The Canadian Children’s Opera Company will present its annual winter concert titled Song for a Winter’s Day and Night. Two concerts will take place on the afternoon and evening of November 29.
The program is a celebration of winter, including songs about snow, ice, and the warmth of getting together in the cozy indoors.
Two Concerts
Along with classic carols and songs of the season, the programs are built around Sarah Quartel’s Snow Angel, and include other music by a diverse range of artists from Lully to Fleet Foxes and Gordon Lightfoot.
The CCOC will perform with guest artist Antonia Cambre, who will play the cello, and stage direction by Chelsea Woolley.
Song for a Winter’s Day
The afternoon concert is a relaxed, family-friendly performance that includes songs about the fun and wonder of the season from a child’s perspective. More than 100 young singers, from the youngest choristers in the Butterfly Chorus to the Young Artist Studio (an age range that, together, spans ages four to 21).
Song for a Winter’s Night
The evening concert features members of the Intermediate Chorus, Principal Chorus, and Young Artist Studio, and the music will take the audience on a journey that begins with the darkness of winter, but ends with hope.
“It inspires the child in all of us to hear the bright voices of the CCOC in concert,” says newly appointed Artistic Director, Teri Dunn in a statemetn. “Their artistry is immense, their performances polished and compelling, and yet it is their sincerity that warms the heart and brings light to even the coldest days. This ensemble is a remarkable community — one where a deep love of storytelling, and of one another, is unmistakably felt. It is a joy and a privilege to share their brilliance with our audiences.”
Sarah Quartel: Snow Angel (2017)
Canadian composer Sarah Quartet is celebrated internationally for her choral works. Her work has been widely commissioned by ensembles such as the Orchestre de Paris, The National Youth Choirs of Great Britain, the American Choral Directors Association, The National Children’s Chorus of the USA, and many others, including pieces that have premiered at Carnegie Hall, Canterbury Cathedral, and the Church of the Rock in Helsinki, among many others.
Sarah was a choral singer from childhood, and focuses on the experience of the singers and their connections to each other.
She has served as Composer-in-Residence for Vox Anima (London), National Concerts (New York City), Singing Girls of Texas (Fort Worth), and The Cathedral of St. John (Albuquerque). Sarah’s music has been performed by Chanticleer, London Voices, Rajaton, The Swingles, The Gesualdo Six, New York Polyphony, and The Nathaniel Dett Chorale, among others.
Snow Angel is written for SATB choir with solo cello and piano, with a djembe in the fourth movement. Through all five movements, the work delves into theme of love, rebirth, and beauty. The text is told from the perspective of children, and the army of angels who look over them, and the musical and emotional language invites the performers to play a part in storytelling.
Quartel created both the music and the words. The Prologue introduces the angels. In the second movement (Creatures of Light), Quartet’s text uses portions of a poem by Thomas Moore (1779 to 1852) to describe the angels. While the third and fourth movements talk about children — their innocence and complete faith in the angels’ protection — the text of the fourth movement describes the third angel’s story.
Even though the snow may blow, there’s not a wind can stop my music.
For I know that winter shelters life.
Performances
Performances take place on November 29 at 3:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. at the Jane Mallett Theatre in the St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts.
- Find tickets and other details [HERE].
Are you looking to promote an event? Have a news tip? Need to know the best events happening this weekend? Send us a note.
#LUDWIGVAN
Get the daily arts news straight to your inbox.