Long time, no blog!

Well I have finally found a little bit of time to actually sit down and blog again! Just like any other musician, Christmas gets to be the busiest time of year! I have been doing a lot of singing and a lot of concerts. Some went better then others! This advent I sang with Ottawa Choral Society's Christmas concert which wasn't the best concert ever, but lets not re-live that. I also sang in the 13 Strings Christmas concert with 17 Voyces as soloist and ringer for the choir. This was a great concert, conducted by Nathan Brock (Young assistant conductor of MSO). We performed Purcell's Te Deum and Jubilate, Some Ralph Vaughan Williams, and Finzi.

The good thing is, I finally started a little a capella group a la King's Singers. I think the name being tossed around at the moment was King Ringers or was it the Bling Singers. Oh well great fun! We sang carols before the Midnight service, which I think was a successful start. Hopefully we can keep going with regular rehearsals and get some fun stuff in the repertoire. A little Billy Joel, a little Beatles, a little Tallis, and everything in between. I'll keep you all posted.

Christmas services were excellent at the Cathedral over the past few days. But because of that it made me miss Truro all that much more. But I do still have contact with many of the people thanks to the beauty of technology.

So now it's time to start working on the repertoire again and get things together for an audition for the New Discoveries Program. Hopefully should lead to more solo work if I do well enough.

Let the fun begin.

Favourites

So I was starting to think over the weekend about what my favourite pieces would be. There are so many different factors that come into play, that I was thinking that maybe its more realistic to choose a favorite piece in different categories. However, the issue with trying to do this is figuring out fair categories so that that I am not lumping too much or too little together. But then I started to really think about it properly... and thought... screw this! Lets just try to list as many of my favourites as possible:

Es ist vollbracht - St John Passion - J.S. Bach
Erbarme dich - St Matthew Passion - J.S. Bach
Lord, thou hast been our refuge - R.V. Williams
Missa Brevis - Z. Kodaly
Chichester Psalms - L. Bernstein

and the list goes on, but I think I'll continue it later.....after you give me yours!

Durufle Requiem

HOW SWEET IT IS!!! Every time I sing the Durufle it just totally rekindles my love for music beyond belief. It is just the perfect piece of music. And when your voice is in fine form it just makes it that much better! I now look forward to a lot of singing!

Okay.... so now I am going to get a little off topic, but what in the world is happening with drivers in Ottawa? Since being home I have had to avoid endless number of stupid morons who don't signal when changing lanes, or for that matter check the blind spots! I have been cut off about ten times by people using on/off ramps on the 417/416/Bronson to undertake people! WHO in the world ever thought that was a safe way to drive!

So back to music....What to do next? I am about to get a small a capella choir started in the hopes that we might get a little Christmas Concert together or at least some high quality carolling. The OCS is moving and I have figured out bass is not my thing! The Cathedral Choir is sounding excellent. So maybe an a capella close harmony group a la Kings Singer's. Would be loads of fun and could be quite excellent. Alright lads lets try to get this started!

It's been Ages!

Sorry Guys, I know it has almost been a month since my last post, but we all get busy sometimes! I have been doing a lot of singing including an NAC pops concert. Which, after doing, I realized was a massive waste of this Countertenors time, especially as I was singing bass! The things we'll do for a paycheque. My voice felt destroyed after doing 7 straight days of shouting bass to try to cover some of the riff-raff around me.

On an exciting note, I have totally gotten myself into the modern world with the purchase of a Blackberry. This thing is amazing. I love it. But I guess I'm kind of still in the honeymoon period of day two. It's so much cheaper to operate than the slider phone I had on Pay and Talk. Why did I ever think that $75 in three weeks was going to be a good deal! Now I have free texting and virtually free calling. So much better.

Tomorrow is a big day at CCC. Big music at the morning service and Durufle Requiem in the afternoon. The morning service will include:

And I saw a new heaven - Bainton

Behold, O God, our Defender - Howells

New Jerusalem - Ager

Unfortunately with big music like that we are doing Darke in F. But I'm willing to make that sacrifice for the rest of it!

Happy Turkey Day

Well it has been a very good Turkey day, and once again I have the typical turkey stomach. The service this morning at CCC was very good considering what mass setting we were singing! The setting was Darke in E one of the most boring Parish church settings, however the rest of the music was pretty lush. We did 'I Looked, And Behold a White Cloud' - Healey Willan - Uber lush with a fantastic tenor recit kicks it off. We also did a Larkin motet - 'Nisi Dominus'.

There was only one thing that caught my attention that totally didn't make sense to me today. We were lead into the Creed ' Let us join together in the ancient words of the Nicene Creed'. Yet the version they do at CCC is a modern text from the Book of Alternative Services. How can these words be ancient?

I know its been a while since I have actually properly written on here but I have actually been busy. I have been doing a lot of singing and working recently. Tomorrow is actually like my first proper day off in ages. So I guess it will be time to try to organise doing a recording or at least try to organise what music to record! I am thinking 'Ombra mai fu' - Handel and a couple of Bach pieces and perhaps get a little Schubert. Call it as it goes.

The other thing to get started on is planning and photocopying music for the a capella choir I'm starting. But it has also struck me it would be great fun to start a 6 voice a capella group King's Singers style.

I have also recently discovered Eric Whitacre's blog and www.soaringleap.com. He is currently doing this cool scholarship and virtual choir project. You guys should totally check it out! I'm thinking it would be good fun!

In the Light of Mozart

This afternoon was a concert put on the Cathedral Arts in aid of the Primate's World Relief Fund. It was 'In the Light of Mozart'. Was a very interesting concert that included a string quintet, the Men and Boys Choir, and the Girls Choir; both choirs from Christ Church Cathedral. Surprisingly the programme was not entirely Mozart. Great time only shame was that it wasn't advertised well and therefore didn't get a good showing! Oh well, I still get paid for my services.

I started thinking today...during the concert actually... that when was the last time two countertenors did a concert together? I'm thinking it might be good fun to organize one. A couple of duets, a few folk songs, maybe a joke piece or two. 'Two Countertenors and One Piano -How high can you get?' Time to get organizing. A little sound the trumpet perhaps! Countertenors out there...Who wants in?

Come What May

I have made yet another rotation of the sun and yet wasn't feeling worried about it until I was out for beers last night. My mates and I were having some birthday beers in a Pub on the Ottawa U Campus. The Bar maid was told it was my birthday and was asked to guess how old I was. "35?" came out of her mouth before she could even think! But oh well, I guess I look quite distinguished!

The work on music continues but the only thing that seems to be getting in my way is the awful traffic I experience on my way to anything! Thursday night it took me half an hour longer than it should have to get to choir practice. And walking in all road raged doesn't helped your concentration.

So now I need to get started on getting some recording done! I have always wanted to do a disc of the Britten Folksong arrangements. They are pieces of sheer brilliance and simplicity! Soon enough I guess, but need to get some rep recorded asap to get out to people! So where, when, what, who and how, is what I have to figure out.

Rep....

Today I had a day off from the day job. I work retail to support the music side of things. So with my spare time, between running around on errands, the work on repertoire begins. I have a good rep already but I really need to work on more stuff. As much as I have it is pretty limited in what I could be doing. So the work on the big stuff begins; the big Handel stuff, the Bach Oratorios and Passions, and time to dig out the Purcell too. Loads of stuff to do, but worth it. When am I going to find the time!

Last night was signs of things starting to pick up. I went by one of my old choirs and spoke to the director about singing with one of his other choirs. He said I should really sing for him, because he might be able to find me a little solo work. This is not in the bag at all but definite progress and would be a big boost for me.

I will be working away now at trying to get in with all the contacts and see what's available. The more work the better.

...this could be hard work!

Action...

So I'm sitting here reflecting on the writing I have done and thinking I might be sounding like I'm just complaining! I am in fact complaining but I don't want it to come across as that. Especially when I am saying people are being lazy I shouldn't just sit back and make myself look hypocritical. I am blogging so that I reflect on my thoughts and hope that I can then act on it! Slowly I hope through some action I can make a difference.

On another note, I have been asked by a number of friends to try to organize a new choir here in Ottawa. I am planning it as an acapella group and hope that I can have a lot of fun with this group. But now my search begins for music and planning a rehearsal list. What am I planning? Well everything from Tallis to Billy Joel to Disney! It will be a lot of cool stuff and am excited to get started!

And I continue...

Today was good and reminded me of the good ol' days here in Ottawa. The CCC choir sang a very good service of Missa Papa Marcelli - Palestrina, Exultate Deo - Palestrina, and Cantate Domino - Schutz. Then a classic Decani Vs Cantoris baseball game and BBQ.

Singing here is fun but unfortunately does not at the frequency of England's Cathedral Choirs. If the Christ Church Cathedral Choir here in Ottawa sang as often as the English choirs we could be a very exciting group! Unfortunately we have an issue of financing which is common everywhere, and laziness on the behalf of the clergy! After a short conversation, it seems to me that the cathedral does not sing evensong because the clergy don't want to spend the time leading a service for only 10-20 people! Does this not defeat the purpose or goal of the clergy of the Anglican Church. Are they not to provide leadership in faith to all peoples in various manners. Especially in a institute that has the best Men and Boys choir in the country and an extremely talented girls choir! The service of evensong should be encouraged. A lot of people find evensong to be a more moving and spiritually fulfilling service.

OK.... so I know you are thinking I should be going on more about my venture to making it as a professional singer, but on my way, I am moved by what is going on in the church around me and the music I am involved in making along the way. So yes the evensong moaning is relevant.

But...moving on. I had a very interesting moment yesterday afternoon. I am a professional chorister in the Ottawa Choral Society, and we had a rehearsal yesterday. The Sops and altos were divided from the Tenors and Basses, and because for the upcoming concert I am singing bass I joined the tenors and basses. We were rehearsing for a pops concert at the NAC and running through Andrew Lloyd Webbers Pie Jesu, as Matthew Larkin started to sing the Treble solo and stopped before the top A so I jumped in and finished the line. So, as the men started to Hum their parts Matthew said to me,'You cover the top part and lets do the duet' So as it came along Matthew and I sang through to the end. At the end of the rehearsal one of the gents came to me and told me my duet with Matthew was beautiful. So I laughed thinking he was being sarcastic. I was shocked to learn he was not, when he replied,'No, I found it very moving!' Just goes to show we don't all have good taste!

....that's all for now!

P.s. I do have to say that the number of Men and Boys choirs is now in question. I have been informed that Grace Church on the Hill still actually has a Men and Boys choir but is often supplemented by girls! So there are technically three but really two that are surviving in the old tradition!

WHY?

Yeah...you are probably thinking what is he on about! But this is what I am and what I live.

I am a Countertenor. Born and raised in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. I have spent the last two years living in the UK singing with Truro Cathedral Choir. I am now back in Canada and trying to get the Singing Career Started!

Now the next thing you are probably thinking is what is a Countertenor? A countertenor is a male singing voice whose vocal range is equivalent to that of a contralto, mezzo-soprano, or (less frequently) a soprano, usually through use of falsetto.

The most common place to find countertenors today is with a Men and Boys choir. As there are no women to sing the Soprano and Alto parts the boys sing soprano and a few of the men will sing the alto part, these men being countertenors.

Unfortunately, finding a choir of men and boys is getting harder and harder outside the UK. However, in the UK the tradition of men and boys choirs is starting to fade. In Canada we are down to 2 men and boys choirs. Canada use to have many of these choirs all over the nation and they were thriving. I would like to try to re-establish this tradition in Canada and try to save it before we lose them altogether. This will unfortunately be a extremely difficult task but one of my goals on my way to a career in music.

What will happen? I don't know.....stay tuned to find out I guess....