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Choral Canada: Register Today for Navigating Copyright for Choirs in Canada!

Join Choral Canada with presenters from SOCAN, Entandem, CMRRA, and Edwards Creative Law on Wednesday, December 9 at 12 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. ET (Eastern) to answer your questions about copyright in the Canadian choral context. The presentation will focus on easy to understand regulations for online performances (live streamed and recorded), in-person concerts, and hybrid performances (live streamed/recorded and in-person).

Registration:
– Free for members of Choral Canada
– $10 for non-members (includes HST and Eventbrite fee)

Please register by 9 p.m. Eastern on Monday, December 7.

All registrants will be sent general information about copyright for choirs before the presentation to answer preliminary questions. There will be time for a live Q&A.

Recording of webinar:
All registrants will be sent a recording of the presentation.

Summary notes of the presentation will be provided in French, if requested.

Panelists:

James Leacock
SOCAN
Greg Smith
Entandem Licensing
Andrew Hunter
Canadian Musical Reproduction Rights Agency (CMRRA)

Co-Moderators:

Meghan Hila
Choral Canada

Byron Pascoe
Edwards Creative Law

Register Now
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Pictou Youth advocating for Singing in Schools

The NSCF is proud to see NSYC alum, William Austin, and his classmates at North Nova Education Centre join together to advocate for singing to be permitted in schools. Currently, Nova Scotia is the only province in the Maritimes that has not  permitted and developed guidelines for singing in schools.  To read the full article in the Pictou Advocate, click here. 

By NSCFMGR e-notes • Front Page • Member Blog 0 Comments

LET THEM SING!

Singing is a vital component of elementary school music education. In Canada three times more children under the age of 18 sing in a choir than play hockey. Singing and choir are barrier free activities and how important it is, therefore, to have such experiences available to students

A sincere thank you to this group of New Glasgow, Nova Scotia students, who collaboratively wrote and performed “Without Our Voices” to share how they feel about singing being prohibited in schools throughout the fall of 2020. Expressing themselves creatively, they truly show us that, “where words fail, music speaks”. Annika Murray Cameron Boulter Campbell Hayman Caroline Boulter (violin) Justin Skinner (piano) Kara Taylor William Austin #ChoirIsOurSport #LetThemSing Singing in schools continues to be prohibited in Nova Scotia schools as of December 3, 2020. 
We continue to seek clarity and consistency in Nova Scotia policies around singing.
Knowing that choral singing is a vital part of Nova Scotia communities, the Nova Scotia Choral Federation has been advocating for safe choral singing in community, faith and school settings.
Watch our full presentation to Dr. Strang here:

Meeting with Dr. Strang
Nova Scotia Guidelines

Please share!

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CHOIR IS OUR SPORT

Knowing that choral singing is a vital part of Nova Scotia communities, the Nova Scotia Choral Federation has been advocating for safe choral singing in community, faith and school settings.

Currently there is no singing allowed in schools even as sports activities are not only permitted, they take place without social distancing and mask free. Singing and choir are barrier free activities and how important it is, therefore, to have such experiences available to students

We continue to seek clarity and consistency in Nova Scotia policies around singing.

Watch our full presentation to Dr. Strang here: https://youtu.be/hRoBOd0-uCQ

View our guidelines for community choral singing here: https://nscf.ca/covid-19-guidelines-resources/

Please share!

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Choral Canada: National Arts and Culture Impact Survey (Complete by November 23rd!)

With the 2020-21 season underway, the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have an outsized effect on the arts and culture sector in Canada. Choral Canada has joined forces with 30+ national and provincial arts service organizations representing a range of artistic disciplines across the country to co-commission the National Arts and Culture Impact Survey (NACIS). This survey is intended for professional arts organizations, artists, and arts workers across Canada.
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To ensure that the professional segment of our Canadian choral arts sector is heard, we invite professional choral artists/individuals, as well as professional choral organizations, to fill out this survey. These professional artists/individuals include singers, conductors, artistic directors, composers, arrangers, administrators/managers/arts workers, and accompanists/collaborative pianists — anyone receiving fees or salaries for their work in the choral arts sector (non-education).

All professional arts organizations, artists, and arts workers across Canada are encouraged to participate in the survey by Monday, November 23, 2020. The survey will take approximately 10 to 15 minutes to complete. The more responses we receive, the better the data will be.

To read more about the National Arts and Culture Impact Survey, click here. 

Click Here to Complete the Survey!
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Join the HGMC for their Holiday Concert: Don We Now Our Gay Apparel – Home For The Holidays

Join the Halifax Gay Men’s Chorus for this years virtual holiday concert Home For The Holidays!
The holiday season has always been a time for friends and family to join together and give thanks for each other and all that has been achieved in the past year. Though this year has been one of countless challenges we hope that through our music we can help to spread holiday cheer and remind us all of the many things we have to be thankful for and to provide hope for a better tomorrow.
The HGMC will be presenting new pieces, filmed and recorded socially distant as well as including numbers from last years holiday show.
So we encourage you to bake some Christmas cookies, hang the stockings and trim the tree and join us for the digital premier of Home For The Holidays on Thursday, December 17th at 8pm.
Don’t forget to follow HGMC on their social media platforms for further details on how to join on December 23rd.
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Missing the Messiah? Check Out Against the Grain Theatre’s Messiah/Complex until January 7th!

Register today to watch Against the Grain Theatre’s interpretation of Handel’s Messiah.  This “complex” interpretation of Messiah includes 6 languages, 12 soloists, 4 choirs, and is lifted by the mighty sounds of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, and has been made possible in this socially-distanced era with hi- and low-tech solutions, and some superb audio and video editors.  A reimagining of the Messiah, AtGT’s Messiah/Complex celebrates the diversity of Canada by uplifting the voices of 12 POC soloists as they connect their lived experience to the stories found in each aria.  Those of us in Nova Scotia will be happy to see local choir, The Halifax Camerata Singers, singing the closing choruses, “Worthy is the Lamb” and the thrilling “Amen”.

For more information on this exciting project, visit Against the Grain Theatre’s webpage by clicking here. 

 

Register Now!
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Join the Aeolian Singers for VERITAS II with composer Marie-Claire Saindon

The Aeolian Singers are celebrating their 45th season doing what they love most: championing the voices of Canadian women in music. After a successful first concert with local composer and conductor Fran Farrell, the choir is excited to invite you to the second concert of their  VERITAS program. This concert will feature the world premiere of “Flat Earth”  by Marie-Claire Saindon.  To make this event even more special, Marie-Claire will be discussing the French-Canadian choral canon from traditional folk songs to the contemporary. In addition to each world premiere, the choir will also perform past program favourites and festive seasonal selections.
The concert is planned to have both in-person and virtual options for attendance. Full event details and ticket information:
www.aeoliansingers.ca/veritas

Composer: Marie-Claire Saindon
World Premiere: Flat Earth
Choral Demonstration: “Beyond the French-Canadian Canon: Tradition and Innovation”
When we say “French-Canadian choral piece”, what first comes to mind? If you thought of traditional loggers/fishermen songs or Christmas carols, you’re not the only one. But did you know that there is also a strong practice of modern French-Canadian choral music? Come explore what are some of those sonorities!

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NSCF: We’d Love to Hear From You!

Despite the restrictions on singing that have been brought by the COVID-19 pandemic,  choirs across Nova Scotia have been exploring new and innovative ways to maintain community. Has your choir been rehearsing online? In-person? A combination of both? Perhaps your choir has taken the term off from rehearsals but is exploring other ways to stay in touch. The Nova Scotia Choral Federation is seeking accounts of the successes and challenges that choirs have faced this term. We hope to share these short articles  in E-notes and on our various social media platforms as a way to share ideas and approaches with our members.

If your choir is interested in sharing details on their term, please contact our Program Coordinator at ryan@nscf.ca.