The five-day Summer Institute for Science-Informed Choral Singing and Conducting will be valuable to anyone in a vocal leadership role: choral conductors, assistant conductors, section leaders, voice teachers, etc. Here you will:

• Learn the fundamentals of the five systems of the voice (Respiration, Phonation, Resonance, Registration and Cognition) and how they can operate synergistically to create compelling vocal tone replete with colour and energy.

Gain a better understanding of vocal physiology and key acoustic factors such as harmonics, formants and the intrinsic pitch of vowels.

• Acquire important pedagogical skills and tools that will help you communicate this new-found knowledge effectively to your singers and ensembles.

   
Participants are encouraged to register by May 15th by clicking HERE.
Questions?: Contact Laurier Fagnan ([email protected])

The Virtual Heart Connection aims to connect people with congenital heart disease (CHD) through various online and in person events. We are a group of volunteers based at the Stollery Children's Hospital, whose reach extends to several Pediatric Cardiac centres across Canada. In association with the Canadian Congenital Heart Alliance (cchaforlife.org) we produced our first Congenital heart children's music video to celebrate the CCHA's 20th anniversary in 2024 which you can view here: https://youtu.be/puxx8ZPA7VI?si=ugczazEhgapOi428
 
We would like to know who would be interested in joining an online choir in 2025. Sessions will be held via zoom on Sundays from January to March 2025 at 4 pm (mountain time) which is 6 pm (eastern time). Any child or adult with congenital heart disease and immediate siblings or family members are welcome to join. We will teach you the parts and explain how to record your singing and video during the sessions. You do not have to sing in front of everyone as you will be muted during the sessions. No experience is necessary so just join for the fun. Sessions will be recorded so you can still participate even if you can't make it on the day. Once we have some interest we will chose a song accordingly.
 
If you have any questions feel free to email us at [email protected]m.

We are celebrating 40 years of helping children and teens find their voices, and we’d love to have all past choristers, directors & board members join the celebration by participating in our 40th Anniversary Concert in June!
 
For more information contact: [email protected]
www.elkislandchoirs.ca

Join us for our Spring Choral workshop on April 6, 2024 from 12-4 pm with special guest clinician, Dr. Joy Berg.

Glory Lutheran Church
22577 AB-16
Sherwood Park, AB  T8A 4T7

No singing experience required; just bring a bottle of water and your voice! For more information, go to www.festivalsingers.ca.

This year is the tenth anniversary of the Great 2013 flood.  It devastated Calgary particularly, Elbow Park, Bowness, and Roxboro.  It also wiped out neighbouring communities including Siksika.  It was an experience that no one can ever forget.  It was a time when neighbor helped neighbor, and we saw the best in each other.   
 
Christ Church Elbow Park was on the shores of the flood, and provided food, a place to clean up, and a place to find solace.  To reflect on the flood, Christ Church Elbow Park through the generosity of two members of its community, commissioned Paul Halley “a Grammy award-winning Canadian composer” to write something that would reflect the best of the flood experiences.  He used the oral histories collected by the communities and called the composition “Hope Rising.”     
 
The world debut will be June 11 at 10:30 at Christ Church Elbow Park.  When asked what would describe the piece, the Choir Director, Margaret Newman, after thoughtful reflection, said “grand cathedral music.”   
 
The commemoration of the flood came out of a desire to collect Elbow Park and Siksika memories of that year which were still strong after a decade.  A booklet of oral histories collected from first responders and those who were impacted is also being published through a grant from the City of Calgary.  It offers the recollections of two communities: Siksika and Elbow Park.  What it showed more than anything was the strength of community and neighborliness. During the summer the same grant from the City of Calgary will also see an Indigenous Blackfoot traditional commemoration of the flood at both Christ Church and on the reserve.  There will also be a small exhibit of photographs collected from the various communities.  There is not cost to any of the performances. 
 
Keep your calendars open June 11 at 10:30 for the world premiere of “Hope Rising” at Christ Church Elbow Park.  And watch for the drumming commemoration in Siksika and at Christ Church this summer.   
 
Contact:  Frits Pannekoek, 403-620-35465 [email protected] or Margaret Newman at  403-243-6506 (h) or 403-607-5973 (c).
 
We are grateful for funding from Treaty Seven Community Futures, the City of Calgary, and Young Canada Works for making these events possible.   

We are thrilled to announce the date of HarbourVOICES! - an international collective singing festival taking place in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. ​This festival will be unique in the world of choral festivals as it will focus on celebrating diversity and inclusion through the sharing of and developing an understanding of varied musical traditions and cultures. At the same time, we will highlight the musical culture and singing traditions of our own beautiful home - Newfoundland and Labrador.
 
This festival will be jam-packed with exciting and innovative collaborative sessions, workshops, exchanges, concerts, combined choir performances, and so much more! We aim to expand the horizon of choral festivals by infusing your Newfoundland and Labrador experience with cultural and musical exchanges from around the world. Outstanding international and Canadian singing groups will be featured during our afternoon concerts and evening highlight concerts.

www.harbourvoices.ca 

This August, we are holding our third choral conducting workshop for beginning, emerging and established conductors. This unique conducting workshop will include group conducting lessons with piano and Dr. Timothy Shantz, Alexander Technique lessons online with Dr. Timothy Pyper and daily opportunities to conduct members of Luminous Voices in rehearsal and performance. The week is intensive with three sessions per day and provides opportunities to refine rehearsal & conducting technique through interactions with singers and Artistic Director, Timothy Shantz. The choir will be made up of 10-12 singers from Luminous Voices. The workshop will culminate in a final performance directed by participants. The repertoire features several new works by Canadian composers, other select contemporary composers as well as classics of the choral repertoire.
​
Deadline to register is Wednesday, May 31, 2023. Register here.