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Alumni Futures
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Alumni Futures

Whether a chorister's tenure with the TMC has ended after a single year or has spanned decades, an invitation to join the TMC alumni lies at the end of their days as a full chorister. We value our alumni members, many of whom maintain active connections with the TMC family, singing at Singsations or as part of the Alumni Singers programme, attending concerts, and volunteering in the office. So it is important to the TMC that we find ways to stay engaged, connected, and associated with choristers who have transitioned to the alumni.

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Moving on Up: Apprentices on the Edge

The TMC Apprentice program is growing by leaps and bounds. This year saw a record 12 apprentices. Five of these young singers have come to the end of their TMC apprenticeships, and will be eligible to audition as full, adult TMC members for the 2015-16 season. We caught up with four “graduating” apprentices to chat about their plans for the future.

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Planning (Strategically) for Excellence

“The Toronto Mendelssohn Choir will be the champion for choral music in Canada, striving to change lives, directly and indirectly, through performances and educational programming.” [Mission Statement from 2012-15 TMC Strategic Plan.] This could mean any number of things: ...

Headshot of Cynthia Hawkins
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From the Executive Director’s Desk – Winter 2015

Almost ten years ago, the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir undertook what was to become a pivotal strategic planning process in the recent history of the organization. Over a series of soul-seeking workshops, a small group of TMC stakeholders took a long and hard look at what we were doing and why we were doing it and created a series of statements that articulated the Choir’s Mission, Vision and Core Values.

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Communities of Support – Winter 2015

Communities of Support by Cynthia Hawkins, Executive Director In preparation for this Voice of Mendelssohn article, I happened upon a recent survey published by the Association of Fundraising Professionals (a North American organization which provides leadership to the charitable sector, including 3,500 Canadian members). The 2013 Fundraising Survey reports that 57% of Canadian responding nonprofits...

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It Runs In Families – Winter 2015

It Runs In Families We often talk about our TMC family in a figurative way, and to be sure, the Choir is a pretty close-knit community. The figurative TMC family extends not only to choristers and staff, but also to the extended circle of family members, alumni, subscribers, donors, and audience members who support our...

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Symposium 2015: Emerging Conductors Join the TMC Community – Winter 2015

Symposium 2015: Emerging Conductors Join the TMC Community The middle of winter, after the holiday season, traditionally affords few opportunities for joy or mirth. In the world of choral music, it’s often a fallow time: exhausted from the relentless good cheer of the holiday concert season, many secular choirs will not see another performance until...

Headshot of Cynthia Hawkins
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From the Executive Directors Desk – Fall 2014

On October 15th the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir celebrated its 120th anniversary. Soloists, choir, orchestra, and TMC supporters new and old came together to celebrate one of the longest-serving choral organizations in Canada. Think about it – when the TMC was formed, Toronto’s population was around 200,000; church spires dominated the skyline and paddle steamers filled the harbour. Massey Hall had just opened, and the Evening Star, a precursor to the Toronto Star was just a few months old.