christmas 2013 - o night divine

Friday, December 20, 2013 7:30pm • Blessed Sacrament Church, Toronto Sunday, December 22, 2013 7:30pm • Our Lady of Sorrows Church, Toronto

O Night Divine

Season 2013-14

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VENI, VENI, EMMANUEL ..............................................Anonymous (13th century)Andrew Kwong, baritone

O ADONAI .................................................................................................... Gregorian chantUgo Spanu, baritone

O ADONAI ................................................................................................................... Arvo Pärt

I WAITED FOR THE LORD ....................................................................Kunle Owolabi=

Alixander Pawluk, baritone

A CHRISTMAS ROUND .............................................................................. John Tavener

A NEW YEAR CAROL............................................................................ Benjamin Britten

arr. Jerzy Cichocki=

A CHRISTMAS CAROL ...................................................................................Charles Ives

LUX AURUMQUE ............................................................................................ Eric Whitacre

O MAGNUM MYSTERIUM .................................... Morten Johannes Lauridsen

NOËL X - GRAND JEU ET DUO ..................Louis Claude Daquin (1694 - 1772 ) William O’Meara, organ

AVE MARIA (ANGELUS DOMINI)1 ................................................. Franz Biebltrio: Jimmy Martins, Francis Knowles, Andrew Kwong

To allow the programme to move smoothly, please hold your applause until the end of the section.

This evening’s concert is performed without intermission. Following the concert, please join us downstairs in the parish hall for refreshments.

O NIGHT DIVINETh eVICTORIA SCHOLARS present

Jerzy Cichocki • music directorWilliam O'Meara • organist/accompanist

An Advent hymn

I waited for the Lord

To Sir John Tavener & Sir Benjamin Britt en

An American coll ect ion

Organ solo

A mother's love

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Hark! the herald angels singThe audience is invited to stand and sing with the Choir.

Hark! the herald angels sing, “Glory to the new-born king;Peace on earth, and mercy mild, God and sinners reconciled.”Joyful, all you nations rise, Join the triumph of the skies;With th’angelic host proclaim, “Christ is born in Bethlehem!”Hark! the herald angels sing: “Glory to the new-born king!”

Hail the heaven-born Prince of Peace! Hail the Sun of Righteousness!Light and life to all he brings, Risen with healing in his wings.Mild he lays his glory by, Born that we no more may die,Born to raise us from the earth, Born to give us second birth.Hark! the herald angels sing: “Glory to the new-born king!”

W ŻŁOBIE LEŻY (Infant holy, infant lowly) .......................................Polish carol

arr. Jerzy Cichocki

WŚRΟD NOCNEJ CISZY2 (In midnight’s stillness) .......................Polish carol

arr. Jerzy Cichocki

A LA NANITA NANA .....................................................................................Spanish carol

arr. Norman Luboff

BALLOO, LAMMY .......................................................................................... Scottish carol

Francis Knowles, tenor arr. Norman Luboff

PASTORALE2 (TU SCENDI DALLE STELLE) ........................ Tomasso Capocci

ALL POOR MEN AND HUMBLE2 .............................................................Welsh carol

arr. Caradog Roberts, arr. Jerzy Cichocki

MARY HAD A BABY2 ........................................................ African-American spiritual

Jimmy Martins, tenor arr. Alice Parker & Robert Shaw

‘TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS ................................Howard Cable=

Jimmy Martins, Francis Knowles, tenors

LO, HOW A ROSE E’ER BLOOMING1 .....................................Michael Praetorius

arr. Archibald T. Davidson

SILENT NIGHT2 ................................................................................................. Franz Gruber

Jimmy Martins, tenor arr. Mack Wilberg

Infant holy, infant lowly

More carols of the World

‘Twas the night before Christ mas

Still e Nacht

Christ , by highest heaven adored, Christ the everlast ing Lord;Late in time behold him come, Off sp ring of the Virgin’s womb.Veiled in fl esh the Godhead see: Hail, th’incarnate Deity,Pleased as one with us to dwell, Jesus, our Emmanuel.Hark! the herald angels sing: “Glory to the new-born king!”

1 Recorded on Christmas with the Victoria Scholars: Carols and Lullabies fr om around the world2 Recorded on O Night Divine

= Canadian composer or arranger


Programme Notes VENI, VENI, EMMANUEL

Anonymous (13th century)

Veni, veni, Emmanuel;captivum solve Israel,qui gemit in exilio,privatus Dei Filio.

Gaude! Gaude! Emmanuel,nascetur pro te, Israel.

Veni, O Iesse Virgula;ex hostis tuos ungula,de specu tuos Tartarieduc, et antro barathri.

Gaude!…

Veni, veni, O Oriens;solare nos adveniens;noctis depelle nebulasdirasque noctis tenebras.

Gaude!…

Veni, Clavis Davidica;regna reclude coelica;fac iter tutum supernumet claude vias inferum.

Gaude!...

Veni, veni, Adonai,qui populo in Sinailegem dedisti verticein maiestate gloriae.

Gaude!...

Come, come, Emmanuel!Release captive Israel,which groans in exile,deprived of the Son of God.

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuelwill be born for you, Israel.

Come, you Branch of Jesse!Draw your people from the enemy’s clutch,from the chasm of Tartarusand the depths of the abyss.

Rejoice!...

Come, come, you Rising Sun!Comfort us as you dawn;drive away nocturnal mists,and night’s dreadful shadows.

Rejoice!...

Come, you Key of David!Unlock the door to the heavenly kingdom;disclose a safe route to the upper realm,and close off the paths to hell.

Rejoice!...

Come, come, Adonai,you, who, in awesome majesty,gave the Law to your people,on the heights of Mount Sinai.

Rejoice!…

Gregorian chant is possibly the oldest surviving music of the ancient West ern world. Its pure, unaccompanied melodic lines have never been surpassed for beauty or aptness to their texts.

Th e text of Veni, veni, Emmanuel is based on a series of ‘O’ antiphons sung at vesp ers on the days leading up to Christ mas. Th is ever-popular medieval, thirteenth-century plainsong melody was fi rst published in 1854.


O Adonai, Father and Lord of the House of Israel,

In the fl aming thorn bush you appeared to Moses,

and on the mountain gave unto him the Law in Sinai:

O come and free us with your strong arm.

Th e Great Antiphons, or ‘O’ Antiphons, as they are called, are employed in the Liturgy of the Hours, one each day, from December 17 to 23. Poetic in thought and replete with scriptural allusions, each antiphon salutes the coming Messiah under one of his many scriptural titles and closes with a proper petition. O Adonai is the antiphon for December 18.

O ADONAIArvo Pärt (b.1935)

O Adonai, der Herr und Führer des Hauses Israel,

im fl ammenden Dornbusch bist du dem Mose erschienen,

und hast ihm auf dem Berg das Gesetz gegeben:

o komm und befreie uns mit deinem starken Arm,

O Adonai.

Arvo Pärt's music cast s its sp ell with the simplest of means. Such purity is not easily achieved, either by composers or performers. Critic Peter G. Davis describes his music syntax as “diatonic melodies, clearly defi ned rhythmic patt erns, const ant harmonic textures that coalesce into long, arching sp ans during which time seems to st and st ill.” In his music, Pärt, an Est onian émigré currently living in the West , draws on early polyphonic forms, Gregorian chant and the sp irituality of the East ern Church.

Th e Seven Magnifi cat Antiphons date from 1988 and were revised in 1991. Th ey were composed for the fortieth anniversary of the RIAS Berlin Chamber Choir. Th is was Pärt’s fi rst subst antial vocal work to use a language other than Latin. Note how the upper and lower voices alternate – a contrast that is simple yet powerful.

I WAITED FOR THE LORD Kunle Owolabi (b. 1978)

I waited for the Lord was composed in May 1996, and was fi rst performed at St. Michael’s Cathedral, Toronto. Th is work, adapted from Psalm 40, presents a st udy in contrast ing moods. Opening with a slow-moving progression of large, open chords and yearning melodies, the piece then moves into a dance-like allegro, capturing the sp irit of the text, “He put a new song into my mouth, a song of praise

O ADONAIGregorian Chant

O Adonai, et Dux domus Israel,

qui Moysi in igne fl ammae rubi

apparuisti, et ei in Sina legem dedisti:

veni ad redimendum nos in brachio extento.


to our God.” Th is is followed by a return to the more st aid material of the opening sect ion. In the closing bars, a baritone solo is heard above the choir, as the cantor affi rms his trust in the Lord.

An alumnus of St. Michael’s Choir School, Kunle Owolabi received his ARCT diplomas in piano and organ from the Royal Conservatory of Music in 1995 and 1996 resp ect ively. As an organist Kunle has performed widely in Toronto, Montreal and Oxford (UK). As a composer he has received numerous awards in the Amadeus Choir Carol Writing Competition, and has several works published by Gordon V. Th ompson. Kunle holds a B.A. in International Relations from the University of Toronto an M.Phil degree in Latin American Studies from Oxford University, and a PhD in Political Science from the University of Notre Dame. Kunle is currently Assist ant Professor of Political Science at Villanova University and interim music direct or at St. Th omas of Villanova Parish, in Villanova, PA.

A CHRISTMAS ROUNDJohn Tavener (1944-2013)

Sir John Tavener joined the Russian Orthodox Church in 1977, and its sp irituality, liturgy and music have had a st rong infl uence on his compositions. Th e brief text for A Christ mas round (1999) is from the Orthodox liturgy for Christ mas Day. We remember Sir John Tavener who passed away last month, on November 12th.

A NEW YEAR CAROLBenjamin Britten (1913-1976)

arr. Jerzy Cichocki

Benjamin Britt en contributed greatly to music in the twentieth century. His compositions ranged from folk-song sett ings and chamber music to symphonies and opera. Britt en’s complete craft was not limited to large forms. A New Year Carol is a song of touching simplicity, with a magical refrain, which demonst rates Britt en’s melodic insp iration. It is from Friday Aft ernoons, Op. 7, a collect ion of twelve unison songs with piano, writt en most ly during the school year 1933-34 for “the boys of Clive House, Prest atyn” and for Robert Britt en (Benjamin’s brother), the headmast er of the school in North Wales. Th e poem is from “Tom Tiddler’s Ground” by Walter de la Mare (1873-1956). Th e sett ing for male chorus has been arranged by our conduct or based on a 1971 sett ing by the composer. Th is year marks the 100th anniversary of Britt en’s birth.

A CHRISTMAS CAROLCharles Ives (1874–1954)

Charles Ives worked in insurance and was in the happy position of being able to pay for the publication of his own works. Although he was thoroughly trained in music and initially composed


works in a traditional st yle, he quickly developed a revolutionary approach to composition in which he anticipated many devices of the 20th century avant-garde. Ives composed numerous songs and choral pieces, many of the latt er scored for unison voices and piano. Originally A Christ mas carol was composed for solo voice with keyboard accompaniment, and was fi rst published in his collect ion 114 Songs. Th is carol, with its lilting syncopations, was writt en about 100 years ago.

LUX AURUMQUE Eric Whitacre (b. 1970)

Lux, Light,

calida gravisque pura velut aurum, warm and heavy as pure gold,

et canunt angeli molliter and the angels sing softly

modo natum. to the new-born babe.

Eric Whitacre writes: “Aft er deciding upon the poem by Edward Esch (b. 1970) (I was immediately st ruck by its genuine, elegant simplicity), I had it translated into the Latin by the celebrated American poet Charles Anthony Silvest ri.”

Lux aurumque in its original sett ing for SATB Chorus was commissioned by the Mast er Chorale of Tampa Bay, Fla. in 2000, and is dedicated to Dr. Jo-Michael Scheibe. Th e TT BB arrangement of Lux aurumque (2004) was writt en for the Gay Men’s Chorus of Los Angeles and is dedicated to its conduct or, Dr. Bruce Mayhall.

Bruce Mayhall writes: “Eric Whitacre has sp oken with a singular voice in all of his pieces: one that took the modern compositional techniques of recent decades into account while writing for massed voices with an overarching concern for communicating powerful texts in accessible ways. His is a compositional language that arrest s the post modern list ener and penetrates to the very center of the sp irit with an impact that has proven widesp read if not universal.”

Whitacre’s choral music demonst rates a broad eclect icism of musical language resulting from diverse st reams of infl uence. His early musical experiences were not of the classical sort. At age 19 he had heard essentially no ‘classical’ music. Formal st udies at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas and the Juilliard School (with John Corigliano) introduced him to the st andard array of musical st yles – he declares his compositional progenitors are a varied list encompassing Monteverdi, Debussy, Prokofi ev, Bernst ein and Pärt – yet his musical life before and beyond the classical st yle has enriched his communication with insp iration and even sp ecifi c musical gest ures that have sp rung equally from his admiration for the Beatles, Queen, Madonna, Sting and Peter Gabriel.


O MAGNUM MYSTERIUMMorten Johannes Lauridsen (b. 1943)

O magnum mysterium, O great mystery,

et admirabile sacramentum, and wonderous sacrament,

ut animalia viderent Dominum that animals should see the new-born

natum, jacentem in praesepio! Lord, lying in their manger!

Beata Virgo, cujus viscera Blessed is the Virgin whose womb

meruerunt portare was worthy to bear the

Dominum Christum. Alleluia! Lord Jesus Christ. Alleluia!

A native of the Pacifi c Northwest , Morten Johannes Lauridsen was born in Colfax, Washington, and raised in Portland, Oregon. He has long been associated with the University of Southern California School of Music, where he is Professor and Chair of the Department of Composition. He divides his time between Los Angeles and his summer home on a remote island off the northern coast of Washington State.

O magnum myst erium received its world premiere performance on December 18, 1994, with Paul Salamunovich conduct ing the Los Angeles Mast er Chorale in the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, and was commissioned by long-time board member, board president and choral advocate Marshall Rutt er in honour of his wife, Terry Knowles. In a note prefacing the published edition, the composer reveals the impetus for select ing this subject : “For centuries, composers have been insp ired by the beautiful text, with its juxtaposition of the birth of the newborn King amongst the lowly animals and shepherds. Th is affi rmation of God’s grace to the meek and the adoration of the Blessed Virgin are celebrated in my sett ing through a quiet song of profound inner joy.” O magnum myst erium has gone on to become one of the most frequently performed and recorded works in the contemporary choral repertoire.

At the request of Jerzy Cichocki, Lauridsen re-arranged the original mixed chorus version for the Vict oria Scholars.

NOËL - GRAND JEU ET DUOLouis Claude Daquin (1694 - 1772 )

Louis-Claude Daquin was organist of the Chapelle royale. His imaginative set of variations on Je suis l’archange de Dieu refl ect s a particularly French interest in the exploration of colour.


AVE MARIA (ANGELUS DOMINI)Franz Biebl (1906–2001)

Angelus Domini nuntiavit Mariaeet concepit de Spiritu sancto.

Ave Maria, gratia plena,Dominus tecum.Benedicta tu in mulieribus,et benedictus fructus ventris tui, Jesus.

Maria dixit: Ecce ancilla Domini,fi at mihi secundum verbum tuum.

Ave Maria…

Et verbum caro factum estet habitavit in nobis.

Ave Maria…

Sancta Maria, Mater Dei,Ora pro nobis peccatoribusNunc et in hora mortis nostrae. Amen.

The angel of the Lord made his annunciation to Mary, and she conceived by the Holy Spirit.

Hail, Mary, full of grace,the Lord is with you.Blessed are you among women,and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus.

Mary said: Behold the handmaiden of the Lord;let it be unto me according to your word.

Hail, Mary…

And the word was made fl eshand dwelt among us.

Hail, Mary…

Holy Mary, mother of God,pray for us sinnersnow and in the hour of our death. Amen.

Franz Biebl was a German composer and choir conduct or who taught at the Mozarteum in Salzburg from 1939 until 1945. From 1948, he lived and worked in Bavaria as a private teacher and freelancer with the Bavarian Radio, gaining recognition primarily as a composer of choral works. Ave Maria (Angelus Domini), his best -known piece, is scored for a trio of soloist s and four-part chorus. Biebl here alternates three chant-like passages with harmonically rich antiphonal writing.

W ŻŁOBIE LEŻY (INFANT HOLY, INFANT LOWLY)Polish carol

arr. Jerzy Cichocki

WŚRΟD NOCNEJ CISZY (IN MIDNIGHT’S STILLNESS)Polish carol

arr. Jerzy Cichocki

Every Christ ian national group has its own songs and cust oms for the season of Christ mas, but perhaps no others surpass in beauty Polish kolendy, or carols. On Christ mas Eve the family sits down to the evening meal – the Wigilia. Following dinner, they gather around the lighted Christ mas tree and sing carols. Th e devotional W żłobie leży and Wśrόd nocnej ciszy disp lay the lyrical beauty and charm of Polish folklore. Th ese kolendy, arranged by Jerzy Cichocki, are dedicated to the Vict oria Scholars.


A LA NANITA NANASpanish carol

arr. Norman Luboff (1917-1987)

A la nanita nana. A la Nanita nana.Mi Jesús tiene sueño bendito sea. To the little tiny one, Jesus is sleeping, blessed is he.Fuenticilla que corres clara y sonora, A little fountain runs clear and sonorous.Rui-señor q’en la selva cantando lloras, A mocking bird in the jungle sings its cry.Callad mientras la cuna se balancea. Be still, for the cradle is rocking.

Th roughout his long career as a singer, arranger, composer, conduct or and publisher, Norman Luboff made a tremendous contribution to American choral music. With over 6000 choral arrangements, Luboff worked in New York and Hollywood, arranging music for radio and television shows such as Th e Milton Berle Show, Th e Jerry Lewis Show, and Th e Dinah Shore Show. Luboff contributed to more than eighty fi lms and recorded with popular music icons Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, Doris Day and Harry Belafonte.

BALLOO, LAMMYScottish carol

arr. Norman Luboff

PASTORALE(TU SCENDI DALLE STELLE)Tomasso Capocci

Tu scendi dalle stelle,O Re del cielo,E vieni in una grottaAl freddo, al gelo;O Bambino mio Divino,Io Ti vedo qui tremar!O Dio beato!Oh, quanto Ti costò l’avermi amato!

From the starry skies thou comest,The King of Heaven foretold,Appearing in a manger,Near-frozen from the cold.Jesus, dearest little Baby,How I long to make thee warm!To shelter thee from harm!My heart is fi lled with pity for thy tiny form!

Th e words of the famous Italian poem Tu scendi dall e st ell e have oft en been att ributed to Pope Pius IX (1792–1878), but in fact are by Alphonsus Liguori (1696–1787), an eighteenth-century Italian moral theologian. Even less is known about the much older traditional Italian melody or the composer or arranger of the Past orale, Tomasso Capocci. Nevertheless, it is one of the most beautiful and insp iring among Italian carols.


ALL POOR MEN AND HUMBLEWelsh carol

arr. Caradog Roberts (1878–1935)

arr. Jerzy Cichocki

All poor men and humble is a free translation of the traditional Welsh carol O deued pob Crist ion.

MARY HAD A BABYAfrican-American spiritual

arr. Alice Parker (b.1925) & Robert Shaw (1916–1999)

Th e Alice Parker and Robert Shaw sett ing of Mary had a baby is a simple and reverent African-American sp iritual in quest ion–and–answer form.

‘TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMASHoward Cable (b.1920)

Toronto-born Howard Cable is recognized as one of Canada’s leading conduct ors, composers and arrangers. In an illust rious career sp anning more than 50 years, he has worked in the realm of symphonic, theatre, radio, television and fi lm music.

Cable’s 'Twas the night before Christ mas is an original sett ing of A Visit fr om St. Nicholas by Clement Clarke Moore (1779-1863), an American biblical scholar who almost single-handedly created the modern concept of Santa Claus.

Cable’s sett ing of this American children’s classic was championed by the late Dr. Elmer Iseler and oft en sung by his Singers. At the request of Jerzy Cichocki, Howard Cable re-arranged the original mixed chorus version for the Vict oria Scholars.

LO, HOW A ROSE E’ER BLOOMINGMichael Praetorius (1571–1621)

arr. Archibald T. Davidson (1883–1961)

Michael Praetorius, one of the greatest Lutheran composers, held several important Kapellmeist er positions, including post s at Luneberg and at the court of the Duke of Brunswick. His publications of choral music in Latin and German are voluminous, quite apart from his inst rumental music and his famous work, Syntagma Musicum. No Christ mas programme would be complete without the composer’s sett ing of Lo, how a rose e’er blooming, which dates from 1605. It was arranged for male chorus by Archibald T. Davison, who was the Direct or of the Harvard Glee Club as well as the University Organist and Choirmast er. Th e English version text is by Th eodore Baker (1851–1934).


SILENT NIGHTFranz Gruber (1787–1863)

arr. Mack Wilberg (b.1955)

Mack Wilberg is direct or of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and music direct or of the Temple Square Chorale. In addition to his conduct ing resp onsibilities, he has been act ive as a pianist , chamber musician, clinician, composer, arranger, and guest conduct or throughout the United States and abroad. He is the former direct or of choral act ivities at Brigham Young University.

OUR GENEROUS SUPPORTERS

Iivi Campbell

Roberta Clough

Donald Deathe

Cora Dusk

Olive P. J. Ferrarin

Han Stained Glass Ltd

Eva & Istvan Hegedus

Ulla Knowles

William Lamb

Helen L. Matich

Eugene & Ginette McCallen

The continuing support of the Ontario Arts Council and the Toronto Arts Council is gratefully acknowledged.

Th e Victoria Scholars is a registered charitable organization (No. 88573-4731-RR0001). Donations are gratefully received, and can be sent to:

VICTORIA SCHOLARS 146 Willowridge Road, Etobicoke, ON M9R 3Z7

Thank you to our media partners, The New Classical 96.3 FM and Vision TV.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Damien Macedo, PRESIDENT

Ulla Knowles

Andrew Kwong

Jimmy Martins, PAST PRESIDENT/TREASURER

Alan Medri

Felipe Morgado, SECRETARY

Jack Nigro, VICE PRESIDENT

John Willson

KEY STAFFMark McCallen,FRONT OF HOUSE MANAGER

Frances Peksyk-Cichocki RECEPTIONS CO-ORDINATOR

S. Newman

Dr. Michael & Marika Olah

Grace Beverley Olds

Veronica & Murray Payne

John & Maire Percy

Ray & Nancy Rabbat

Stephen Taylor

Cathy Thompson

Bob & Sheila Williams

Elaine Wright

O Night DivineA collection of seasonal favourites, with special guest soloists

Michael Schade and Stephen Hegedus, and accompanist William O'Meara.p g

“O Night Divine...has a deep and rich sound that I can’t resist! It includes some very beautiful and tasteful arrangements by director Jerzy Cichocki, bringing some of the Christmas classics alive in a new and fresh way. I will certainly be listening to this by the fi re this Christmas season."

peter-anthony togniformer host of cbc radio's, choral concert

"Th is 18-member male chorus founded by alumni of St. Michael's Choir School and led by the school's artistic director Jerzy Cichocki marches towards its 20th anniversary with a gorgeous collection of mostly sacred music...Th is is a wonderful album for anyone who likes to savour the more contemplative, devotional side of the season."

john terauds, musical toronto

Available at today's performance, and featured on Air Canada's December in-fl ight playlist!


Tonight's Performers JERZY CICHOCKI is Artist ic Direct or of St. Michael’s

Choir School in Toronto, Conduct or of the Senior Choir of St. Michael’s Cathedral in Toronto, and Music Direct or of the Vict oria Scholars. He st udied at the University of Toronto and at Yale University, where he received the Doct or of Musical Arts Degree in Conduct ing in 1991.

Dr. Cichocki is in frequent demand as a clinician, and has presented workshops across the country for a number of diff erent musical organizations. Recent guest -conduct ing engagements have included the Canadian Sinfoniett a, Elora Fest ival Singers, Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony, Toronto Mendelssohn Choir, Toronto Philharmonic and True North Brass.

WILLIAM O’MEARA is Cathedral Organist at St. Michael's Cathedral in Toronto and the principal organist for St. Michael's Choir School in addition to being accompanist for the Toronto Choral Society and the Vict oria Scholars. He has performed throughout North America, South America and Europe at engagements such as the São Bento International Organ Fest ival (São Paulo, Brazil), the Warsaw International Organ Fest ival (Poland), the Fédération québécoise des amis de l’orgue (Quebec City), and the Piccolo Spoleto Fest ival (Charlest on, S.C.). He recently premiered and recorded Cathedral Architect ure, an organ concerto by John Burge, with the Hannaford Street Silver Band and will be performing this summer at the Ott awa International Chamber Music Fest ival.

Mr. O’Meara is well known for his improvised accompaniments to silent fi lms. He has worked for the Toronto International Film Fest ival, Cinematheque Ontario, and Le Giornate del Cinema Muto (Italy) and regularly accompanies silent fi lms at the Bell Lightbox and Silent Sundays at the Revue Cinema on Roncesvalles Ave.


Th e VICTORIA SCHOLARS MEN'S CHORAL ENSEMBLE was founded in 1993 by graduates of Toronto’s St. Michael’s Choir School, and takes its name from Tomás Luis de Vict oria, an outst anding Spanish composer of the Renaissance period whose music is renowned for its deep sp irituality and emotional expressiveness. Th e essence of the Scholars’ music is an emphasis on the clarity and balance of sound so charact erist ic of Renaissance music, which the ensemble presents through the unique sonority of male voices.

Th e Vict oria Scholars’ repertoire, however, is not limited to the Renaissance. It encompasses medieval plainchant, works from the Baroque, Classical and Romantic eras, contemporary pieces in a variety of st yles and newly commissioned works.

Th e Vict oria Scholars has completed successful tours nationally and internationally, and makes frequent appearances as sp ecial guest with other artist s and performing arts organizations from Toronto and abroad, including the Barenaked Ladies, Kyiv Chamber Choir, Orphei Drängar, St. Michael's Choir School, Toronto Mendelssohn Choir, and the Toronto Symphony Orchest ra.

Past winners of the Canada Council Healey Willan Grand Prize in the CBC Radio National Competition for Amateur Choirs, the Vict oria Scholars has performed with international vocal soloist s Russell Braun, Norine Burgess, Michael Colvin, Richard Margison, Robert Pomakov, Sondra Radvanovsky, Catherine Robbin, Michael Schade, Janice Taylor, James West man and Monica Whicher. Th e choir has recorded with singer/songwriter Loreena McKennitt and with Canadian soprano Mary Lou Fallis, in addition to producing its own four widely-acclaimed recordings.

TENOR ISanghoon Han

Francis Knowles

Ryan Knowles*

Damien Macedo

Jimmy Martins

TENOR I IChristian Farahat

Sangyoun Han*

Nicholas Manalo

Jack Nigro*

Robert Painço

Lowell Selorio

BARITONEKevin Bonnici

Francesco Gramano

Andrew Kwong

Felipe Morgado

Alixander Pawluk

Ugo Spanu

BASSPaul Johnson

Alan Medri

Jaan Medri

Matthew Warszawski

John Willson

*leave of absence

Season 2013-14

Male VoicesMasterpieces of the 19th and 20th centuriesSUNDAY, MARCH 2, 2014 · 7:30pm | OUR LADY OF SORROWS CHURCHEnjoy the music of the masters for male voices. This programme includes famous works by Edward Elgar, Randall Thompson and Richard Strauss, and a very rare performance of Josef Gabriel Rheinberger’s elegant and eloquent Mass in F for Male Choir and Organ Op.190.

TenebraeSUNDAY, APRIL 13, 2014 · 4:00pm | OUR LADY OF SORROWS CHURCHWritten in the middle of the last century by Monsignor John Edward Ronan – principal founder of Toronto’s St Michael’s Choir School – the Tenebrae responsories convey the sorrow of Holy Week in this solemn and noble music.

Those Opera ComposersSUNDAY, JUNE 1, 2014 · 7:30pm | OUR LADY OF SORROWS CHURCHThe Victoria Scholars' twenty-fi rst season fi nale features a programme of music for men’s voices in a tribute to well-known operatic composers: from the sacred music of Charles Gounod to the not-so sacred music of Carl Maria von Weber, as well as works by Beethoven, Bernstein, Britten, Cherubini, Copland, Mozart, Puccini, Rossini, Vaughan Williams, Verdi and Wagner.

www.victoriascholars.ca

christmas 2013 - o night divine

Documents

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