Music Niagara’s first-ever ChoralFest kicked off in spectacular fashion with the Elmer Iseler Singers last weekend and the festival continues with a series of choir concerts over the next several days, including Sing-along Messiah this Saturday night.
The ever-popular, glorious Sing-Along-Messiah, conducted by Mervin Fick with the Messiah Chorus and Orchestra of St. Mark’s, will be featured at St. Mark’s Anglican Church in NOTL. The concert begins at 7 p.m.
Other concerts in the ChoralFest series include:
The Victoria Scholars, on Friday, Nov. 22, at 7 p.m. at Our Lady of Peace in Niagara Falls. The all-male, award-winning choir is internationally acclaimed and has released four recordings. The choir has performed with some of the biggest names in classical and contemporary music.
The Celaya Conservatory Children’s Choir from Mexico, on Saturday, Nov. 23, at 1:30 p.m. at St. Mark’s Church. Considered one of the top children’s choirs from Mexico, it is their first time performing in Canada. The choir performed alongside some of the top musicians in Mexico and will perform a program of Latin American music.
Two choirs, Volunge and Vesnivka, will entertain on Sunday, Nov. 24 at 2 p.m. at St. Mark’s Church. Volunge, named after Lithuania’s beautiful “Golden Oriole,” is an award-winning Lithuanian choir led by conductor Dalia Viskontas. Vesnivka, led by founding conductor and director Halyna Kyitka Kondracki, will present a program sung entirely in Ukrainian.
The Laura Secord Concert Choir is onstage on Sunday, Nov. 24 at 7 p.m. at St. Mark’s Church. The award-winning school choir from St. Catharines promotes student talent and fosters extracurricular involvement through high-calibre musicals, choirs, orchestras and bands. Membership is open to all students and the choir includes a mix of athletes, artists, scholars and musicians, all under the direction of Katryna Sacco.
The Hamilton Children’s Choir closes the ChoralFest on Monday, Nov. 25 at 7:30 p.m. at St. Mark’s Church. Considered one of the leading children’s choral programs in the world, this group will be joined by Jasmin Lin, a Music Niagara Performance Academy alum and Juillard student. She will be playing the Jean-Baptiste Vuillaume “Messiah” violin awarded to her by the Canada Council Instrument Bank for three years. The Celaya Conservatory Children’s Choir will also make a guest appearance at this concert.
For tickets to Music Niagara ChoralFest concerts, visit www.musicniagara.org or call 1-800-511-7429 or 905-468-2172. Tickets can also be purchased at the Shaw Festival box office at the Festival Theatre and at the concerts (if available). Two for one pricing is available for the two concerts this Sunday.