Season 2024 / 2025
Season 2024/ 2025
Please review our Purchasing and COVID-19 policies prior to visiting the “Ticket Store.”
Be sure to visit this page often to see updates and details on upcoming concerts, as they become available. Seat purchase will be available mid-September 2024.
September 2024
MISSA PAX:
Choral works by Timothy Corlis
“Driving energy, brilliance. spine-tingling moments, sublime beauty.”
—New York Concert Review
Timothy Corlis writes music with an emotional intensity that once heard is never forgotten. In ‘Missa Pax’, beautiful choral harmonies are combined with accompaniment by clarinet and piano. Each of his compositions performed here reflect the composer’s search to express deeper truths.
Timothy Corlis will introduce these preview concerts of our upcoming NAXOS recording.
Running time: 60 minutes (no intermission)
These performances are sponsored by Annie-Marie Spencer in memory of her husband Edwin David Spencer.
Saturday September 28, 2024 – 5:30 pm
St. Barnabas on the Danforth Anglican Church,
361 Danforth Ave, Toronto, ON M4K 1P1
Sunday September 29, 2024 – 4:00 pm
Basilica of Our Lady Immaculate,
28 Norfolk St, Guelph, ON N1H 4H8
TICKET PRICES:
PAY-WHAT-YOU-CAN (purchase at venue only)
— Suggested: $15 per person, including HST
For more information please leave a message at 226-384-9300 or email [email protected]
Messiah
Our gently abridged presentation of this magnificent oratorio draws more acclaim each year. With a splendid choir, outstanding soloists and orchestra, this is the perfect way to launch your festive season.
Running time 90 minutes (no intermission)
This performance is sponsored by an Anonymous donor.
Sunday December 8, 2024 – 3:30 pm
Basilica of Our Lady Immaculate,
28 Norfolk St, Guelph, ON N1H 4H8
TICKET PRICES:
Regular – $50
Student aged 13 to 21 – $25
Child aged 12 & under – $15
For more information please leave a message at 226-384-9300 or email [email protected]
Note: Online seat sales close at noon on the day of his performance. Please then, purchase seats at the venue.
O Hear the Angel Voices
Join us for a joyous celebration of glorious seasonal music with carols new and old. Make it part of your family’s Holiday traditions!
Running time 75 minutes (no intermission)
Monday December 16, 2024- 7:30 pm
St. Mark’s Anglican Church – 41 Byron St, Niagara-on-the-Lake ON L0S 1J0
Saturday December 21, 2024- 4:00 pm
St. Andrew’s United Church, 95 Darling St, Brantford ON
Sunday December 22, 2024 – 4:00 pm
Knox Presbyterian Church, 51 Church Street, Elora ON N0B 1S0
TICKET PRICES:
Regular – $45
Student aged 13 to 21 – $20
Child aged 12 & under – $10
SPECIAL FAMILY RATE AVAILABLE — please leave a message at 226-384-9300 or email [email protected]
(All prices include HST)
Note: Online seat sales close at 9am on the date of each performance. Please then, purchase seats at the venues.
J. S. Bach
The Passion According
to St. John
This superb choral work was the first passion written by Bach, composed for a Good Friday service in 1724. Three hundred years later it retains all of its power and haunting majesty.
Running time 120 minutes (with intermission)
Good Friday April 18, 2025 – 7:30 pm
Basilica of Our Lady Immaculate,
28 Norfolk St, Guelph, ON N1H 4H8
TICKET PRICES:
Regular – $50
Student aged 13 to 21 – $25
Child aged 12 & under – $15
For more information please leave a message at 226-384-9300 or email [email protected]
Note: Online seat sales close at noon on the date of this performance. Please then, purchase seats at the venue.
Choral Mystics
Wonderful choral sonorities highlight this very special program with music that ranges from works by Palestrina and Byrd to such modern composers as Ešenvalds, Whitacre and Arvo Pärt.
Running time 80 minutes (no intermission)
Saturday May 24, 2025 – 4:00 pm
St. Mark’s Anglican Church – 41 Byron St, Niagara-on-the-Lake ON L0S 1J0
Saturday May 31, 2025 – 4:00 pm
The Church of St. Peter & St. Simon, 525 Bloor St. East, Toronto ON M4W 1J1
Sunday June 1, 2025 – 4:00 pm
Basilica of Our Lady Immaculate, 28 Norfolk St, Guelph, ON N1H 4H8
TICKET PRICES:
Regular – $45
Student aged 13 to 21 – $20
Child aged 12 & under – $10
(All prices include HST)
Note: Online seat sales close at 9am on the date of each performance. Please then, purchase seats at the venues.
Past Events
April & May 2024
WARM BREATH OF SPRING:
Folksongs & Spirituals
Last season’s concert was such a success, that we had to do it again.
Please join us for a heartwarming and intimate performance that celebrates the long traditions of folk music and spirituals, with commentary about the songs, by our singers.
Our concert title Warm Breath of Spring comes from the first verse of the late, great Gordon Lightfoot’s song Pussy willows, Cat-tails:
Pussy willows, cat-tails, soft winds and roses
Rain pools in the woodland, water to my knees
Shivering, quivering, the warm breath of spring
Pussy willows, cat-tails, soft winds and roses
This soothing song was inspired by Gordon Lightfoot’s upbringing in Orillia, Ontario. In his Complete Greatest Hits liner notes, he called the area “a very idyllic spot,” adding, “it was classic: a river, a pond, and a dam, a stream down below.”
Please be sure to reserve your seat by 10 pm on the day prior to the performance date or purchase at-door at the venues.
Sunday April 28, 2024- 4:00 pm | This performance is sponsored by Rt. Reverend D. Ralph Spence in memory of Carol Spence.
St. Mark’s Anglican Church – 41 Byron St, Niagara-on-the-Lake ON L0S 1J0
Saturday May 4, 2024- 4:00 pm | This performance is sponsored by Anthony Whittingham in memory of Christopher Bunting.
The Church of St. Peter & St. Simon, 525 Bloor St. East, Toronto ON M4W 1J1
Sunday May 5, 2024 – 4:00 pm | This performance is sponsored by Annie-Marie Spencer.
Knox Presbyterian Church Elora, 51 Church Street, Elora ON N0B 1S0
Prices:
REGULAR — $45
STUDENTS 18 and under — $25
GROUP RATE (10+) — $35 per person, advance purchase only **
** For group purchases please leave a message at 226-384-9300 or email [email protected]
(All prices include HST)
Note: Online seat sales close at 9am on the date of each performance. Please then, purchase seats at the venues.
March 2024
SEVEN LAST WORDS
from the cross
for choir & string orchestra by James MacMillan
Also being performed:
Miserere Mei, Deus by Gregorio Allegri
The Reproaches by John Sanders
Choir sponsored by Anonymous
Orchestra sponsored by Guy and Chiyo Mommaerts
Good Friday, March 29, 2023- 7:00 pm
Basilica of Our Lady Immaculate, 28 Norfolk Street Guelph, ON N1H 4H8
Running time, approximately 75 minutes with a brief break.
Many believe that James MacMillan is the most significant composer of our day. Written for string orchestra and choir, Seven Last Words from the Cross is a dramatic powerhouse of brilliant musical writing. It was commissioned by BBC Television and first screened in seven nightly episodes during Holy Week 1994. It was performed by Cappella Nova and the BT Scottish Ensemble under Alan Tavener. The traditional text is based on a compilation from all four gospels to form a sequential presentation of the last seven sentences uttered by Christ.
“ […] highly original conception with the composer’s fertile imagination stamped all over it. […] the work is terse, dark and deeply emotional, yet for all its crude depiction of total suffering, the listener is left with a spiritual fulfillment of intense gratitude and joy. This is music where one must be prepared to suffer in silence if he wants to grasp and appreciate the immense beauty of Macmillan’s stupendous creation.”
— Classical.net
“[Seven Last Words] is probably MacMillan’s masterpiece… the maturity in this composition is astounding: the tonal structure of the seven settings, harmony which can be spare or lush without ever being overwritten, an inexorable sense of the drama in the text, the balance between voice and strings.”
— The Guardian
PRICES:
REGULAR — $50
STUDENT 18 and under — $30
REGULAR GROUP RATE (10+) — $40 per person, advance purchase only **
** For group purchases please call 226-384-9300 or email [email protected]
(All prices include HST)
Our Media Sponsor:
Please review our Purchasing and COVID-19 policies prior to visiting the “Ticket Store.”
Note: Online seat sales close at noon on the day of this performance. Please then, purchase seats at the door.
October & November 2023
ROYAL SPLENDOUR
A Celebration of Royal Music In Words, Music and Song
The Niagara-on-the-Lake performance is sponsored by Kathy and Timothy Taylor
Researched and written by Hugh Brewster and narrated by him and Shaw Festival actress, Brigitte Robinson (an accomplished actor who has appeared in theatre, film and television across Canada), Royal Splendour is a multimedia production complemented by a screen show of archival images and video. This programme will feature everything from Mendelssohn’s “Italien” OP 8, No 3 (once performed by the young Queen Victoria for the composer at Windsor Castle), to Paul Mealor’s Kyrie Eleison sung in Welsh by Bryn Terfel at this year’s coronation of King Charles III. It also highlights Canada’s connection to the Crown from the first royal visit in 1860 by the Prince of Wales to the anthem composed by Canadian composer Healey Willan for the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953.
From the music of Gilbert and Sullivan (a piece from one of Queen Victoria’s favorite operettas) to Queen Elizabeth’s best-loved song from Oklahoma, Royal Splendour is a regal production not to be missed!
REGULAR — $45
STUDENTS 18 and under — $25
(Prices include HST)
Sunday October 29, 2023- 4:00 pm
St. Mark’s Anglican Church – 41 Byron St, Niagara-on-the-Lake ON L0S 1J0
Saturday November 4, 2023- 4:00 pm
The Church of St. Peter & St. Simon, 525 Bloor St. East, Toronto ON M4W 1J1
Sunday November 5, 2023- 4:00 pm
Basilica of Our Lady Immaculate, 28 Norfolk Street Guelph, ON N1H 4H8
December 2023
HANDEL’S MESSIAH (Abridged to 90 mins)
Launch your festive season with this best-loved of all choral works.
Dr. Noel Edison once again draws on years of experience to interpret this magnificent oratorio in a way that is both fresh and powerful. With a splendid choir, outstanding soloists and full orchestra, and performed amid the beauty and acoustic perfection of Guelph’s Basilica of Our Lady Immaculate, this is a Messiah you will never forget!
Please be sure to reserve your seat by 10 pm on the day prior to the performance date or purchase at-door at the venue.
REGULAR — $50
STUDENTS 18 and under — $30
(Prices include HST)
Please review our Purchasing and COVID-19 policies prior to visiting the “Ticket Store.”
Sunday December 3, 2023- 3:30 pm
Basilica of Our Lady Immaculate, 28 Norfolk Street Guelph, ON N1H 4H8
‘TIS THE SEASON: Carols new and old
The Elora performance is sponsored by Marie Spencer
Join us for a joyous celebration of the music of Christmas!
“Even though I have been in the choral music business for over 45 years,” says Musical Director and Conductor, Noel Edison, “I still look forward to the month of December with all the concerts and all the wonderful music that is written for the season.
“Christmas is principally about our yesteryears, looking back, hearing and remembering those carols that you’ve heard all your life. The music of Christmas comes in many forms, shapes and emotions. It’s about past gatherings with family and friends, adult memories of good times — and sometimes bad times — but it’s the one time of the year that always conjures up a deep emotion of goodwill towards all. It’s amazing to think that a little newborn would somehow bring so much hope and humanity to our rather fragile world.”
“Yule” want to make this concert a family tradition!
Please be sure to reserve your seat by noon on the day of the performance date or purchase at-door at the venue.
REGULAR — $45
STUDENTS 18 and under — $25
(Prices include HST)
Please review our Purchasing and COVID-19 policies prior to visiting the “Ticket Store.”
Monday December 18, 2023 – 7:30 pm
Court House Theatre, 26 Queen St, Niagara-On-The-Lake ON L0S 1J0
Wednesday December 20, 2023 – 7:30 pm
St. Andrew’s United Church, 95 Darling St, Brantford ON
Saturday December 23, 2023 – 4:00 pm
Knox Presbyterian Church, 51 Church Street, Elora ON N0B 1S0
May 2023
SWEET EXPRESSIONS: Folksongs & Spirituals
Saturday May 6, 2023- 4:00 pm
St. Mark’s Anglican Church – 41 Byron St, Niagara-on-the-Lake ON L0S 1J0
Sunday May 7, 2023 – 4:00 pm
Knox Presbyterian Church Elora, 51 Church Street, Elora ON N0B 1S0
Wednesday May 10, 2023 – 7:30 pm
Hart House (The Great Hall) – University of Toronto, 7 Hart House Cir, Toronto ON M5S 3H3
Please join us for a heartwarming and intimate performance that celebrates the long traditions of folk music and spirituals, with commentary about the songs, by our singers. (Running time about 1.25 hours.)
This concert title, SWEET EXPRESSIONS, is taken from a Spiritual Hymn “Sweet, Sweet Spirit” written by Doris Mae Akers (May 21, 1923 – July 26, 1995).
“Akers was a biracial African-American gospel music composer, arranger and singer who is considered to be “one of the most underrated gospel composers of the 20th century [who] wrote more than 500 songs. Known for her work with the Sky Pilot Choir, she was inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame in 2001.” — Wikipedia
“Folk music is a living art form that tells and retells its history, even as it creates it. As with any vital art form, there are passionate debates. The very term folk song is contentious. Blues musician Big Bill Broonzy, upon being asked “What is folk music?” is purported to have answered, “All music is folk music…,” a comment that unleashed a decades-long feud among musicologists about the origins and definition of folk music.
Ultimately it doesn’t matter. What matters is that the music lives on, enriching our lives. […] We know that […] folk music originated in the oud strummers of the Middle East; the lute pickers of Europe; the balladeers and bawdy pub singers of England, Scotland, Ireland, and Brittany; the fiddle bowers of eastern Europe; the n’goni pluckers of Africa; the chants, plaints, calls, and hollers that came from everywhere to the New World, bringing lyrics, melodies, marches, and polyrhythms that invented and expanded [..] musical horizon forevermore. […] the music ignored boundaries and slipped in and out of parochial communities, creating something bigger than the sum of its parts […]” — Ellen Harper
REGULAR — $45
STUDENTS 18 and under — $25
(Prices include HST)
Our Media Sponsor:
Please review our Purchasing and COVID-19 policies prior to visiting the “Ticket Store.”
April 2023
RACHMANINOFF VESPERS
These performances are generouly sponsored by Marie Spencer in loving memory of a dear friend of Marie and Noel, Thomas Andrew Fitches (1945 – 2023).
Sunday April 2, 2023 canceled due to illness (flu)
Knox Presbyterian Church, 53 Church St, St. Catharines, ON L2R 3C3
Friday April 7, 2023 – 7:30 pm seat purchase available at-door
Basilica of Our Lady Immaculate, 28 Norfolk Street Guelph, ON N1H 4H8
Saturday April 8, 2023 – 1:30 pm seat purchase available at-door
Hart House (The Great Hall) – University of Toronto, 7 Hart House Circle, Toronto ON M5S 3H3
Hailed as “[…] the greatest musical achievement of the Russian Orthodox Church,” Sergei Rachmaninoff’s Vespers is drawn from texts used in the church’s All-Night Vigil ceremony. Written in 1915 when Russia was embroiled in World War I, it invokes the chants and exquisitely rich harmonies of the Orthodox tradition in a work that is reflective and calm but has a deeply powerful impact. Performed a cappella, this concert will provide a haunting and profound musical experience.
Please be sure to reserve your spot by 10pm of the day prior to the performance date or purchase at-door at the venue.
REGULAR — $45
STUDENTS 18 and under — $25
(Prices include HST)
Please review our Purchasing and COVID-19 policies prior to visiting the “Ticket Store.”
Our media partner:
December 2022
MESSIAH – (abridged)
16th
Sunday December 4, 2022 – 3:30 pm
Basilica of Our Lady Immaculate, 28 Norfolk Street Guelph, ON N1H 4H8
Launch your festive season with this best-loved of all choral works.
Dr. Noel Edison draws on years of experience to interpret this magnificent oratorio in a way that is both fresh and powerful. With a splendid choir, outstanding soloists and full orchestra and performed amid the beauty and acoustic perfection of Guelph’s Basilica of Our Lady Immaculate, this is a Messiah you will never forget!
Sponsored by: The Brewster family, in memory of Anne and Ormond Brewster
Please be sure to reserve your spot by 10pm of the day prior to the performance date or purchase at-door at the venue.
REGULAR — $50
STUDENTS 18 and under — $30
(Prices include HST)
Please review our Purchasing and COVID-19 policies prior to visiting the “Ticket Store.”
THE FIRST NOWELL
Saturday December 17, 2022 – 1:30 pm
Hart House University of Toronto, 7 Hart House Cir, Toronto ON M5S 3H3
Monday December 19, 2022 – 7:30 pm
Court House Theatre, 26 QUEEN ST, NIAGARA-ON-THE-LAKE ON L0S 1J0
Wednesday December 21, 2022 – 7:30 pm
Knox Presbyterian Church Elora, 51 Church Street, Elora Ontario N0B 1S0
Join us for Dr. Edison’s personal and joyful musical journey towards Christmas Day:
“Even though I have been in the choral music business for over 45 years, I still look forward to the month of December with all the concerts and all the wonderful music that is written for the season. […]
The music of Christmas comes in many forms, shapes and emotions, but its principal element is one of nostalgia, memories of childhood, past gatherings with family and friends, adult memories of good times — and sometimes bad times — but it’s one that always conjures up a deep emotion of goodwill towards all. It’s amazing to think that a little newborn would somehow bring so much hope and humanity to our rather fragile world.”
Noel Edison
Please be sure to reserve your spot by 10pm of the day prior to the performance date or purchase at-door at the venue.
REGULAR — $45
STUDENTS 18 and under — $25
(Prices include HST)
Please review our Purchasing and COVID-19 policies prior to visiting the “Ticket Store.”
November 2022
Sunday November 20, 2022 – 4:00 pm
East Latvian Lutheran Community (St. Barnabas) , 361 Danforth Ave, Toronto, ON M4K 1P1
Sunday November 13, 2022 – 4:00 pm
Knox Presbyterian Church, 53 Church St, St Catharines ON L2R 3C3
Friday November 11, 2022 – 7:30 pm
Basilica of Our Lady Immaculate, 28 Norfolk Street Guelph, ON. N1H 4H8
FAURÉ & DURUFLÉ REQUIEMS These concerts are dedicated to the people of Ukraine
Filled with rich, soulful melodies, Gabriel Fauré’s seven-part Requiem is one of the most moving works in the choral canon. Premiering in 1888 at La Madeleine in Paris, where Fauré was the organist, it was later performed at the composer’s own funeral in 1924.
Another masterpiece of French choral composition is Maurice Duruflé’s Requiem, which was completed in 1947 with musical themes drawn from Gregorian chant. It has been described as “supremely beautiful.”
Together these two soul-stirring works guarantee a powerful listening experience.
Please be sure to reserve your spot by 10pm of the day prior to the performance date or purchase at-door at the venue.
REGULAR — $45
STUDENTS 18 and under — $25
(Prices include HST)
Please review our Purchasing and COVID-19 policies prior to visiting the “Ticket Store.”
December 2021
5th
Sunday, 3:30pm
Basilica of our Lady Immaculate, 28 Norfolk Street, Guelph
– click for map –
Messiah
Sponsored by: The Brewster family, in memory of Anne and Ormond Brewster
Launch your festive season with this best-loved of all choral works.
Noel Edison draws on years of experience to interpret this magnificent oratorio in a way that is both fresh and powerful. With a splendid choir, outstanding soloists and full orchestra and performed amid the beauty and acoustic perfection of Guelph’s Basilica of Our Lady Immaculate, this is a
Messiah you will never forget!
PRE-REGISTRATION & SALES FOR THIS PERFORMANCE ARE NOW CLOSED
December 2021
17th
Friday, 7:30pm
Basilica of our Lady Immaculate, 28 Norfolk Street, Guelph
– click for map –
Festival of Carols
Sponsored by: Susan Newman and Wilf Trivett
Join us for a joyous celebration of the music of Christmas with carols new and old; and readings by Marilyn Lightstone and Colin Fox of seasonal poems and stories.
You’ll want to make this concert a family tradition!
Please note: The deadline for pre-registration and sales is 24 hours prior to the start of the performance. At this time we are not permitted to have at-door sales. Be sure to review our PURCHASING & COVID-19 policies prior to purchasing. Proof of full vaccination is required. Properly fitted masks must be worn at all times while inside the venue.
December 2021
20th
Monday, 7:30pm
Court House Theatre, Niagara-on-the-Lake
– click for map –
Festival of Carols
Sponsored by: Susan Newman and Wilf Trivett
Join us for a joyous celebration of the music of Christmas with carols new and old; and readings by Marilyn Lightstone and Colin Fox of seasonal poems and stories.
You’ll want to make this concert a family tradition!
Please note: The deadline for pre-registration and sales is 24 hours prior to the start of the performance. At this time we are not permitted to have at-door sales. Be sure to review our PURCHASING & COVID-19 policies prior to purchasing. Proof of full vaccination is required. Properly fitted masks must be worn at all times while inside the venue.