Festival of Carols
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Festival of Carols Toronto Mendelssohn Choir Noel Edison, Conductor & Narrator Michael Bloss, Organ Festival Brass Wednesday, December 8, 2010 at 7:30 p.m. Yorkminster Park Baptist Church, Toronto Tonight, we welcome members of the Probus Club of Applewood and the Probus Club of Mississauga South. ® passion has a voice Listen to Noel Edison talk about each TMC concert. Noel’s podcasts are found on the choir’s website at www.tmchoir.org Concert Etiquette For your enjoyment and the enjoyment of fellow patrons, please note: Talking, coughing, humming or unwrapping candies may disturb others, including performers. Please ensure that pagers, cell phones and watch alarms are turned off before the performance. Video, still cameras, and other recording devices are strictly prohibited during the concert. PROGRAMME The audience is invited to stand and sing the carols listed in bold. Words are found on the insert. Psalm 100 .................................................................................. Heinrich Schütz Hark! The Herald-Angels Sing ...................................... arr. David Willcocks (Audience Participation) What Child Is This? ................................................................... arr. Paul Halley Nova! Nova! * .................................................................................. Mark Sirett Jubilate Deo ........................................................................... Giovanni Gabrieli Joy To The World ............................................................. arr. Julian Wachner (Audience Participation) Jingle Bells ............................................................................... arr. Bob Chilcott INTERMISSION Ave Maria ........................................................................................ Franz Biebl Away in a Manger ..................................................................... arr. Elmer Iseler Hodie, Christus natus est .............................................................. Healey Willan Carol of the Drum ................................................................ Katherine K. Davis Ring-a the News ............................................................................ Robert Evans Angelus ad pastores ait .......................................................... Giovanni Gabrieli Quoniam tu solus sanctus / Cum Sancto Spiritu ........................ arr. John Rutter from Gloria The First Nowell ....................................................................... arr. Paul Halley (Audience Participation) * Commissioned by TMC for tonight’s performance BIOGRAPHIES NOEL MICHAEL EDISON BLOSS Artistic Director Organ & Conductor Photo by Frank Nagy Frank by Photo Noel Edison is well established as one of Michael Bloss leads an enviable musical the most versatile and charismatic conductors life as a performer, educator and conductor. in the world today. As Artistic Director and He has toured and performed at venues in Conductor of two world-class Canadian Europe, Japan, and throughout North ensembles, the large-scale Toronto America. His US appearances include Mendelssohn Choir and the chamber-sized acclaimed recitals at the Cadet Chapel, Elora Festival Singers, Noel is widely West Point, the Cleveland Museum of Art, recognized and appreciated for his skillful, St. Paul’s Cathedral, Detroit as well as interpretive work with both choir and return engagements at Chicago’s Fourth orchestra. Presbyterian Church. Among a number of The 2010-11 season marks Noel Edison’s firsts for a Canadian was the designation of 14th season as Artistic Director and Preisträger at the International Bach Conductor of the Toronto Mendelssohn Competition in Leipzig, Germany playing Choir. His vision for the TMC is to create in Bach’s own church. performances that connect audiences Michael performs and has recorded with emotionally with some of the greatest the Elora Festival Singers, an ensemble with traditional and contemporary choral whom he was a Juno nominee. He has also repertoire. collaborated with the Toronto Symphony A native of Toronto, Noel moved to the Orchestra, including a recent appearance scenic village of Elora, where, in 1979, he playing Janacek’s Glagolitic Mass, and has co-founded the Elora Festival and, a year also premiered such contemporary works as later, the Elora Festival Singers as its choir- the North American premiere of Rufus in-residence. Since 1984, Noel has served as Wainright’s Prima Dona at Toronto’s Artistic Director of the Elora Festival as well Luminato Festival. Michael has been as Organist and Choirmaster of one of the featured on CBC Radio and Television, few all-professional church choirs in Canada NPR and Swiss Radio. He continues as a at the Church of St. John the Evangelist in collaborative musician with vocalists and Elora. In 1997 the Elora Festival Singers instrumentalists. were selected as the professional core of the A respected church musician and choral Toronto Mendelssohn Choir. conductor, Michael has enjoyed a long and In 2002 the University of Guelph distinguished career of music ministry and conferred upon Noel Edison the Honorary currently serves as Director of Music at Degree of Doctor of Music and on January Glenview Presbyterian Church in Toronto. 22, 2009 he was appointed to the Order of Ontario, the Province’s highest honour. Photo by Frank Nagy Frank by Photo TORONTO MENDELSSOHN CHOIR with a critically acclaimed performance of Bach’s Mass in B minor. The Mendelssohn The Toronto Mendelssohn Choir (TMC) is Singers has appeared with the TSO and other Canada's world-renowned large vocal ensembles, and, in February 2007, performed ensemble. With over 150 voices, the TMC is in New York’s Carnegie Hall. Its vocal uniquely able to perform the great symphonic agility and emotional versatility make it an choral works the way they were intended – ideal ensemble for Baroque and resulting in a pure, powerful musical contemporary choral repertoire. experience. The TMC choral apprenticeship program TMC audiences enjoy choral masterpieces was created in 2009 to support the drawn from five centuries, including world development of young choristers. Through premieres of new compositions and some the program, experienced choristers between rarely heard works. In addition to the the ages of 17 and 22 join the choir as traditional concert season, the TMC appears apprentice choristers for certain regularly with the Toronto Symphony performances. Their participation is Orchestra (TSO) and makes other guest supported by a bursary and they also receive appearances. voice coaching and mentoring. The TMC presented its first concert as part The TMC has been recorded many times of Massey Hall’s inaugural season in 1895. since its debut recording in 1926. In 1986 the Since its inception, the TMC has flourished Choir was featured on EMI/Angel’s much- under the leadership of seven of Canada’s heralded recording of Handel’s Messiah. In pre-eminent conductors, most recently Noel 1993, the choir recorded part of the Edison. Under his tenure, the Choir has won soundtrack for the Academy Award-winning widespread praise from audiences and critics film Schindler’s List under the direction of for its performances in Toronto, New York, composer John Williams, and for the Naxos Vienna, Salzburg and most recently in Label, the Berlioz Requiem, conducted by Vancouver during the 2010 Cultural Noel Edison. A Festival of Carols, the Olympiad. choir’s latest recording of Christmas music, Twenty members of the Elora Festival was released to great acclaim in December Singers, founded and directed by Noel 2006. Edison, form the professional core of the The Toronto Mendelssohn Choir is Toronto Mendelssohn Choir and the generously supported by the Canada Council Mendelssohn Singers. The 70-voice for the Arts, the Ontario Arts Council, the Mendelssohn Singers, formed from the ranks Toronto Arts Council, and a dedicated group of the TMC, made its debut in April 2003 of individual and corporate donors. CHORISTERS OF THE TMC SOPRANOS — 1st & 2nd Lesley Bouza * Debbie Fleming Jennifer Kerr + Valerie Rzepka + Leslie Bradshaw + Ginette Hébert + Kaitlyn Kim ¥ + Hannah Searson ¥ Ashley Burns Barbara Hodder Jessica Lui + Catherine Short + Bree Callahan ¥ Catherine Hough ¥ Marlene L. Lynds + Jennifer Taverner * Katherine Cao Merry-Anne Hutton * Caitlin Martin ¥ Christina Taylor Laureen Choi Christine Kerr + Andrea Naccarato * Anne Thorne + Sue Dunlop Ann-Marie Barrett-Tandy Elena Davydova Natalie Image Sung-Mie Nam Ashley Callaghan Ann Edwards Pat M. Irwin May Ng Frances Chan Kirsten Fielding * Larisa Isakharova Dawn O’Dwyer Hye-Woon Chang Kim Finkelstein Janice Ketchen Crystal Penner * Joanne Chapin * Julia Goss + Lisa Milligan Angela Sanchez Mary Chiu + Sharon Groom Frances Mills Sahara Sloan Samantha Clarke + Heather Hudyma Marcia Myers Emily Wiener ¥ Susanna Cummings + ALTOS — 1st & 2nd Betty Bennett + Laura Kelly + Catherine Peer Lina Valenzuela + Nicole Davis ¥ Jennifer Land Sarah Pelzer Nancy Wayment Cora M.M. Dusk Jessica Lloyd * Marg Rappolt Marjorie Wiens Karina Frost + Jennifer McGraw + Susan Richard + Emma Willemsma Patricia Ho-Asjoe Deborah Micucci Nellie Scholtes * Andrea Wong ¥ + Charlotte Hodgkins ¥ + Colleen Neufeld Zuzana Stastna Virginia Wright Marilyn Isaac Stewart Dace Zacs Marlo Alcock + Boni Fox Gray Joanne Mintz Amy Rossiter + Joan Beaton Stephanie Fung Sue Newman + Carol Small Dana Boyko Rebecca Katzin Annie Odom Rebekah Smick Noreen Coombs Valarie Koziol + Frances Peksyk-Cichocki Olga Tylman * Kristin Crawford