Blue Pages 2019

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Westben is now a year-round Centre for Connection and Creativity Through Music. The Centre focuses on the year-round convergence of people, ideas and activities and is a cultural hive where professionals, amateurs and enthusiasts meet and are nurtured through the joy of music. Artist residencies, “Lunchtime Tick Talks,” “House Concerts,” and “Concerts to a Tea” are just some of the new year-round programming.

In 2020, Westben will celebrate its 21st season of “Concerts at The Barn” featuring classical, jazz, folk, fiddle, and Broadway offering the incredible opportunity to experience world class music in a natural setting. Also returning is the one-of-a-kind in Canada, peer-driven, Performer-Composer International Residency. 

Westben is where the best of music and nature spring to life in your company! Ask about our one-of-a-kind experiences such as “Chocolate Voices,” “Secret Concert” and the expanded “Dare to Pair” series. Nestled amongst the peaceful hills of Northumberland County two hours east of Toronto, near Campbellford, Westben’s primary performance venue is a custom-built, timber-frame barn. The Barn seats 400, and on sunny days from June to September, massive walls and doors roll away – allowing music to waft over the surrounding meadow.

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Vox Choirs is a non-profit music organization comprised of two sibling choirs, Univox and Florivox, that share the same core principles: musical excellence, social responsibility, and relationship building. 

Univox, led by artistic director and conductor, Dallas Bergen, is a mixed-voice community choir for young adults. Performed works are primarily a cappella and span a wide range of the choral spectrum: Renaissance madrigals and motets, choral classics, modern composition, spirituals, and international folk songs. Univox aims to fill the niche for young adults who wish to continue to have a rewarding choral experience with others in their age group. 

Florivox, led by conductor Josh Tamayo, is a non-auditioned choir for treble voices. Just like its sister choir, a love of singing and a strong sense of community are guiding principles of Florivox. Members meet once a week to explore a wide variety of styles and to develop choral/singing skills, all within a friendly and supportive environment.

Both choirs perform 3 principal concerts a year, and this year promises to be another exciting program as the choirs continue to deliver a high quality and passionate musical experience.

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VOICEBOX: Opera in Concert is Canada’s only company dedicated exclusively to the presentation of rare opera programming. Our performances rely on the power and beauty of the human voice, the dramatic inflexion of text and poetry accompanied by orchestra or piano. 

The 2019/20 season opens with a double bill presentation of Maurice Ravel’s L’enfant et les Sortilèges and L’heure Espagnole on October 20, with featuring artists Holly Chaplin, Anika-France Forget, Danlie Rae Acebuque and Joshua Clemenger, with chorus director Robert Cooper and Suzy Smith as music director. Katya Kabanová by Leoš Janáček is next on December 1, with music director and pianist Jo Greenaway, and featuring Lynn Isnar, Emilia Boteva and Michael Barrett. A Canadian opera, Kamouraska by Charles M. Wilson follows on February 16, featuring Jennifer Taverner, Aaron Dimoff and Matt Chittick, with conductor and chorus director Robert Cooper. The finale of the season is Francesco Cilea’s Adriana Lecouvreur on April 5, featuring Sally Dibblee, Romulo Delgado and Geneviève Lévesque, with Narmina Afandiyeva as music director and chorus director Robert Cooper.

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The VOCA Chorus of Toronto is a dynamic, auditioned ensemble under the leadership of artistic director Jenny Crober. We perform a vast range of repertoire, in collaboration with a wide variety of superb guest artists. VOCA's season consists of concerts, cabarets, community performances and workshops. Our talented, versatile accompanist is Elizabeth Acker. Several remarkable artists have joined VOCA as guest clinicians, including composer Ola Gjeilo, conductor Ivars Taurins and jazz musician Dylan Bell.

At our Saturday, December 7 “Comfort & Joy” concert, VOCA will present Vivaldi’s Gloria and Vaughan Williams’ Fantasia On Christmas Carols, featuring soloists Dallas Chorley, Lindsay Connolly and Parker Clements with the VOCA Chamber Orchestra, along with selections by Ola Gjeilo, Elise Letourneau, Pentatonix and others. We’re thrilled to have been invited to perform in Roy Thomson Hall’s Annual Choir and Organ Series on April 9, 2020, where we will present a world premiere by renowned Cree composer Andrew Balfour. This event, along with our "Star Songs" concert on Saturday, May 9 will feature guests Shawn Grenke, organ, Colleen Allen, sax, and Jamie Drake, percussion. Rehearsals are Monday evenings at Eastminster United (Chester subway).