Volume 23 Issue 5 - February 2018

Beat by Beat | Choral Scene
Going Big:
From Willan to
Bach
BRIAN CHANG
There are some big and unique choral experiences this month.
There’s a celebration of the 50th anniversary of Healey Willan’s
death, the combined forces of choirs from the University
of Toronto and York University, a rare performance premiere for
Tafelmusik and a new interpretation of Bach’s St Matthew Passion!
We’ll return in March with all you need to know about the best of
Easter choral music offerings. Stay warm and singing in the meantime.
Willan - 50 years on
Andrew Adair, music director of the Church of St. Mary Magdalene,
convenes artists to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Willan’s death. Of
choral composers in Canada, Willan was a pinnacle. With hundreds
of choral works, operas, symphonies and organ works amongst many
others, Willan’s main contribution to Canadian music was through
sacred music, much of it created at and for the choir at St Mary
Magdalene, where he was music director and organist.
“Willan left a lasting impact on the Church of St. Mary Magdalene
through his shaping of the liturgy and music,” shares Adair. “His
work at St. Mary Magdalene’s created a very special environment, one
which has allowed the music to flourish and survive against all odds.”
A lot of Willan’s choral music is a cappella. Adair shares that this is
because of the layout of St Mary Magdalene where the choir loft is in
the west gallery and the organ on the other side of the building. For
a music director who was also the organist, this meant Willan was
unable to play and conduct at the same time. This lasting effect means
that even today, the choir at St. Mary Magdalene still mostly sings a
cappella. Adair looks forward to bringing forward Willan’s accompanied
works at this concert.
Adair is joined by organists Simon Walker and Matthew Larkin,
each performing one of Willan’s great organ works: the Introduction,
Passacaglia and Fugue in E-flat Minor; Prelude and Fugue in
C Minor; and the Passacaglia and Fugue in E Minor. Matthew
Larkin’s choir of Saint Thomas’s Anglican Church will join the
Choir of St Mary Magdalene. February 16 at 8pm; Church of St. Mary
Magdalene, Toronto.
The Mozart Requiem: The Music of Unity
With the rich history, detail, and artistry available to students in
Toronto, I’m excited to see inter-university programming. I’m particularly
interested in the joint events between Lisette Canton and Daniel
Taylor and the combination of ensembles from York University and
the University of Toronto, a model for future collaborations.
Canton’s ensembles, the York University Chamber Choir and Ottawa
Bach Choir, are joining forces with Daniel Taylor’s musicians at the
University of Toronto Schola Cantorum and the Theatre of Early
Music. Along with an orchestra made up of Tafelmusik performers
and soloists, the combined forces will perform two performances of
Mozart’s Requiem.
“Dan Taylor and I have a similar philosophy on music,” Canton
shares, “that it carries a universal message of hope, transcending all
religions and cultures, and unites us all. And it is this philosophy that
has prompted us to collaborate on various musical productions for the
past two decades.” Through their longstanding connection, Canton
and Taylor brought their ensembles together in 2014, performing the
music of the Coronation of King George II in 1727 (the coronation that
established Handel’s Zadok the Priest as a standard at every coronation
since.)
“Collaborations of this nature are so important – for the students,
professionals and for the community – in that they unite us in a
common musical goal and become bigger than the sum of the individual
parts. And when the music is as powerful as the Mozart
Requiem, these become life-changing experiences,” says Canton.
Choristers and instrumentalists alike have long known the unique
power of the Mozart Requiem. While incomplete, the experience of
performing the work can be incredibly significant. “Mozart’s beloved
Requiem is one of those works in the choral canon that continues to
inspire every generation,” Canton says. “Its widespread ability to reach
to the depths of human emotions on this most universal theme makes
it a timeless work of dramatic and spiritual intensity that moves us to
greater depths of understanding.” Many choirs perform this work in
full or portions of it frequently. For many musicians, it has become
musical vernacular.
“Once the students graduate – especially in a city as large as Toronto
– they will continue to work together in common settings, ensembles,
and as soloists,” Canton says. The nature of music requires collaborations,
sometimes wonderful and transcendent, other times a bit
messy – but necessary to the task of musical creation. She continues:
“Our job as mentors/conductors is to initiate these contacts and guide
up-and-coming performers in meaningful concert experiences, as
well as to help them find potential opportunities and career directions.
Beginning these connections during their university experience
only ignites their passion for the art of music and helps them to forge
significant friendships and professional connections.”
The Mozart Requiem: conducted by Dr. Lisette Canton: March 3,
7:30pm. Church of the Redeemer, Toronto; conducted by Daniel
Taylor: March 4, 7:30pm. 7:30pm. St Basil’s Church, Toronto.
A Rare Premiere Performance by Tafelmusik
Tafelmusik has a Handel premiere: Alexander’s Feast, or the
Power of Music. This old set of music by Handel was set to words by
36 | February 2018 thewholenote.com