TOURING
THE OTTAWA CHORAL SOCIETY ON TOUR
On the international stage, the Ottawa Choral Society has performed in Aquila, Italy (1982), Barcelona, Spain (1989), New York City (1991), and has toured Germany and the Czech Republic (1996), and England, Ireland and Wales (2000). Closer to home, the choir has presented concerts in Kingston, Renfrew and Deep River, and has participated in both International Choral Festivals held in Toronto in 1989 and 1993 under the directorship of Nicholas Goldschmidt. The Ottawa Choral Society's most recent tour was to Venice, Florence and Rome, Italy in May 2008.
Italy - May 2008
In May 2008, members of the Ottawa Choral Society, led by its Director Matthew Larkin, did a concert tour of three of Italy's most beautiful cities. The choir sang in Venice, Florence and Rome – a cappella concerts in the first two cities and an all-Mozart concert accompanied by the Orchestra Nuovo Amadeus in Rome.
The attendance for all of the concerts was extremely good, and the choir was well received by appreciative international audiences, who gave the choir standing ovations after each performance.
The 10-day tour was packed with activities. Not only did the choir have a chance to sing in magnificent venues with marvellous acoustics, but there was even enough time for some sightseeing (including gondola rides by some more romantic/adventurous members), shopping (especially the leather markets in Florence), eating (gelatos in Florence, pizzas in Rome, fish in Venice ) and of course, sampling the wonderful wines and pasta everywhere!
Venice - Concert at the Basilica di SS Giovanni e Paolo, 25 May 2008
Florence - Concert at the Chiesa di Santo Stefano al Ponte Vecchio, 28 May 2008
Rome - Concert at the Chiesa San Marcello al Corso, 30 May 2008
The OCS group in Rome at the Chiesa San Marcello al Corso
United Kingdom and Ireland - October 2000
|
Rehearsing for BBC TV in Belfast, October 2000 |
The choir, led by Dr. Daniel Gordon, presented programmes which featured a number of works by Canadian composers, at the Nimbus Performing Arts Centre in Monmouth, Wales, and St. Mary's Priory, Tallagh, Ireland. The choir then joined forces with the Belfast Philharmonic Choir and the Ulster Symphony Orchestra, under the baton of Sian Edwards, for a performance of Sir Michael Tippet’s masterpiece, A Child of Our Time in Belfast. Under the auspices of BBC TV Northern Ireland, a documentary film was made of the Ottawa Choral Society’s visit to Northern Ireland and its participation in this remarkable performance. The tour ended in the historic City of Bath, with an acclaimed performance of the Fauré Requiem and Lauridsen’s Lux Aeterna, with the Bath Philharmonic Orchestra. |
Germany and the Czech Republic - June 1996
|
Iwan Edwards rehearses the OCS in Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic, 1996 |
The choir toured Eisenach, Erfurt and Leipzig in Germany, before proceeding to Karlovy Vary in the Czech Republic to perform two concerts of Mozart's Requiem with the Karlovy Vary Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Iwan Edwards. The first conceert was in the Grand Hotel Pupp, and the second in Plzen. In Prague, the choir performed a programme of Verdi, Bruckner, Gabrieli and Canadian folk songs at the National Museum in Wenceslas Square, conducted by Iwan Edwards accompanied by Wesley Warren. The choir then went to Munich, Germany to participate in a High Mass at the Frauenkirche Church by singing Schubert's Mass in G.
|
Montreal - 1996
The choir joined the St. Lawrence Choir of Montreal and the Ottawa Symphony Orchestra to present Brahms' Ein Deutsches Requiem in Montreal and Ottawa. In July of that year the choir performed A Sea Symphony by Vaughan Williams at the Lanaudière Festival in Joliette Quebec, with the Montreal Symphony Orchestra conducted by Charles Dutoit.
New York - 1991
The choir travelled to New York to perform the Missa Gaia jazz mass with the Paul Winter Consort at the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine. This service celebrated the Feast of St. Francis of Asissi, and included the famous blessing of the animals, of which all kinds were paraded through the cathedral.
Spain - October 1989
The choir was invited to Spain by Maestro Franz-Paul Decker to perform with the Orquestra Ciutat de Barcelona at the world-renowned Palau de la Musica Catalana. The choir's concerts were a performance of Mendelssohn's Lobgesang under the baton of Maestro Decker, and Haydn's Missa in tempore belli and Paul Halley's Love Songs for Springtime under Brian Law's direction.
The Ottawa Choral Society in Barcelona, Spain 1989
The OCS rehearsing with Maestro Decker at the Palau Musica de Catalana, Barcelona, Spain 1989
Italy - August 1982
This was the choir's first international tour. The choir was invited to participate in the International Festival of Music and Architecture held in L'Aquila, in the Abruzzo region. The choir performed The Messiah with the London Symphony Orchestra, under the baton of Brian Law, at the 13th century Basilica of Santa Maria de Collemaggio. Led by Brian Law, the choir performed two other concerts which included works by Schutz, Praetorious, Healey Willan, Howard Cable, and Paul Halley, at the Teatro Communale and a 16th century castle.
Photos: Ed Overstreet and other OCS members |
