BLUE PAGES 2014/15Shari Lundy, music director416-239-0523eys@eporchestra.cashari.lundy@gmail.comeporchestra.ca●●Exultate Chamber SingersOver a 34-year history, the Exultate ChamberSingers have garnered praise from all quartersfor sensitive, precise and seamless performances.The choir was established in 1981 by conductorJohn Tuttle and is enriched not only bythe excellent musicianship of its members butalso by their varied academic and professionalbackgrounds. Together, they form a passionate,committed ensemble with a wide-ranging repertoireand were awarded the Healey Willan GrandPrize for a third time at the 2004 CBC Competitionfor Amateur Choirs. Exultate’s fourth CD,All Around the Circle, features folk songs fromacross Canada and was launched at the first performanceof Exultate’s 25th anniversary seasonin October2005. Exultate presents a four-concertsubscription series in Toronto and makesguest appearances in various Ontario communities.Auditions are held as required to fill vacanciesin the fixed-membership group.Elana Harte416-917-5987elana@elanaharte.comexultate.net●●Georgetown Bach ChoraleThe Georgetown Bach Chorale, now in its 15thseason, continues not only to provide and performchoral music at its highest form, but alsopresent orchestral works and intimate chambermusic as experienced by listeners long ago.Rehearsals take place on Tuesday eveningswith 24 auditioned choristers circled around aharpsichord, led by their fearless leader RonaldGreidanus.Highlights of this year’s concert programinclude four performances of Handel’s Messiahacross Ontario, Pergolesi’s Stabat Mater, Lotti’sCrucifixus and J.S. Bach’s 1725 version of ThePassion according to St. John, all performancespresented with period orchestra. Two chamberconcerts will feature German-born violinistAnnette-Barbara Vogel and Friesian violinistEdwin Huizinga, who will play Brahms and Prokofiev.On completion of its concert season, TheChorale will then make its way to Exeter, Ontario,where they have been invited to perform in theBach Festival in July 2015.Ronald Greidanus905-873-9909ronaldgreidanus@hotmail.comgeorgetownbachchorale.com●●Glionna Mansell CorporationGlionna Mansell Corporation is a music marketingagency, organ dealer and concert producerin the organ and choral performance genre. Asa respected leader in the industry, the companyis an active supporter/promoter of emerging artistictalent alongside experienced world-stageperformers. The activities operating under theGlionna Mansell banner include: Glionna MansellArts Foundation for Performance Excellence,ORGANIX Concerts Inc., Allen Organs and theToronto Ecumenical Chorale.Glionna Mansell is also the exclusive Ontariodealer of Allen digital and digital-pipe organsand enjoys a well-established reputation forprofound quality – seen and unseen. Presidentand artistic director Gordon Mansell is a formerlong-standing executive on the Toronto boardof the RCCO. He is music director and organistat Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic Church wherehe directs a large music program and presidesover a world-renowned Casavant Frères mechanical-actionpipe organ, Op. 2805. Regardingthis organ, famed English organist Peter Hurfordpronounced it to be one of the finest baroquestyledorgans in the world and chose it for severalimportant Bach and Pre-Bach DECCA recordings.Gordon Mansell, presidentand artistic director416-769-5224; 1-877-769-5224gdmansell@sympatico.caglionnamansell.com●●Grace Church on-the-HillThere is no sound like the soaring tone of trebles,boys and girls, trained in the English cathedraltradition and singing in the superb acoustics ofGrace Church on-the-Hill. The Choir of Gentlemenand Boys and the St. Cecilia Choir of Womenand Girls sing the best choral repertoire (15th to21st century) each week in worship, in concertsand on tour. Girls and boys aged five and up arewelcome to participate. Prior musical training isnot required for children. Scholarships and subsidiesare available to promising students. Thereis no membership fee and children receive asmall stipend for singing. Interested adult choirmembers should contact the directors of music.We look forward to hearing from you!Stephen Frketic, organistand choirmasterSarah Hicks, conductor,St. Cecilia Women’s Choirmusic@gracechurchonthehill.ca●●Grand Philharmonic ChoirThe Grand Philharmonic Choir, based in Kitchener,Ontario, includes four choirs in one organization:an adult choir, a chamber adult choir, ayouth choir and a children’s choir. We performin large concert halls with audiences of morethan 1,500 people, at free public gatherings andin small, intimate settings.Under the direction of Mark Vuorinen, it is ourmandate to present choral repertoire of the higheststandard, to share our love of music with thepublic through varied outreach programs andto provide music education to our members andenlightenment to our audiences. We are one ofa few large choirs in Canada, outside the majormetropolitan areas, with the resources and communitysupport to deliver a full choral season withprofessional musicians.Amy DaleCentre in the Square BoxOffice: 519-578-1570info@grandphilchoir.comgrandphilchoir.com●●Grand River Chorus(of Brantford)The Grand River Chorus of Brantford is a mixedvoicecommunity choir that presents an annualseries of concerts featuring both masterworksof the choral tradition and other varied choralrepertoire. We also feature guest soloists fromacross Canada. Occasionally, the choir sings atcommunity events and joins in performancessponsored by other groups, including appearanceswith the Brantford Symphony Orchestraat the Sanderson Centre in Brantford. The GrandRiver Chorus also seeks out opportunities to raisethe profile of choral music in the Brantford, Brantand Norfolk areas. From its inception, the GrandRiver Chorus has performed to a high choralstandard. It is a registered non-profit corporationsupported through patron and communitydonations. Its annual gala fundraiser, the “GrandFête du Vin,” has been successful in past yearsand will be held on February 21, 2015. Today, underartistic director Richard Cunningham, the chorusexists as a vital member of the performing artscommunity in the greater Brantford area.Tim Marsden, presidentinfo@grandriverchorus.comgrandriverchorus.com●●Hannaford Street Silver BandThe Hannaford Street Silver Band is Canada’saward-winning professional brass band and residentcompany of Toronto’s St. Lawrence Centrefor the Arts. Its mission is to honour the traditionsof this art form and place it in a contemporarycontext with a unique, Canadian point ofview. We actively facilitate innovative creativeprojects and collaborate with the best of Canada’sdiverse artists.2014/15 features brass repertoire gems pairedwith new music played with the verve and virtuosityyou expect from the Hannaford Band:“Songs of the Paradise Saloon,” on October 26,sees Bramwell Tovey return with his epic TrumpetConcerto for virtuoso Andrew McCandless. “WelcomeChristmas II” celebrates the season withB10 | theWholeNote 2014/15 PRESENTER PROFILES
the Orpheus Choir on December 16, in the beautifulacoustic of Yorkminster Park Baptist Church.“Drumming the Heartbeat,” on February 15,explores the surprisingly deep ties between FirstNations and brass music with Barbara Croall.The culmination of our season is the three-dayFestival of Brass, April 17 to 19, showcasing BrassBand legend Edward Gregson and TSO PrincipalTrombonist Gordon Wolfe.Get into Brass!David Archer416-425-2874brass@hssb.cahssb.ca●●Harmony Singers of EtobicokeThe Harmony Singers of Etobicoke is a 30-voicewomen’s chorus that was formed in 1965. Thegroup memorizes and stages an exciting repertoireof songs ranging from pop, folk andsacred to light classical. They have performedthe national anthems at Blue Jays games andappeared in a music video with Down With Webster.The Singers entertain at civic functions, privateparties, hospitals and retirement homes.This season, their 50th, they will present “It’s TheHoliday Season” on Sunday, December 7 at HumberValley United Church and in 2015 will presenttwo joint concerts with The Queensmen.Rehearsals are Monday evenings at MartinGrove United Church (Martin Grove and Mercuryin Etobicoke). There are a few openings fornew members; those interested should contactthe conductor.Harvey Patterson416-239-5821theharmonysingers@ca.inter.netharmonysingers.ca●●I FURIOSI Baroque EnsembleI FURIOSI Baroque Ensemble is one of the world’smost innovative baroque ensembles, comprisingfour of Canada’s leading early music specialists:soprano Gabrielle McLaughlin, violinists AisslinnNosky and Julia Wedman, and cellist/gambistFelix Deak. For over a decade and a half, I FURI-OSI’s Toronto concert series has been revitalizingthe face of early music in Canada, inspired bythe practice of the baroque era while invoking the“bizarre and unnatural” aesthetic both cherishedand despised in its time. Thematic programmingallows the performers to present baroque musicin a uniquely relevant way.Gabrielle McLaughlin416-536-2943ifuriosi@ifuriosi.comifuriosi.comKINDRED SPIRITS ORCHESTRA●●International DivasInternational Divas is a concert series designedby George Koller (bassist, producer, composerand promoter with 40 years experience in theworld of music). The goal is to present InternationalDivas in an all-acoustic setting, supportedby one or two musicians at a time. Multipleaudiences are shared with each other, and theDivas are given an opportunity to present repertoirein all languages or unique styles, and tolet their voices soar in natural resonance withthe room. Using minimal instrumentation, theartists will return to a time before electronicenhancement, yet point to a future where puresound is as rare and valuable as gold. 2014 InternationalDivas is presenting three concerts atTrinity-St Pauls, on October 5, November 27 andDecember 21 – 18 Divas over three shows!George Kollerinternationaldivas.net●●International Resource Centrefor Performing ArtistsThe International Resource Centre for PerformingArtists is a dedicated service organizationfor musical artists. It was created in 1985to a) support freelance performers in the musicfield to make the transition from student to professionaland to assist them to reach their goalsat various stages in their careers, and b) to informand inspire audiences with increased knowledgeand appreciation of the development of Canadianmusical performing artists. Programs aredesigned to enable performers to grow in theirartistry and gain access to international contactsof the highest standards, in order to be employedat home and abroad. Workshops are scheduledfor March and April 2015. Mentoring is availableupon request.Ann Summers Dossena416-362-1422sumintl@rogers.comircpa.net●Jeunesses ●Musicales OntarioJeunesses Musicales Ontario (JMO) is a bilingual(EN–FR) non-profit arts organization that fostersthe careers of outstanding young professionalmusicians at home and abroad, and has enjoyeda presence in Ontario since 1979. JMO promotesthe development of the arts in Ontario by touringsome of Canada’s leading emerging artistsacross the province. JMO also tours an all-inclusiveopera production complete with surtitles, sets,costumes and piano accompaniment. JMO performsin urban, rural and remote communities.JMO’s youth concerts feature professionallytrained musicians performing in schools andcommunity centres across Ontario. These concertsallow children and families the opportunityto discover the magic of live music. Allperformances are interpretive and theatrical innature and offer exceptional musical encountersbetween performers and audience, presentingmusic of various cultures and eras. Programs areoffered in English and French. JMO is affiliatedwith Jeunesses Musicales Canada and JeunessesMusicales International, recognized by UNESCOas the largest youth music NGO in the world!JMO concerts are available in Englishand French.Vanessa J. Goymour, generalmanager and artistic advisor416-536-8649vgoymour@jmcanada.cajmontario.cajmcanada.ca●John ● Laing SingersFounded in 1982 by John Laing, the JLS is a chamberchoir of musicians from the Halton and Hamiltonregions. Through memorable performancestheWholeNote 2014/15 PRESENTER PROFILES | B11
