Saskatoon Chamber Singers entering a fifth decade
This choir of approximately 35 auditioned singers is beginning its 41st season under the direction of James Hawn and accompanist Rod Epp. As in the past, this season will consist of four concerts. They will all be held in Knox United Church with three of the concerts being performed both at 2:00 and then again at 7:30. The March concert will only be performed once, at 2:00 in the afternoon.
November 11 has been the opening date for over 20 years of each Saskatoon Chamber Singers’ season. This year is no exception. In fact, this year is special in that it marks the 100th anniversary of the end of World War I – the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month. Appropriately, the concert is entitled Armistice and one of the featured works on the concert is Armistice 1918 (Everyone
Sang) by Craig Carnahan who chose a text by Siegfried Sassoon. Although there was much rejoicing at the end of the war, there was still much sorrow and sadness as a result of the previous four years. Canadian composer Larry Nickel has written a 40-minute work called Crimson Stain which specifically commemorates the battle of Passchendaele (The Third Battle of Ypres), but in essence, commemorates all the battles and all those who were killed, wounded and survived in the war to end all wars. The piece is in 11 movements and is written for chorus, piano and cello. Other works on this concert are Prayer Before Sleep (Susan Labarr) and Amazing Grace (Ēriks Ešenvalds).
Starry, Starry Night is the title of the Sunday, December 16 concert and uses a cloudless, starry night as muse. All the pieces on this concert deal in some way with stars: some are seasonal and appropriate to this time of year, whereas others are more general in context. Some of the works on this concert are Away in a Manger (Ola Gjeilo), Ezar Ederrak (Josu Elberdin), Stars (Ēriks Ešenvalds), I Wonder As I Wander (John Rutter), Silent Night (D. F. Cook), The Music of Stillness (Elaine Hagenberg), The Stars Are With the Voyager (Eleanor Daley) and The Huron Carol (Robert Anderson).
On Sunday, March 10 the choir will present Voices of Earth which is the title of a three-piece work by Canadian composer Stephen Chatman. The pieces on this concert look at the many wonderful things the earth has to offer and remind us how appreciative of them we should be. Also on the program is Aaron Copland’s The Promise of Living for chorus and one piano, four hands. As well there will be other works by Canadian composers: Three Canadian Landscapes (James Wright), I Got Me Flowers (Allan Bevan), Ce beau printemps (Mark (Sirett) and Miles to Go Before I Sleep (Larry Nickel). There will also be a spoken piece called Geographical Fugue by Ernst Toch and a set of Songs from Shakespeare (Robert Jordahl). This concert will only be performed once at 2:00 pm.
The final concert of the season is on May 12 (Mother’s Day) and is called Inscriptions. This proves to be the most ambitious concert of the season and speaks to the indelible imprint that choral music can leave. This concert gets its title from a work by Normand Lockwood called Inscriptions from the Catacombs. It will also feature Psalm Trilogy for women’s voices and piano by Canadian composer Srul Irving Glick. There is also a short Salve Regina by Alessandro Scarlatti which includes two violins, cello and organ. Plans are to include the Poulenc Mass in G Major depending on whether all the stars align. In a more secular vein, there is a new version of Song for the Mira (Arr. Stephen Smith).
Please mark these dates on your calendars. Ticket information and more information about each concert will be available on our website
(saskatoonchambersingers.ca). Also watch for our new CD which will be out this September. It is called Worth a Repeat and features live performances taken from last year’s 40th anniversary season. Copies will be available at our Culture Days open rehearsal at Knox United Church on Sunday, September 30 from 2:00-4:00 p.m.
Inquiries about auditions are always welcome (jhawn@shaw.ca )or 306.249.3398.