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.
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.
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).
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.
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.
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 choir, The Stairwell Carollers, perform the Spicy madrigal Au joli jeu by Clément Jannequin.
This version of Au joli jeu is on our Audite nova recording. All our music benefits local charities and our albums are available to buy on our Square store in both CD and MP3 formats.
Recorded at St. Columba Church, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, June 4, 2022.
Videographers: Michèle Auger, Drew Mason
Editing: Pierre Massie
In Person Auditions Set for August 24th 2022 - we are especially searching for tenor and bass voices. Also soprano. Email Holly info(at)stairwellcarollers.com to set up your audition time.
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 SEEK TENORS, SOPRANOS AND BASSES
One of Ottawa’s most beloved choirs, The Stairwell Carollers, is expanding its tenor
and bass sections by welcoming new members.
Now in its 45th year, this fully vaccinated choir has resumed in-person rehearsals in
Manor Park since spring 2022. Using the church pews with assigned seating ensures the choir is able
to follow provincial COVID guidelines as well as provide added safety for members.
We are hoping the Christmas concerts for 2022 can be in-person.
Pierre Massie, creator and director of The Stairwell Carollers (who also sings in the
tenor section) chose a variety of choral favourites as the repertoire for the
choir’s past Spring season concert June 4th, 2022.
The Carollers also arranged a series of in-person Masterclass workshops for the choir in the
last week of April 2022 with choral expert Gabriel Lewis O'Conner (formerly of Chanticleer) - a great time was had by all! Workshop post to come :)
Since its most recent in-person concert in December 2019, The Stairwell Carollers
have performed only as a virtual choir with Premiere videos on YouTube. Each choir member submitted their video and
Massie edited together the virtual concert.
“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.”
However, the choir needs more tenors, sopranos and basses and is now on an active search for
new voices.
“I want to continue pushing our musical repertoire with more
challenging pieces and that demands a balance of voices for the multiple parts and
complex harmonies,” says Massie.
The Carollers are reaching out to tenors and basses looking for a safe, fully
vaccinated choral ensemble to sing with.
A solid voice, a good ear, a great attitude,
and proof of vaccination are all candidates need to qualify. Reading music is an asset
but not a necessity.
Auditions for tenors, sopranos and basses continue until end of August 2022 or until positions are
filled.
Auditions are held via Zoom, Skype or FaceTime with a possibility of some in person auditions end of August 2022. During the audition, the
candidate must have access to software to read PDFs and play mp3 audio files.
Contact Holly at info@stairwellcarollers.com to set up your audition time
Pierre Massie created the a cappella choir, The Stairwell Carollers, in 1977 while he was a music student at Ottawa University. With wins in both the 2010 and 2013 Ontario Music Festival Association competitions, they are ranked among the best of Ontario choirs.
Thank you all for such a wonderful concert last night! The audience was
so appreciative of the performance -- and in addition to that, I'm
extremely appreciative of all the work that went into the staging, work
that escapes the notice of many of the audience members.
Many thanks for
all the 'background' work that went into the concert, particularly
those on the Tech Crew, the Workshop Committee, the Steering Committee,
and a huge thanks to all the singers who made last night so very
special.
I feel like a butterfly emerging from a cocoon, being able to
sing in a public concert after so much time. My very best wishes to all,
especially Erin and Katherine, who are each embarking on a brand new
journey. We'll miss you, but hope you continue to stay in touch.
And most of all, thanks to Pete, for so many things --
having the vision to create the choir in the first place; having so much artistic integrity that it gives us such a unique, well-balanced sound; for all the pushing to make us unsatisfied with a good performance when a better one can be achieved with more effort; for years of instruction, for I have learned something with each and every rehearsal over the years; for the blunt (yet spot-on) comments when I inadvertently get lazy, for you know I can do better; and, most of all, for allowing me to be part of such a wonderful ensemble -- I feel such soul-affirming joy and awe when we hit on all cylinders!
And that's also thanks to everyone giving their best. Together we are nirvana.
{Nirvana is a place of perfect peace and happiness, like heaven. In Hinduism and Buddhism, nirvana is the highest state that someone can attain, a state of enlightenment, meaning a person's individual desires and suffering go away.}
Enjoy a well-deserved respite, and have a terrific summer. ;o)
Maggie
Auditions ongoing until August 2022 - we are especially searching for tenor and bass voices. Also soprano and an alto.
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 in rehearsal - photo credit, Katherine Marek
In a new article that just dropped in Vistas - the local Alta Vista newspaper - two Stairwellers, one new and one long time member, speak about singing and performing with a choir through and despite the pandemic.
Veteran journalist, Courtney Tower, spent hours interviewing Maggie, Anita, myself and Director, Pete, in preparation to writing the article. He co-created the piece with a Ridgemont journalism student, Skyler Josephson.
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.
Les Chanteurs Stairwell (Stairwell Carollers) sont à la recherche de ténors et de basses.
Fière de ses 45 ans d'existence dans la région d'Ottawa Gatineau , cette chorale a cappella a repris ses répétitions en présentiel. Tous vaccinés, les choristes respectent la distanciation physique grâce à des places assignées à l'avance dans les bancs de l'église St Columba.
Depuis leur dernier concert en présentiel en décembre 2019, les Chanteurs Stairwell ont dû se résigner à des enregistrements indviduels laissant au directeur la tâche de monter un concert de Noël virtuel. Chanter en solo à la maison n'égale pas la joie de créer une harmonie en groupe et de jouir de l'interaction sociale ainsi créée.
Pierre Massie le fondateur, (un franco-ontarien de Timmins) mêle sa voix à celles des choristes tout en dirigeant depuis le pupitre des ténors. Pour le concert de printemps 2022, il a choisi des pièces de factures variés en cinq langues différentes.
Pour une idée de leur style et du fondu des voix, visionnez leur concert de Noël 2021 sur You tube en cliquant
Si tout évolue comme souhaité, on prévoit aussi un atelier fin avril, début mai.
avec Gabriel Lewis-O'Connor (ancien Chanticleer)
Les auditions pour ténors et basses continueront jusqu'en août 2022 ou jusqu'à ce que les postes soient comblés.
Sont recherchés ténors et basses qui jouissent d'une voix solide (pas de vibrato) une bonne oreille et une attitude positive. Savoir lire la musique est un atout , mais pas essentiel. L'Internet offre des moyens techniques qui permettent de bien se préparer. Par contre, une preuve de vaccination est obligatoire.
Les auditions se font par Zoom, Skype ou Face Time. À l'audition, le candidat doit pouvoir accéder à des logiciels qui déchiffrent PDF et/ou jouent les fichiers mp3.
Intéressé? Curieux? Entrez en contact avec Holly à info@stairwellcarollers.com
Denyse Mageau, soprano
Au sujet des Chanteurs Stairwell:
C'est en 1977 que notre ensemble vocal naît de l'initiative de Pierre Massie, un étudiant en musique à l'Université d'Ottawa. En tant que lauréats des concours de l'Ontario Music Festival Association de 2010 et 2013, nous pouvons affirmer que nous nous classons parmi les meilleures chorales de l'Ontario.
Nous sommes un organisme de bienfaisance canadien enregistré et les recettes de nos concerts, de la vente de CD, de téléchargements et de streaming nous permettent d'aider notre communauté. Ainsi, depuis 1997, nous avons remis plus de 143 800 $ en dons à des organismes caritatifs locaux et enbourses d'études.
Stairwell Caroller Choir Auditions continue until August 2022 or until tenor and bass positions are filled. Must live in the Ottawa region - in-person rehearsals have resumed. Proof of vaccination necessary.
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. A registered Canadian charity, The Carollers also help local charities with net proceeds from concert tickets, CD and cookbook sales. Since 1997 we have donated over $143,800 to local charities and scholarships.
We were so very sad to learn of the passing of Gord Atkinson - long time mentor and friend to The Stairwell Carollers - Monday,
April 26, 2021. He will be sorely missed.
Our connection to Gord began in 1984 when his wife Elaine heard us carolling at Bayshore Shopping Centre. Right
there, he invited us to sing LIVE on CFMO for their Christmas Exchange Telethon.
Before the
broadcast, he asked "what should I call you folks - what's the
group's
name?"
We didn’t HAVE a name.
After
an awkward moment Dawn (soprano) piped up -- "The Stairwell
Carollers". I was dumbstruck. It was perfect. Our new name was forever cast in radio history as
Gord introduced us for the first time ever over the airwaves.
(I wish I had a photo - the pic below is from a later Christmas exchange broadcast from the Ottawa Citizen building)
Gord claimed us as his "Discovery", welcoming us into his
musical cadre alongside Paul Anka, Elvis and Rich Little. We sang
for The Christmas Exchange Broadcast on CFMO and CFRA for many
years and were even treated to a wee float with our name on it in the 1987 Santa Claus parade .
Pierre and I kept in touch with both Gord and Elaine, always looking forward to their Christmas card newsletter, always with a special note added just for us.
Ottawa choir, The Stairwell Carollers, perform Laudemus cum armonia, an original composition by their director, Pierre Massie. It's the first of what we expect to be a series of virtual choir video creations.
The chorale asks at this difficult time, if you can, to please make a donation to The Ottawa Food Bank. Thanks so much!
10 reasons You Should audition for my a cappella Ottawa choir, The Stairwell Carollers:
Counting down...
Number 10 -
You get to sing original choral compositions by our director, Pierre Massie - like his award-winning song, "Eya, eya gaudeamus", which we'll be singing this spring!
Here is our YouTube live concert performance with guest celebrity bass, Gabriel Lewis-O'Connor.
Altos, tenors and basses, email info@stairwellcarollers.com and book your 15 minute audition today!
Pierre Massie started our a cappella choir in 1977 while he was a music student at Ottawa University. The Stairwell Carollers are ranked among the best of Ontario choirs, winning both the 2010 and 2013 Ontario Music Festival Association competitions.
A registered Canadian charity, we also help local charities with the net proceeds from our concert ticket and CD sales.
Thanks to David Rain and his Facebook "Top Ten to Join the Stairwell Carollers"
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