(UN)SUNG HEROES!
Saturday, December 1, 2018 - 8 p.m.
St. George’s Anglican Church
99 Woolwich Street, Guelph
Tickets Available on EventBrite
St. Nicolas is a 45-minute oratorio by British composer Benjamin Britten (1913-1976), that tells the real story of the man we think of as "jolly old Saint Nick", from his early childhood, to his time in prison, his ordination as a Bishop, his miracles, his death, and his sainthood. The audience is even invited to join in some of the singing, accompanied by an orchestra of local musicians, and led by the University of Guelph Choirs and our esteemed soloists. In the second half of the concert, you will hear 3 choruses from The Lark by Leonard Bernstein, in honour of Joan of Arc, with sopranos Karla Oxley and Larissa Abrams-Ogg as soloists. Gryphon Singers will then perform very touching songs in honour of the unsung heroes of World War I, anonymous victims of the Holocaust, and Indigenous exemplars E. Pauline Johnson Tekahionwake and Chief Seattle. Our Symphonic Choir will present Ave Maria by one of Canada's first known Black composers (Nathaniel Dett), followed by a rousing Spiritual, as an ode to the Blackthorns - a Toronto couple who saved many through the Underground Railroad. The concert concludes with an ethereal memorial to the victims of September 11th, 2001, and a glorious hommage to the sun by a musical hero, Lili Boulanger.
CHILDREN accompanied by an adult are welcomed for free to the first half of the concert and are encouraged to come as early as 7:30, at which time we will give them crayons to colour pictures from the life of St. Nicolas, and teach them the songs to sing along with the audience.
We are excited that our programme includes the Ontario premiere of Northern Starlight by young Canadian composer Nicholas Ryan Kelly. The choice of music deliberately looks back to Remembrance Day in this 100th anniversary of the end of WWI, while also looking forward to the joyful celebrations of Hanukkah, Bodhi Day, Kwanzaa, Pancha Ganapati, and of course, St. Nicolas' Day (December 6th)! We encourage our audience members to reflect on the heroes - sung and unsung - in their own lives.
FEATURED ARTISTS
Gryphon Singers and University of Guelph Symphonic Choir are musical ambassadors of the University, performing locally, nationally, and internationally. Students, faculty, staff, alumni and community members form these acclaimed ensembles.
Guelph Chamber Players Orchestra consists of 16 professional orchestral musicians from Guelph and surrounding areas. Their expertise and the varied timbres of their instruments - including strings, organ, piano, and lots of percussion! - provide the backbone of the St. Nicolas story.
Christopher Fischer, solo Tenor, sings the role of St. Nicolas. Fischer has earned a reputation as an intelligent, flexible and sensitive performer on the concert stage, in repertoire ranging from Allegri to Zelenka. He holds degrees (BMus and MMus) in music performance and education from Wilfrid Laurier University and Arizona State University, as well as the Associate diploma (ARCCO) from the Royal Canadian College of Organists.
Antonio Joseph Kappos, (Young Nicolas), joined the Hamilton Children’s Choir, under the direction of Zimfira Poloz, at the age of 7 years . He had his debut with the New Zealand Opera’s Children’s Chorus in Carmen in June 2017 in Wellington, New Zealand. Antonio’s most recent solo performance was the Pie Jesu of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Requiem at the Boris Brott Music Festival alongside Soprano Eva Tavares and Tenor David Curry. 12 year-old Antonio continues to develop his skills as part of the Illumini Hamilton Children’s Choir.