Calgary Children’s Choir Blog

  • Three Reasons Why You Should Sing Every Day

    For many of us, singing is already a big part of our lives; we have choir rehearsals, workshops and concerts. But singing on a daily basis, even if it’s just for a few minutes at a time has several impressive benefits: #1. Stamina: As with any muscle, the more you work out your voice, the…

  • Folk Concert 2015 – ‘Home’ Roundup!

    On Sunday afternoon, March 1st 2015, the Calgary Children’s Choir performed at our annual Folk Music concert at the Rozsa Centre. The theme of this year’s Folk Concert, was ‘Home’, and our concert was emceed by our talented Creative Consultant, Kat Long-Jones. Our concert featured artwork made by the choristers at our recent Winter Retreat,…

  • 5 Ways In Which Singing Makes You More Creative

    #1. Awareness: A singer’s instrument is different from other instruments, because it is contained within a singer’s body. This means that singers have to have an excellent awareness of their own body, and they need to visualize their voice in a way that other musicians don’t have to. The inability to see one’s instrument allows…

  • Winter Retreat 2015 Roundup!

    On the weekend of January 30th, to February 1st, the Calgary Children’s Choir went up to Camp Horizon in Bragg Creek for our first ever Winter Retreat! The weekend was absolutely magnificent! Friday January 30th – We  arrived at camp in the evening and where excited to begin! We played a really fun-and competitive game…

  • Singing Spaces

      The best kind of music is influenced by small, seemingly insignificant elements. Where the musicians stand or sit, how well they watch their conductor, the way in which they listen to the other performers. One of these subtle elements, is the space in which a musician performs. A ‘live’ space, is one in which…

  • The 5 Best Music Apps For Singers

    Apps have become prevalent with our use of technology, and they can be highly beneficial for singers on the go. There are a myriad of excellent resources available for musicians at the touch of a finger, but here are 5 apps that we think are some of the best for singers. YouTube: (available for iOS and…

  • 3 Ways Singers Can Manage Illness

    Getting sick at some point during the singing season is inevitable, but it doesn’t necessarily mean that a singer is completely out of commission. Here are three ways that singers can manage illness: #1. Be proactive: The best thing a singer can do is to prevent themselves from getting sick by being proactive. This can…

  • The Benefits of Singing With An Orchestra

      The Calgary Children’s Choir has been very fortunate over the years to have performed with a variety of musicians both locally and internationally. It is of the utmost benefit to young minds to be as exposed to as many kinds of performances as possible. From our concerts with local musicians, to our yearly participation…

  • Welcome to 2015!

    Welcome back to 2015 everyone! We have a very exciting year ahead of us, and we’re thrilled for you to join us! At the end of January, our Children’s Choir, and Youth Choir will be returning to Bragg Creek for a Winter Choir Camp retreat! This is the first time we’ve held a winter retreat, and…

  • A Child’s Carol 2014 – Christmas Concert Roundup!

    On Saturday December 13th, we were thrilled to present The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey in concert with VoiceScapes! The evening was a wonderful combination of storytelling and holiday music. The beautiful Rozsa Centre was decorated by our amazing Creative Consultant, Kat Long, who crocheted 385 stars for us by hand! We were also very excited…

  • VoiceScapes!

    We are very excited this year to be sharing our annual Christmas concert, A Child’s Carol, with the professional vocal group; VoiceScapes!   VoiceScapes is a four member vocal group that was formed in 2000. Their members have extensive experience in vocal music, and we have been very fortunate to feature two of its members, Christina Jahn…

  • The Value Of Singing In Different Languages

    Since the Calgary Children’s Choir is a Canadian choir, a large portion of the music we sing is in English. We have also sung in French, German, Italian, Spanish, Finnish, Japanese and several other languages! Singing in your native language is great, because you already understand the text. But there is a great deal of…

  • The Purpose Of Choir Workshops

    For every major concert that we have, we also have a choir workshop. These choir workshops occur on the Saturday two weeks before the concert. They are an essential aspect of our choir year. Here are several reasons why choir workshops are important: #1. To work the music: This is the number one reason why…

  • Organization In Choir – Concert Readiness

    Concerts are some of the most important events for our choir during the year. Here are several tips to make sure you are organized and ready for a concert! #1. Make sure your uniform is ready: Our uniforms are an important aspect of our presentation as a choir, so you need to ensure that your…

  • Organization In Choir – Perfecting the Music

    Preparing music is not just about learning words, and notes, and rhythms, it is about how all of those elements come together to make a piece of music. Here are three things to think about when it is time to fine-tune our music: #1. How the sound blends together: Choral singing is not just about…

  • Organization In Choir – Learning Music

    Sometimes learning all that music can feel overwhelming! Here are several tips to help organize learning your music: #1. Attend rehearsals: This is the single best thing a chorister can do to learn their music. Attending rehearsals  reinforces the music regularly, and ensures that choristers can learn their music, and feel successful performing. Paying attention…

  • Organization In Choir – Important Dates

      Aside from our regular rehearsals, the choir also has several important dates to remember during the year. Here are several steps to help you remember the important dates for choir: #1. Ensure you receive a calendar at the beginning of the choir year: Our business manager Mrs. White, gives each chorister and their parents a…

  • Organization In Choir: The Music Binder

    Our music binders are one of the most important aspects of our choral lives that we need to keep organized. Because of the high volume of music that we learn, especially music that we work on throughout the year, there are several steps we take to ensure our binders stay organized. The first step is that…

  • Performer Placement

      There are many different ways to arrange a choir, based on how the conductor determines the best choral sound can be achieved. This can lead to many variations in performer placement. #1. In a more traditional choir formation, the lowest voices are usually found in the middle section of the choir. This can be…

  • Choir Camp Roundup 2014!

    This past weekend we returned to choir camp out in Bragg Creek, for a weekend full of fun, laughter, and music! Our theme this year, created and implemented by our brilliant Creative Consultant, Kat Long, was ‘Science Camp!’ The choir was joined by the eccentric ‘Professor Pfiefferhorn’ from ‘Tunesburg’ (played by the wonderful Kat Long.) He…

  • How To Get The Most Out Of Choir Camp

    Every year the Calgary Children’s Choir spends a weekend at camp in Bragg Creek at the end of September. The purpose of choir camp is to get to know one another, and to have a concerted period of time during which we can really get a good start on our music. This is so important…

  • Unisong!

      The Calgary Children’s Choir will be going on tour in the summer of 2015, and we are so thrilled to be returning to the Unisong music festival in Ottawa! The choir first attended the Unisong music festival in 2007, and we are very excited to be returning again.     The Unisong choral festival takes…

  • Welcome!

      Welcome back to another year of choir! We’re thrilled to see you all again! This year we have a number of exciting changes: First, we’re very happy to introduce a new program to the CCC family! The Music Makers program is for 3 and 4 year olds and is  intended to introduce young children…

  • Spring Concert Roundup! Songs of the Cinema

    On Saturday May 10th, 2014 we had our final concert of the year – our annual spring concert at the Rozsa Centre. This year, our theme was Songs of the Cinema, and we paid musical tribute to all of our favourite music from movies! Featuring music from The Lord Of The Rings, The Lion King,…

  • Songs Of The Cinema: How Film Orchestras Work

    In preparation for our upcoming concert, Songs of the Cinema on May 10th 2014, we are starting a blog series of the same name, which will focus on a different aspect of ‘movie music’ each week!   A film orchestra is a very specialized type of ensemble musical group. For the most part, orchestras that have been…