{"id":117096,"date":"2025-08-28T14:38:09","date_gmt":"2025-08-28T18:38:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/?p=117096"},"modified":"2025-08-28T14:38:09","modified_gmt":"2025-08-28T18:38:09","slug":"preview-elora-singers-announce-2025-2026-concert-season-music-renaissance-today","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/2025\/08\/28\/preview-elora-singers-announce-2025-2026-concert-season-music-renaissance-today\/","title":{"rendered":"PREVIEW | The Elora Singers Announce 2025-2026 Concert Season: Music From The Renaissance To Today"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The Elora Singers and Artistic Director Mark Vuorinen (Photo: Ann Baggley)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Elora Singers have announced the details of their 2025\/26 concert season, which incorporates music from the Renaissance to the 21st century. The focus is on masterworks brought together in thoughtful curation.<\/p>\n

The Elora Singers are led by Artistic Director Mark Vuorinen, and their concerts are presented in a variety of intimate venues in Elora, Guelph, Kitchener, and London. Under Vuorinen, the Singers have been recognized as one of the country\u2019s leading professional chamber choirs, and have garnered a JUNO Award nomination.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s a look at the coming season.<\/p>\n

2025-2026 Season Concerts<\/h2>\n

Maurice Durufl\u00e9: Requiem & John Sheppard: Media Vita (November 1 \u2014 London; November 2 \u2014 Guelph)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Three monumental works span five centuries of choral music in the season opener. Organist Jonathan Oldengarm joins the Elora Singers and Mark Vuorinen for the varied program. It begins with English composer John Sheppard\u2019s Media Vita, written in 1550 during a time of plague, and considered a masterpiece of the ear. It\u2019s juxtaposed with Take him, earth, for cherishing, a piece by British composer, Herbert Howells commemorating the death of JF Kennedy. Maurice Durufl\u00e9\u2019s Requiem, a 20th century piece infused with the beauty of Gregorian chant and the Latin Mass, completes the program.<\/p>\n

Handel: Messiah (December 7, 2025 \u2014 Fergus)<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Elora Singers have made Handel\u2019s iconic work one of their signature pieces. This special performance incorporates soloists from within the ensemble for a personal reading of the score. It\u2019s a performance for both newcomers and connoisseurs alike.<\/p>\n

Festival of Carols (December 16 & 17, 2025 \u2014 Elora)<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Festival of Carols has become a beloved tradition in Elora, and the Singers return to St. John\u2019s Anglican Church. They are joined by organist Jonathan Oldengarm for an inspiring and joyful celebration of the season.<\/p>\n

Soup and Song: Motets Through the Centuries (February 7, 2026 \u2014 Elora)<\/strong><\/p>\n

The choral motet is explored through five centuries of sacred music from Palestrina and Tallis in the Renaissance to J.S. Bach\u2019s Komm, Jesu, komm, and the work of modern composers William Harris, James MacMillan, Arvo P\u00e4rt, and Imant Raminsh. A soup lunch is also on the menu.<\/p>\n

Sarah Kirkland Snider: Mass for the Endangered (March 29, 2026 \u2014 Kitchener)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Sarah Kirkland Snider\u2019s Mass for the Endangered reimagines the Latin Mass as both a prayer for the planet and its inhabitants and an elegy for what has already been lost. Traditional texts and poetry by Nathaniel Bellows reflect on the state of us all as endangered species in a fragile world. The program also includes pieces by Andrew Balfour, Albert Grau, and others that revolve around themes of loss and belonging. Overall, the concert gives voice to serious issues while finding elements of light.<\/p>\n

The Passing of the Year (April 26, 2026 \u2014 Guelph)<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Elora Singers\u2019 2025\u201326 season closes with Jonathan Dove\u2019s The Passing of the Year. The work evokes the changes that come with the passing of the seasons, their natural beauty, and the reflections they engender. The Elora Singers are joined by the participants of The Elora Singers Studio for Ensemble Singing as the culmination of their week-long intensive in learning and collaboration.<\/p>\n