Glorious and Jazzy

Spring Concert

April 29th, 2023

Antonio Vivaldi – Gloria
Martin Völlinger – Latin Jazz Mass

Katelyn Bird, soprano
Alex Hetherington, mezzo soprano
Michael Barth, trumpet

Jazz combo

Alexander Kats, piano

Jeff King, saxophone

Mark Dunn, double bass

Riley O’Connor, drum

Sing Gently

December 3rd, 2022

An uplifting choral concert of songs from various traditions

Toronto Concert Choir featuring the Toronto Sinfonietta and soprano Katelyn Bird present a selection of uplifting choral music, including Mozart Regina Coeli, Exsultate Jubilate and Excerpts from The Magic Flute; complete with Christmas Carol Sing-a-long.

Christmas with Beethoven – November 30, 2019

Our 2019 Christmas Concert featuring Ludwig van Beethoven’s Mass in C and Ralph Vaughan Williams’ Fantasia on Christmas Carols.

Oakham House Choir was joined by Julie Ludwig, soprano, Lyndsay Promane, mezzo-soprano, Zachary Rioux, tenor and Jeremy Ludwig, baritone.

From Tragedy to Comedy – April 27, 2019

The choir, along with The Toronto Sinfonietta, Soprano Jennifer Krabbe, Mezzo-Soprano Michèle Bogdanoqicz, Tenor Zachary Rioux and Baritone Justine Welsh performed Mozart’s Requiem and excerpts from the Magic Flute

The Glow of Christmas – December 2nd, 2018

Our fall concert The Glow of Christmas was held on Sunday, December 2nd, 2018. The concert featured the music of Ola Gjeilo’s Sunrise Mass, Bob Chilcott’s Little Jazz Mass, and Morten Laurisden’s Sure on This Shining Night. Oakham House Choir was joined by soprano Christina Haldane, Ryenamics, The Ryerson University Concert Band and the Toronto Sinfonietta.

Better is Peace- April 28, 2018

Oakham House Choir observed the centenary of the end of the First World War with a very special concert featuring two well-loved masterpieces: Gabriel Fauré’s Requiem and Karl Jenkins’ A Mass for Peace. For this occasion we were joined by Novi Singers Toronto and the Toronto Sinfonietta. The concert took place at Metropolitan United Church on Saturday, April 28, 2018 and was presented In Collaboration with The European Union Consulates in Toronto.

The Star of Bethlehem – December 2, 2017

Oakham House Choir was joined by Soprano Allison Cecilia Arends, baritone Jeremy Ludwig and the Toronto Sinfonietta for a performance of Joseph Rheinberger’s “The Star of Bethlehem”, a moving, lyrical and romantic choral masterwork.
The concert took place at Calvin Presbyterian Church on Saturday, December 2, 2017, at 7:30 p.m.

With Glowing Hearts – April 29, 2017

Oakham House Choir celebrated the 150th anniversary of Confederation with a gala concert, “Canada 150, With Glowing Hearts”, held on April 29, 2017.

In recognition of Indigenous peoples in Canada, the concert began with a haunting Kepmite`tmnej (Mi`kmaq Honour Song.) The highlight of the first half was a choral piece commissioned for the Oakham House Choir to honour Canada 150. The work, The Future of a Nation (In posterum gentem) composed by Norbert Palej was a beautiful modern composition. The Ontario Arts Council awarded Professor Palej with a grant to recognize his accomplishment. The first half of the concert also featured excerpts from Haydn’s Creation.

For the second half, the choir featured the music that was written and performed at the time of Canada’s formation in 1867 through to the present day. This included The Maple Leaf Forever, Un Canadien Errant as well as contemporary works including Deep Peace and excerpts from Canadian composer Ruth Henderson’s Magnificat.

Ringing and Singing Gloria – December 3, 2016

The choir, joined by soloists Kelsey Taylor and Eugenia Dermentzis, and the Toronto Sinfonietta, performed Vivaldi’s Gloria, Mendelssohn’s From Heaven on High and selections from Handel’s Messiah. The choir was joined by special guest – Bells of St. Matthew’s handbell choir.

Celebrate! – April 30, 2016

The Choir celebrated its 30th Anniversary in style with a special concert at Bloor Street United Church. We performed Carmina Burana, Part 1 as well our favourites from the past 30 years, including music by Bach, Mozart, Bizet, Rutter, Rogers and Hammerstein, and Voellinger. The concert featured performances by Mira Solovianenko, soprano and Andrew Tees, baritone and our partners, the Toronto Sinfonietta.

Peace, Joy and All that Jazz – December 5, 2015

The first half of our sold-out concert featured music by Mendelssohn and Mozart and was accompanied by the Toronto Sinfonietta and Soprano, Jennifer Taverner. The Choir performed Martin Voellinger’s Latin Mass in the second half of the concert. The Latin Mass was an audience favourite and the choir enjoyed the opportunity to sing with a jazz quartet to a different beat!

Last Night of the Proms- April 25, 2015

A large and enthusiastic crowd joined the Choir, soloists and Toronto Sinfonietta to celebrate the Last Night of the Proms at the Calvin Presbyterian Church on April 25, 2015. With a strong British theme to the program and bunting and flags throughout the church, the audience was entertained by music from Handel and Elgar, amused by the surprise visit from the Queen, and engaged in the sing-a-long portion of the program.

Christmas with Haydn- November 29, 2014

The concert featured the Nelson Mass by Franz Joseph Haydn and a range of seasonal favourites by John Rutter, Irving Berlin, Kirby Shaw, Emily Crocker. It ended with an enthusiastic Christmas Carol sing-along.

Friends in Song – September 27, 2014

The choir’s repertory ranges from old to new, from folksongs to oratorios, such as Handel’s Messiah, Bach’s St. John Passion, Mendelssohn’s Elijah and St. Paul, Brahms’ A German Requiem and Verdi’s Requiem.

In 2012, on the occasion of the fiftieth anniversary of friendship between France and Germany, the Concert Choir was invited to perform Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony in the cathedral of Reims in France. The choir has also performed in Spain, Israel, Switzerland, Hungary and the United States. At home in Germany, the choir has a prominent place in the cultural life of its city and region, where it has twice been awarded the title of Baden Master Choir in a choral competition held by the Baden Choral Association.

It was an interesting concert featuring classical and contemporary music. The KIT choir performed a range of music by Brahms, Dvorak, Silcher, Sisask, Hogan, Rinck and others. The Oakham House choir performed selections by Haydn and Rutter. Together we sang music by Rutter, Verdi and Cohen.

Thanks to the Music Directors, Nikolaus Indlekofer (Concert Choir) and Matthew Jaskiewicz (OHC Choir) and to accompanists Kai Dolde (Concert Choir) and Alexander Kats (OHC Choir).

The Oakham House choir also would like to thank everyone who made the visit possible. We could not have hosted the visit without support from PFACS; the Office of the President; the Office of the Vice Provost, Students; Oakham House; the Ryerson Bookstore; and Undergraduate Admissions (the tour). And last, but definitely not least, a very special thanks to the dedicated Oakham House Choir volunteers who worked tirelessly to plan the visit!

Gala Concert – Saturday, May 3, 2014

Oakham House choristers were pleased when our director, Matthew Jaskiewicz, invited us to take part in a gala concert in celebration of the canonization of Pope John XXII and Pope John Paul II. The dozen and a half of us who accepted the invitation joined four other choirs, the Toronto Sinfonietta, as well as several soloists, including the Irish trio known as The Priests, for a very enjoyable mixed program on May 3, 2014. We were thrilled that our choir director, Matthew Jaskiewicz, was the musical director for this gala concert!

Aside from the pleasure of singing, it was exciting to be part of a really big event at a much larger venue than the churches where we usually perform (the Queen Elizabeth Theatre seats over 1,200) and to sing to what appeared to be a capacity audience. We were also pleased to have an opportunity to prolong our 2013-14 choral season.

British Masterpieces Past and Present – April 26, 2014

This spring concert featured two British composers and their contemporary and past choral masterpieces. The Oakham House Choir was joined by the Toronto Sinfonietta and by Kasia Konstanty, soprano soloist, and Hugh Ritchie, a Ryerson Theatre Studies student who was the narrator for Gloria and for St. Ceceila’s Day.

Hymn of Praise – November 30, 2013

The first half of the winter 2013 concert featured the Hymn of Praise by Felix Mendelssohn – a beautiful piece of choral and orchestral music. Special thanks to our soloists Allison Cecelia Arends (soprano) and Stanislas Vitort (tenor) for their inspired singing and to the Toronto Sinfonietta.

The second half included music by Leroy Anderson (Sleigh Ride; Typewriter; The syncopated Clock) and John Rutter (Blow, Blow; A Gaelic Blessing; All Things Bright and Beautiful; Go, Tell it On The Mountain; The Lord is my Shepherd; and Oh, When the Saints). One of the highlights was the memorable performance of the Typewriter (Anderson) by percussionist ‘Etienne’. Who knew that percussionists could act… and that they were so funny! A second highlight was the performance of Go Tell it On the Mountain (Rutter), which garnered prolonged and enthusiastic applause from the audience.

As always, the evening ended with Christmas Carols – Matthew Jaskiewicz led the orchestra, choir, soloists and audience in a selection of seasonal favourites.

Opera in Disguise – April 27, 2013

What an evening! Matthew Jaskiewicz directed the Oakham House Choir and Toronto Sinfonietta in an evening of Opera in Disguise. Romulo Delgado (tenor) and Michael Robert-Broder (baritone) joined the choir in Messa di Gloria by Puccini as well as some Italian opera arias and choruses. Though Puccini’s rarely performed Messa di Gloria is a religious piece, its operatic style has made it a favourite with opera lovers. It did not disappoint and it was a clear favourite with the audience on April 27th as well!

The April 2013 concert ended with an energetic opera chorus sing-along, at true speed and in Italian, that both challenged and amused the audience!

Commemorative Concert – April 7, 2013

The Consulate General of the Republic of Poland in Toronto presented a Commemorative Concert on the 73rd anniversary of the Katyn Massacre 1940 and the 3rd anniversary of the Smolensk Tragedy 2010. It included Fantasia and Fuge in G Minor by J.S. Bach, and arias by Handel, Gounod, Dourante, Caccini, Faure and Luboslawski. The Oakham House Choir performed excerpts from Messa di Gloria by Puccini.