Volume 8 Issue 7 - April 2003

April 9 is the first of a fivenight
run featuring the Tafelmusik
Chamber Choir and their special
guest, the legendary En.glish
soprano Emma Kirkby. With the
orchestra, she'll sing the n:ewlydiscover~d
Handel solo setting of
the Gloria. The choir performs
strong works by lesser-known
Baroque composers: the Bohemian
Jan Dismas Zelenka and Jean­
Joseph Cassanea de Mondonville,
who lived in the shadow of Jean­
Phillipe Rameau.
Halyna Kondracki's .
wonderful Vesnivka Choir teams
up with the Toronto Ukrainian
Male Chamber Choir on April 11
to celebrate the 125th Anniversary
of the birth ofMykola Leontovych.
Leontovych is known to most of us
as the composer of the Carol of the
Bells,_one of the classier Christmas
ditties. The anniversary concert
will explore his impressive list of
works, including a one-act opera
entitled The Feast of the Water
Nyinphs and selections ofliturgical
and folk music.
Several performances of
J.S. Bach's St. John Passion take
place in or around Toronto this
month including Pax Christi
Chorale's intriguing semi-staged ·
version at Grace Church on-the- ,
Hill on April 16 and 18. The British
director Jonathan Miller made an
impact several years back with a
film version of the St. Matthew
Passion featuring character
interaction and confrontation,
picking up on the idea that Bach's
passions are indeed sacred operas.
Local director Graham Cozzubbo
tries a simiiar approach with the
Pax Christi folks. The performances,
which are in English,
should be intriguing.
The choir of Metropolitan
United Church carries on its proud
tradition of Good Friday concerts
- the whole city used to show up
for Melville Cook's annual
performances in the ·good old days.
Their-performance of the St. John
Passion features the redoubtable
Albert Greer as evangelist.
The Toronto Mendelssohn Choir
introduces a new choir to its family
on April 18, with the Mendelssohn
Singers' performance of Bach's
Mass in B Minor. I had a chance
Tl)€ PA.l€STR1NA. Cl)A.ITTB€R Cl)ORUS
SABATINO VACCA, Music Director
Concerto di Primavera
Saturday, April 5, 8:00 .pm
Opera choruses by U?rdi,
Donizetti and Mascagni
Tickets $20.00
St. Bernard de Clairvaux Church, 1789 Lawrence Ave. West (at Jane)
~ Centro Scuola Centre for Phone 416-789-4970
m Italian Culture and Education music@centroscuola.ca
A
~Ii)
TORONTO CHILDREN'S CHORUS
Choral Conductor Required
' Jean Ashworth Bartle, Founder/Music Director of the
Toronto Children's Chorus is looking for an experienced
and successful children's choir director- either school, church
or comm~nity - to augment the current Artistic Staff of the
Chorus. The ideal candidate will have had at least five years'
experience training children's choirs and presently works full
time in the schools. The candidate will work closely with the
Music Director and will be assisting in the implementing of
programmes. There will be many opportunities for growth for
the successful candidate in this exceptional organization. The
Toronto Children's Chorus is one of Canada's major Arts
Organizations. This is a part-time position.
If interested, please send resume, three reference letters,
copies of programmes conducted and if possible a tape or video
to: Jean Ashworth Bartle, Toronto Children's Chorus, 2 180
Bayview Ave., Toronto, Ontario M4N 3K7by April 15, 2003.
Gondwana Voices
to speak with conductor Noel Edison widening the scop_e and repertoire
the other day about this new choir. of the organization. It's a hot­
"I'm so heartened and humbled by sounding group. I'm thrilled with
the progress of the Mendelssohn it."
Choir", Edison said, "It gets better
and better and I felt that we needed The Metropolitan Washington
to introduce a new vehicle to Baha'i Chorale stops in at the
broaden the core of the choir. So, Living Arts Centre in Mississauga
there are 60 choristers in the on April 19 with a program entitled
Mendelssohn Singers and they're "If we ever needed peace".
all singing at a very high standard." They're an acclaimed gospel choir
Edison went on to say that the whose message is one of
smaller choir gives him the fellowship, racial harmony and
flexibility to perform Baroque world peace. Those sound to me
works with a little more clarity of like the core values of almost every
sound and to explore more choir I know!
chamber repertoire. "It's all about
AUDITIONS
Between the ages of 5 and 7 9?
Interested in the opportunity to develop
your vocal and dramatic talents?
Come and check us out!
~
The Canadian Children's Opera Chorus
will be holding auditions for our
2003-2004 season /
during May and June 2003.
Please visit our website
www.canadianchildrensopera.com
or call
416.366.0467 fqr more details.
Canadian Children's Opera Chorus
227 Front Street East, Toronto, ON M5A 1 E8
. Phone: 416. 366.0467 Fax: 416.366. 9~04
Net: www.canadianchildrensopera.com
18 www .thewholenote.com April 1 - May 7 2003