Friday April 30 • The Music Gallery presents
OPEN YOUR EARS: NEW CHORAL SOUNDS
Featuring The Vespera Women's Choir and Toronto Choral Artists
Part of the Post-Classical series

Programme
The Vespera Women's Choir
Jessica Stuart - Climbing the Mountain (premiere)
Fiona Ryan - Chasing after the Wind (premiere)
Joan Beckow, arr. Wendy B.Stuart - On the Other side of nowhere
Violet Archer - Sweet Jesu
Rachel Sauve - Automne
Yvette Tollar - Ima

Toronto Choral Artists
Veljo Tormis — Varjele, Jumala Soasta (God Protect us from War)
Robinson McClellan — This Ravelled Dust: Cantata for a Nuclear Age

Doors 7pm, concert 8pm
Tickets $15 regular, $10 member + student — BUY NOW!

The Music Gallery invites two new ensembles to fill our space with the singular sound of many voices. The Vespera Ensemble of Toronto, led by Sarah John, will include premieres of works by Jessica Stuart and Fiona Ryan in their set; their program of choral works by women composers will also include works by Violet Archer, Rachel Sauve and Yvette Tollar. Act II features Toronto Choral Artists, directed by Mark Vuorinen, who premiere the Celtic-inspired who premiere "This Ravelled Dust", a cantata by Robinson McClellan. This large-scale work, drawing inspiration from Britten's church operas, Handel's Messiah, and early Celtic music, explores the paradoxes of nuclear proliferation, the allegory of the Garden of Eden, and the risks inherent in our thirst for knowledge. The piece interweaves the seven liturgical "O Antiphons" with poetry by Robin Muir-Miller.

The Vespera Ensemble of Toronto is an auditioned group of exceptional singers dedicated to performing new music. Along with their classical focus, Vespera embraces popular genres of music from the 20th century, including jazz, gospel and beyond. Now entering its fourth season Vespera has shown its continued commitment to performing new works, especially those by Canadian composers.

Toronto Choral Artists, founded in 2008 by Mark Vuorinen, is well on its way to establishing itself as one of Toronto’s foremost chamber choirs. Consisting of accomplished singers from a variety of professional and musical backgrounds, the Toronto Choral Artists is devoted to professional-calibre performances of a wide variety of music, with a special emphasis on championing the works of up-and-coming composers. In their inaugural season, the Toronto Choral Artists gave premiere performances of music by two Toronto composers, and collaborated with Toronto’s Bach Consort in a concert of Bach Cantatas.