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Christmas Carol – New Arrangement

From Dis and Dat Music:
Local musician Terry Smith-Lamothe has written the music and lyrics to a new Christmas Carol, arranged for piano by John Rapson (retired from Symphony Nova Scotia) and it was performed at the last seasonal concert by the students at Tower Road (public) School and by the Reedville Community Choir in Virginia.  It’s time for this Nova Scotia-created carol to be sung more widely.  To see and hear a performance, go to this youTube link:
If you are enchanted and want a free copy of the sheet music for yourself or your choral group, just let Terry know by sending an e-mail request to: disndatmusic@gmail.com and he will send you a .pdf of the score.
Happy Christmas!
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Nova Scotia Youth Choir Wrap Up

And that’s a wrap!

Nova Scotia Youth Choir has completed it’s 29th year!

Comprised of 36 singers, the annual auditioned Choir met for the first time at the June Rehearsal Weekend in Halifax, for three days of singing under the guidance of our resident conductors Gary Ewer and Pamela Burton, and collaborative pianist Mary Castello. They then reconvened in August, for a three day singing intensive in the beautiful and serene Berwick United Church Camp, where they learned new vocal techniques from local voice teachers, dived into repertoire from a wide range of styles, and made lasting friendships. In the final rehearsal and concert weekend, the singers were joined by Guest Conductor Dr. Leonard Ratzlaff, who polished and refined their hard work, culminating in three fantastic concerts: with a splendid series of concerts in Tatamagouche, New Glasgow, and Halifax, from September 21st to the 22nd, 2019.

The concert  featured stunning solos by Molly Anderson, Kaitlin Comeau, Margaret Currie, Shannon MacKay, Mackenzie Rodgerson, Taylor MacDonald and Morgan Lynch. Repertoire ranged from madrigals and motets of the Renaissance Period,  to the beautiful contemporary choral music of Erik Essenvalds and Sarah Quartel. We also brought back our apprentice pianist program, and our apprentice was Ev Tanner, a third year student of Music Education at Acadia University. Ev had the pleasure of joining Mary Castello for a piano four hands rendition of “O Whistle and I’ll Come to Ye,” a traditional Scottish folk song.

Stay Tuned for news about next year’s (2020!)  30th Anniversary Program!

 

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Digby Choral Federation Seeks Choral Conductor

Digby Choral Federation
Expression of Interest

The Digby Choral Federation is searching for and experienced choral conductor to lead the annual
High Cs in Digby Choral musical weekend, May 15 th to 17th, 2020.

The annual choral festival weekend is hosted by The Digby Pines Golf Resort and Spa and the historic cathedral style stone church located in the scenic ocean side village of St Bernard Nova Scotia.

The annual weekend draws approximately 125 to 1 community choral singers. The singers are usually from various choirs and a range of background experiences and SATB voices.

The culminating event of the weekend is a massed choir performance with two guest choirs resulting in a beautiful weekend performance of various genres and styles of music.

Expressions of interest as guest conductor can be sent to the Digby High Cs committee names below, by November 30, 2019.

Conductors are strongly encouraged to invite their own accompanist and choose music that would be accessible to a range of talents and voices that would lend to a concert of variety and interest to singers and audience. Please include your musical CV or usual choral conductor bio. If you are featured on a website, please include a link to the site. Please view https://www.highcs.org or find us on Facebook at
High Cs in Digby – by the Digby Choral Federation

For more information along with fees and accommodations and weekend schedule please inquire with committee coordinator and chair persons below Monica Treleaven, overall coordinator monica@treleaven.com

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Halifax Camerata Singers Announces 2019-20 Season

Award-winning choir singing with tenor Ben Heppner  
Halifax Camerata Singers Come Celebrate! 2019-20 Season (Halifax, NS) Halifax Camerata Singers launches its 2019-20 season (33rd) with programs moving from themes of Remembrance to a choral celebration with acclaimed Canadian superstar tenor, Ben Heppner. First up is To Soothe a Suff’ring Heart, a Remembrance-themed concert at Saint Andrew’s United Church on Saturday, November 9 at 7:30 p.m.  The repertoire features Dan Forrest’s Requiem for the Living, Missa Pax by Tim Corlis and the premiere of a new work by Nova Scotia composer Derek Charke, Sonnet to the Moon. The concert’s title comes from a line in Sonnet to the Moon, written in 1823 by English poet, Helen Maria Williams.  The concert features a guest chamber orchestra and clarinet soloist, Symphony Nova Scotia member, Eileen Walsh.

New this season, Camerata has invited members of the Nova Scotia Youth Choir to join the choir in a professional development opportunity for the fall term, and is pleased to welcome Molly Anderson and Morgandy Levy to rehearse and perform with them.Canadian tenor Ben Heppner joins Camerata for three concerts of Come Celebrate! in Nova Scotia in June of 202 in a special program of Gospel, spirituals, folk music and more.  The Halifax performance is on Saturday, June 13 at First Baptist, with concerts in Amherst (June 12) and Lunenburg (June 14).Ben Heppner, renowned operatic tenor, public advocate for the arts, and radio broadcaster has been among the most sought after musical talents in the operatic world for almost three decades.  His command of the heroic repertoire of Wagner, Strauss and Verdi, among others – is second to none.  He is widely appreciated for the depth of his interpretations, his musicality and his humanity.  Heppner won the CBC Talent Festival in 1979 and the Metropolitan Opera auditions in 1988.  His career has taken him from Vienna to Paris, Berlin, London, New York and beyond.  He set new standards in some of the most demanding operatic roles including such as Wagner’s Tristan, Verdi’s Otello and the complex role of Benjamin Britten’s Peter Grimes.

Ben Heppner has recorded numerous recordings and has won three Juno and three Grammy awards. He has nine honorary doctorates and has been the recipient of the Governor General’s Performing Arts Award.  In 2008, he was promoted to Companion of the Order of Canada. Just last year, Ben received a lifetime achievement award from the Governor General Performing Arts Award. Five years ago Ben announced his retirement from the stage – but Canadians continue to hear his voice as host of CBC Radio’s Saturday Afternoon at the Opera and Backstage with Ben Heppner.  He offers the insights and stories that can only come from someone who has spent a lifetime as an engaged interpreter and performer.

Camerata has been invited as guest artists in March by Symphony Nova Scotia to perform J.S. Bach’s Mass in B Minor, conducted by Jeff Joudrey.  Performances take place at St. Andrew’s on March 21 and 22, and feature Jane Archibald (soprano), Vicki St. Pierre (mezzo-soprano), Philippe Gagné (tenor) and Joel Allison (bass-baritone). The choir will once again perform as the core choir of the Symphony Nova Scotia Chorus in December for two performances of Handel’s Messiah. on Friday and Saturday, December 20 and 21 in the Rebecca Cohn Auditorium, and in Beethoven’s massive opera, Fidelio, on May 1 and 3, 2020, along with soloists from the Lunenburg Academy of Music Performance and the Nova Voce Men’s choir.

Founded by Artistic Director Jeff Joudrey in 1986, Halifax Camerata Singers includes performers from many parts of Nova Scotia, and is Atlantic Canada’s leading chamber choir. Supported by the Canada Council for the Arts, the Lloyd Carr-Harris Foundation, the SOCAN Foundation, the Province of Nova Scotia/Arts Nova Scotia, Halifax Regional Municipality and individual donors and corporate supporters, the choir has distinguished itself by performing exciting choral repertoire from many periods and styles, with special attention to Canadian music. Winners of Music Nova Scotia’s Best Classical Recording in 2016, and nominated for an ECMA in the same category in 2017, the choir also won the Healey Willan Grand Prize in the 2010 National Competition for Canadian Amateur Choir. Camerata often collaborates with chamber ensembles, Symphony Nova Scotia and other musicians.  Their five recordings are for sale at the Symphony Nova Scotia Boutique, Taz Records, online and through iTunes, and are distributed through Naxos of America, Inc. through Halifax’s Leaf Music catalogue.  Halifax collaborative pianist Lynette Wahlstrom accompanies the choir.

Tickets
Tickets for To Soothe a Suff’ring Heart and Come Celebrate! (Ben Heppner concert) are on sale now through Ticket Halifax, and are $35 regular, $30 senior, and $20, student/under-waged.  As well, patrons can purchase tickets to both Camerata feature concerts, with a 10% discount ($63/$54/$36).  Please go to www.tickethalifax.com to purchase, or visit The Coast offices at 2309 Maynard Street, Halifax.

Tickets for Symphony Nova Scotia performances are available through the Dalhousie Arts Centre Cohn Box Office, http://www.dal.ca/dept/arts-centre.html. 

Information:  contact1986@halifaxcamerata.org, find us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or www.halifaxcamerata.org.

Information:  Peggy Walt, General Manager (902) 422-5403/office, (902) 476-1096 (cell),
peggy@culturalaffairs.ca
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South Shore Chorale Rehearsals!

The South Shore Chorale is gearing up to start their fall session on Monday, Sep 9th. Rehearsals are Monday evenings at 7 pm at the St. Pauls Lutheran Church Hall. Bridgewater. Start date for this fall is Monday, Sep 9th. John Scott is our Director.

Come sing with us. We are welcoming new members and we would be pleased if you could please pass the word and tell your friends. Please contact Linda Barker at 902-521-3938 or the oldcrows00@gmail.com or visit South Shore Chorale on FaceBook if you have any questions.

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Sing Summer Recap

What an extraordinary summer we’ve had! Sing Summer entered its 42nd year in 2019, with its typical flair for cameraderie and love of song.

From August 11-24, the Berwick United Church camp grounds was home to over 70 Adult Choir Camp and over 50 Youth and Junior Choir Camp participants.

Junior Choir Campers at “Backwards Clothing” Dinner

The Junior unison choir, made up of 8-12 year olds,  was led this year by local conductor Krista Vincent, with assistant Conductor Nelle Callanan. Krista, herself a former camper, founded the Vivace Children’s Choir, conducted the Halifax Youth Honour Choir, and now conducts the adult choir EnChor East Singers. Like always, the campers were given a challenging and rewarding musical experience, taking part in daily rehearsals and musical activities. In addition to singing, campers also took part in arts and theatre activities, as well as a variety of fun camp activities. The choir performed a range of music, from the moving Can You Hear Me?, which campers learned to sign, to the uplifting good vibes of Good People by Great Big Sea for an audience of family and friends at the end of the week.

YCC-ers pose with John Wiebe

That same week, mixed voice Youth Choir Camp, ages 13-18,  was off to great start under the wing of guest conductor, John Wiebe, who visited us from Edmonton, Alberta. John brought an eclectic repertoire with him, introducing the young choristers to madrigals, norwegian folk tunes, and contemporary choral selections, among others. Throughout the week, the beautiful notes of Eric Whitacre’s The Seal Lullaby or the haunting melody of Ned I Vester Soli Glader, soared across camp, lighting up the passerby with music.

The next week, Adult Choir Camp took to the spotlight once again. Swiss-born Conductor Michael Zaugg joined us from Edmonton, where he conducts the Pro Coro Chamber choir, to conduct the choir. What followed was another succesful year at ACC, with rigorous musical education and spirited performance. As always, our annual Talent Show, Hollywood Night, was a major success, with performances that ranged from the hilarious and absurd  to the supportive and moving. The Final Concert was equally successful with    the Choir performing works by Brahms, Dillworth and Faure. In addition, the concert also featured the performance of 4 contemporary works by female contemporary composers: Laura Hawley, Christine Donkin, Marie-Claire Saindon, and Laura Sgroi.

The Cast of ACC 2019
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Choirs for Change: Season Updates!

As you may be aware, Choirs for Change association is comprised of three choral ensembles at different levels of intensity: Spíra, Polaris, and Eastern Horizon. Spíra is characterized by its relaxed atmosphere and manageable commitment, and usually performs three to four times a season; Polaris is characterized by mid to high level choral repertoire, and performs five to six times a season; Eastern Horizon performs high-quality music created by composers who have historically been underrepresented in the choral canon, and performs three to four times a season.

We are thrilled to announce that Ryan Henwood will be stepping into the role of director for Polaris, a choir that he has been a member of since its inception. Jack Bennet, Choirs for Change co-founder and former director of Polaris, will continue to aid the Choirs for Change board with its projects, and will continue to be co-director of Eastern Horizon.

With this change to Polaris’s leadership will come a change to the structure of the choir itself. Polaris will be increasing in size, will be open to singers of all musical abilities, and, like Spíra has done in the past, will be holding an open rehearsal in September. (More details on that to come!) While Spíra will not be having rehearsals throughout the fall and winter, it will re-emerge as a summer choir in 2020, allowing us to extend the Choirs for Change season throughout the entire year. You can also expect to see more performances by Eastern Horizon this season.

As Choirs for Change is a relatively new organization, having only been founded in 2017, we are excited to bring you along as we continue to re-evaluate and adjust our structural needs, so that we can best support social justice initiatives in our local community and beyond.

This is an exciting evolution for the organization as we head into our third season! Make sure to stay tuned to our Facebook page and website as we will be announcing more details about Polaris’s rehearsal schedule and how to join the ensemble later this month.

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Nova Scotia Youth Choir Concert Tour 2019

NOVA SCOTIA YOUTH CHOIR 2019 CONCERT TOUR 

 

TATAMAGOUCHE, NEW GLASGOW and HALIFAX – The province’s most talented young choral singers will gather as the Nova Scotia Youth Choir, under the direction of guest conductor, Dr. Leonard Ratzlaff, to present concerts in TATAMAGOUCHE, NEW GLASGOW and HALIFAX on September 21st and 22nd. 

The Nova Scotia Youth Choir is a program of the Nova Scotia Choral Federation, and for 29 years, has been bringing choral excellence to the young singers of Nova Scotia. This program provides opportunity for singers ages 16-25 to work intensively on a wide variety of choral repertoire with some of the best choral instructors and directors in the field today. 

The Nova Scotia Youth Choir is excited to present a program that spans from madrigals and motets of the Renaissance period to arrangements of folk songs and spirituals by today’s composers. The program will feature works from classic composers such as Thomas Morley, Felix Mendelssohn and Tomas Luis de Victoria as well as works by Canadian composers, Sarah Quartel, Ruth Watson Henderson, and Christine Donkin. 

Concerts will be Saturday, September 21st at 7:30 p.m. at Sharon United Church, 15 Church Street, Tatamagouche, and on Sunday, September 22nd at 2:30 p.m. at Trinity United Church, 151 Temperance Street, New Glasgow and at 7:30 p.m. at St. Andrew’s United Church, 6036 Coburg Rd, Halifax. They will be joined by resident conductors Gary Ewer and Pamela Burton and collaborative pianist Mary Castello. 

Tickets are $20/$5 (students) for all three performances. 

—— 

About the Nova Scotia Youth Choir: A project of the Nova Scotia Choral Federation, the Nova Scotia Youth Choir is now in its 29th year. The objective of the choir is to provide choristers aged 16 to 25 with a challenging opportunity to work, develop and perform choral music together under the leadership of talented local educators and accomplished Canadian conductors. Thirty-five auditioned singers from around the province have been selected to work with a team of fine musicians. 

About Guest Conductor Dr. Leonard Ratzlaff: Dr. Leonard Ratzlaff has been on the faculty of the Department of Music since 1981, teaching in the area of choral music at both graduate and undergraduate levels. With Prof. Debra Cairns, Ratzlaff co-founded and now directs what is now the most established graduate training program for choral conductors in Canada. He directs the University of Alberta Madrigal Singers, one of Canada’s leading university choirs, who have gained both national and international competition awards for their performances and recordings. The Madrigal Singers have also appeared at the national conventions of the American Choral Directors Association (Los Angeles, 2005) and Choral Canada. Ratzlaff has produced 5 CD recordings with the Madrigal Singers, of which 2 (Balulalow, 1999; The Passing of the Year, 2004) received a National Choral Award in the recordings category from Choral Canada. 

Professor Ratzlaff has conducted premieres of new works by numerous Canadian composers, including Violet Archer, Allan Bevan, John Estacio, Malcolm Forsyth, Allan Gilliland, Christos Hatzis, Margaret King, Imant 

A Registered Charity 

Raminsh, Sid Robinovitch, James Rolfe, Mark Sirett and Ruth Watson Henderson. He has sung in numerous projects in North America and Europe with the late American conductor Robert Shaw, and participated as soloist in the Classical Music Festival in Eisenstadt, Austria for many years. 

Professor Ratzlaff also directs the Richard Eaton Singers, a 110-voice symphonic chorus that performs regularly with the Edmonton Symphony and that has toured both nationally and internationally, most recently to Germany in 2013. He has served as president of the Association of Canadian Choral Conductors, and is currently on the board of Chorus America. Honours include induction into the Alberta Order of Excellence, the Order of Canada and the Royal Society of Canada. 

For More Information Please Contact: 

Ryan Henwood Program Coordinator, Nova Scotia Choral Federation (902) 423-4688 or 1-888-672-3969 ryan@nscf.ns.ca www.nscf.ns.ca 

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Choirworks!

After a successful pilot project in June 2019, we are excited to announce a new community choral opportunity for young singers in Halifax – Choirworks! Join director Krista Vincent and pianist Lynette Wahlstrom for a quality music experience in a positive environment.

Children ages 7-11 years are welcome to register for this unauditioned program. Previous choral experience is not necessary. Weekly rehearsals will include ensemble singing, vocal technique, ear training, and music literacy, as well as performance skills and team building. We will meet at First Baptist Church on Oxford Street and are grateful for their support of community music education.

Rehearsals take place on Saturdays from 10:15-11:30 am, starting September 21, 2019. The program will run until December 15, 2019 and will include 2 performances. Tuition for the term is $185 per singer. Partial bursaries are available based on financial need.