Dear Chorister: Keep Singing

Dear Chorister,

I was standing where you are on that riser more than ten years ago. Yes, that's right. A decade ago I was wearing that exact same uniform and rocking that same navy blue polo. I'm quite surprised that I'm not feeling more insecure about this age gap; however, I think it's due to the fact that it feels like I was just 16 the other day and I'm pretty much going to look the same until I hit 50, at which point I'll turn into an Asian grandma overnight.

The start of the choir season is one of my favorite times of the year. I remember my excitement to start choir rehearsals and see if I had grown tall enough over the summer to stand with my friends who had graduated to the back row of the choir. The answer to that question was: No, I was not taller. That didn't hinder me from eventually working my way to the back and finding a window to see the conductor through. I would transfer all the dates on the choir schedule into my school agenda and contemplate how exactly I was going to get to all the rehearsals and concerts that were proposed for the season. I would dread having the "the talk" with my conductor if she noticed a wavering in my commitment. If there was a tour on the horizon, I would be wondering exactly how many grocery vouchers and Easter lillies I would have to sell to meet my fundraising quota.

Singing with you all once again on Sunday reminded me of my passion for choral singing that was fostered in my teenage years. I am the youngest child in my family. The result of this was that a majority of my parent's resources had already went into exposing my older siblings to a diverse array of activities with varying levels of success. They had the opportunity to try team sports, dance classes, and art classes while my main extra-curricular activity was going to group math lessons in a rented room at the Callingwood arena on Sunday afternoons. It wasn't even that I was bad at Math; the rationale was that I could only get better with practice. It was the difference between an 80% and a 95%. Plus, my siblings were already going so I might as well tag along. Enrolling in choir when I was 11 was my one shot at trying out a true extra-curricular activity. My uncanny ability to pitch match and mimic the lyrics of 80s Canton-pop songs during karaoke sessions inspired my Dad to develop my skills further. Once I began choir, it triggered a cascade of musical education development, such as music theory and piano, to strengthen my choral interests. When I finally graduated from the Chamber Choir, I remember my Conductor, Heather Johnson, telling us that we were going to go through life looking to fill the void that the Choir would leave in our musical core. I took this statement to heart as my close choral friends and I clutched at one another with teary eyes. Many of them were leaving to study at different Universities. Since that time, I have been singing and searching for a new ensemble that would fill the void left behind by my Youth Chamber Choir. I challenged myself to sing in new groups, try out different repertoire, and meet other choristers. Three years ago, I was lucky enough to be accepted into Pro Coro Canada under the vision of the new Artistic Director, Michael Zaugg. I finally found the choral sound I had been searching for.

If you didn't love music or singing, you would have chosen to do something else by this point in time. As much as we try to rationalize how cool it is to sing in choir, there's a lot of other pretty cool stuff that you could also be spending your time on. Even if you feel burned out after a consecutive run of rehearsals preparing for extra concerts, you feel a sense of productivity and satisfaction at seeing how much you can accomplish. Plus, you can't help but feel pride when you look down at your sleeve and see your name embroidered on the arm - a reminder that you are part of a team. There's a lot of unknown variables coming your way. You get to navigate the emotional spectrum from incandescent elation to crippling insecurity over upcoming life choices. Some of you may think I'm pretty fancy because I sing in a professional choir, but the way I see it, I am no different from you. I love singing and I'm willing to keep working to get better at it.

Here comes the part where the sage alumni chorister wishes to impart some wisdom. If I were you, I'd be rolling my eyes and looking for a loophole to be defiant since the last thing I want to do is what somebody is telling me to do. Bear with me though, I'm going to keep my advice simple: keep singing. This doesn't mean that you have to be studying to be a professional musician. If that's for you, fantastic! However, you may find that you don't have the time to be in a choir while developing other skills. Music has a way of evolving to fill the void in your life whether you're in a choral group or just singing a capella while having a dance party in the privacy of your bedroom. My advice may seem simple enough but it's surprising how challenging it is to make time for things you enjoy as your other responsibilities increase. I encourage you all to savor the time that you have with your fellow choral peeps and look forward to the future with anticipation. You never know what awesome things are coming your way if you continue to allow the presence of music in your life pursuits.

Sincerely, your singing buddy,

miss. sable

Photo Credit to Heather Johnson. Cantilon Chamber Choir + CCC alumni in Pro Coro Canada following the Sun and Moon and Stars concert September 27, 2015

Bring it On: The ACCC announces its National Competition for Canadian Amateur Choirs

Choral singing can be a lonely process. There are choirs all throughout this country who meet weekly to rehearse, socialize, and develop these musical families; however, they may not get regular opportunities to share their music with audiences outside of their immediate network.

There is a chance for this to change as the National Competition for Amateur Choirs is hosted by the Association of Canadian Choral Communities in conjunction with CBC Radio and Festival 500 in St. John's, NewFoundland this year. There are 11 categories, such as Children's Choir, Youth Choirs, University Choirs, and Pan-Cultural Traditions. In addition to competing for cash prizes and a chance to win the Canada Council for the Arts Healey Willan Grand Prize ($5000), performances will be heard on CBC Radio 2 Choral Concert, and the winners will be announced at a feature concert in St. John's, NFLD at Festival 500. However, what I am most excited about is the fact that each choir will have their own Artist Page with their competition entries available for live-streaming on cbcmusic.ca.

voces boreles at Podium 2012

This choral competition has a close place in my heart as it was the first national competition I ever competed in with my children's choir, The Cantilon Chamber Choir. I remember the stress of recording a clean run-through of a piece and the sense of achievement as I listened and cassette recorded my choir's entry on CBC Radio. The competition serves a different purpose for every choir. Perhaps they have reached a plateau at local music festivals in their province and it is time to consider more national recognition, or maybe it is a chance for the rest of Canada, as well as the world, to hear what fine choral singing is occurring in your community. Personally, I would love to hear new music highlighting works by Canadian composers and what the choristers in northern Canada are up to in the Yukon, Northwest Territories, and Nunavut.

Now, get recording! Deadline is April 15, 2013. All competition details are available at the ACCC Webpage. I can't wait to hear your choir on CBC Music.

The National Youth Choir at Podium 2012

Conducting the Interview

Following a regular Monday night rehearsal, Cantilon Choirs founder and Artistic Director Heather Johnson agreed to discuss with me the choral season and Belle Canto’s upcoming participation in Choral Canada’s Podium 2012 Choral conference this week in Ottawa. Johnson is casually balanced on the piano bench at the front of the rehearsal hall. I acknowledge the interesting role-reversal about to occur as I organize myself to conduct the interview. As a choir girl, I have been singing with Johnson for over 10 years. You can probably imagine the influence this woman has had on my formative choral years.

Cantilon Choirs was faced with an interesting process this past season. Johnson had to instigate a search for a new Artistic Director for the choral program, due to a potential family move to Ottawa. Although it has now been confirmed that Johnson and family are, indeed, staying in Edmonton. Johnson remarked that the search process allowed her to reflect upon her role: “I really want [Cantilon Choirs] to survive if, at any time, I am not here.” This is apparent as Johnson revealed one of her ultimate goals is to eventually form a choir school in Edmonton. “I was determined to find somebody to take this over and be as passionate about it as I am. I wanted to know why they wanted to conduct children’s choirs, particularly…and what it was about working with children and youth that was exciting for them.”

Upon further reflection, Johnson announces that she is fortunate that her job allows her to work with people for an extended period. The structure of the Cantilon program is conducive to chorister development since singers as young as kindergarteners can naturally graduate to more advanced groups within the program, such as the Cantilon Chamber Choir and Belle Canto Women’s Ensemble. Johnson pauses at this point in the interview and smiles at me: “I remember you as a child, I really remember you." I give her an acknowledging glance as I look up from my iPad. Johnson remarks that working with people over an extended period of time, from children to adulthood, is an incredible privilege.  "I can help [young choristers] shape the way they look of the world. And for me, that’s why I do this."

Johnson recognizes that the choral experience for her youth choristers is not just another mere extra-curricular activity: “There are a lot of things that families have difficulty teaching children now. Society has gotten so fast-paced, and kids are often involved in so many activities that it’s hard to find the time to slow down and focus. They have an experience with the choir that they don’t get anywhere else.” When you are completely immersed in your passion, there is lost sense of time. The curious choir girl in me inquires what Johnson considers characteristics of her ideal chorister. “They challenge me and explore new things. I tend to attract singers who not only need the choir musically in their lives but for something else… I let them take challenges and risks that are safe. ” I smiled. That was different from I was expecting.

While discussing what makes community choirs unique in comparison to other choral groups, Johnson announces that the choral social experience “is the most important part of being in an amateur choir… choirs don’t sing well together unless they’re cohesive social units. There’s something different about a group of singers who have sung together for a long time on stage that’s impossible to quantify. They have a connection to each other that translates to the connection they have to music.” This is why I continue to sing in Belle Canto.

Johnson reveals that Belle Canto’s Podium performance will provide a full-bodied European sound palette for conference attendees to experience. As well, Johnson commissioned Canadian composer Jeff Enns to compose a piece for Belle Canto to premiere at Podium 2012. “I heard his work being sung by the Canadian Chamber Choir [last summer]. He was truly writing for the full range of the female voice. I wanted a sacred work and selected text from the Song of Solomon… it suits female choirs beautifully.” Other repertoire choices for Belle Canto’s Thursday Podium will include works by Schumann, Bartók, Barber, and Mäntyjärvi. “We have a much more flexible sound that can sing these different styles. We sing with a unique attention to rhythmic precision that is not always true of women’s choirs and we like to have fun." Indeed, speaking from my personal choir girl experience within Belle Canto, our tendency to enjoy ourselves is not overlooked, especially when we are on tour. As the Cantilon Choral program prepares for its 2012/2013 with Johnson at the helm of the organization, Belle Canto’s Thursday performance with Johnson at Podium 2012 will hopefully signify her continued presence with the organization for many more years to come.


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I'll be writing daily Podium 2012 blog updates which will be cross-posted on The Sound and Noise, The Choir Girl Blog and the ACCC Choral Bytes Blog. As well, I will be live tweeting from @misssable. You can also find all conference tweets and news using this hashtag: #Podium2012

Another Broadway Gala Down

Backstage

Greetings readers!

Another Broadway Gala has come and past. This year Cantilon put on a concert version of "Oliver!" I don't have too much about it other than the fact that it felt like controlled chaos. The music was straightforward enough. The Belles were only singing 3 songs. Choreography learning went smoothly. The most tricky part was that we had to sing "Consider Yourself" three times and each time required slightly modified choreography so it was difficult trying to keep them as distinct routines in my mind. By far, the children had the most work in it since there are a ton of children choruses. The Belles and the men's chorus (recruited from family and friends) joined the rest of the children for three songs. Of course, the most fun for the adults was "Oom Papa". I think it was because that even if we screwed up, it didn't matter because we were supposed to be inebriated anyway. For the most part, I think a lack of inhibition provides adults with the confidence to perform their best. The Edmonton Journal even came and took a video clip of us during rehearsal.

I think the Broadway Gala highlight for me were the fantastic soloists drawn from the pool of Cantilon singers as well as the male soloists which we recruited from our assembled men's chorus. We had a Fagin with a twisted swagger, a hysterically hilarious Mrs. Corney, a booming Mr. Bumble, and a wide-eyed Oliver. As well, during the intermission there was a lovely Victorian style market which was set up by Belle Canto members. There was gruel (a.k.a. dry soup) mix, baked goods, flowers, ring toss, photobooth and other goods for sale. 'Twas a fundraising event after all.

I think the experience can be better shared via the pictures posted below:

Food, Glorius Food, Photo credit: Erin F-W.

Mr. Bumble, Mrs. Corney and the kids, Photo credit: Erin F-W. 

Pick a pocket with Fagin, Photo credit: Erin F-W.

Consider Yourself, Photo credit: Erin F-W.

Adorable orphans, Photo credit: Erin F-W.

 Broadway Gala cast minus principals, Photo credit: Erin F-W.

Until next time readers, take care!

Farewell?

Greetings readers,

This week is a time of great choral change for Edmonton. In addition to the news of Pro Coro's new artistic director this Friday, it was officially announced today that the conductor of Belle Canto and Chamber Choir as well as artistic director of Cantilon Choirs, Heather Johnson, will be seeking a replacement for her position. She will stay on as a co-conductor of Belle Canto but there will be an opening for the position of artistic director and conductor of the Chamber Choir. What does this mean for Belle Canto? We would have somebody leading local rehearsals but Heather would join us a few times of the year for intense blocks of rehearsals. That's not bad at all. It's how Pro Coro functions, as well as many other professional ensembles and it's a working model. I was expecting more of a "Farewell! I'll never see you again!" rather than a "Farewell! See you again in two months!" 

By the time I officially heard the news on Monday, I had reached the point of acceptance in regards to this potential news. I think everybody in the choir knew at the beginning of the season that this was a realistic possibility since her husband was accepted for a University teaching position in Ottawa. Collectively, we knew that a move to join him would be in the not-so-distant future especially since they have a young daughter and the east-west commute for family time looked hectic to say the least. It's not a matter of where they should live but more a question of what makes sense as a family.

I can only imagine the emotional backlash Heather received from some of her younger singers: anger, shock, abandonment, jealously... If I was 15, I'd probably feel the same way. Choir was my life. It gave me purpose, confidence, community---taking away the core of that would have had a destabilizing effect upon anybody. The egocentric worldview of a teenager can easily disregard the complexity of adult decisions. It's hard to predict how we will respond to substantial life decisions when we are greeted with them. While I can't even imagine how I would respond in a similar situation, I seek solace in the fact that my future self would be able to make the best decision for myself at that point in time.

At rehearsal on Monday, Heather asked us if we had any questions or thoughts about the proposed arrangements. I was trying to compose a mental discourse of my feelings to share with the group, but I realized that I didn't have anything to add. I knew that this announcement has been coming for a while and that she has already considered every possibility. It's really time to stop thinking and time to start moving on. Which is exactly what Cantilon is doing by seeking a replacement.

While I don't know what the future will bring, let this post be my personal proclamation of support for Heather. I know this decision was not an easy one but having Belle Canto as a stabilizing unit in a time of great change is of great comfort to me, the choir as a whole, and, I think, Heather as well. Therefore Heather, if you are reading this: Go to Ottawa! Unite your family! Start a choir in Ottawa! If life ever brings you back to Edmonton, we'll be here.

Singing with Family

Greetings readers!

Another Dessert Auction fundraiser has come and gone and it made me reflect on an interesting fact: It is so hard to leave a choir. Especially a choir or a choir program that you've grown up with. There I was, watching the Cantilon Chamber Choir, the treble choir of my adolescence. In addition to the fact that a choir parent came up to me and asked, "which one [was mine]?" I had a major déjà vu moment--- seeing new faces in the same familiar uniforms, singing the same familiar songs, in the same familiar lobby setting. The faces I know now are not in the Chamber Choir, but in the adult women's choir of the program, Belle Canto. Over the years, many of us have filtered down into Belle Canto. All those years of carpooling, music festivals, music camps, caroling gigs, retreats, workshops, tours and rehearsals with fellow choristers... they've unknowingly become my second family. Though I've been musically spoiled by being in Pro Coro and singing such a high calibre of music with professional singers... it's hard for me to imagine ever leaving my original choir family. Is it holding me back from other opportunities? Perhaps. I did turn down a opportunity to be a choir ringer this year because it conflicted with Belle Canto's Monday night rehearsals. But I suppose it just comes down to the fact that all I want to do is sing. And I want to sing with my family.

I love how singing experiences with Pro Coro have made me a better singer. The continuous challenge that Pro Coro offers is infectious and feeds the irrationally driven side of my character. However, singing in Belle Canto is just good for my soul. I like seeing the ladies every week at rehearsal, catching up on weekly news, helping myself to gourmet cheese platters, and hearing the dirty innuendos from a (unnamed) chorister in the back row in response to ambiguous conductor statements. Choir life is good. Sure, we don't have the musical polish of a professional choir, but that isn't what we are at our very core. I suppose that's the thing with any family, everybody has their individual quirks but you love them just the way they are. While there may be a time in the future when I may need to move to a different city to pursue different opportunities, until that time arrives, I will continue enjoying the present with my choir family.

Until next time readers, send some love to your choir family, and take care!

Congratulations CCC!

 Photo Credit: Llangollen Website

Hello readers,

I must say a huge amount of congratulations to the choir of my teenage years: The Cantilon Chamber Choir for winning first place in the Youth Choir category at the Llangollen Music Eisteddfod in Wales this year! I saw that they also managed to snag second place for the Female Choirs category as well. Very nicely done.

How far technology has come since the years that I performed in this very same festival. All there was in 2003 was a slowly updated website with photos that linked to an expensive photo purchase site. Not very exciting. I was impressed with the social media presence of the festival. Also, they have all the video media from the festival streaming on their website! It's is great for people like me who can't attend the festival but who want to hear what's going on. It's a bit of deja vu watching their performances since I've sung most of the pieces and have worn that very same uniform on that stage. There was one point when they were singing "Hosanna" in the Senior Children's Choir category and it was like I was on the stage with them. I could breathe the humid air, smell the sweet scent from the fresh flowers that lined the stage, and see the haze of the audience underneath the amphitheater tent stage lights. Although I do not recognize many of the faces there, it's comforting and exciting to see the new generation of the choirs' singers.

It also appears that the "Choir of the World" award goes to the Adventist University of the Philippines. I listened to their Choir of the World competition piece. Typical sacred Latin text set to music. It's very nicely done but I would have loved to have heard something with a bit more musical character. It felt like a safe choice. Listening to choirs at an international festival is the time to get inspired by wonderful choral pieces and have a chance to hear things I haven't heard before. I wasn't particularly moved by their choice in repertoire. Take a listen and tell me what you think.

Also, you can bet that I'm going to be combing through the video archives listening to the other choirs. If I find anything that sparks my attention, I'll be sure to post it here. If you find something that is interesting feel free to post it in the comments below!

If you need a recommendation for what to listen to first, I would suggest the winning Cantilon Chamber Choir Youth Choir Class :)

Until next time, take care readers!

Videos Galore!

Greetings readers,

You know what I'm excited about?

Videos!

Alright, so choir videos to be more specific. I've been singing in the community choral program, Cantilon Choirs, for quite a while now. First, with the Chamber Choir and now in the women's choir, Belle Canto. Slowly but surely they have been increasing their internet presence over the past couple of years. They now have their own Facebook page, choir c.d.'s can be purchased off of itunes, and they also have opened up a Youtube account. The Youtube account has been in existence for a while now but I never really noticed the slowly increasing number of videos. I am very excited by it all since it's nice to see what the concerts looked like from an audiences' perspective and what it sounded like. I posted some videos below:

One Day More-From our Les Miserables performance two weekends ago



Belle Canto at the Pre-Tour Concert to Italy in the summer. Kaipaava-a musical favorite of ours.



Gabriel's Greeting-The candlelight procession at our Christmas concert this past December



How Can I Keep from Singing-At the Cantilon Dessert auction fundraiser in the Fall. Here is a mass choir performance with Cantilon choristers from the Primary choir up to Belle Canto



If you want to check out more video from Cantilon Choirs visit this link

Until next time, take care!

Gala Success!

One Day More
Photo credit: Steven T.

Greetings readers,

Another Broadway Gala has come and gone. The biggest difference this year? It was the best yet! We kept everything clean and simple due to Victoria's suggestion of using the concert version of Les Miserables and keeping our choreography to a minimum. We just did what we do best: sing.

It was the least stressful year ever. No rummaging through bargain bins for costume pieces, no last-minute rehearsal of choreography steps backstage, and no unnecessary microphone swaps on stage. The soloists were all amazing, Martin Murphy played Jean Valjean with passion and sensitivity, the "Little Fall of Rain" death scene between Marius and Eponine was tear-inducing during both performances, and Rob and Erin were hilarious as the Thénardiers, Victoria was a moving Fantine... I could go on and on about everybody, even those with the smallest solo lines made it their own. The men chorus was so fun to watch because they're just so expressive and they always look like they're having such a great time. Even when their backs are turned away from the audience they are radiating energy in their actions and facial expressions.

It just felt very much like a professional production. We had some costume components supplied to us so we really looked unified and we had a fantastic pianist and drummer in the orchestra pit leading the instrumental music. Also, we had a delicious pasta dinner supplied for us complete with home baked muffins for dessert. You know things are professional when you are well-fed!

It is a pleasure to do the Broadway Gala because everybody takes such pride in what they are doing and it really translates to the energy on the stage. There was one man from the chorus who had to do continuous costume changes in the wings of the stage, since he had to play a different small character in almost every scene, and he just did it with such grace and efficiency. It just shows how everybody's collective effort can produce an amazing show in a relatively short amount of time when everybody takes care of their own details. We just started rehearsing at the end of January and all of the blocking was done the week before the performance. We had a sold-out Saturday night show and our Sunday matinee was 80% sold. Not bad at all! On Saturday night there was an amazing reception and it was lovely to catch up with choristers from the past and audience members. It feels like a mini-reunion of sorts since the people I'm lucky if I can see some of them once a year.

Overall, it was a fantastic weekend. I'm feeling a bit fried from the busy rehearsal and performance schedule but I had a fantastic time doing it. Enjoy some pictures from the show below.

Until next time, take care and stay warm!















Lovely Ladies
Photo credit: Steven T.
















The People's Song
Photo credit: Steven T.















Master of the House
Photo credit: Steven T.















At the End of the Day
Photo credit: Steven T.















ABC Song
Photo credit: Steven T.





















Backstage in the Belle's dressing room. Factory worker outfits.





















Erin's wig for Mme. T





















Sydney and Sara tweaking costume details in the mirror





















Adrienne as a fetching factory worker
















The Belles getting ready backstage

A Lair of Vipers

Do you know what season it is?

'Tis Broadway season at Cantilon Choirs!

Our annual "Broadway Gala" is coming up this weekend with two performances. One on Saturday at 730 pm and the other on Sunday afternoon at 2pm at the Arden Theatre in St. Albert, AB. Please check out this link for more details and tickets.

Today we had our first blocking rehearsal. Since it is the "In Concert" version of Les Miserables, there's isn't much choreography, more so just different arrangements of groups of people to set the scene for particular songs and a line of microphones at the front of the stage to amplify the soloists. I was in awe of the fact that we were able to finish all our blocking for the shows in one day. Usually we spend weeks on the choreography and it is usually a back and forth learning process. In the past, we have ended up retracting and relearning choreography continuously, changing it ever so slightly each time we run it that the resulting product is never the same. Thus, it is hard to learn and especially difficult for those absent to fill in what they missed when the routine they learned the previous week no longer exists. Not good. However, it looks like that is less likely to happen this year since the choreography complexity has been greatly simplified.

As well, I always forget how much amazing music Les Miserables contains. All the musical themes throughout the piece are fantastic! And extremely catchy. "At the End of the Day" has such crisp diction that echos the stinging reality of their poverty, "The People's Song" has an epic anthem quality to it, and "Lovely Ladies" has such a gritty dirtiness that masks the hollow loneliness of a prostitutes life. Mentioning "Lovely Ladies", I was hesitant to whore-suit-up (my parents will be coming to the show), but thought it would be good fun with all the other ladies in Belle Canto and chance to expand my stage bubble. I was surprised at how much I enjoyed it. It is extremely cathartic to play a character that is vastly different than the persona I have molded for myself. We received directions to assemble in a tightly layered group on stage and wave our arms in undulating "come hither" gestures so that we resembled a lair of vipers. Vipers? I can do viper. Afterward, I received a comment on how believable I looked as a whore. It's what every girl hopes for :)

In the next few days we will be running through Act I and Act II of the show on separate night complete with costume changes. Other than checking on some words which still trip me up and reviewing my entrances and exits for all the scenes, I think that everything is in control this year. I feel very little panic. Usually, we're rehearsing choreography backstage still on the day of the performance, but I don't forsee that as something that will occur this year. I also was saved a ton of work in the costume department because lovely Victoria from Belle Canto provided a box of costume pieces for us to borrow. Thank goodness because I definitely do not own a corset.

I'll keep you posted on the Broadway happenings. Here's a taste of what the concert version is like:





Until next time, take care readers!

An Update of Sorts

Greetings readers!

Since my last blog post, I've had a wide array of music related things happen:

Virtual Choir

Last weekend I tried video recording my entry for the virtual choir. Let me tell you, following a virtual conductor is tricky business! On my first run-through I was either a few beats slow or ahead and it was extremely challenging to line up with his conducting video! I'm so used to watching a conductor's lips but he doesn't mouth any of the words so I can't use visual word cues as a checkpoint. He also pulled out some conducting codes I wasn't expecting, thankfully, I watched his instructional video and was able to deduce what he wanted when he used it. He puts his hand in front of his mouth and rubs his fingertips together, it kind of reminds me of what I imagine my friend's Indian grandma does when she asks you if you want something to eat, but in this case, he actually just wants you to bring out the diction. He is also very generous with timing in his artistic conducting style. He employs a lot of wispy arm movements and it's hard to locate the downbeat sometimes. However, it was easier after a few runs but then I was running into computer glitches that prevented me from recording a solid take. I'm hoping to have another run at it this coming weekend when I have a long weekend break from school.

Pro Coro

I had my first rehearsal for the Male and Female voice concert happening on November 21 two weeks ago. They had trouble getting music in on time so the first time I read the scores was at the first rehearsal. Oh, sight-reading... It was actually fine since the music was pretty straightforward. I think by far one of my favorite parts of going to Pro Coro rehearsals is listening to Jeremy Spurgeon play piano. As I have said before, Jeremy is pretty much the organ deity of Edmonton. Though he was playing piano and not organ for our rehearsals, it was a treat to watch his sight reading genius unfold at the keyboard.

Alumni Choir Tour

Back in July 2002 I competed in the International Choral Eisteddfod in Wales, UK. I received an e-mail from my conductor, Heather, where she detailed the hopes of assembling an Alumni Choir to join with her current Chamber Choir to compete in classes again the Eisteddfod. She invited those 25 years of age and younger to tour with her for the summer. She wants to compete in six classes at the festival: Senior Children's Choir (18 and under), Youth Choir (16-25), Female Choirs, Folk Choirs, Chamber Choirs, and Songs from Shows-Musical Theatre (16 and over). Three of those classes do not have any age restrictions: Female Choirs, Folk Choirs, and Chamber Choirs. I knew I scheduled in a summer for myself for a reason! Most of my classmates are doing placements throughout the summer but I decided to extend the length of my placements into 2012 (most of my classmates finish in December 2011) so I booked off June-August to finish up my thesis and take a break.

My conductor said that we would be rehearsing in the last few weeks of June and then go on tour in early July to attend the festival. In a way, I feel like it would be making up for the fact that I was not able to go on tour to Italy with Belle Canto. Plus, this Alumni Tour would also be a chance for me to reunite with my A Capella group "Con Fuoco" which is comprised of my choral soulmates. Of course, the fine details that will make this tour a reality such as funding, grants, etc. have yet to be finalized. However, this Alumni tour is a most appealing prospect!

It was such a memorable tour in 2002. Some memories which are coming to mind are those of the delicious Welsh tea biscuits, walking in an opening ceremony parade throughout the town, taping up paper to cover up the windows on the door in the very public common room we were all sleeping in, watching male volunteers and choristers continuously pursue a modelesque girl in our choir, having to take showers at the pool since there weren't enough bathrooms at the campus-like facilities we stayed in. Though it seems like the negative things are coming to mind in my memory retrieval process, those are the best memories since I just laugh at them looking back on it now.













































Until next time, take care readers!

Broadway Gala v.9

Greetings!

I must say that last night's Broadway Gala was extremely fun and definitely the least stressful Gala I have ever experienced. I think it was due in part to the fact that Belle Canto didn't have too many numbers so I wasn't doing rapid-fire costume changes in the wings of the stage and I actually had time to just hang out in the green room and watch the other performances. However, it did feel strange to be so idle when there was still so much backstage chaos going on.

The first half of the evening were song selections revolving around the theme of "Family" from Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, The Sound of Music, Gypsy, Anne of Green Gables, White Christmas, and Cinderella and the second half were songs from The Fiddler on the Roof.

I have to get it out now, I must say a special thanks for the amazing men's chorus this year! It's staggering to think that these men return year after year to help us out with the Broadway Gala given the amount of work they have to go through every year. They definitely had a lot of work in store for them this year with the male chorus demands in Seven Brides for Seven Brothers and Fiddler on the Roof. You may wonder how a treble-centric choral program manages to find men but it is all through the connections of our choristers. Fathers, husbands, brothers, friends, random strangers---these men comprise our male chorus. The only unfortunate thing this year was that Belle Canto and the Men's Chorus didn't have any duet numbers since I only have fond memories of knocking on coconut bras of the men from last year's South Pacific.

I watched the first half of the concert from the Green Room t.v. so it was hard for me to hear exactly everything that was going on but it seemed like everything appeared to run smoothly. The "Goin' Courtin'" song from Seven Brides for Seven Brothers was extremely cute when 2 Belle Canto lasses were showing the proper courting ways for the socially unrefined brothers. There was a point where each of the men took turns two-stepping with the gals and it was hilarious to watch their purposefully off-beat dance steps as they tossed the ladies around.

The numbers from Anne of Green Gables, Cinderella, and Gypsy were mainly small group or solo numbers and they all were carried off wonderfully from soloists from the choir. I do have to say, and I am not alone in this, that the highlight of the first half was definitely the songs from the Sound of Music and specifically the lovely little Mia, playing Gretel in "So Long, Farewell." The unphased little Mia sat in the middle of the stage all by herself and sang the solo line with confidence and charm. I watched from the backstage t.v.'s and my friend, Nicole, put it very well in saying that the performance was so gutwrenchingly cute that her ovaries felt it.

The second half with Fiddler on the Roof brought all the choirs on stage for the mass numbers, and I must admit, I was winging it for a few of the pieces. Due to the fact that I was in Montreal for most of the week and missed out on 3 of the large rehearsals, I was definitely lagging behind in choreography precision. I knew my steps for the solo Belle Canto numbers such as for "Sister's" and "The Dream" from Fiddler but everything else was new to me. I appreciated the help of my fellow choristers tweaking my movements in Fiddler during the dress rehearsal (which was right before the performance) and I just watched others for the cues in Sabbath Prayer, Anatevka, and Sunrise Sunset. Also, thanks to Amy from Belle Canto for gathering up some Belle's to run through "Sisters" with me backstage.

Sure, it wasn't my best Broadway Gala performance to date but I had fun and I know my slight mishaps didn't ruin the show. The most challenging was "The Dream," and it wasn't due to the fact that I didn't know what I was doing movement-wise, but lining up words with an improvised piano part was not easy. Especially when we needed to get notes from piano.... However, I am not here to dwell on the negative. It was an extremely fun performance overall and I must give kudos to Steven who played Tevye for many of the Fiddler songs. Maybe it just worked out that he's the husband of our choir conductor but we managed to maximize on his talent in the past few years. He played the she-male, Edna, from Hairspray last year, and his comedic flaire for Tevye was spot on this year. Plus, it makes me smile to think of how he is a Geology academic by day but a community Broadway star by night :)

Overall, our 9th Broadway Gala was a success in my eyes minus some small missteps, missed notes, and funky piano improv on some of the songs. It's a bit of a chaotic production every year but I wouldn't have it any other way :)

Enjoy some of the pictures from the evening!
















The men's chorus in Fiddler on the Roof
Photo Credit: Stephen L.













Chamber Choir singing Do-Re-Mi from The Sound of Music
Photo Credit: Stephen L.
















Touching up makeup backstage
















An array of costumes from the evening

















Relaxing in the Green Room

















A cozy self-portrait














My dress for the sisters number. I originally brought a black dress (since I wasn't sure on what the costume verdit was as I kept on getting continuous e-mails from people changing their mind while I was away in Montreal) but I noticed that lots of people had color dresses on during the dress rehearsal. Due to the fact that our choreographer, Adam, said he was more focused on looking at people's dresses, I figured another black dress wasn't the most stimulating so I called my mom to bring this dress that has been sitting in my closet for a while. Sometimes I feel sorry for my pretty clothing pieces that never get to be worn so I'm glad this dress was able to have a night out. I believed it all worked out well and you can probably tell from the first photo in this post that the color pops a lot better than black.















Matching sister's dresses worn by actual sisters in the choir
Photo Credit: Amy B














Belles classy in black for our sisters numbers.
Photo Credit: Amy B















All of Belle Canto on stage performing Sisters
Photo Credit: Stephen L.

Time for a Break!

It is high time for a break! More specifically, a reading week break! A full week without early morning classes, assignments and major commitments! Is it sad to say I've been waiting for this since the beginning of January?

Anyway, my reading week break will be filled with the following activities:

• Heading to Montreal to visit my dear friend, Leanne, whom I sang with in Con Fuoco and Jeremy, her lovely husband
• Meet up with Canadian composer, Donald Patriquin, for a tour of the McGill music department-yay for connecting with awesome music people though blog comments!
• Shop at Simons-yes, this is totally unrelated to music or choir... but I'm still a girl... and girls shop when they travel :)
  
• Drinking hot chocolate and eating copious amounts of Montreal deli sandwiches
• Coming back home to perform in the Cantilon Broadway Gala's performance of Fiddler on the Roof

I'll be back just in time for the Broadway Gala performance. If you read my post on it last year, you can bet it'll be a fun evening indeed. We do the dress rehearsal that afternoon and the performance that evening. I'm missing all of the blocking rehearsals next week leading up to the performance, but thankfully, we blocked Belle Canto's main numbers and for the other group pieces I can easily assimilate myself into the background. I know my notes and words so I'm not worried.

Take care and stay warm (for those in chilly climates like mine!)

I'll definitely be blogging when I'm in Montreal next week so stay tuned!

Cantilon's 10th Annual Dessert Auction

Hello dear readers,

Just here to report that Cantilon's 9th Annual Dessert Auction went very smoothly and that it was a great start to our 10th Anniversary year. In a way I can't believe I have been doing this fundraiser for 9 years! I still remember the first one that was done at a small community club hall out in St. Albert. We have come so far since then. Now our Dessert Auction is held in the lovely Winspear Centre lobby and the whole evening is so smooth and organized.

I am happy to report that Belle Canto's performance of Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy went quite well. I have to admit, I was royally screwing up some of the choreography during the practice cram session we were having before we got on stage, but I managed to pull off a smooth performance. Sure, overall we probably weren't that clean but we had fun with it and I think the audience thoroughly enjoyed it. Our Verdi piece also went extremely well I thought and it was so much easier to sing in a supportive acoustic. All the sustained musical lines felt so easy with the glassy and diffusive lobby atmosphere distributing our sound.

I wasn't able to watch the other choirs that evening but I did manage to catch Chamber Choir's performance. I sang with Chamber Choir when it first formed and it was a group that really shaped my skills as a chorister. The musical demands are high and a lot of commitment is required to be in the group since there are two rehearsals a week on top of a busy performance schedule with recording and touring worked into the mix as well. It is always interesting for me to see the blossoming singers. I recognize people from a few years back who were just starting out in the front row with a shy timidness about them and this year they are all standing in the backrow and singing with confidence and purpose. They sang Bach's Wir Eilen Mit Schwachen with wonderful vitality and lovely balance. Frobisher Bay was next and no matter how many times I hear this song or sing this song... I never get tired of it. During their performance I just closed my eyes and enjoyed their fused acoustic waveforms. Their final piece R. Murray Schafer's Raking Song was also an interesting pick since the last time I heard this song was when the St. Mary's Children's Choir performed it when we were on a choir exchange. I remember watching them in awe since it was the first time I saw extensive actions used for a choral piece! This was quite revolutionary for me to watch 7 years ago! However, we soon discovered their secret since they actually have choreography rehearsals for their songs and once they learn the actions, that song is within their permanent performance inventory. Thus, it was lovely to hear it again tonight and to see a bit of movement; however, it was nowhere near as extensive as the first time I saw it. I remember the St. Mary Children's Choir using a heavy raking action as they swung their hands over their shoulders, trying to carry the weight of their imaginary rake as they "beat the ground," and I also remember their fluttering jazz-like hands to simulating the rain coming down from the sky. I couldn't help but videotape a bit of the performance from the song tonight and I have posted it below so enjoy!

Overall, watching tonight's performances was like taking a trip down memory lane for me. There are so many songs that just stick with you as a chorister and it was fun to hear some of them again tonight and revisit all the memories associated with them.

Until next time, take care!

















Cantilon's 10th Anniversary Birthday Cake
















The Cantilon Chamber Choir

Broadway Gala Part II

In continuation of my entry over my contemplation about the Broadway Gala, I'd like to share of my most recent experiences with the Broadway Gala this year. There is something about putting on an actual production that is very different than preparing for a choral competition. You end up spending much more time on a musical theatre production than you can hope to budget for. After 9 years of putting on the Broadway Gala one would think that I would be prepared for all the extra rehearsals and prep the show requires...but it seems to catch me off guard every year!

This year was no exception and it was not aided by that I fact I missed rehearsals leading up to the production. I missed some massive blocking rehearsals and run-through opportunities, however, by using my "look-like-you-know-what-you're-doing" technique, I was able to survive. It's all about confidence. Confidence that you will be able to carry off the show even though some details may not be perfect.

The show was on Saturday and since I got back from Vancouver on Wednesday evening, that meant I only had Thursday's rehearsal to get through everything. At this point, I had yet to compile any of my costumes, which would be necessary for Saturday's performance, (I just ended up just using things out of my closest) and I barely looked at my music (relying on the rehearsal c.d. we were given to learn the words). This didn't matter since it seemed like most people didn't seem to remember dance moves from the Tuesday blocking rehearsal I missed anyway. Thank goodness for friends in the choir you can shadow until you know what you're doing!

As well, since I was early to Thursday's rehearsal, I was recruited to be a showgirl-like back-up dancer for the solo number "Big, Blonde, and Beautiful." We started blocking the dance on Thursday but we didn't finish it until 1pm on the day of the show! This dance was a lot of fun and as apprehensive I might have been about it, I thoroughly enjoyed myself. I'm not sure what that says about me and my satisfaction in displaying a sexualized persona of myself for public viewing. As well, the experience was memorable largely due to the fact it was so much fun working with our lively choreographer and it was inspiring to see his commanding strut.

The show itself had it's fair share of hiccups. We were working with a pianist who specialized in musical theater and he was amazing except for the fact that we barely had anytime to rehearse with him so during our South Pacific dance number, timing was off in some places and it was hard for us to keep up with him. Also, the smoke machine man kept on releasing billows of fog in anticipation of the Wicked numbers, but he kept on doing it while 6 soloist were gently singing ABBA's "I Have a Dream," and the massive hissing smoke sounds coming from the machine was not exactly inconspicuous.

Another number I signed up for was to be a mother for "Mama I'm a Big Girl Now" from Hairspray. I absolutely adore this song so I was happy to be volunteer to be one of the Mom's, but it didn't occur to me only after that I was only a few years older than my pretend daughter. I must have had her when I was 7...oh well, minor details! I knew I would just have to compensate by displaying motherly frustration as my daughter contemplated physical experimentation with males. The song went well enough and although I accidentally dragged my daughter off to the wrong side of the stage (which meant that she had to quickly dash across the back of the stage to enter into her lineup for the Corny Collins show) no permanent damage was done...minus the mic that was still on her during the whole Corny Collin's dance number...and minus the fact you could hear the mic pop everytime she moved...again, minor details really!

All in all the Broadway Gala succeeded and everyone had a lot of fun. That's what it comes down to really, it doesn't matter how many tiny imperfections there were about the performance, but just the fact we were able to get through it and have a lot of fun as well. Everybody had their own part to play and everybody executed what they needed to do. All the soloists carried their pieces off beautifully and we all worked together to produce a show that was extremely entertaining. It also helped that Steven consented to be Edna from Hairspray. Not every man can pull that off...props to Steven!

I can only imagine what Broadway Gala v.10 has in store!

Thanks to Amy for providing the photos!










Dancing Queen soloists












Disco ready!













Mother and daughter strike a disco pose :)












The South Pacific Sailors













Kayla looking adorable in her South Pacific outfit
















Our very own Steven as Edna! I think he might be wearing my red lipstick....