Details
Address: Trinity-St. Paul’s Centre, Jeanne Lamon Hall 427 Bloor St. W., Toronto (1 block w. of Spadina, Spadina Subway)
Phone: Box Office: 416-964-6337
Email: info@torontoconsort.org
Web: TorontoConsort.org
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Photo Gallery
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The Folks Behind It All
David Fallis | Conductor, Tenor, Percussion
Michelle DeBoer | Soprano
Ben Grossman | Hurdy Gurdy, Percussion
Katherine Hill | Soprano, Bass Viol
Paul Jenkins | Keyboardist, Tenor
Terry McKenna | Lute, Guitar
Alison Melville | Recorder, Early Flutes
John Pepper | Bass
Laura Pudwell | Mezzo-Soprano
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About
Since its founding in 1972, the Toronto Consort has become internationally recognized for its excellence in the performance of medieval, renaissance and early baroque music. Some of Canada’s leading early music specialists have come together to form The Toronto Consort, under the leadership of Artistic Director, David Fallis. The company’s nine members include both singers and instrumentalists (lute, recorder, guitar, flute, early keyboards and percussion).
Each year The Toronto Consort offers a subscription series in Toronto. These concerts are constantly exploring new repertoires and new ways to bring early music to the modern audience. The Consort often works in collaboration with other artists, such as actors, dancers and visual artists, to produce concerts which have dramatic as well as musical appeal. Many of the Consort’s most successful Toronto programs have been taken on tour across Canada, the United States and Europe.
“Since the founding of The Toronto Consort in 1972, Canada can boast a world-class early music ensemble worthy of the attention of any musically literate ear… Their closely matched phrasing, intonation and tonal shading was worthy of the finest string quartet.” Chronicle Herald, Halifax
The Toronto Consort is heard frequently on Canadian and international radio and television and has appeared with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra and the Montreal Symphony Orchestra as well as the North German Radio Orchestra. Its many recordings include the Praetorius Christmas Vespers, The DaVinci Collection, The Queen: Music for Elizabeth I, The Way of the Pilgrim, Mariners and Milkmaids, The Little Barley-Corne, Nowell Sing We, the Juno-nominated Full Well She Sang,Orlando di Lasso: Chanson and Madrigals, and O Lusty May.
Unusual for an early music ensemble but further evidence of the Consort’s versatility and virtuosity, is its contemporary repertoire. Canadian composers such as John Beckwith, Lothar Klein and David Keane have written pieces especially for The Toronto Consort. The Toronto Consort recorded the soundtrack for Atom Egoyan’s award-winning film The Sweet Hereafter.
Whether portraying the haunting emotion of a minstrel’s ballad or capturing the sparkle of a rollicking madrigal, The Toronto Consort brings alive the glorious music of earlier times.
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Events
All concerts are held at Trinity-St. Paul’s Centre, Jeanne Lamon Hall
427 Bloor St. W., Toronto (1 blk w. of Spadina, Spadina Subway)
Box Office: 416-964-6337 | Online: TorontoConsort.org
PARIS CONFIDENTIAL
November 7 & 8 | 8pm
Renaissance Paris that is! Join us as we visit the bustling markets, the booksellers, the royal chapel and the sophisticated academies, on an insider’s tour of 16th century Paris organized by Alison Mackay, in her latest creation of music, words and stunning images.
THE LITTLE BARLEY-CORNE
December 12 & 13 | 8pm
December 14 | 3:30pm
Yuletide Revels from the Renaissance
David Greenberg, who has been called “one of the most impassioned folk-fiddlers you’ll ever hear” joins forces with the Toronto Consort to throw a fabulous Christmas party of rollicking English ballads, infectious country dances and enchanting French noëls.
SPLENDOURS OF THE EMPEROR’S CHAPEL
February 6 & 7 | 8pm
Guest Director, theorbist Lucas Harris leads the Consort and assembled forces – cornettos, sackbuts, strings, keyboards, and virtuoso singers – in a lavish concert of music from the Viennese court and chapel of Holy Roman Emperor Leopold I.
DOWLAND IN DUBLIN
with Michael Slattery and La Nef
March 27 & 28 | 8pm
Was the great John Dowland, often considered the quintessential English lute master, actually Irish? There’s lots of evidence that he was, and our guest ensemble, featuring tenor Michael Slattery, makes a compelling case.
THE PLAY OF DANIEL
May 22 & 23 | 8pm
May 24 | 3:30pm
The grand finale to our season is the greatest masterpiece of Medieval music theatre: a wondrous telling of the story of the writing on the wall and Daniel in the lions’ den. A full theatrical production, with the Consort Medieval players and singers joined by Kevin Skelton in the role of Daniel, and the young voices of the VIVA! Youth Singers of Toronto.