Collaborations will take place in Yellowknife (October 9-15) and Edmonton (October 15-19)
In 20 years together, the Canadian Chamber Choir singers have performed in nearly every nook and cranny of this vast country. But missing from an impressive list of locations from Squamish to St. John’s has always been the Canadian north.
That will change next month when we visit the Northwest Territories for the very first time.
“The CCC is so pleased to be realizing a longtime dream,” said Artistic Director, Dr. Julia Davids. “Yellowknife is a vibrant singing community and it will be an honour to work with some outstanding artists, both individuals and ensembles.”
The tour also marks a return to Edmonton for the first time since 2007. (Ironically, that was the only CCC tour Julia has ever missed – for maternity leave – and audiences may recall that Katy Luyk stepped in to lead the group in her stead.) In a full-circle move some 12 years later, the CCC is very excited to be collaborating with Luyk’s latest choir, Òran, on a joint concert.
Our itinerary begins on October 9 with our 24 singers and production team converging in Yellowknife from all over the country. We will immediately begin rehearsals for our concert repertoire, and in anticipation of the October 12 premiere of our newest choral commission entitled Where Waters Meet, in its composer Carmen Braden’s hometown.
The multi-movement piece showcases the work of Ojibwe/South Asian poet Yolanda Bonnell and fiddle playing of Wesley Hardisty while exploring various Canadian perspectives on water. The 15-minute work will be unveiled alongside a dynamic program of all-Canadian repertoire that features both emerging and established composers. Local choir Aurora Chorealis, under the direction of Margo Nightingale, will perform as special guests and Nightingale has also been invited to serve as our Conducting Fellow and will be a guest conductor throughout the tour.
As part of our initiatives for singers of all ages and stages, we will be presenting workshops in Yellowknife for ensembles from the Yellowknife Choral Society and students at Sir John Franklin High School. We will also mentor three Apprentice Singers, while several local conductors will benefit from the tutelage of our artistic team.
On October 15, we will head to Edmonton. There, we’ll look forward to workshops at the University of Alberta, Concordia University and King’s University, as well as with the Edmonton Youth & Children’s Choirs and secondary-level students from several area schools.
A collaborative concert will take place on October 18 with two choirs from the renowned Kokopelli organization (Òran adult choir and the brand new ChandraTala upper voices adult choir) and will feature the second-ever performance of Where Waters Meet.
We are so excited to be bringing a body of exciting music to new Canadian audiences this fall. Please help us in spreading the word about these performances, and stay tuned for information about our upcoming CD release!
PUBLIC ITINERARY:
Saturday, October 12
Where Waters Meet – World Premiere
with special guests Wesley Hardisty (Dene fiddler), Aurora Chorealis (community choir), Margo Nightingale (conducting fellow), and Carmen Braden (composer)
7:30 pm • Northern Arts and Cultural Centre (Yellowknife)
Tickets: $35 at the door, $30 in advance, $10 for students. Available at carmenbraden.com.
Co-presented by Black Ice Sound & Yellowknife Choral Society
Friday, October 18
Where Waters Meet – Alberta Premiere
with special guests Wesley Hardisty (Dene fiddler), Òran (adult choir) and ChandraTala (upper voices adult choir), Margo Nightingale (conducting fellow), and Carmen Braden (composer)
7:30 pm • McDougall United Church (Edmonton)
Tickets: $30 ($25 students, $20 children aged 7-12). Available at kokopellichoirs.com.
The CCC gratefully acknowledges the support of the Canada Council for the Arts, SOCAN Foundation, Lloyd Carr-Harris Foundation, and FACTOR (The Foundation Assisting Canadian Talent On Recordings) in making this project possible, alongside generous donors across North America.