Dates: Friday, August 12th – Sunday, August 14th, 2022
Location: Berwick United Church Camp
After a brief hiatus from our traditional programming, the Nova Scotia Youth Choir is excited to rebuild and reconnect with our province’s youth choristers. As we begin this process, we invite all young choral singers, ages 16 – 25, to join us (and maybe some NSYC alumni) for a fun-filled weekend of singing this summer at the idyllic Berwick United Church Camp. Led by a team of local conductors and accompanists, interested singers will have the opportunity to rehearse challenging repertoire that will be featured as part of NSYC 2023 with Dr. Jamie Hillman, to receive private voice instruction with local voice teachers, and to connect with other young singers with a similar passion for choral music. This weekend is the chance to learn more about the Nova Scotia Youth Choir and to get involved with this exciting initiative as we rebuild for the years to come.
Program Dates & Expectations
- Camp Rehearsal Weekend – August 12 – 14 – United Church Campground, Berwick
- Friday Evening Arrival
- Sunday Evening Departure
Choristers will work with the resident conductors and guest voice faculty at the Berwick rehearsal weekend. This will include rehearsals, pull-out voice lessons, social activities, and workshops with guest vocal artists. The weekend will culminate with an informal performance for our Junior Choir Camp and Youth Choir Camp participants.
Program Fees
Program Cost – $100.00 per singer
Everything is included for the weekend – fees for this program cover the costs of meals and accommodations while at Berwick Camp, 14 hours of rehearsal time, music score rental, and an opt-in 30-minute voice lesson
Payment Options
Option 1: Send a cheque to: Nova Scotia Choral Federation, 1113 Marginal Rd, Halifax, NS, B3H 4P7 (payable to Nova Scotia Choral Federation)
Option 2: Send an email money transfer to nscfadmin@nscf.ca (Please send a separate email to the same address with security question and password)
Option 3: Pay online with PayPal Here!
(please note a service charge will be added when using PayPal)
Registration
Registration Deadline: July 29th, 2022
Register Today!Click the above button to be redirected to a Google Form for registration. Please note that your registration will not be marked as complete until payment has been received.
Staff
Heather Fraser is a dynamic and energetic music educator specializing in choral activities. Heather is currently the Artistic Director for the Annapolis Valley Honour Choir and the Artistic Director and Conductor of The Aeolian Singers, a Halifax based women’s choir, a choral/singing specialist teacher for the Halifax Regional School Board, and accompanist in the Halifax All City Music Program.
Heather is an active clinician and has adjudicated for festivals across Canada. She is part of the “Perform NS! Artists in Residence Program,” conducting choral workshops in schools across Nova Scotia for students and teachers. Believing strongly in the power of choral music to build community, Heather served for seven years as Program Director for the Nova Scotia Choral Federation, developing programs to meet the diverse needs of Nova Scotia singers. She still serves on NSCF committees, and also sits on both the Advocacy and National Youth Choir Committees for Choral Canada.
Heather has recently returned to Nova Scotia after a rewarding professional development sabbatical year studying conducting and choral pedagogy with conductors and choirs across Canada and the USA, including Michael Zaugg, Len Ratzlaff, Kellie Walsh, John William Trotter, Julia Davids, Elise Bradley, and Hilary Apfelstadt. She was honoured to be the first conductor in Pro Coro Canada’s 2016 emerging artist program, and was 2015 Conducting Fellow with the Canadian Chamber Choir. Other studies include the Summer Conducting Institute at Westminster Choir College, studying with Charles Bruffy, and was honoured to serve as Apprentice Conductor of the National Youth Choir of Canada under the guidance of Dr. Victoria Meredith.
John Scott is an accomplished conductor, organist and church musician, and composer. John’s breadth of knowledge and collected influence is realized in his depth and caring for musical relationships between performers and listeners. John has performed and toured extensively as a conductor, organist, and member of free-jazz and new music ensembles, sharing the stage with some of Canada’s musical greats (Paul Cram, Francois Hule, Danny Oore, John Gzawski, and Don Palmer), and performing in Cathedrals and churches across the UK and Canada. John is solely responsible for reforming of the Manning Chapel Choir in 2003, and three years later leading the choir on a performance tour of Great Britain. The current Chapel Choir has well established itself in the top tier of choral ensembles in the province, and while still singing for weekly services in the Chapel, engages in numerous concert and visiting guest performances throughout the school year. John has been awarded Theatre Nova Scotia’s Robert Merrit Award (Best Sound Design and Original Score) and, in early 2017 was very pleased to learn he had been nominated for the Associated Alumni Award for Faculty Excellence. Along with his role as University and Chapel Organist, John is a part-time faculty member of the School of Music at Acadia University, Minister of Music for Central United Church in Lunenburg, and Director of the South Shore Chorale.