April is Earth Month in Canada, and the Elmer Iseler Singers will mark the occasion with a choral celebration that draws the connections between the planet, the larger cosmos, and the beauty of the human spirit.
The Earth Sings takes place on April 12 with a mixed program that includes newly commissioned works in two world premieres, along with Canadian voices, and contemporary masterpieces.
“It’s important for Canadian audiences to hear Canadian musical expression. The voices of our country’s composers are unique in the world of music and they resonate particularly strongly with Canadian listeners. They give expression to what it means to live in Canada,” David Jaeger, C.M. Canadian composer and retired Senior Producer at CBC and longtime advocate for Canadian composers, says in a statement.
The Music
Our Earth is both beautiful and vulnerable, and those key concepts inform the heart of the repertoire for The Earth Sings;
- Frank Ticheli: Earth Song
- Edward Enman: Between the Alleys of the Stars
- Caroline Shaw: and the swallow
- Norma Beecroft: The Living Flame of Love
Along with the two newly commissioned pieces, works by Latvian composer Ēriks Ešenvalds and iconic Canadian composer R. Murray Schafer, John Rutter, Morten Lauridsen, and Srul Irving Glick round out the program.
Composer Norma Beecroft was a pioneer in the world of Canadian music. She was the co-founder of New Music Concerts, and championed Canadian contemporary music and composers. In addition to her work as a composer, she was a producer, broadcaster, and arts administrator.
The performance includes a tribute to her life and legacy by conductor Lydia Adams and David Jaeger, C.M.
“Norma was an intensely creative person with a passion to make music. She grew up in a family of inventors and performers, and had a knack for finding unique musical expressions and was fascinated by the range of mediums available to her as a composer, including choral music. All this distilled into a strong and expressive musical voice,” says David Jaeger C.M.
World Premieres
The concert includes the performance of two world premieres, works commissioned by the Elmer Iseler Singers:
- At That Hour by Brad Barnham (text by James Joyce)
- Remember Me by Carmine Lappano (text by Christina Rossetti)
Before the concert, there will be a special pre-performance interview featuring both composers, who will talk about their newly commissioned works and creative processes.
Brad Barnham
Composer, conductor, adjudicator and producer Brad Barnham is based in Burlington Ontario. Brad earned a Bachelor of Music (Honours) in Theory and Composition from Western University, followed by a Master of Music (Honours) in Choral Conducting from the University of Toronto.
He is the Director of Music & Choral Activities at St. George’s Anglican Church in St. Catharines, and is Music Director of Wavestage Theatre Company in Toronto. He served as the assistant conductor of the Avanti Chamber Singers in St. Catharines from 2023 to 2025, and was director of the Changed Voice Ensemble of Chorus Niagara Children’s Choir for the 2023/24 season. In September 2026, he’ll be joining Voices Rock Canada as Choir Director and Arranger of the Voices Rock Ensemble.
As a composer, Brad was the winner of the 2024 Ruth Watson Henderson Choral Composition Competition, and the same year, composed You’ll Always Be My Home for the Ontario Youth Choir, which has since been performed in Beijing and Warsaw.
Carmine Lappano
Composer, conductor, and organist Carmine Lappano has been working as a church musician in the Greater Toronto Area for two decades. He has served as Music Director/Organist at several churches throughout Scarborough, Durham and Clarington, and began composing music for the various choirs he oversaw.
He is a member of the Royal Canadian College of Organists, and holds a professional diploma in Choral Conducting (Ch. RCCO). Carmine has written sacred choral music for liturgical use, and his music is published by Cypress Choral Music, Hal Leonard and Pavane Publishing.
Performance
The Earth Sings features the Elmer Iseler Singers, a professional chamber choir, with Lydia Adams, conductor, and Shawn Grenke, piano, and takes place April 12, 2026 at Eglinton St. George’s United Church, Toronto.
The Pre-Concert Talk begins at 3:40 p.m. and the concert takes place at 4:00 p.m.
- Find other concert details and tickets [HERE].
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