Canary Pages 2013

Village Voices, a diverse, mixed-voice community choir of about 70 voices based in Markham, will enter its 29th season in September. The choir presents two major concerts annually and sings at seniors’ residences and special community events. Directed by Oksana Vignan, the choir performs a wide variety of choral repertoire, from the great standard classics to contemporary music. Village Voices has collaborated and performed with other choirs in Ontario and as guest artists of instrumental organizations such as the Markham Concert Band and the Kindred Spirits Orchestra. The choir’s musical skills are honed regularly through special workshops with outstanding choral musicians. On May 12 and 13, 2017, Village Voices is proud to celebrate Canada150, with the concert "Here's to Song," a mix of traditional and folk songs as well as Missa Pax, a contemporary score by Canadian Tim Corlis.

Ellen Dowswell
905-763-4172
info@villagevoiceschoir.com
www.villagevoices.ca

A past winner of the Canada Council Healey Willan Grand Prize in the the CBC Radio National Competition for Amateur Choirs and one of Canada’s finest male choral ensembles, the Victoria Scholars Men's Choral Ensemble treats audiences to a wide range of music, from Medieval plainchant and works from the Baroque, Renaissance and Romantic eras through to contemporary and newly commissioned works from some of Canada’s best-known composers. Along with an annual three-concert series in Toronto, the Victoria Scholars have released five widely acclaimed recordings, including the most recent release in January 2016, Songs of Love, toured nationally and internationally, and perform regularly with international vocal soloists and arts organizations. If you are an experienced musician with excellent sight reading abilities and would like to join the Victoria Scholars for the upcoming season, please contact us today.

Jerzy Cichocki
416-761-7776
info@victoriascholars.ca
www.victoriascholars.ca

Vesnivka Choir was established in 1965 by founding artistic director Halyna Kvitka Kondracki. This award-winning women’s ensemble has delighted audiences around the world with its rich repertoire of Ukrainian liturgical, classical, contemporary and traditional folk music. The choir’s regular concert season comprises three major concerts, one of which is an annual Christmas concert. Vesnivka, together with its partner the Toronto Ukrainian Male Chamber Choir (TUMCC), are often accompanied by professional soloists and chamber ensembles of area musicians. Vesnivka also sings at Christmas and Easter Liturgies. Singers are welcome; rehearsals are held on Tuesdays, 7:30pm to 9:30pm (4 Bellwoods Ave., Toronto). Male singers are welcome to join TUMCC; rehearsals held on Mondays, 7:30pm to 9pm (2445 Bloor St. W., Toronto).

Lesia Komorowsky
416-236-8278
lkomorowsky@gmail.com
www.vesnivka.com

The Uxbridge Chamber Choir is an amateur SATB choir under the direction of founding conductor Tom Baker. Since 1983, the choir has brought unique performances of the great choral masterpieces from the Renaissance to modernity to the rural communities of Uxbridge and surrounding area. Together our enthusiastic singers develop and express their musical talents, often collaborating with local professional vocalists and instrumentalists. Recent performances include Beethoven's Mass in C, Gjeilo's Sunrise Mass, Mozart's Requiem, Monteverdi's Vespers, Bach's St. John Passion and Bernstein's Chichester Psalms.
Membership is by a non-threatening screening process at the first rehearsal. Rehearsals are Monday nights, September to May in Uxbridge.

Hilary Balmer
905-852-2676
uxbridgechamberchoir@gmail.com
www.uxbridgechamberchoir.ca

The Upper Canada Choristers is a mixed-voice community choir with a diverse membership that interweaves fun with the commitment to musical excellence and vibrant community service. Performances feature collaborations with international choirs, local children’s choirs, and professional instrumentalists and singers. Cantemos is an auditioned a cappella Latin ensemble within UCC. Led by artistic director Laurie Evan Fraser, the choirs perform three diverse choral programs annually. Weekly rehearsals for the Main Choir are Monday evenings from 7:30pm to 9:30pm at Grace Church on-the-Hill, 300 Lonsdale Rd. Cantemos rehearses on Saturday mornings from 9:30am to 11:30am at 2 Romar Cres. The choirs sing up to 20 concerts annually in a variety of community venues.

Laurie Evan Fraser, conductor/artistic director
416-256-0510
info@uppercanadachoristers.org
www.uppercanadachoristers.org

Univox is a mixed-voice SATB community choir for young adults that is part of the larger Vox Choirs organization. The organization holds relationship building, social responsibility and musical excellence as its core principles. No audition is required for membership but most choristers have previous choral experience or some musical proficiency. Our season runs September to June and rehearsals take place Tuesdays, 5:45pm to 8pm, at New Horizons/Dovercourt Baptist Church. Regular attendance is expected. Selected repertoire spans five centuries, including choral classics, contemporary works and popular music, ranging from Gabriel Fauré to Daft Punk.

Marketing Coordinator
647-866-8487
marketing@univoxchoirs.org
www.univoxchoir.org

Calling all male singers! Toronto Welsh Male Voice Choir (TWMVC) is growing and is seeking more members…If you are a male singer (you don’t have to be Welsh) who has always wanted to sing in a choir or rekindle your singing spirit from the past, drop in to one of our Wednesday night rehearsals in May or June at Dewi Sant United Church, 33 Melrose Ave., Toronto. We are a friendly bunch, open to singers of all abilities, performing a wide variety of traditional and contemporary music. For more information, please go to our website.

Alan Sadegursky
647-389-8084
alansadegursky@yahoo.ca
www.welshchoir.ca

Chamber Choir with Matthias Maute and Laura Pudwell, July 30 to August 5, 2017: Are you an advanced amateur musician looking for an opportunity to connect with other musicians who share your passion? Refresh vocal skills and study one of the great works of choral literature – Vivaldi’s Gloria – in the intimacy of a chamber vocal ensemble. Must be over 18 years of age. Tuition includes a ticket to all TSM Festival Concerts July 30 to August 5, daily lunch and coffee. Cost: $525 plus HST.

Jennifer Mak
647-430-5699
jennifer@torontosummermusic.com
www.torontosummermusic.com/community-academy/chamber-choir-with-matthias-maute

You are invited to sing shape note music from the Sacred Harp every month at Bloor/Spadina in Toronto. Everyone is welcome, no experience or religious affiliation necessary. The singing is participatory, not a performance or rehearsal, and there are songbooks to borrow.
Singers sit divided by voice part (treble/soprano, alto, tenor, and bass) in a “hollow square” formation. The music is sung in a strong, rhythmically-accented style.
The Toronto community has been singing shape note music together since 2000, and we have never cancelled a monthly singing. Visit our Facebook group or email us for Toronto singing details. For general information about the Sacred Harp and listings of regular singings in Canada and around the world, visit www.fasola.org.

Pleasance Crawford
416-922-7997
pleasancecrawford@rogers.com
www.facebook.com/groups/torontoshapenote/

Grand symphonic sound has been the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir’s trademark for over 120 years. Under artistic director Noel Edison, the TMC offers audiences authentic interpretation of some of the greatest sacred and secular music ever composed. The 130-voice choir includes a professional core, auditioned volunteers, and apprentices (aged 17 to 22). The TMC performs over 20 concerts annually, including major choral works, Festival of Carols at Yorkminster Park Baptist Church, Sacred Music for a Sacred Space on Good Friday at St. Paul’s Basilica, and performances of Messiah and other works with the TSO. As part of its outreach initiatives, the choir webcasts select concerts. The choir also presents Singsation Saturdays, popular choral workshops for singers of all levels.

Administrator
416-598-0422 x221
admin@tmchoir.org
www.tmchoir.org