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Dear choral colleagues I hope this message finds you well. We’re riding the mounting wave of Covid-19 cases here in Alberta, while at the same time anxiously waiting for appointments to get vaccinated. I hope you are safe and healthy wherever you are. Pro Coro Canada had the opportunity to produce our annual Good Friday concert a couple of weeks ago. The restrictions were loosened for about three weeks, which was just enough time to prepare a program. I talked about the program in an earlier newsletter, and you can still watch the performance (and our other 20.21 season performances) on tv.procoro.ca Since restrictions currently won’t allow any rehearsing, I have plenty of time to prepare next season. In fact, I am already a bit behind in getting the season set up, but concert dates (10 in total) for 2021-2022 are ready. In addition, over the last weeks, I’ve had individual check-ins with 35 singers who performed with Pro Coro over the last 2 years, regular members and substitutes. It was a great opportunity to learn about their experiences just prior to, and then during the pandemic. The comments provide valuable context for the planning. So, while many of us are getting into season-planning-mode, I’ve invited choral leaders from across the country to talk about their process in lining-up concerts, selecting the music, and creating a program for their singers. I will seize the opportunity to start with the series next week and share my approach to planning. As many of you might know, Pro Coro Canada is an integral part of the Choral Art Residency at the Banff Centre. Next week will see the release of Season 1 of Choral Art, with 8 Episodes. Each instalment showcases a choral work composed and/or premiered by Pro Coro at the Banff Centre. This is a great opportunity to find new repertoire, watch emerging conductors lead the ensemble, and be inspired to work with emerging international and Canadian composers. And finally, a shout-out to the team at Choral Canada and their launch of the National Youth Choir website and the creation of an archive (in progress, thanks Len Ratzlaff) of concert recordings. It’s great to re-visit the 2016 session, and A Long Road seems like a fitting soundtrack these days.
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