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Among The Branches: A Special Project with the Nova Scotia Youth Choir

In light of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the NSYC is re-imagining our program for this year. Partnering with Mi’kmaw filmmaker Shelley MacDonald, Mi’kmaw elder Dorene Bernard and Settler conductor Christina Murray, choristers will participate in an Indigenous-led creation process. Instead of our usual concert tour, the NSYC will create an ~25-minute film that combines choral music, poetry, and movement that explores themes of isolation, togetherness, and environmental stewardship.

Important Dates: 

  • Camp Rehearsal Weekend – August 19 – 22 – United Church Campground, Berwick
  • Audio Recording Weekend – August 27 – 29 – First Baptist Church, Halifax
  • Film Shoot Weekend- September 17 – 19 –  United Church Campground, Berwick

We are excited to invite both alumni and choristers that are new to the choir to participate. As this is a special project for the NSYC, we will be accepting choristers aged 16-35. There are limited spots so you’ll want to register as soon as possible!

Registration closes on August 13th.

To register, complete the following Google Form: https://forms.gle/qZskgD5fcg9f8X5q7

For more information, visit the program webpage: https://nscf.ca/nova-scotia-youth-choir-2021/

We acknowledge the support of the Canada Council for the Arts. Without their support, this project would not be possible! #BringingTheArtsToLife

Please help us spread the word about this timely and exciting project! If you have any questions, please direct them to our Program Coordinator at ryan@nscf.ca!

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The Aeolian Singers: Let’s Join Voices!

This is the year to join voices!

Choral music has the power to uplift the spirits of an audience, as well as our own. We are an inclusive and supportive community of singers with a passion for music, and are looking to welcome new members.

If you are interested in singing with us, please take some time to learn more about the choir.

Auditions taking place Aug. 15th-17th, 30th, & 31st. 

For more information, click here. 

Schedule Your Audition Online!

 

 

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Vocalypse Productions: Audition Call for Upper-Voiced Singers

Ordo Virtutum (shorter Scivias version) by medieval German composer Hildegard von Bingen (staged version)
O Greenest Branch (world premiere) by Canadian composer James Rolfe (concert version)
Set up your audition NOW by emailing:
vocalypse@janicejackson.ca
Read more about Vocalypse here: www.vocalypse.ca

Timeline:
End of August and throughout September – 2 to 3 musical rehearsals weekly
Late September into October – musical and blocking rehearsals
21, 22, 23, 24 October, 2021 – 4 performances at Saint Patrick’s Church, Halifax
Number of singers: 8 women (sopranos and mezzos: both plain chant and 2 part choral singing)
Experience required:
Choral experience
Sight reading ability
Experience singing plain chant (without vibrato)
Some theatre experience (the Bingen will be staged)
Audition date: August 11th between 2 and 5pm
Audition requirements:
You will be required to sing an excerpt of the Bingen and the Rolfe and an organum excerpt, which you will receive in advance.
About the show:
Ordo Virtutum (Order of the Virtues) is an morality play, or sacred music drama, by St. Hildegard von Bingen, composed c. 1151. It is the earliest morality play by more than a century and some would call it the first opera. It is the only Medieval musical drama to survive with an attribution for both the text and the music. A shorter version (which we will perform here) of Ordo Virtutum appears at the end of Scivias, Hildegard’s most famous account of her visions. It is also included in some manuscripts of the Symphonia armoniae celestium revelationum (“Symphony of the Harmony of Celestial Revelations”). It may have been performed by the convent nuns at the dedication of the St. Rupertsberg church in 1152.
O Greenest Branch is a new work for soprano, female chorus, congas, and organ. In the words of composer James Rolfe: “The beauty and devotion of Hildegard’s music are still fresh today; yet, at the same time and in the same place it was created, mobs were murdering Jews in the name of Christianity. To try to reconcile the jarring dissonance between these stories, I have set to music two mediaeval Hebrew poems-which mourn the Jewish victims of Crusader massacres which occurred during Hildegard’s lifetime–alongside three texts of Hildegard and a 20th-century lament by Chaim Nachman Bialik. This work opened a door for me to deal creatively with my family history: I am descended from Rhineland Jews who survived centuries of exile and violence, from the First Crusade in 1096 through to the Holocaust. We all live in the shadow of genocide, whether it took place in Canada or elsewhere; I hope that what is personal for me will also connect to listeners.”
We acknowledge the support of the Canada Council for the Arts.
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Choral Canada: We CAN Sing Safely Webinar

A message from Choral Canada:

We Can Sing Safely!

What you need to know about ventilation and vaccines.

Join Choral Canada on Tuesday June 29 at 1:00 pm Atlantic for a webinar discussing updates on the latest research for safe group singing, the use of ventilation in your rehearsal space, and the current legalities around vaccinations for choirs and singing groups. Our presenters include Dr. Juliette O’Keeffe, Environmental Health Scientist at the NCCEH, Allison Tremblay, Human Rights Lawyer at Victory Square Law Office, and leaders in our choral community. Register today for this free webinar and submit your questions ahead of time. If time permits, there will be a Q&A period. The webinar will be recorded and is available to the public for free. Capacity is at 500 on a first come, first served basis.

Click Here to Register
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Halifax Camerata Singers: Take This Thread

This Spring, the Halifax Camerata Singers participated in a cross Canada collaboration with four other choirs. These five Canadian choirs came together to premiere a new work by Katerina Gimon, with words by Lauren Peat, about the connections that hold us together during the COVID-19 pandemic. Take This Thread/Le fil que je suis brings together musicians from:

Grand Philharmonic Choir, Kitchener, Ontario (Mark Vuorinen, Artistic Director)
Halifax Camerata Singers, Halifax, Nova Scotia (Jeff Joudrey, Artistic Director)
Richard Eaton Singers, Edmonton, Alberta (Leonard Ratzlaff, Artistic Director)
Société chorale de Saint-Lambert, Saint-Lambert, Quebec (Xavier Brossard-Ménard, Artistic Director)
Symphony Nova Scotia Chorus, Halifax, Nova Scotia (Jeff Joudrey, conductor)

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“Why Can’t We”, performed by the Tune Up & Sing Out Virtual Chorus

This past April, the NSCF partnered with the Robbie Songs Project and the Canadian Chamber Choir to bring you a new set of workshops, Tune Up & Sing Out. This program brought together choristers from across the country to freshen up their vocal technique and to participate in a virtual choir performance. The workshop culminated with a virtual choir performance of “Why Can’t We” by the Tune Up & Sing Out Virtual Chorus and members of the Canadian Chamber Choir.
“Why Can’t We” was written and originally performed by Naming the Twins, a folk duo consisting of Kathleen Glauser and the late Robbie Smith. Since his passing, Kathleen has spearheaded the Robbie Songs Project, an effort to memorialize Robbie Smith’s music through the creation of new choral arrangements of his work. This led to the creation of Donna Rhodenizer’s arrangement of “Why Can’t We”. Donna’s arrangement can be loaned from the NSCF lending library or purchased through Cypress Choral:
Or to learn more about the Robbie Songs Project, visit the Naming the Twins website:
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Culture and Youth Activities Program is now Open!

Message from Department of Communities, Culture, and Heritage:

The Cultural and Youth Activities Program will be accepting applications to the June 15, 2021 deadline, for project activity starting on or after that date.

**Please note the program guidelines and application form have been revised for 2021-22** Due to circumstances beyond our control, these documents won’t be immediately available on the website but they are attached here. We are working on a fillable PDF for the application form and it should be available early next week.

Given the tight timeframe, we will be allowing for some flexibility around the deadline – if you are unable to make a completed application by June 15th, please let me know as soon as possible so I can advice as to how to proceed.

Please feel free to forward this message to anyone you think might be interested in the program. And let me know if you have any questions about the attached information. I will be offering “virtual office hours” in the coming weeks: open online meetings where anyone can join to ask questions regarding the program. Or we can set up a time to speak individually via phone/video call.

To apply please contact Jessica Peddle

Jessica.peddle@novascotia.ca

chdapplication@novascotia.ca 

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Choral Canada: Singing in Schools Survey Preliminary Results!

The preliminary results from the Singing in Canadian Schools: COVID-19 Impact Survey have been released! The Nova Scotia Choral Federation is proud to know that Nova Scotia had the highest response rate across Canada- this highlights how vital singing is to our provincial community and is a testament to the commitment of our teachers.

Within the constraints of COVID-19 health and safety restrictions, school closures, and alternate forms of
education delivery, fewer students are singing in Canadian schools. Singing is embedded in Canadian music
curricula for its value not only as a tool for learning and instruction, but because it is an essential means of self-
expression. Currently, 71% of survey music teacher respondents’ students are unable to engage in music
learning through singing at school. Considering both the constraints and possibilities that may exist moving
forward, we want to look towards solutions that engage students in safe singing practices in Canadian schools,
helping them to receive the myriad of benefits we know accompany group singing.

Looking back on this past year, music education leaders have learned a great deal. When it comes to singing in
schools, we have learned that:

  • 91% of music teacher respondents’ students are no longer able to sing in extra and co-curricular
    programs such as choirs and singing ensembles
  •  Fewer than 30% of music teacher respondents are teaching music from their music classrooms,
    spaces designed for music teaching and learning

This evidence-based study paints an authentic picture of our experiences as Canadian music educators. The
survey sample pool was highly representative, with almost 1000 respondents from across the country. Survey data
are very comprehensive and include both quantitative and qualitative data. These data hold much potential to
guide policy and practice related to singing in schools in the upcoming year, while always keeping students safe
and engaged in a comprehensive music education: one that includes singing.

For more information on the preliminary survey results, click here.

The Nova Scotia Choral Federation asks that our membership takes the time to share this information with their communities and parent groups. School-based singing and choral programs contribute to and help maintain our thriving provincial choral community. Please keep your eyes peeled for more detailed survey results as they are made available.

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#returntosinging – Cape Breton Chorale

 

The Cape Breton Chorale (CB Chorale) has had a successful year of music making despite restrictions imposed by the pandemic. CB Chorale has kindly provided some photos from their season and testimonials from their President and choristers. Through a combination of outdoor rehearsals, virtual strategies, social distancing, and mask wearing, the CB Chorale was able to offer a Christmas Card video to their community this past December. More details on their website, linked here:

https://capebretonchorale.com/

Cape Breton Chorale singing in the outdoor amphitheatre at Open Hearth Park in Sydney (early October 2020)

Ruth Ann Morrison
President, Cape Breton Chorale
Covid 19 certainly brought some unique challenges to our Cape Breton Chorale family. In spite of restrictions and losing our regular rehearsal space we managed to regroup and find a way to continue. We soon realized that even with masks and physical distancing the camaraderie and joy of singing together was very much alive. In person rehearsals with a Zoom connection for those at home provided a way to strengthen our skills, learn new repertoire and stay connected. Mini recording sessions provided a goal and incentive to keep going. Many thanks to our director Ryan Billington for his innovative planning and commitment .

 

 

December 2020 taping with CB Chorale at Calvin United Church, New Waterford

 

 

J. Allan McIntosh
“The science is in. Singing is really, really good for you and the most recent research suggests that group singing is the most exhilarating and transformative of all. The good feelings we get from singing in a group are a kind of evolutionary reward for coming together cooperatively.” (The Neuroscience of Singing by Cassandra Sheppard) The Cape Breton Chorale has been meeting according to the proper protocols and even with the masks and distancing we have experienced the joy of being together in song, a taste of what is to come as restrictions relax, we hope, in the weeks and months ahead.

 

 

 

March 2021 recording session at Calvin Presbyterian Church, New Waterford

Mary Jane Ross
Social distancing, unfortunately necessary since last March, is the antithesis of choral singing. In a choir we seek to come together intellectually, artistically, and physically; the restrictions of tthe past months have made this much more difficult. So thank you to everyone in the Cape Breton Chorale and especially to our director, Ryan Billington; our accompanist, Paula Jane Francis; and our president, Ruth Ann Morrison for making our rehearsals and recorded performances possible in these challenging times. May we all be vaccinated soon!

 

 

 

Linda Dieltgens
I miss practicing together. Zooming has been a godsend, but nothing is the same as singing together. I long for that thrill we feel when we are singing in many parts and create that “Wall of Sound”. It is difficult to determine balance when your own voice seems to boom in your mask. I think it is making us better musicians working independently, but I will be glad when we can perform normally again.

 

Photos of CB Chorale rehearsing via Zoom: