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Volume 22 Issue 8 - May 2017

  • Text
  • Toronto
  • Arts
  • Musical
  • Jazz
  • Festival
  • Symphony
  • Theatre
  • Choir
  • Orchestra
  • Quartet
From science fact in "Integral Man: Music and the Movies," to science fiction in the editor's opener; from World Fiddle Day at the Aga Khan Museum to three Canadians at the Cliburn; from wanting to sashay across the 401 to Chamberfest in Montreal to exploring the Continuum of Jumblies Theatre's 20-year commitment to the Community Play (there's a pun in there somewhere!).

CANARY PAGES

CANARY PAGES ●●SoundCrowd ●●St. James Town Children’s Choir ●Tallis ● Choir theWholeNote 2017/18 CANARY PAGES DIRECTORY SoundCrowd is Toronto’s first large-scale a cappella choir. Founded in 2016 by artistic director Scott Pietrangelo, SoundCrowd made its concert debut singing with former Barenaked Ladies frontman Steven Page at the Danforth Music Hall. Since then they have been seen singing at events around the GTA, and have even graced the stage of Carnegie Hall in NYC, performing with choirs from around the world under the direction of Deke Sharon (Pitch Perfect). The ensemble’s end-of-year concert, SoundCrowd Live, is being performed on Saturday, May 27 at St. Michael’s College School Centre for the Arts (1515 Bathurst St.). If you wish to be considered for the 2017/18 season, email an unlisted YouTube video audition of yourself singing to info@soundcrowd.ca. Meetings will be booked for June. SCOTT PIETRANGELO 647-281-1397 info@soundcrowd.ca www.soundcrowd.ca ●●Spiritus Ensemble Spiritus Ensemble is a semi-professional choralinstrumental ensemble of 18 voices plus an orchestra of varying size that performs mainly the liturgical music of J.S. Bach and other music of the German Baroque. We perform four or five times a season in Kitchener-Waterloo, sometimes in concert and sometimes in a Bach Vespers format. Rehearsals take place on the two or three Saturday mornings preceding each performance. Performances are on Sundays at 4pm. During the 2017/18 season, Spiritus will perform Bach’s Cantatas 30, 79, and 98, as well as music by other composers Buxtehude, Mendelssohn, and Mozart. KENNETH HULL 519-579-8335 krhull@uwaterloo.ca www.spiritusensemble.com ●●St. Anne’s Choir St. Anne’s Anglican Church, with its beautiful setting of Group of Seven art and Byzantine architecture, is one of the most attractive visual and auditory experiences to sing in. The semi-professional chancel choir, made up of approximately 30 voices, is quickly becoming one of the finest and most versatile choral ensembles in the city, as we perform mixed repertoire from Renaissance music to modern anthems. Some of our past concerts include Lauridsen’s Lux Aeterna, Bruckner’s Requiem, John Rutter’s Magnificat, Handel’s Messiah, Gjeilo’s Sunrise Mass, and The Gospel Messiah. Upcoming concerts include Purcell’s Ode to St. Cecilia, and Paul Winter’s Missa Gaia. All are welcome to audition! Sunday services are at 10:30am, and choir rehearsals are Thursday evenings at 7:30pm. JOHN-LUKE ADDISON 416-536-3160 music@saintanne.ca www.saintanne.ca The St. James Town Children’s Choir, founded in 2007, welcomes children from grades 3 to 8 living in St. James Town, a multicultural community in the heart of Toronto. Under conductor Anne Massicotte and assistant conductor Jenny Cohen, the choir provides an enriching choral experience for children from diverse backgrounds with a varied repertoire. With over 30 years of music teaching experience as a music educator with the Toronto District School Board and conductor of a number of award-winning children’s choirs, Anne follows a tradition of bringing the joy of singing to the children of St. James Town. More information is available at our website and specific questions may be directed to info@ reachingoutthroughmusic.org. JOHN LOOSEMORE 416-605-4562 johnloosemore47@gmail.com www.reachingoutthroughmusic.org ●●St. Michael’s Choir School Founded in 1937 by Monsignor John Edward Ronan, St. Michael’s Choir School has served the Archdiocese of Toronto by educating and training musicians who sing at St. Michael’s Cathedral. The school is unique – offering an enriched academic program for boys from grades 3 to 12, with extended French instruction, as well as a lively ministry of sacred music. Choirs from SMCS perform annually on tour and at many local concerts and events. From September to June, the choirs sing weekly Masses at St. Michael’s Cathedral. Auditions are held annually between January and March. MUSIC OFFICE 416-397-6367 musicoffice@smcs.on.ca www.smcs.on.ca ●Tafelmusik ● Chamber Choir The Tafelmusik Chamber Choir, specializing in Baroque and Classical performance practice, was formed in 1981 to complement the orchestra under the direction of Ivars Taurins. The Chamber Choir has become one of the most fêted in North America, awarded the Healey Willan Prize in 1991 and described as “the best period-performance choir anywhere in the world” (The Globe and Mail). The Chamber Choir has made several critically acclaimed recordings, including a live-concert CD of Handel’s Messiah recorded in 2011 at Koerner Hall, which was nominated for a 2013 JUNO Award. Tafelmusik’s annual performances of Messiah and Sing-Along Messiah have become an established part of Toronto’s holiday tradition. In the 2016/17 season, the Chamber Choir celebrated its 35th anniversary. MARA BROWN 416-964-9562 x226 mbrown@tafelmusik.org www.tafelmusik.org Tallis Choir, founded in 1977 and directed by Peter Mahon, specializes in Renaissance choral music but performs a wide variety of musical styles. Our 40th anniversary season’s celebrations will be launched with a performance of all six of J.S. Bach’s motets, and continue with the performances of two 40-part motets – Thomas Tallis’ Spem In Alium and Alessandro Striggio’s Ecce Beatam Lucem, as well as music acknowledging the 50th anniversary of the death of Healey Willan and celebrating Canada’s 150th birthday. Concerts are performed at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church, 141 McCaul St. BEV JAHNNKE 416-467-5961 bjahnke@sympatico.ca www.tallischoir.com ●Tempus ● Choral Society Tempus Choral Society is a 100-voice SATB community choir based in Oakville, led by director Brian Turnbull. Its repertoire encompasses contemporary, Broadway, Great American Songbook, gospel, classical and jazz. In 2015, a Tempus4Us children’s choir and a Tempus Jazz Choir were formed as part of a grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation. In December 2014, the group sang the Messiah at the Lincoln Center. Members performed Vaughan Williams’ Dona Nobis Pacem at Carnegie Hall in April 2015 as part of an international choir of auditioned singers. And in November 2016, Brian also assembled about 600 singers in five choirs in a Choral Xtravaganza at the Oakville Conference Centre, to be reprised this fall. A European tour is planned for the summer of 2018. BRIAN TURNBULL 905-466-2168 pipeorgn@hotmail.com www.tempuschoralsociety.com ●That ● Choir Celebrating its tenth season in 2017/18, That Choir is one of Toronto’s most exciting a cappella ensembles, combining high-calibre performance with storytelling through choral music. Conducted by Craig Pike, the ensemble now draws together 30 auditioned singers with diverse backgrounds in work and study. Each season, That Choir presents a four-concert series of contemporary choral works and an exciting cabaret series, undertakes a range of professional development projects, and appears at many local and provincial music festivals and arts events. That Choir’s repertoire ranges from Eric Whitacre, Ola Gjeilo, Pentatonix and Rajaton, to works by Canadian composers Matthew Emery and Kathleen Allan. Visit our website for more details! COLIN FROTTEN 416-706-5221 info@thatchoir.com www.thatchoir.com C14

●Toronto ● Beach Chorale Toronto Beach Chorale (artistic director, Mervin W. Fick) is an auditioned SATB choir of up to 65 voices with a passion for presenting excellent choral music. TBC invites professional musicians, soloists, actors and other arts organizations to join in repertoire from the Renaissance to the 20th century in up to four concerts per season. TBC organizes and participates in “Messiah for the City” and in many community events. TBC’s “Choral Scholars Program” is offered to singers aged 19 to 24. Rehearsals are Wednesdays, 7pm to 9:30pm, September to May, at Kingston Road United Church (975 Kingston Rd., TO). Auditions in September and January; the ability to read music and choral experience are assets. DAVID GARDE 416-699-6634 torontobeachchorale@gmail.com www.torontobeachchorale.com SKYWAY CONNECTION CHORUS ●Toronto ● Chamber Choir The Toronto Chamber Choir, an ensemble of around 40 skilled singers, has held a place of prominence in Canada’s early music scene since 1968. The TCC specializes in Renaissance and Baroque repertoire, collaborating regularly with Toronto’s rich pool of period instrumentalists, but also makes regular forays into repertoire from other periods. We present an annual series of four performances: two Saturday evening concerts, and two Sunday afternoon “Kaffeemusik” presentations which explore the cultural context of our repertoire through narration. Rehearsals are Wednesday evenings at St. Patrick’s Parish Hall with occasional Saturday “retreats.” Auditions for new volunteer members are held anytime by arrangement with the director, while auditions for our Toronto Chamber Consort section lead program are held in May or June. LUCAS HARRIS, ARTISTIC DIRECTOR 416-763-1695 lucasharris@live.ca www.torontochamberchoir.ca ●Toronto ● Choral Society Before there was Canada there was the Toronto Choral Society! We have been around since 1845, and we know how to celebrate! We invite you to attend our 2017 Spring concert “Songs of Celebration,” on May 17 at 7:30pm, Eastminster Church (near Chester Subway). Tickets online , or at the door. The Toronto Choral Society is a non-auditioned choir, made up of men and women of all ages. As with Canada, this year is a landmark year for us. For the first time we will perform on December 6 at Koerner Hall. We will sing selections from J.S. Bach’s Christmas Oratorio! We would love you to be there. DEBBY BLYTH 416-410-3509 info@torontochoralsociety.org www.torontochoralsociety.org ●Toronto ● Choristers ●Toronto ● Classical Singers In 2017/18, Toronto Classical Singers celebrates 26 years under the baton of Jurgen Petrenko. Mark your calendars for our performances on December 10, February 25, and May 6. Our 100-voice choir rehearses Mondays 7:30pm to 9:30pm from September through May, at Christ Church Deer Park (1570 Yonge St.). We welcome enthusiastic singers who have a passion for classical repertoire, and hold informal auditions throughout the year. Contact TCS at info@torontoclassicalsingers.ca to book your audition with Jurgen. You’ll discover what a joy it is to sing for him, and why TCS is considered one of the gems of the Toronto choral scene. SHIRLEY PAQUETTE 416-494-2870 shirleyjpaquette@gmail.com www.torontoclassicalsingers.ca ●Toronto ● Mendelssohn Choir ●Toronto ● Children’s Chorus Toronto Children’s Chorus’ 2017/18 season marks its 40th anniversary and its 11th year under artistic director Elise Bradley. The Chorus comprises a family of choirs: KinderNotes for children aged 3 to 6 (no audition required), four Training Choirs, Main Choir (Cantare, Chorale, Chamber and Choral Scholar levels) and Youth Choir. More than 300 choristers develop skills in vocal technique, sight-singing and music theory each year. Main Choir offers workshops and exceptional performance and recording opportunities, including with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra. Chamber Choir is the 2017 ambassador for the International Federation for Choral Music and the only North American children’s choir selected for the 11th World Symposium on Choral Music. Chorus auditions are held in May and September. BONNIE O’SULLIVAN 416-932-8666 x225 bonnie@torontochildrenschorus.com www.torontochildrenschorus.com We are a non-auditioned mixed choir of over 100 voices, mainly retired teachers and others who have worked in the field of education. Under the direction of Ralph Peters, we sing a wide range of musical works: selections from Broadway musicals, religious and spiritual anthems, jazz, works by Canadian composers and medleys from various musical genres, just to name a few. We sing one concert in December and two concerts in May each year. Our practices occur each Thursday from September to May. New members are welcome to join our choir. Our annual spring concert at Sir John A. MacDonald Collegiate Institute, 2300 Pharmacy Ave., between Sheppard and Finch, takes place on Wednesday, May 24, 2017 at 7:30pm. Tickets are each, available from choir members or at the door. For more information or to order tickets, please call John Sinclair at 647-693-4671. We love to sing and to share the enjoyment of choral singing. We invite you to be a part of the audience at this concert. JOHN SINCLAIR 416-331-8097 jdbsinclair@gmail.com Grand symphonic sound has been the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir’s trademark for over 120 years. Under artistic director Noel Edison, the TMC offers audiences authentic interpretation of some of the greatest sacred and secular music ever composed. The 130-voice choir includes a professional core, auditioned volunteers, and apprentices (aged 17 to 22). The TMC performs over 20 concerts annually, including major choral works, Festival of Carols at Yorkminster Park Baptist Church, Sacred Music for a Sacred Space on Good Friday at St. Paul’s Basilica, and performances of Messiah and other works with the TSO. As part of its outreach initiatives, the choir webcasts select concerts. The choir also presents Singsation Saturdays, popular choral workshops for singers of all levels. ADMINISTRATOR 416-598-0422 x221 admin@tmchoir.org www.tmchoir.org theWholeNote 2017/18 CANARY PAGES DIRECTORY C15

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