Dear Friends and supporters of Pro Coro Canada

I hope this message finds you and your loved-ones well and healthy. 

Summer in Edmonton will soon be a fleeting thought, and the crisp, blue-sky mornings are a bittersweet reminder of things past and things to come. I wonder what we will remember, years from now, when we look back to this summer of 2020, - a respite before many of us attempt to combine all of the professional, personal and societal expectations and needs with the realities of a pandemic life.

The last months were oddly busy for our team at Pro Coro Canada, with consolidating last season and cancellations due to the pandemic, engaging with our stakeholders near and far, and doing so remotely from our homes. Nevertheless, I was able to spend a couple of weeks looking across the Pacific Ocean to far-away, sun-drenched mountains, relaxing, reading, hiking and biking and spending time preparing tasty meals from scratch, with an occasional glass of BC wine!

Pro Coro Canada is ready to start the 2020 - 2021 season. We have spent the last months conceptualizing, researching and developing what choral music - the rehearsals, and the performances - could look and sound like in an environment under restrictive conditions. To that extent we exchange on an almost daily basis with other choral organizations, advocate on a provincial and federal level and work with local service providers to create opportunities for creative work.

Our season programming will be released shortly. As you can imagine, it is challenging to provide information about our events the way we have done for so many years. As with every other aspect in public life, the parameters and guidelines are in flux, and in particular with the start of the school year, we anticipate new measures. In short, we know what music we will sing, on which weekends this will happen, and that you will be able to participate at least via our live-stream. Information about exact location and time, and reservation of tickets IF in-person attendance is possible, will follow closer to each event.

In July, Pro Coro embarked on an exciting project. With support through the Exchanges and Connections program by the Edmonton Arts Council, we were able to commission eight Edmonton composers to write new choral works. These compositions, written between July 15 and August 15 have been recorded (audio and video) over the course of the last two weeks at the Storefront Studio here in town. These performance videos will be made available for free to our audience. Each work has attached a series of educational videos for interested singers and choirs. More information on this project will follow early September, but I’m happy to present the eight composers here in alphabetical order :

• Stuart Beatch

• Jane Berry

• John Estacio

• Allan Gilliland

• Laura Hawley

• Margaret King

• Jen MacMillan

• Sherryl Sewepagaham

Over the last months, we have heard from many of you, either via direct email or through our Digital Pro Coro Canada survey (you can still access it for 48 hours here). We are so appreciative of your support, for your words and also your generous donations, during these times. Again, you will soon receive more information on how to access our Digital World, our in-person concerts and our season programming.

Last but not least, we’re very excited to welcome Laura Ouellette to our team at Pro Coro Canada. Laura brings many years of experience as program manager of the Conservatory at Alberta College, and a background as a professional musician to our organization. She is taking on the role of Administrative Coordinator and you will see her name in our communications. Welcome Laura!

With my best wishes

Michael