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Volume 26 Issue 1 - September 2020

  • Text
  • Ensemble
  • Classical
  • Concerts
  • Singers
  • Choral
  • Jazz
  • Toronto
  • Musical
  • September
  • Choir
Choral Scene: Uncharted territory: three choirs finding paths forward; Music Theatre: Loose Tea on the boil with Alaina Viau’s Dead Reckoning; In with the New: what happens to soundart when climate change meets COVID-19; Call to action: diversity, accountability, and reform in post-secondary jazz studies; 9th Annual TIFF Tips: a filmfest like no other; Remembering: Leon Fleisher; DISCoveries: a NY state of mind; 25th anniversary stroll-through; and more. Online in flip through here, and on stands commencing Tues SEP 1.

CANARY PAGES

CANARY PAGES theWholeNote 2020/21 CANARY PAGES DIRECTORY KATHY DIXON, MEMBERSHIP DIRECTOR 416-200-1731 membership@tempuschoralsociety.com www.tempuschoralsociety.com ●●Toronto Beaches Children’s and Youth Chorus TBCYC, founded in 2006 by artistic director Bronwen Low, with drama instructor Joanne Mitchell, has grown from a membership of 30 to over 150 children and youth (JK and up) from all over Scarborough and Toronto’s East End. TBCYC welcomes all, regardless of ability, offering a high quality musical and dramatic experience within an atmosphere of fun and hard work. Each year, choristers are involved in concerts and events throughout the city. In the spring, they perform a fully staged musical production at a professional theatre. Select past shows: Shrek Jr, Wizard of Oz, Alice in Wonderland, Oliver, and Fame. Past touring highlights include singing in Nashville at the Grand Ole Opry, the 2016 DCINY festival performance at Carnegie Hall and the Kennedy Center as part of the 2019 Serenade Choral Festival in Washington, D.C. BRONWEN LOW 416-698-9864 info@tbcyc.com www.tbcyc.com ●●Toronto Chamber Choir Building on 50 years of concert performances, the Toronto Chamber Choir of around 30-40 skilled singers has held a prominent place in Canada’s early music scene since 1968. It specializes in Renaissance and Baroque repertoire, collaborating regularly with Toronto’s rich pool of period instrumentalists, but also with forays into other periods. Four concerts per season (two Saturday evening concerts, two Sunday afternoon “Kaffeemusiks”) explore our repertoire through narration, often with a multimedia component. 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. We also run the Toronto Chamber Consort section lead program and an apprenticeship program with Rosedale School of the Arts. LUCAS HARRIS 416-763-1695 musicdirector@torontochamberchoir.ca www.torontochamberchoir.ca ●●Toronto Children’s Chorus In 2020/21, the award-winning Toronto Children’s Chorus marks its 43rd concert season and its 14th year under artistic director Elise Bradley, MNZM. The Chorus comprises a family of choirs: KinderNotes for children aged 3 to 6 (no audition required), four Training Choir levels, Main Choir (five ensembles) and Toronto Youth Choir (ages 16 to 30). The Chorus welcomes singers at its Midtown and North York locations. Each year, more than 400 choristers develop skills in vocal technique, sightsinging, music theory and performance. The Main Choir offers master classes, recording and touring opportunities, and guest performance experiences, including with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Tafelmusik and Opera Atelier. BONNIE O’SULLIVAN 416-932-8666 x225 bonnie@torontochildrenschorus.com www.torontochildrenschorus.com ●●The Toronto Choral Society The Toronto Choral Society (TCS) was founded in 1845, to foster a positive musical environment that enables members to learn and develop both musical ability and choral repertoire. The TCS aims to be an integral part of the community, presenting works from traditional choral repertoire while exploring music of our multicultural nation. We have performed our last three Christmas Concerts to sold out audiences at Koerner Hall. Our rehearsals begin in September and continue until May on Wednesday nights 7:30pm to 9:30pm at Eastminster United Church, 310 Danforth Ave. (Due to current conditions our 2020 season will rehearse on a virtual platform). We would, under normal conditions, be performing a minimum of 3 concerts a year. (Again this year TBD). If you would like more information please go to our website. DEBBY NEILL BLYTH 416-499-3000 dblyth@sympatico.ca www.torontochoralsociety.org ●●Toronto Classical Singers Toronto Classical Singers is the only choir in the country dedicated exclusively to the great choral/ orchestral repertoire. Now in its 29th season, the organization continues to celebrate and contribute to the glorious tradition of choral music in Canada. Known for its unique musical point-of-view, the choir features lesser-known and rarely performed pieces as well as the beloved vocal/orchestral repertoire. Led by founding conductor Jurgen Petrenko, the choir has a long-standing partnership with Talisker Players who accompany the choir in their presentations of the great choral masterpieces. Auditions are usually held in September however, this year we are inviting interested singers to contact us through our website. When we can resume our rehearsal/production schedule, our audition coordinator will be in touch. KATHLEEN PAYNE 416-986-8749 kathleenpayne@sympatico.ca www.torontoclassicalsingers.ca ●●Toronto Concert Choir The Toronto Concert Choir is a reincarnation of the Oakham House Choir, which was based at Ryerson University for 35 years. Like its predecessor, it will specialize in large-scale choral masterpieces and will be accompanied by the Toronto Sinfonietta chamber orchestra. We hope that our first major concert after the pandemic, at Knox Presbyterian Church, will feature Mendelssohn’s Elijah. We will also be performing on campus for the Ryerson community. Membership, which will number about 90, will be open to Ryerson students, alumni, faculty and staff, as well as to singers from outside the university. The choir will be led by its founding music director, Matthew Jaskiewicz. For more details, please visit our website. Experienced choristers are invited to contact us by e-mail for information about openings. MATTHEW JASKIEWICZ 416-578-2546 torontoconcertchoir@gmail.com www.torontoconcertchoir.ca ●●The Toronto Mendelssohn Choir The Toronto Mendelssohn Choir celebrated its 125th anniversary in 2019 and plans to continue sharing great choral music throughout 2020/21 and the pandemic – starting with online programming and adding in-person opportunities when health and safety permit. The 100-voice choir includes a professional core, auditioned volunteers, and apprentices (aged 17 to 22). Spring and Fall 2020 see choristers involved in virtual choir projects and virtual choir and orchestra projects. For the 2020/21 season, the Choir is under the artistic leadership of Associate Conductor Simon Rivard. The Choir’s international search for a new artistic director is temporarily on hold during the pandemic. ADMINISTRATOR 416-598-0422 admin@tmchoir.org www.tmchoir.org ●●Toronto Mozart Choir The Toronto Mozart Choir is an auditioned ensemble designed for our times and supported by an expert technical team enabling performances of live concerts, live-streamed concerts and/or virtual concerts according to government directives related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Rehearsals are on Wednesday evenings and, when impossible in person, are held online with live direction and instruction with artistic director David Bowser, interspersed with pre-recorded rehearsal video segments. We always make time for a virtual social gathering at the end of each rehearsal for those who wish to participate. With the agility to modify our rehearsals and concerts to changing circumstances, the Toronto Mozart Choir offers an uninterrupted opportunity for singers to make great music. For more information visit our website. LAWRENCE PEDDIE 416-996-5331 lawrence.peddie@mozartproject.ca www.torontomozartchoir.ca C10

●●The Toronto Welsh Male Voice Choir The Toronto Welsh Male Voice Choir (TWMVC) was established in 1995 when its founding member and first president, Gwyn Roberts, gathered together a group of like-minded individuals of Welsh heritage, who sought to kindle the spirit of Traditional Welsh Male Voice singing in their adopted country. The TWMVC proudly draws on the great Welsh tradition of singing hymns and songs born of the mountains and valleys of Wales. At the same time it emphasizes a multicultural context in its broad repertoire which also includes spirituals; operatic arias, Canadian folk songs as well as Broadway show tunes and contemporary music. Our blend of traditional and contemporary music, all sung off book in accordance with tradition, appeals to a broad audience. With the current situation we all have now, our concerts have been put on hold, until we receive clearance to resume our concert schedule. Please visit our website www.welshchoir.ca for all updated information. We are seeking new members to join. ALAN SADEGURSKY 647-389-8084 alansadegursky@yahoo.ca www.welshchoir.ca ●●Upper Canada Choristers The Upper Canada Choristers is a mixedvoice community choir with a diverse membership that interweaves fun with the commitment to musical excellence and vibrant community service. Performances feature collaborations with international choirs, local children’s choirs, and professional instrumentalists and singers. Cantemos is an auditioned a cappella latin ensemble within UCC. Lead by Artistic Director, Laurie Evan Fraser, the choirs perform three diverse choral programs annually. Weekly rehearsals for the Main Choir are Monday evenings from 7:30–9:30 PM at Grace Church on-the-Hill, 300 Lonsdale Rd. Cantemos rehearses on Saturday mornings from 10:30am to 12:30pm at 2700 Bathurst Street. The choirs sing up to 20 concerts annually in a variety of community venues. LAURIE EVAN FRASER, ARTISTIC DIRECTOR 416-256-3809 lef@uppercanadachoristers.org www.uppercanadachoristers.org ●●Vesnivka Choir Vesnivka Choir, established in 1965 by founding artistic director Halyna Kvitka Kondracki, is an award-winning women’s ensemble whose repertoire consists of Ukrainian liturgical, classical, contemporary and traditional folk music. The choir’s regular concert season comprises three major concerts, one of which is an annual Christmas concert. Vesnivka, together with its partner the Toronto Ukrainian Male Chamber Choir (TUMCC), often accompanied by local professional musicians. The choir also sings Christmas and Easter Liturgies. Singers are welcome; rehearsals on Tuesdays, 7:15pm to 9:15pm (4 Bellwoods Ave., Toronto). Male singers are welcome to join TUMCC who rehearse on Mondays, 7:30pm to 9pm (2445 Bloor St. W., Toronto). Concert schedule, rehearsal times and venues all subject to change during COVID-19 pandemic. NYKOLA PARZEI 416-246-9880 lkomorowsky@gmail.com www.vesnivka.com ●●Victoria Scholars Men’s Choral Ensemble A past winner of the Canada Council Healey Willan Grand Prize, CBC Radio National Competition for Amateur Choirs, and one of Canada’s finest male choral ensembles, the Victoria Scholars treat audiences to a wide range of music, from Medieval plainchant and works from the baroque, renaissance and romantic eras through to contemporary and newly commissioned works from some of Canada’s best-known composers. Along with an annual three-concert series in Toronto, the Scholars have toured nationally/internationally, performed with international vocal soloists, and have released five acclaimed recordings, including most recently, “Songs of Love”. If you are an experienced musician with excellent sight reading abilities and would like to join us, please contact us. For updates on the upcoming season, please check our website. JERZY CICHOCKI 416-476-4078 admin@victoriascholars.ca www.victoriascholars.ca ●●Village Voices We are a community choir in Markham. Village Voices has served the community for 31 years. It is an SATB non-auditioned choir of approximately 55 members. The choir gives two concerts a year, in December and May. In addition, we also do outreach concerts at seniors’ residences in Markham and surrounding areas. Our repertoire comprises works of contemporary Canadian/North American composers, such as Ola Gjeilo, Eleanor Daley, Jake Runstead, Jeff Smallman, etc., as well as old favourites. We rehearse once a week from September to May at Markham’s United Presbyterian Church under the baton of our music director, Shirley Madden. More information is available on our website or by email. DEB YOUNG 905-294-7373 info@villagevoices.ca www.villagevoices.ca ●●VIVA Singers Toronto VIVA is a vibrant community of singers and educators committed to equity, excellence, and the belief that every voice matters. VIVA empowers children and adult singers in seven choirs through innovative choral pedagogy and performance experiences. Vital choir components highlight VIVA’s philosophy: the TD Inclusion Program for singers with disabilities; and the Choral Mentoring & Leadership Program for aspiring conductor-educators. VIVA’s youth choruses include: Preparatory (ages 4-6), Junior (ages 6-10), Main (ages 9-16), and Senior Treble (ages 13-16). The Every Voice Matters Chorus welcomes teens and adults with disabilities. Adult choirs include the Community Choir (SATB; non-auditioned) and Chamber Singers (SATB; auditioned). Auditions and assessments are held regularly throughout the year. CHARLOTTE BURRAGE 416-788-8482 info@vivayouthsingers.com www.vivasingerstoronto.com TORONTO CONCERT CHOIR theWholeNote 2020/21 CANARY PAGES DIRECTORY C11

Volumes 26-29 (2020- )

Volumes 21-25 (2015-2020)

Volumes 16-20 (2010-2015)

Volumes 11-15 (2004-2010)

Volumes 6 - 10 (2000 - 2006)

Volumes 1-5 (1994-2000)