STAIRWELL CAROLLERS SPRING 2026 - A CONCERT FOR ALL TIME AND PLACE

SACRED & PROFANE 

June 6, St. Barnabas Church, 70 James Street Ottawa. 7:30 PM. 

 TICKETS

Join us in an evening of choral beauty spanning the ages.

This diverse evening of religious and secular a cappella songs includes contemporary pieces such as award winning “Eya, eya gaudeamus” - composed by our director, Pierre Massie - and an arrangement of “Jerusalem” by Terry Brynaert, bass. 

Frank Ticheli’s heart-wrenching “Earth Song” is a mere 15 years old and cries out for peace in a time of war. Contrast this with Rob Dietz’ 1999 “Hine ma tov”, a joyous refrain in Hebrew encouraging us to ‘behold, how good it is for people to dwell together in unity’. 

Hear Thomas Morley’s “I Love, Alas, I Love Thee” or “Margot labourez les vignes”. Finally, imagine the church imbued with our choir’s offering of Gabriel Faure’s “O Domine”.

We are preparing some extraordinary works to share for this, our 48th Spring Concert. Join us in joy, in celebration and reflection, as we bring to life music for all the times and places of mankind. 

Pierre Massie and his award-winning a cappella choir, The Stairwell Carollers, invite you to an evening of choral masterpieces from the 15th century to the present day.

Our concert this season consists of 23 sacred and secular works from across the ages. As always, we will perform songs in several languages, including Latin, Italian, French, English, Hebrew and Icelandic.

The repertoire includes Missa brevis by Antonio Lotti, our second most popular sacred video on YouTube. We will also sing works by other well-known Renaissance and Victorian greats such as Tallis, Morley, Hassler, Janequin, Arcadelt and many more. The music spans several eras and includes contemporary works by Fauré, Ticheli, Gjeillo, our director Pierre Massie, and an arrangement by our bass, Terry Brynaert.

Bring your friends and enjoy our springtime musical smorgasbord. You won’t be disappointed!

To learn more about the Stairwell Carollers, visit: stairwellcarollers.com.

And to hear the Carollers singing, visit our YouTube channel.

Preparing for a Christmas of Song - from our Director

 As the first real snow falls across our Nation’s Capital, our choir’s rehearsals have taken on that unmistakable sense of anticipation that comes near the end of the year. We’ve been at this since the end of August—those warm, late-summer evenings now feel like a lifetime ago—but the change in the air has transformed our music. When the world outside turns white, the carols we’ve been carefully shaping for months suddenly feel as though they’ve found their season.

Back in August, when the crickets were still singing and the days stretched long, our rehearsal hall echoed with Gaudete and Deck the Hall. Neighbours within earshot could be seen smiling or shaking their heads, no doubt amused by the sound of Christmas cheer floating out into the humid air. 

But we knew what they didn’t: those early rehearsals pay off! Building the foundation early lets the music deepen, ripen, and settle into our bones long before the first frost.

This year’s program is a journey through time, beginning with Gaudete—a radiant 16th-century call to rejoice—and ending with the world première of Carol of the Winter Squall, a brand-new work by our own Terry Brynaert. Between those two bookends lies an array of music both familiar and new: traditional carols, modern classics, and a generous helping of my own compositions and arrangements, several of which have been called back for this occasion.

Bringing older pieces back to life has been one of the most rewarding parts of this season. Some of these works I wrote or arranged decades ago, often for smaller ensembles or different voices, and hearing them anew through the vibrant sound of The Stairwell Carollers of 2025 has been like meeting old friends who’ve grown wiser with time. Reworking Venez, Divin Messie, Away in a Manger, and What Child Is This? has allowed me to revisit the intentions behind them—to refine textures, clarify harmonies, and rediscover the joy that inspired them in the first place. The singers, in turn, have brought their own insights, shaping the music with a warmth and subtlety that I could never have imagined when I first wrote it.

Creating a new piece, however, presents an entirely different challenge. With Carol of the Winter Squall, we are not merely performing—we are inventing. The first rehearsals were full of questions: How will the rhythms breathe? Where does the storm give way to calm? But as we’ve explored it together, the piece has taken on its own life—blustery, bright, and full of heart. There’s a special thrill in knowing we are its first interpreters, giving voice to something that didn’t exist a few months ago.

What drives us now is a shared sense of purpose. Every rehearsal feels charged with discovery, every note a step closer to that moment when audience and choir will meet in sound and celebration. When the lights go down and Gaudete begins, all the months of preparation, the revisiting of old works and the birthing of new ones, will converge into a single expression of joy.

And as the final notes of Carol of the Winter Squall fade into silence, I hope you’ll feel what we’ve felt all season long—that music, whether centuries old or freshly minted, is a living thing. It grows, it changes, and it brings us together, year after year, to sing against the dark and welcome the light.

— Pierre Massie

OUR UPCOMING 2025 CHRISTMAS CONCERTS

https://www.stairwellcarollers.com/en/concerts-xmas/

To learn more about the Stairwell Carollers, visit: stairwellcarollers.com.

And to hear the Carollers singing, visit our YouTube channel.
A registered Canadian charity, The Carollers also help local charities with net proceeds from concert tickets, CDs, Digital Downloads and Streaming sales.  

About The Stairwell Carollers:
Pierre Massie created our a cappella choir in 1977 while he was a music student at Ottawa University. With wins in both the 2010 and 2013 Ontario Music Festival Association competitions, we are ranked among the best of Ontario choirs. 

Since 1997 we have donated over $143,800 to local charities and scholarships.

TONIGHT! Stairwell Carollers Spring 2025 choral Concert

TONIGHT!

Stairwell Carollers Spring 2025 choral Concert TONIGHT  June 7th! 

St. Barnabas church 70 James Street Ottawa Don't miss us! Tickets on sale online and at the door.

https://www.canadahelps.org/en/charities/the-stairwell-carollers/events/-madrigal/

Our concert this season includes our most challenging repertoire ever. More than half of the songs are new to every one of us! The evening will consist of 23 secular and sacred works from across the ages. As always, we will perform songs in several languages, including German, Latin, Spanish, French, English and Swedish.

The repertoire includes the Kyrie from Rheinberger's Mass in Eb for two choirs, along with other works by well-known Renaissance and Victorian greats such as Morley, di Lasso, Dowland, Encina, Janequin and many more. The music spans many eras and includes contemporary works by Poulenc and Holst. We will also be singing the beautiful theme from the popular TV series, "Outlander".

Bring your friends and enjoy our springtime musical smorgasbord. You won't be disappointed!

To learn more about the Stairwell Carollers, visit: stairwellcarollers.com.

And to hear the Carollers singing, visit our YouTube channel.

Choral Workshop with Gabriel Lewis-O'Conner a Transformative Experience

A week ago, I had the absolute privilege of attending a 3-day workshop with my Ottawa Choir, The Stairwell Carollers, led by the incredibly talented, observant, and kind Gabe Lewis-O'Connor.

To say this experience was transformative would be an understatement.  Not only did our sound change and evolve as a collective in those 3 short (intense) days, but we were provided with so many new tools and ideas to furnish ourselves with moving forward on our individual vocal journeys.

... It was pretty nostalgic seeing some "theatre" exercises called upon, too, after a 5+ year hiatus.  (8-count shake-outs anyone?)  Exploring the parallels between theatrical character and voice work, and the nuances of choral music and various composers was certainly a highlight.

Still such an amazing privilege to be part of his group of diversely talented, enthusiastic, and supportive musicians.  

Please, please, if you are able, ... DO come see our show on June 7th.  

TICKETS AVAILABLE HERE ONLINE ONLY

This isn't me flogging ticket sales out of necessity.  This is me wanting to share this music with as many folks as possible, and guaranteeing you that you WILL smile, feel, and leave with a different kind of lightness than what you may or may not have come in with.  

Shayna M (from FaceBook)

A registered Canadian charity, The Stairwell Carollers also help local charities with net proceeds from concert tickets, CDs, Digital Downloads and Streaming sales.  

Since 1997 we have donated over $143,800 to local charities and scholarships.

About The Stairwell Carollers:

Pierre Massie created our a cappella choir in 1977 while he was a music student at Ottawa University. With wins in both the 2010 and 2013 Ontario Music Festival Association competitions, we are ranked among the best of Ontario choirs. 

The Stairwell Carollers welcomes new singers to the Stairwell for Spring 2025!

For the interest of other choir directors and singers here is the email that our director sent to everyone to welcome them to our new season.

Hello to all of you who are joining the carollers for your first rehearsal. 

By now you've hopefully gotten a chance to go through the document I sent you and have successfully accessed our members' page. Don't forget to log out as per the instructions I sent you, that way it ensures your visit to the page shows up on our tracking list. The log out instructions are in the doc I sent and in the videos included in that pdf.

The first rehearsal can be overwhelming and I wanted to remind you that although preparation is important, we know that learning four songs can seem like a lot. It's pretty much our average number per rehearsal and the only way for us to ensure we're ready by concert time. Musescore can help you get through that preparation but we don't expect perfection.

It's likely you'll feel overwhelmed the first time you sing with us. To help alleviate some of that, I thought you might be interested in some stats about the group...

• With the four of you, the group will have 35 singers.
• Of those, 8 have been singing with me for over 15 years. Myself and Holly started the group. Denyse has been with me for 43 years. Susan is coming up to her 30th. She was the alto at your audition and René is coming up on 21 years. He was the bass.
• 6 others have been with the group between 5 and 15 years
• 13 have been singing 2 or more years
• 4 started last fall so this is their first spring session. They're on a level playing field with the four of you.

This coming Wednesday you have four songs to learn and here are the stats for those...

• A1) My Bonny Lass - 12 of us have sung the piece before
• A2) I Am Not Yours -  11 of us know it
• A4) Cantique de Jean Racine - 14 of us know it although I did change it a bit but not enough to make a diff.
• D2) Laudemus cum armonia - 13 of us know it

I thought it might help to know this so you don't feel left behind by how quickly things move this Wednesday. Take a breath. We are super organized as a choir as you can see. We want to make your first experiences with us as pleasant as possible. 

Seek out your mentors for help. You'll have questions and for the first rehearsals, I allow time for you to ask those questions. 

All the best to you. Know that I'm rooting for you.
P.

Personally, I have a great hopes for this seasons performances because the choir’s sound is already fantastic. I will post a sample soon.

A registered Canadian charity, The Carollers also help local charities with net proceeds from concert tickets, CDs, Digital Downloads and Streaming sales.  

Since 1997 we have donated over $143,800 to local charities and scholarships.

About The Stairwell Carollers:

Pierre Massie created our a cappella choir in 1977 while he was a music student at Ottawa University. With wins in both the 2010 and 2013 Ontario Music Festival Association competitions, we are ranked among the best of Ontario choirs. 

Ottawa’s Stairwell Carollers Auditioning Tenors for Spring 2025!

You heard that right!

Ottawa’s Premier a cappella chamber chorale, The Stairwell Carollers is looking for that perfect male tenor voice.

Could it be you?

If you live in the Ottawa/Outaouais region and are available to rehearse in person once a week on Wednesday nights, we welcome you to audition Wednesday January 29, 2025. Contact us now to book your 15 minute tryout! 

Sorry, this is not an open audition, you must book your time ahead.

 Email : info(at)stairwellcarollers(dot)com 

To qualify, all you need is a solid voice, a good ear and a great attitude.
Ability to read music is not required, but it is an asset. All music files necessary to learn the songs are provided through our website members page. 

A registered Canadian charity, The Carollers also help local charities with net proceeds from concert tickets, CDs, Digital Downloads and Streaming sales.  

Since 1997 we have donated over $143,800 to local charities and scholarships.

About The Stairwell Carollers:

Pierre Massie created our a cappella choir in 1977 while he was a music student at Ottawa University. With wins in both the 2010 and 2013 Ontario Music Festival Association competitions, we are ranked among the best of Ontario choirs. 

Réflexions Du Vendredi Soir - Bogoroditse Devo

Maggie réalise Bogoroditse Devo - Chanteurs Stairwell

Ce soir, j'étais le barde - le conteur, le créateur d'histoires.

Pendant notre atelier, j'ai eu le plaisir de mettre en scène Bogoroditse Devo.... Et sans vraiment y penser, c'est devenu une performance artistique. Je me suis placée au centre du cercle et j'ai laissé mon âme m'entraîner dans la danse subtile qu'est ce magnifique morceau de musique.

Quelque chose de profond m'a envahi 

Depuis de nombreuses années, cette pièce de Rachmaninov est l'une de mes préférées. J'apprécie beaucoup la musique russe, et Rachmaninov parvient à toucher le cœur de mon être plus que la plupart des autres. Les lignes mélodiques exquises adressées à la Sainte Vierge sont comme les ailes des anges qui touchent la terre. Le texte peut être traduit approximativement comme suit :

Réjouis-toi, ô Vierge Mère de Dieu,

Marie pleine de grâce, le Seigneur est avec vous.

Vous êtes bénie entre toutes les femmes,

et béni est le fruit de tes entrailles,

car tu as donné naissance au Sauveur de nos âmes.

C’est très proche de le « Je vous salue, Marie »

Je vous salue Marie, comblée de grâce,

Le Seigneur est avec vous,

Vous êtes bénie entre toutes les femmes

Et Jésus, le fruit de vos entrailles, est bénie.

Sainte Marie, Mère de Dieu,

Priez pour nous, pauvres pécheurs,

Maintenant, et à l’heur de notre mort.

Amen.

Je ne peux exprimer ma joie et ma gratitude d'avoir pu diriger cette œuvre avec un groupe de chanteurs aussi doués. Quelque chose de profond m'a envahi et, ensemble, nous sommes tous devenus la musique - c'était comme une danse, avec moi au centre, ayant le pouvoir de diriger tout le monde. Mes bras sont devenus comme des ailes, touchant et guidant ce chœur d'anges tandis que nous nous élevions dans ce magnifique hommage à une puissance supérieure. La tapisserie des voix mélangées évoquait à la fois la couleur et la profondeur des sentiments, et ce fut l'un des moments les plus extraordinaires de ma vie.

Celui-ci était pour toi, maman. Pour toi, Mary Park, qui a toujours été et sera toujours *ma* Mary, pleine de grâce.

Margaret-Anne (Maggie) Park

Samedi 1er juin 2024 Les Chanteurs Stairwell Concert - Affiche

Concert du printemps 2024 

Les Chanteurs Stairwell  

samedi 1er juin à 19h30

Achetez vos billets en ligne ICI

Un organisme de bienfaisance canadien enregistré, les Chanteurs Stairwell aide également les organismes de bienfaisance locaux avec les bénéfices nets des ventes de billets de concert, de CD, de téléchargements numériques et de streaming. Depuis 1997, nous avons fait don de plus de 143 800 $ à des œuvres caritatives et bourses d'études locales.À propos Les Chanteurs Stairwell :Pierre Massie a créé notre chorale a cappella en 1977 alors qu'il était étudiant en musique à l'Université d'Ottawa. Avec des victoires aux concours de l'Ontario Music Festival Association en 2010 et 2013, nous sommes classés parmi les meilleurs chœurs de l'Ontario.

Friday Night Thoughts (directing Bogoroditse Devo)

Maggie directs Bogoroditse Devo - Stairwell Carollers

Tonight, I got to be the bard – the teller of tales, the maker of stories.

At our workshop, I had the pleasure of conducting Bogoroditse Devo…. And without really thinking, it became performance art. I stood in the centre of the circle and let my soul take me through the subtle dance that is this magnificent piece of music. 

Maggie, a bit overcome

For many years, this piece by Rachmaninoff has been one of my favourites. I enjoy Russian music immensely, and Rachmaninoff manages to touch the core of my being more than most. The exquisite sweeping melody lines that reach out to the Blessed Virgin are like the wings of angels touching the earth. The text can loosely be translated as follows:

Rejoice, O Virgin Mother of God,

Mary full of grace, the Lord is with Thee.

Blessed art Thee among women, 

And blessed is the Fruit of Thy womb,

For Thou has borne the Saviour of our souls.

This is a slight rewording of the more familiar “Hail Mary”:

Hail Mary, full of grace,

The Lord is with thee;

Blessed art thou among women

And blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus

Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners,

Now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

I cannot express my joy and gratitude at being able to conduct this piece with such a gifted group of singers. Something profound came over me, and together we all became the music – it was like a dance, with me in the centre having the power to lead everyone. My arms became like wings, touching and guiding this choir of angels as we soared in this beautiful tribute to a higher power. The tapestry of blended voices evoked both colour and depth of feeling, and it was one of the most amazing moments of my life.

This one was for you, Mom. For you, Mary Park, always were and always will be *my* Mary, full of grace.

Margaret-Anne (Maggie) Park

Sat June 1st 2024 Stairwell Caroller Concert - Poster

 The Stairwell Carollers 2024 Spring Concert Saturday, June 1st at 7:30 pm

Get your tickets online HERE 

A registered Canadian charity, The Carollers also help local charities with net proceeds from concert tickets, CDs, Digital Downloads and Streaming sales.  Since 1997 we have donated over $143,800 to local charities and scholarships.

About The Stairwell Carollers:

Pierre Massie created our a cappella choir in 1977 while he was a music student at Ottawa University. With wins in both the 2010 and 2013 Ontario Music Festival Association competitions, we are ranked among the best of Ontario choirs. 

Stairwell Carollers Spring Concert, Sat, June 1st 2024 at 7:30 pm

Prima Vera ~ The Stairwell Carollers 2024 Spring Choral Concert 

After an amazing weekend of choral workshops with choral technician Gabriel Lewis O’Connor, the Stairwell Carollers now are looking forward to their Spring Concert, Saturday, June 1st 2024 at 7:30 pm. 

Gabe leads the Stairwell Carollers at weekend choral workshops

Lots of new Stairwellers at our workshops 

For this concert the choir is returning to St. Barnabas Church, 70 James Street Ottawa, Ontario Canada, where they recorded their CD, Cantate Domino ( Sacred songs from the Renaissance).

👇👇👇👇👇👇👇

Get your tickets online HERE 

Dress rehearsal for our 2023 Spring Concert at St Barnabas

The Stairwell Carollers 2023 St Barnabas concert

Posts to come about the fantastic workshops with Gabe and all our new singers in the Stairwell!

A registered Canadian charity, The Carollers also help local charities with net proceeds from concert tickets, CDs, Digital Downloads and Streaming sales.  Since 1997 we have donated over $143,800 to local charities and scholarships.

About The Stairwell Carollers:

Pierre Massie created our a cappella choir in 1977 while he was a music student at Ottawa University. With wins in both the 2010 and 2013 Ontario Music Festival Association competitions, we are ranked among the best of Ontario choirs. 

Stairwell Caroller Fun Facts - Choral Auditions this Week - Email us!

The early bee gets the honey! 

Yeah, I know, they MAKE honey. They actually gather pollen and nectar.

Any way...

Don't miss your chance to be a member of Ottawa's Stairwell Carollers!  Choral Auditions this Wednesday August 30th for our 2023 Christmas season of song. 

Contact Holly at info(at)stairwellcarollers.com to set up an audition time.

Did you know...

- we have two Christmas concerts planned for 2023 At Southminster and St Columba

- During the pandemic, the Stairwell Carollers performed as a virtual choir on YouTube . Director Massie edited together the virtual concert from choir members’ video submissions. “Singing alone at home is nothing like performing for a live audience,” says Massie. “Now that we’re back to in-person rehearsals, it’s been gratifying to hear our voices come together in harmony again and enjoy the camaraderie and social interaction unique to a small choral ensemble.”

- The Stairwell Carollers are now in an active search for new voices with a focus on adding several more voices in their tenor and bass sections.

- In-person auditions will be held by appointment Wed August 30th 2023 at St Columba church.  Xmas Season startup is on Sept 6. 

- A solid voice, a good ear and a great attitude are all candidates need to qualify. Reading music is an asset but not a necessity. 

- The Stairwell Carollers has more than 1500 YouTube channel subscribers !!!

The Stairwell Carollers 2023 Spring concert - photo credit, Drew Gragg

A registered Canadian charity, The Carollers also help local charities with net proceeds from concert tickets, CDs, Digital Downloads and Streaming sales.  Since 1997 we have donated over $143,800 to local charities and scholarships.

About The Stairwell Carollers:

Pierre Massie created our a cappella choir in 1977 while he was a music student at Ottawa University. With wins in both the 2010 and 2013 Ontario Music Festival Association competitions, we are ranked among the best of Ontario choirs.