NEWS

HORIZONS
Songs of Exploration, Transcendence and Connection

Join us for
Horizons:
Songs of Exploration, Transcendence and Connection

  2023 Spring Concert

Sunday April 30, 2023 3:00 pm 
St. Basil's Church 899Maitland Ave, North of the Queensway

Ample free parking.
Fully accessible facility.

Tickets available here online Mar 15,

or
 
on site on concert day.  

CLICK HERE FOR TICKET PURCHASE INFORMATION

 Bytown Voices' multi-generational choir development

Jan 21, 2023.   In 2022-23 the Bytown Voices Community Choir is piloting 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. The BVCC multi-generational pilot project in the 2022 Fall season included six children (ages 9 yrs +) as phase one. It showed the model is viable and popular as long as the right supports are in place. It is anticipated that this will lead to a model which includes more children and  a better balanced representation of choristers in other generation groupings: upper range of Gen Z, born 1997-2012; Millennials Gen Y, born 1981-1996; and Gen X, born 1965-1980.

Thinking of joining a choir in Ottawa?

New members are welcome to Bytown Voices at the beginning of each season.

 2023 Winter-Spring Season Registration is now closed.
( January10th to April 25, 2023)  

Contact us at: bytownvoices@gmail.com

What is Bytown Voices? 

The Bytown Voices is a non-audition (i.e. no audition required to join) community choir made up of more than 60 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.  Normally, we perform two concerts per year, with additional outreach concerts at seniors' residents and long- term care facilities. On December 11, 2022 we performed our first in-person public concert since December 2019. Our weekly rehearsals require singers to be masked and observe appropriate social distancing.

What a Year We Had

Bytown Voices’ Director of Music Joan Fearnley reflected on the 2021-2022 year in an audio profile recorded and produced by Kevin Burns. Our Director talked about her goals for our choir and how she chooses music for Bytown Voices. Her choices included Antonio Vivaldi's Et  in Terra Pax from 'Gloria' (18th century) sung in Latin,  I Am Possibility  by the young American composer David von Kampen, selections from John Rutter's English folk-song cycle The Sprig of Thyme (late 20th century), and  Il est bel et bon by Pierre Passereau (16th century) sung in French. Joan's remarks are accompanied by short excerpts (all copyright compliant) from BV performances in final rehearsals in December 2021 and May 2022.  Our wonderful accompanist is Carla Klassen. 

This engaging audio item of talk and music runs for 17 min/25 secs. To ensure the best quality audio, this recording has been produced in broadcast quality WAV file format (highly recommended; some computers will want to download this before playing and it may take some time to load but it is worth the wait!). A second link to the same item in MP3 format is also provided and this should play immediately. Click on the your choice of sound file (WAV or MP3) directly below to listen.   Enjoy!

BV 2021-2022 Season-Fearnley.wav BV 2021-2022 Season-Fearnley.wav
Size : 65130.445 Kb
Type : wav

                                                      June 8, 2022

BV 2021-22 Season-Fearnley.mp3

The 2022 Winter-Spring Season (Jan 11-May 10) included a  weekly program of hybrid  rehearsals  featuring in-person and ZOOM options.

Here are two of the pieces we practiced and recorded.

Il est bel et bon  by Pierre Passereau

Il est bel et bon-Passereau.mp3

Et in Terra Pax from Gloria! by Antonio Vivaldi

Et in Terra Pax-Vivaldi.mp3

 Bytown Voices
keeps on singing during the pandemic

To play our part in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic in a safe and responsible manner, the Bytown Voices Community Choir cancelled all public performances.

Bytown Voices has now completed five virtual sessions using 
a hybrid rehearsal structure of in-person and online, or when required all online rehearsals on ZOOM, as well as our first live concert since 2019 on December 19, 2022.

Click on the sessions below to see the tunes we have worked on! And scroll to the bottom of this page to enjoy our virtual choir performances of
"Moon River" and "Old Lady Rose".

Fall 2020           Winter 2021      
   Spring 2021    Fall 2021 
2022 Winter       2022 Fall 

Glebe Report April 14 2022  by Valerie Bryce
       Choir Singing in the Time of COVID

Bytown Voices has survived through the pandemic, not only intact but with an increased membership. As one of the original members from the days of the Glebe Singers (now Bytown Voices) said. "Rehearsals on ZOOM were not ideal, but it kept us in touch and in voice."  
Click to read full article

The Bytown Voices Community Choir has found ways to sing in person while still following public health guidelines. Photo by Valerie Bryce

Keep singing with the Bytown Voices Community Choir - Come join us! 

Our Virtual Choir Productions

Bytown Voices virtual choir performance of Moon River   (Fall 2020)  

Bytown Voices virtual choir performance of Old Lady Rose (Winter 2021)

Below: Pre-COVID concert performance. Mid-left front - Carla Klassen, Pianist. Mid-right front - Joan Fearnley, Director of Music.

In-person rehearsals during COVID currently require all participants to practice in masks and maintain social distancing. 

For the complete 20-year + concert  music list 1999 to 2020  Click here

Updated October 5, 2022

free templates