Wishing all ECMA Nominees best of luck this weekend at the awards ceremonies in PEI. Sending along special wishes to NSCF choral members and nominees Halifax Gay Men’s Chorus, Polaris and Nova Voce in the Choral Recording of the Year category. Best of luck!
For more information about the Robbie Songs Project concert album, please visit https://leaf-music.ca/drr005b/
Are you interested in a short 9- week opportunity to have a SPRING SING?
Maureen McGee is forming a treble voiced choir at Rockingham United Church from May 5- June 30! This choir is open to all treble voices in the community and will rehearse on Sundays at Rockingham United Church from 11:45- 1 pm. Learning both secular and sacred inspirational and uplifting music, the group will present a gift of music in church on two occasions and have at least one other opportunity to present their music in the community. There is no cost to be involved.
Would you like more information? Contact Maureen McGee at paulandmaureenmcgee@gmail.com or 902-877-5971
We’ve got something to sing about!!!! 
We had amazing response to the call for singers for the Nova Scotia Youth Choir. We currently have 40 SINGERS from all over the province planning to be in this program. We are so excited to see everyone at the first rehearsal!
SINGERS: You will be hearing from NSCF soon with information about what is needed to complete your voice placement.
Thank you to all the choir directors, NSCF members, alumni and staff who have shared this opportunity with your community. We can’t wait to get started!
Follow our Facebook and Instagram pages as well as the NSCF webpage for updates and information about the program over the next few months. We may even share a few Throwback videos as rehearsal weekends and the September concert weekend approach. Stay tuned!
Thank you to all of the generous choirs and groups who participated in our Toss-a-Toonie fundraiser in the month of March. The funds raised help to support the NS Youth Choir Program as well as the Nova Scotia Singers who are participating the National Youth Choir.
If you have not submitted your Toss-a-Toonie funds, please sent to the NSCF office via cheque or e-transfer soon. Thank you again for all your support!
Do you enjoy laughing and learning while you sing? The Early Music Society of Nova Scotia Madrigal Group is a relaxed a cappella ensemble that meets on Thursday mornings to sing a wide variety of English, Italian and French sixteenth-century music, directed by Andrew Pickett. Our next session begins Thursday, May 2, running through June 27, meeting at Faith City Church, 6225 Summit St, Halifax, from 10:30 am–12 pm. Please contact Andrew at andrewjpickett@yahoo.co.uk if you’d like to join in!
We have big news! As Tim’s retirement draws closer, we’re happy to announce the appointment of our new NSCF Executive Director, Heather Fraser.
Heather’s experiences as an artistic director, conductor, collaborative pianist, music educator, and arts administrator make her well suited to lead the NSCF into its next chapter. Many of you in our community will recognize her, having previously served the NSCF as the Program Director. Our national singing community has also greatly benefitted from her work as VP of Advocacy for Choral Canada.
“I am deeply honoured to have been given this opportunity to serve the Nova Scotian singing community. I believe whole-heartedly in the power of singing together to transform lives and am deeply invested in a vibrant future for our artform. One of my favourite things to do is to bring people together, and I look forward to building diverse cultural relationships that will allow the NSCF to remain relevant, accessible and impactful for as many singers as possible across our province.”
Please join us in welcoming Heather!
Seton Conservatory Choir is looking for singers, particularly within the tenor and bass sections. This accomplished choral ensemble, under the direction of Garth MacPhee, is very friendly, welcoming and is currently preparing for its spring concert to be held the afternoon of May 26. The repertoire includes “In Windsor Forest” by Vaughan Williams, “Nocturnes” by Lauridsen, as well as some Bob Chilcott arrangements for choir and guitar. Rehearsals take place 7:00 Wednesday evenings at the Maritime Conservatory of Performing Arts. Interested applicants should possess musicality and vocal ability as well as an appropriate level of sight reading skill. Fees are $160 per term. For further information please contact Garth MacPhee at macpheegl@hotmail.com
Registration for Sing Summer 2024 is still open. Join us for an amazing 2 weeks of singing and friendship at Berwick United Church Camp.
Guest Conductors:
Junior Choir Camp for ages 8.5-12 (August 11-17, 2024) – Guest Conductor: Carmen So
Youth Choir Camp for ages 13-18 (August 11-17, 2024) – Guest Conductor: Scott Leithead
Adult Choir Camp for ages 18 and up! (August 19-24, 2024) Guest Conductor: Brainerd Blyden-Taylor
For more information and to register visit: https://nscf.ca/sing-summer-choir-camps/
Nova Scotia Youth Choir – REGISTRATION DUE APRIL 15th!
This wonderful program (like the NS Youth orchestra/wind ensemble) brings together choristers from all over the province ages 16-25. It provides challenge, inspiration, and friendship. It’s the perfect opportunity to bring your ensemble singing to the next level, in a really joyful way.
Here are some great things about NSYC:
– No formal audition – instead, a letter of reference and voice placement.
– It’s only 3 weekends – June, August (at Berwick Camp!) and September
– Work with 3 amazing conductors, including a guest conductor (this year it is Jamie Hillman from U of Toronto!)
– one-on-one vocal coaching and specialized workshops
– You get to learn great repertoire that will challenge you to the next step in your choral music journey, and build your choral community.
INFO & REGISTER: https://nscf.ca/nova-scotia-youth-choir-2024/
Want More?:
Check out this NSCF YouTube channel for a wonderful 30th Anniversary celebration video that was done during Covid, a video from the “Nutuwiek” Project, as well as performances from past years. (lots of AVHC Alumni to be found in these!)
If you have any questions email NSCF Program Coordinator Anne MacDonald (anne@nscf.ca)
Choirs for Change’s chamber choir Eastern Horizon is holding auditions for an upcoming project, Pathways. Under the direction of co-conductors Amelia McMahon & Thomas Burton, Eastern Horizon is a high-level chamber choir that performs music by Canadian composers and composers that are often underrepresented in the choral canon. Pathways explores themes of joy, justice, liberation, and the journeys we undertake to reach those states of being.
We are currently auditioning soprano, alto and tenor voices for our upcoming project. Here are the details:
Rehearsals: June 24, 25, 26 and July 2, 3 from 6:30-9:30pm in Halifax/Kjipuktuk
Evening concerts:
July 5 in Lunenburg/E’se’katik
July 6 in Halifax/Kjipuktuk
July 7 in Wolfville
Recording (pending funding):
July 6 full day
Singers must demonstrate a strong musicality. They must be able to sing challenging melodies, harmonies and rhythms and work well with others in a professional setting. Following a successful audition, each singer will be given access to the digital scores along with part assignments which they will be expected to learn prior to the first rehearsal. Printed music can be made available upon request. For this upcoming project, singers will receive an honorarium of $400 upon completion of the project.
The program includes works by Tracy Wong, Andrew Balfour, George Chung, Stuart Beatch, Aaron Manswell, Christopher Ducasse, and Sydney Guillaume. We will workshop several of the pieces with the composers ahead of time and share some videos from previous workshops.
To audition, singers are asked to prepare a song of your choosing, vocalises that demonstrate your vocal range, and an excerpt of a choral score provided in the form below. Here is the link to the submission form:
https://forms.gle/uTvSZgF19tHfrYSp8
Deadline:
Friday, April 19, 2024
If you have any questions about Eastern Horizon or the audition process, please reach out to us at choirsforchange@gmail.com.