Tag: fun

Ottawa Tour 2015 Day 3!

Today was a very full day, rehearsing en masse with the mind-bogglingly energetic and musically brilliant Dr Sirett. We were especially 8:30 in the morning when the rehearsal started, or six-thirty back home. We would love to learn his secrets. We were a bit bogged down this morning, too, with our formal uniforms for tonight’s choir-to-choir performance.

The school we’re rehearsing in! And some sleepy choristers!

The notations would have made it easy to find our bags… if they hadn’t moved us to a different room.

In three hours, we managed to get through virtually all of our music, and the men even had a sectional. They know French now! We’re so proud. Even after only a few hours of rehearsal, we are really starting to come together as a mass choir under Dr. Sirett’s marvellous management. (He truly is a splendid dictator…er I mean director.) Why don’t you have a listen and see (hear) for yourself! Do we sound cohesive yet? Let us know in the comments down below!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qhT9HflBei4

After our impressive and slightly (very!) draining three hour rehearsal, we grabbed our bag lunches and dashed to the bus, making our (frenzied) way to the War Museum.

Can you see the sleepiness or are we good actors?It’s always difficult to write about moving and painful topics like the one covered in the museum, but the choir handled it pretty gracefully. We did see lots and lots of interesting artefacts, including battlefield surgical kits from several historical wars, an honest-to-goodness Swastika flag captured by Canadian soldiers in the Second World War, and a piece of the Berlin Wall gifted to Canada by Germany after the end of the Cold War.

Oh, we also saw one of Hitler’s parade cars, which is a remarkably imposing vehicle before one considers who used it. Once that is taken into account, it becomes more than a little bit frightening. It was in incredibly good condition, with only one shattered window. Frankly, given who it belonged to, we’re surprised that such a vehicle survived.

Some of the most moving parts of the experience were the WWI and WWII exhibits, which were especially poignant because of the personal accounts and vivid scenery recreations.

Another sobering and thought-provoking aspect of the museum was Memorial Hall, a simple but beautifully designed tribute to fallen Canadians.

Memorial Hall is set up so the sun entering through the window hits the tombstone at 11/11/11, and the permanent ‘shadow’ on the ground runs all the way through the lobby and out the building.

The remainder of the afternoon was spent in another rehearsal, much like the first, only sleepier and fortunately shorter.

After dinner, we got ready for the individual choir performances. It was lovely to hear our newfound friends singing on their own. Apparently we sounded great too!

Rehearsing…

Performing!

After the concert, we headed back to our dorms, and bed.

Our one-of-a-kind T-shirts have received a lot of positive attention. Thanks Kat!

– Victoria and Nicole

July 1, 2015
Ottawa Tour 2015 Day 4!

We started the day bright and early with an 8:30 rehearsal with Dr. Sirett, tired and groggy from “the grog”, the music woke us up.

After a lunch on the fly, the bus took us by 22 Sussex Drive, and the Governor General’s house, en route to the Royal Canadian Mint.

After a tour of the inner workings, and a strong man contest with a gold bar, we headed to the National Arts Centre for a rehearsal with the orchestra.

Following the rehearsal, we had some free time, where we walked past the War Memorial, as well as around the By Ward Market, enjoying Beaver Tails, Iced Cream, and Obama Cookies; and even singing a song in the square.

We then proceeded to head back to the NAC for dinner, before one more rehearsal with Dr. Sirett.

We’re ready. Three concerts tomorrow, where we will sing our hearts out, and wave our flags high and proud.

– Robbie, Josh, Matt, Paul, and Patrick

June 30, 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 – Day 1

What a day! Starting off bright and early, we met at the Calgary airport at 8:10 am.

We took off right before noon. The flight was a little bumpy, but fun all the same! Granola bars and good company got us through the long flight.

Arriving in Ottawa, we saw it was cloudy and cool, which is honestly a bit of a relief from the hot weather back home. After singing together on the way to our dorms and eating some well deserved pizza, our first day on tour comes to a close.

-Kasia DeSorcy

June 27, 2015
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 better you will sound. The voice needs constant practice to gain better breath support, vocal range, and agility. The more you practice, the longer you can sing, the better your ear will pick up the nuances of difficult repertoire, and the more comfortable you’ll be with your instrument!

#2. Break Time:
Singing can be a great way to change up your day, particularly if it has been a long, stressful one! Singing requires a very intense focus, and is a particularly immersive endeavour, so it can be an excellent way to clear your mind, and to relieve any stress you may be experiencing. As well, using singing as a break from the stresses of your life, can ensure better focus when you do need to return to work.

#3. It’s so good for you:
There are so many emotional, psychological, and physiological benefits to singing. And the more you sing, the more you can reap the benefits! From increased lung capacity, to lower levels of cortisol (the stress hormone), a recent study has even shown that singing can assist in regulating blood pressure! Singing also released endorphins in your brain, which are the ‘feel good’ hormones!

Do you sing every day? What do you like most about singing? Tell us in the comments below!

March 9, 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
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 told the choristers that he had travelled from the M.U.S.I.C (Musical Understanding of Sound In Children) research facility because he needed their help understanding how science and music were related.

The choristers were divided into three groups including singers from all three of our choirs. The groups were: Brains, Brawn and Beauty. The choristers were asked to think about how these three categories related to music, and in particular to singing.

The ‘Brains’ group looked at how music impacts all areas of learning, particularly in the development of mathematical abilities, pattern recognition, and memorization. Those in the ‘Brawn’ group analyzed how different parts of the body are used to create music, and were particularly interested in good vocal habits. The choristers in the ‘Beauty’ group determined the emotional aspects of music, and singing, focusing particularly on conveying musical lines and text vocally.

The kids were given time to create presentations to make to ‘The Professor’ to aid in his research!

We also rehearsed, played musical games, had free time to relax or play ‘The Animal Game’. On Saturday night we enjoyed a long standing camp tradition of Skit Night! There were some fun skits, silly songs, and some impressive original musical numbers! After skit night, the choristers took advantage of the camp’s new karaoke machine, and had a blast singing old favourites!

We had an amazing weekend filled with friends, laughter, jokes, and best of all – music! Thank-you so much to all the amazing volunteers and staff members who made this weekend possible!

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

September 29, 2014
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 because of the nature of choral music, which requires that singers meld their voices to create one seamless sound. This level of trust, and understanding, not only on a musical level, but on a personal level as well, means that spending time together as group is an integral process to creating fantastic choral sound!

Here are three tips to help you get the most out of choir camp:

#1. Bring an open mind and heart:

Camp is about getting to know new people, and having a good time with the people you already do know. If you are brand new to the choir, or even if you’ve been a member for years, remember that camp is all about bonding! Introduce yourself to others, find out about them, and have a good time! By keeping yourself open to meeting new people, or getting to know other choristers better, you can get the most out of choir camp!

#2. Bring your music and get ready to sing!
Camp is also about the music. This is a great time for the choir to get in a lot of practice, and to really learn some of our music. Make sure you bring your music, your pencil, and a water bottle, and be prepared to rehearse!

#3. Participate!

It can be easy to sit on the sidelines, especially if you are new to choir. There are so many activities to choose from; campfire, skit night, crafts, outdoor games, and more! Camp is the most fun when you participate in all of the great activities that are offered!

Who’s excited for camp this year? What’s your favourite part of camp? Tell us in the comments below!

September 22, 2014