Monday, December 18, 2017

Choral Cacophony Podcast #18 - A Spanish Carol, Deconstructed

Christmas lighting and stained glass, St. Joseph church, Orleans, Ottawa
As I said in Podcast #16, En El Portal de Belen is a lively and fun Puerto Rican Christmas carol that we have really loved singing for a couple of years now. Yes, you will hear it at our Final concert for the 2017 Christmas season coming up THIS WEDNESDAY - Dec 20th.
Our final concert of 2017! 
Come hear the Stairwell Carollers sing “A Canadian Christmas” WEDNESDAY December 20th at St. Columba Anglican Church 24 Sandridge Rd, , Ottawa, (ON), 7:30pm.

The Stairwell Carollers were proud to present a special 40th anniversary donation of $3,000 to the Shepherds of Good Hope on the 15th - a result of their first ever “Sponsor a Song” fundraising campaign.
Tickets are $20 at the door, 
http://www.stairwellcarollers.com/Concerts.html; 
The Leading Note, 370 Elgin St; 
Compact Music, 206 & 785 ½ Bank St locations; 
Books on Beechwood, 35 Beechwood Ave.
Hope to see you at St. Columba on WEDNESDAY evening!On to the Podcast for this week:

Chapter 1 - Director Pierre works on fine details and accents to improve the dynamics of the performance.
Chapter 2 - Pierre focuses on sopranos and altos intonation, pronunciation and singing together.
Chapter 3 - the tenors and basses practice their solo section at a slower speed to work pronunciation. Then again faster. Then everyone.
Chapter 4 - Pierre discusses the interesting high harmonies for the men and Christoph asks a question.
Chapter 5 - The whole song.  And at the end, a wee blooper.  Solos happen :)

I couldn't mention this carol again without trying to facilitate some help for the people of Puerto Rico because of the devastation caused by Hurricane Maria. This Christmas season will be very different and a real challenge for the survivors to keep their Christmas spirit alive.

Here are a few ways you can help The people of Puerto Rico have a merrier Christmas:

The direct link to FEMA - lots of great advice about how to help.
United for Puerto Rico
National voluntary organizations active in disaster

And here is our live concert video of En El Portal de Belen on our You tube Channel...

Please DONATE to support our 40th year events ! 
All Donations receive a charitable receipt.
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 with 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.

Saturday, December 16, 2017

New Christmas carol Gower Wassail - Youtube - Final 2017 Concert this WEDNESDAY

The Stairwell Caroller "men" of 2017 - Andrew is front row, left (absent: Morgan)
Christmas 2017 and a brand new Youtube selection from last year's Stairwell Carollers Christmas carol concert at Knox United church, Ottawa.

In this upload, our Ottawa choir performs a wonderful original Canadian Christmas carol - The Gower Wassail, composed by  Robert Frederick Jones. Andrew Jones, his son, is a tenor in the choir so this piece has a special connection to us.

Audio: Tom Barnes.  Recorded at Knox Presbyterian Church, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, Dec 16th, 2016.

Videographers: Gert-Jan van Heuzen, Andrew Mason

Editing: Pierre Massie
Our final concert of 2017! 
Come hear the Stairwell Carollers sing “A Canadian Christmas” WEDNESDAY December 20th at St. Columba Anglican Church 24 Sandridge Rd, Ottawa, (ON), 7:30pm.

The Stairwell Carollers were proud to present a special 40th anniversary donation of $3,000 to the Shepherds of Good Hope on the 15th - a result of their first ever “Sponsor a Song” fundraising campaign.
Tickets are $20 at the door, 
http://www.stairwellcarollers.com/Concerts.html; 
The Leading Note, 370 Elgin St; 
Compact Music, 206 & 785 ½ Bank St locations; 
Books on Beechwood, 35 Beechwood Ave.
Hope to see you at St. Columba on WEDNESDAY evening!
Stairwell Caroller Christmas carol concert at St. Columba - get your ticket now!

Please DONATE to support our 40th year events! 
All Donations receive a charitable receipt.

A registered Canadian charity, we also help local charities with our concerts and CDs !

The Stairwell Carollers:

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. 




Friday, December 15, 2017

Celebrity MC Spotlight 40th Ann. Christmas Concert TONIGHT!

Stairwell Carollers at Knox, Christmas 2016
The Stairwell Carollers are honoured that a number of close friends have agreed to be guest MCs at tonight's concert.

These include two former Carollers – CTV Ottawa’s Joel Haslam and popular francophone singing star Michel Bénac of LGS (Le Groupe Swing) – as well as Dr. Andrea McCrady, the Dominion Carillonneur, who has featured Pierre’s compositions multiple times on the Peace Tower carillon on Parliament Hill.

Michel Bénac sang in the tenor section of the Stairwell Carollers from 1996 to 2001. His voice can be heard on both our Qui creavit CD from 1997 and our year 2000 CD, I saw a swete semly syght.
Michel can be seen (with red hair) in this video from 2001, singing tenor in Away in a Manger.

Michel also worked with Pierre Massie in his a pop cappella group SAIJ (pronounced "sage") from 1997 to 2003. They performed in the Ottawa region at many venues and festivals - including the St. Jean Baptiste festival at Nepean Point, which was televised. They also sang on the Parliament Hill main stage for Canada day - televised Nationally. To top off their accomplishments, SAIJ won a Trille Or (the French counterpart to The Juno).
SAIJ - Michel on the left, Pierre Massie, centre

In 1999, Michel founded LGS (Le Groupe Swing), a Franco-Ontarian musical group whose first album brought widespread attention. LGS has performed over 200 times across Canada and around the world. To date, the group has won 12 Trille D'or awards and Attracted over 1.5 million YouTube views.

Dr. Andrea McCrady was named Dominion Carillonneur in 2008. She plays the Peace Tower every weekday and on request to serve parliamentarians.

She took up the carillon in 1971 as an undergraduate at Trinity College, CT. A medical doctor, Dr. McCrady retired in 2006 to continue her study of the carillon and received her Bachelor of Music magna cum laude from the University of Denver in 2008. She now serves as instructor in carillon studies at Carleton University.

She has adapted for the carillon, and performed, five of Pierre's carols - including Mourning Dove.

For nearly 30 years, Joel Haslam has been the Host and producer of Regional Contact - a local Ottawa "good news" show (now a segment of CTV news). He champions the heartwarming stories of everyday people engaged in extraordinary life adventures. Regional Contact has featured the Stairwell Carollers on a number of occasions, helping the choir increase its audience base along the way. Soon after the first segment, Joel joined the choir as a tenor and sang with the Stairwell Carollers from 1991 to 1993.
Joel Haslam, second from the left, sings at a Cumberland Museum Stairwell Caroller Christmas concert
Joel holds degrees in journalism and political science from Carleton University. He is a two-time recipient of the prestigious Dave Rogers award, presented to a Canadian journalist producing and reporting the best national television feature.

Denyse Mageau is a soprano and has sung with the Stairwell Carollers since 1978, shortly after the choir made its official debut.
Denyse, centre, sings at the Parliament Hill tree lighting ceremony with the Stairwell Carollers - mid 1980's
Born in Sturgeon Falls, Denyse was a teacher for 36 years. She taught Secondary level French and Cinema in schools through Ontario and in Germany. After retirement, she published children's stories and tales of her world travels. Thanks to a program of the Arts Council of Ontario, she was able to introduce poetry to children through singing and wordplay.

Chantal Prouse, a recipient of the 2017 Stairwell Carollers Scholarship will also speak.
It’s a concert not to be missed! 
Come hear the Stairwell Carollers sing “A Canadian Christmas” TONIGHT at Knox Presbyterian Church, 120 Lisgar Street, 7:30pm (December 15th, 2017).

The Stairwell Carollers will present a special 40th anniversary donation of $3,000 to the Shepherds of Good Hope on the 15th - a result of their first ever “Sponsor a Song” fundraising campaign.
Tickets are $20 at the door, 
http://www.stairwellcarollers.com/Concerts.html; 
The Leading Note, 370 Elgin St; 
Compact Music, 206 & 785 ½ Bank St locations; 
Books on Beechwood, 35 Beechwood Ave.
Hope to see you at Knox Presbyterian TONIGHT!

Thursday, December 14, 2017

Tutti Thursday - have you tried our Christmas playlist yet?

Christmas trees and lights spark the spirit
Yes, you love Christmas music and we have lots of beautiful carols to motivate you this season!

It's also an easy way to help us fundraise for our 40th anniversary celebrations!

This Christmas carol playlist on The Stairwell Carollers YouTube Channel will pay us when you play.
Audio: Tom Barnes.  Recorded at various churches around Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
Videographers: See individual video descriptions.
Editing: Pierre Massie
It’s a concert not to be missed! 
Come hear the Stairwell Carollers sing “A Canadian Christmas” TOMORROW at Knox Presbyterian Church, 120 Lisgar Street, 7:30pm (December 15th, 2017).

The Stairwell Carollers will present a special 40th anniversary donation of $3,000 to the Shepherds of Good Hope on the 15th - a result of their first ever “Sponsor a Song” fundraising campaign.
Tickets are $20 at the door, 
http://www.stairwellcarollers.com/Concerts.html; 
The Leading Note, 370 Elgin St; 
Compact Music, 206 & 785 ½ Bank St locations; 
Books on Beechwood, 35 Beechwood Ave.
Hope to see you at Knox Presbyterian TOMORROW!


Visit our website

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 with 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.

Please DONATE to support our 40th year events! 
All Donations receive a charitable receipt.

St. Joseph concert in Orleans - a Yuletide Love Fest! Gala 40th Concert Tomorrow!

A brand new church! And what a beauty! You are going to see lots of Chrismassy pics from this venue over the next couple of weeks. 
Blue votive candles and grey stone walls lend a touch of originality to St. Joseph
Oh, yeah - we did a Stairwell Carollers Christmas carol concert here- Bonus! 

Everything about this church was top drawer. Our reception from the outset was exuberant and the church representatives very helpful. 
Graham (bass or tenor as the need arises) and Christophe, bass, ponder lighting needs
Our solid tech crew, led by René, bass, always get to the venue early to set up lighting equipment and tape down electrical cords for safety.
Setting up where we all stand for best sound is crucial
We arrive shortly after the tech crew to get notes from the director, warm up and do rehearsal of Beginnings and endings of songs.

Our director Pierre gives his all despite a recent hospital stay. Dedication!
Director, Pierre in rehearsal mode

Before
Large Cathedral style St. Joseph on St. Joseph Blvd in Orleans has great acoustics 
After - a packed house - and our first time singing a Christmas Concert in Orleans - wonderful!!
Full house at St. Joseph! Photo credit Genevieve Lajoie
Thanks to everyone who helped out! And thanks so much to S. Joseph for the generous munchies after the concert. We again proved ourselves to be the Eatwell Carollers!
It’s a concert not to be missed! 
Come hear the Stairwell Carollers sing “A Canadian Christmas” TOMORROW at Knox Presbyterian Church, 120 Lisgar Street, 7:30pm (December 15th, 2017).

The Stairwell Carollers will present a special 40th anniversary donation of $3,000 to the Shepherds of Good Hope on the 15th - a result of their first ever “Sponsor a Song” fundraising campaign.
Tickets are $20 at the door, 
http://www.stairwellcarollers.com/Concerts.html; 
The Leading Note, 370 Elgin St; 
Compact Music, 206 & 785 ½ Bank St locations; 
Books on Beechwood, 35 Beechwood Ave.
Hope to see you at Knox Presbyterian TOMORROW!

Monday, December 11, 2017

Stairwell Swag available at this week's concerts!

Stairwell Carollers Canvas Tote

For a  limited time, Stairwell Carollers Swag - Totes and Large handle Mugs - will be available at our 40th Anniversary celebration concerts.
Stairwell Carollers large handle mug
Supplies are limited and they will be a special price at our concerts this Friday! All proceeds of Swag go towards our 40th celebrations.
It’s a concert not to be missed! 
Come hear the Stairwell Carollers sing “A Canadian Christmas” at Knox Presbyterian Church, 120 Lisgar Street, 7:30pm on December 15th.

The Stairwell Carollers will present a special 40th anniversary donation of $3,000 to the Shepherds of Good Hope on the 15th - a result of their first ever “Sponsor a Song” fundraising campaign.
Tickets are $20 at the door, 
http://www.stairwellcarollers.com/Concerts.html; 
The Leading Note, 370 Elgin St; 
Compact Music, 206 & 785 ½ Bank St locations; 
Books on Beechwood, 35 Beechwood Ave.
Hope to see you at Knox Presbyterian on the 15th!

Choral Cacophony Podcast #17 Singing like the Angels

Angel statue at St. Joseph in Orleans, just east of Ottawa
As Pierre always says, vocal strength, power, quality and control is in the diaphragm, not the throat, lungs, vocal chords or some mysterious chest muscles.

In this simple exercise, Pierre leads the choir to focus on diaphragm control to release notes gently yet powerfully.

To sing like angels !


Chapter 1 - the choir warms up on AW, O, EH, AW,O
Chapter 2 - starting with one note, Pierre encourages breathe control for a gentle note entry.
Chapter 3 - Pierre discusses using the diaphragm for control and hearing the sound in our mind before letting it out.
A concert not to be missed! 
Come hear the Stairwell Carollers sing “A Canadian Christmas” at Knox Presbyterian Church, 120 Lisgar Street, 7:30pm on December 15th.

The Stairwell Carollers will present a special 40th anniversary donation of $3,000 to the Shepherds of Good Hope on the 15th - a result of their first ever “Sponsor a Song” fundraising campaign.
Tickets are $20 at the door, 
http://www.stairwellcarollers.com/Concerts.html; 
The Leading Note, 370 Elgin St; 
Compact Music, 206 & 785 ½ Bank St locations; 
Books on Beechwood, 35 Beechwood Ave.
Hope to see you at Knox Presbyterian on the 15th!

Please DONATE to support our 40th year workshops! 
All Donations receive a charitable receipt.

About The Stairwell Carollers:

Pierre Massie started our a cappella choir in 1977 while he was a music student at Ottawa University. The Stairwell Carollers are ranked alongside the best of Ontario choirs, winning both the 2010 and 2013 Ontario Music Festival Association competitions. 

A registered Canadian charity, we also help out local charities with our concert, CD, and cookbook sales.

Singing in a Humanitarian Key - Youtube Video

Denyse Mageau, centre, has been with the Stairwell Carollers for most of its 40 years. photo credit Iryna Zamchevska (OCISO)
Part 2 - A Choir like no Other

A singular aspect of The Stairwell Carollers choir is that they have been singing in a “humanitarian key” for decades. Apart from introducing great classic and original choral music to concert goers, the Carollers’ other mission is a charitable one - to give back to the community, and they have taken this to heart.
Stairwell Caroller 2016 Donation to The Alzheimers Society
Proceeds from their concerts and CD sales have allowed the choir to make donations totalling over $130,000 to dozens of local charities as well as music scholarships to local high school students going on to study at Canadian universities. Some of the Stairwell Carollers scholarship winners have gone on to significant careers themselves, including Corey Payette (2005), whose recent musical about the residential school experience, “Children of God”, was presented to much acclaim at the National Arts Centre.
Corey Payette, winner of the 2005 Stairwell Carollers Scholarship
This is the 40th anniversary season of the Stairwell Carollers and Pierre Massie has curated a very special Christmas program for the choir’s many fans to hear.
A Canadian Christmas program - First half
 On December 15, at Knox Presbyterian Church, the choir will be presenting a uniquely crafted program of Xmas carols, titled “A Canadian Christmas.” Pierre provides the context: “Canada's 150th year happened to coincide with our 40th season. It seemed appropriate to offer an all-Canadian Christmas concert to celebrate both milestones.”
A Canadian Christmas program - Second half
Concert goers will have the opportunity to hear three brand new carols on December 15. Pierre, an award-winning composer himself, has done a lively new arrangement of the ever-popular “Carol of the Bells”, and has written a beautiful bilingual carol in honour of Canada’s 150th and the choir’s 40th: “A Baby is Born / L'Enfant est né.” In addition, the choir will again be singing the made-in-Ottawa “Rideau Carol” specially composed for the choir by the author of this article. It’s a musical tour of the sites and sounds of the national’s capital.

The Stairwell Carollers are honoured that a number of close friends have agreed to be guest MCs at the December 15 concert. These include two former Carollers – CTV Ottawa’s Joel Haslam and popular francophone singing star Michel Bénac of LGS (Le Groupe Swing) – as well as Dr. Andrea McCrady, the Dominion Carillonneur, who has featured Pierre’s compositions multiple times on the Peace Tower carillon on Parliament Hill.
It’s a concert not to be missed! 
Come hear the Stairwell Carollers sing “A Canadian Christmas” at Knox Presbyterian Church, 120 Lisgar Street, 7:30pm on December 15th.

The Stairwell Carollers will present a special 40th anniversary donation of $3,000 to the Shepherds of Good Hope on the 15th - a result of their first ever “Sponsor a Song” fundraising campaign.
Tickets are $20 at the door, 
http://www.stairwellcarollers.com/Concerts.html; 
The Leading Note, 370 Elgin St; 
Compact Music, 206 & 785 ½ Bank St locations; 
Books on Beechwood, 35 Beechwood Ave.
Hope to see you at Knox Presbyterian on the 15th!

David Rain has been taking his musical cues from the back of Pierre Massie’s head for the past 25 years with the Stairwell Carollers.

Some photos credit Iryna Zamchevska (OCISO) - Thank you!

Saturday, December 9, 2017

The Stairwell Carollers at 40 - Anniversary Concert Friday!

The Stairwell Carollers, photo credit Iryna Zamchevska (OCISO)
Part 1
A Choir like no Other - singing in a humanitarian key
Over the years, you may have bumped into them around town: in pubs, malls, retirement homes, food banks, carolling on a bus, singing for a parking lot attendant, strolling along the Sparks Street Mall or wassailing live in Ottawa's Byward Market.
Stairwell Carollers carolling in the Byward Market
They are a true “community choir” and no community is too small for them. The Carollers have braved ice storms and blizzards. They've never missing a performance in towns and villages scattered throughout the Ottawa Valley: in Stittsville, Carp, Pakenham, Arnprior, Almonte, Carleton Place, Smiths Falls, Merrickville, Osgoode, Cumberland, Vankleek Hill and Alexandria. Proudly bilingual, they’ve sung right across the Outaouais region too: Shawville, Gatineau, Chelsea, Ripon, Chénéville and Fassett.
The Men of the Stairwell Carollers in Almonte
And yet, from humble beginnings (they were founded by Director Pierre Massie in the stairwells of Ottawa U in 1977) they have grown to become one of Ottawa’s top choirs, twice placing first in the Ontario Music Festivals Association provincial competition (2010 and 2013).
OMFA First Place in Ontario - Second in Canada
They have been hired to carol at Rideau Hall, at dozens of churches around Ottawa, and this summer were invited to sing at a special Music and Beyond event at the National Gallery. CTV has profiled the choir on Regional Contact many times and the Carollers were recently featured on the popular CBC Ottawa Morning radio show.
The Stairwell Carollers
Once Ottawa’s best kept secret, the Stairwell Carollers are perhaps one of the most unique choirs in Canada.
They’re a choir quite unlike any other. No pianos, no instruments of any kind to help with tuning, not even in rehearsals – they’re 100% a cappella, and proudly so. You might ask then how the Carollers know what notes to sing at the beginning of songs.
Pierre gets the note with his tuning fork - photo credit Iryna Zamchevska (OCISO)
The answer can be found in the small dent on the side of Pierre Massie’s head. For at the start of each Stairwell Caroller song, Pierre strikes his tiny tuning fork against it. He then listens to the “A” that vibrates next to his ear, and quickly calculates in his mind where the “Do” for a particular song is located, and then he sings the choir their notes – Do mi so – and off they go!
Pierre Massie directs the Stairwell Carollers from the tenor section
To add to their uniqueness, though they number close to thirty singers, there is no one who conducts this choir from out front. Pierre takes his place in the middle of the tenor section and leads the choir while singing along. Choir members learn to follow subtle gestures that he gives them with his music folder, his eye brows, his ears, even the back of his head for those who are behind him!

It sounds next to impossible to bring this off with such a large group, and yet, Pierre drills the choir so thoroughly, that the Carollers have developed a “tight knit” sound that belies their numbers. Online research has sought out in vain another choir of this size that does not have a conductor standing in front of them. The Stairwell Carollers may well be the most unique choir in the whole world in this regard.
A concert not to be missed! 
Come hear the Stairwell Carollers sing “A Canadian Christmas” at Knox Presbyterian Church, 120 Lisgar Street, 7:30pm on December 15th.

The Stairwell Carollers will present a special 40th anniversary donation of $3,000 to the Shepherds of Good Hope on the 15th - a result of their first ever “Sponsor a Song” fundraising campaign.
Tickets are $20 at the door, 
http://www.stairwellcarollers.com/Concerts.html; 
The Leading Note, 370 Elgin St; 
Compact Music, 206 & 785 ½ Bank St locations; 
Books on Beechwood, 35 Beechwood Ave.
Hope to see you at Knox Presbyterian on the 15th!

David Rain has been taking his musical cues from the back of Pierre Massie’s head for the past 25 years with the Stairwell Carollers.

Some photos credit Iryna Zamchevska (OCISO) - Thank you!

Thursday, December 7, 2017

New upload - Youtube video - Dans le silence de la nuit by the Stairwell Carollers

December light glows through stained glass at Knox Presbyterian Ottawa
For Christmas 2017, a new Youtube video from the Stairwell Carollers Christmas carol concert at Knox United church, Ottawa just last year.

A new arrangement of Dans le silence de la nuit by Stairwell Caroller director, Pierre Massie.

This is another favourite carol from from Pierre's childhood memories of Christmas eve Midnight Mass in Northern Ontario.

Audio: Tom Barnes.  Recorded at Knox Presbyterian Church, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, Dec 16th, 2016.

Videographers: Gert-Jan van Heuzen, Andrew Mason

Editing: Pierre Massie

Please DONATE to support our 40th year events! 
All Donations receive a charitable receipt.

A registered Canadian charity, we also help local charities with our concerts and CDs !

The Stairwell Carollers:

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. 





Carols for Christmas CD and MP3 on iTunes - by the Stairwell Carollers

Beautiful Christmas carol CD on iTunes - The Stairwell Carollers
Even if you are a staunch Stairwell Caroller fan, you may never have seen these Christmas Carol CDs before.

Exclusive to iTunes and only available as digital downloads in MP3 format.

Songs can be purchased separately for .99 or by collection for 9.99.

Carols for Christmas Volume 1:
Ding! Dong! Merrily on High             French 16th c. melody, arr. C. Wood
Balulalow                                            Paul Johnson   Scottish traditional words
Dans cette étable                                  17th century French traditional
Ein Kind Geborn                                German 16th century carol
A spotless Rose                                  Herbert Howells 20th century melody; 14th century words
Laudemus cum armonia                      Composer, Pierre Massie, 2007
Les anges dans nos campagnes           French Traditional
I saw a swete semly syght                  (Old English)  Composer, Pierre Massie
All and Some                                      Anonymous
Dans le silence de la nuit                   French Traditional
Joy to the World                                  Words / Par. I. Watts; mus. Handel, arr. / harm. Pierre Massie
The Stairwell Carol                             Composer, Pierre Massie, 2008
Personent hodie                                  Piae Cantiones 1582, arr. Pierre Massie
Patapan                                                Provençal traditional
There Stood in Heaven a Linden Tree   15th German, arr. / harm. George Herbert Palmer 1842-1933
Dors ma colombe                                   French Traditional, arr. Pierre Massie
Deck the Halls                                      Welsh traditional carol
Venezuelan Carol                                    Venezuelan Traditional Carol
Once as I Remember                              17th c. Italian carol, arr. Charles Wood
Christe, Redemptor omnium                  Composer, Pierre Massie, 2006
O Holy Night / Minuit, chrétiens            Arr. Pierre Massie, 2006

Heavenly choir Christmas carol CD on iTunes - The Stairwell Carollers
Carols for Christmas Volume 2:
Hark The Herald Angels Sing                       Mendelssohn
Dans cette étable                                          French Traditional, arr. Pierre Massie
As I Lay Upon a Night                                  Anonymous
Resonet in laudibus                                  M. Praetorius , arr. for 6 voices, Pierre Massie
Away in a Manger                                        German traditional carol, words attributed to Martin Luther, arr. / harm. Pierre Massie
Du Noël(2)                                                 Anonymous 
Mourning Dove                                           Composer,  Pierre Massie
Sans Day Carol                                         Cornish traditional carol
Joy to the World!                                    G. F. Handel Words by I. Watts, after Psalm 98
Qui creavit celum                                   Composer, Pierre Massie
I Saw a Fair Maiden                                   Anon Medieval poem  melody by Peter Warlock
Ça bergers, assemblons-nous                     French Traditional, arr. Pierre Massie
Riu, riu, chiu                                            16th century Spanish villancio
Travellers Three                                    Composer, Pierre Massie, 2004
Past Three a Clock                                 Charles Wood 
Eia, eia, gaudeamus                               Composer, Pierre Massie, 2005
O little town of Bethlehem                    English traditional carol 
Entre le boeuf et l'âne                               French Traditional
We Three Kings                                           J.H. Hopkins, arr. Pierre Massie
Il est né, le divin enfant                               French Traditional, arr. Pierre Massie
We Wish you a Merry Christmas                 English traditional carol, exclusive arrangement by Sir  David Willcocks for The Stairwell Carollers


Please DONATE to support our 40th year events ! 
All Donations receive a charitable receipt.

About The Stairwell Carollers:

Pierre Massie began our a cappella choir in 1977 while a music student at Ottawa University. The Stairwell Carollers are ranked with the best of Ontario choirs, winning both the 2010 and 2013 Ontario Music Festival Association competitions. 

A registered Canadian charity, we also aid local charities with our concert, CD and cookbook sales.

Wednesday, December 6, 2017

Presenting our NEW LIVE CD for Christmas 2017

Stairwell Carollers NEW LIVE CD of Christmas carols for 2017
This collection of carols started as a tiny gem of a thought.

For many years now, Tom Barnes has recorded our live concerts for us. His work is impeccable and after every season we would have this treat of  being able to hear our season at our leisure.

Pete uses these raw recordings to produce our YouTube videos.

End of story.
Or not.

Our 40th committee had an idea; why not take the Christmas concert recordings and see if our pro sound engineer, Jay Fee, could combine the best of them into a LIVE CD of Christmas Carols.

I had no idea it would sound SO BEAUTIFUL!

When the first edit came back to hear, I was in tears. New versions of favourite Xmas songs we sang in concert, NOT ON ANY OF OUR OTHER CDS, are now preserved and presented in the highest quality on a professionally produced CD.

Includes the Newly composed Rideau Carol in a recording debut for composer and tenor, David Rain!

The quality is right up there with our other Christmas CDs and we are very proud that we can present Adeste Fideles LIVE to our audience for purchase!

Our new graphics guru, Terry, envisioned and produced a glorious CD cover and interior.
Now available for pre-order Online and will be on our CD table at our upcoming concerts.
Order now at the low price of $10.00 
plus shipping and handling

Carols list:
01    Adeste fideles - arr: Pierre Massie
02    Myn lyking - arr: R. Terry, P. Massie
03    Berger, secoue ton sommeil profond - Traditional french
04    Do You Hear What I Hear - arr: Pierre Massie
05    The Shepherd's Carol - Bob Chilcott
06    Allons, bergers, partons tous - arr: Richard Terry
07    Stille Nacht/Silent Night - arr: Pierre Massie
08    Rideau Carol - David Rain
09    Cherry Tree Carol - arr: Sir David Willcocks
10    Riu, riu, chiu - Spanish villancico
11    Away in a Manger - arr: Sir David Willcocks
12    Le bel Ange du Ciel - arr: Lucien Deiss
13    Balulalow - arr: Peter Warlock
14    Un flambeau Jeanette, Isabelle - arr: Pierre Massie
15    Ave Maria - Franz Biebl
16    Gower Wassail - Robert Frederick Jones
17    Gabriel's Message - arr: Sir David Willcocks
18    Dans le silence de la nuit - arr: Pierre Massie
19    El Rorro - arr: Je ffery Van
20    Patapan - arr: Pierre Massie
21    Up! Good Christian Folk, and Listen - arr: George R. Woodward
22    Sussex Carol - arr: Sir David Willcocks, Pierre Massie


Please DONATE to support our 40th year events! 
All Donations receive a charitable receipt.

A registered Canadian charity, we also help local charities with our concerts and CDs !

The Stairwell Carollers:

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. 

The BEST Christmas Carol Music CDS and MP3s are available online right here!

Monday, December 4, 2017

Choral Cacophony Podcast #16 En El Portal de Belen

Poinsettia
En El Portal de Belen is a lively and fun Puerto Rican Christmas carol that we have enjoyed singing for a couple of years now. We couldn't have done it so well without a lot of help with the pronunciation. In this episode, you can hear Josée (alto) coaching us. More about why she is our resident Spanish expert in a later blog post.

Chapter 1 -  Josée reads the lyrics with the proper pronunciation.
Chapter 2 - And we practice!! Pierre makes us go slow -- then fast!!

I couldn't include this without considering all the trouble the people of Puerto Rico have had in the past weeks with the devastation caused by Hurricane Maria. This year will be quite different and a real challenge for the survivors to keep up their Christmas spirit.
Statistics progress in Puerto Rico  Hurricane Maria Update
Here are a few ways you can help them have a merrier Christmas:

The direct link to FEMA - lots of great advice about how to help.
United for Puerto Rico
National voluntary organizations active in disaster

Here is our live concert video of En El Portal de Belen on You tube...

Please DONATE to support our 40th year events ! 
All Donations receive a charitable receipt.
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 with 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.

Saturday, December 2, 2017

Ociso Concert Joy! After-concert musings and compliments

Running through pieces before the concert.
We had a wonderful audience at our concert in benefit of Ociso a week ago. It was a first for us to sing in Southminster United Church, 15 Aylmer Ave, Ottawa - hope it won't be the last!
Southminster United Church, 15 Aylmer Ave, Ottawa, Canada
What a wonderful church - and so many groups and organizations use it! It has multi levels and many practice and gathering rooms in addition to the main church space.
Cathedral shape, arches and height of ceiling = fantastic acoustics - Southminster United Church, Ottawa
We discovered the glorious acoustics and resonance as soon as we opened our mouths for the first time in rehearsal just before the concert.  This one is a keeper, and we recommend it highly for anyone planning choral concerts or any "unplugged" a cappella performances.
An amazing night! Photo by OCISO.
What a great shot of The Stairwell Carollers, Thanks OCISO!
Michèle heads up our Front of House management and CD sales. Her CD table looks beautiful! For our fans, we have Mugs and Totes with our logo - net proceeds for our 40th workshops.
Michèle, our Front of House and CD sales Co-ordinator
We were happy to donate $95 to OCISO from our CD sales that night too!
David and Martha choose the lucky door prize winner at the reception.

Then, BONUS! we got this lovely letter from Elizabeth, one of the organizers.

Bonjour Pierre,

I hope this finds you Resting and recovering!  You are truly the best! I wanted to be sure that “you heard what I heard”……Eat your hearts out Tallis Scholars….the Stairwell Carollers will be a VERY hard act to follow……

I heard nothing but RAVE reviews from just about everyone who joined us for refreshments.  Some of my closest non singer and choir friends were blown away.

I can’t tell you how much this concert meant to so many of us.  One Syrian refugee who had planned to leave early so he could tuck his young children into bed stayed for the entire program.  He loved the music and was moved to tears many times.  You have all given him the gift of Canadian music. 

And Adrian (Horwood - MC) ended up staying much longer than planned.

Please let each and every Caroller know that you all outdid yourselves.  OCISO is so fortunate to have had you perform for them.  A very special, memorable evening for us all.

Merci, Thank you, Danke!!!!!

Be well

Auf Wiedersehen

Elizabeth Gluckstal


Please DONATE to support our 40th year events ! 
All Donations receive a charitable receipt.
About The Stairwell Carollers:

Pierre Massie began our a cappella choir in 1977 while he was a music student at Ottawa U. 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, The Stairwell Carollers help local charities with net proceeds from our concert, CD and cookbook sales.

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