EXCHANGE

OUR ANNUAL COMMUNITY SINGING EVENT

Exchange: A day of choral community workshops

 

 

February 7, 2026 from 10:00am — 5:00pm
Yorkminster Park Baptist Church

 

 

Join TMChoir for a day of interactive workshops, masterclasses and lectures on a variety of topics centred around choral music, vocal music and musical community building. Facilitators come from across our choir communities and musical community.

This one day event will include events for every choral music enthusiast, from the armchair music fan to active choral singers of every level. All are welcome!

Schedule

10:00am — Sign-in
10:30am — Full group with Artistic Director & Principal Conductor Dr. Jean-Sébastien-Vallée
11:30am — Workshops begin
12:30pm — Lunch
2:00pm — Workshops resume
3:00pm — Workshops continue
4:00pm — Full group with Artistic Director & Principal Conductor Dr. Jean-Sébastien-Vallée
5:00pm — End of day

Exploring the Choral Canon

Dr. Jean-Sébastien Vallée

TMChoir’s Artistic Director and Principal Conductor Dr. Jean-Sébastien Vallée will open and conclude the day with group-singing sessions featuring cornerstone works of choral repertoire. You will explore these selections through guided musical analysis and historical context, gaining deeper insight into what makes these pieces enduring pillars of the art form.

Jean-Sébastien Vallée conducting at Roy Thomson Hall

Workshops — Topics & Speakers

Professionalize your Choral Singing (Lecture)

Dr. Lindsay McIntyre

Professional choral singing requires far more than a beautiful voice. In this insightful session—designed for intermediate choristers who are eager to “level up” their skills—soloist and TMSinger Dr. Lindsay McIntyre offers a clear framework for the core skills that set exceptional choristers apart. Through focused discussion on sight-reading, vocal technique, preparation strategies, and rehearsal etiquette, you’ll gain practical guidance and perspectives to elevate your artistry and confidence in any choral setting.

The Hero’s Journey: Using Narrative to Create Thrilling Concert Programs (Lecture)

Thomas Burton

Discover how narrative can shape compelling choral experiences. You will explore and discuss a range of approaches to concert programming, from theatrical structure and key relationships to musical pacing and the inclusion of diverse voices in the repertoire. The session will also explore how these principles can be applied in churches, schools, and other non-concert settings to create cohesive, memorable programs.

Setting Rossetti: The Composer’s Creative Craft (Lecture)

Stephanie Martin

TMChoir’s Composer-in-Residence Stephanie Martin offers an inside look at her creative process for ECHO, a new work for choir and orchestra composed as a companion to Brahms’ German Requiem, which reflects on dreams, memory and loss. This session focuses on the craft behind the composition: how the musical and textual choices were made, how the disparate modern musical elements meet 19th-century poetry, and how a composer can honour a masterwork while forging a distinct artistic voice.

Beyond the Voice: Becoming the Complete Performer (Interactive)

Patricia Warnock

Choral performance is more than sound—it’s storytelling. In this workshop, you will develop expressive tools that extend beyond vocal technique, including facial expressions, body awareness, intentional movement, and stage presence. Learn how to communicate emotion, meaning, and narrative through your whole self, transforming from a singer into a fully engaged, compelling performer.

Tenors and Basses to the Front! (Interactive)

Mark Ramsay

Designed for tenor and bass singers, as well as conductors who work with TB ensembles, this interactive session explores the unique qualities of TB voices. You will explore vocal approaches and techniques specific to TB voices, discuss information related to the changing and aging TB voice, and engage with repertoire written specifically for TB choirs. Tenors and basses, come ready to explore, share, listen, and sing! Other voice parts are welcome to observe.

Sing With Confidence! (Interactive)

Tracy Wong

Strengthen your musicianship and become a more independent, efficient, and joyful music learner. Working directly with excerpts from choral repertoire, you will build skills for navigating new material and explore effective strategies for practicing at home. Whether you’re brand new to choral singing or looking to refine long-established skills, this active, hands-on session offers practical ways to shine and level up.

*Please note that all times and workshops are subject to change.