Vacation of Choral Adult Learners

July 6 – 9, 2011

Trinity Anglican Church, 79 Victoria Street, Aurora, Ontario

SUMMER TUNE-UPS FOR CHORAL SINGERS!

Choirs Ontario proudly presents the fifth annual VOCAL workshop for adult choral singers. Come to Aurora, just north of Toronto, for four full days of vocal training, and experience singing with some of Canada's leading clinicians. The program will include choral sessions, vocal technique and masterclasses with conductor Dr. Victoria Meredith, and clinicians Ingemar Korjus and Aury Murray. Daily Choral Sessions will be led by conductor Victoria Meredith, who will inspire you with wonderful choral challenges, culminating in a 'mini-concert' on Saturday night, July 9th. Masterclasses will include Baroque and Classical Arias, Italian Art Songs, German Lieder, Romantic music, 20th/21st century songs, and stage music including opera, operetta, and musical theatre.

Participants may register as either a 'Masterclass Singer' or 'Masterclass Auditor'. (Singers who do not wish to participate as a soloist in the masterclasses will still gain valuable information as an auditor).

THE MASTERCLASS

We would like to encourage all singers who have ever wanted to try a solo to participate in the masterclasses. Simply sign up as a Masterclass singer and give us a list of some songs you might like to perform. If you'd like to work with one of our clinicians on a Baroque Italian aria, or a Schubert Lied, or a folk song -- whatever you'd like to sing - we will find a place for you!

If we don't have a category that suits your repertoire, let us know what you would like to sing and we will arrange the schedule to include your repertoire. We are bound to have a wonderful time learning together in a positive and encouraging environment.

As this week is intended to be an inspiring learning experience, auditions are not required for the Masterclasses. Anyone wishing to sing in a Masterclass may do so by indicating this on the attached form. However, since space is limited, please list your repertoire selections in order of preference. Also, please bring at least two copies of your music. An accompanist will be provided. Memorization is encouraged but not mandatory. If your selections are not memorized, an extra copy of music will be required.

REGISTRATION

The fee for this four-day event is $300 for Masterclass soloists (Choirs Ontario members pay only $230) and $230 for Masterclass auditors (Choirs Ontario members pay only $175). Participants are responsible for their own travel, accommodation and meals.

Please complete the registration form below and send it, along with your payment and a brief outline of your musical background, to the Choirs Ontario office by May 16, 2011. Music packages will be mailed in June, 2011.

THE ARTISTIC STAFF

Conductor Dr. Victoria Meredith

Dr. Victoria Meredith is a Professor at the Don Wright Faculty of Music at the University of Western Ontario where she is the Associate Dean (Academic) and Coordinator of Choral Activities.  She teaches graduate and undergraduate choral conducting and directs the university's award-winning advanced mixed choir, the University of Western Ontario Singers. Choirs under her leadership have received numerous awards, including six CBC National Choral Competition prizes and five Canadian Music Educators' Association National Performance Awards. 
           
Dr. Meredith holds degrees in Music Education, Voice Performance, and Choral Conducting. In addition to her work at UWO, she maintains an active career as a workshop clinician, adjudicator, author, and conductor. She has guest conducted youth and adult choirs across Canada, including the Ontario Youth Choir (CBC Choral Competition 1997 first prize winners), and the 2010 National Youth Choir of Canada. Recent engagements have taken her to British Columbia, Alberta, Nova Scotia, Saskatchewan, and the United States. She has published numerous critical performing editions of renaissance and baroque choral compositions and articles on a variety of topics of interest to choral musicians, and has served on the Editorial Board of the Choral Journal and as President of the Association of Canadian Choral Conductors.

Based on her research into the development of the adult voice and inter-relationships between physical and vocal conditioning, her book, Sing Better As You Age, (Santa Barbara Music Publishing, www.sbmp.com) has captured the interest of singers and conductors across North America. It received the ACCC’s award for Best Choral Publication in 2008. The primary goal of Dr. Meredith’s research on the adult voice is to help choristers to sing as well as possible for as long as possible, so that they can continue to enjoy choral singing at a rewarding level throughout their entire lives. She looks forward to combining rehearsals of exciting choral repertoire with some of her discoveries about maintaining adult voices with participants in this year’s Adult Vocal Week.

Ingemar Korjus, Clinician

Bass-baritone Ingemar Korjus is the winner of numerous national and international competitions, including the CBC Talent Festival, the International Vocalists’ Competition at ‘s-Hertogenbosch, Holland, and the prestigious Munich Competition.  He has been a soloist with the Canadian Opera Company, Opera Lyra and for 3 seasons with Die Deutsche Oper am Rhein in Düsseldorf, Germany.  As well as opera, Ingemar Korjus has been heard in recital and oratorio in Europe, the United States and across Canada.

A jury member for the Canada and Ontario Arts Councils, as well as a popular adjudicator at many festivals, he has given classes at the Universities of Montreal, Moncton, Memorial University, the Glenn Gould Professional School, Toronto, Wheaton College, Illinois, and the Julliard School of Music in Manhattan, New York.  Formerly Chairman at the Department of Music at the University of Ottawa and Co-artistic Director of the Opera Lyra Young Artists Program, Ingemar Korjus is presently Sector Head of the University of Ottawa’s voice program.

Aury Murray, Clinician

Aury received her Associate Piano and Associate Voice Teacher's Diploma from Western Ontario Conservatory of Music, and holds an Honours Bachelor of Arts - Music Major from Lakehead University. She taught for the Music Department of Lakehead University and has served on the ORMTA Provincial Council as the Metro Toronto Zone Representative. She conducted the Choristers of the Etobicoke Canadian Federation of University Women and was a member of Arts Etobicoke. Aury is Organist and Choir Director of Erindale Presbyterian Church in Mississauga, as well as adjudicator of piano and voice for ORMTA, Kiwanis Music Festivals and other regional music festivals.

 

THE REGISTRATION FORM

The registration form for Adult "VOCAL" Week can be downloaded from the web site here. For more information, contact Choirs Ontario.

Click here to view the schedule.