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Sing Summer Events Open to Public! Join Us in Berwick!

See below a LIST OF ALL THE EVENTS happening at Camp in August! (listed by date) These performances and workshops are open for the public to attend! Plan a trip to the valley and catch some of these great events. All events take place at the United Church Campgrounds,115 Commercial St., Berwick.

CHOIR CAMPS – OPEN DAY FOR EDUCATORS & CONDUCTORS!
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 14th | 9:00 – 12:30
FREE ENTRY

Join us for the morning to observe our Junior/Youth camp rehearsals and vocal health/musicianship activities with our amazing artistic staff Scott Leithead, Kitbielle Pasagui, Carmen So, Krista Vincent, and Nicole Jordan. Drama, dance and art activities are open as well with Netanya Backhouse, Josh Noiles, and Jane Beals! Email anne@nscf.ca to let us know you’re coming! (If you can’t come that day but still want to drop in another day send us a note!)

JUNIOR AND YOUTH CAMP CONCERTS!
SATURDAY, AUGUST 17th | Free Will Offering
1:00pm – Junior Choir Camp Concert – Conductors: Carmen So, Krista Vincent
2:30pm – Youth Choir Camp Concert – Conductors: Scott Leithead, Kitbielle Pasagui

Come on out to support these youth and all their efforts over the week, and hear what they’ve learned together!

CONDUCTORS WORKSHOP WEEKEND – Spots Still Open!
AUGUST 17 – 19
Clinician: Dr. Brainerd Blyden-Taylor

Wonderful opportunity to improve your skills and soak up a weekend in beautiful Berwick Camp in a supportive, casual atmosphere for learning. Come as a conductor OR a singer/auditor! Click here for Info and Registration!

PERFORMANCE by CANVAS Jazz Quartet!
MONDAY, AUGUST 19th – 8:00 pm | Free Will Offering

CANVAS is a newly formed vocal jazz quartet. Kurt Sampson is a Juno nominated performer who was a Toronto-based member of the professional acapella group called Cadence. Now based in Halifax, Kurt maintains a busy vocal studio and performance schedule. Tenor Michael van der Gaag is a seasoned chorister having sung with Canada’s top choral ensembles including the Canadian Chamber Choir, Musica Intima, and the Halifax Camerata Singers. Currently he sings with the Helios Vocal Ensemble, based in Halifax. Amelia McMahon wears many musical hats. She conducts the South Shore Chorale, co-conducts Eastern Horizon ensemble, and is the assistant conductor of the Halifax Camerata Singers. Amelia is also an active vocalist both in choral and solo settings. Frances Farrell is a music educator with the Halifax Regional Arts program specializing in voice and choral music. Outside of school, Fran maintains an active schedule as an Alexander Technique teacher and as the conductor of the Aeolian Singers.

IN CONVERSATION WITH DR. BRAINERD BLYDEN-TAYLOR
TUESDAY, AUGUST 20th – 7:30pm | FREE WILL OFFERING
(immediately following the 6:30pm AGM)

Join us for an important conversation led by ACC guest conductor Dr. Brainerd Blyden-Taylor. Hear about the founding of the Nathaniel Dett Chorale, his career with them, and the diffusion of Afrocentric Choral Music in our choral communities.

ADULT CHOIR CAMP CONCERTS!
SATURDAY, AUGUST 24th – 1:30pm | Free Will Offering
Guest Conductor: Dr. Brainerd Blyden-Taylor

Come out to support these 115 (!) singers and all their efforts over the week learning a program of beautiful, diverse music together.

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Introducing the New NSCF Portal! Coming Soon! Important Info for Membership and Library use

Introducing the new NSCF Portal!

Happy August, NSCF Community! We have some very exciting news!

As we approach a new season, it will be soon be time to welcome new NSCF members, and to renew memberships for those who are already a part of our community. This process will now be done a little bit differently. We are modernizing our office systems and are thrilled to soon launch our new Membership Management and Library Lending platform called the NSCF Portal. Thanks to our NSCF Board Member, Andrew Cranston, tech guru & designer of this system, and all of Tim’s work on this before he retired!

Please read the information below carefully. We will send another notice when the portal is live and ready! It should be soon… we’re in the final testing phase! 🙂

What is the NSCF Portal for?
All NSCF members will now have direct access to their membership profile in a system called Podio. With this portal you will:

1) Manage your membership (either individual or a group/institutional membership of an organization you are connected with). You can update the profile, change contact info, pay dues etc.)

2) Access our Lending Library – Search the Catalogue, Reserve and Request Titles for borrowing. (all lending requests will be processed through this service)

3) Access the Directory of Member Choirs and all the info they provide.

How do I access the Portal to browse the library, become a member or renew my membership?

a) If you are already a member, or are connected to a choir that is a member, you will soon receive a notice via email that will provide you with instructions to access portal and renew membership. (Please don’t renew until this notice has been issued)

b) If you are NOT already a member, you can still create a profile and browse the library. You can access the portal via the NSCF website. (But we would love for you to become a member! See below!)

c) When you first arrive in the portal, the home “Dashboard” will provide detailed instructions for the next steps!

2 Important Heads Up before you start:

1) Be aware that you will need to create a password to login with an email. *Please save this password for all future use for your membership/library access*.

2) Choirs/Organizations must been connected to a person – therefore anyone who wishes to act on behalf of a group must register first with a profile. This includes conductors, volunteers etc. Instructions after login will direct you to request access to be connected your choir.

Please Consider Becoming a Member!
In addition to the many member benefits for both individuals and groups, you will be joining a rich cultural network of singers, artists, composers, educators, administrators – learners of all ages and abilities. As a member, your investment directly enables us to provide enriching programs and services for singers across this province. Adding your voice to this community will support our efforts to champion and celebrate the art of collective singing in all its forms! Find out more here!

Thank you for reading! We will send a notice soon when it’s ready to roll!

Thank you!
Heather Fraser, Executive Director
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Call for Volunteers! Sing Summer Music Folders

It’s that time of year! Sing Summer is only a few weeks away and the NSCF office is overflowing with scores that are ready to be learned and performed at our camps next month. We are looking for a few volunteers who may be able to help prepare folders.

Date: Tuesday, July 30, 2024 10:00am

Where: NSCF office, 1113 Marginal Road

The kettle will be on for tea and there may even be a sweet treat or two for our amazing volunteers.

Please email Anne at anne@nscf.ca if you are able give us a hand.

Thanks so much!

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Join the NSCF Board of Directors

Call for Nominations to the NSCF Board of Directors

The Nova Scotia Choral Federation (NSCF) is welcoming nominations for candidates to join the volunteer Board of Directors. This is an exciting opportunity for dedicated and visionary individuals to work with new Executive Director Heather Fraser and the Board to contribute to the strategic direction and governance of the organization and positively impact the choral community in Nova Scotia.

The Board provides oversight on the organization’s activities and Directors share a duty of care, loyalty and dedication to the organization. Board members attend regular meetings (4-6 meetings a year), advise NSCF staff on key activities, and serve on committees and working groups as needed to ensure the organization is performing its mission and achieving its goals.

Board members are elected at the Annual General Meeting in August and shall serve for a term of two (2) years, with a potential to serve up to three terms consecutively.

We invite all members, stakeholders, and community partners to nominate qualified candidates who demonstrate a commitment to our mission, values, and goals. Nominees should have experience in leadership roles, possess strong decision-making capabilities, and be able to contribute to the diverse perspectives and expertise of the Board. The Nominating Committee welcomes applications from all backgrounds and experiences. We are looking for people with interest and/or experience in:

  • Law
  • Business/Accounting
  • Communications and Marketing
  • Fundraising and Business Development
  • Non-for-profit management, program evaluation and strategic planning
  • Volunteer Engagement
  • Diversity & Inclusion and Human Resources1

To nominate a candidate (another individual or yourself), please complete the online nomination form 

The deadline for submissions is July 12, 2024.

Selection Process: The Nominating Committee will review all submissions and select a slate of candidates based on the eligibility criteria and the strategic needs of the Board. Selected candidates will be contacted before the final decision is made.

For any questions regarding the nomination process, please contact Spencer Gough, Chair, Nominating Committee, NSCF, at spencer.j.gough@gmail.com.

Thank you for your participation and support.

Sincerely, 
Spencer Gough
Chair, Nominations Committee
NSCF Board of Directors

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NSYC Begins!!

This weekend, June 7-9, 2024, is the first Nova Scotia Youth Choir Rehearsal weekend since 2019. Voices from the ages of 16-25 are joining together working on incredible repertoire selected by Guest Conductor, Jamie Hillman. Under the direction of Amelia McMahon and Andrew Cranston, our Resident Conductors, and Adam Johnson, Accompanist, these 37 singers will meet in June and August, with a final weekend in September with our Guest Conductor. Mark your calendars for September 22 where this wonderful group of singers will perform in two concerts (one in the Annapolis Valley and one in Halifax). Stay tuned for details!!

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Soundtrax Auditions

SOUNDTRAX – A DYNAMIC CHORAL EXPERIENCE FOR SENIOR HIGH STUDENTS

Soundtrax is an auditioned SATB youth choir featuring students from across the HRA as part of the Halifax Regional Arts program. We are passionate singers who love exploring dynamic repertoire. If you are interested in joining this choir, please book an audition by scanning the QR code or visit https://hra.hrce.ca/ Auditions will be happening on Thursday, June 6th and 13th from 4:30-6:30 in Room 222 at Citadel High School. Please contact ffarrell@gnspes.ca for further information.