MediaFile Spring Choral Fest 1982

Spring Choral Fest is the major adult program provided by the New Brunswick Choral Federation. It was instituted in 1982 with Robert Cooper, producer of CBC's Choral Concert and well known Toronto conductor, as guest director. To ensure good balance between parts, specific choirs were invited to perform at the event and to attend the workshop sessions as part of the massed choir. This first weekend event was hosted in Fredericton at Christ Church Cathedral which is also the site of the 25th SCF. Since that time, it has generally rotated among the three major cities of Fredericton, Moncton, and Saint John with an occasional event held in Sackville.

The weekend was originally designed to give adult singers exposure to repertoire and the opportunity to perform works under the direction of some of Canada's leading choral directors. During the past twenty-five years we have been fortunate to learn from and make music with Robert Cooper, Douglas Dunsmore, Elmer Iseler and the Iseler Singers, Gerald Fagan, Jon Washburn and the Vancouver Chamber Choir, Wayne Riddle and The Tudor Singers of Montreal, Iwan Edwards, Douglas Rose, John Ford, Victoria Meredith, John Standing, Giles Bryant, Valerie Long, Diane Loomer, William Brown and Paul Murray. Each conductor brought their own unique personality, special skills and musical strengths to the event. Never have we gone away without having learned something new or experienced a "musical high"!

We have performed major works such as the St. Matthew Passion by J. S. Bach, The Creation and Missa Solemnis by Haydn, Requiem and Vesperae Solemnes de Confessore by Mozart, Te Deum by Bruckner, Gloria and Requiem by John Rutter, Utrecht Te Deum and Coronation Anthems by Handel, Missa Brevis by Kodaly, Mass in G by Schubert, Dona Nobis Pacem by Vaughan Williams, Messa di Gloria by Puccini, Requiem by Faure, Gloria by Vivaldi, Sun by R. Murray Schafer and Elijah by Mendelssohn. For some delegates, SCF provides the only opportunity for them to experience and perform such works.

With minor variations, the format for SCF has remained largely unchanged since the early years. Rehearsals and sectionals begin on Friday afternoon and continue throughout the weekend with a public concert taking place on Sunday afternoon. In addition to the massed choir presentation, this concert usually features several local choirs as well. The AGM is combined with the Saturday luncheon and SCF also provides plenty of time for socializing during scheduled breaks, organized functions or free evenings. 

This year choristers from across the province will gather in Fredericton to enjoy listening to other choirs and to rehearse under the capable guidance of Dr. George Evelyn, Choral Instructor at University of Lethbridge. The major work to be rehearsed will be Mass in C, "Coronation Mass", by Mozart in honour of  the 250th anniversary of his birth.

To mark the 25th Anniversary of Spring Choral Fest, the 2006 organizing committee commissioned Michael Capon, until recently, organist and choir master at Christ Church Cathedral, Fredericton, to write a special anthem.  The piece is scored for SATB choir with soprano or treble choir solo and keyboard accompaniment. Based on the text "My heart goes on in endless song... how can I keep from singing?", this new work will be suitable for use by church or community choirs. Internationally known soprano, Wendy Nielsen, will perform the solo at the premiere performance during the final concert of the 2006 Spring Choral Fest at 2:30 p.m., on Sunday, March 26 at Christ Church Cathedral, Fredericton.

Last updated: 2/27/06

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