For Immediate Release April 10, 2012
Quartet of Honours for Chorus Niagara
St. Catharines, ON – CHORUS NIAGARA, Niagara’s premier 100-voice ensemble, with Artistic Director Robert Cooper, receive a quartet of honours this spring and summer for guest performance, guest conducting and adjudication.
On May 26 Chorus Niagara sings under the baton of the Hamilton Philharmonic’s Music Director James Sommerville, as the core choir for the philharmonic’s performance of Beethoven’s Symphony #9. This concert is paired with Beethoven’s Violin Concerto, featuring Canadian violin virtuoso James Ehnes. Chorus Niagara was chosen by Sommerville as the lead choir for this performance based on the high quality of sound and professionalism in recently recorded live performances. Hamilton’s Bach Elgar Choir will also join the Hamilton Philharmonic and Chorus Niagara.
Artistic Director Robert Cooper has been invited to the World Choir Games in Cincinnati, Ohio this July, to act as a respected international adjudicator. Commonly considered the ‘Olympics of Choral Music’, the international competition draws thousands of the world’s best singers every two years to compete. Hundreds of choirs will compete in 23 categories before a group of internationally recognized choral adjudicators. Two years ago Mr. Cooper also served as an adjudicator at the games in Shaoxing, China.
Mr. Cooper has been invited to represent Canada on the Interkultur World Choir Council. The Council is the highest international advisory council on choral performance and meets every two years during the World Choir Games. Seventy-five nations are represented worldwide to consult and collaborate on choral matters of international importance. The council makes resolutions which are presented to the International Music Council of UNESCO, the United Nations Scientific and Cultural Organization.
This past March Mr. Cooper, a native of Fredericton, New Brunswick, was invited to perform as Guest Conductor for the New Brunswick Choral Federation’s Spring Choral Fest. Mr. Cooper directed a massed choir of 100 voices comprised of smaller choirs from New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island, performing Composer Karl Jenkins’s The Armed Man to rave reviews: “I've not gone to a production I've enjoyed this much in eons.”, “It was simply magnificent!”, “Without a doubt the best concert ever heard in Fredericton.”
Chorus Niagara is busy preparing for the final concert of the season - Deep In My Heart - an eclectic extravaganza of operetta delights. Deep In My Heart takes place June 2 & 3 at the Sean O’Sullivan Theatre, Brock University.
Media Contact Paul Price 905-227-2356 or mail to paul.price@cogeco.ca
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221 Glendale Avenue, P.O. Box 25019, St. Catharines, Ontario L2T 4C4 905-934-5575 www.chorusniagara.ca
“To entertain, educate and inspire through the performance of fine choral music”
