The Elmer Iseler Singers Open their 2025-2026 season with a celebration of the work of a prolific Canadian composer. A Portrait in Song — The Music of Eleanor Daley takes place on November 2. Lydia Adams, C.M., conducts the choir, with the accompaniment of Shawn Grenke on piano and organ, and clarinettist James Campbell.
The program features a selection of Daley’s iconic works, including her popular Requiem, The Angels Will Guide You Home, Paradise, and Prayer for Peace, among others.
“Eleanor’s music feeds the soul — it’s as simple as that,” comments Lydia Adams, C.M. in a statement.
“Composer Eleanor Daley is celebrated internationally for her lush harmonies, lyrical lines, and emotional sensitivity. Singers around the world absolutely love singing her music,” Adams adds. “They — and audiences — come away with an uplifted heart.”
Soprano soloist and former Elmer Iseler Singer Rebecca Whalen adds, “Eleanor has an amazing way of getting to the heart of every song she writes. The flow, the rhythm, the line, the chordal structures — they all lend a beautifully sensitive voice to the poetry. Like an extension of the poetry itself.”
Composer Eleanor Daley
Eleanor Joanne Daley OC is known internationally for her choral and church music. The native of Parry Sound is based in Toronto, where in addition to composing, she is a church choral director and accompanist. She earned a BMus in organ performance from Queen’s University in Kingston, and also studied both piano and organ in the UK.
Her catalogue includes more than 160 works. Daley’s music has been commissioned and performed by the Amadeus Choir, the Bach Children’s Chorus, the Amabile Youth Singers, Toronto Children’s Chorus, the Cantabile Singers of Kingston, the Savridi Singers, the Vancouver Men’s Chorus and the Victoria Scholars, in addition to the Elmer Iseler Singers, as well as the Master Chorale of Tampa Bay, Texas Woman’s University, the Texas Choral Directors Association and other ensembles in the US.
In 2022, Daley was appointed to the Order of Canada for her contributions to Canadian choral music.
The Concert
Along with a tribute to Eleanor Daley, the concert celebrates the nearly half century legacy of the Elmer Iseler Singers, who have made supporting the work of Canadian composers part of their core mandate.
“As we mark 47 years of music-making, we’re proud to honour Eleanor, who represents the very best of Canadian choral music,” says Adams. “Our audiences can expect an afternoon of breathtaking beauty — one unforgettable moment after another.”
The November 2 concert takes place at Eglinton-St. George’s United Church
- Find concert details and tickets [HERE].
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