Glebe choirs "United in Song" with Stairwell Carollers - Arnprior choral concert May 5th 2018

"United in Song"

this Saturday, May 5th 8:00pm 

at St. John Chrysostom Church, 295 Albert St in Arnprior.

So exciting! To help celebrate the choir's 40th Anniversary, The Stairwell Carollers are hosting workshops and singing with guest choirs from Glebe Collegiate Institute at our FIRST Spring 2018 Concert this Saturday May 5th.

Taught by Glebe master teacher and choral music expert, Rachel Handley, these high school students are easily some of the best voices in the city. Over the past years, the Senior, Chamber and Concert choirs won first place, and the Junior Band received silver and gold certificates. In Boston they won the Festival's Spirit Award for outstanding team work and positive attitude. In April 2009, the choir, band and Offbeat performed in Italy and raised over $1,000 for Aquilla earthquake victims. They’ve also performed in Austria, Calgary, England, Boston, Chicago and Germany!

Pierre Massie, Director of the Stairwell Carollers retired from Glebe as Arts head in 2014 but keeps up with their music program. He continues to coach Offbeat, the percussion group he created when teaching at Osgoode Township High School in Metcalfe, Ontario. Offbeat has received national and international recognition, taking gold five consecutive years in Calgary, Toronto, Montreal, Halifax and New York.

The students dropped by for a mini-workshop and rehearsal with us last week in preparation for this coming Saturday. Fun!

Stairwell Carollers, former Stairweller bass, Keith, and the Glebe choir kids rehearse for the finale, “Hostias”, from Fauré’s Requiem - specially arranged for voices by Stairwell director, Pierre.

This premiere performance will feature Gabriel Lewis-O'Connor as baritone soloist accompanied by the combined choirs. You  may recognize his name - he sang with the world renowned a cappella group Chanticleer.

Glebe choirs will also sing:

"When it was yet dark", by Canadian composer Stephen Hatfield,  known both for his exciting arrangements of world music and his original works. He has received the Governor General's Gold Medal among other awards. A contemporary Easter anthem, this piece gives Mary Magdalene's perspective on a well-known gospel story and mentions three of the women who were close to Jesus, thus turning it into a moving feminist hymn for Christian women.

"Non Nobis Domine", composed by Rosephany Powell - arranged by William Powell will be performed by the Glebe Man Choir (boys only). Rosephanye Powell is an American composer, singer, teacher and researcher, who has been hailed as one of America's premier composers of choral music. Her compositions are characterized by beautiful melodies and rich harmonies - with diverse inspiration from African-American popular styles as well as music by Bach or Mozart.

Indodana , by Michael Barrett and Ralf Schmitt  is a traditional South African sacred song about the Crucifixion. Barrett is a composer from Pretoria, South Africa, and his compositions and arrangements have been performed throughout South Africa and abroad. He is the founding director and conductor of The Chamber Singers, one of South Africa's most sought after Chamber Choirs. Schmitt specializes in African choral music and his compositions have often aired on television and radio.

Wade in the Water first published by the Work brothers - arranged by Robert Dietz is a traditional African-American Spiritual. Dietz studied music in Australia and in New York. This Spiritual has references from the Old as well as the New Testament, and is associated with the songs of the Underground Railroad. They say Harriet Tubman used to sing it to tell slaves how to avoid the dogs by taking the path of the river.

Daemon, by composer Gyorgy Orban - a latin sacred piece. Romanian-born Hungarian, Orban taught at the Romanian Academy of Music before becoming professor of composition in Budapest in 1982.

He mixes his choral music with traditional liturgical renaissance hymns and jazz.

Complete Concert Programme will be posted Wednesday!! Watch this space!!

Advance tickets, $15 available at...

• Glebe Collegiate Music Dpt, 212 Glebe Ave
• Jim's Restaurant 54 Elgin St W, Arnprior  - Phone: 613-623-5089
• St. Chrysostom church office - Telephone: 613-623-2282 or Email:parish@saintjohnchrysostom.org
• or from any Stairwell Caroller choir member.

• ONLINE ticket purchases at CANADA HELPS

• Tickets at the door will be $20.

Hope to see you there!

Please DONATE to support our 40th year events ! 

All Donations receive a charitable receipt.

About Our A cappella Choir:

Pierre Massie started The Stairwell Carollers in 1977 while studying music at Ottawa University. We are ranked with the best of Ontario choirs, winning both the 2010 and 2013 Ontario Music Festival Association competitions. 

A registered Canadian charity, Net proceeds of our concert, CD and cookbook sales help local charities.

Youtube Comments - even The Stairwell gets Flamed

Every now and then on Youtube we get a slightly negative comment for a song video.

I'm not complaining; 99.9999% of the comments we receive are high praise for our music. We have met new fans and other artists and have been usefully corrected - usually in a polite manner - thanks, you!

The funny thing is that those negative comments almost always go like this:

You sing (name of song) 

(beautifully/wonderfully/angelically/etc) 

BUT the (word he thinks means "dynamics/phrasing") 

are wrong.

OMG facepalm emoji

I almost need a copy/paste answer for this one.

Dynamics (even phrasing) can be at the discretion of the Director. Period. It's called interpretation.

Our Director, Pete, with his Rock band LEGACY in 1985. A multi-instrumentalist, he is an expert at interpretation too.

The exception is an adjudication situation with an adjudicator who has a favourite way he likes a piece to be sung. Then you better do your homework if you want him to judge you positively.

That being said, there are common/popular versions of pieces that listeners are used to.  With that familiarity comes an unspoken consensus of the application of dynamics - especially if they are indicated in the music. If a director chooses to ignore the published song dynamics, then that director must let the "claps" fall where they may.

But, wait a minute, here's the thing bugging my posterior sensibilities today.

In the Renaissance era, Dynamics for songs were not printed on the sheet music.  My info today is from the website and pen of a well-respected expert in the field of music history, Andrea Angelini, Choral Conductor, Composer and Music Journalist.

Sigh. I wish commenters would do their own homework before trying to show off their "knowledge" with unpleasant "drive-by" commenting.

I figure if you can't say something good say nothing at all.  And that's from this certified whiner and complainer.

But I try.

What do you think? Are you a musician on Youtube? Feel free to post your link to your channel in the comments section along with your comment.

Yes, I sense the irony.

About The Stairwell Carollers:

Pierre Massie began our a cappella choir way back in 1977 while studying music at Ottawa U. The Stairwell Carollers are ranked among the best of Ontario choirs, having won the 2010 and 2013 OMFA competitions. 

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

Net proceeds benefit charity.

Please DONATE to support our 40th year workshops! 

April is in my Mistress' Face - Thomas Morley - youtube video

Apropos of no more snow, I thought a fun Renaissance madrigal with "April" in the title would finally be fitting.

Yay, I worked in the garden today and it was glorious! (I wrote this on Monday - set to publish this Thursday. Forgive me if Climate Change makes a fool out of me.) Image from the Weather Network.

"April is in My Mistress’ Face" is by Thomas Morley - an English composer, theorist, singer and organist of the Renaissance.  Enjoy!!

Audio: Tom Barnes. Recorded at St. Barnabas Church, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, May 31st, 2014.

Videographers: Gert-Jan van Heuzen, Kevin Millington.

Please DONATE to support our 40th year events ! 

All Donations receive a charitable receipt.

About Our A cappella Choir:

Pierre Massie started The Stairwell Carollers in 1977 while studying music at Ottawa University. We are ranked with the best of Ontario choirs, winning both the 2010 and 2013 Ontario Music Festival Association competitions. 

A registered Canadian charity, Net proceeds of our concert, CD and cookbook sales help local charities.

CC Podcast S. 2 #13 - SSShort and SSSweet

Choral Cacophony Podcast goes snaky this week with a physical warmup exercise for diaphragmatic breathing - done in a standing position.

Teeth together, mouth slightly open, deep breath and release the breath in a controlled manner. Allow only the tiniest stream of air to be released in a smooth hisssss.

SSSSSSSSSSSS...

It's a room full of leaky tires.

We revisit an earlier CC Podcast breath control exercise - with a little more direction from Pierre about the importance of the diaphragm in breathing.

About the choir:

Pierre Massie began the a cappella choir 40 years ago, 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, they also help local charities with concert, CD and cookbook sales. Net proceeds benefit local charity.

40th Gift to the director a BIG surprise!

What would you like to get to commemorate your 40th year directing your choir? Chocolates? flowers? A new tuning fork?

Susan, alto and treasurer, had the BEST idea.

But I'm getting ahead of myself.

Pierre's favourite choral conductors were always Sir David Willcocks and John Rutter.

Sadly, Sir David  is no longer with us. The choir and Pierre have a wonderful souvenir in a special arrangement he made for us back in 2000 of We Wish you a Merry Christmas. We recorded it for our Christmas CD I Saw a Swete Semly Syght.

He also sent his well wishes to Pete for the choir's 30th anniversary!

Guess what? John Rutter is in Ottawa this summer at Music and Beyond.
Susan couldn't let this chance go - she had been lucky enough to meet Mr. Rutter at a music workshop in England. She reached out to him in request for a meeting with Pierre while he is here in Ottawa.

So, along with tickets to his concert, Pierre will get to meet one of the world's great choral geniuses face to face!

Thanks to all the choir members, the committee, and especially Susan for this amazing gift!

About The Stairwell Carollers:

Pierre Massie began our a cappella choir way back in 1977 while studying music at Ottawa U. 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. Net proceeds benefit charity.

Please DONATE to support our 40th year workshops! 

Sing to forget the April Showers - Eat and Drink Too with Tourdion ("Quand je vois du vin clairet")

Ok, we all need SOMETHING to distract us from this so-called "Spring" weather!

Join us for a Pub Night bevvie!

A long-standing Stairwell Tradition - once a month Pub Night allows Stairwellers to relax and get to know each other a bit more. We can also sit near and chat up peeps from OTHER sections (gasp). A certain bass named Christoph is FASCINATING.

Oops, did I say that out loud?

Thus, here is our fave drinking song, "Tourdion", a madrigal in wonderful Old French, by Claude Gervaise (1525–1583),  a composer, editor and arranger of the Renaissance period.

This one is strictly not a cappella because it has a tudor drum accompaniment.  The rustic sound recaptures for us the atmosphere of a smoky candlelit 16th century pub. Short, but sweet - and evocative of the era, watch it twice!

Tourdion is on our madrigal CD Audite nova - available on our website in both CD format and as MP3 download.

Audio: Tom Barnes.  Recorded at St. Barnabas Church, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, May 31st, 2014.
Videographers: Gert-Jan van Heuzen, Kevin Millington.
Video Editing: Pierre Massie

The Stairwell Carollers, an a cappella chorus started in 1977 by founder/director Pierre Massie, has earned the distinction of being ranked with the best of Ontario choirs.

If you love our music, a Donation would be greatly appreciated.
Please DONATE to our 40th fundraising goal of $15,000 to aid planned workshops and celebrations!

(All Donations receive a charitable tax receipt.)

Get our professional recordings - Stairwell Carollers CDs help local charities. Purchase from our website as CD OR MP3 :)

DID YOU KNOW? 

The Stairwell Carollers group has competed in Ottawa Kiwanis Festivals for over 20 years and went on to place First in both the 2010 and 2013 OMFA provincial competitions! 

"United in Song" Stairwell Caroller concert in Arnprior May 5th, 2018

St. John Chrysostom balcony Arnprior, Photo - J. Robert Macdonnell  DESIGNER FOR LITURGICAL SPACE

We are thrilled and excited that our first concert of the Spring 2018 season will be in a glorious venue. As you can see in the photo above, Saint John Chrysostom was beautifully renovated by J. Robert Macdonnell  DESIGNER FOR LITURGICAL SPACE and we will all feel blessed to sing in this space May 5th!

You can see more details about the complete renovation HERE.

40th Anniversary Concerts - Spring 2018

"United in Song"

Saturday, May 5th 8:00pm

St. John Chrysostom Church, 295 Albert St, Arnprior

with guest choirs from Glebe Collegiate 

and guest soloist Gabriel Lewis-O'Connor 

from the world renowned a cappella group Chanticleer.

For Saturday, May 5th ONLY advance tickets $15 

• ONLINE from CANADA HELPS
• Purchase tickets at Glebe Collegiate Music Dpt, 212 Glebe Ave
• Purchase tickets from choir members
• Other locations in Arnprior will be posted soon..
• Tickets at the door are $20.

"Eya, eya, gaudeamus"
Saturday June 2nd 7:30pm  

Church of St. Barnabas, 70 James Street, Ottawa

For Saturday June 2nd ONLY advance tickets $15 

• ONLINE from CANADA HELPS
• Leading Note, 370 Elgin St., Suite No. 2
• Compact Music, 206 & 785 1/2 Bank Street locations
• Books on Beechwood, 35 Beechwood Ave.
• Tickets at the door are $20.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Sunday, May 27th, 2:30pm

St. Martin's Anglican Church

2120 Prince Charles Road, Ottawa, ON

Please contact St. Martin's for ticket purchase info.

About The Carollers:

Pierre Massie began our a cappella choir, The Stairwell Carollers, back in 1977 while studying in the French music program at U. of O. We are ranked with the best of Ontario choirs, having won the 2010 and 2013 OMFA competitions. 

A registered Canadian charity, we help local charities with our concert, CD and cookbook sales. 
Net proceeds go to charity.

Please DONATE to help make our 40th year workshops happen! 

Early Music Trivia Quiz- No Drake, Bieber or Gaga

A Musical Trivia Quiz to celebrate the arrival (or not) of Spring:) 

ANSWERS AT END OF POST

1. Which British composer, whose work we'll be performing on May 27th at St Martin's Church, lived in London at the same time as Shakespeare?

In fact, he is one of the few composers of the only surviving contemporary settings of verse by Shakespeare...  (don't cheat by clicking the link!)

2. From just the title of this piece, Abendlied (evening song), can you guess which Bible story it is referring to?

Clue : it is in the New Testament.

3. What is a composer attempting to express in a madrigal?

And what is a madrigal?

4. If you were to read the song lyrics "falalala", you would likely think they come from the Christmas song Deck the Halls. But, this Spring, we are singing these lyrics too! Can you guess what the name of our piece is, and where the "falalala" comes from?

5. Which Renaissance Franco-Flemish composer was so influential in his time that he:

• was kidnapped three times as a child, because of the beauty of his singing voice? 
• occupied the prestigious post of "maestro di capella" at one of Rome's churches at only age 21? 
• received invitations from monarchs of France, emperors, and the Pope?

6.  In what era do you think this piece was composed? Take a wild guess!
"La la la, je ne l'ose dire" tells the story of a husband who has many reasons to be jealous of his wife, because she will go to sea with anyone. In the song, you can also hear all the village gossips. The moral of the story : "sadly, marriage lasts for eternity!"

7. This German composer composed many madrigals. In fact, his book of madrigals was used in music teaching for more than 100 years after its publication and he is now considered one of the madrigal leaders.

What's the name of the composer?

8. Quite a few of our pieces this Spring talk about the longings for love. But which one is based on an award-winning poem from 1918 by Sara Teasdale?

• I love my love, 
• Say love if ever, 
• I am not yours, or 
• Farewell dear love.

9. This French composer was a close friend of Camille Saint-Saëns, was invited to Buckingham Palace in 1908, was given an unprecedented national musical tribute in 1922...his musical style influenced many 20th Century composers.

Who was he?

10. There are various arrangements of Fauré's Requiem, Offertorium. What makes Pierre Massie's arrangement (premiered this Spring) a special one?

11. Can you give us the name of the German composer who was an expert in designing organs and who developed a clockwork organ later sold to the Emperor Rudolf II?

ANSWERS
(drum roll)

1. Thomas Morley.

2. It is from Luke 24, when the two disciples invite Jesus to stay with them : « Abide with us, for evening shadows darken, and the day will soon be over... »)

3.  The composer is trying to express the emotion contained in each line of a celebrated poem. A madrigal is a secular vocal music composition of the Renaissance and early Baroque eras.

4. My Bonny Lass. Dance-like rhythms and the Fa la la refrains typical of an Italian balletto.

5. Roland de Lassus, 1530-1594.

6. In the Renaissance era. By Pierre Certon 1510-1572

7. Jacques Arcadelt.

8.  I am not yours.

9.  Gabriel Fauré 1845-1924.

10. It is an all a cappella arrangement - no instrumental parts.

11. Hans Leo Hassler.

Quiz created by Kristina, soprano :) Photos by Holly, alto

About The Stairwell Carollers:

Pierre Massie began our a cappella choir way back in 1977 while studying music at Ottawa U. 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. 
Net proceeds benefit charity.

Abendlied by Josef Rheinberger. The Stairwell Carollers, NEW Youtube video

Ottawa choir, The Stairwell Carollers, perform beautiful Abendlied - written by Josef Gabriel Rheinberger. This is a brand new upload of a video of our live concert performance, recorded at St. Barnabas Church, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, June 4th, 2016.
"The 3rd song from Joseph Rheinberger's collection of 3 sacred songs, titled "Geistliche Gesänge", first published in 1873, it's meaning is “Evening song”. It contains the text from Luke 24, 29: - “Bide with us, for evening shadows darken, and the day will soon be over.” This was when 2 disciples met Jesus on the road to Emmaus after the tumultuous events of the crucifixion. The disciples urged Jesus to stay with them after dark, when they reached the village. 

Josef Rheinberger (1839 – 1901), was a very gifted German composer, who was also an organist, conductor and professor at the Munich conservatory and various other musical organizations and churches in Munich."*
*from RSCM Music direct -- where you can purchase the piece for performance.

Audio: Tom Barnes.
Videographers: Richard Auger, Andrew Mason
Editing: Pierre Massie
Photos: Holly Massie

If you love our music, a Donation would be appreciated. Please DONATE to our 40th fundraising goal of $15,000 to celebrate this milestone! 

All Donations receive a charitable tax receipt.

Get our professional recordings

All Stairwell Carollers CDs benefit charity. You can get them from our website in both CD and MP3 formats.

The Stairwell Carollers, an a cappella group formed in 1977 by director Pierre Massie, has earned the distinction of being ranked with the best of Ontario choirs.  The group placed First in both the 2010 and 2013 OMFA provincial competitions.

CC Podcast S. 2 #12 - Ayy Like Fonzie

In this week's Choral Cacophony Podcast, The Fonz from Happy Daze fame and spaghetti are featured.

The Ahhhh of Spaghetti, The Ayy of the Fonz.

Pierre uses both these vivid examples (and others) to illustrate vowel quality and production. He runs the choir through the vowel sounds with his own brand of colourful descriptions of how the sounds should come out and what shape they should take.

This rehearsal group included a number of auditioners back in August 2016. A few voices stick out and were subsequently not chosen for the choir. Blending voices is a primary requirement to join the Stairwell Carollers.

Enjoy the practice!
The Fonz on Youtube
Chapter 1 - Pierre guides the choir in the quality of the vowels Ah, O, Eh, Oo. He uses humorous examples to illustrate an open sound.

Chapter 2 - Arpeggios on vowels - the sound brighter as you descend. Relaxed diaphragm.
About Us:

Pierre Massie began The Stairwell Carollers a cappella choir in 1977 while studying in the French music program at the University of Ottawa. They are ranked with the best of Ontario choirs, winning the 2010 and 2013 OMFA competitions. 

A registered Canadian charity, we help local charities with our concert, CD and cookbook sales. 
Net proceeds go to charity.

I Knew I had Found the Right Choir

Christoph, bass:
An interview by David Rain, tenor

How long have you been with the Stairwell Carollers, Christoph?

This is my third season with the Carollers – I joined in January 2016.

What led you to want to join the choir? What was your own singing experience before you joined us?

Music and singing have always been a big part of my social life and my involvement in churches. In the past I’ve been part of a number of choirs, from church choirs and smaller groups to big symphonic choirs. Before I joined the Carollers I hadn’t been actively making music for some years. I felt that I was spending too much time at work and that I needed a better work-life balance, and I was missing the joy and the sense of community that comes from singing together. What drew me to the Carollers instead of other choirs were the a cappella singing, the repertoire, and the quality of the performances I saw on YouTube.

Tell us a bit about your own audition experience and how you were feeling.

I was a bit nervous, mainly because I didn’t quite know what to expect, because (like most people) I’m not too fond of “exam” situations, and because at the time my voice was not in the best shape. There was no reason to be nervous though – Pierre and the other members of the audition committee were very friendly, and the (individual) audition didn’t take long and went quite well. I gave a rousing rendition of the German national anthem, as that was one of the few songs I knew by heart. The second part of the audition process (attending a rehearsal) was lots of fun. I knew I had found the right choir.

It's our 40th anniversary this year. Please share any highlights you have had during your time with the Stairwell Carollers.

I find it amazing that the choir has existed for such a long time. I am in my mid-30s now, and the fact that Pierre and Holly and Denyse and others were singing together before I was born and are still singing together is quite remarkable. Since I’ve been with the choir for just over two years now, my list of highlights is probably shorter than that of long-term members. Singing in the National Gallery last year was cool. I generally like that we sing in various different venues across Ottawa as it helps me get to know the city better. Having been part of the executive committee for the last 1.5 years has also opened my eyes to the many cool things that happen behind the scenes – be it concert planning, PR and social media outreach, or our student scholarships and charity donations. It’s been inspiring to see the commitment from so many choir members to these causes.

Are there any special songs that we're singing this spring that you'd like to talk about or share your feelings about?

Abendlied by Rheinberger has always been one of my favourite a cappella works, and I am delighted to sing it again this season. Having sung the bass part in last year’s Spring season, I am now very much enjoying the baritone part. The fact that it is in German, my native tongue, certainly increases the appeal of this song for me.

Sneak preview of Abendlied:

Any other thoughts you'd like to share?

I am glad to have joined the Stairwell Carollers – singing with the choir has brought me much joy, and I have met some really great people through my engagement with the choir. Thanks to all who’ve made it a super experience so far!

About The Stairwell Carollers:

Pierre Massie began our a cappella choir way back in 1977 while studying music at Ottawa U. 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. 
Net proceeds benefit charity.

Kyrie from Messe de Nostre Dame - Stairwell Carollers - YouTube video

For today, a Medieval Mass sung by the men of the Stairwell Carollers.

Pierre took suggestions from historical texts to inform the interpretation.

Listening to this I feel transported - back to a time of castles, echoing halls and stone fireplaces.

This is the Kyrie from Messe de Nostre Dame by Guillaume de Machaut (c. 1300–1377).

Audio: Tom Barnes.  Recorded at St. Barnabas Church, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, June 5th, 2015.
Videographer: Richard Auger.
Editing: Pierre Massie
Photos: Holly Massie

About The Stairwell Carollers:

Pierre Massie began our a cappella choir way back in 1977 while studying music at Ottawa U. The Stairwell Carollers are ranked among the best of Ontario choirs, having won the 2010 and 2013 OMFA competitions. 

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

Net proceeds benefit charity.

Happy Easter! Choral Cacophony Podcast to go to Biweekly Format

To keep quality up, while keeping many PR tasks in the air at once, I have decided to go to a Biweekly release for our Choral Cacophony Podcast.

Stay tuned for a new Podcast next Monday :)

About Us:

Pierre Massie began The Stairwell Carollers a cappella choir in 1977 while studying in the French music program at the University of Ottawa. They are ranked with the best of Ontario choirs, winning the 2010 and 2013 OMFA competitions. 

A registered Canadian charity, we help local charities with our concert, CD and cookbook sales. 
Net proceeds go to charity.