Saturday, May 5, 2018

Arnprior Choral Concert TONIGHT! Glebe choirs, Stairwell Carollers, Gabriel Lewis-O'Connor - soloist

Concentration! Stairwellers Erin and Denyse flanked by young Glebe choristers
"United in Song"
TONIGHT, May 5th 8:00pm 
Rachel and Pierre have remained best buds since his retirement in 2014
For 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 TONIGHT - May 5th 2018.
Sopranos and altos from Glebe collegiate choirs sing with The Stairwell Saturday!
Taught by Glebe master teacher and choral music expert, Rachel Handley, these singers are easily some of the best voices in the city. Over the past years, the Senior, Chamber and Concert choirs won 1st place, and Junior Band earned both 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 - raising over $1,000 for Aquilla earthquake victims! They’ve also performed in Austria, Calgary, England, Boston, Chicago and Germany.
Pierre Massie,  Stairwell Carollers Director, retired as Glebe Arts head in 2014 but keeps up with the music program. He coaches Offbeat, the percussion group he created when teaching at Osgoode Township High School . Offbeat has received national and international recognition, taking gold 5 consecutive years in Calgary, Toronto, Montreal, Halifax and New York.
Pierre uses a quadratic seating arrangement for this mini workshop and rehearsal
The students dropped by for a mini-workshop/rehearsal with us in preparation for tonight's concert.
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.
Brand new faces in the alto section
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.
  • Tickets at the door are $20.
    Hope to see you at the concert tonight!

    also...
    Please DONATE to help out 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. 

    A registered Canadian charity, Net proceeds of our concert, CD and cookbook sales are gifted to local charities.

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    You can also email your questions to me - info (at) stairwellcarollers (dot) com.
    Thanks,
    Holly :)

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