What is Bytown Voices? 

  • The Bytown Voices is a non-audition (i.e. no tests to prove your vocal competency) community choir 
  • Made up of more than 80 enthusiastic singers from across the national capital region (ON/QC). The choir is SATB: sopranos, altos, tenors and basses.
  • We also welcome children from ages 9 (grade 4) and up.
  • The only requisite to join is to have a love of music and singing.  
  • We perform two concerts per year, with additional outreach concerts at seniors' residents and long- term care facilities.

    What do we sing??

    Bytown Voices sings a variety of repertoire from various centuries, styles, cultures, and degree of difficulty. As a non-auditioned and inclusive choir, our membership ranges from people singing in a choir for the first time to experienced musicians. Most importantly, new members become long-time members dedicated to the community.

Our artistic director, Joan Fearnley, is an engaging conductor committed to bringing out the best in each member no matter their level and ability. Her music choices are thoughtful and varied with something for everyone and she will send you home enriched, energized and humming a tune after rehearsal. Joan is supported by our excellent pianist (Carla Klassen), our assistant conductor/pianist (Devon Wastle-Thivierge), and our children's mentor (Mélanie Hartshorn-Walton), as well as a dedicated volunteer executive board and volunteers from the choir.

To see the full 24 year repertoire just CLICK HERE

 Bytown Voices' multi-generational choir project

 

 Young choristers of
Bytown  Voices 
{no, not masks, privacy circles)

The Bytown Voices Community Choir is making a  transition to a multi-generational choir model. Each year there are fewer opportunities for children to participate in choral singing in school or community. In the past Fall and Spring Seasons, six young singers joined the choir. It showed that with the right supports, the model is viable.The new choir model will include more children and a better balanced representation in a broad range of generation groupings: Boomers; upper range of Gen Z, born 1997-2012; Millennials Gen Y, born 1981-1996; and Gen X, born 1965-1980. Stay tuned. 

   Thanks for Joining Us at our 2023 Spring Concert
Horizons: Songs of Exploration, Transcendence and Connection

This was our final performance singing masked. 

Thinking of joining a choir in Ottawa?

Contact us at: bytownvoices@gmail.com

For the complete 20-year + concert  music list 1999 to Spring 2023  Click here

Updated September 19, 2023

It is with great sadness that we announce the death of choir member Lindsay Setzer on July 19, 2023. Lindsay loved choral singing. She was a past president and had been a choir member for more than a decade since her relocation to Ottawa from Vancouver in 2010. The Bytown Voices Choir performed at her Celebration of Life on September 15, 2023 in Ottawa. 
Link to full obituary and Celebration of Lifeservice. 

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