Press Releases: Amadeus Choir - toronto choir singing classical and choral music in a concert setting

NEWS RELEASE: July, 2004. Toronto's acclaimed Amadeus Choir celebrates its 30th Anniversary season, together with the 20th Anniversary of Artistic Director Lydia Adams as Conductor! "Our season overflows with joy and renewal, a time to look to the future while honouring the past, with brilliant choral music - music for your soul." The Choir's 2004-05 concert season features four masterworks and four world premières, all conducted by Lydia Adams.

The Choir's 30th Anniversary celebratory season is launched on Saturday, October 16, 2004 in the George Weston Recital Hall*, Toronto Centre for the Arts, North York. The world première of Canadian composer Scott Irvine's Fanfare, commissioned by the Amadeus Choir, opens the evening entitled "A Musical Feast". The Choir will perform William Walton's masterpiece Belshazzar's Feast, and Mozart's jubilant Mass in C minor. Soloists: soprano Sharla Nafziger; mezzo-soprano Andrea Ludwig; tenor Stephan Harland; baritone Jeffrey Carl.

A highlight of "Carols and Lullabies" on Saturday, December 18, 2004 in the George Weston Recital Hall will be performances of the winning entries of the Choir's 18th Annual Christmas Carol and Chanukah Song Writing Competition, including selections of Eleanor Daley's past winning Carols. The program also features American composer Conrad Susa's delightful Carols and Lullabies; Britten's joyful A Ceremony of Carols; and a world première by Canadian composer Malcolm Edwards, commissioned by the Amadeus Choir. Guest artists: The Bach Children's Chorus conducted by Linda Beaupré; Erica Goodman, harp; Eleanor Daley, piano.

"The Joy of Spring" on Saturday, April 9, 2005 will be held in Metropolitan United Church, 56 Queen Street East, Toronto. The promise of springtime is captured in Fauré's ethereal Requiem, with soloists Rebecca Whelan, soprano, Nelson Lohnes, baritone and Matthew Larkin, organ. The Amadeus Choir is proud to present world premières from two Canadian composers, Matthew Larkin and Eric Robertson, commissioned by the Choir. The concert will also feature Eleanor Daley's beautiful Prayer for Peace.

The fourth concert will culminate the Amadeus Choir's joyous 30th Anniversary season in a gala performance, with full orchestra, of J.S. Bach's magnificent Mass in B Minor on Saturday, May 28, 2005 in the George Weston Recital Hall. Soloists: soprano Leslie Fagan; counter-tenor Matthew White; tenor Colin Ainsworth; bass Alexander Dobson.

All concerts begin at 7:30.

*The Amadeus Choir has had the honour of being Choir-in-Residence at the George Weston Recital Hall since the Toronto Centre for the Arts opened in 1993.

Subscriptions to the Amadeus Choir's four-concert series are available now; prices range from $77.04 to $136.96 including GST. To order subscriptions, call the Toronto Centre for the Arts Box Office: 416-733-0545.

Single Tickets are available from September 2, and range from $32.10 to $42.80, including GST. Tickets for concerts held at the Toronto Centre for the Arts can be purchased by calling Ticketmaster: 416-872-1111, or on-line: www.ticketmaster.ca.

For tickets to the concert at Metropolitan United Church, please call the Amadeus Choir office: 416-446-0188.