Auditions this Wednesday for the Stairwell Carollers - email us NOW!

Pierre was just interviewed on Rogers Daytime by Derick Fage @Derick.Fage 

Here is the interview. Maybe it will answer some of your questions, if you are considering auditioning!

We are looking for all voices! Sopranos, Tenors, Basses and Altos.

Email us now info@stairwellcarollers.com to book you time this Wed evening, Jan 25th Hope to hear from you!

Spring 2023 Auditions - Sing with us!

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, CDs, Digital Downloads and Streaming sales.  Since 1997 we have donated over $143,800 to local charities and scholarships.

Director Pierre Featured in the Ottawa Citizen - and Concert Reviews

Thanks to Lynn Saxberg, Arts editor of the Ottawa Citizen newspaper for the wonderful interview with Pierre which graced the cover of the Arts section on Saturday Dec 3rd!

This assured a successful Christmas concert season for the choir. Both concerts at Southminster United Church and St. Columba Anglican were packed (with a little space considering the pandemic) 

Early reviews of the concerts state unequivocally that the masks did not get in the way of the sound.

What a relief to hear!

Dec 14, 2022 - David Rain 

What a delight it was to hear you guys live last nite, after such a long gap!

So many familiar carols, I found it really tough to resist singing along, having memorized most of the tenor parts of course. 😊

It was really cool to hear you sing Carol of the Bells in Ukrainian, hope that becomes a lasting tradition.

My other favourites were Personent Hodie, En el portel (you guys were rocking!), Un flambeau, Dors ma colombe, and then it is a toss up for me which I liked better, they were both so good: Psallite or the Breton carol, a real winner, that one should come back again too!

The imaginative concert program design was just about the best I’ve seen, Dr Brynaert, I presume?

Keith, your song introductions were brilliant, and there were lots of chuckles in my 

section toward the back.

And Holly, your “cloaking devices” have definitely stood the test of time, and with 

the matching masks, you all looked great on stage.

Speaking of masks, I take mine off to salute you all, having been to 6 choral concerts this year, I have observed how tough it can be to sing just one a cappella piece with masks, but a whole program, that’s a major physical achievement, on its own terms. Plus, you achieved what few others could, a really good articulation of the words, you must have worked long and hard on that.

Again, thank you for a wonderful experience last nite, shared by a couple hundred 

other souls, so glad you got a full house.

Greetings to all!

David

Dec 14, 2022 - MC, Keith Bailey

Thank you for the invitation to MC the Christmas concerts. Such an honour for me; it's greatly appreciated.

I was amazed at the quality of singing (and for almost 90 minutes!) through those damp and muffling masks.  Well done everyone. The repertoire was perfectly chosen for the occasion and locations.

Please convey my congratulations and appreciation to Pierre, the Steering Committee, and the members. 

With my best wishes to you all for Christmas and The New Year,

Keith

Spring 2023 Auditions - Sing with us!

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, CDs, Digital Downloads and Streaming sales.  Since 1997 we have donated over $143,800 to local charities and scholarships.

O Jesu Christe by Jacquet de Mantua - sung live by Ottawa's Stairwell Carollers - YouTube

Here is our next YouTube offering - O Jesu Christe - from our St. Columba June 4th 2022 Spring Concert. 

One of my personal favourites, I have been singing the alto part in this song for easily 20 years :P

You may have noticed, we are singing and rehearsing with masks on still. Many of our members are seniors and some are immune compromised, so we made the decision to continue masking.

The amazing thing is, I actually got used to singing through a mask, in fact, it helped with my allergies (churches can be very musty) 

Bonus -  the sound is just as good! I know, wierd, eh?

Ottawa choir, The Stairwell Carollers, perform “ O Jesu Christe” by Jacquet de Mantua.

O Jesu Christe is on our “Cantate Domino” recording.  Net proceeds from our music sales benefit local charities.  Buy our songs from our website in both CD and MP3 formats.  

Purchase our professional recordings here.

The Stairwell Carollers, an a cappella group formed in 1977 by director Pierre Massie, has earned the distinction of being ranked amongst the best of Ontario choirs.   Our choir took first place in both the 2010 and 2013 Ontario Music Festival Association provincial competition.

Visit our website

Recorded at St. Columba Church, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, June 4, 2022. 

Videographers: Michèle Auger, Drew Mason

Video Editing: Pierre Massie

Auditions ongoing until end of August 2022 - we are especially searching for tenor and bass voices. Also soprano.

Email Holly info@stairwellcarollers.com to set up your virtual audition time.

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.

Search for Voices featured in Manor Park Chronicle

Many many thanks to Wes Smiderle for the beautiful article in the May/June edition of the Manor Park Chronicle. He got us the entire page!

I'm sure this will be a lot of help in our search for male voices to top up the choir for the coming Christmas season.

Check us out on page 40 in the May/June Manor Park Chronicle

Excerpts:

"The music ascends to the rafters, the choral voices surging from moments of delicate precision to a rousing, victorious force. Whether it's a medieval carol, or a wry French chanson from the Renaissance, or more modern music, the Stairwell Carollers know their way around a song."

"In the 1990's The Stairwell Carollers recorded an album which helped raise over $50,000 (- For Ottawa Ronald McDonald House - more in-depth history HERE), which sparked their philanthropic goals."

"Now, as the Carollers plan for concerts in their 45th year, Pierre is focused on recruiting more voices, a move that will expand the choir's vocal toolbox and allow the group to tackle a more diverse range of music.

Thanks to Cheryl, soprano, for asking Wes to cover the choir for his excellent local paper. Thanks to Doug Banks for spending so much time with us at rehearsal to get the perfect shots for the article.

We're looking for a few good Men!

The Stairwell Carollers are seeking tenors and basses to join our safe, fully vaccinated choral ensemble. 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 and basses continue till August 2022 or until positions are filled. Auditions are held via zoom, Skype or Facetime. During the audition, the candidate must have access to software to read PDFs and play MP3 files.

Contact Holly at info@stairwellcarollers.com to set up your audition time.

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.

A Great Come-Back Concert - Much Thanks To All from Nirvana

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.

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.

Sad Departure - The Stairwell Interviews

It's not always that when a singer departs, she leaves a gaping hole in our hearts. 
That rhymes! How fitting! Katherine style. 
I'll mostly miss her devilishly adorable sense of humour, her dancing with and miming out song lyrics, her fantastic crochet and knit creations, her beautiful photos - and, well, just HER. 
XO Holly

It seems so appropriate that I get to bookend my time in the Stairwell Carollers with a "choral boot camp," first at the Galilee Centre in 2018 when I had just joined the Carollers, and again now in the spring of 2022 as I prepare to depart Ottawa.

 These sessions brought a concentrated, focused enjoyment to singing and a more profound understanding of the music, alongside a very physical awareness of sound. It’s an addictive feeling and also a familiar one, because it condenses the experience of every single Stairwell Carollers rehearsal. 

Pete fills each Wednesday night with intensity and purpose; he points out the interplay of voices in the music, plays with interpretation to bring out different aspects of each song, and encourages everyone to hear imperfections in tone and blend, smoothing them away to create something pure. 

Of course, this couldn’t happen without the Carollers themselves, every one of them warm and funny and generous, who come together with hard work and good humor* to make Pete’s vision happen (as best we can).

Singing with the group has the feeling of finally snapping in the correct puzzle piece: it’s so perfect and incredibly satisfying. I didn't know what to expect when my family was posted to Ottawa, but I cannot tell you how lucky I feel to have become involved with this amazing choir, led by this exacting and exciting director, who every season gathers a repertoire that challenges and delights. 

Of all the things I expected to gain from my Canadian experience, a deeper and more nuanced appreciation for choral music was roughly nowhere on the list, and I am stupidly grateful for it. The past couple of years turned out to be challenging, but being able to sing with the Carollers has been a joy, and to have had their friendship and music to rely on during this time was an absolute gift.

*I know you Canadians spell it “humour” but I have to stand my ground.

by Katherine Marek

Auditions still ongoing until August 2022 - we are especially searching for tenor and bass voices. And maybe an alto...

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.

Stairwell Carollers 1st Virtual Choir Video! Take that Covid-19!

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!

You can order this original sacred choral piece by Pierre Massie.
It is also on our Laudemus cum armonia Christmas carol CD 



Our CDs benefit charity, and are available in both CD and MP3 formats.

Video and Audio: individual choristers, Stairwell Carollers - both past and present members.

Video and Audio Editing: Pierre Massie

Sing For The Stairwell Carollers - TV Auditions Promo - Thx Rogers TV!

Ok, when I'm not being like baby Yoda or singing or trying to not eat, I'm on The Social Media.

And, for once, it was useful! 

I Facebooked and Tweeted out our Audition notice and Stan Newton, the producer of the show @daytimeottawa, emailed me back to set up an interview!

The @StairwellChoir are holding auditions next week - find out more here with @dylanblackradio https://t.co/UTJmPPmJcd

— Daytime Ottawa (@daytimeottawa) January 23, 2020

Thanks so much everyone at Rogers TV!
Daytime Ottawa immediately posted the Thursday, Jan 23rd interview with Holly And Pierre on their main page and Youtube channel.

#Ottawa Altos, tenors and basses email us ASAP at info@stairwellcarollers.com to set up your 15 minute #audition Wed Jan 29th.  

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.

A Typical Rehearsal, Stairwell Style

Pierre Massie is in his 42nd year of directing the Stairwell Carollers. There have been changes over the years and the choir has evolved, but Pierre has always directed in performance from the tenor section, singing along with us. 

Pete created the choir in 1977 while getting his B.Mus at Ottawa U. and he has developed a signature  method to his madness which results in award-winning choral excellence.  

#1 Punctual

#1 Show Up

#1 Great Attitude

Yeah, all #1, I know. To Pierre these three things are equally important - and evidence of a true Stairweller.

He runs choir rehearsal from the middle of the circle of singers, usually arranged in sections according to voice.  Everyone stands or sits as they like.

Often Pierre bounces around the room, whirling to face the different groups or individuals - rarely still, rarely seated.

We aren't allowed to cross our legs while seated, since it can inhibit breathing. This does not mean we are inhibited in our personal expression; clearly Alex has found a seating style that the Maestro approves of.

As he makes his way around the room, working the crowd, Pierre deals with questions as they come up.

We record each rehearsal to review performance and for additional practice. Very useful for Podcast episodes too as a record of our warmups and attention to song specifics.

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.

40 Years of Stairwell Carolling Revealed!

Our Founder and Director, Pierre Massie, started our group in 1977 - where we sang Christmas carols in the stairwells of residences at the University of Ottawa during exam time.  The eight of us would start at the top of the residence stairwell and work our way to the bottom. Students came out from their rooms to listen to the carols and would follow us as we went down from floor to floor, our voices helped out by the echo of the stairwell.  We sang throughout our hometown of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada - in malls, for parking lot attendants, and even on buses. We had a great time carolling in the Byward Market and on Sparks street too - lots of amazing memories.

In the early 80's, we were carolling at Bayshore shopping center and Gord Atkinson - then the voice of CFMO radio - heard us. Right then he asked us to sing live on CFMO for their Christmas Exchange Telethon.  It was during this first appearance on radio with Gord that our group got its name. Right before the broadcast, he asked us "what should I call you folks - what's the group's name?" Up till then, we were only ten Christmas Carollers with no name.  Dawn, soprano, piped up with "The Stairwell Carollers" and the name stuck.  Personally, I love our moniker since it harks back to the choir's beginnings - singing in the residence stairwells for fellow U. of Ottawa students.  

In 1986, Gord - with CFMO - produced our first real recording, a fundraising vinyl album in aid of Ronald McDonald House. an initiative which raised over $53,000.

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.

Listen LIVE - Pierre Massie featured on the Peace Tower carillon - NOON today

 Dominion Carillonneur, Andrea McCrady,  will once again honour Stairwell Caroller director and choral composer Pierre Massie with a carillon program of his music.

The Noon Hour carillon performance will take place Dec 14, 2019.

LISTEN LIVE ONLINE 

Exclusively made up of Pierre's arrangements and compositions, the concert features a carillon setting of his "Nouvelle Agréable"  by Wendy Earl - one of Andrea McCrady's graduate students.

If you missed the LIVE performance, here is a recording of a past performance of Stairwell Carol by Dominion Carillonneur, Andrea McCrady.

About The Stairwell Carollers:

Pierre Massie started our a cappella choir in 1977 while 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 our concert, CD and cookbook sales.