Volume 24 Issue 6 - March 2019

ANNELIES VAN DER VEGT

ANNELIES VAN DER VEGT Pax Christi Chorale have together. It’s a story that ends with some sense of resolution. It’s so interesting to me that in so much oratorio there’s a moral. Here, it’s really about finding a connection. There’s no sense of imposed morality. It’s observation and the sense that we’re all connected through all these elements, and risk, and danger, and opportunity, and release and forgiveness.” In her writing, Croall describes the work as “focusing toward the light … to always consider hope and continuity as the neverending thread of life.” In Charles Daniels her approach, Croall’s generosity of spirit reaches beyond just her musical composition. The work of bringing the work to life in a meaningful way with each musician requires more than just a few reads through vocal lines in rehearsal. Something more was required for this particular project, and Bowser and the choir have had to adjust. To help facilitate this, Croall has welcomed the choir into the world she has created. “The whole choir went out to Crawford Lake in November,” shares Bowser. “[Barbara] did a lot of talking about the traditional, historical, and also modern practices of different First Nations.” The choir was responsive to the learning, and Bowser was pleased: “It’s really exciting to see people opening their eyes and their ears and their hearts.” “It’s a full relationship we’re engaging in,” says Bowser. In scale and scope, oratorio is to the choral music tradition what opera is to music theatre. Pax Christi, Bowser and Croall have all risen to the challenge of building a full relationship as the one way to ensure the best chance of success – guiding the work to a truer performance where artists, direction and composer align. Croall has been generously present in the rehearsal process, making herself available in the teaching and the learning. “Barbara is coming to all the rehearsals, teaching us Odawa,” says Bowser. “She’s telling us about the stories and the characters and the imagery and the traditional practices and ways.” In this process of breathing Miziwe… itself to life, the very joining of all these musical forces together starts to embody the notion of Croall’s “spirit” and her hope for the work – that in the coming together, Pax Christi Chorale and Miziwe… will “uplift” us all. On March 31 at 3pm, Pax Christi Chorale presents Miziwe… a world-premiere oratorio composed by Barbara Croall. Featuring Krisztina Szabó, Justin Welsh, Rod Nettagog, Barbara Croall, and the Toronto Mozart Players conducted by David Bowser. Performed in Ojibwe Odawa with surtitles at Koerner Hall, Toronto. CHORAL SCENE QUICK PICKS !! MAR 8, 7:30PM: Orpheus Choir of Toronto presents “Raising Her Voice: Celebrating the Choral Art,” in celebration of International Women’s Day. Artistic director Bob Cooper has partnered with Diaspora Dialogues to commission four new musical compositions, enhancing the female contribution to choral music in Canada. Diaspora Dialogues is an intercultural bridge that supports a community of diverse writers with multiple programs. In this exchange, Diaspora Dialogue authors Yaya Yao, Priscilla Uppal, Shadi Eskandani, and Phoebe Wang were paired with composers Katerina Gimon, Christine Donkin, Anika-France Forget and Tawnie Olson, respectively, for four new commissions by Orpheus. Grace Church on-the-Hill, Toronto. !! MAR 9, 7:30PM: The University of Toronto Faculty of Music presents Handel’s oratorio Israel in Egypt. The concert features Daniel Taylor and Jeanne Lamon at the helm of the U of T Theatre of Early Music Choir, Schola Cantorum, and Baroque instrumentalists, Collegium Musicum. Joining them will be members of Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra and tenor Charles Daniels. Handel’s oratorios, of which there are many, are often dominated by Messiah. This is a chance to see some of his other great work. In the expert hands of a period interpretation, you can be sure of a fantastic period performance of Handel’s work. St Patrick’s Church, Toronto. !! MAR 21 TO 23, 7:30PM & MAR 24, 3:30PM: Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra and Chamber Choir, five soloists and members of the Toronto Children’s Chorus all meet to present the Bach St. Matthew Passion. Last year, Tafelmusik presented the Mass in B Minor to great acclaim. Baritone Tyler Duncan, featured last year, returns to sing in the St Matthew Passion under maestro Masaaki Suzuki. Suzuki is one of the most renowned interpreters of Bach’s works and has never conducted Tafelmusik. This is one not to miss. With several performances to choose from, early music and Bach St. John Passion Sunday, March 31, 2019 | 3:30pm + ticket fee (HST included) Basilica of Our Lady Immaculate, Guelph Bach’s powerful St. John Passion, with the highly-regarded tenor Lawrence Wiliford as the Evangelist and baritone Geoffrey Sirett as Jesus. Don’t miss this spring tradition with the JUNO- and Grammy-nominated Elora Singers! 32 | March 2019 thewholenote.com

fans should hurry and get tickets. Carry a friend while you’re at it! Jeanne Lamon Hall, Trinity-St. Paul’s Centre, Toronto. !! MAR 22, 7:30PM: Cantabile Chamber Singers present “Social Justice,” a program that conductor Cheryll Chung calls “an eclectic mix of contemporary works that speak to justice and equity in the world.” The works to be performed include a premiere of Unheard: Voice of the Children, for mixed media and choir by Laura Sgroi. Other great Canadians featured include Matthew Emery and Saman Shahi. All the works touch “on issues such as the environment, the #MeToo movement as well as serenity, eternity, and hope,” shares Chung. Church of the Redeemer, Toronto. Cheryll Chung !! MAR 30, 4PM: Exultate Chamber Singers present “When We Were Young.” Artistic director Mark Ramsay has gathered the Chorus Niagara Children’s Choir and their artistic director, Amanda Nelli, in this “celebration of joy and youth.” Featuring John Rutter’s Mass of the Children with its blending of William Blake poetry and different mass traditions. Other music includes music from Timothy Corlis, Ēriks Ešenvalds, Eric Whitacre and more. St Thomas’s Anglican Church, Toronto. Follow Brian on Twitter @bfchang Send info/media/ tips to choralscene@thewholenote.com. SACRED MUSIC FOR A SACRED SPACE Experience two rich choral traditions — French subtlety and the mystical traditions of Eastern Europe and Russia — in a contemplative program by the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir, conducted by David Fallis. Works by MESSIAEN, POULENC and MARTIN KODALY, RACHMANINOFF, PENDERECKI and SCHNITTKE. All in the visual and acoustic splendour of St. Anne’s — the “Group of Seven” church. Wednesday, April 17 Good Friday, April 19 7:30 pm St. Anne’s Anglican Church 270 Gladstone Ave Tickets , & VoxTix for patrons 30 & under RCM TICKETS 416-408-0208 or online tmchoir.org CONFLUENCE CONCERTS ’TIS NATURE’S VOICE: HENRY PURCELL REIMAGINED ~ Some of Toronto's finest composer-musicians arrange and perform the music of Henry Purcell Anne Atkinson, Larry Beckwith, Andrew Downing, Drew Jurecka, John Millard, Patricia O'Callaghan, Gregory Oh, Alex Samaras, Suba Sankaran April 5 & 6 at 8:00 p.m. Heliconian Hall, 35 Hazelton Avenue, Toronto Pre-concert talk by Larry Beckwith at 7:15 p.m. TICKETS: - at bemusednetwork.com/events or 416-410-4561 “ The March wind doth blow …and we shall have snow …” so stay warm by singing about summer! The WholeNote’s GUIDE TO SUMMER MUSIC EDUCATION is updated and online now for year-round for browsing and dreaming of summer. And speaking of singing … THE CANARY PAGES – our guide to the fabulous choral diversity of Southern Ontario is online and searchable yearround. And the 2019 updated version will be printed in our May magazine! Musical resources: online and searchable all the time thewholenote.com/resources FOR ADVERTISING INQUIRIES PLEASE CONTACT karen@thewholenote.com thewholenote.com March 2019 | 33