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.
Exclusively made up of Pierre's arrangements and compositions, the concert features the premiere of a new carillon setting of his "Nouvelle Agréable" by Wendy Earl - one of Andrea McCrady's graduating students.
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.
We are a proudly bilingual choir and thus many of director Pierre Massie's compositions feature both official languages, sometimes sung simultaneously, like in the Stairwell Carol:
And for a special bonus, check out the Stairwell Carol played by Dr Andrea McCrady on the Peace Tower carillon! Thanks to David Rain for his awesome series : Top 10 reasons to audition for The Stairwell Carollers - posted on FaceBook and reproduced here with his permission.
To set up your audition for the end of January, email info(at)stairwellcarollers.com
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.
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 withthe 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.
It was an easy elevator ride up the Peace Tower on Parliament Hill, Ottawa, Canada for this very special Carillon Concert.
Thanks Andrea! So proud of Pete :)
Carols by Pierre Massie, arranged for carillon by Andrea McCrady
Wassail Song
Ça, bergers, assemblons-nous
Dans cette étable
Mourning Dove
The Stairwell Carol
An excited group of Stairwellers joined us to watch Andrea play the carillon in the tiny performance room.
Hard to believe that instrument controls one of the largest carillons in Canada!
Andrea again played Pierre's Stairwell Carol so beautifully! It's my personal fave!
Here is a video I made of a past carillon performance by Andrea.
Dr. McCrady is thrilled that she has found a composer "in her own backyard" whose compositions and arrangements seem so fitting to the requirements of the Carillon.
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.
Did you know that there is a real, live person playing the music that you hear ringing from our Peace Tower on Parliament Hill?
Ottawa's Peace Tower stands out in view from Byward Market
Her name is Andrea McCrady ( actually Dr. McCrady, since she was a family doctor for many years) and she "dances" concert on the Carillon keys almost every day at noon.
Andrea McCrady, our Dominion Carillonneur welcomes guests
If you are very lucky, you may get a chance to sit and watch the music happen -- right there in the tiny keyboard room. But, be warned, the Carillon itself makes it's own rhythmic melody of mechanical clinks and clunks, belying it's gorgeous ringing tones to all outside the Tower.
View of the Peace tower clock face from the observation deck
So, if you are downtown at lunchtime, make sure to notice the music of the 53 Peace tower bells, and think of the diminutive artiste that is playing the most challenging instrument, the Peace Tower Carillon -- our "Voice of Canada", our Dominion Carillonneur and "National Treasure", Dr. Andrea McCrady.
Rick Mercer recently did a feature on our Dominion Carillonneur -- check it out!
-----------------------------------------
Our Brand New Christmas Carol CD, “O magnum mysterium” is now available online, at our concerts, and from individual members of the choir, CD format only.
The Stairwell Carollers are an a cappella group, formed in 1977 by director Pierre Massie. Ranked amongst the best of Ontario choirs in both the 2010 and 2013 Ontario Music Festival Association competition, we are a non-profit organization, that raises funds for local charities through concert, CD and cookbook sales.
A registered Canadian charity, we also help local charities with our concert, CD and cookbook sales.
Please leave a Comment and Share this post ;)
Google
