Volume 25 Issue 2 - October 2019

Oriana presents a three-concert series, in November,
February and May. Our first concert of the
2019/20 season will feature Mitchell Pady’s fourpart
treble arrangement of Vivaldi’s Gloria, in collaboration
with the Earl Haig SS Senior Strings
Ensemble and Chamber Choir, with Jonathan
Elliotson on trumpet. In February, we join forces
with Simcoe-area women’s choirs Double Treble
and Vox Femina, and in our spring concert we
will perform all-Canadian repertoire including
premiere performances of works by Matthew
Emery and Ben Keast, alongside selections written
by the composition students they are mentoring
in the Claude Watson Senior Arts program.
We look forward to welcoming you to the concerts
in our 48th season!
Choir administrator
416-346-7918
info@orianachoir.com
www.orianachoir.com
REACHING OUT THROUGH MUSIC
●●Orpheus Choir of Toronto
Orpheus Choir’s vision is to celebrate the power
of choral music as an agent of social change
and a passionate medium of artistic expression.
The 65-voice choir, under artistic director Robert
Cooper, champions the new and unusual in choral
performance, commissioning and introducing
new works and performing overlooked masterpieces.
Regularly working with living composers,
and singing a wide range of repertoire in concerts
with high production values, Orpheus has
introduced audiences to many accessible works
from the current generation of leading composers.
Orpheus also supports young emerging vocal
talent through its highly respected Sidgwick
Scholars Program and its newer Vocal Apprentice
Program for high school singers. Winners
of the 2018 Choral Canada Award for Outstanding
Innovation, Orpheus continues to present
an “expect something different” experience!
The 2019/20 season features a celebration of the
1969 moon landing; a performance of Canadian
music and readings for Christmas with “Stratford
and Shaw” actor Benedict Campbell; Will Todd’s
Passion Music, featuring jazz pianist John Sherwood
and gospel singer Melissa Davis; and an
exploration of music and mental health in Allan
Bevan’s Ancient of Days.
Helen Coxon
416-530-4428
info@orpheuschoirtoronto.com
www.orpheuschoirtoronto.com
●●Pax Christi Chorale
Hailed by critics and audiences alike as one
of Canada’s finest oratorio choirs, Pax Christi
Chorale delivers stirring performances with
great polish and total conviction. Under the artistic
direction of David Bowser, the award-winning
choir has established its reputation as an
ensemble of high calibre and a cultural beacon in
our city. The organization operates the 100-voice
chorale, a chamber choir, and a choral scholars
program which provides professional development
training to emerging artists. Pax Christi
Chorale’s collaborations with outstanding guest
artists and artistic partners inspire, in audiences
and performers alike, a deep appreciation for
choral masterworks and new Canadian music.
The organization has recently committed to
the commission and premiere performance
of three new works by Canadian women composers
over three seasons. Pax Christi Chorale
champions great choral music among a diverse
community. We have an inclusive philosophy and
welcome audience members, choristers, and volunteers
from all backgrounds and walks of life.
Rehearsals are on Monday nights in North York.
Auditions are at the beginning of September, and
can be arranged by contacting associate conductor
Daniel Norman at dnorms9@gmail.com.
Danielle McCandless
416-729-3630
executivedirector@paxchristichorale.org
boxoffice@paxchristichorale.org
www.paxchristichorale.org
●●Peterborough Singers
The Peterborough Singers is an auditioned 100-
voice community choir of adults and youth. We
generally perform four concerts per year: a Yuletide
concert, Handel’s Messiah, an oratorio, and
one concert dedicated to music outside the box
of regular classical programming. Past oratorios
have included music by Bach, Verdi, Fauré, Haydn,
Mozart, Mendelssohn and many others. The
popular music concert has been soul, folk, Celtic,
Broadway, popular music, music by the Beatles,
or music highlighting the work of a particular
modern composer. Fortunately we are not limited
by the lack of availability of sheet music because
of local associates who are able to create original
arrangements for this repertoire. Concerts
this season are “Yuletide Cheer”, Handel’s Messiah,
Verdi’s Requiem, and “Canadian Legends”.
Rehearsals are held Wednesday evenings from
September to the beginning of May at Murray
Street Baptist Church in Peterborough. Prior
to most rehearsals, we provide ongoing educational
initiatives which allow interested members
to greatly improve their sight-reading or musical
skill levels at no additional cost above the yearly
membership fee. Auditions take place in May
and September.
Peg McCracken
705-745-1820
singers@peterboroughsingers.com
www.peterboroughsingers.com
●●R.C.C.O. - Toronto Centre
The Royal Canadian College of Organists - Toronto
Centre publishes a list of events that celebrate
the majestic mighty organs in the Toronto, 905
region! A vibrant executive committee meets
monthly to coordinate and plan short- and longterm
events. At present, the Toronto Centre has
approximately 200 members.
Mark Ruhnke
416-822-5327
unsungbeliever@gmail.com
www.rcco.ca
●●Reaching Out Through Music
Founded in 2007, Reaching Out Through Music
provides musical opportunities to the youth of
St. James Town, one of North America’s most
densely-populated and ethnically diverse communities.
We seek to enrich children’s lives by
offering active participation in choral, instrumental
and other programs, including the opportunity
to attend some of the myriad concerts in the City
of Toronto. We create social opportunities for children
by encouraging them to share a love of music,
performance and teamwork through collaborative
choral and instrumental ensembles. A critical part
of child development, music education has been
theWholeNote 2019/20 PRESENTER PROFILES | B17