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PPS (Post performance syndrome)

We put a name to this back in university days. We were learning the tools of the musical trade and wondered why we felt such a let down after a successful musical performance. If you are a performer, maybe you have experienced this feeling? Say that you have spent several weeks or even months preparing an amazing piece of music. Just as the performance is culminating, you experience a tremendous high. You’ve accomplished all you set out to do and you feel good about what you have done. But then, a bit a later, you feel lousy. Perhaps it’s because… Read More »PPS (Post performance syndrome)

The Rheinberger affair

Why on earth have we not sung Josef Rheinberger’s Christmas cantata before? Read Wholenote Magazine and you will stand in thankful awe of the zillion performances of Handel’s Messiah in Toronto; yet I mourn the 50 odd Christmases that have passed without any knowledge of Rheinberger’s wonderful work, “The Star of Bethlehem.” Pax Christi Chorale is polishing up our performances of this piece for next weekend at Grace Church on-the-Hill, and the more we sing it, the more we appreciate this masterwork of high romantic art: a work that paints the intimacy of the nativity, romanticized pastoral scenes, and the grandeur… Read More »The Rheinberger affair

Sacred Feast

Sacred feast?

       We had just come from singing the morning service at the Anglican church in Picton, on Canada Day, 2012, when the Gallery Choir stopped at this sunlit restaurant at Huff Estate Winery in Prince Edward County. We continued on to the house of generous friends and swam in Lake Ontario before returning home to Toronto. This event was emblematic of  this group of people. We have worked fairly hard at singing marvelous choral music, but there has always been a more profound element to this group. We have formed friendships that are enriched by music-making and we… Read More »Sacred feast?

Colors of Music Festival

Colours of Music

This is the 10th year for the Colours of Music Festival in Barrie, Ontario. This small city north of Toronto hosts a very ambitious festival every September where you can not only hear classical music beautifully played and sung, but also enjoy the glorious Autumn colours offered up by local trees, free of charge. I have the great pleasure of being composer in residence this year, and I thought you’d like to know what I’ve written. First off, on Monday Sept 24 the MacMillan Singers from the University of Toronto will sing “Rise up my Love,” a motet on the… Read More »Colours of Music

St. Mary Magdalene Catholic Church

…there is a season

Another Michaelmas rolls around; soon All Souls, Advent, Christmas, Candlemas. Six years of music-making seems like a blip in time considering the thousand years of tradition that flow through our liturgy and song at St. Mary Magdalene’s. In the next two months I’ll prepare to throw the torch to another musician who will keep this wonderful tradition burning bright. All of the choirs at SMM express such dedication and joy in their singing, and the congregation is deeply appreciative of their work. I will always hold the parish close to my heart and support the community’s work however I can, but… Read More »…there is a season

Koerner Hall

Concert review: Pax Christi Chorale reigns in Elgar’s glorious Kingdom

This afternoon, a packed house at Koerner Hall was treated to a rare and stirring performance of Edward Elgar’s oratorio The Kingdom by the Pax Christi Chorale, in honour of its 25th anniversary. The choir, augmented by its youth division, four soloists and orchestra, did justice to the glories of Elgar’s complex music. He was as much a star of the concert as its interpreters — a fact acknowledged by conductor Stephanie Martin as she held the scarlet leather-bound score aloft during the prolonged and noisy standing ovation. It’s a shame that we don’t hear great English choral works from… Read More »Concert review: Pax Christi Chorale reigns in Elgar’s glorious Kingdom

Music Makers

Facing the Music

My husband Bruce Kirkpatrick Hill died in Vladimir Illich Lenin Hospital in Cuba, on March 18th, 2012. Bruce’s departure has changed my life forever. His loss is felt by so many friends and family who loved him dearly. Bruce gave me many gifts, but I’ll just talk about one big one here. About 20 years ago Bruce had one of his famous impulsive ideas: we would drive to Buffalo to hear a performance of “The Dream of Gerontius” by Edward Elgar. After all, Buffalo is just over the border and it’s so easy to drive there (this from the Vancouver… Read More »Facing the Music

YMCA logo

YWCA song

If you’re ever down on Elm Street in Toronto you may have noticed a handsome new building for the YWCA.  (It’s just down the street from the Arts and Letters Club where Healey Willan was an active member, and just steps from the spectacular Elmwood Spa.)  The historic Edwardian building has been converted and renovated to create a wonderful living space with about 300 units for women who really need affordable, safe housing. You can read all about the green building project and how women can apply to live in this new facility at the YWCA website: http://www.ywcatoronto.org/page.asp?pid=76 Also an… Read More »YWCA song

Stephanie Martin

Coming or going?

Some weeks I experience such a diversity of music I forget what century I am actually living in. Let me give you a glimpse of my musical activities this past week: Sunday: sing, play and conduct for two Sunday morning masses at St. Mary Magdalene’s including amazing 8-part motet by Orlando di Lasso; rehearse Gregorian chant with our new group “Lady Chant” Monday: prepare this week’s history lecture; rehearse Pax Christi Chorale in Elgar’s monster oratorio, “The Kingdom” Tuesday: lecture on Schubert, Schumann and Chopin; host Trinidadian steel pan drum ensemble; rehearse Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas with York baroque orchestra… Read More »Coming or going?