Now in its fifth decade, the Toronto Chamber Choir holds a place of prominence in the early music scene. Mark Vuorinen, now entering his fourth season as Music Director, is one of Canada’s rising choral conductors, with more than ten years of experience conducting professional and amateur singers. He follows David Fallis, the choir’s Music Director Laureate, an expert in early music who led the choir for more than two decades.
The choir distinguishes itself by its presentation of large-scale, often little-known, works of the Renaissance and Baroque repertoire, performed in authentic style. In 2007, we performed the Requiem by Francesco Cavalli,
a work rarely heard in Canada. A performance of the 40-voice motet Spem in Alium by Thomas Tallis was a fitting choice for celebrating our 40th anniversary in 2008. In 2010, we sang Media Vita by John Sheppard, an English composer who deserves to be heard more often. On Good Friday in 2010, we performed the profound Passion oratorio Membra Jesu Nostri by Buxtehude. Mark Vuorinen said, “This piece is comprised of seven discrete cantatas, each a meditation on a part of Christ’s crucified body. For the sixth cantata, a meditation on the heart, Buxtehude replaces the violins with a consort of five viols, a most extraordinary timbral effect!” In the spring of 2011, the choir presented a concert of music by Josquin des Prez, arguably the most famous composer during his own lifetime. Secular and sacred music was performed, including one of his greatest works, the Missa Pange Lingua. More notes are found in the Education and Outreach section of the website.
In our upcoming 2011-2012 season titled “Canticles and Cries,” we begin with an afternoon Kaffeemusik dedicated to the music of Johannes Ockeghem, a 15th-century Belgian composer. We will perform his 36-voice motet Deo Gratias and the mass Missa Cuiusvis Toni. In early December, we invite you to get a head start into the Christmas season by joining us for “A Boy was Born in Bethlehem,” a concert interweaving ancient carols and motets with modern songs. You’ll hear music by Lassus, Praetorius and other Renaissance composers juxtaposed with Sandström, Britten and Canadian Mark Sirett. Orlando Gibbons is the composer featured in our March concert. A selection of anthems, madrigals and street cries by London vendors will entertain and delight. The choir is accompanied by organ, lute and the viols of the Cardinal Consort. We close our season in May 2012 with a cantata by J.S. Bach, the composer at the heart of the choir. To be accompanied by a Baroque ensemble, Brich dem Hungrigen dein Brot inspired the decision to hold a food drive at the Kaffeemusik.
The choir has an active education and outreach program, At the centre of it is our partnership with Rosedale Heights School of the Arts. Mark conducts workshops at the school, and students may be chosen for mentoring within the choir. The younger singers in the choir are often Rosedale students who have chosen to audition for us as regular members after their mentorship period. We rehearse and perform jointly with Rosedale students in school concerts, and in 2010 they joined us onstage for the first time at our season-closing Kaffeemusik.
In December, 2008 and 2010, we were invited to participate in the Toronto Consort’s “Praetorius Christmas Vespers”. By invitation, we will be the choir with the Ontario Philharmonic to perform Handel’s Messiah in December 2011. More information is in the Education and Outreach section and on the Ontario Philharmonic website www.ontariophil.ca.
We enjoy interaction with our audiences, and like to share both musical insights and refreshments. At each concert, we provide educational and entertaining information about the works performed in order to enhance the concert experience of our audience members.
Auditions
If you are interested in auditioning for the TCC, please call 416-763-1695 for information.
It was an evening of well-chosen repertoire performed with technical assurance and secure musical judgment.
— The Globe and Mail