From the podium Fellow music lovers... Now is the time of year when I suggest that you do yourself a favour — that you plan ahead for some special musical experiences to enrich your life during the coming 2016-17 concert season. The Vancouver Chamber Choir makes it so easy for you. Just choose which concerts you would like to attend from this brochure and make up your very own subscription series! You have the convenience of getting your tickets ahead of time and the bonus of great savings, too. If you like sharing your music with loved ones and friends, you can buy two or more subscriptions. Music is the greatest gift... no storage space required, for there’s always room in your heart. How wonderful to introduce someone to a lifetime of beauty and poetry — this world needs more of both. And we all make a positive contribution to our hapless world by making these concerts possible. Blessed are the music makers, because they are peacemakers, too. Our loyal subscribers and donors are not just music lovers, they are truly Patrons of the Arts, making the music happen. So, do yourself (and the world!) that favour... and I’ll see you at the next concert! Sincerely,
Jon Washburn Artistic and Executive Director PS... a special thanks to Janis Hamilton for sponsoring the printing of this beautiful brochure! 2
Earth/Sea/Sky
Music of our Natural World 8pm Friday, September 30, 2016 | RYERSON UNITED CHURCH Music celebrates nature in a million ways and a million pieces. Our opening concert of the season presents just a few of these under the guise of natural madrigals (Thomas Morley, Claudio Monteverdi, Thomas Weelkes, Josquin des Prez), romantic wilderness (Robert Schumann), shadowwater, dreamwater (Eric Whitacre), Formosan skies (Jon Washburn), riddles (William Bergsma), water, sun, wind (Benjamin Britten, Don Macdonald, David von Kampen, Samuel Barber) and rain (Stephen Chatman and Bob Chilcott) — the many moods of the natural world.
Music of the Americas Western Hemispherics
8pm Friday, October 21, 2016 | RYERSON UNITED CHURCH Musically, the borders of the Americas are wide open. Join us as we salute the New World, its vivacious musical heritage and present-day creative vitality. From the Western Hemisphere we find the often exuberant and sometimes sleepy sounds of new found lands. Music of Canada (Healey Willan, Loreena McKennitt, Lionel Daunais, Jon Washburn), Mexico (Hernando Franco, Jorge Córdoba), Cuba (Electo Silva), USA (Leonard Bernstein, Samuel Barber), Brazil (Heitor Villa-Lobos) and Argentina (Saúl Cosentino, Astor Piazzolla). Join us on this musical journey through two colourful continents. 3
Festiva!
Choirs in Concert 8pm Saturday, November 19, 2016 | RYERSON UNITED CHURCH The Vancouver Chamber Choir and its family of associated choirs present a Choral-Festival-in-One-Night. Led by Jon Washburn, Carrie Tennant and Kevin Zakresky, the Vancouver Chamber Choir, Pacifica Singers and Vancouver Youth Choir sing individually and in combination. Highlights include Benjamin Britten’s Hymn to St. Cecilia and Eric Whitacre’s Leonardo Dreams of his Flying Machine.
Handel’s Messiah The Christmas Masterpiece
8pm Friday, December 9, 2016 | ORPHEUM THEATRE Christmas time is Messiah time, of course, and this year it’s again the Vancouver Chamber Choir’s turn to do the honours in a gala Orpheum concert. Experience the power and glory of the world’s favourite choral masterwork in this unique performance by Jon Washburn, the Vancouver Chamber Choir, Pacifica Singers and Vancouver Chamber Orchestra. As always, we feature a superb quartet of outstanding Canadian soloists — soprano Martha Guth, mezzo-soprano Susan Platts, tenor Colin Balzer and bass-baritone Tyler Duncan. Hallelujah!
4
The Christmas Story
Carols & Readings of the Season 8pm Friday, December 16, 2016 | RYERSON UNITED CHURCH Christmas time is carol time, too. The Christmas spirit can be expressed in so many ways: gently, robustly, ceremonially, intimately, poetically, grandly, angelically, rustically, liturgically or by the simplest song or phrase. Kevin Zakresky leads the Vancouver Chamber Choir in a banquet of seasonal music, with a cameo appearance from Fiona Blackburn and the British Columbia Girls Choir. There’s Renaissance Christmas music by Palestrina, de Rore, Lassus and Willaert; a French touch from Francis Poulenc; and many familiar carols from your favourite composers and arrangers — all telling the most beloved story of the ages!
Brahms Requiem The Intimate Brahms
8pm Friday, January 27, 2017 | RYERSON UNITED CHURCH Johannes Brahms himself wrote this famous version of his beloved Requiem for choir and two pianists. Its clarity presents a new, more intimate perspective — a sort of chamber music sensitivity — which penetrates like an X-ray into the inner colours and meanings of this most heartfelt of musical masterpieces. The Vancouver Chamber Choir and soloists are joined by Marcel and Elizabeth Bergmann (The Bergmann Duo) and round out this all-Brahms programme with the melancholic partsongs of Fünf Gesänge, Op. 104, for the choir and four vivacious Hungarian Dances for the duo-pianists. 5
The Essence of Music
Renaissance, Romantic and Rustic 8pm Saturday, February 11, 2017 | RYERSON UNITED CHURCH This concert will be the final event of our 37th annual National Conductors’ Symposium. Jon Washburn and his five invited conductors from around the world will focus on three distinct musical styles — the Renaissance polyphony of Palestrina, Victoria, Lassus and Josquin; the Romantic partsong of Schubert, Schumann, Fauré and Elgar; and the Rustic art of folksong from Britain, France, Germany and North America.
Singers’ Choice A Choral Hit Parade
8pm Friday, March 17, 2017 | RYERSON UNITED CHURCH Since our formation in 1971, there have been only 136 singers as full members of the Vancouver Chamber Choir — just 20 at a time, of course. Now they all finally get to join in the programme planning process! Each has been asked to recommend his or her favourite madrigal, motet, folksong and encore. From the resultant suggestions, it will be Jon’s job to shape a scintillating programme. His problem will be which terrific pieces to leave out in order to have room for even better ones. The results are still a state secret (you’ll have to come to the concert to find out who suggested what) but we can promise you a veritable choral hit parade! 6
Aeterna
Pergolesi Stabat Mater & Duruflé Requiem 8pm Friday, April 14, 2017 | ORPHEUM THEATRE The Vancouver Chamber Choir brings you the finest repertoire for chorus and orchestra every Good Friday in hopes that you will make this annual Orpheum concert part of your family’s musical and holiday tradition. This year the music is particularly wonderful - the moving Stabat Mater by Italian Baroque master Giovanni Battista Pergolesi, and the sublimely beautiful Requiem based on Gregorian themes by French postImpressionist composer Maurice Duruflé. Jon Washburn and the Choir are joined by the Pacifica Singers and the Vancouver Chamber Orchestra.
Youth & Music 2017 New Choral Creators
8pm Friday, May 5, 2017 | RYERSON UNITED CHURCH At 150 years, Canada is still a relatively young nation, making our Youth & Music concert a perfect venue for the Choir to start its 2017 celebrations. This event highlights the delightful finalists and winners of our 13th biennial Young Composers’ Competition, while conductors Jon Washburn and Carrie Tennant lead the Vancouver Chamber Choir and the Vancouver Youth Choir in a programme that marks our nation’s birth through the creativity of our youngest composers from 8 to 30.
7
Our Associate Choirs The growing Vancouver Chamber Choir family... The Vancouver Chamber Choir circle has been growing in recent years with the inclusion of the Pacifica Singers and the Vancouver Youth Choir as our Associate Choirs. The Pacifica Singers are a select ensemble conducted by Kevin Zakresky which sings with the Vancouver Chamber Choir each season (Festiva, Handel’s Messiah, and Aeterna) and also presents independent concerts in the fall and spring. The Vancouver Youth Choir is a newer group formed by conductor Carrie Tennant for young singers 14-23 years of age. They will be singing at Festiva and Youth and Music 2017 as well as their own concerts throughout the year. We’ll be giving you more information about both ensembles and their activities throughout the season. Be sure to give us your email address so we can keep you up to date! Write to us at info@vancouverchamberchoir.com.
Stay Connected! www.vancouverchamberchoir.com
8
Subscription order form This is a
Renewal
New Subscription/Change in Seating
1. Select concert series A or B. A - WHOLE SONGBOOK
Concerts
No. Adult No. Sr/St
ALL 10 WONDERFUL CONCERTS!
@ $310
@ $270
B – CHOOSE 4 OR MORE CONCERTS Concerts No. Earth/Sea/Sky 8pm Sept 30 Music of the Americas 8pm Oct 21 Festiva! 8pm Nov 19 Handel’s Messiah 8pm Dec 9 The Christmas Story 8pm Dec 16 Brahms Requiem 8pm Jan 27 The Essence of Music 8pm Feb 11 Singers’ Choice 8pm Mar 17 Aeterna 8pm Apr 14 Youth & Music 2017 8pm May 5
Adult No. @ $28 @ $28 @ $28 @ $48 @ $28 @ $28 @ $28 @ $28 @ $48 @ $28
Sr/St @ $24.50 @ $24.50 @ $24.50 @ $43 @ $24.50 @ $24.50 @ $24.50 @ $24.50 @ $43 @ $24.50
Subtotal
Subtotal
Subscription Subtotal $ 2. Please include a tax-deductible donation of: 3. Calculate the total amount of your order 4. Add $5.00 for the handling fee $5.00 GST & facility fees included. TOTAL AMOUNT $
5. Provide your contact and payment information and submit your order for processing. Last Name
First Name
Address
City
Postal Code
Daytime Telephone Number
Email Address
Method of Payment
Cheque
Visa
Account Number
MasterCard Expiry Date
Signature
Submit your order for processing by: mail to 1254 West 7th Avenue, Vancouver, BC V6H 1B6 or phone our office at 604.738.6822 Please Note: All telephone orders must be accompanied by a credit card number and expiry date. Subscription prices reflect up to a 30% discount on single ticket prices. GST and theatre surcharges (where applicable) are included. Programmes and artists may be subject to change without notice. We cannot refund your series tickets, but will be happy to make exchanges or replace lost ones. You will receive confirmation of your booking within three weeks and your tickets will be mailed by August 15th, 2016. Please note that subscription ticket prices are different from single ticket prices. If you wish to purchase tickets to individual concerts, they will be available in August through Ticketmaster. Thank you.
Charitable Registration Number 11928 1392 RR0001
Subscription Information Enjoy the Benefits of Subscribing
• • • • •
Up to 30% discount on single ticket prices It’s your choice: 4 concerts? All 10? It’s up to you! Priority seating at the Orpheum Theatre Invitations to special events and receptions Order extra discounted tickets for friends at the same time (Series B prices) Exchange your tickets for another concert if your plans change Easy lost ticket replacement
• •
Subscribe Today in Four Easy Steps 1. Select a concert series and your preferred dates. 2. Consider adding a tax-deductible donation to the Vancouver Chamber Choir. 3. Add $5.00 for the handling fee. 4. Provide your contact and payment information and submit your order for processing by: mail to 1254 West 7th Avenue, Vancouver, BC V6H 1B6 phone our office at 604.738.6822
Seating Plans If you have a seating preference at the Orpheum Theatre, please use this chart to help describe the section where you wish to have your seats located:
Venue Locations All evening concerts start at 8pm. Ryerson United Church offers general admission seating only. Orpheum Theatre 601 Smithe Street (at Seymour)
10
Ryerson United Church 2205 West 45th Avenue (at Yew)
Corporate Support
Government & Foundation Support
The Alan & Gwendoline Pyatt Foundation The Chan Sisters Foundation | The Christopher Foundation Deux Mille Foundation | Diamond Foundation Martha Lou Henley Charitable Foundation RBC Foundation | The Simons Foundation
Partners
Brochure Sponsor 11