Blue Pages | 19th Annual Directory of Music Makers - October 2018

●●Chorus Niagara
Worth the drive to Niagara!
Chorus Niagara, The Power of 100, is Niagara’s
premier 100-voice ensemble.
Conducted by artistic director Robert Cooper,
Chorus Niagara has been entertaining and
enlightening audiences for over 55 years. Chorus
Niagara performs traditional choral masterpieces,
modern and seldom-heard works, as well
as new commissions, and provides a showcase
for emerging Canadian talent. Attracting singers
of all ages with the Chorus Niagara Children’s
Choir (CNCC conductor Amanda Nelli), Side-by-
Side High School Chorale, and Robert Cooper
Choral Scholars program, and nurturing emerging
talent with our new Apprentice Conductor
program, CN provides opportunities for everyone
to experience the joy of live choral performance.
Our thrilling 56th season begins with a humanist
requiem, Brahms’ Ein Deutsches Requiem;
followed by festive favourite and choral classic,
Handel’s Messiah. Chorus Niagara will
then perform King David, “the best oratorio
you’ve never heard!” and wrap up the season
performing the live choral soundtrack
to the enchanting 1924 silent film, Peter Pan.
All concerts are performed at the stunning new
FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre in revitalized
downtown St.Catharines. Experience The
Power of 100!
Diana McAdorey
905-934-5575
diana_mcadorey@yahoo.ca
www.chorusniagara.org
●●Christ Church Deer Park
Music plays a very important part at this busy
Anglican parish church. Music for services is led
by the organist and choir director. The Choir of
Christ Church Deer Park is an auditioned, mixedvoice
choir that rehearses Thursday evenings
and sings Sunday mornings and on special occasions
from September to June. Christ Church
has hosted its “Jazz Vespers” for over 15 years.
At 4:30pm every second Sunday from September
to June, this service offers a chance for reflection,
prayers for our community and music by Toronto’s
finest jazz musicians. With its Yonge St. location
(at Heath St. near the St. Clair TTC station),
fine acoustics, full modern facilities, flexible staging,
Steinway grand piano, three manual tracker
organ and seating for 450, Christ Church is an
increasingly popular venue for concert presenters
during the year.
Matthew Otto
416-920-5211 x28
motto@christchurchdeerpark.org
www.thereslifehere.org
CHORUS NIAGARA
●●
Church of St. Mary Magdalene
Steeped in musical heritage and assisted by a
generous acoustic, St. Mary Magdalene offers
a music program strongly rooted in the tradition
established by Healey Willan. Every Sunday
at the 11am Solemn Mass, the Gallery Choir
sings a mass and motet from the west gallery,
while the Ritual Choir sings the Gregorian
propers from the east end. Both choirs
rehearse on Thursdays. At the 9:30am Sung
Mass, the SMM Singers sing a motet and lead
congregational singing. Membership is informal:
rehearsals are at 9:00am directly before the
service; regular attendance is not mandatory.
One Sunday per month at 4:30pm, the meditative
Solemn Evensong and Benediction is
sung, preceded by an organ recital at 4:00pm.
For information, please contact the director of
music, Andrew Adair.
Andrew Adair
416-531-7955
andrew.timothy.adair@gmail.com
www.stmarymagdalene.ca
●●Confluence (formerly
Toronto Masque Theatre)
Confluence is a new interdisciplinary, crosscultural
multimedia project that continues
the warm and wide-ranging programming of
Toronto Masque Theatre with many new twists.
Confluence – “an act or process of merging” – will
be a company of diverse creative artists dedicated
to intimate, thought-provoking, entertaining
and moving presentations with a focus on:
• Cabarets curated by a wide cross-section of
Toronto’s leading musicians;
• Anniversary programs celebrating important
figures in music;
• Salons and lectures on a wide variety of
musical topics;
• Commissions of new works by Canadian
creative artists;
• Special programs of rarely-performed sacred
and spiritual music;
• The launch of a new podcast series, entitled
“Confluence: The Podcast” on and about music
to be housed on the brand-new Confluence
website (activated on September 16).
Artistic producer Larry Beckwith has been
ably assisted in planning this new mandate by a
whole host of outstanding and diverse figures
from Toronto’s amazing music scene. The launch
of Confluence was on Sunday, September 16, featuring
performances by Suba Sankaran, Andrew
Forde, Cole Alvis, Patricia O’Callaghan and
many more. The season continues with five
more programs.
Larry Beckwith
416-410-4561
larrybeckwith@sympatico.ca
www.confluenceconcerts.ca
●●Cor Unum Ensemble
Cor Unum Ensemble (kɔr unum: one heart) is
one of Toronto’s newest early music ensembles,
comprised of emerging professionals
interested in vocal and instrumental
collaboration within the early music repertoire.
Founded in 2016 by Joel Allison and artistic director
Ruth Denton, CUE performed its début concert
to a full house at Trinity College Chapel, performing
J.S. Bach’s St. John Passion with guest
artistic director Adrian Butterfield. Our second
season included a “choose-your-own-adventure”
story-telling concert called “The Choice,” a concert
of early Italian instrumental and vocal music,
and Pergolesi’s Stabat Mater. We are frequent
guest artists in the Hamilton Hammer Baroque
series and also present private house concerts.
CUE strives to create performance opportunities
for young artists passionate about early
music, and foster growth as individual artists.
Our process is intentionally collaborative, valuing
the collective experience our artists possess,
theWholeNote 2018/19 PRESENTER PROFILES | B7