Georgetown Choral Society Sings for Haiti in New York
January 22nd 2010
Georgetown Choral Society (GCS) participated in a combined mass performance at Avery Fisher Hall in Lincoln Center, New York City, on January 18. Some of the night’s proceeds are going to relief efforts in Haiti. Here are more details about this exciting concert and great honour for the GCS, sent to us by Iris Derke, General Director, Distinguished Concerts International New York (DCINY) of New York City.
On January 18, the Distinguished Concerts Orchestra International and Distinguished Concerts Singers International, comprised of more than 400 auditioned chorus members from across North America, including the Georgetown Choral Society (A. Dale Wood, director), presented the Inaugural concert of DCINY’s 2010 Season at Lincoln Center’s Avery Fisher Hall, home of the New York Philharmonic. Featured soloists included Erica Powell, Cherry Duke, Adam Russell, Mark Watson and Geraint Llyr Owen.
Under the baton of DCINY principal conductor Jonathan Griffith, the Distinguished Singers/Orchestra International performed two pieces by world-renowned living composer Karl Jenkins, in a celebration of peace commemorating the spirit of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Both pieces, Requiem and The Armed Man, were set with film accompaniment, and were dedicated to the victims of the crisis in Haiti, with a portion of the night’s proceeds being donated to the relief efforts.
The audience enjoyed the opportunity to reflect on Dr. King’s vision of peace, and what we all must do to help others in their time of need. The performance was memorable for audience members and performers alike, and the occasion was more than well celebrated with a standing and enthusiastic ovation at the end of each work.
DCINY would like to congratulate the Georgetown Choral Society and looks forward to inviting them to participate in future concerts on the DCINY Concert Series.
This must have been a spectacular performance and is sure to be a lifelong memory for everyone who took part. Now GCS singers can answer the question “How do you get to the Lincoln Center in New York?” by saying “Get invited.”
African Art Added to Art Gallery of Hamilton
January 15th 2010Yesterday Mike & I attended an important media event at the Art Gallery of Hamilton (AGH) where some new African works of art were unveiled. We hope to publish a photo of this in our spring issue, but meanwhile, here’s the information straight from AGH themselves:
Noted Canadian Philanthropists and Art Collectors Joey and Toby Tanenbaum Donate Significant Collection of African and Tribal Art to Art Gallery of Hamilton
Over 100 works of art from Joey and Toby Tanenbaum’s collection of African and tribal art will find a home at the Art Gallery of Hamilton. The works bring together ritualistic and functional everyday objects, including masks, sculptures, containers, and architectural elements. Primarily from east, central, and west Africa, the majority of artworks date from the late 19th through the early 20th centuries, and are crafted from such materials as wood, terracotta, bronze, shell, bone, feathers, fibres, textiles, and other organic materials. The collection also contains artworks from Oceania.
“Without art, society would have no soul. Art fulfills so much within us, in our hearts,” said Joey Tanenbaum. “We’re very excited about this gift we’re giving to Hamilton.”
“This multi-million dollar donation of African and tribal art will truly transform our collection and our activities,” said AGH President and CEO Louise Dompierre. “The Art Gallery of Hamilton is honoured and touched by the Tanenbaums’ confidence and trust in our institution for giving us the opportunity – yet again – to enrich our programming with such a magnificent gift.”
In 2002, Joey and Toby Tanenbaum gifted the AGH with their extensive collection of 19th-century European art.
“In addition to appreciating these masterworks from Africa and Oceania on purely aesthetic grounds, these magnificent artworks also help us understand how similar objects inspired artists such as Picasso, Matisse, Braque and Brancusi, to name a few,” added Dompierre.
A selection of the Joey and Toby Tanenbaum collection of African and tribal art will be on display at the Gallery from May 22nd to September 6, 2010, as part of Vital Africa, the Art Gallery of Hamilton’s year-long celebration of African arts and culture and its influence on the world. Presented by TD, the celebration includes exhibitions, performances, talks, film screenings, and activities for families and children.
Founded in 1914, the Art Gallery of Hamilton owns one of the finest collections in Canada. Its collection strengths include European historical, Canadian historical, contemporary – and now – African art.
“Strange Places” Concert at Georgetown’s St. John’s United Church
December 13th 2009Don’t miss this!
SPECIAL CHRISTMAS CONCERT
To make you feel part of the season
Monday, December 14, 7 pm
St. John’s United Church
11 Guelph Street, Georgetown
the first block south of the Y intersection with Main Street
Something for everyone
¨ A short musical drama, “Strange Places”
reflects the idea that God appears in strange places,
perhaps a manger or in lives of those we know.
¨ The choir will sing traditional anthems
¨ Performances on the flute and grand piano
¨ Audience members will also join in familiar carols
St John’s with its strong musical tradition and superb acoustical space will uplift your spirit. Heading the musical ministry team of Diane Murray-Charrett and Elaine Rusk is Carolyn Maule, a professional musician when she is not directing the St. John’s choir.
No admission. Freewill donations will be shared with the Salvation Army’s Christmas Kettle campaign.
Winner of Tickets for Amy Sky, Marc Jordan, Dan Hill Concert
December 12th 2009 The winner of the draw for two free tickets to the Amy Sky, Marc Jordan and Dan Hill concert on Dec. 17 in Guelph is Carolyn Martin of Georgetown.
Thanks to everyone who entered the draw. We had entries from Kitchener, Guelph, Terra Cotta and Georgetown, making a good representation across the central part of our distribution area.
We also thank Full Capacity Concerts for providing the free tickets for our first draw. We’re pleased by the response to it and we welcome other freebie giveaways for future contests. Keep checking our blog for announcements of other offers.
Free Tickets to Amy Sky, Marc Jordan and Dan Hill!
December 09th 2009 Just a few days left to enter our draw for a free pair of tickets to the big-name concert of the season! The contest closes Sat. Dec. 12 at noon.
Amy Sky, Marc Jordan and Dan Hill will play the River Run Centre in Guelph on Dec. 17 at 8 p.m. Amy Sky is known for “I Will Take Care of You” and “Ordinary Miracles.” Dan Hill had hits with “Sometimes When We Touch” and “In Your Eyes.” They also perform in London’s Aeolian Hall on Dec. 18, for anyone out that way.
For your chance to win free tickets to the Dec. 17 concert, email editor@EscarpmentViews.ca with your name, address and phone number. To avoid being discarded as spam, don’t put the word “free” in the Subject line. We’ll arrange to have the tickets held in your name at the River Run Centre box office. These tickets have been generously provided by Full Capacity Concerts.
If you don’t win but would still like to attend this fun holiday performance, get tickets through the River Run special page.
Georgetown Choral Society to Play Lincoln Center, NY
December 07th 2009“A Candlelight Christmas” on Dec. 5 began with the Georgetown Choral Society (GCS) walking down the aisles through the audience, holding flickering lights while the women hummed “O Come Emmanuel.” The sound was like a medieval convent of nuns at worship. It was a lovely, atmospheric start to a varied concert.
There was a good mix of familiar carol melodies and less-known works. There were even two sessions of audience participation, much like seventh-inning stretches at baseball games, to keep people alert and energized. The old singalong carols were made fun by chorister Jack Morrison, who demanded better efforts and unusual treatments, even putting director Dale Wood on the spot to sing a solo chorus of “Jingle Bells.”
Performance highlights were “Christmas Kum Ba Ya,” an interesting arrangement of English and African lyrics, part of Bach’s Christmas Oratorio, sung in English as “Christians Be Joyful,” and “Carol of the Bells,” sung without organ accompaniment, sounding like a carillon of church bells. A significant work was a composition of director A. Dale Wood, “What Could I Give to This Stranger?” a beautiful new carol on the old theme of a gift worthy of the Christ child. Finally, Händel’s “Hallelujah Chorus” ended the concert, but not quite, as the choir sang a final work by candlelight.
My favourite piece of the night was their “Go Where I Send Thee,” a rollicking gospel carol. I’ve said before that it’s quite a stretch to get middle-aged white men and women to perform gospel well, but they did a great job of this. I suppose it’s best not to push the swayin’ and rockin’ throughout if it doesn’t feel right. It may even have made for a more dramatic surprise with the rhythmic clapping and foot stomping at the end. This is a real crowd pleaser that I hope they’ll perform frequently.
And some pretty amazing news is that GCS has been invited to perform in Lincoln Center, New York City on Jan. 18, 2010. They’ll perform Karl Jenkins’ “The Armed Man,” which they performed last spring in Norval. If you can be in New York at that time, try to get tickets to this.
Did you catch this performance? What other concerts are you enjoying?
Amy Sky, Marc Jordan, Dan Hill Perform in Guelph
December 03rd 2009 This is a fun experiment for us. We have two free tickets to give away for the Dec. 17 concert in Guelph by Amy Sky and Marc Jordan. Also performing will be Dan Hill, with much less hair than he had as I remember him from my university days. (How is it that we’ve gone grey or bald so quickly?) The 8 pm concert at the lovely River Run Centre promises to be “an evening of beautiful songs and stories with a touch of holiday spirit.”
Here’s the experiment. We will hold a random draw for two free tickets to this concert on Sat. Dec. 12. To enter this draw, email me at editor@EscarpmentViews.ca by noon on Dec. 12. Give your name, address, phone number and email address. Don’t put the word “Free” in the subject line, as my spam filter might reject your message.
We’ll hold the draw after noon on Dec. 12 and contact the winner. The tickets will be left for you in your name at the box office on Dec. 17. These tickets have been generously provided by Full Capacity Concerts.
We’ll be interested to see if our readers and viewers respond to this, our first giveaway. If you do, we might have more of these offers in future. Would you like us to?
Georgetown Choral Society Lights Up This Week
November 30th 2009 We’re entering the musical season, when community groups and professional organizations all along the Niagara Escarpment perform pre-Christmas concerts. The Georgetown Choral Society will present “A Candlelight Christmas” on Dec. 4 & 5 at Georgetown Christian Reformed Church.
I used to be a member of this large choir. With as many as 110 members, we could make such a loud sound that sometimes my ears would ring and I would feel dizzy from being in the midst of all the vibrations. What’s even more difficult, however, is having a large choir sing softly and clearly.
Director Dale Wood achieves this through patience and humour in rehearseals. I never saw him lose his temper. Only rarely would he say that we wouldn’t perform a particular number if we didn’t practise it on our own outside of rehearseal. When I became too busy with other stuff, I realized that I had to drop out of the choral society.
I still love choral music, though, for its power and sweep and majesty. And it’s utterly amazing when amateurs from small towns produce such spectacular sounds.
There is plenty to choose from this December. Dale Wood also directs the Georgetown Children’s Chorus and the Achill Choral Society, which performs in the Caledon/Orangeville area.
What concerts are in your community this month? Do you enjoy choral singing, as a listener or participant?
Georgetown Bach Chorale, Messiah in St. Elias Church
November 23rd 2009The smell is other worldly: a mixture of beeswax candles and rose incense. A heavenly scent that hits you when you enter the church. And when the priests greet you in the traditional manner of laying cheek to cheek, twice, perhaps three times, you’re engulfed in yet more scent of roses. The priests anoint their beards with rose oil, at least for feasts like Easter.
It’s a transcendent experience, and can be heightened by their long services of three hours or more, during which all but the weak stand the whole time. And if you haven’t slept much the night before, and are still fasting, because I’m still talking about Easter here, the headiness can be too much. Once I thought I might faint.
I’m describing St. Elias Ukrainian Catholic Church on the outskirts of Brampton. About 15 or 20 years ago (can it be that long?) I used to go to that church on occasion, as a visitor, with a devout friend who was attracted to their liturgy and singing. Even I found myself timidly singing along in Ukrainian, although I don’t speak a word of it, unable to resist the wonderful, eerie harmonies.
I am thrilled that this weekend, on Fri. Nov. 27 and Sun. Nov. 29, Georgetown Bach Chorale will perform in St. Elias. And they’re performing one of my favourite works, Händel’s Messiah. The chorale is a small group of good singers led by Ron Greidanus, who will conduct while he plays harpsichord. The accompanying orchestra will perform on period instruments.
For the second year, Escarpment Views has been a media sponsor for the chorale.
I’m looking forward to enjoying one of my favourite musical works in one of my favourite churches. It promises to be a mystical evening. I’ll be sure to bring tissues.
Tickets are $25 for adults and $10 for students and are available at one of our loyal advertisers, Foodstuffs on Georgetown’s Main St. Tickets may also be available at the door of St. Elias on Heritage Rd. just north of Hwy. 7, if they haven’t been sold out.
Will you be there? Are you a fan of Messiah? Have you ever been to a church like St. Elias?
International Collaborative Art Project on disability by VSA arts
November 19th 2009Here’s some interesting arts news I received, but its timeframe doesn’t let us publish it in the magazine — it came too late for our winter issue, but will be over before our spring issue comes out.
VSA arts wants people around the world to get out their art supplies and create a visual representation of the word “disability” for its International Collaborative Art Project. Anyone can participate by downloading a postcard and creating a visual representation of impressions, experiences, and perceptions associated with disability. All languages are accepted.
“We want everyone to create a postcard that interprets the word ‘disability’ and mail it in!” remarks Soula Antoniou, president of VSA arts. “Everyone has thoughts and ideas about ‘disability.’ For the cost of a stamp, anyone anywhere in the world can be included in this art project.”
The postcards will become part of an exhibit that will be displayed at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts during the 2010 International VSA arts Festival, June 6–12.
The deadline for receipt of postcards is February 5, 2010. Visit http://www.vsarts.org/postcardproject for entry instructions. Entry instructions are available in English, Spanish, French, Arabic, Chinese, and Russian online. Large print and braille formats of this call for entries are available upon request. In addition to a Washington, D.C., exhibition at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, the International Collaborative Art Project will be displayed online at www.vsarts.org/postcardproject .
About VSA arts
VSA arts is an international nonprofit organization founded 35 years ago by Ambassador Jean Kennedy Smith to create a society where people with disabilities learn through, participate in, and enjoy the arts. VSA arts provides educators, parents, and artists with the resources and tools to support arts programming in schools and communities. VSA arts showcases the accomplishments of artists with disabilities and promotes increased access to the arts for all people. Each year, 7 million people participate in VSA arts’ programs through a nationwide network of affiliates and in 54 countries around the world.
