Collaborations
It is a wonderful problem to have when so many arts organizations are requesting the opportunity to perform with Guelph Youth Singers. We always need to be sure that the material is appropriate for our season. We must balance our rehearsal time between the combined repertoire and the demands our own projects require. We want the social experience to be one that is exciting to our choristers, and we always aspire to accept opportunities to perform music that perhaps we couldn’t manage on our own. It is truly an honour when a group asks to collaborate with our talented, young artists.
Our 2017/18 Season is quickly taking shape, and collaborations are a large part of this programming. Members of GYS will be celebrating Gerald Neufeld’s final season in a collaboration with the Guelph Chamber Choir at the River Run. We will be the hosts of two festivals, the Senior Treble Festival featuring Choir III and the trebles from SATB, and our Guelph Schools Festival, called Guelph Sings! This event will highlight the younger choirs in the GYS family. SATB will be combining with Markus’ professional choir, LA MOVIDA and the Guelph Symphony Orchestra singing the incredibly beautiful Faure Requiem at the Basilica. Finally, our exciting trip to Vancouver and Whistler is highlighted by our participation in the Cantando Festival with choirs from across Canada (see below). An exciting opportunity for the spring of 2019 is already being explored for our touring choir.
We are always so proud of the work that we accomplish when GYS choirs are highlighted in performance, but these thrilling collaborations afford us artistic challenges and mentorship, new friendships, and exposure to audiences that may not know the incredibly high standard of singing that we bring to the greater Guelph arts community.
Elora Festival
On July 16th, members of Choir III will be performing at the prestigious Elora Festival, singing an incredibly challenging choral work, Benjamin Britten’s St. Nicholas Cantata. As the invited children’s chorus, GYS will collaborate with the Elora Festival Singers and orchestra, and a professional tenor in this master work. As a treat, our singers will perform a piece of our own with members of the Elora Festival Singers soprano and altos. Ticket sales have been strong, and the concert has been moved from St John’s Church to the impressive concert space in Gambrel Barn. This invitation is quite an honour, and I am so proud of our singers who have stepped up to take on this challenging music.
Please keep eyes open for an email from Cathy with exact details.
Dress Rehearsal: 4:30pm, Saturday, July 15th, Gambrel Barn (*This time and location is to be confirmed)
Concert Call: 3:00pm, Sunday July 16th, Gambrel Barn (*This time and location to be confirmed)
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