Embedded Files
Practice Recordings
Practice Recordings
Access individual practice recordings here.
Access our Youtube Playlist here.
**Youtube link for Magnum for Sop 2 here: https://youtu.be/NFDBxotDUeE?si=xW4mOO7LHlLTkek7
Bulletins from Bev
Bulletins from Bev
November 1, 2026
What a lovely big group we had this week. So good to see everyone.
Thanks for you patience with the set up this week. It is very hard for you to hear each other, but it is only temporary.
We are starting to work on polishing our performance now. I am very happy with how well we know the notes of the pieces at this stage. Please try to listen to the YouTube performances now. You can listen for phrasing, connection, articulation, balance, breathing, dynamics, tone. So much good information there that you will just absorb by listening.
It is time to make sure we are vocalizing everyday. We have 5 more rehearsals before performance week, so we are in serious training now. Those vocal muscles need to be in great shape! We know our way around all the pieces, but now we need to do the all the finicky work. We are thinking about the demands of the music, but also the demands of choral singing. So PLEASE bring a pencil to rehearsal. Don't be afraid to write all over your music.
Next week we will start at 5:00 with an Alto Sectional. All the other groups be ready to sing at 6:15.
Have a great Hallowe'en weekend, and we'll see you next week.
October 16, 2026
From Board Secretary, Rose:
Hi Singers!
Our Oct 21st rehearsal will be held at the church beside the library from 5:15-7:15. Our social gathering is afterward at Browning Pub.
If you did not fill in a food order at last rehearsal, please check your email about the social to see the menu, and then email your order by noon on Oct 17th to Rose. Food orders are not required if you don't wish to eat and would just like a beverage, in which case just email Rose (rosaliewoman@gmail.com) that you're attending so we get enough seats. It looks like we will have a great turnout!
Finally, we have just 8 regular and 1 tech rehearsal remaining until our concerts! Everyone is encouraged to listen to your sectional recordings and the related YouTube recordings posted on our website as frequently as possible. It makes a big difference!
September 26, 2026
Here is the notice from Dana McConchie about the changes announced at Wednesday’s choir practice.
Dear Singers,
We’re off to a great start for our production of “A Christmas Carol”! So many beautiful melodies bouncing around in my head!
We need to change our rehearsal space and timeframe.
Our choir has 50 singers registered. This makes the school stage quite cramped and the air quality poor. Coupled with that we have 2 stats falling on Wednesdays plus election/voting activities that curtail our ability to even be at the school.
The hall didn’t have a consistent time slot of 6 to 8 PM so we’ve moved it to an earlier one.
Wednesday Sept 30 @ hall. Sectional practice:
Sops and altos 5:15 to 6:45
Tenors and Basses 6:30 to 8:00
( for those new to choir sectionals are when you get together with your section to hammer out hard parts )
Wednesday Oct. 7 @ hall 5:15 to 7:15
Oct. 14@ hall 5:15 to 7:15
Oct. 21@ hall 5:15 to 7:15
Oct. 28@ hall 5:15 to 7:15
Nov. 4 @ hall 5:15 to 7:15
Nov 11 @ hall 5:15 to 7:15
At this point we CAN use the hall in the 6 to 8 slot instead of earlier. We will reassess at that time.
Wednesday Nov 18 @ hall
Nov 25 @ hall
Dec 2 @ hall
Sunday Dec 6 @ hall. Technical rehearsal and decorating. Hall available from 10 to 2 PM
Tuesday. Dec. 8 @ hall extra practice if needed.
Wednesday Dec. 9 DRESS REHEARSAL
Friday Dec 11 EVENING PERFORMANCE
Saturday Dec.12 EVENING PERFORMANCE
Sunday Dec 13. MATINEE
Our sincere apologies for these changes however it’s the best we can do.
It’s been brought to our attention that some folks would really appreciate carpooling. If this means you, please reach out to any board member and we’ll help connect you with someone.
Thank you all for understanding!
Dana
September 19, 2026
Sop 2 https://youtu.be/NFDBxotDUeE?si=YkiSjQyRG2Mk6O_m
Sop 1 https://youtu.be/k4XX6ZxxDjQ?si=YGOfeyjZTywJOIzW
Alto 1 https://youtu.be/x_fEMaMj20k?si=OlHjaq1-wb05XhSv
Alto 2 https://youtu.be/SSP0V_m7XK0?si=yqf9bR2VusE0SjAF
Tenor 1 https://youtu.be/hy5NXX8wXkE?si=SVTqvFwKcxIT3ngT
Tenor 2 https://youtu.be/KgtM400PLNg?si=ef2HOhUDoq1BgWvq
Bass 1 https://youtu.be/2ocNyQ78ris?si=xSdJfpIuP1n6guZZ
Bass 2 https://youtu.be/bOKSiFPKxGk?si=v3jTFg_Wv51o0AgU
Hi everyone. Thank you for a fabulous rehearsal this week.
Above you will see YouTube links for O Magnum Mysterium for each part.
Our last piece of music has arrived (Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas). Dolores will hand it out at our next rehearsal, and Eileen will put parts up this week.
Next week we will review what we have done so far, and add Candlelight Carol. Please continue to listen to all the pieces so you will have a good idea of how they go when we start to work on them.
We will have some changes in the schedule coming up because we have two stat holidays and an election to deal with. Hopefully we will still follow the rough outline for pieces, but some times and places will have to be adjusted. Thank you so much for your patience.
Some easy exercises to practice at home if you like:
1. Take a deep breath and release it through a /ssss/ over 6 beats. Lengthen to 8 beats and then to 10 beats.
2. Long tones - take a deep breath and sing an easy pitch as long as you can
3. Sigh - take a deep breath and sigh, starting up high gently going as low as you can
4. Range - gently, with a deep breath and lots of support, sing la la la up and down your range. Don’t worry about any particular pattern - just vocalize every day.
Have fun!!
See you at the school on Wednesday,
Bev
September 13, 2026
Hi all. This is a schedule for our pieces each week. It will give you an idea of what we will working on, so you can listen to the tracks and playlist in advance.
We have three pieces which are a bit longer and more complex:
Candlelight Carol, This Christmastide, and O Magnum Mysterium. As we have had to order additional music you will see that they are not scheduled for a week or two. That will give you time to get familiar with them from the playlist.
See you Wednesday!
Bev
August 31, 2026
Dear choir members, past members and supporters,
As you may have heard by now, I have the privilege of directing the choir for the 2026 Christmas Season. The Board has done a great job of advertising and posters, inviting one and all to join our group this year. I wanted to send a personal invitation to all of you as well.
I have heard some misunderstandings of our proposed program for Christmas so let me clarify a few things for you. We will be performing a dramatic reading of Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, with a full program of glorious Christmas music, new and old, to accompany the story. When Dickens first wrote the story he travelled to communities to hold readings to raise funds for education and health in a time of great poverty. This year is the 20th anniversary of the format originally developed by CBC as a fundraiser for community choirs in Canada. It is an opportunity for choirs to support their communities by raising funds for a specific charity. The story is divided into 6 parts, to be read (Dramatically!) by several community members, and accompanied by Christmas choral music.
Our repertoire will reflect some of the music which would have been heard at the celebrations described by Dickens. We will also sing some much newer Christmas repertoire which echos the sentiments of the story at a particular moment, and the sentiments of the season - Peace, Love, and Goodwill to all.
This will be my third presentation of this timeless Christmas tale. I am very excited to work with many of you again, and hopefully have a chance to meet some of you for the first time. Please invite anyone you think might enjoy this experience.
I hope to see you on September 9th at the school at 5:00, where we will register, hand out music, answer questions, have a warm-up and quick read through some pieces. Regular rehearsals will be Wednesdays from 6 to 8 at the school. Performance dates are December 11, 12 & 13.
Please feel free to contact me through this email address with any questions you may have.
I can’t wait to get started!
Bev Barradell
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