Toronto Mendelssohn Choir announces 2019/20 season

The TMC’s  2019/20 concert season includes five great choral music programs under the direction of Interim Conductor David Fallis and three acclaimed guest conductors from Canada, the U.S. and the U.K.

The season opens with a celebration of the Choir’s 125-year history and continues with concerts that meld classics with newer works, and feature the different sized groups within the choir – from the chamber-sized 20-member professional core, to the 70-member Mendelssohn Singers, and the rich sound of the 120+ full TMC.

TMC’s 2019/20 concert season:

Singing through Centuries – a 125th Anniversary Gala concert
Sunday, October 20 at 3:30 pm at Koerner Hall

In honour of TMC’s 125th anniversary, David Fallis leads the Choir and special guest artists, the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, through three great works from the three centuries in which the TMC has sung: Fauré’s Requiem; Stravinsky’s Symphony of Psalms; and Andrew Balfour’s Mamihcimowin, a TMC commission.

David Fallis, TMC interim conductor
Toronto Symphony Orchestra

Festival of Carols
Tuesday, Dec 3 & Wednesday, Dec 4 at 7:30 pm at Yorkminster Park Baptist Church

TMC’s annual celebration of joyous music for the season – this year with the Toronto Symphony Youth Orchestra. Experience the joy of John Rutter’s music, with a selection of his carol arrangements in their stunning original orchestrations, and works by Willan, Berlioz, Tchaikovsky, Vaughan Williams and others.

David Fallis, TMC interim conductor
Toronto Symphony Youth Orchestra, Simon Rivard, conductor

Romantics and New Romantics – a FREE TMC concert
Saturday, Feb 22 at 3:00 pm at Yorkminster Park Baptist Church

Enjoy lush choral music by the great Romantics – Mendelssohn and Brahms – and by the generation of new Romantics, including Lauridsen and Ešenvalds.  This concert is TMC’s annual musical gift to the city.

John William Trotter, guest conductor. John is Artistic Director Designate of the professional group Chicago a cappella and Associate Professor at the Wheaton College Conservatory of Music.

Sacred Music for a Sacred Space
Wednesday, Apr 8 & Good Friday, Apr 10 at 7:30 pm at St. Anne’s Church

Experience glorious music of the British cathedral tradition – from motets by Thomas Tallis and William Byrd up to contemporary works by John Tavener, James MacMillan and Eric Whitacre. All in the beautiful setting of the Group-of-Seven-decorated St. Anne’s.

Gregory Batsleer, guest conductor. Gregory is Chorus Director of the Scottish Chamber Orchestra,  Royal Scottish National Orchestra, and Director of the Huddersfield Choral Society. He appeared in Toronto in June 2017 with the Huddersfield Choral Society in a performance with the TMC and in a performance of Belshazzar’s Feast with the TSO and TMC.

Great Poets in Music
Saturday, May 30 at 7:30 pm at St. Andrew’s Church

This concert celebrates the very essence of choral music – the impact of powerful words complemented and enhanced through the work of great composers. Experience the poetry of Shakespeare set to music  by Vaughan Williams and Rutter, words of Alfred Lord Tennyson set by Elgar, Emily Dickenson set by Samual Barber, Robert Frost set by Randall Thompson and Eric Whitacre, and more.

Jean-Sébastien Vallée, guest conductor. Jean-Sébastien is Director of Choral Studies at the Schulich School of Music of McGill University, Director of the Choir of the Church of St. Andrew and  St. Paul in Montreal, and Musical Director of the Ottawa Choral Society.

 

More information on the concerts and the conductors can be found at https://www.tmchoir.org/201920-season/

The Choir will also perform three programs with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra:  https://www.tmchoir.org/tmc-with-the-tso/

In celebration of the TMC’s 125th anniversary, we have created a history blog to look at interesting and intriguing people, places and events from our history.  Visit the history blog here: https://www.tmchoir.org/tmc-history-tidbits/