Peterborough Singers
The Peterborough Singers, under the energetic and creative leadership of founder and music director Sydney Birrell, is an auditioned 100-voice choir of adults and youth which attracts members and audience from Peterborough, the Kawarthas, Northumberland and locations along the lakeshore. Concerts this season are “Yuletide Cheer,” Handel’s Messiah, Walton’s Belshazzar’s Feast with Fauré’s Requiem, and the February concert “Soul II.” Our February concert is always devoted to popular music outside the box of regular classical programming, fortunately not limited by the lack of availability of sheet music because of local associates who are able to create original arrangements for this repertoire.
Rehearsals take place Wednesday evenings in Peterborough; prior to many rehearsals are ongoing educational initiatives which allow members to greatly improve their skill levels. Auditions take place throughout the season.
Peg McCracken
705-745-1820
singers@peterboroughsingers.com
www.peterboroughsingers.com
The Royal Conservatory School’s Children’s Choirs provide a full year of exciting activity, emphasizing well-rounded musical development through singing unison and simple two- and three-part pieces. Young singers will learn the rudiments of choral singing in a variety of languages and will be exposed to exceptional vocal training through fun, interactive exercises, activities and workshops. We offer three choirs for children, all of which do not require an audition: Let’s Sing! (ages 4 to 5), Royal Conservatory School Elementary Choir (ages 6 to 8) and Royal Conservatory School Children’s Choir (ages 9 to 12).
Experience choral singing in a friendly and relaxed environment! We cover repertoire from well-known classical selections to crossover music to choral arrangements of classic popular pieces. Specific repertoire selections depend on enrollment. No audition and no prior choral experience required, although music reading skills would be a definite asset. Students may enroll for 14 weeks or for 28 weeks.
Schola Magdalena is a six-voice ensemble singing medieval polyphony, chant and new music for women’s voices. Ensemble-in-residence at the Church of Saint Mary Magdalene, Toronto, we have recorded two CDs (available on iTunes) and have toured from Stratford to Chicoutimi, from Waterloo to Waupoos. Our past season centred around touring, recording and holding workshops with amateur singers interested in learning about Gregorian chant and the music of Hildegard von Bingen. Our May 23rd concert celebrates 100 years of Votes for Women in Canada, with chant and polyphony, ancient and modern, and the organ music of Quebec composer Rachel Laurin. In the coming year we look forward to a return to Prince Edward County. For details, please visit our website, our Facebook page, or check out our Bravo Video on YouTube.
This fall we begin our 43rd year, under the guidance of our new director, Leanne Piller. Serenata’s repertoire covers a wide range of music, including classical, show tunes, pop, folk, and Canadiana. Rehearsals are Wednesday mornings from September to May at Wilmar Heights Centre, 963 Pharmacy Ave., Scarborough. Each season crescendos with a pair of concerts in the spring, and we sing out at seniors’ homes in October and March. The choir welcomes new members in every vocal range. An informal, non-threatening voice screening process is performed by our director to properly place voices and maintain our performance standards.