BCCF Chorfest 2021 – Video now available for purchase
Take a musical journey around the world – all from the comfort of your own home! BCCF Chorfest returned May 28 & 29, 2021 for a special online edition featuring guests from Cuba, Sweden, Canada and New Zealand. Now, you can watch it on video.
VIDEO ACCESS
$100 (includes $4.76 GST) – Available now! Click here to register and pay conveniently online using Credit Card or PayPal.
SESSION DESCRIPTIONS
FRIDAY May 28
BRITISH COLUMBIA YOUTH CHOIR: A LOOK BACK – Join BCYC 2019 conductor Carrie Tennant for a musical retrospective of Chorfest 2019 in Kimberley, BC. A rare chance to dive into the BCYC archives and learn more about this inspiring program.
CUBAN VOICES CARRY! Novel Voz (New Voice) is Cuba’s sensational 5-voice, a cappella “big band”. Get caught up in their energetic Afro-Cuban and salsa interpretations of vintage and contemporary Cuban songs. Entertaining performances and talks about Cuba’s musical distinctiveness lead to demonstrations of how Novel Voz finds their entrée into the music as an a cappella vocal ensemble. Sing along with Novel Voz to a Cuban pop classic! The BCCF acknowledges the support of Canada Cuba Sports & Cultural Festivals in making this session possible.
SATURDAY May 29
SWEDISH VOICES CARRY!
Celebrity Swedish choral masters and vocal soloists, Fred and Gunnel Sjöberg awaken our voices and open our minds to the secrets of the Swedish sound. Through vocalises for adults and children and performances of songs, Fred and Gunnel bring the Swedish sound to life in this BCCF exclusive workshop.
CONTEMPORARY VOICES CARRY!
Fostering human connection through vocal music, musica intima is a British Columbian treasure in the choral world, renowned for their conductor-less and collaborative approach to rehearsal and performance. This presentation is a unique opportunity to get to know the ensemble and to participate digitally in a rehearsal with them as you explore a new piece together – Don Macdonald’s GOODBYE (print music provided). Join music intima for this interactive session and experience the collaboration!
VOICES CARRY! KEYNOTE Dennis Tupman, a life-long advocate for music education in all its forms and champion of all arts pursuits, shares his passion in a rare keynote address. We are all in community!
OUR VOICES CARRY! British Columbia has a vibrant choral culture!
MOVEMENT with SARONA MYNHARDT Join Sarona for 25 minutes of movement exercises and gentle stretches accessible to choral singers of all ages to improve alignment, support breath, and encourage singers to vocalize without any tension in the body. Movement does not only help to warm up the body and create mental focus before we sing, but when the body is free to move and breathe it allows for a more energetic and resonant sound. Movement also helps us connect with, and communicate the emotions that the text and the music evoke in us.
RAINY DAY LIGHTFOOT (Breakout Session #1)
Victoria arranger and conductor Erica Phare-Bergh leads a sing-through of her arrangement of Gordon Lightfoot’s “Rainy Day People” (print music provided). Gordon Lightfoot has shaped Canada’s musical landscape for decades. His singable melodies are very adaptable for choirs. Get to know Gordon Lightfoot through his music!
BCCF “RESPECT” WORKSHOP SERIES SUMMARY (Breakout Session #2)
Cultural diversity, Equity, and Inclusion were the central topics of four BCCF 2021 winter workshops. BCCF Director Sheila Doncaster will summarize the overarching themes and results of these workshop discussions, which began with the question: How do we respectfully include music from other cultures in our programs? In these webinars, authoritative and diverse presenters interactively guide us to better understand, honour, and respect the voices and cultures where our music originates.
SINGING IN THE FALL (Breakout Session #3)
A lively panel discussion chaired by BCCF Vice President Anita Comba with panelists Frances Chiasson, Patricia Plumley and Robyn Norman, this interactive session explores choirs’ rehearsal plans for the coming choral season – in-person, virtual, masked, hybrid – all options are on the table.
NEW ZEALAND VOICES CARRY! Exuberant and polished, the New Zealand Secondary Students’ Choir (NZSSC), directed by Sue Densem, presents their latest Māori work, Te Mura o Te Ahi (Flames of Fire). Award-winning Māori educator Tihi Puanaki, who credits historical kapa haka as being a powerful way to empower Māori, teams up with her husband and son to teach the choir during its April rehearsal week. This unique performance tradition seamlessly binds all participants with indigenous Māori song and dance.
SILENT AUCTION
BC Choral Federation expresses our heartfelt thanks to the following local businesses for their generous donations in support of our recent Chorfest 2021 Voices Carry! Silent Auction. We raised over $4,000 to help us create tools and educational opportunities to assist our choirs in re-starting once the pandemic restrictions have been lifted. Please support these local businesses:
SPONSORS
