BACH ELGAR CHOIR OF HAMILTON The Elgar Choir was first established in 1905, while the Bach Choir was organized in 1932. Following the war, the two choirs amalgamated into the Bach Elgar Choir, which has performed for Hamilton and Canadian audiences ever since. The Bach Elgar Choir is the premiere symphonic oratorio chorus in the Hamilton Region and is the second-oldest choral organization in Canada. The choir is now entering its !Olst year. We perform many premieres, including Verdi's Requiem and Henryk Gorecki's Miserere. We have a four-concert season and regularly feature the Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra. We welcome new choristers! Please contact us for audition times. bachelgar@sympatico.ca Kathleen Foster: 905-527-5995 www.bachelgar.com BELL1ARTE SINGERS The Bell' Arte Singers, founded in February 1988 by Dr. Lee Willingham and a group of enthusiastic colleagues, is one of Canada's finest community choirs. Audience demand led to a yearly three-concert subscription series as well as several guest performances with many notable ensembles. The choir has established itself in all genres of repertoire and styles through concerts, recordings, and broadcasts. The Bell'Arte Singers participates in special benefit concerts for charity and church outreach organizations. Rehearsals are held on Saturday mornings. Auditions are held as required to fill vacancies in the group. manager@bellartesingers.com Jim Service: 416-699-5879 www.bellartesingers.com BLESSED TRINITY CHOIR Since 1970, Blessed Trinity Choir has enjoyed performing a varied repertoire in Sunday Mass and other liturgical celebrations, and performances at various Ontario and Quebec churches. The choir has recorded, toured and sung through Italy, including High Mass in St. Peter's Basilica and the City of Rome Concert. Planning and rehearsals for our 2006 tour of Strasbourg and Vienna are under way. UNARY PAGES The choir's 50+ members perform in nursing homes, other com from Brantford and Brant County. to children and youth ages 6-18 munity venues, and join with other In 2004, the name changed to Brantford Children's Chorus. Now in its choral groups for fundraising. Conductor Julia Iacono-Hauser invites eleventh year, the choir has become prospective members to open auditions in September and January at City of Brantford and Brant County a high-profile representative of the Thursday evening rehearsals, Parish Hall, 3220 Bayview A venue (at its inaugural year, the Chorus has in the field of choral music. Since Finch). grown from one choir with 45 memmarieqd@sympatico.ca bers to three choirs with 85 memerichaus@enoreo.on.ca bers. info@brantfordchi ldrenschorus. ea Glenys Gould: 519-759-7349 BLOOR STREET GOSPEL CHORUS www.brantfordchildrenschorus.ca The Bloor Street Gospel Chorus is a non-denominational, non-auditioned counity choir, directed by BURLINGTON Cmc CHORALE Paul Wisniewski. Rehearsals are Founded in 1994, this 25-30 voice Monday evenings 7:30-9:30pm at SA TB community choir presents Bloor Street United Church, 300 an exciting variety of classical, Bloor Street West. We are active baroque and operatic concerts from September to May, and perform two concerts each year along sical direction of Dr. Gary Fisher. throughout the year under the mu with other occasional events. The choir's repertoire is often accompanied by professional soloists Founded in 1997, the Chorus is a project of the Worship Committee and a chamber ensemble of area at the Bloor Street United Church musicians. There are three main (BSUC). Chorus members need not concerts each year. Auditions are belong to BSUC or any other held in September and January and church. We welcome a variety of are open to men and women 18 years spiritual perspectives. and over who have some sight-reading ability. Rehearsals are Tuesday Our repertoire is based on gospel anthems, popular music, and traditional African music. St. Christopher's Anglican Church, evenings from 7: 15pm to 9:30pm at megan.parry@rogers.com Guelph Line, Burlington. Megan Parry: 416-530-1710 fisher63@interlog.com Gary Fisher: 905-855-2995 BRAMPTON FESTIVAL SINGERS BFS is a community choral ensemble, serving Brampton since 1985, striving for excellence in music from classical to pop. We are always looking for new voices, espe CANADIAN Bovs' CHOIR The Canadian Boys' Choir exists to cially tenors and basses, for the provide boys aged 7 and up with the 30-person ·choir. Rehearsals are opportunity to enjoy singing at the every Tuesday evening at St. Paul's very highest level. The Boys' Choir United Church, 30 Main Street is a non-liturgical community choir South in Brampton. We perform which presents an annual series three concerts a year with often of concerts. Rehearsals are held more than one performance per once a week in mid-town Toronto. concert. The artistic director of the Theory, musicianship and workshops with professional artists all choir is Stephane Potvin. info@bramptonfestivalsingers.ca combine to provide boys with a wellrounded musical education. Recre Carol Barber: 905 450-5659 www.bramptonfestivalsingers.ca ational activities are also offered, complementing the choir's artistic goals to create a happy environment BRANTFORD CHILDREN1S CHORUS particularly suited for musical boys. The Brantford Children's Chorus Auditions are held from May to was established in 1994 under the September. Enquiries are welcome. name Brant County Youth Singers. canadianboyschoir@sympatico.ca It is an auditioned treble chorus open Thomas Bell: 416-807-8714 WWW, THEWHOLENOTE.COM CANADIAN CHILDREN' s OPERA CHORUS In its 37th season, the CCOC consists of five choruses: Principal (ages 10-16), Youth (ages 14-19), Apprentice II (ages 9-11), Apprentice I (ages 7-9), and Ruby (ages 5- 7). It is the only permanent children's opera chorus in Canada to regularly commission and produce operas for children. The programme prepares young people for the complex, vibrant world of opera, while offering excellent musical and dramatic training. Members regularly perform with the Canadian Opera Company, and throughout the GT A. Rehearsals take place weekdays after school in the downtown area. Auditions are held in May/June. Artistic director: Ann Cooper Gay. info@canadianchildrensopera.com 416-366-0467 www.canadianchildrensopera.com CANADIAN ORPHEUS MALE CHOIR The Canadian Orpheus Male Choir, now in its 28th season, is a wellbalanced auditioned ensemble of 75 singers. Now under the direction of David Davis, the choir has performed close to 500 concerts nationally and internationally, with a repertoire of classical, sacred, pop, jazz, and gospel music. The choir has toured the UK, continental Europe, Ireland, Canada and the USA, and has been invited back to Royal Albert Hall in 2006 to perform as part of the 1000-male-voice Welsh Festival in London. Through its annual concert series in southern Ontario, the choir has helped raise more than 0,000 to date for charities. twavano@hotmail.com Ted van Overdijk: 905-659-7046 www.comc.ca CANADIAN SINGERS The Canadian Singers are a semiprofessional vocal group of eight experienced singers who perform an exciting repertoire of all-Canadian music ranging from Healey Willan to Shania Twain under the direction of Harvey Patterson. The Singers have performed in Roy Thomson Hall, Markham Theatre, Hart House and Nathan Phillips Square with such artists as Liona MAY 2005
Boyd. Mark DuBois, Dave Broadfoot and Peter Appleyard. They rehearse on Tuesday nights and from time to time search for replacements. The Singers are adept at sight reading, comfortable with all musical styles and have considerable experience performing on stage. thecanadiansingers@ca. inter. net Harvey Patterson: 416-239-5821 www.thecanadiansingers.com CANTABILE CHOIRS OF KINGSTON The Cantabile Choirs of Kingston, an award-winning multi-choir educational programme founded in 1996 by Mark Sirett, consists of seven choirs: Training Choir (ages 8-9), Children (ages 10-13.), Girls (teens), Young Men (teens), Youth Singers (teens), Madrigal Singers (teens) and an adult Women's Chorus. Auditions are held in the spring of each year for the upcoming season that runs from early September until the end of May. Season subscriptions for the concert series held al Sydenham Street United Church, Kingston. are available until October 20. Touring, guest choirs, and recording form a major component of the organization. info@cantabile.kingston.net 613-542-9616 x24 http://cantabile.kingston.net CANTABILE CHORALE OF YoRK REGION Cantabile Chorale is a 40-voice mixed adult choir founded in 1973 by Robert Richardson that gives 8- 10 performances a year, mainly in the southern York Region. The choir has a broad repertoire embracing classical and contemporary works, both sacred and secular, and frequently performs with other local musical ensembles. Membership is by audition and new choristers are always welcome. Applicants should have good sight reading abilities and be committed to the joy and discipline of good choral singing. Rehearsals take place on Monday evenings in Thornhill from September to June. An annual weekend retreat is also held in September. cantabile@primus.ca Robert Richardson: 905-731-8318 www.cantabile.ca CANTORES CELESTES WoMEN1S CHOIR fundraising. music is vital to our lives and en- Founded sixteen years ago, this mjjarvis@csolve.net riches society. We serve the needs highly-trained 40-voice women's Jan Jarvis: 705-326-2619 of choirs, conductors, choristers, choir, whose motto is 'Share Your Song', has produced three CDs to rave reviews and performed live on www.thecellarsingers.com composers, administrators, and educators as well as anyone who enjoys listening to the sound of cho- CBC Radio. The choir relies on CENTENARY CHOIR OF HAMILTON ral music. audience attendance and corporate The 30-member auditioned choir of info@choirsontario.org sponsors instead of government grants, and always donates some concert proceeds to local charities. Directed by Kelly Galbraith, the choir's repertoire includes von Bingen, Pergolesi, Vivaldi, Faure, Holst, contemporary composers, Hamilton sings weekly services and presents regular concerts from September to June. The choir has collaborated in the past with the Hamilton Philhannonic Youth Symphony and the Hamilton Philharmonic www.choirsontario.org CHORUS NIAGARA St. Catharines' premiere choral organization, now in its 42nd seaand gospel and celtic music. Rehearsals Orchestra, and last year performed son, has grown considerably and are Tuesday evenings 7- 9pm at Runnymede United Church in Bloor West Village, September guest composer Paul Halley's Earth Mass and an Ontario premiere of Karl Jenkins' The Armed Man: A now has 100 singers. In 1989, Rol:>ert Cooper became artistic director. His presence has enhanced to May. The choir has been chosen Mass For Peace for chorus their performances significantly. to participate at Newfoundland's Festival 500. July 2005. sing@www.cantorescelestes.com Kelly Galbraith: 416-236-1522 www.cantorescelestes.com and chamber orchestra. Our Choral Scholarship program established by the late Mr. James Morrow annually gives up to five students the opportunity to sing while continuing their secondary or post-secondary Chorus Niagara now provides the St. Catharines community with the opportunity to hear and participate in choral masterworks under the direction of one of Canada's lead ing choral conductors. education. Shawn Grenke is the Throughout its 42 years, Chorus CARIBBEAN CHORALE OF TORONTO The Caribbean Chorale of Toronto was formed in 1993 and comprises members of Caribbean heritage from the choirs of St. Michael the Archangel Anglican Church, New minister of music. shawn.grenke@utoronto.ca 905-522-6843 www.centenaryunited.com Niagara has continued to perform mainly classical works, with commissions and light classical work rounding out its repertoire. Chorus Niagara is committed to programming that offers quality and excel Dawn Moravian Church; and the CHOIRS OF THE CHURCH OF Sr. MARY lence with a strong awareness of Toronto East Seventh Day Adventist Church. This group was further incorporated in 1995 as a non-profit group. The choir's wide repertoire includes music from various categories along with folk music from the Caribbean Islands. Reginald Cornelius: 416-421-3301 MAGDALENE The choirs of the Church of St. Mary Magdalene are composed of two separate ensembles: the Ritual Choir, which sings plainchant, and the Gallery Choir, which sings unaccompanied polyphony, and is especially known for its interpretation of the compositions of Dr. Healey Canadian content. cnadmin@becon.org Johanna Cotte: 905-371-1518 www.chorusniagara.ca CHRIST CHURCH DEER PARK At this dynamic Anglican parish in mid-town Toronto ,there are three Willan. The choirs rehearse on choirs, all under the direction of CELLAR SINGERS The Cellar Singers, directed by Albert Greer with Blair Bailey as accompanist, are in their 37th year. They present four major concerts each season (two are repeated) in the Huronia-Muskoka area. Performances include complete traditional oratorios, with professional vocal soloists and orchestras, shorter works, and Canadian compositions. The eighty members, chosen by audition, rehearse weekly for three hours. The choir has participated Thursday evenings for the hymns, masses and motets sung at the 11 am Sunday Mass, and occasional concerts. The choirs welcome new members. Please contact director of music Dr. Willis Noble or assistant conductor Judith Young to arrange an audition. smmsingers@hotmail.com Willis Noble: 416-978-3611 Judith Young: 416-446-0188 www.stmarymagdalene.ca Bruce Kirkpatrick Hill. The Senior Choir, led by eight professionals. sings the best of Anglican liturgical music every Sunday morning at I lam, with concerts and other special events, September to June. They rehearse Thursday nights at 7:30pm. A less ambitious adult choir, led by four professional singers, rehearses Thursdays, 6:45- 7: l5pm and sings twice a month at the early service. The Junior Choir rehearses Wednesday afternoons, and sings twice a month. Music in many special performances theory and the fundamentals of sing CHOIRS ONTARIO and toured internationally. The Cellar Singer's second CD was re bkhill@christchurchdeerpark.org ing are taught. Choirs Ontario is an arts organization that promotes and celebrates leased last fall. As well as volunteering for some organizational www.christchurchdeerpark.org Bruce K. Hill: 416-920-5211 x28 choral music-making in Ontario. Our members, both organizations duties, all choristers participate in and individuals, believe that choral Centenary United Church in Katherine MacDonald: 416-923-1144 MAY 2005 WWW. THEWHOLENOTE.COM (ANARY PAGES
