IN THE NEWS
Article written by Heather Buisman in The Music Times
Imagine… 35 singers in a hostel, singing their hearts out for a captive audience of weary travelers from around the world. Despite the dichotomy of Ontarians and Albertans singing African songs while wearing their pajamas in front of snow covered mountains, the experience was fully enjoyed by choristers and audience alike. (full release)
Guelph Youth Singers and The Over Tones, Inc., two outstanding Guelph performing groups, will join together to present a delightful concert of choral and barbershop-style music on Saturday, February 19, 2011, 7:30 p.m. at Harcourt Memorial United Church in Guelph.
The two singing groups, each steeped in their own distinct style, will perform a number of songs on their own and will combine their strengths to sing three mass choir numbers. (full release)
As we enter this wonderful time of year, Guelph Youth Singers will delight audiences with its annual seasonal concert titled This Frosty Tide on Dec. 4th, at St. George’s Anglican Church.
Traditional carols in beautiful choral arrangements will mix with songs of frosty winter. Guest soprano soloists, Marion Samuel-Stevens and Sandra Tucker, will add to the concert with solos including Mozart’s “Exultate Jubilate,” Adolph Adams’ classic, “O Holy Night” and Pietro Yon’s “Gesu Bambino”--the last two accompanied by beautiful children’s voices. The 76 choristers, aged six through 18, will be accompanied throughout the evening by instrumentalists on flute, violin, percussion, tone chimes, other percussion, and, of course, organ and piano. This is a heartwarming evening for the entire family. (full release)
Guelph Youth Singers is proud and excited to be releasing its newest CD, Into the Breeze.
The production of this CD represents GYS at its best. The repertoire was recorded over the past two and a half years by all of the choristers, aged six to eighteen, along with guest string players from the Suzuki String School of Guelph and their Artistic Director, Paule Barselou. Over one third of the repertoire was composed or arranged by Canadians, and other repertoire includes traditional African, Yiddish, French, Danish, and, of course, North American songs, in both folk and classical arrangements—all selections designed to appeal to singers and lovers of choral music of any age. (full release)
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Guelph Youth Singers will celebrate its 20th anniversary and the 100th birthday of Canadian artist, Doris McCarthy, in a concert titled Of Icebergs and Angels’ Wings, at Guelph’s River Run Centre.
GYS, along with guests, the Guelph Chamber Choir, will enchant audiences with a uniquely Canadian programme which combines music with projected images of McCarthy`s art from the west coast and prairie provinces, through the Arctic, to Georgian Bay and through Quebec to the maritimes. A work written especially for this concert by Guelph-based composer, Barrie Cabena, will evoke the mystique of the icebergs of the Arctic. Guest speakers from the art world will give the audience a sense Ms. McCarthy’s extraordinary personality through their own experiences and friendship with this remarkable person. (full
release)
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Guelph Youth Singers presents: “Whistle While You Work” - at the River Ru n Centre at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, June 5 2010
The award-winning choirs of Guelph Youth Singers will present their annual spring concert, a light-hearted exploration of work and leisure. The four choirs, with 90 singers aged six through eighteen, will include a variety of appealing selections designed to showcase their outstanding singing talent and to provide an evening of excellent entertainment. Songs of carpenters, clowns, goatherds, sailors, and pirates will mix with artsong and madrigal. Special highlights will be a choreographed set of cowboy songs (think hats!) and our senior choristers presenting Manhatten Transfer’s “Operator.” This delightful concert, titled Whistle While You Work, is not to be missed!
The annual spring concert is the major event of the spring season for Guelph Youth Singers, and will follow a tour in late May by Choir III to Whistler, BC where they will be hosted by the Whistler Children’s Chorus.
- Guelph Youth Singers presents: “Rhythm of the Rain” - A Refreshing Spring Concert! - May 23, 2009
Under the direction of Linda Beaupré, the award-winning choirs of Guelph Youth Singers present a seasonal concert with a watery theme....rivers, rain, ships, canoes, fishermen, Noah’s ark… Special highlights will be Don Besig’s “Reflections of a Lad at Sea,” and “Hurricane Go Away!” choreographed by Elizabeth Beeler. Special guests include pianist Ken Gee and members of the Suzuki String School of Guelph.
Guelph Youth Singers has been recognized with top awards for choral groups from the Guelph Kiwanis Association, and has won further awards at both the Provincial and National levels of the National Festival Association.
- Guelph Youth Singers hosts Jasmine Flower - a Youth Choral Festival - March 28, 2009
Guelph Youth Singers (GYS) will host guest choirs from Owen Sound, Mississauga, Toronto, Stratford and St. Mary's in a gala Youth Choir Festival on Saturday, March 28, 2009 at Breslau All Nations Church. Six choirs, including the host choir, GYS Choir III, will participate in workshops and a concert under the direction of guest clinician Jing Ling-Tam, Director of Choral Studies at the University of Texas at Arlington. As one of America’s most sought after conductors, she has garnered international recognition in North America, Europe and Southeast Asia. A native of Taiwan, and a compelling musician, Prof. Ling-Tam has conducted throughout the United States. Her inventive, humorous and creative approaches to choral and conducting techniques have captivated singers and audiences alike.
The day will conclude with a 7:30 p.m. concert open to the public. Approximately 200 young singers aged 10-17, will sing short sets each with their home choir, and join together for four songs. The massed choirs will thrill the audience with music by Handel, Toronto composer Eleanor Daley, a traditional song with movement from the Torres Island Strait, and a beautiful Chinese song, “Jasmine Flower,” for which the festival is named, arranged by Jing Ling-Tam.
- In Harmony for Hospice...a Feast of Choral Music! - March 7, 2009
Featuring Guelph Youth Singers, First Baptist Girls' Choir of Truro, Nova Scotia, and Hospice Wellington's Joybringers.
In just a few short weeks, Guelph Youth Singers will welcome a group of choristers from Truro, Nova Scotia for a six-day choir exchange. In addition to getting to know each other, and the area around Guelph, the two choirs will do together what they do best…sing! The highlight of the visit will be a benefit concert called In Harmony for Hospice in support of Hospice Wellington’s Children and Youth Programs, to be held on Saturday, March 7 at 7:00pm at New Life Church. Also performing will be Hospice’s own Joybringers. The varied programme will include classical music, folk arrangements and African music with movement.
Guelph Youth Singers has won awards at the local, provincial and national levels of the Guelph Kiwanis Festival and the Federation of Canadian Music Festivals, including the top choral prize from the Guelph Kiwanis Festival. The First Baptist Girls’ Choir is well known in Nova Scotia as an outstanding ensemble, and their conductor, Jeff Joudrey has led his choirs to the top level of the CBC Choral Competition.
The two choirs have been twinned under a project funded by the SEVEC Youth Exchanges Canada program. The program’s goals are to bring youth together from different provinces and territories across Canada in order to improve their knowledge and understanding of Canada, to help them connect with one another and thereby strengthen the fabric of Canadian society, and to foster an appreciation of the unity and diversity of Canadians. On April 28, Guelph Youth Singers will visit Truro for the second leg of the exchange. The GYS choristers look forward to this opportunity to make new friends, to explore another part of Canada and to share their love of music.
Back in the spring, twenty excited choristers from the Guelph Youth Singers prepared for the performance opportunity of their lifetime. GYS singers ranging in age from 10 to 17 had been chosen to be part of the Honour Choir for the Children in Harmony Choral Festival in Walt Disney World in Florida...
Twenty excited choristers from Guelph Youth Singers have been chosen as part of the honour choir for the Children in Harmony Choral Festival in Walt Disney World, Florida. The festival runs from May 25 to 28. The honour choir at this year's festival consists of choristers, aged 10 to 17...
Video - July 11, 2008 - Youth singers in Florida (click here to view)
Twenty members of the Guelph Youth Singers are back from Florida after what the choral organization is described as the performance opportunity of a lifetime...
- WelcometoGuelph.ca - Autumn, 2008 - Guelph Youth Singers selected as Honour Choir for Disney World Children in Harmony Choral Festival
Twenty excited choristers from Guelph Youth Singers participated in the performance opportunity of their lifetime. GYS choristers ranging in age from 10 to 17 helped to form the Honour Choir for the Children in Harmony Choral Festival in Walt Disney World, Florida...
Both choirs are now here in Disney. Weather is great - What a change. From 3 degrees to 30 degrees in a day. Kids travelled fantastic. No problems and arrived safe and sound. The resort is great, two pools, good food court with lots of choice. Kids took a dip in the pool upon arrival and had a refreshing swim before dinner and our rehearsal. They're now fast asleep...
- Guelph Youth Singers would like to thank all those who supported our
United for Africa benefit concert held on March 29, 2007. With your
help, we raised over $7100 for Masai for Africa. The congregation at New
Life Church graciously donated their church for the venue of the
concert. The following is an excerpt from the church newsletter about
the United for Africa concert.
If you've ever wondered what our sanctuary would look
like filled to capacity, you had your chance last Thursday evening.
The Guelph Youth Singers were joined by the Vancouver Children's
Choir and the JIWANI African Dance and Drum Ensemble for a truly
jaw-dropping performance in a benefit concert for Masai for
Africa.
It was an awesome sight to see the entire stage
filled with young voices united in song and rhythm. And you wondered
why we built it soooo wide. THAT'S WHY! It was an awesome sight to
see almost every seat filled (including the 100 green chairs we
schlepped from downstairs) plus the grey armchairs leaving not much
left over for standing room. And then they started clapping. Good
thing we doubled up the plywood on the floor before we laid the
carpet.
Did I say jaw-dropping performance? I meant they were
really, really, really, really good. They started with the South
African national anthem and finished with a Lesotho folk song, and
in between was a spiritual, some African traditional songs, original
Canadian compositions and an incredible dance and drum display. Such
young performers yet such an accomplished sound and performance.
These young people deserved the standing ovation they received at
the end of the evening.
The concert was a fundraising effort,
of course, for the Tsepong AIDS Clinic in Lesotho. Dr. Anne-Marie
Zajdlik, who spoke at our Discipleship Hour last year, has
spearheaded the task of raising One Million Dollars for this clinic
to operate and treat over 6000 people affected by HIV/AIDS. It is a
monumental task to do something to help the people in that small
corner of the world. We, in Guelph, last Thursday night, were
blessed by participating in that effort from OUR small corner of the
world.
New Life Church was privileged to have been the venue
for such a wonderful concert for such an important cause.
- Guelph Youth Singers visit Pictou County, Nova Scotia - June 1-6,
2006 (full
release)
The GYS travelled to Nova Scotia on a SEVEC-sponsored
exchange with the Pictou District Honour
Choir.
Saturday May 1st at 7:30 pm, Guelph Youth Singers will unite their voices with nine other youth choirs located throughout the province, for a landmark, simultaneous concert as part of the first ever Ontario Sings event...
- The Guelph Tribune - Friday August 31, 2001 - Guelph Youth
Singers top the field
"Guelph Youth Singers senior choir won top honours as
best choral group in Canada this month at a top-level competition
that draws the country's most promising young singers and
musicians.". . .
. . ."The choir of 11 girls ages 15 to 20
won at the National Kiwanis Music Festival in Calgary Aug. 13 to 19
on the basis of two songs they recorded on CD at the River Run
Centre in May and sent for
judging."
- A Clean Sweep at Provincial Music Festival (full
release)
The two choirs from Guelph Youth Singers who entered the
Provincial Music Festival this spring were honoured when they each
won first place in their respective categories.
- Invited to Perform at American Choral Directors Association Convention (full
release)
The locally renowned choral ensemble, Guelph Youth
Singers, was selected to perform at the prestigious American Choral
Directors Association's national conference to be held in Chicago,
Illinois.
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