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March 2012

     
    Mar 30, 2012

    Choral Spectacular - March 30, 2012

    Tannis Sprott (soprano)

    We returned to our home turf of Trinity-St. Paul’s Thursday night for our second “opening”. Although we couldn’t wave back, we did see all sorts of friends and family waving and cheering us on. The church is an intimate enough setting I recognized many regular subscribers, even though we have never met.

    Mar 28, 2012

    Choral Spectacular - March 28, 2012

    Tannis Sprott (soprano)

    It’s Wednesday morning, and as I start in on my second cup of coffee of the morning, I’m reflecting on last night’s opening concert at George Weston Recital Hall. It was an amazing evening, with an incredibly warm and receptive audience to accompany us on our musical journey.

    Mar 26, 2012

    Choral Spectacular - March 26, 2012

    Tannis Sprott (soprano)

    We began our Saturday rehearsal on an introspective note. Our former rehearsal accompanist, Bruce Kirkpatrick Hill, passed away unexpectedly last week. Even in a city the size of Toronto, the musical community is a small one, and he had many friends among the choir who wished to attend the funeral. It leant a special resonance and poignancy to our rehearsal of the Bach funeral anthem Der Gerechte kommt um. Music encapsulates all of life’s journeys, and our choral program encompasses them all.

    Mar 23, 2012

    Choral Spectacular - March 23, 2012

    Will Johnson (tenor)

    On Monday Evening this week we rehearsed our 20th century repertoire at Bloor Street United Church, which is just down the street from our regular venue at Trinity St. Paul’s Centre. We started the rehearsal working through a setting of the Gloria from the Mass for Double Choir by Frank Martin, moved on to the Lauridsen: La rose complète, and then onto our Poulenc motets. As we try to remain as authentic as possible to the texts, our Poulenc Latin pieces are sung using French pronunciation. One of the tricky things about singing French Latin is the nasalized vowels.

    Mar 18, 2012

    Australia/New Zealand Tour - Mar 18, 2012

    Cristina Zacharias (violin)

    The last day of the tour was a very busy one, with a kids show in the afternoon and the full concert in the evening. The New Zealand International Arts Festival closes two days after we leave and we were the last big musical performance of the festival. It was a nice touch that recent refugees and immigrants to Wellington were invited, as well as the 300 local students. It's always fun to hear the kid's questions at the end of the show, usually proof of how closely they were paying attention.

    Mar 15, 2012

    Australia/New Zealand Tour - Mar 15, 2012

    Cristina Zacharias (violin)

    From Adelaide our next and final Australian stop was Brisbane. We arrived to a gorgeous tropical day. Tom Georgi lived and worked in Brisbane until he joined Tafelmusik in 1989, and he invited us to a Turkish restaurant to meet a group of his friends from the local musical community.

    Mar 14, 2012

    Australia/New Zealand Tour - Mar 14, 2012

    Cristina Zacharias (violin)

    We left Sydney and headed to Adelaide, where we are part of the Adelaide Festival. The Adelaide festival is a huge month-long event that incorporates orchestras, bands, food, drink and a huge fringe festival.

    Mar 13, 2012

    Choral Spectacular - March 13, 2012

    Will Johnson (tenor)

    Bach, Handel, Frank Martin, Poulenc, Tavener, Whitacre – Our 30th anniversary concert is quite a diverse program! It’s very exciting to sing these classic motets and mass settings. As a primarily baroque choir it’s both refreshing and challenging to sing 20th Century music – it certainly keeps us on our toes.

    Mar 12, 2012

    Australia/New Zealand Tour - Mar 12, 2012

    Shaun Smyth (narrator)

    Monday was our first of two stops in Sydney and it went brilliantly. The schedule was very tight.

    Mar 7, 2012

    Australia/New Zealand Tour - Mar 7, 2012

    Shaun Smyth (narrator)

    It’s been a whirlwind trip so far. It seems like most everyone has gotten over their jetlag. Perth was our first stop and so beautiful. We played to a packed-out concert hall and some people even stood up – which we heard later was very unusual for Australian audiences.

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