Tag: choir

30th Reunion Roundup!

This past weekend was our 30th Reunion celebrations! An absolutely wonderful time was had by all, and a big thank-you to all of the volunteers , parents, teachers, conductors, alumni, and the wonderful Mrs. White who helped us make this weekend a success!

On Friday night we had a reception at the Crescent Heights Church. It was a wonderful chance to see everyone and catch up with old friends, as well as meet new ones! We shared lots of memories, and some of our photos from past tours were beautifully displayed on trifolds, so many of our alumni took a trip down memory lane! Following the reception we had a rehearsal, so we could all go over the music together. We had 30 years of favourites to cover, and many voices to blend together!

On Saturday morning we all met at the Rozsa Centre to rehearse. It was so wonderful to hear all the voices together, especially with the beautiful accompaniment of the instrumentalists!

Following the rehearsal there was a light lunch served in the beautiful foyer of the Rozsa. We were treated to two delightful performances; first Katie gave a wonderful performance of a musical theatre piece ‘Practically Perfect’ from Mary Poppins (which she hilariously dedicated to Marni Strome!), then brother and sister duo Josh and Kristen performed a duet together!

Then we opened up the floor to anyone who wanted to share some memories, or since something for us. We were fortunate to have a number of people speak, and it was wonderful to hear which choir moments had stuck with people over the past 30 years. Even more poignant were the moving tributes people gave; poignant stories about how choir had personally impacted their lives, and even shaped their decisions, and life choices. We had many laughs, and shed many tears together!

Our evening concert began at 7:00 with a selection of pieces performed by the current members of the Calgary Children’s Choir. After intermission, the current members were joined onstage by our CCC Alumni! We sang several of our favourite pieces, all orchestrated by the amazing Tim Janz!
(photos and videos below are courtesy of Donna Pahl)
It was a wonderful concert, full of friends, laughter, and of course – wonderful music! As Marni Strome said, “Here’s to another 30 years of the Calgary Children’s Choir!”

You Shall Have A Song:

Away From The Roll of the Sea:

A Child’s Carol:

Streets of London:

One of our alumni, Alex Guebert, put together this amazing video, with footage from the past 30 years. We showed it at our luncheon on Saturday afternoon, and had so much fun looking back at the last three decades of CCC!

What was your favourite part of the 30th Reunion Celebrations? Tell us in the comments!

May 15, 2017
Celebrating 30 Years of the CCC

We are very excited about our 30th Reunion celebrations this coming weekend. We have spent the past few weeks looking back on the changes we have seen in the CCC community over the last 30 years, and we look forward to the exciting future ahead for the Calgary Children’s Choir.

Our founder, Rosmarie Sherban started the Calgary Children’s Choir 30 years ago to provide children in Calgary with the opportunity to learn choral technique, and to have an enjoyable activity in which to participate outside of a school music programs.

The CCC program thrives on inclusiveness, engagement, and is incredibly focused on singing as an enjoyable pursuit, for anyone who wants to learn more about music. Our motto, ‘Singing For The Joy Of It’, has served us well for the past three decades; enhancing our delight in singing, strengthening the bonds between our choristers, and introducing us to a variety of wonderful musicians and artists – not just in Calgary, but all around the world!

We are so excited this weekend, to celebrate that core mission, to reunite with old friends from near and far, to perform some of our old favourites (and some wonderful new commissioned works), and most of all to celebrate our shared love of music at this weekend’s upcoming 30th Anniversary Celebrations. We hope to see many of you at our Reunion concert!

The CCC has been a proud member of the choral and musical community in Calgary for the past 30 years, and we look forward to another 30 years (and more!) of wonderful music, fantastic friends, and great community!

What are you most excited about for this weekend’s upcoming 30th Anniversary Celebrations? Tell us in the comments below!

May 8, 2017
Mentorship In Choir

Choir is wonderful for a myriad of reasons, but one of the best reasons is the community it creates. This is not just a community among peers, but among singers of all ages, abilities, and backgrounds. This creates a wonderful place to develop leadership skills. Here are three ways in which mentorship plays a huge role in our choir community:

#1. Learning Music:
Because we are not an auditioned choir, we accept singers at all stages of their musical development. Sometimes this can be challenging for those without any musical experience, so we encourage our choristers to help out anyone they observe to be struggling. This can mean, helping them to follow along in the music, helping with pronunciation of the song is in a different language, teaching them how to organize their music, or listening carefully to their own part! Learning from our peers is just as important as learning from our director!

#2. Modelling Behavior:
At the CCC we have a buddy system, where one of our younger Calgary Junior Choir members is matched with an older child in the Calgary Children’s Choir. This is a mutually beneficial relationship, where the younger chorister learns the behavior expected from our choristers, and the older child has the responsibility of modelling that behavior. We have always been impressed with how our choristers have risen to the occasion. Having an older chorister to look up to, encourages our younger singers to keep going, so one day they can be the older buddy!

#3. Moral Support:
Part of this supportive choir community, means that there is always someone on whom you can rely. This moral support is imperative in creating kind, generous choristers, who in turn can help others who need it. This is a positive feedback loop, where we encourage our choristers to help out those around them when needed, and then if they ever need support, we can give it back to them. Understanding that support from your choir family is unconditional helps us to create a wonderful, welcoming CCC community!

How else is mentorship in choir important? Tell us in the comments below!

March 20, 2017
Italy and Music

We are so thrilled to be going to Italy this summer on an exciting tour! Italy is one of the most exciting places for musicians, because it is home to some of the most beautiful art, architecture, and musical history in the world! There are many aspects that make Italy an intriguing place for those who love the arts to visit:

The Renaissance:
The ‘rebirth’ of Western Music took place in Italy, and is considered a cultural movement that pulled Europe out of the Middle Ages, a dark time in our history, where science, and progress were stagnant. Italy was the home of this cultural movement, and experienced an explosion in innovation and artistic pursuits during this time. Many of the beautiful, amazing buildings and art we are fortunate to enjoy now, came out of this rebirth, and we are very excited to get to see all of this beauty during our trip this summer!

Art and Culture:
Italy is home to a great deal of Western art and culture – from the remnants of the immense Roman Empire seen at the Coliseum, the Forum, and the Pantheon, to the modern fashion we see come out of the fashion capitals like Rome and Milan, we are most fortunate indeed that these aspects of our history have been preserved so beautifully, and that legacy of art continue into the modern day. Italy is also home to the City State of the Vatican, which has massive museums, filled with a myriad of art from various eras. In Florence, the Medici family were great patrons of the arts, and that patronage has imbued the city with a wealth of beautiful art.

Italian opera:
Italy experienced a resurgence in importance during the Romantic era, when Romantic Opera came to the forefront once again. Composers such as Bellini, Rossini, and Puccini, all enjoyed huge commercial success, and their operas are considered some of the most beautiful examples of Western vocal music. Italian Romantic Opera was large in scope, and full of beautiful arias, which most people (even those who don’t know much about music!) are familiar with, including ‘Nessun Dorma’, and ‘O Mio Babbino Caro’!

We would love for you to join us this Saturday, March 11th, 2017 for our concert featuring beautiful Italian music!

March 6, 2017
Silent Singing
Singers are often thought to be ‘delicate’ compared to other musicians. But because our body is our instrument, we have to take special care of it. This means that we cannot practice in the same way, or for the same amount of time that other musicians practice. Still, there are many ways to practice our music, that don’t actually involve singing.

Silent singing is one of these methods, and can be practiced in a variety of ways:
- listening to a recording while following along with the sheet music
- language study
- repetition of a specific passage
#1. Different perspective:
Silent practice affords the singer a new perspective on the music. Instead of focusing on vocal production, singers can focus on breathing, placement, their interpretation of the music, the subtleties of language, and much more! Silent practice is beneficial not just when a singer is sick, or their voice is fatigued, but it is an important aspect of practice to highlight other areas of singing!

#2. Language practice:
Language is such an important aspect of music. Even if a piece is written in a singer’s native tongue, there are a myriad of differences between singing language and speaking language. Silent singing allows singers to practice these subtle differences in a focused an deliberate manner!

#3. Anytime, anywhere:
One of the greatest benefits of silent singing is that it can be done almost anytime and anywhere! With headphones on the bus, in a coffee shop, even at the library! This ability to practice in virtually any environment, at any time, means singers can practice just as much as any other musician, just in a different manner.

How else can silent singing benefit us? Tell us in the comments below!
February 27, 2017
Maturity In Musical Taste

Musical taste is something that develops continuously throughout your life. Hearing different genres, from different periods in musical history, allows your ear, and your taste to synthesize what it likes about certain types of music, and what you dislike.

Because of the prevalence of pop music, (it’s called ‘popular music’ for a reason!) much of what choristers are used to hearing when they start singing in choir, is what is currently popular on the radio. While pop music is fun, and can be complex in terms of instrumentation, and often contains interestingly synthesized sounds, pop music is inherently simplistic. This is why it is popular – simple melodies, catchy rhythms, easily remembered lyrics, all help to cement pop tunes in our minds.

Many choristers have never heard true choral sound, many don’t know how to differentiate the sounds of different musical instruments, and increasingly, many are used to the synthesized sounds so commonly heard in pop music. While there is nothing inherently wrong with this, choir, and early childhood musical instruction affords choristers increased exposure to a multitude of different musical styles, and this exposure aids in accelerating maturity in musical taste.

Choristers are introduced not just to classical music, which is strikingly more difficult than pop in complexity, they are introduced to folk music, music from other cultures, sometimes sung in different languages, electroacoustic music, sung speech poems, soundscapes and much, much more.

This diverse instruction aids in choristers understanding and appreciation of not only more complex forms of music, but an inherent understanding of how such forms of music are created. Music theory and music history help to inform these opinions, as well as in-depth discussions of text, and compositional context. These are important skills in analyzing music, and this deeper understanding of music, helps choristers form informed opinions about their musical preferences.

How else does choir shape your musical taste? Tell us in the comments below!

February 6, 2017
The Benefits of Auditioning

Here at the CCC, we do not audition choristers for entry into the choir for several reasons. We firmly believe that anyone can, and should sing! Our motto is, ‘Singing For the Joy of It’, and we are happy to include everyone. Still, we do audition for solos, or small groups, and encourage our choristers to prepare auditions for school, or other artistic pursuits, because there are many benefits to auditioning:

#1. Preparation:
Auditioning teaches you how to prepare yourself. You cannot expect to just stand up, sight-read a piece, and earn a solo. That’s just not how it works. Singing by oneself is a completely different experience than singing as part of a group, and it needs to be prepared differently. In much the same way one prepares for a work interview, or a presentation at a conference, one must prepare a piece for audition, considering tone quality, intonation, and projection, as well as presentation, and emotive qualities. These are all essential life skills!

#2. Managing Emotions:
A certain level of emotionality is expected during an audition. Music is after all, a highly emotional pursuit, and singers are expected to emote while they perform. Still, emotions like nervousness, fear, and anxiety are all common when getting up to do an audition. Learning how to manage these emotions is not only an essential skill for singing, but is an important life skill. How choristers handle these emotions, are as unique as the choristers themselves, and no one way will work for every singer. Learning what works best for you, and for your audition is best.

#3. Confidence:
Confidence is important, and it’s not like a switch that you can turn on or off. Confidence is built upon, layer by layer, and experience by experience. Knowing that you are able to do something, and do it well, is a learned behavior. It starts by first taking a chance, preparing and managing yourself well, and then analyzing not only how you could make it better next time, but acknowledging what you did well! By accumulating these experiences, and by having the respect and support of your fellow choristers, your confidence will grow!

How else can auditioning benefit you? Tell us in the comments below!

January 30, 2017
Collaboration In Choir

Choir is, by definition, an exercise in collaboration. It is inherently collective; a shared experience, and it can help choristers to develop the essential skill of collaboration, both personally and musically.

#1. Working together:
This may seem self evident, but working together within a choral setting is fundamental. This isn’t just a musical point as well. Choristers learn in choir that sometimes external differences must be put aside in order to aid in the musical experience. Choristers must work together within their section, the sections must work together to create blended sound, and choristers must collaborate with their conductor to ensure that their voices are unified.

#2. Working with other choirs:
Collaborating with other choirs is a unique experience, because while there are many similarities, there can also be great differences between choral groups, and synthesizing those differences can be an excellent learning experience. Not every choral experience is the same, just as every conductor is not the same. Acknowledging similarities, and understanding, appreciating, and most importantly respecting differences are not just essential characteristics in music, but in life as well!

#3. Working with other musicians:
We are very fortunate in the CCC to have the opportunity to work with many other instrumentalists, whether we’re doing a larger work with orchestra, or working with one or two other musicians. Collaborating with other musicians is an important aspect of musical education, because it allows our young singers to understand the differences in sound. Balance, blend, and timbre change greatly when there are new instruments, and listening for these differences, and adjusting your own sound to accommodate these differences are important skills!

How else is collaboration important in choir? Tell us in the comments below!

January 9, 2017
Welcome to 2017!

Happy New Year! Welcome to 2017!

We are very excited to start 2017, because we have so many wonderful things happening in this new singing season.

-Rehearsals begin again on Tuesday, January 3rd, 2017!

-At the end of January we will be heading out to Camp Horizon once more for a Winter Retreat!

– On March 11th, 2017, we will be having our annual concert at the Rozsa Centre!

-Then, in May, we are thrilled to be celebrating our 30th Anniversary. You can read more about the founding of the Calgary Children’s Choir here. We are very excited to be welcoming back alumni and celebrating 30 wonderful years together with both current and former choristers!

-We are also looking forward to the summer, when we will be going on another international tour, this time to Italy!

There are so many wonderful events to look forward to in 2017! We’d love to know what you’re most excited about this year! Tell us in the comments below.

January 2, 2017
Trust In Singing

Singing, and music in general engender many emotions, as discussed in this post. There are many positive emotions that arise from singing, as well as the occasional one. One aspect of positive emotion found particularly in choral singing, is trust. Trust is a powerful emotion because it takes time and effort to build, but can be broken in an instant.

#1. Trusting the director:
The director of an ensemble is the leader in many ways. From selecting the music we sing, to facilitating our learning of a new piece, to ensuring that all the disparate parts of the choir come together, to creating artistic, musical moments in live performances, the director is responsible for so many aspects of our choral experience. This would be an impossible job without the trust of the choristers under their charge.

#2. Trusting other choristers:
Singing with others means trusting them to do their part. Choir is about disparate parts making up a whole, and in order to do that, choristers have to subsume their ego, and blend into a sound larger, and grander than they can make by themselves. This requires a delicate balance between doing your best for the group, and supporting other choristers in doing their best for the group.

#3. Trusting the music:
This can be the most difficult aspect of singing, because while we are singing, we don’t actually hear the piece the way the audience does. In a performance, we must trust our training, trust the director, trust the other choristers, but most of all, we must trust the music, and the emotion we feel during a performance, to help inspire our singing, and drive us towards our best singing selves.

How else is trust important in singing? Tell us in the comments below!

December 5, 2016
How Emotions Affect Singing

Emotion is necessary in musical expression, but our emotions can have a very strong effect on how we sing. Here are 3 ways in which our emotions can affect our singing:

#1. Positive emotions:
Positive emotions, such as joy, excitement, and love, often have an equally positive impact on our singing. These emotions help us to feel confident and engaged in what we’re doing, meaning our breathing is more free, our sound is focused, and we blend well with other singers around us!

#2. Negative emotions:
Negative emotions, such as fear, stress, or anger, can have a deleterious effect on our singing. These emotions inhibit musical expression, often dragging pitch down, introducing bodily tension, hindering supported breathing, and freedom in our singing.

#3. Changing emotions:
One of the most wonderful aspects of music is how engaging in it, whether through listening, or playing an instrument, can actually change your mood! If you’re experiencing negative emotions, one of the best things you can do is start singing! Singing forces you to pay attention to your body, to stay in the present moment, and to regulate your breathing that creates a meditative effect. Plus, singing in a choir with others, has been shown to have a very positive effect on mental health!

How else might our emotions affect how we sing? Tell us in the comments below!

November 28, 2016
Singing For Wellness

There are many studies that have shown the benefits of music on cognitive function, and childhood development, but perhaps one of the greatest benefits of music, and singing in particular is the benefits to our sense of well being.

#1. Physical Well-being:

Singing requires a great deal of physicality, and an excellent sense of self. Because a singer’s body is their instrument, there is a far greater emphasis placed on understanding your body. Singers need to ensure that they eat properly, sleep properly and rest their voices, so that their voices are at their best!

#2. Mental Well-being:

Singing is also an incredibly cerebral activity. It involves conceptualizing one’s voice internally, since a singer is unable to view, and manipulate their instrument in the same way other musicians can. Stress, fear, and uncertainty all influence the way the human voice sounds, as do excitement, anticipation, and happiness, so it is important for singers to understand, and address the emotions they are feeling.

#3. Singing With Others:

Perhaps the greatest benefit of singing, is that singing with others has been shown to greatly enhance one’s sense of well-being. Since choir is a social activity that requires members to pay great attention to what those around them are doing, a choir becomes a very close knit group; supporting, and unconditionally accepting the diversity of its members.

How else can singing enhance your wellness? Tell us in the comments below!

November 21, 2016
The Benefit of Sectionals

We spend a lot of time discussing how important it is to sing as a group, to listen to the other parts, and to blend seamlessly, but it’s just as important for sections of the choir to break off sometimes and have their own time in a sectional, separate from the rest of the choir:

#1. Bashing notes:
At its most basic function, sectionals provide the opportunity for everyone in that section to really learn the notes and the rhythm. This is the significantly less glamorous aspect of choir, singing the same section of a piece over and over again, until everyone has the note, but it serves an important function. Not everyone learns at the same rate, and some choristers need more time within their own section to really feel confident in their part

#2. Section unity:
Going off in different sections of the choir is important because of the social aspect as well. There is something about identifying as a part, soprano, altos, tenors, or basses, that makes choristers feel like they belong. This is important in their singing as well. By knowing the people in your section, and their voices, you know who to rely on in the more difficult parts of a piece.

#3. Listening:
As we’ve discussed before, listening is just as important as singing in a choir. Breaking off into sectionals forces choristers to listen in a different, and often more nuanced way. No longer are choristers trying to hear their part against others, and blend their voices within a myriad of different timbres; instead they must contend with the difficulties of unison singing – blending their voice with others that have similar timbres, ensuring that rhythms and pitches are crisp and clear.

How else do sectionals benefit choristers? Tell us in the comments below!

November 7, 2016
Welcome to 2016-2017!

Welcome to our 2016-2017 Singing Season!

We are thrilled to welcome returning and new choristers to another year of wonderful music with the CCC! There are many wonderful events in store this year, including the celebration of our 30th Anniversary!

September 16th-18th, 2016 – Choir Camp
December 10th, 2016 – Christmas Concert @ St. Giles Presbyterian Church 7:00pm
January 27th – 29th, 2017 – CCC & CYC Winter Retreat
March 11th, 2017 – Annual Concert @ The Rozsa Centre 7:00pm
May 12th, 2017 – 30th Anniversary Reception and Rehearsal – 6:00pm-9:00pm – Crescent Heights Baptist Church
May 13th, 2017 – 30th Anniversary Concert Rehearsal
May 14th, 2017 – End of Year Celebration Banquet – 5:00pm – Foothills Alliance Church

(You can refer to our Calendar for more details!)

*In honour of our 30th Anniversary Celebration, we are creating a Legacy Page for the website. We are asking our alumni to send us a short bio, with a photo of you currently (and maybe even one from when you sang with us!) We’d love to know more about our alumni, and what you’re currently up to! Please send bios and pictures to calgarychildrenschoir@gmail.com!

What are you most excited about this singing season? Tell us in the comments below!

September 6, 2016
Choir As Refuge

Choir has been touted as an excellent way to form and engage in community, but it can be even more important than that, particularly for young people. Choir is often a refuge, during confusing, lonely, and difficult times in our lives.

Because of the supportive nature of choral singing, and the emotive power of music, choir can act as a safe space for people. During difficult, turbulent times in our lives, choir creates a connected, compassionate group of people who care not only about our musical contributions, but about who we are as a person. A choir is a collective, a family, and it allows people to feel that others understand the core aspects of themselves.

This is essential in our young lives, when we are growing and changing, and it feels as though external forces are working against us. Through choir, we know that we always have people on our side, that we’re part of a team, working together towards something about which we care deeply. Music allows us to communicate emotions that are larger and more complex than language can allow. To be able to share that with a larger group of people creates a bond like no other, a safe place to explore the world, and ourselves, through a shared love of music.

When has choir been a refuge for you? Tell us in the comments below!

March 7, 2016
Choir As Community

There have been many studies in recent years that describe the physical and psychological benefits of singing. Choral music is unique in that it combine the benefits of singing, with the added benefits of being part of a community:

#1. Shared interests:
Those people who choose to join a choir are joining for a variety of reasons, but particularly because they love singing as part of a group. This means that everyone in a choir has a vested interest in being there, and being together. There is an inherent understanding that singing together means providing your voice as one of many, and this lends itself well to being part of a larger community. A choir is an excellent way to meet new people who love something that you love!

#2. Diverse interests:
While choir members are all there because they love music, they also bring their own unique talents and interests into the group, which creates a wonderful tapestry of diversity. It is such a boon to a community to have unique and interesting talents to share with one another, and it exposes choristers to a variety of backgrounds, cultures, languages, and interests.

#3. Supporting each other:
Success in a choir depends on each member of the choir supporting the others. This is done musically, by providing a voice as one of many, to create a fluid and blended sound. But it is also done socially and emotionally, by investing in the people sitting next to one another in the room. Choir provide a safe and welcoming environment, in which everyone feels as though they belong, and are supported by the group.

How else is choir a community? Tell us in the comments below!

January 25, 2016
A Child’s Carol 2015 – Concert Roundup!

I think that even more important than singing well, is the camaraderie and sense of ensemble that our choristers bring to every rehearsal and performance event. The performing comes out of a deep respect and love for the music and each other. This is what is rewarding for me, in the experience of a concert, and every rehearsal.

One of our choristers remarked that our program reflected the progression through Christmas eve to Christmas day – and in looking at it, she was right, although I hadn’t noticed. As she characterized it, we began with early Christmas Eve – with celebration and caroling songs, such as Gatatumba (Spanish), and Caroling, Caroling (a Nat King Cole classic). From there, we sang Lullabies: Seal Lullaby by Eric Whitacre, and Lullaby by Billy Joel. Then we entered the deepest part of winter (or evening) with songs about dark, cold and lonely winters/nights, such as Gordon Lightfoot’s Song for a Winters’ Night, and then entered the morning with three versions of Sunny Bank – the one by Eleanor Daley was a personal favourite.

Our junior choir, conducted by Esther Woelfle, sang three contrasting pieces that were polished; with dynamic contrast, beautiful head tone, and clear words. They added some claps and swaying, and received rousing applause for their efforts.

The Chandler Zawalykut Scholarship was awarded to the very deserving Josh Carr this year.

Working with these kids, for me, is like working with professionals. They know where they need to be, they know their music, they are respectful of others on stage, and they perform with artistic integrity. I can’t think of anywhere I’d rather have been than onstage with the Calgary Children’s Choir on Saturday night.

– Marni Strome, Artistic Director

(The photo is of the Calgary Youth Choir….. small yet mighty ! 12 dedicated and intelligent singers having a moment of levity before the concert)

What was your favourite part of the concert? Tell us in the comments below!

December 14, 2015
Welcome to our 2015-2016 Singing Season!

Welcome to another wonderful, musical year with the CCC!

We have an exciting year lined up, with some new changes in place as our program grows and changes:

– The Music Makers program has expanded to include two levels:
Music Makers Level 1 is for ages 3 & 4 and is offered on Thursday from 4:45 – 5:30.
Music Makers Level 2 is for 5 year olds and is offered on Thursday from 5:30 – 6:16.

– The Calgary Youth Choir now rehearses on Tuesday evenings from 5:30pm – 8:00pm.

We have three major concerts lined up for this year:

– Christmas concert on Saturday December 12th, 2015 at 7:00pm at the Rozsa Theatre
-Folk concert on Saturday February 27th, 2016 at 7:00pm at the Rozsa Theatre
-Spring concert on Saturday May 14th, 2016 at 7:00pm at the Rozsa Theatre

Our fall choir camp will be from Friday September 25th, 2015 – Sunday September 27th, 2016.

What aspect of choir are you most excited about this year? Tell us in the comments below!

September 14, 2015
Ottawa Tour 2015 – Day 2!

Today was a very eventful day. We went to the Museum Of Canadian History, the mall and had our first mass rehearsal for Unisong!

We woke up quite early to grey skies and the smell of rain, making sure we were dressed in the right choir tee shirt for the day (it matched the sky). Crossing the river into Québec, we went to the Canadian Museum of History – a riveting and informative experience. We learned about the Confederation and Rebellions of 1867. Another exhibit was the Magna Carta, which was showing two of the six documenting the original Magna Carta. There were many other exhibits at the museum: one dedicated to Terry Fox and the other about the ancient Greeks.

The trip to the mall was an explosion of free time and choir children running loose. There was a surprisingly eco friendly serving system, using plastic trays and plates and metal cutlery. When done with the dishes, facility operators cleared and cleaned so they could be used once more.

photo by Paul Vanhoutteghem

photo by Paul Vanhoutteghem

photo by Paul Vanhoutteghem

photo by Paul Vanhoutteghem

photo by Paul Vanhoutteghem

The first mass rehearsal could be best described as busy, exciting and difficult. We met new people and learned new techniques for singing. The man conducting the mass choir is Mark G. Sirett and he focused attention to technique and detail. He was energetic and exuberant! I’m sure tomorrow will be filled with more fun and adventure along with singing!

– Sophie Collins

June 28, 2015
Ottawa 2015 Tour Shirts!

The Calgary Children’s Choir is very lucky to have a wonderful artist as part of our staff. Our Creative Consultant, Kat Long-Jones, recently created three new t-shirt designs for the choir to wear on our upcoming tour to the Unisong Choral Festival this summer!

Kat designed these three t-shirts to be something the choristers would want to wear after tour was over, and to serve as a reminder of the fantastic time had on tour!

Kat chose the national animal of Canada, the beaver, for the first design. Since beaver tails have such an interesting texture, Kat elected to modify the tail to include the Calgary Children’s Choir kilt pattern! The beaver is depicted holding a flag heralding the choir, and our upcoming tour destination!

In this design, Kat was inspired by the popular collegiate-style t-shirts. She created a replica of the Canadian flag, using black and red text. The writing on the shirt contains the lyrics from the songs the Calgary Children’s Choir will be singing on tour. This shirt is meant to convey that the Unisong Choral Festival, and our wonderful Canadian nation is made up of music, and communities coming together.

The third design features an Inukshuk, a symbol from our northern First Nations people, and a symbol which is recognized around the world as Canadian. The Inukshuk is built as a physical marker for travellers, but also a spiritual reminder of safe journeys, and the way home. Kat designed this shirt with our choristers in mind, as they travel away from their families to represent our choir on the national stage. The Calgary Children’s Choir logo is seen as a sihouette in the moon – Singing For The Joy Of It!

Our choristers got to see their new tour shirts at our recent choir workshop!

Many thanks to Kat Long-Jones for these beautiful designs!

Which t-shirt design is your favourite? Tell us in the comments below!

May 11, 2015
4 Ways In Which Singing In A Choir Increases Your Confidence

Musicians often have a healthy dose of confidence. It comes from the self-discipline, self-awareness, and sheer amount of practice that is a part of the process of learning music. Here are four ways in which singing in a choir can increase your confidence:

#1. Conductor:
Despite the myriad of jokes about what exactly a conductor’s purpose is on stage, they are actually a very important aspect of the musical process. Our director is a guide, not only through the process of learning the music; pointing out important technical aspects, and instructing us in the interpretation of the music. There is an implicit trust that develops between conductors and choristers, and that trust can be seen on stage, when a conductor has to manage the many moving parts of a performance. Unconditional trust is an inherent aspect of confidence – it allows singers to get up in front of people, and put their full heart into the performance.

#2. Peer to peer learning:
Confidence comes from knowing those around you support you. And what better way to support someone, than by teaching them? In a choir setting, choristers are not just learning about music from the conductor, but from those sitting around them as well. In the Calgary Children’s Choir we actively encourage peer mentorship, from implementing a buddy system between our youngest singers, and the oldest, and creating collaborative concert settings.

#3. Opportunity to perform:
As a choral group we have at least three large concerts that are part of our singing season. We also have several other singing engagements throughout the year. Because of this, our choristers have many opportunities to practice performing. With every concert, or performance, our choristers become more self-assured, more confident in their ability to stand up in front of an audience and sing!

#4. Part of a team:

When our choristers get up on stage to perform, they know that they won’t be up there by themselves; they will have the rest of the choir up there with them. That is the beauty of choral singing; many voices as one. Knowing that you have others with you, enhancing your own sound, supporting you, and together, creating something beautiful greatly increases confidence. Singing is terrific, but singing with others, is truly something special!

Do you think singing in a choir increases confidence? Tell us in the comments below!

March 23, 2015
The Value Of Not Performing

The Calgary Children’s Choir has three major performances a year; our Christmas concert, our Folk Concert, and our Spring concert. Sometimes we’ll have other singing engagements sprinkled in as well. Much of the music that we learn throughout the year is chosen for one of those concerts, but sometimes we learn music without having a specific performance in mind. There are several reasons why we find value in learning music that is not for performance:

Practical Elements:
Often we learn a piece of music to demonstrate a certain aspect of music to our choristers. This could be anything from multi-part harmonies, to great vocal leaps, appropriate breathing techniques, or poignant text. What our choristers take from a piece of music should be from our rehearsals and exercises, our workshops and the practice they might do at home. A piece of repertoire is a valuable way to provide an example of a musical technique, but that doesn’t mean that we have to perform that piece.

Music For Its Own Sake:
While it is wonderful to perform, we shouldn’t think of music as valuable only in the context of performance. Much of what makes learning music so amazing – the self-discipline, the hard work, the hours of practice, are all aspects that are not readily seen in a performance. It is important that we teach our choristers that learning music is important because music itself is important, and not just the act of performing music.

Do you think every piece you learn needs to be performed? Tell us in the comments below!

March 16, 2015
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, and embody the choristers’ vision of ‘Home’. A big thanks to our Artist in Residence during our Winter Retreat, Lisa Hodgkinson who helped us with this beautiful project.

We sang a variety of different pieces that encapsulated our ideas of ‘Home’, and different perspective on that theme, including: Hey Ho, Nobody’s Home, Almost Home, 900 Miles, and Woodsmoke and Oranges.

It was a wonderful concert, and a great way to celebrate all the different perspectives on ‘Home’! Thank-you to everyone who came out to see our concert!

What was your favourite part of the concert? Tell us in the comments below!

March 2, 2015
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 where the groups had to out-sing each other based on different categories. Our awesome camp leader, Andrew, set up a roaring fire for us outside, and even though it was snowing it wasn’t too cold and we all bundled up to sing camp songs and tell jokes into the night. We all agreed singing in the snow was a unique experience!

Saturday January 31st – We awoke to a perfect fresh layer of snow, ideal for the activities ahead. After an amazing breakfast of chocolate pancakes, and a morning rehearsal, the choristers split into three groups. Each group took a turn doing music theory with Ms.Strome, an art project with our visiting artist, Lisa, and snow shoeing with Andrew.

With Lisa, the choristers turned their portraits into a unique embodiment of their visions of home. This art project will be displayed at the ‘Home’ concert coming up this March, and it was wonderful to make something so meaningful to go along with our concert.

The snow shoeing expeditions were amazing. The weather was perfect and the campers got to follow animal tracks through the woods, slide down hills, and laugh in the snow whilst wearing old fashioned “beaver tail” or modern “bear claw” snow shoes. We even had races!

Throughout the weekend, the choristers had cards read to them with secret facts about all the choristers, and based on the facts they had to guess who the card was about. It was great to see how well we all know each other. A real turkey dinner was followed by skit night, and the choristers were true to form with funny skits, amazing singing, and poetry. As a special treat, whipped cream was provided so the choristers could have fancy hot chocolate while we played board games by the fireplace. There was Twister, Disney Charades, and more!

Sunday February 1st – On Sunday we ate a breakfast of cinnamon buns, and had another rehearsal. The choristers really delved deep into the music, learning new pieces quickly and really fleshing out the meaning of each work. We thanked Andrew for all of his help and leadership, and Lisa for lending her amazing skills to us over the weekend. We thanked the kitchen staff with rousing applause, as we all agreed it had been the BEST camp food we’d ever had!

Winter Retreat was a huge success and hopefully it will become an annual event!

* Blog post and all photos by Kat Long

What was your favourite part of camp? Tell us in the comments below!

February 9, 2015
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 in Alberta Ballet’s Nutcracker, we have had several wonderful opportunities to perform with orchestras. Here are three benefits of singing with an orchestra:

#1. Everybody is necessary:
Although there can be many different people involved in a concert, every single member of an orchestra, or a choir, is essential to that performance. Understanding this kind of teamwork is important to one’s growth as a musician. Even if you are only one part of the entire performance, you are still an essential aspect. Performing with other musicians is a great joy, and it can be highly beneficial, both physically and mentally.

#2. Seemingly disparate parts make up a whole:
It is always amazing to hear how the radically different sounds of a trombone, and a violin can sound so wonderful together. Orchestras are composed of a myriad of different sounds, and it is an excellent skill to be able to determine by ear which instrument makes which sound. Performing with an orchestra enables singers to become adept at picking out different sounds, and focusing on them, at hearing subtle differences, and understanding how the disparate sounds work together. These abilities have numerous non-musical applications, like memory retention, problem-solving skills, and the ability to focus intently.

#3. Focus is key :
With so many elements involved in a performance, it can be easy to become distracted. This is why focus is an essential skill a singer must develop. By learning to focus on the subtle instructions a conductor gives, or the variations in sound being produced by all of the different musicians in an orchestra as well as the singers around you, a singer can truly hone this important skill. Focus is an incredibly valuable skill outside of performance, as our world becomes increasingly filled with distractions.

What are some other benefits of singing with an orchestra? Tell us in the comments below!

January 12, 2015