille Bérubé, Randy
Boissonneault et Marie-Josée Ouimet,
du Campus Saint-Jean : Carl Charest,

Le conseil de direction est composé de :

Jean Johnson, président
Paul Belzile, vice-président
Marcelline Forestier, secrétaire
Carl Charest, trésorier

Depuis le 25 juillet 2011, la direction générale de l’organisme est entre bonnes mains grâce aux services de madame Mariette Rainville qui était jusqu’à tout récemment directrice générale du Regroupement artistique francophone de l’Alberta (RAFA), l’organisme porte-parole des arts et de la culture de l’Alberta français. Bien connue, non seulement en Alberta, mais aussi sur la scène nationale dans bon nombre de réseaux, son parcours professionnel est marqué par ses qualités de gestionnaire, de leader et de visionnaire. Elle cumule près de 15 ans à la direction d’organismes provinciaux et à l’organisation d’événements d’envergure.

Le chef franco-albertain, Laurier Fagnan, agira quant à lui comme directeur artistique. De renommée internationale, le professeur Fagnan détient un doctorat en musique. Professeur agrégé à l’Université de l’Alberta, il dirige le premier laboratoire d’acoustique vocal au Canada. Il a, de plus, été le seul chef non-québécois à diriger le chœur de 1400 voix réuni lors des célébrations du 400e anniversaire de la Ville de Québec.

Les Choralies 2012 seront tenues du 8 au 15 juillet, principalement sur les sites de l’Université de l’Alberta ainsi qu’au Winspear Centre et au Churchill Square dans le centre-ville d’Edmonton. Le lancement officiel de la programmation aura lieu dans les prochaines semaines.

Edmonton, c'est une soixantaine de communautés ethniques; une magnifique vallée; des quartiers des arts remarquables dont le Vieux Strathcona à proximité du centre névralgique de l'événement; son fabuleux West Edmonton Mall aux 800 boutiques, 100 restaurants et 9 attractions de classe mondiale. L’Alberta, c'est cinq sites inscrits au patrimoine international de l'UNESCO; 70,000 francophones; les montagnes Rocheuses majestueuses; les somptueux lacs turquoise, et beaucoup plus.

Auditions for Vancouver Chamber Choir Saturday, September 24

2011-09-14T10:28:00.000-03:00

All professional-level singers (SATB) are invited to audition for the Vancouver Chamber Choir on Saturday, September 24.

Before calling, please visit our website to see if you are eligible

Contact Catherine for an appointment at catherinelaub@hotmail.com

Edmonton Columbian Choirs Announce 45th. Season

2011-09-13T10:35:00.000-03:00

The Edmonton Columbian Choirs, under the direction of Artistic Director Heather Bedford-Clooney, is pleased to announce its 2011-2012 Season which is proudly sponsored by the Edmonton Chapter of the Knights of Columbus, CKUA Radio and Vue Weekly.
On Sunday, December 4, 2011, the choirs will take to the stage of McDougall United Church (10025 101 Street) at 2:30PM to present Celebration of Christmas. This is a chance to hear your Christmas favourites, both sacred and secular. The evening will feature a variety of children's and adult choirs. Tickets for the Celebration of Christmas are $15 and will be available by calling Beth at 780.430.6808, through choir members and at the door.

With the coming of spring comes the blooming the flowers and the Edmonton Columbian Choirs’ Spring Bouquets on Tuesday, March 13, 2012 at McDougall United Church (10025 101 Street) at 7:30PM. The evening will see children and adult choirs perform a variety of music including works by Canadian composers. Tickets for Spring Bouquets are $15 and will be available by calling Beth at 780.430.6808, through choir members and at the door.

The annual Night on Broadway is an evening of Dinner and Cabaret at the Royal Glenora Club (11160 River Valley Road) on Friday, May 11 and Saturday, May 12, 2012 with Cocktails at 6:00PM, and Dinner & Show at 6:30PM both nights. The evening includes dinner and a concert by both children and adult choirs bringing the best of Broadway for all to enjoy. Colin MacLean emcees the evening. Ticket prices and availability for Night on Broadway will be in known in early April 2012 and will be available by calling Beth at 780.430.6808.

Visit the web site: www.EdmontonColumbianChoirs.ca

Greenwoof Singers Announces 32nd. Season

2011-09-13T10:28:00.001-03:00

Greenwood Singers, under the direction of its founder and music director Robert de Frece, announces its 2011-2012 Season. This is the choir’s 32nd 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.
Greenwood Singers continues its 31-year tradition of exploring the varied facets of music for the Christmas Season with the 2011 edition of The Many Moods of Christmas on Monday, December 12, 2011 at 8:00 PM at First Presbyterian Church (10025 105 Street). From the motets of Renaissance Europe to sparkling arrangements of beloved Christmas carols to favourite popular holiday songs, you won’t want to miss this annual musical celebration of Christmas. The choir will be accompanied by pianist, Helen Stuart, and organist, Marnie Giesbrecht. The program will also include the lively music making of the University of Alberta Faculty of Education Handbell Ringers. This concert is proudly presented by Snyder & Associates LLP, CKUA Radio and Vue Weekly. Tickets are $20 for Adults and $18 for Students/Seniors and are available from TIX on the Square (9930 102 Avenue) 780.420.1757 or www.tixonthesquare.ca, choir members and at the door.

Greenwood Singers presents All Things English on Friday, April 13, 2012 at All Saints' Anglican Cathedral (10035 103 Street) at 8:00 PM. Each spring since 1981, Greenwood Singers has presented a program of choral music from Renaissance to Broadway. In All Things English, the choir will take you on a journey that begins with the sacred and secular music of the Elizabethan age. This musical voyage will include part songs by Elgar and Vaughan Williams and lush arrangements of English folk songs. The program will conclude with lively selections from Cole Porter’s Kiss Me, Kate — the award-winning Broadway musical based on Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew. This concert is proudly presented by Snyder & Associates LLP, CKUA Radio and Vue Weekly. Tickets are $20 for Adults and $18 for Students/Seniors and are available from TIX on the Square (9930 102 Avenue) 780.420.1757 or www.tixonthesquare.ca, choir members and at the door.

As well, Greenwood Singers will once again share its musical talents for the reflective Hymns and Readings for Christmas on Sunday, December 11, 2011 at St. Joseph’s Basilica (10044 113 Street) at 7:30 PM. This evening is sponsored by St. Joseph’s College – the Catholic-affiliated College at the University of Alberta – and has become an annual event for Greenwood Singers. Tickets are $10 and are available from St. Joseph’s College, by calling 780.492.7681 ext. 231 and at the door.

Greenwood Singers will also be guests of the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra for its A Merry Pops Christmas on Friday, December 2 and Saturday, December 3, 2011.

Visit the web site at www.greenwoodsingers.org

An Invitation to One Earth Choir February 21, 2012

2011-09-13T10:20:00.000-03:00

One Earth Choir is a Project of Musical sharing, representing the possibility to speak the same language on the whole Earth. At 11:00 Greenwich mean time, people from seven continents, including choirs, schools, theatres, orchestras, associations, companies and institutions , will sing together the same music simultaneously, conducted by the same conductor, in one global video transmission. The score will be available for download at the end of September 2011. We invite you to learn more about the project and to join the choir at www.inin2012.net

More than 22,100 voices from 41 countries are already part of One Earth Choir. Take a look at the Map, and see people from all over the world, from Armenia to Australia, from Finland to Peru, who have already joined the project.

The One Earth Choir Project is in affiliate Partnership with two of the largest international organizations dedicated to choir music, the International Federation for Choral Music and the Interkultur - Organizer of the World Choir Games.

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

2011-09-09T12:08:00.000-03:00

This Sunday on CBC Radio 2, in collaboration with the National Arts Centre (NAC), you will hear a live to air broadcast of The 9/11 Concert of Hope and Remembrance , featuring the NAC Orchestra and the Christ Church Cathedral Choir of Men and Boys.

The hour-long concert is a gesture marking the tenth anniversary of the terrorist attacks on New York City, Washington and Pennsylvania. The broadcast will begin at 8:40 am (9:40 in the Maritimes, 10:10 in NFLD) and the first notes of music will begin at 8:46 a.m. to coincide with the time the first plane crashed into New York’s World Trade Center. The live to air event will be hosted by Peter Togni.

This broadcast will be followed by a special one hour edition of Choral Concert, heard in central and western Canada, that features the Studio Musique Ancienne de Montreal in a concert called “Tavener and Taverner”. It’s a collection of moving and soulful performances of works by the contemporary British composer John Tavener, and his distant cousin - the Renaisance master John Taverner. The two composers are separated by 400 years but connected by many musical similarities.

Vancouver Chamber Choir 2011—2012 Season

2011-09-08T16:12:00.001-03:00

Welcome to a world of beauty...

Ten times a year Artistic Director Jon Washburn and the master musicians of the Vancouver Chamber Choir create this world of beauty and meaning for their audiences. It is the whole range of vocal expression - from the majesty of choir and orchestra to the multi-hued palette of unaccompanied voices - from the masterpieces of the greatest composers to the excitement of the latest premiere - from song to motet to oratorio and even opera.

The exciting 2011—2012 choral season will include festive holiday favourites Handel's Messiah, A Dylan Thomas Christmas and so much more. You can find further repertoire details at www.vancouverchamberchoir.com.

The best way to become a part of this music's magic is to subscribe to the season. Subscriptions are available by calling 604-738-6822. Choral fans save up to 35% off single ticket prices by subscribing to three or more concerts - from a choice of 10 wonderful performances. Single tickets are available online at Ticketmaster or by calling 1-855-985-ARTS (2787).

DaCapo Chamber Choir 2011-2012 Season: Home

2011-09-02T15:14:00.000-03:00

DaCapo's 2011-2012 season centres around the various aspects of "Home" and will feature the 2011 NewWorks winner, The Echo by Waterloo's very own Patrick Murray, premieres of a number of new Canadian works, Persian-Canadian vocal soloist Amir Haghighi, cellist Ben Bolt-Martin, and much more.

Imagining Home: exploring the possibility of a home for both soul and body; November 12th & 13th - featuring cellist Ben Bolt-Martin and the premiere of the 2011 NewWorks winner, The Echo
Creating Home: living together in vigorous, positive and affirming relationship to one another; February 25th & 26th - featuring Colour of Freedom by Iman Habibi, with Iranian-born vocal soloist, Amir Haghighi
Celebrating Home: honouring nature and our environment; May 5th & 6th - featuring the works of Canadian composers, including R. Murray Schafer and Stephen Chatman, and guest pianist Catherine Robertson

Click here to download a season subscription order form. The deadline to receive our special subscription pricing is September 9th...don't miss out!

Schola Magdalena Releases Second CD

2011-09-02T15:04:00.000-03:00

Schola Magdalena is pleased to announce the release of a second CD, Virgo Splendens. The group will celebrate the launch with a recital and reception on Saturday, September 24 at 7:30 pm at the Church of Saint Mary Magdalene, 477 Manning Avenue, Toronto.

Recorded in the glorious acoustic of the Church of Saint Mary Magdalene, “Virgo Splendens” is a beautiful collection of medieval music for women’s voices, featuring chant by Hildegard of Bingen, polyphony by Guillaume Dufay, John Dunstable, and others, as well as Gregorian chant. Many of the works come from the rich array of music dedicated to the Virgin Mary, including plainchant Marian anthems and an intricate polyphonic setting of the Magnificat.

The CD Launch Party will include a reception and a performance of selections from the recording, and is free to attend. CDs ($20) will be available for purchase at the event.

Visit: www.scholamagdalena.ca

Choral Concert with host Peter Togni, September 4, 2011 9:00 - 11:00 am, (9:30 - 11:30 NL) on CBC Radio 2

2011-09-01T14:47:00.000-03:00

This Sunday Peter Togni wraps up the summer in St. John’s Newfoundland, with the second concert in a special two-part series celebrating the spirit of Festival 500, one of Canada’s most treasured choral festivals.

Singing in Newfoundland and Labrador has been a way of celebrating, mourning, and telling their community's stories for over 500 years. That community spirit is still at the heart of Festival 500, as St John’s now reaches out beyond its shores to bring in choirs from across Canada and around the world, to celebrate the power of song.

Tune in this week to hear what Festival 500 is doing with small vocal ensembles. It’s in the tight, exposed harmonies of vocal quartets, quintets and sextets where choristers get to hone their craft. You’ve got to be good to make it work – and on Sunday you’ll hear three groups that can really pull it off: “Vocado” from Sweden, “Extra” from St FX University in Antigonish, NS and “Afterglow” from St. John’s.

Position Opening: Music Director of Victoria Choral Society

2011-08-30T21:56:00.000-03:00

Now entering its 77th season of choral excellence, the Victoria Choral Society is an auditioned 120-member SATB symphonic chorus which presents at least three major concerts yearly, collaborating frequently with the Victoria Symphony. They are now seeking an enthusiastic, skilled choral director with artistic vision and a broad knowledge of choral repertoire to lead the choir beginning in September, 2012.

See the complete job posting here.

Informations générales – Choralies internationales 2012 Du 8 au 15 juillet 2012 - Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

2011-08-26T14:48:00.001-03:00

Merci pour votre intérêt au festival des Choralies internationales 2012 qui auront lieu du 8 au 15 juillet 2012. Le projet avance bien et nous serons ravis de vous recevoir chez nous!

Quoique nos Choralies ne seront pas de la même envergure que celles de Vaison-la-Romaine (nous n’avons malheureusement pas d’amphithéâtre romain de 5000 places!), nous aurons une belle panoplie d’ateliers avec du répertoire et des sujets à plaire à tous les goûts et niveaux. Nous avons aussi une des plus belles salles de concert sur le continent, soit le nouveau Winspear Centre for Music. Jusqu'à présent, tous les chefs contactés ont répondu qu'ils seraient ravis de participer!

Voici une liste de ce qui est au programme à ce jour :
Pierre Calmelet, chef et professeur au Conservatoire de Paris et chef du Mardigal de Paris, offrira un atelier pour grand chœur et orchestre, tout probablement le Requiem de Saint-Saëns, œuvre pour laquelle il vient de recevoir le grand prix du disque.

Robert Ingari, chef québécois de grande réputation, offrira un atelier sur le répertoire a cappella français (Poulenc, Duruflé, etc). Robert est responsable du programme de Maîtrise en direction chorale à deux universités québécoise et vient de lancer un nouveau chœur de chambre professionnel.

Michel-Marc Gervais offrira un atelier sur les Perles de la Renaissance. Il est natif de chez nous en Alberta (Ouest canadien), mais a dirigé beaucoup en France. Il a notamment dirigé la maîtrise de Notre-Dame de Paris ainsi que celle du Centre de Musique Baroque de Versailles.

Laurier Fagnan d’Edmonton dirigera Elles s'appelaient Marie: grande suite pour choeur, très belle œuvre quasi dramatique de France Levasseur Ouimet qui raconte l'histoire de la migration des québécois vers l'Ouest canadien au début du 20e siècle.

Scott Leithead, un monstre d'enthousiasme de l’Ouest canadien, donnera un atelier de trois jours sur la musique traditionnelle africaine. Scott œuvre depuis de nombreuses années avec une variété de chœurs africains dans plusieurs régions du continent.

Andrée Dagenais, chef bien connue du Québec mais enseignant depuis plusieurs années dans l'Ouest canadien, présentera un atelier sur le répertoire de l'Acadie et l'Ouest canadien (à confirmer).

Il y aura aussi un atelier intitulé 'Il n'y a pas d'âge pour chanter' qui portera sur bien chanter lorsque rendu «à un certain âge», donc un peu de technique vocale et du répertoire approprié.

Le répertoire des chansonniers québécois sera aussi au programme: Leclerc, Vigneault, Léveillé, Ferland, Charlebois, etc.

Chansonniers Français: Brel, Brassens, Ferré, Ferrat, Aznavour, Gainsbourg, Barbara, Piaf.

Un atelier sur le Jazz vocal s'offrira également.

(la liste officielle et complète des ateliers suivra bientôt)

Hébergement

En ce qui concerne l'hébergement, nous avons 1000 places réservées à notre résidence universitaire qui est en face du stade où nous ferons les répétitions de chant commun qui seront certainement une des forces de notre festival – du répertoire commun à couper le souffle! Les ateliers auront lieu sur notre campus universitaire et le métro est juste à côté pour emmener les choristes directement au centre ville où auront lieu les concerts en soirée. Les choristes pourront être logés et nourris pour environ 95$ par jour, légèrement plus cher s'ils veulent une chambre avec toilette privée. Nous explorons aussi un volet 'camping'.

Inscriptions

Les inscriptions s’ouvriront le 15 septembre avec un tarif hâtif de 299$ pour six jours d'ateliers. Nous ferons bientôt un appel aux chœurs qui souhaitent présenter un concert lors des Choralies afin d'avoir leur matériel d'audition (enregistrement, biographies) avant le 15 septembre. Ces chœurs peuvent présentement envoyer un message au directeur artistique des Choralies, Laurier Fagnan, à l’adresse ‘Lfagnan@ualberta.ca’ pour signaler leur intérêt. Comme notre festival favorise aussi l’aspect pédagogique et le chant commun, les choristes individuels de ces chœurs devront aussi s’inscrire à un atelier de six jours ou deux ateliers de trois jours.

Avec le thème, Toi, moi, tout un monde, nous espérons que le projet des Choralies vous intéressera vivement car il nous fera le plus grand plaisir de vous recevoir chez nous et de partager cette belle expérience musicale et culturelle avec vous!

Salutations cordiales,
Laurier Fagnan
Directeur artistique Choralies internationales 2012
http://www.csj.ualberta.ca/choralies2012 (en construction)
http://www.choralesaintjean.com

Choral Concert with host Peter Togni, August 28, 2011 9:00 - 11:00 am, (9:30 - 11:30 NL) on CBC Radio 2

2011-08-26T14:32:00.000-03:00

Festival 500 - Sharing the Voices

This Sunday Peter Togni wraps up the summer in St. John’s Newfoundland, with a special 2 part series celebrating the spirit of Festival 500, one of Canada’s most treasured choral festivals.

Singing in Newfoundland and Labrador has been a way of celebrating, mourning, and telling their community's stories for over 500 years. That community spirit is still at the heart of Festival 500, as St John’s now reaches out beyond its shores to bring in choirs from across Canada and around the world, to celebrate the power of song

This Sunday we’ll hear a the highlights of this year's Festival 500 recorded at the Arts and Culture Centre and Gower Street United Church in St. John's.

You will also hear a full performance of the “Missa in Honorem BVM” (Mass in honour of Mary) by the great Franz Joseph Haydn in a wonderful performance with the Trinity Choir and the Rebel Baroque Orchestra.

Want a feast for the eyes as well as the ears? Check out the Indonesian Cordana Youth Choir from Festival 500 on the Choral Concert blog at: http://cbc.ca/choralconcert

Edmonton Columbian Choirs Announce Auditions for 2011/2012 Season

2011-08-25T17:23:00.000-03:00

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 45th Season. Auditions will take place on Tuesday, September 6, 2011 at St. Joseph Catholic High School (10830 109 Street) starting at 6:30PM.
The Edmonton Columbian Choirs have opportunities for singers in the following choirs:

Young Columbians (Boys and Girls aged 6-11) – conducted by Elaine Dunbar, BMus, ARCT, BFA, Edmonton Voice and Piano Teacher – Rehearsals are Tuesday evenings from 6:30-8:00

Vocal Motion (Boys and Girls aged 11-15) – conducted by Vern Slipetz, BMus, Choral Director at Louis St. Laurent Junior/Senior High School – Rehearsals are Monday evenings from 6:30-8:00

Chanteuses Ladies’ Choir (Adult Women 18+) – conducted by Heather Bedford-Clooney, BEd, ARCT, ATCL, LTCL, Edmonton Voice Teacher and Executive Director of the Edmonton Kiwanis Music Festival – Rehearsals are Thursday evenings from 6:30-8:30

For information on the choirs and to arrange an audition time, please contact either Brenda Thiru-Chelvam at 780.760.3270 or brenada@shaw.ca, or Heather Bedford-Clooney at 780.484.8325 or hbedford@shaw.ca.

www.EdmontonColumbianChoirs.ca

The Atlantic Voices Choral Composition Contest 2011

2011-08-25T17:17:00.001-03:00

REMINDER: The deadline of October 31st, 2011 is fast approaching! Don't miss out, get your contest entries in early!

Atlantic Voices: The Newfoundland and Labrador Choir of Ottawa is a mixed-voice (SATB) community choir that sings music from and about Atlantic Canada. This is our second Choral Composition Contest, and the choir is looking for quality choral music with an East Coast flavour. We are offering two prizes, a 1st prize of $500 and a 2nd prize of $200, for original choral works by Canadian composers. The winning works will be programmed on Atlantic Voices’ spring 2012 concert. This competition is open to all residents of Canada, of all backgrounds and all ages. Note: the winning entrant need not have a particular connection to the Atlantic region.
Contest submissions must fall into one of the following categories:
a) An arrangement of a folksong or set of folksongs from one of the Atlantic Provinces (Newfoundland & Labrador, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, or Prince Edward Island)
b) An original choral composition based on a text with an obvious connection to Canada’s East Coast. This may include a text by an East Coast writer or a text with Atlantic Canadian subject matter. If in doubt concerning the suitability of a proposed text, please contact director@atlanticvoices.ca for clarification.

All styles of composition will be considered, but one of the judging criteria is the suitability of the work for performance by Atlantic Voices, so entrants are encouraged to familiarize themselves with our choir and particularly with some of our recent concert programmes. In addition, although all submissions will be accepted and adjudicated equally, entrants are strongly encouraged to avoid submitting new arrangements of pieces which have already been repeatedly arranged for choral performance or pieces which Atlantic Voices has previously performed on multiple occasions. For a list of choral arrangements that Atlantic Voices has performed please visit our website: www.atlanticvoices.ca.

Specifications:

The arrangement being submitted must not have been previously published for any choral combination (SSA, SSAB, SAB, SATB, etc.).

The composition should be no more than 6 minutes in length.

Works for any of the following voicings will be considered: SATB, SAB, SSAA, SA. The composition may be unaccompanied or have piano accompaniment. Instrumental obligato may be included; however, please avoid extensive solo voice parts.

The work should be of no more than moderate difficulty -- it should be within the capabilities of our volunteer community choir.

If the text and music are not in the public domain, it is up to the entrant to ensure that he or she has the right to use the text and/or music in his or her work and be prepared to show supporting documentation.

The entrant must acknowledge anyone who has aided substantially in the creation of the work, such as a co-arranger or a teacher who has provided a substantial creative contribution and could conceivably claim rights to the work. (Please note that multiple composers will not be awarded multiple prizes. In such a case, a single cash prize would be awarded, and it would be up to the parties to determine equitable distribution of the funds.)

Entries will be judged blindly on quality of musical ideas, competency of choral writing, and appropriateness for performance by Atlantic Voices. In order to maintain anonymity in the judging process, the composer/entrant’s name should not appear on the score, but only on a detachable cover page. The detachable cover page should clearly indicate the name of the submission, the name of the composer/arranger, and the number of pages in the score. The submission should include only the name of the piece, on each page, and the page number should be clearly indicated. Please avoid submitting entries under a pseudonym.

The choir reserves the right to ask for modifications to a prospective winning entry before awarding either of the prizes. Entries will be reviewed initially by a two-person panel consisting of Atlantic Voices’ Director and one other qualifying choral director/adjudicator, chosen by Atlantic Voices. The panel will provide the executive of Atlantic Voices with a shortlist of entries, who, along with Atlantic Voices’ Director, will determine the awarding of the two prizes. Should no submitted work be deemed deserving of an award, or should only one work be judged deserving, Atlantic Voices reserves the right not to award one or both of the cash prizes.

Atlantic Voices may choose, at a later date, to program a non-winning entry into a scheduled concert. In this circumstance, Atlantic Voices will contact the entrant to arrange for permission and/or modifications to the score and to make arrangements for financial remunerations.

The choir is interested in developing long-term connections with promising new choral composers and arrangers, and so we encourage entrants to send the organizers a brief c.v. and/or bio. However, you need not send any supporting documents, and the prior experience or musical reputation of the contest entrant will not be taken into account in the judging.

Please submit your work in musical score, preferably produced through music notation software. Entries in the form of sound recordings will not be accepted (no CDs, please).

Please provide your mailing address, phone number, and an e-mail address for contest correspondence. Atlantic Voices shall not be held responsible for late, lost, damaged, misdirected, postage due, stolen, or misappropriated entries.

Copyright for all entries will remain with the composer; however submitted scores become the physical property of Atlantic Voices, and will not be returned to entrants. The choir will have the exclusive right to perform the winning compositions for 2 years. By submitting an entry to the contest, the entrant agrees to be bound by Atlantic Voices’ Choral Composition Contest entry rules and regulations established herein. Entry into this contest constitutes permission to use winner's name for future advertising and publicity purposes without additional compensation.

Contest entries must be received electronically or postmarked no later than October 31st, 2011. Late submissions will not be accepted. Changes or modifications to any submitted score will be accepted until midnight on the closing day of the contest, October 31, 2011.

If mailing your work, please send one copy of each entry to:
Atlantic Voices Choral Composition Contest 2011
82 Prince Albert Street
Ottawa, ON
K1K 2A1

Submissions in .pdf format are also welcome. Please e-mail to: director@atlanticvoices.ca and cc president@atlanticvoices.ca.

25th Annual Amadeus Choir Seasonal Song Writing Competition

2011-08-25T17:01:00.001-03:00

Established in 1987 by Conductor and Artistic Director, Dr. Lydia Adams, the competition is open to composers of all ages and levels of experience. In honour of the 25th anniversary, composers are invited to submit songs in celebration of the Winter Solstice in addition to those relating to the traditional Christmas and Chanukah themes.

“As always, the competition’s goals are to inspire new compositions, to motivate composers to develop their craft and to augment the existing choral seasonal repertoire,” said Lydia Adams, Conductor and Artistic Director, the Amadeus Choir. “We are proud to be able to provide such a unique platform for composers to share their works with the world.”
Entries must consist of original music. Both amateur and published composers are eligible to participate and compositions may 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.

Compositions must be submitted or postmarked by October 7 and winners will be selected by a judging panel of internationally acclaimed choral conductors and composers. The first place winner in each category will receive a cash prize to be presented by the Amadeus Choir at its December 17 concert, Glorious Sounds of the Season, in Toronto.

For a complete listing of competition rules and regulations, please visit: www.amadeuschoir.com/Competition.aspx.

Choral Concert with host Peter Togni, August 21, 2011 9:00 - 11:00 am, (9:30 - 11:30 NL) on CBC Radio 2

2011-08-18T20:31:00.000-03:00

Winnipeg Soloists Choir perform “Song of the Forest”

This Sunday Peter Togni brings you a concert from Winnipeg with the Winnipeg Soloists Choir and the Manitoba chamber orchestra conducted by Elroy Friesen. You’ll hear them in a world premiere by Sid Robinovitch, the “Cantus Borealis: Song of the Forest”. It’s a piece that combines choir, string orchestra, narration and an electronic soundscape to evoke the spirit of Canada’s boreal forest.

You’ll also hear our first picks of the latest CD releases by Canada’s amateur choirs. We have been gathering up recent releases and are happy to celebrate this country’s high level of amateur choral singing by bringing you the best of what we have found. This week you will hear recent releases by the Edmonton Swiss Men’s Choir and the Calgary Renaissance singers and players.

All that plus an incredible performance of the entire Mass in E minor by Anton Bruckner with the Corydon Singers and the English chamber orchestra.

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

New Setting of "In Flanders Fields" Available

2011-08-16T11:32:00.000-03:00

Belgian composer Eddy Avonds has chosen to commerate the 100th anniversary of the beginning of the First World War (1914—1918) with a new setting of the well known poem, "In Flanders Fields" by Canadian John McCrae. A poet, doctor, author and artist, McCrae was a surgeon at the front during the Battle of Ypres and was burried in the Commonwealth War Graves only a few kilometres from the coast of Boulogne.

As a token of respect for all countries that lost fellow countrymen "In Flanders Fields", Eddy Avonds has written a new setting of the poem for 4-part choir (SATB) and is making complimentary PDF copies of the composition available to anyone interested.

To receive the PDF for use with your choir, please contact Carolyn Nielsen: carolyn.alto@gmail.com.

Mozartfestival October 13—16, 2011

2011-08-16T11:03:00.001-03:00

Come sing Mozart's Great Mass in c-minor, KV 427, with choristers from Germany, Austria, France, Japan, Argentina, Mexico, Danmark and Switzerland under the direction of the Cathedral Music Director, Prof. Janos Czifra. The concert will be organized as charity for the “red cross Austria society”.
For information visit: www.cultours.at.

International Music Prizes for Excellence in Performance and Composition 2011

2011-08-16T10:53:00.000-03:00

Call for Submissions

The National Academy of Music, a public educational charity of the State of Colorado, is pleased to announce a call for submissions for this year’s ‘International Music Prizes for Excellence in Performance and Composition’. The competition is organized by the Secretariat of the International Music Prizes™ in Greece. For information on submissions visit these sites:
International Music Prize™ for Excellence in Performance 2011
International Music Prize™ for Excellence in Composition 2011

Singsation Saturdays 2011-12 Season

2011-08-16T10:45:00.000-03:00

Choral Workshops for all, an outreach program of the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir

The Toronto Mendelssohn Choir (TMC) presents Singsation Saturdays, a series of choral workshops where anyone who loves to sing is invited to join with noted guest conductors, other singers and TMC choristers to sing selections from some of the great choral masterpieces and gain insight into these notable works. Music scores are available for participants to borrow at each workshop.

During the successful 2010-11 season, between 70 and 120 singers participated in each workshop. Singers came from all parts of Toronto and many sing in church or community choirs as well. These events are enjoyable and educational, and help build the Toronto choral community.

TMC is offering five Singsation Saturdays during the 2011-2012 season. Singsation Saturdays take place at Yorkminster Park Baptist Church, Cameron Hall, 1585 Yonge St. from 10:30 am to 1 pm. The fee per workshop is $10 which includes refreshments. Participants can register at the workshops, or in advance by completing the Singsation order form. For more information call TMC at 416-598-0422 or visit online at www.tmchoir.org.
TMC Singsation Saturday 2011-12 Schedule

October 15, 2011 – Renaissance Music – Peter Mahon, conductor
Peter Mahon, Artistic Director of Tallis Choir of Toronto, will lead participants through a morning of Renaissance greats, including Byrd’s Mass for Four Voices and Ave Verum, and Palestrina’s Stabat Mater and Exultate Deo.

In addition to leading the Tallis Choir, a chamber ensemble known for its performances of Renaissance music, Peter Mahon is also a professional singer, rehearsal conductor and singing instructor at St. Michael's Choir School, and Director of the Chancel Choir at Lorne Park Baptist Church in Mississauga.

November 19, 2011 – A Tribute to Derek Holman – David Fallis, conductor
In celebration of composer Derek Holman’s 80th birthday, David Fallis will take participants through a number of Holman’s compositions. Dr. Holman has been active as a composer, teacher and church musician throughout his life, first in England and then in Canada. His compositions -- many which were commissions by organizations like the TMC, TSO and CBC -- range from hymn-tunes to full scale oratorios and songs for solo voice and piano.

Conductor David Fallis is active in Toronto and on the international stage. He is the Artistic Director of the Toronto Consort, conductor of the Soundstreams Choir 21 and Music Director of Opera Atelier.

January 14, 2012 – Beethoven – Hilary Apfelstadt, conductor
Hilary Apfelstadt, Director of Choral Programs at the University of Toronto, will lead participants through Beethoven’s Mass in C Major. This is a wonderful opportunity for participants to sing through one of Beethoven’s rare mass settings – this was the first of only two settings he composed for the Mass.

A graduate of the University of Toronto, Dr. Apfelstadt has studied and worked internationally. From 1993–2010, she was Professor and Director of Choral Activities at the Ohio State University in Columbus. She conducted extensively in the U.S., guest conducted in Canada, Cuba, and England, and led choral festivals in Switzerland and Austria. In 2011 she conducted at St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, and during the summer directed the Ontario Youth Choir.

February 25, 2012 – Haydn and Cummings – Daniel Cummings, composer/conductor
California-based composer, pianist and conductor Daniel Cummings will lead participants through Haydn’s Theresien Messe, one of the dramatic orchestral masses composed by Haydn when he was in his 60s. Dr. Cummings will also take singers through one of his own compositions.

Dr. Cummings is known in Toronto as an adjudicator for Orchestra at the Kiwanis Music Festival. He was music director and conductor of the La Sierra University Symphony Orchestra from 2007 to 2011 and has also been active in opera, musical theatre and piano performance. As a composer, Dr. Cummings has written film scores, concerti for piano and clarinet, a Requiem, songs and song cycles, and over one hundred arrangements of hymns and folk-songs for various ensembles and singers.

March 31, 2012 – Bach – Matthew Otto, conductor
Each year Singsation features a young conductor. This year it will be Matthew Otto, an active choral and orchestral conductor and collaborative pianist who has worked with numerous Toronto choirs including as Assistant Conductor of Pax Christi Chorale. Matthew Otto was recently appointed as the TMC’s new Associate Conductor, part of the TMC’s Emerging Conductors program.

Matthew will lead participants through Bach’s St. Matthew Passion, recognized as one of the greatest sacred choral works ever composed. Bach wrote this masterpiece in 1729 for double chorus, orchestra and soloists.

Pax Christi Chorale Celebrates 25 Years

2011-08-12T08:09:00.004-03:00

Photo by Betsy Moss

Pax Christi Chorale launches its 25th anniversary season this October with rarely-heard masterpieces for choir and orchestra, joined by the youth choir and exceptional vocal soloists.

Pax Christi Chorale was first led by Dr. Robert Loewen, later by Lee Bartel and then John Ford. In 1996, the baton was handed over to Stephanie Martin, who has been the Artistic Director of the choir ever since. Pax Christi Chorale was founded by Dr. Loewen, current President Emily Burgetz and Ron Sawatsky, inspired by the success of a choir assembled for the Toronto celebration of the 1986 Bicentennial of Mennonites in Canada. Some of the original 35 singers are still in the choir today.

From Ms. Martin’s first season as Artistic Director, she raised the bar and challenged the choir with its first performances with orchestra, which included Vaughan Williams' Dona Nobis Pacem and Benjamin Britten's Rejoice in the Lamb. The choir has steadily added to its oratorio repertoire, enriching Toronto choral music lovers with memorable performances and gaining a reputation as one of Canada’s finest oratorio choirs.
The upcoming season is no different. In October, Pax Christi Chorale and Pax Christi Youth Choir (led by Lynn Janes) will perform the Salieri Mass in D-Major, first as guest artists of the Barrie Music Festival and the following day at the choir’s home venue of Grace Church on-the-Hill in Toronto. Featured soloists will be soprano Melanie Conly, mezzo-soprano Nina Scott-Stoddard, tenor Graham Thomson and baritone Benjamin Covey. The concert will also include several works by Salieri’s famous nemesis Mozart.

During the Christmas season, the choir will once again join forces with the Gallery Choir of the Church of Saint Mary Magdalene to present The Children’s Messiah, now in its third year. An abridged version of Handel’s masterwork, with both professional musicians and student musicians, this informal performance is designed especially for young children in a setting that welcomes their presence.

The December concert will feature Britten’s Saint Nicolas with tenor James McLean, duo pianists Bruce Ubukata and Stephen Ralls of The Aldeburgh Connection, the Havergal College girls’ choir and boy soloists from the Canadian Children’s Opera Chorus. The choir and orchestra will give the world première performance of a new work by Stephanie Martin, composed during her recent sabbatical.

Supporters of Pax Christi Chorale are invited to attend the choir’s annual fundraiser in late January, which will be held in the stunning surroundings of the private Canadian art collection of the law firm Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP. The event will feature another world première performance of a new composition by Stephanie Martin – String Quartet No. 1 – performed by the Windermere String Quartet.

The crowning glory of the season will be a performance of Elgar’s The Kingdom at Toronto’s magnificent Koerner Hall. This important work has not been heard by Toronto audiences in over 25 years and will feature British baritone sensation and Elgar specialist Roderick Williams, who will make his Canadian début in the role of St. Peter. Canadian soloists soprano Shannon Mercer, mezzo-soprano Krisztina Szabó, tenor Keith Klassen complete this fabulous quartet.

Stephanie Martin is an Elgar enthusiast. She has the distinction of being the first woman in Canada to conduct a full performance of Dream of Gerontius and is an honorary member of the Elgar Society. Pax Christi Chorale performed Elgar’s The Music Makers on the occasion of its 20th anniversary, and is thrilled to now be bringing The Kingdom to Toronto audiences.

As Pax Christi Chorale reflects on 25 years of great oratorio singing, it is amazing to follow the choir as it has grown to over 90 singers, including a youth choir, and to embrace not only members of the Mennonite community, but also singers from different faith traditions, all sharing a love of great choral singing and doing so with passion, conviction and heart!

“Under Stephanie Martin’s sure guiding hand, Pax Christi Chorale continues to move from strength to strength. Given Stephanie’s imaginative programming, Toronto audiences are being exposed to a broad spectrum of excellent choral music. Best wishes to this remarkable choir as it enters its second quarter century!”
Howard Dyck, CM
Conductor and Pax Christi Chorale Honorary Patron

Article by Laura Adlers, General Manager.

For more information about Pax Christi Chorale’s 2011-2012 concert season, visit www.paxchristichorale.org

Choral Concert with host Peter Togni, August 14, 2011 9:00 - 11:00 am, (9:30 - 11:30 NL) on CBC Radio 2

2011-08-12T08:00:00.000-03:00

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

This Sunday on Choral Concert Peter Togni will bring you the great Mass in C Minor by Mozart. It’s a large scale work that he never finished, but it has since been beautifully reconstructed. Peter Togni says the transcendent opening points to the fragility of life and in some ways, to Mozart’s own destiny. You’ll hear it in an incredible performance by the Cologne Radio Choir and Symphony Orchestra.

You’ll also hear the Elmer Iseler Singers doing the music of JS Bach, the Belle Canto Women’s choir doing the music of Brahms.

Alliance des chorales du Québec Present the Jean-Pierre Guindon Prize

2011-08-08T10:49:00.001-03:00

On July 23rd two representatives of the Alliance des chorales du Québec, Mr. Paul Belzile, president, and Mr. Charles Martin, treasurer, presented Madame Jocelyne Beaulieu with the Jean-Pierre Guindon prize. Madame Beaulieu was overwhelmed to receive such a distinguished award which honours choir directors of more than twenty-five years experience and which stresses the unconditional support these choir directors give to their choirs and to their regions. This was the first time that a choir director from the Abitibi region has been so honoured.
This exceptional lady has enjoyed a remarkable career. Fully committed to the art of choral singing, Madame Beaulieu has organized a regional choral festival, has acted as arranger, scriptwriter, and creator of background music and scores for several shows and musical comedies, has taught music at the primary and secondary levels, particularly piano and wind instruments at a music school. She is also founder and musical director of « Stage Band »; Nord Jazz, founder and director of l'Harmonie du Lac Abitibi orchestra, founder, choir mistress and director of the chorale Les Bout-en-train which in collaboration with the theatre group A Coeur ouvert produced the highly successful show Le Paradis du Nord which Madame Beaulieu directed.

L'Alliance des chorales du Québec is delighted that Madame Beaulieu is part of the large family of choral singing in Quebec and hopes that her great passion for music will continue to be shared with other musicians and spectators from the region in the production of many more exciting projects.

Read the article in l’Écho Abitibien :
http://lechoabitibien.canoe.ca/webapp/sitepages/content.asp?contentid=199680&id=297&classif=En%20manchettes

Alliance des chorales du Québec : remise du prix Jean-Pierre Guindon

2011-08-08T10:41:00.001-03:00

Le 23 juillet dernier, madame Jocelyne Beaulieu s’est vue décerner le prix Jean-Pierre Guindon par deux représentants de l’Alliance des chorales du Québec, monsieur Paul Belzile son président et Charles Martin son trésorier. C’est avec beaucoup d’émotions que madame Beaulieu a accepté cette reconnaissance qui récompense les chefs ayant plus de vingt-cinq années d'expérience en direction chorale et qui souligne le soutien inconditionnel de ses lauréats envers leurs chorales et leurs régions. C’était la première fois qu’une personne de la région de l’Abitibi recevait cet honneur!
Cette femme d’exception entretient une carrière remarquable. Elle a été tour à tour responsable de l’organisation d’un rallye choral régional, harmonisatrice, scriptrice et conceptrice de trame sonore de différents spectacles et comédies musicales, enseignante de musique au primaire et au secondaire, enseignante de piano et d’instruments à vents dans une école de musique, fondatrice et directrice musicale du « Stage Band » Nord Jazz, fondatrice et chef d’orchestre de l’Harmonie du Lac Abitibi, fondatrice, chef de chœur et directrice musicale de la chorale Les Bout-en-train. Celle-ci s’est jointe à la troupe de théâtre À Cœur ouvert pour produire le très populaire spectacle : Le Paradis du Nord dont elle est la directrice musicale.

L’Alliance des chorales du Québec est fière que madame Beaulieu fasse partie de la grande famille du chant choral québécois et lui souhaite encore plusieurs projets palpitants qui lui permettront de partager sa grande passion pour la musique avec les musiciens et spectateurs de sa région.

Pour lire l’article paru dans le journal l’Écho Abitibien cliquez sur ce lien :
http://lechoabitibien.canoe.ca/webapp/sitepages/content.asp?contentid=199680&id=297&classif=En%20manchettes

Choral Concert with host Peter Togni, August 7, 2011 9:00 - 11:00 am, (9:30 - 11:30 NL) on CBC Radio 2

2011-08-04T07:17:00.000-03:00

Vivaldi’s “Gloria” with ensemble Caprice.

This Sunday on Choral Concert Peter Togni will bring you the Juno Award winning performance of Vivaldi’s “Gloria” with Montreal’s ensemble Caprice. Give it a listen and find out why Peter says this is one of the most beautiful openings of any piece of music.

You’ll also hear the King’s Singers, some Eric Whitacre, music that sounds like opera but isn’t by Verdi, and the wonderful Hamilton Children’s Chorus led by Zamfira Politz.

30th International Choral Festival of Preveza - 18th International Competition of Sacred Music

2011-07-30T11:06:00.000-03:00

Applications are now being accepted for the 30th International Choral Festival of Preveza - 18th International Competition of Sacred Music, which will take place in the town of Preveza on 5 - 8 July 2012.

For more information about the previous festivals, the jury committee, the town of Preveza and the Choral Society Armonia please visit our website www.choralpreveza.gr

Choral Concert with host Peter Togni, July 31, 2011 9:00 - 11:00 am, (9:30 - 11:30 NL) on CBC Radio 2

2011-07-30T11:01:00.000-03:00

“Seventeen Voyces” perform a “Journey of Ireland”

This Sunday on Choral Concert Peter Togni will bring you music from Ireland with the group ”Seventeen Voyces”, led by Kevin Reeves. Seventeen Voyces is dedicated to finding musical gems that are off the beaten track, and they do it with a wonderful suppleness and clarity of sound.

You’ll also hear the choral magic of Edmonton’s “Kokopelli”, and the beautiful Mass in F by the 17 year old Franz Schubert – a bright, lovely and sunny work perfect for a Sunday in summer.

Florilège Vocal de Tours 2012

2011-07-29T20:03:00.000-03:00

International choral music competition & International competition for children choirs and youth choirs

We are pleased to inform you that the rules and registration form of the next Florilège Vocal are available and downloadable from our website.

Florilège Vocal de Tours 2012

2011-07-29T20:01:00.000-03:00

Concours international de chant choral & Concours international de choeurs d'enfants et de choeurs de jeunes

Nous avons le plaisir de vous informer que les règlements et bulletins d'inscription du prochain Florilège Vocal sont disponibles et téléchargeables sur notre site Internet.

The Sir Ernest MacMillan Memorial Foundation Announces Award in Choral Conducting

2011-07-29T14:00:00.000-03:00

The Sir Ernest MacMillan Memorial Foundation is pleased to announce its Award for 2012, in Choral Conducting, in the amount of $12,000. In conjunction with the Association of Canadian Choral Communities, Choirs Ontario and the Elmer Iseler Singers, the final round of the award process will take place at Canada’s National Choral Conference, PODIUM, in Ottawa on May 19, 2012. Three finalists, selected through a competitive process that is national in scope, will work with the Elmer Iseler Singers in front of a jury and live audience. Candidates should be at an advanced stage of their musical education, typically at the graduate level. Details of the award process will be announced in the Fall of 2011. Further information on the Sir Ernest MacMillan Memorial Foundation can be found at: www.macmillanfoundation.com

La Fondation commémorative Sir Ernest MacMillan est fière d'annoncer que sa bourse sur la direction de chorale

2011-07-29T13:58:00.001-03:00

La Fondation commémorative Sir Ernest MacMillan est fière d'annoncer que sa bourse 2012 d'un montant de 12 000 $ portera sur la direction de chorale. En collaboration avec l'Association des communautés chorales canadiennes, Choirs Ontario, et les Elmer Iseler Singers la ronde finale pour l'octroi de la bourse se tiendra à Ottawa le 19 mai 2012 au PODIUM. Les trois finalistes, choisis à la suite d'une sélection nationale, se produiront alors avec les Elmer Iseler Singers devant un public et devant jury. Les candidats doivent être rendus à une étape avancée dans leurs études musicales, de préférence au niveau des études supérieures. Les détails concernant le processus de demande pour la bourse seront annoncés à l'automne de 2011. Pour en savoir plus sur la Fondation Sir Ernest MacMillan, vous pouvez consulter: www.macmillanfoundation.com