Our first concert in Ottawa
It’s hard to say if there was more sweat or more music made the night of our first tour concert, which was at Saint Matthew’s Anglican Church in Ottawa.
Tenor Charles recounts the choir’s first concert on tour in Ottawa.
Behind the Music: Rehearsing for a Professional Choir Tour
For audiences, a choir tour may begin with the opening chord of a concert. For the singers, however, the journey starts much earlier—in every rehearsal, every carefully learned phrase, every new friendship, and every suitcase packed with equal measures of music and anticipation.
Alto Kimberley Denis tells us about the time leading up to Departure!
If you give a choir some money…
But what about if you give a choir some money? They’re going to give it back to their community. Tenfold!
The beloved book If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Numeroff is a silly and fun way to help us understand how things are interconnected. Giving a mouse a cookie may result in some wild and fun things.
Similarly, giving a choir some money by way of philanthropic support can result in some amazing things. Especially if that choir is Pro Coro Canada.
Singing for the Planet: Edmonton young Voices Confront Climate Change
Edmonton Young Voices transform climate anxiety into music, culminating in a powerful May 31 concert with Pro Coro Canada
The Light of Paradise (2023)
Paul Mealor’s The Light of Paradise draws inspiration from the extraordinary life of Margery Kempe, the medieval mystic whose dictated autobiography is considered the first of its kind written by a woman, and the first autobiography in the English language. Scored for choir and saxophone quartet, the hour-long work unfolds across fourteen “devotions,” echoing the Stations of the Cross and tracing both Kempe’s physical pilgrimages and her inner spiritual journey.
Composing My Divine Liturgy of Saint John Chrysostom
Composer Peter-Anthony Togni reflects on his setting of The Divine Liturgy of Saint John Chrysostom, inspired by Rachmaninoff’s masterpiece and rooted in faith, compassion, and peace.
All-Night Vigil by Rachmaninoff - an introduction
An All-Night Vigil is a service in the Eastern Orthodox or Eastern Catholic Church consisting of a combination of Vespers, Matins, and the First Hour. It is celebrated at sunset on Saturdays, which is technically the dawn of the new Liturgical day.
Reflections - Part 3: One Earth, Many Voices
In the third edition of “Reflections” with Richard Sparks, journey through Sparks’ final seasons as Pro Coro Canada’s Artistic Director.
Reflections - Part 2: Moving the Soul
From Haydn masses to the lighter sides of Pro Coro, Richard Sparks continues his reflection through his tenure at the podium as Artistic Director of Edmonton’s Professional Choir in “Reflections - Part II: Moving the Soul”
Reflections: Pro Coro at 40, With Richard Sparks - Part 1
In honour of Pro Coro Canada’s 40th Anniversary, former Pro Coro Artistic Director Richard Sparks reflects on his tenure as Artistic Director and Principal Conductor from 1999-2011. Open up the Pro Coro archives in this three-part series as Sparks reveals his musical journey with Edmonton’s Professional Choir.
Canadian Voices: A Prayer to Bring You Home - John Estacio
“In 1999 I composed “Eulogies” for Pro Coro Canada, a set of 4 choral works based on eulogies that Val Brandt had written for friends and family. In some ways, this is my fifth eulogy, a heartfelt tribute for a mother.”