Volume 20 Issue 1 - September 2014

Beat by Beat | Choral SceneChoral SceneThe Toronto Mendelssohn Choir launchesits 2014 –15 season with a performanceof two classical masterpieces atKoerner Hall. This concert marks theTMC’s 120 th anniversary.Come Celebrate with Us.Mozart RequiemHaydn Lord Nelson MassOCTOBER 15, 2014 | 7:30 PMKOERNER HALL, TELUS CENTRE FORPERFORMANCE AND LEARNINGNoel Edison conductorCaron Daley associate conductorLesley Bouza sopranoAnita Krause mezzo-sopranoCharles Davidson tenorSean Watson bass-baritoneFestival OrchestraCall 416-408-0208 orvisit performance.rcmusic.caTICKETS$35 – $87VOX TIX$20FOR 30AND UNDERBENJAMIN STEINAre there too many choirs in the GTA? I pondered this questionuneasily as it became clear towards the end of the summer thata number of different ensembles, volunteer and semi-professional,were still scrambling to find singers, posting both messages tothis column and on social media sites.The stark reality of musicmaking (at least for those of us whoavoided contact sports in high school) is that arts work is as competitiveas any other sphere – more so, perhaps. Choirs must compete foraudience share, for arts council grants, for publicity – and for choralsingers. Cue the jokes about soprano glut and the bribes necessary tosecure tenors.The challenge in any community is to find the right balance ofprofessional choral singers, volunteer amateurs, children’s choir andchoral training programs, population base and audience interest. Asin any crowded field, choirs have to find an angle to make them standout from the pack. Some choirs target specific musical styles, othersemphasize formal musical training or openness to untrained enthusiasts.We have yet to see a combination of choral singing and hot yoga,at least as far as I know, but it will emerge soon enough.Sustaining cultural activity is always a challenge, and choral directorsand administrators have dark nights in which they wonder If It’sAll Worth It. But my answer to the column’s original question is no,you can never have too many choirs. Choral singing is one of the fewareas left in which amateur musicians are actively making music in acommunity setting, and this can only be a good thing.Regarding a possible singer shortage, I’d say: hey you, reading this2014 - 2015 SeasonIt’s part of the TMC’s exciting2014–15 season, which also includes:Festival of Carols with the Canadian Staff BandDecember 10 at Yorkminster Park Baptist ChurchHandel’s Messiah with the TSODecember 17 at Roy Thomson HallPärt’s PassioMarch 10 and 11 at Church of the Holy TrinitySacred Music for a Sacred Spacefeaturing Tallis’ Spem in aliumGood Friday, April 3, at St. Paul’s BasilicaSubscribe for a great seasonof choral masterworks.Call the TMC Box Office at 416-598-0422, ext 221or visit www.tmchoir.org36 | September 1, 2014 – October 7, 2014 thewholenote.com