HISTORY
HISTORY OF THE OTTAWA CHORAL SOCIETY
Over the last century and a half there have been several Ottawa choirs known as the Ottawa Choral Society or Choral Union. The first Ottawa Choral Society, formed in November 1860 by music teacher Louis Fecht, gave a concert of operatic choruses and selections from Haydn’s Creation. A choir of the same name, under the direction of Herbert G. R. Fripp, was formed in 1865 and is known to have been active for at least two seasons. An Ottawa Choral Union existed in 1874 with Frederick W. Mills as its conductor. A third Ottawa Choral Society was conducted by Edward Fisher from 1875 to 1879. He then moved to Toronto where he was later to found the Toronto (now Royal) Conservatory of Music. A fourth Ottawa Choral Society, conducted by J. Edgar Birch, was active from 1897 to 1914.
The Ottawa Choral Society in 1898
The present organization, formed in November 1940 as a choir of eighty singers, was originally named Ottawa Choral Union; the name was changed to Ottawa Choral Society in 1957. The founding Music Director was W. Allister Crandell, organist of First United Church. Their first concert, to benefit war charities, was in the Glebe Collegiate Auditorium in January 1941. Mr. Crandell directed the choir until 1953; repertoire included major choral works by Bach, Haydn, and Mendelssohn, and annual Messiah
performances.
Sometime in the 1940's
From 1955 to 1966, Ottawa-born composer Dr. Frederick Karam held the post of Music Director. He also served as organist-choirmaster at St. Elijah Syrian Orthodox Church, conducted the Ottawa CBC Orchestra, and taught composition and voice at the University of Ottawa. In 1955 the choir gave the world premiere of Dr. Karam’s Lazarus - A Narrative Cantata.
Dr. Karam with the OCS in 1959
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Brian Law
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In 1967 Brian Law was appointed Music Director, a post he held until November 1991. Mr. Law held a number of musical posts in the city, including organist and choirmaster at St. Matthew's Church, music director of the Cantata Singers and Ottawa Symphony, and founding conductor of the chamber group Thirteen Strings. Under his leadership the OCS season expanded to four concerts, usually large symphonic works co-produced with the National Arts Centre Orchestra or the Ottawa Symphony Orchestra. Memorable concerts during his tenure were Britten's War Requiem (1977 and 1985) and the Berlioz Requiem, presented at the fiftieth anniversary concert in 1991. The choir toured Italy (1982) and Spain (1989) with Mr. Law. |
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Ottawa Choral Society on Parliament Hill in 1982
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Ottawa Choral Society in the Foyer of the National Arts Centre |
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Iwan Edwards |
Iwan Edwards was appointed Music Director in January 1992. McGill professor and Montreal Symphony Orchestra Chorus Master, he brought to the position a wealth of experience. In recognition of his choral conducting skills, Mr. Edwards was made a Member of the Order of Canada in 1995. Major undertakings during this period were Bach's Mass in B Minor and The Christmas Oratorio, and a tour of Germany and the Czech Republic (1996), with performances in Karlovy Vary, Prague and Munich.
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Iwan Edwards and the Ottawa Choral Society at the Museum of Civilization in 1995
Dr. Daniel Gordon of the Crane College of Music in Potsdam, New York succeeded Iwan Edwards in 1998. Dr. Gordon led the choir on a tour of the United Kingdom and Ireland in October 2000. BBC Northern Ireland produced a documentary which was televised across Britain, featuring the choir's collaboration with the Belfast Philharmonic Choir and the Ulster Orchestra in Michael Tippett's masterpiece A Child of our Time.
Dr. Dan Gordon (left, front row) with the Ottawa Choral Society ca. 2000 at the National Arts Centre
The Choral Society invited Iwan Edwards to return as Artistic Director in 2001, following his retirement as Chair of Performance in the Faculty of Music at McGill University. His interpretation of Handel's Saul at the NAC in March 2004 will be remembered as a milestone in the Choir's history.
Iwan Edwards conducts the OCS and St. Lawrence Choir at Eglise St. Jean Baptiste, Montreal for the Beethoven/Hatzis Performance of February 2005
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Matthew Larkin |
When Mr. Edwards retired from the OCS in 2005, he was succeeded by Matthew Larkin, organist and choirmaster of Christ Church Cathedral, Ottawa. Under his inspired leadership the choir continues to flourish. A highlight was the 2008 tour of Italy, where the OCS performed for enthusiastic audiences in major churches in Venice, Florence and Rome. Since 2003, the OCS has had the privilege of working with Duain Wolfe, the distinguished chorus master of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, in the preparation of performances with the National Arts Centre Orchestra.
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Dwain Wolfe rehearsing with the OCS at the National Arts Centre, in 2005 |
The Ottawa Choral Society regularly appears with the National Arts Centre Orchestra, the Ottawa Symphony Orchestra and chamber ensembles in repertoire that ranges from the Baroque and Classical through to the Contemporary period. The historic 100-voice symphonic chorus is honoured to have been invited to perform under the baton of many distinguished conductors, among them Pinchas Zukerman, Helmuth Rilling, Mario Bernardi, Franz-Paul Decker, Franco Mannino, Trevor Pinnock, Jiri Belohlavek, Charles Dutoit, and Nicholas McGegan.
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Through the services of CBC Radio the Ottawa Choral Society has been heard across the country in broadcasts of concerts given with the National Arts Centre Orchestra, including the Mozart Requiem, Handel's Messiah, Haydn's The Creation and Bach's Saint Matthew Passion. On CBC Television the choir was seen annually from 1977 to 1995 in the Canada Day festivities on Parliament Hill, attended by the Governor General and Prime Minister.
Throughout its history the choir has fostered the musical development of young people in the community. A notable occasion from the early years was the 1947 performance of Pierné's The Children's Crusade, in which five school choirs participated with the Choral Union and the Ottawa Philharmonic Orchestra. The choir played a leading role in the formation of the Ottawa Regional Youth Choir in 1982.
Several illustrious Canadian singers have performed as soloists with the choir, including Maureen Forrester, Lois Marshall, Jon Vickers, Gary Relyea, Catherine Robbin, Joseph Rouleau, Ben Heppner, Richard Margison, Gerald Finley, Benjamin Butterfield, and Ottawa natives Daniel Taylor, Julie Nesrallah, Shannon Mercer and Matthew White.
The New Discoveries Auditions for Young Artists, held biennially, enable the choir to assist young singers at the beginning of their careers. Winners are cast as soloists in OCS productions, and are presented to Ottawa audiences in a Showcase Recital. Past ‘discoveries’ include soprano Shannon Mercer, mezzo Helene Couture, tenor Michael Colvin, and baritone Peter Barrett.
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