Celtic choir helping St. Andrew’s
Sydney Mines church’s roof fund will benefit from concert
One of Canada’s top Celtic music singing ensembles will perform concerts in Sydney Mines and in Louisbourg on Wednesday.
The Canadian Celtic Choir from London, Ont., is touring Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick.
The Cape Breton concerts will be at St. Andrews Presbyterian Church, Sydney Mines with special guests Coro Cantabile. Tickets will be $20 at the door. There will also be a free impromptu concert at the Fortress of Louisbourg chapel in the afternoon.
According to Cape Breton Chorale member and local choir promoter Melissa MacNeil, the group travels and likes to help churches wherever they go.
“They are a touring choir and have previously opened for the Men of the Deeps and themselves have toured overseas,” said MacNeil.
“They are keen to promote Celtic-based repertoire in the choral tradition as they travel.
“On each of their stops they are partnering with a local church and the church will in some way benefit from the performance. In the Sydney Mines concert, for example, they will be contributing towards the
roof fund for the St. Andrew’s Church.”
In addition to performing and helping a church, MacNeil says these travelling choirs are an economic boon to the area.
“If they come to Nova Scotia and they have a positive experience, it benefits everyone involved,” said MacNeil. “They are here, making music and friendships, and spending tourism dollars right here in our local businesses.”
The Canadian Celtic Choir is a soprano/alto/tenor/bass choir of more than 50 voices and was founded in 1996 to sing and promote Celtic choral music and culture in south western Ontario.
The choir has performed at the Canada Summer Games, Windsor Celtic Festival, Goderich Celtic Roots Festival, Owen Sound Celtic Festival, Fergus Highland Games, Home County Folk Festival (London), Canterbury Folk Festival (Ingersoll), Fieldcote Summer Music Series (Ancaster), Lighthouse Theatre (Port Dover), the opening of the Wolf Performance Hall (London), and several times with Orchestra London.
They have opened for the Men of The Deeps, The Irish Descendants, John McDermott, Lighthouse and John Tesh.
The choir’s repertoire features songs primarily from Ireland,
Scotland, England, Wales and the Canadian Maritimes, ranging from the traditional (including a few songs sung in Irish, Gaelic and Welsh) to the more
contemporary.
Since 2010, the choir has been conducted by William (Bill) Zadorsky and accompanied by Jean Willadsen on piano.
The group has released five CDs, “Here’s To Song” (2001), “Christmas Remembered” (2004) and “We Rise Again” (2007) that are all out of print. The two most recent CDs, “A Celtic Noel” (2013) and “Celtic Inspiration” (2014), are both available for purchase from their website and at concerts.
The choir will also perform at Halifax’s Cathedral Church of All Saints on Friday at 7 p.m.