"United in Song"
this Saturday, May 5th 8:00pm
So exciting! To help celebrate the choir's 40th Anniversary, The Stairwell Carollers are hosting workshops and singing with guest choirs from
Glebe Collegiate Institute at our FIRST Spring 2018 Concert this Saturday May 5th.
Taught by Glebe master teacher and choral music expert, Rachel Handley, these high school students are easily some of the best voices in the city. Over the past years, the Senior, Chamber and Concert choirs won first place, and the Junior Band received silver and gold certificates. In Boston they won the Festival's Spirit Award for outstanding team work and positive attitude. In April 2009, the choir, band and Offbeat performed in Italy and raised over $1,000 for Aquilla earthquake victims. They’ve also performed in Austria, Calgary, England, Boston, Chicago and Germany!
Pierre Massie, Director of the Stairwell Carollers retired from Glebe as Arts head in 2014 but keeps up with their music program. He continues to coach
Offbeat, the percussion group he created when teaching at
Osgoode Township High School in Metcalfe, Ontario. Offbeat has received national and international recognition, taking gold five consecutive years in Calgary, Toronto, Montreal, Halifax and New York.
The students dropped by for a mini-workshop and rehearsal with us last week in preparation for this coming Saturday. Fun!
Stairwell Carollers, former Stairweller bass, Keith, and the Glebe choir kids rehearse for the finale, “Hostias”, from Fauré’s Requiem - specially arranged for voices by Stairwell director, Pierre.
This premiere performance will feature
Gabriel Lewis-O'Connor as baritone soloist accompanied by the combined choirs. You may recognize his name - he sang with the world renowned a cappella group
Chanticleer.
Glebe choirs will also sing:
"When it was yet dark", by Canadian composer Stephen Hatfield, known both for his exciting arrangements of world music and his original works. He has received the Governor General's Gold Medal among other awards. A contemporary Easter anthem, this piece gives Mary Magdalene's perspective on a well-known gospel story and mentions three of the women who were close to Jesus, thus turning it into a moving feminist hymn for Christian women.
"Non Nobis Domine", composed by Rosephany Powell - arranged by William Powell will be performed by the Glebe Man Choir (boys only). Rosephanye Powell is an American composer, singer, teacher and researcher, who has been hailed as one of America's premier composers of choral music. Her compositions are characterized by beautiful melodies and rich harmonies - with diverse inspiration from African-American popular styles as well as music by Bach or Mozart.
Indodana , by Michael Barrett and Ralf Schmitt is a traditional South African sacred song about the Crucifixion. Barrett is a composer from Pretoria, South Africa, and his compositions and arrangements have been performed throughout South Africa and abroad. He is the founding director and conductor of The Chamber Singers, one of South Africa's most sought after Chamber Choirs. Schmitt specializes in African choral music and his compositions have often aired on television and radio.
Wade in the Water first published by the Work brothers - arranged by Robert Dietz is a traditional African-American Spiritual. Dietz studied music in Australia and in New York. This Spiritual has references from the Old as well as the New Testament, and is associated with the songs of the
Underground Railroad. They say
Harriet Tubman used to sing it to tell slaves how to avoid the dogs by taking the path of the river.
Daemon, by composer Gyorgy Orban - a latin sacred piece. Romanian-born Hungarian, Orban taught at the Romanian Academy of Music before becoming professor of composition in Budapest in 1982.
He mixes his choral music with traditional liturgical renaissance hymns and jazz.
Complete Concert Programme will be posted Wednesday!! Watch this space!!
Advance tickets, $15 available at...
- Tickets at the door will be $20.
Hope to see you there!
Please DONATE to support our 40th year events !
All Donations receive a charitable receipt.
About Our A cappella Choir:
Pierre Massie started The Stairwell Carollers in 1977 while studying music at Ottawa University. We are ranked with the best of Ontario choirs, winning both the 2010 and 2013 Ontario Music Festival Association competitions.
