The time: Jun 1 at 2:30pm: VIVA Singers Toronto. Metamorphosis. Featuring all seven VIVA Singers Toronto choirs, plus a special alumni choir, and guest artists Amiel Ang, percussion, and Tatsuki Shimoda, recorder.
The place: Trinity St. Paul’s United Church. Jeanne Lamon Hall.
Twenty-five years ago, Carol Woodward Ratzlaff, a Toronto-based conductor, music educator and professional choral singer, was acutely aware of the widespread impact of dramatic government cuts to public school arts programs in downtown Toronto. VIVA’s beginning was a grassroots response to these cuts – two choirs: the Preparatory Chorus for singers ages 4-6 and the Main Chorus for those 7-10; and a handful of volunteers. “In the early days, it was our own kids and a lot of our friends,’” she recalls.
Over time VIVA has evolved to fill a gap in choral music education practice as the steady decline of music education continues. Today, under one organizational umbrella, VIVA encompasses seven choirs in service of singers across the lifespan, with a staff team of more than 30 and a continued emphasis on youth music education, inclusive practices - particularly with respect to singers with disabilities - and providing next-generation artists with opportunities for experience and growth through the Choral Mentoring and Leadership program.
Here, Ratzlaff reflects on Trinity St. Paul’s Centre (TSP) as fertile soil for VIVA’s growth.
CWR: TSP has been a good rehearsal, administrative, and performance home for VIVA. It is a stimulating environment with great and supportive tenant colleagues. TSP Church has been particularly supportive, and a constant musical collaborator over our 25 years. We enjoyed a number of joint performances with the Toronto Consort under David Fallis, with our youth choir on their shows and their players on ours. We are grateful for the fabulous renovation of Jeanne Lamon Hall, spearheaded by Tafelmusik. VIVA draws many part time staff members from students at University of Toronto due to its proximity and our Choral Mentoring and Leadership Program.
In 2000, I chose TSP initially because the cuts to arts and music education were most severe in the downtown core. VIVA’s beginnings were an activist response to a lack of understanding by educational policy-makers of what choral music education can bring to all children and youth, and we remain steadfast in that vision. TSP as an activist and accessible space has nurtured and empowered that vision.
Ironically, although TSP is at the heart of the Annex, we draw most of our 140 singers (now both youth and adult) from outside the Annex area, and are working to make connections with Annex area schools over the next three years – to share our work locally and to celebrate our Indigenous partners. Our choral work remains responsive to our choristers, but with broad impact as we share our work with others in the choral community at national and international conferences. Part of that impact is due to our rich and supportive home base of TSP Centre.
Giving voice to the voice
SING! The Toronto International Vocal Arts Festival returns this year from May 24 to June 2 with concerts and workshops galore – with all things a cappella!
This year, the festival launches The SING! Canadian A Cappella Championships, giving Canadians the opportunity to shine in a local competition. The International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella (ICCA) competition is in the USA, this kind of travel is a barrier for many Canadian groups. The SING! prizes are significant and can help groups create recordings, pay for arrangements, go on tour, hire expert conductors, pay for costumes, or other expenses. There are cash prizes in each of the three ensemble categories, plus performance and recording opportunities.
Two judges have been announced to date. One is Deke Sharon, considered the “godfather of contemporary a cappella,” the force behind the “Pitch Perfect” movies and the “Sing Off” TV series. The other is Dylan Bell, an internationally-renowned a cappella performer and former co-artistic Director of SING! Bell is also co-author of two a cappella arranging books with Deke Sharon,
The competition will take place at the Royal Ontario Museum, in the Signy & Cléophée Eaton Theatre on May 30th, and there will be 10 ensembles competing. It’s sure to be a fine event.
Some festival concerts are ticketed and some are free, with events happening in outdoor and indoor spaces. There’s an entire afternoon of free concerts at the Alex Christie Bandstand in Kew Garden. Estonian Voices (Estonia) and Countermeasure (Toronto) will give a concert, in partnership with Estonian Music Week. You can hear Black Unfolosi, an award-winning a cappella singing and traditional dance ensemble from Zimbabwe, and Beatsync – pop, alternative, and a cappella music fusion. There’s a night of music and comedy with the Dragapella Beautyshop Quartet, The Kinsey Sicks, and opening for them will be On That Note, a competitive a cappella group from Toronto Metropolitan University.
And on May 31 at the Isabel Bader Theatre, you can hear Soundcrowd – Toronto’s own large-scale a cappella ensemble, with Deke Sharon. This concert will feature the winner of the SING! Canadian A Cappella Championships!
Just Ask! The WholeNote’s April & May listings already include 76 choral concerts!
This is the best time of year to go listen to some choirs - especially if you’re thinking of joining one. Or just for the pure pleasure of it. thewholenote.com/justask
