In this issue: our sixteenth annual Choral Canary Pages; coverage of 21C, Estonian Music Week and the 3rd Toronto Bach Festival (three festivals that aren’t waiting for summer!); and features galore: “Final Finales” for Larry Beckwith’s Toronto Masque Theatre and for David Fallis as artistic director of Toronto Consort; four conductors on the challenges of choral conducting; operatic Hockey Noir; violinist Stephen Sitarski’s perspective on addressing depression; remembering bandleader, composer and saxophonist Paul Cram. These and other stories, in our May 2018 edition of the magazine.
CANARY PAGES Welcome to
CANARY PAGES Welcome to The WholeNote’s 16th annual Canary Pages, a directory featuring a broad range of Ontario choirs. The Canary Pages provides an opportunity for choirs to introduce themselves, in their own words, to individuals of all ages seeking choirs to sing in or to listen to, in a variety of genres and at every level of skill and commitment. If you are new to the region, a lapsed chorister looking to start singing again, on the hunt for new musical challenges or CHORUS NIAGARA thinking of taking the plunge for the first time, here’s a perfect place to start your search. The 123 choirs presented here include those that have been around for decades, groups new to the scene, choruses of hundreds of voices, small chamber ensembles, children’s and youth choirs, auditioned choirs and those open to all. We hope you’ll enjoy browsing these pages, or visit the directory online at www.thewholenote.com/canary. ●●Achill Choral Society The Achill Choral Society, now in its 35th season, is a mixed, auditioned, 75-voice community choir, established in 1982 and based in the country hamlet of Achill, near Alliston, Ontario. ACS performs twice yearly, at Christmas and in the spring. Auditions are held in September and January. The choir gathers Wednesday evening at St. John’s Anglican Church (Highway 9, 6km east of Orangeville) to rehearse. A. Dale Wood’s retirement in 2017, after 30+ years conducting Achill, led to the appointment of of Shawn Grenke who has been accompanist to the Elmer Iseler Singers, and the Amadeus Choir, where he is also associate conductor. We welcome all to enjoy our upcoming spring concerts – April 21 in Alliston, and April 28 in Orangeville. Check details on our website at achill.ca. LINDA PUNSTEL info@achill.ca www.achill.ca ●●All Saints Kingsway Choir All Saints Kingsway Choir provides musical leadership at weekly Sunday morning Eucharists, Festival Evensongs, community outreach projects and concerts year-round. The choir is made up of paid section leads and volunteer participants and welcomes new singers throughout the year. Recent performances include Benjamin Britten’s A Ceremony of Carols, Gabriel Fauré’s Requiem, festal celebrations with the drumming ensemble Beyond Sound Empijah and the Michael Occhipinti Jazz Quartet, and Maurice Duruflé’s Requiem and Samuel Coleridge- Taylor’s The Atonement, both with the Nathaniel Dett Chorale. Jazz vespers and lunchtime organ recitals round out the regular musical offerings. New members are always welcome to the Music at All Saints Kingsway family. Come and be a part of a fantastic choral and instrumental creative community. BRAINERD BLYDEN-TAYLOR 416-233-1125 x5 music@allsaintskingsway.ca www.allsaintskingsway.ca ●●Amadeus Choir of Greater Toronto theWholeNote 2018/19 CANARY PAGES DIRECTORY Led by artistic director & conductor Lydia Adams since 1984, the award-winning Amadeus Choir is celebrating its 45th season in 2018-19. The choir performs diverse programmes featuring Canadian and international composers through a self-produced concert series, guest performances and special events at various venues in Toronto and beyond. The Amadeus Choir actively engages in educational and community outreach through choral workshops for students, music educators, composers and conductors. Regular rehearsals are held on Tuesday nights in the Don Mills and Lawrence area. The choir’s membership comprises singers from across the GTA. Annual auditions are held in May and June. Phone or email the choir office for more information. LYDIA ADAMS, ARTISTIC DIRECTOR & CONDUCTOR SHAWN GRENKE, ASSOCIATE C2
CONDUCTOR & ACCOMPANIST JOAN ANDREWS, ASSISTANT CONDUCTOR VIVIAN LEE 416-446-0188 info@amadeuschoir.com www.amadeuschoir.com ●●Annex Singers The Annex Singers is a spirited 60-voice auditioned choir with an eclectic repertoire spanning six centuries. Under the dynamic and creative leadership of artistic director Maria Case, the choir performs three concerts annually, collaborating with a wide array of professional soloists and ensembles. Recently performed large-scale works include Haydn’s Lord Nelson Mass, Orff’s Carmina Burana and Fauré’s Requiem. The Annex Chamber Choir, a smaller ensemble drawn from the main choir, is dedicated to presenting gems from the chamber repertoire. We provide ongoing professional development to all choir members, and encourage young singers with a special sponsorship programme. We rehearse Monday evenings (at St. Thomas Anglican Church, 383 Huron St.). Please visit our website www.annexsingers.com to arrange your audition. JOANNE EIDINGER 416-458-4434 joeidinger@gmail.com www.annexsingers.com ●●Bach Chamber Youth Choir The Bach Chamber Youth Choir (BCYC) is an award-winning SATB choir for ages 16 through 25 (or boys with changed/changing voices). BCYC also includes a fabulous a cappella vocal ensemble comprised of talented university students. As part of the Bach Children’s Chorus organization, the BCYC is a highlight at the organization’s twiceyearly concerts at the Toronto Centre for the Arts. Additional performances include a coffee-house, a gala fundraiser, benefit concerts and collaborations with the other top youth choirs in the city. BCYC rehearses Sunday evenings on the Danforth, across from Chester Station. Auditions are held in May or by request (music background is strongly recommended). Interested youth are welcome to observe a Sunday evening rehearsal. JANE GREENWOOD 416-431-0790 jane@bachchildrenschorus.ca www.bachchildrenschorus.ca ●●Bach Children’s Chorus Bach Children’s Chorus is an award-winning organization of three performance-oriented treble choirs (ages 7-16), one mixed-voice choir (Bach Chamber Youth Choir – see separate listing), and a preparatory choir (ages 5-7). BCC members experience a positive and focussed learning environment as they explore a broad range of musical styles. BCC proudly continues to set the highest standards of musical literacy and education for community choirs across Canada with private vocal coaching, sight-singing groups, and a choralfocussed theory curriculum. BCC rehearses once per week in Scarborough, performs as a company-in-residence at the Toronto Centre for the Arts and appears regularly at Toronto events. Each choir participates in retreats, festivals, workshops and concerts with other youth choirs and world-renowned clinicians. JANE GREENWOOD 416-431-0790 jane@bachchildrenschorus.ca www.bachchildrenschorus.ca ●●Bach Elgar Choir The Bach Elgar Choir is the leading symphonic choir in the Hamilton region and the second-oldest choral organization in Canada. It performed its first concert in 1905 and has several firsts to its credit, including the North American premiere of Verdi’s Requiem. The BEC presents classical works for choir and orchestra, its cherished annual presentation of Handel’s Messiah and programs of varied vocal repertoire from opera to folksong. Featuring the very best Canadian soloists and working together with top orchestras, including the Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra, the BEC has a reputation for excellence. Now entering its 113th year, the Bach Elgar Choir invites interested singers from all sections to come and join us under the leadership of our artistic director Alexander Cann. ALEXANDER CANN 905-527-5995 bachelgar@gmail.com www.bachelgar.com ●●Bel Canto Singers BCS is an auditioned community choir with singers of various ages and abilities. Members share a love of choral singing and welcome and enjoy the challenges of a widely varied repertoire including Broadway show tunes, folk songs, spirituals, opera choruses and, yes, rock. Rehearsals are Tuesday evenings at St. Nicholas Anglican Church, 1512 Kingston Rd. Performances are held twice a year at Scarborough Bluffs United Church, 3739 Kingston Rd. Scarborough, at seniors’ homes and other churches. We also support the worthy Kids Help Phone charity. BCS is a non-profit organization financed by ticket sales and annual membership fees. Friendships and fun are woven through all of our activities. We hold an annual workshop for improving our singing skills and also hold a number of social events such as our annual banquet. EDWIN PERRIN 416-265-7586 laured@sympatico.ca www.belcantosingers.ca ●●Canadian Celtic Choir The London-based Canadian Celtic Choir has been making music since 1996. We won the “Best Classical Vocal Group” at the London Music Awards in 2008, 2009, and 2010. In 2010 the CCC was inducted into the London Music Awards Hall of Fame. In 2012 we were nominated for the “Most Popular Classical Choir” at the 2012 Jack Richardson London Music Awards and won the award in 2015. We have released five CDs, Here’s To Song (2001), Christmas Remembered (2004) and We Rise Again (2007) which are all out of print. Our two most recent CDs are: A Celtic Noel (2013), and Celtic Inspiration (2014) and are available for purchase from our website and at our concerts. IAN DAVIES 519-319-5847 celticchoir@iandavies.com www.celticchoir.ca ACHILL CHORAL SOCIETY theWholeNote 2018/19 CANARY PAGES DIRECTORY C3
