Choirs Ontario At Your Service...
Take a look at what your Choirs Ontario membership provides...
News Items...
- Dynamic newsletter, published quarterly, includes choral news and articles from around the province.
- E-newsletter, keeps members informed throughout the year.
- Concert Listings, an online calendar of concerts and events. Concert information posted free for member choirs!
Publications...
- Children's Choir Handbook (2003) contains information about CO member choirs' artistic team, audition process and contact information.
- "How To" Series (2007) are publications that help volunteers and professional choral administrators handle the day-to-day operation and management of running a choir. Titles include:
- How to Apply for a Charitable License by Linda Beaupré
- How to Plan a Programme by Michael Tansley
- How to Organize a Concert by Mary Davis Little
- How to Make a Recording by John Barron
- How to Build a Budget by Beverley Hurlbut
- How to Manage a Choir by Marlene Fagan
- How to Audition Choristers by Gerald Fagan
- How to Organize a Library by Beverley Hurlbut
- How to Fundraise by Nigel J. Sivel
- How to Incorporate by William A. Wilson, Q.C.
- Foreign Language Pronunciation for Choirs (2000) contains pronunciation guidelines for Latin, French, German, and Hebrew. Each guide serves as a reference for proper vocal pronunciation, a must for today's multi-cultural programming. Free for member choirs!
Resources...
- Children's Choir Reference Library is a collection of over 350 single copies of music suitable for children's choirs, chosen in consultation with conductors of children's choirs, free to CO members. If you live in the GTA, drop by the office and have a look.
- Music Lending Library contains multi-copy sets of over 1,000 choral titles. The catalogue is downloadable from our website, complete with search feature. While requests for music are made through the CO office, volunteers at the University of Guelph oversee the lending of library materials. A set of single-file copies is available in the CO office to facilitate easy repertoire searches.
- Provincial Intra-Choirs Library Database (November, 2007) will contain the catalogue records of participating member choirs throughout the province via the Choirs Ontario website. Each catalogue entry will list the composition details, including title, composer/arranger, publisher, voicing, accompaniment requirements, designation of Canadian content, number of copies etc., as well as the name and contact information of the host choir(s). Choirs applying to use the Library Database must be willing to have their own libraries listed. Rental policies and fee structure will be determined by individual choirs.
Choral Programs...
- Ontario Youth Choir provides a unique opportunity for young singers from across Ontario to work with some of Canada's outstanding choral professionals. Every summer, 40 talented young singers are selected to participate in OYC's exciting programme of rehearsals, masterclasses and voice lessons. Members of the OYC experience musical challenges while enjoying the camaraderie of talented young colleagues from all over Ontario. Visit the CO home page for details of the next OYC summer programme.
- VOCAL workshop is a four-day workshop designed for adult choral singers. The workshops present vocal and choral sessions as well as masterclasses with some of Canada’s leading clinicians. Sessions cover warm-ups, vocal health, diction and much more. Masterclass topics include: Baroque/Classical Arias, Italian Art Songs, German Lieder, Romantic music, 20th/21st Century songs, as well as stage music including opera, operetta, and musical theatre. Visit the CO home page for details of the next VOCAL workshop.
- Interlude is a choral-educational series of workshops and concerts was developed for intermediate and senior students in Ontario's northern communities. Interlude will take eight talented young singers, a conductor and an accompanist on a mini-bus tour of several cities in Ontario's near north in May of 2008. This exceptional ensemble will present a musical education concert and interactive workshop designed to awaken the students' interest in singing while educating them to the art of choral music.
Awards and Competitions...
- Ruth Watson Henderson Choral Composition Competition is a biennial competition for new choral works with categories alternating between music for treble voice choirs and music for mixed adult choirs. A panel of judges review submissions and the winning entry receives a cash award and a performance at a public concert. The next award for the Ruth Watson Henderson Choral Competition will be presented in 2007.
- President's Leadership Award recognizes individuals who reside in Ontario who have made an exceptional contribution to the promotion and advancement of choral music in their communities. Candidates must have demonstrated an exceptional leadership role, vision and cultural activism and must be nominated by a CO choir or individual member. The next President's Leadership Award will be presented in 2008.
Your Choral Voice...
- Advocacy; We support the growth and development of choral music and celebrate the achievements of exceptional individuals who have contributed to choral music throughout Ontario. We facilitate communication and strengthen relationships within the choral community and raise the profile of the choral community to the world at large. We advocate at the provincial and federal levels on behalf of our community and strive to maintain a powerful presence of choral music in Canadian society. We serve as a referral service to the public at large who wish to join or hire a choir. We maintain a news page on the CO website for the posting of newsworthy items and current developments in the world of choral music.
Business Services...
- Member choirs may apply for reduced insurance rates for directors, as well as liability and theft coverage for choral groups.
Staying Connected....
- Links to member choirs are posted on the Choirs Ontario website making it easy to contact choirs throughout the province.