News
Posted on November 25, 2024
St. Michael’s Choir School presents it’s 59th Annual Christmas concert Gloria! at Massey Hall- Massey’s longest running client- and it promises to be a rousing and joyous musical celebration to herald in the Toronto holiday season. Featuring a musically rich blend of both secular and sacred carols to usher in the Christmas season, the annual Christmas concert continues the school’s 88-year history of service to the community through music. It is also the school’s most significant fundraising event of the year.
Under the direction of Teri Dunn, the Choir School’s Tenor Bass Choir will open the concert with Martin Shaw’s Fanfare for a Christmas Day – a stunning setting of Gloria in Excelsis Deo written especially for Christmas Day. It is a short and festively jubilant piece! The Tenor Bass Choir will then perform Stars – written by Ēriks Ešenvalds (b. 1977), while singing, the students will also play instruments – over 40 glasses, filled with water, all tuned to specific notes.
The Junior Choir, under the direction of conductor Walter Mahabir will then take the stage and perform wonderful works such as Benjamin Britten’s Hodie Christus Natus Est from A Ceremony of Carols, as well at as John Rutter’s Star Carol, A Christmas Melody, and The Angel by Sergei Rachmaninov. Throughout the Junior Choir’s performance audience members will hear the boys sing in Latin, English, and Russian.
The Senior Choir, comprised of 158 mixed male voices and under the direction of Principal Conductor S. Bryan Priddy, will then take the stage and perform Vivaldi’s Gloria, a choral piece written in 1725 and rediscovered in 1920 as part of the Turin Collection. The Gloria is said to be one of Vivaldi’s most popular vocal scores. The Gloria’s joyous opening “Gloria in excelsis Deo,” features trumpet and oboe. The Choir School’s male sopranos will be featured in the lively and passionate “Laudamus te”. True North Brass and the St. Michael’s Chamber Orchestra will accompany the Senior Choir.
The Senior Choir repertoire spans centuries and continents, with selections such as Ding Dong! Merrily on High, a 16th century French Melody, followed by on Old German Carol In Dulci Jubileo.
The Elementary Choir, St. Michael’s Choir School’s youngest choristers, will sing alongside our wonderful Alumni Choir, under the direction of Teri Dunn, will perform the heartfelt Italian Christmas favourite – Tu Scendi Dalle Stelle.
Closing out the program, the St. Michael’s Choir School Massed Choir, with over 250 male voices will take the stage to perform Gloria Shayne’s Christmas Classic – Do you Hear what I Hear?.
Throughout the program, the various choirs will perform an array of seasonal favourites, including Angels, We Have Heard On High, Hark! The Herald Angels Sing, The First Noel and O Come, All Ye Faithful. Other works include Dutch Carol (Elementary Choir), Before the Paling of the Stars (Elementary Choir), Carol of the Bells (Alumni Choir), Masters in this Hall (Alumni),
Accompanists are St. Michael’s Cathedral Basilica Organist, Philip Fillion, alumnus Joshua Tamayo (SMCS ’03), True North Brass, and the St. Michael’s Chamber Orchestra.