International Sing for Japan Choral Initiative Launches on Internet

Here's a terrific way to grow your choral library with a work by Japanese composer, Ko Matsushita, and support earthquake relief in Japan. Sing for Japan (twitter hashtag #SingforJapan) is a great initiative. Please help spread the word.

Chorus Director Required

PACIFIC SHOWTIME MEN'S CHORUS, an established 22 member a cappella group in  the South Surrey/White Rock area of British Columbia, which sings 4 part harmony (TLBB ) in a variety of musical styles is seeking a new Director. Our repertoire has been designed to have broad appeal since we perform at a variety of public and private functions approximately 12 times per year. If interested, contact Leigh Anderson at leighand@shaw.ca by June 30, 2011.

Find out more about the choir on their web site: www.pacificshowtime.com

Canadian Conference of the Arts 2011 Federal Election

The 2011 general federal election will take place on May 2. During the campaign period, the CCA will be analyzing any issues and developments that may be of interest to the arts and culture sector. They will also be keeping a watchful eye as each party articulates their political platform with relation to arts and culture. CCA  2011 Federal Election page.

ORIANA presents Canadian Choral Composition Competition for Young Composers

In celebration of our 40th Anniversary Season, ORIANA Women’s Choir presents
CANADIAN CHORAL COMPOSITION COMPETITION FOR YOUNG COMPOSERS

The competition provides three $1,000 prizes for compositions in the following categories:

• one $1,000 prize for a new setting of the text Silent Night
• one $1,000 prize for a new setting of the text Laudate Dominum
• one $1,000 prize for a setting of the poem Rubies, by Ralph Waldo Emerson

The winning compositions will be performed by ORIANA Women’s Choir on

• Saturday, November 26, 2011: Silent Night
• Saturday, March 3, 2012: Laudate Dominum
• Saturday, May 5, 2012: Rubies

Entry deadline: August 1, 2011
Entry fee: $25 per composition
Duration of composition: not exceeding 4 minutes
Type of composition: for SA/SSA/SSAA voices, a cappella or with piano accompaniment
Email: william.brown4@sympatico.ca for competition guideline/forms/ information.

International Masterclass for Choir Conductors * July 27 - August 1 * Vaison-la-Romaine, France

Work with prize winning Master Conductors Georg Grün, professor of choir conducting at the University of Mannheim, Germany, and founder of the Saarbrück Chamber Choir and Mannheim Chamber Choir; and Silvana Vallesi, Director of the University Choir of Mendoza, Argentina. Using music of the 20th and 21st centuries, participants will work on interpretation, conducting and rehearsal techniques. The working language will be English.

Presented by A Coeur Joie - Choralies and organized in partnership with the Festival des Chœurs Lauréats.  Cost to members is 300 € and 345 € for non-members. Cost of scores not included. For more information, please contact Secrétariat national: activites@choralies.org
Registration Deadline: April 30, 2011

Canadian Arts Coalition Election 2011: Arts Vote Toolkit

As you know, a federal election has been called for Monday, May 2nd. A team of volunteers has assembled a toolkit to help keep the arts on the agenda. You are encouraged to use these resources and circulate them widely.  Election 2011: Arts Vote Toolkit

Coalition canadienne des arts Élections 2011 : Outils pour défendre et promouvoir le milieu des arts

Comme vous le savez, des élections ont été déclenchées pour le 2 mai 2011. Une équipe de bénévoles a regroupé des outils visant à faire en sorte que les arts soient à l’ordre du jour. Nous vus encourageons à utiliser ces ressources et de les diffuser largement! 

Élections 2011 : Outils pour défendre et promouvoir le milieu des arts

Choral Concert with host Peter Togni, April 10, 2011 9:00 - 11:00 am, (9:30 - 11:30 NL) on CBC Radio 2

Choral Concert celebrates spring with a month of Bach – week #2

Johann Sebastian Bach is considered by many to be the greatest composer of all time in the western classical music tradition. So in honour of his incredible output the month of April is all Bach on Choral Concert.

Next Sunday Peter Togni will bring you the St. John Passion with ensemble Arion, and for Easter you will hear a world class performance with the Tafelmusik Orchestra and Chorus doing the B Minor Mass.

This week he brings you La Chapelle de Quebec and Les Violons du Roy conducted by Bernard Labadie performing a stunning collection of Bach Cantatas. You’ll hear a whole collection of immediately recognizable Bach hits including three, count them, three versions of “Jesu Joy of Man’s Desiring”. It’s Bernard Labadie at his very, very best.

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

Eric Whitacre: A virtual choir 2,000 voices strong

Watch this fascinating TED Talk with Eric Whitacre as he discusses the creative challenges of making music powered by YouTube, and unveils the first 2 minutes of his new work, "Sleep," with a video choir of 2,052. The full piece premieres April 7 on YouTube.

Divertimento

The Board of Directors of the Vancouver Chamber Choir invite you to join us for a festive fundraising dinner in support of the Choir's Community Outreach and Education Programs. Savour the authentic Italian cuisine of La Piazza Dario Ristorante at the Italian Cultural Centre, 3075 Slocan Street, Vancouver and enjoy participating in the silent auction.

Wednesday, May 18, 2011, 6:30 pm reception, silent auction followed by 7:30 pm dinner with music. Tickets are $135 with a tax receipt for $75. Please reserve your tickets by May 11, 2011
by calling 604-738-6822 or emailing  vgoosen@vancouverchamberchoir.com

The Atlantic Voices Choral Composition Contest 2011

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.

Choral Concert with host Peter Togni, April 3, 2011 9:00 - 11:00 am, (9:30 - 11:30 NL) on CBC Radio 2

Choral Concert celebrates spring with a month of Bach

Johann Sebastian Bach is considered by many to be the greatest composer of all time in the western classical music tradition. So in honour of his incredible output the month of April is all Bach on Choral Concert. 

Next Sunday April 10th Peter Togni will bring you the St. John Passion with ensemble Arion, and for Easter you will hear a world class performance with the Tafelmusik Orchestra and Chorus doing the B Minor Mass.

For this week he will warm you up for these wonderful concerts with some of the best Bach discs ever made. You will hear excerpts from St Matthew’s Passion with the Gabrielli Players, motets from The Sixteen, the wonderful “Sheep may Safely Graze” with the Elmer Iseler Singers and much more.