CHORUSNIAGARA 2016/17 SEASON CHORUSNIAGARA.CA. ChorusNiagara ChorusNiagara100 ALL CONCERTS IN PARTRIDGE HALL

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1 CHORUSNIAGARA 2016/17 SEASON CHORUSNIAGARA.CA ChorusNiagara ChorusNiagara100 ALL CONCERTS IN PARTRIDGE HALL

2 Dear Choral Friends After such a thrilling debut season in the FirstOntario PAC, the excitement continues as Chorus Niagara embarks on its second season in the resplendent Partridge Hall with a richly varied, fun, and stimulating lineup of choral surprises. The greatest of all Romantic oratorios, Mendelssohn s epic ELIJAH opens our season with a stunning roster of soloists headed by Canadian superstar baritone RUSSELL BRAUN singing the dramatically moving title role. Mendelssohn s majestic score will leave you deeply moved and elated! Christmas welcomes the return of our biennial performance of Handel s glorious masterpiece, MESSIAH. Just as thrilling today as it was at its premiere in 1742, you will hear Chorus Niagara sing Handel s joyously exhilarating choruses as never before in the acoustically dazzling Partridge Hall. New directions are always part of our programming and we are so looking forward to presenting the Ontario premiere of popular UK composer Paul Mealor s THE FARTHEST SHORE. Top of the classical charts, Mealor has written a fascinating choral-drama based on the Celtic myth of a Welsh village cast under a spell by a mysterious little boy. This is an out-and-out dramatic, almost operatic work for both CN and our wonderful Children s Choir, with Mealor harkening back to the great oratorio tradition of Victorian England, through Handel to Mendelssohn. And, with the Celtic theme firmly in place, we celebrate Canada s 150th birthday year with our own fun-filled CHORAL CEILIDH full of Celtic surprises and lots of toe-tapping verve. To conclude the season, we invite you to experience the riveting and dramatic 1925 silent horror film PHANTOM OF THE OPERA as never before. The film will be projected on the giant PAC screen and accompanied by a live, original choral soundtrack which I have crafted for this macabre cinematic classic. Lon Chaney stars as the mad, disfigured composer whose passionate obsession for Christine leads to a poignant and murderous finale. Our organist extraordinaire Lynne Honsberger ramps up the action with inspired improvisations just as these great silent film classics were originally projected. This is a season of wonderful choral delights and listening adventures. I know the myth, magic, and music will live with you way beyond the final applause. Enjoy our 16/17 season as the excitement continues! Robert Cooper, CM Artistic Director

3 FAHERTY DE MENEZES ACADEMY LILLIAN BROOKS ELIZABETH POLESE AIRFID REDEEMER ALUMNI CHOIR LESLIE ANN BRADLEY NORAH HOFF ELIJAH MOFFETT RUSSELL BRAUN ANITA KRAUSE CHORUS NIAGARA CHORUS NIAGARA CHILDREN S CHOIR DOUGLAS MILLER NIAGARA SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA JACQUES- OLIVIER CHARTIER LYNNE HONSBERGER TALISKER PLAYERS ADAM LUTHER JOEL ALLISON

4 ELIJAH Saturday, November 5 7:30 PM The greatest of all Romantic oratorios, Mendelssohn s epic ELIJAH opens our season with a stunning roster of soloists headed by Canadian superstar baritone RUSSELL BRAUN singing the dramatically moving title role. Mendelssohn s majestic score will leave you deeply moved and elated! The Power of 100 welcomes guests Russell Braun, Leslie Ann Bradley, Anita Krause, Adam Luther, Niagara Symphony Orchestra, and Redeemer College Alumni Choir. Concert Sponsored by Josephine Henderson Pre-concert chat at 6:30 PM

5 MESSIAH Saturday, December 10 7:30 PM Chorus Niagara s biennial performance of Handel s glorious masterpiece, MESSIAH, performed on period instruments as it was at its premiere in Accompanied by superb soloists Lillian Brooks, Elizabeth Polese, Jacques-Olivier Chartier, Joel Allison, and the Talisker Players Baroque Orchestra. Concert Sponsored by Peter & Janet Partridge

6 THE FARTHEST SHORE A CELTIC CELEBRATION Saturday, March 4 7:30 PM The provincial premiere of Welsh composer Paul Mealor s THE FARTHEST SHORE is an ambitious choral drama, based on a Welsh Celtic folk tale about a mysterious boy who was washed ashore in a storm, written for soloists, chorus, children s chorus, brass quintet and organ. Celebrate Canada s own strong Celtic roots with the help of our extraordinary guests the Chorus Niagara Children s Choir, Celtic Ensemble Airfid, Brass Quintet, and the Flaherty De Menezes Academy Irish Dancers. Chorus Niagara s Children s Choir sponsored by

7 PHANTOM OF THE OPERA Wednesday, May 3 7:30 PM The riveting and dramatic 1925 silent horror film PHANTOM OF THE OPERA performed with a live, original choral soundtrack including Gluck, Gounod, Bizet, Saint-Saens, and Poulenc. Lon Chaney stars as the mad, disfigured composer whose passionate obsession for Christine leads to murderous love. Organist extraordinaire Lynne Honsberger ramps up the action with inspired improvisations just as these great silent film classics were projected originally. Concert Co-Sponsored by Ken Rempel & Pre-concert chat with Joan Nicks, adjunct professor of film and popular culture, at 6:30 PM

8 CHORUS NIAGARA THE POWER OF 100 Chorus Niagara is the Niagara Region s premier symphonic chorus. Our over 100 singers present passionate performances of choral classics, contemporary works, new commissions and little-known treasures. Our organization is proud of its expansive youth initiatives including the Chorus Niagara Children s Choir, the Side-By-Side High School Chorale, and the Robert Cooper Choral Scholars Program, and is pleased to showcase Canadian composers, musicians and vocal artists. You can see and hear Chorus Niagara this season in Partridge Hall in the FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre, at our annual Singathon, around the community and on YouTube as our famed Hallelujah Flash Mob has brought international acclaim to the region with over 48 million views! The concert was truly a musical high for me. I had goose bumps from the minute the choir began singing congratulations to Chorus Niagara for taking the audience beyond the notes on the page and into the spiritual realm that speaks to one s soul Bravo! Bravo! Bravo! J HUNTER OUR CHORAL FAMILY Chorus Niagara Children s Choir The Chorus Niagara Children s Choir (CN) is a dynamic group of children, aged 6 to 17, who study and perform choral music. Conductor Amanda Nelli is committed to building confidence, and bringing joy to youth. A strong emphasis is placed on sight-singing, ear training and music theory exercises. The CN performs their own concerts, participates in Chorus Niagara concerts, and sings at various festivals and local community events. Side-by-Side High School Chorale Chorus Niagara invites energetic young adult singers from Niagara Region high schools to rehearse and perform alongside Chorus Niagara in one or more concert performances in the FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre each season. Robert Cooper Choral Scholars The Robert Cooper Choral Scholars (RS) program supports and encourages aspiring Niagara-area vocal students pursuing post-secondary vocal studies. As participants in the program, students will have the opportunity to work with one of Canada s top choral conductors, further their solo experience and musical training, receive a financial stipend, and enjoy the mass-choir experience with Chorus Niagara.

9 SING WITH US! Chorus Niagara Auditions (905) Lolly Pettigrew Chorus Niagara Children s Choir Auditions (905) Amanda Nelli directorcncc@gmail.com Side-by-Side High School Chorale (905) Ruth MacVicar ruth.macvicar@sympatico.ca Robert Cooper Choral Scholars (905) John-Luke Addison cnadmin@becon.org OTHER EVENTS Singathon February 18, am 3 pm Seaway Mall Chorus Niagara s five hour non-stop singing marathon! Singathon features entertaining local celebrity conductors and the Chorus Niagara Children s Choir. A fun day for the whole family. Free to the public. Donations are appreciated. Trivia Night March 31, :30 pm start (doors open at 6:45 pm) Location TBA A great night out with lots of fun people. Love a challenge? Have some clever friends? Our questions are prepared, the pencils are sharpened and our quiz master is ready!! Mahler Symphony 2 (Guest of Niagara Symphony Orchestra) May 21, :30 pm Partridge Hall One of the great 19 TH century works for orchestra, Mahler s Resurrection Symphony gathers immense musical forces on a spiritual quest to address questions of life and death, love and hope. The entire concert is dedicated to this remarkable work, which fills the stage of Partridge Hall with over 200 musicians and choristers. CONTACT US! Chorus Niagara 221 Glendale Avenue, P.O. Box St. Catharines, ON L2T 4C4 (905) Diana McAdorey, Managing Director cnadmin@becon.org chorusniagara.ca Charitable Registration RR0001

10 SEASON ORDER FORM SUBSCRIBE NOW & SAVE! q RENEWAL q NEW SUBSCRIPTION PRICE/SEAT # OF SEATS TOTAL SUBSCRIPTION SUMMER SPECIAL (AUGUST 2-SEPTEMBER 3** 4 TICKETS) Adult $136* Senior $130* Under 30 $88* Student $56* Child $46* SUBSCRIPTION FALL SPECIAL (SEPTEMBER 6-NOVEMBER 5 4 TICKETS) Adult $144* Senior $138* Under 30 $93* Student $59* Child $48* SINGLE TICKETS WILL BE AVAILABLE ONLINE SEPTEMBER 6, 2016 Adult $42* Senior $40* Under 30 $27* Student $17* Child $14* High School $5 Single Ticket Handling Fee Online Handling Fee $1 Phone or In-person Handling Fee $2 Mailing Fee $1.50 per order Subscription Handling Fee Flat Fee $5 Mailing Fee $1.50 per order Subtotal HST (13%) Charitable Donation. Thank you! TOTAL * Includes $2 PAC Capital Improvement Fund per ticket To authorize the FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre to release your information to Chorus Niagara, please check the following boxes: q I consent to share my personal information with Chorus Niagara q I consent to receive updates via from Chorus Niagara Dates to remember: **Current subscribers will have first choice of seats. Subscriptions will be available exclusively for subscribers between August 2 August 15. New Subscriptions available August 16.

11 Partridge Hall 781 Seats Partridge Hall Stage Balcony BOX Balcony BOX Balcony BOX Orchestra BOX A Orchestra BOX B Orchestra BOX C Section 1 Section 2 Section 3 A A B C D E F G H J K L M N P Q R S T Partridge Hall St. Catharines Performing Arts Centre Stage Partridge Hall St. Catharines Performing Arts Centre Stage B C D E F G H J K L M N P Q R S T Orchestra BOX D Orchestra BOX E Balcony BOX Balcony BOX EE U V W Aisle BALCONY Balcony BALCONY U V W Aisle Seating at PARTRIDGE HALL is assigned seating. Please purchase your tickets early so that you are not disappointed! Seat selection is on a first-come, first-served basis. Box Office Information Cheques payable to the CITY OF ST. CATHARINES 250 St. Paul Street St. Catharines, ON L2R 3M2 FirstOntarioPAC.ca/Online/Article/ChorusNiagara Toll Free Number: Phone: (905) boxoffice@firstontariopac.ca

12 Thank You to Our Gracious Sponsors an Ontario government agency un organisme du gouvernement de l Ontario Josephine Henderson Peter & Janet Partridge Ken Rempel Rempel Electric Ltd. Art & Val Fleming Fund M&N Walker Fund Chocolates Etc. CHORUSNIAGARA.CA