A note from the director…

When the Capital Chamber Choir formed in January 2009 with only 16 voices, our desire was to explore the vast array of Canadian choral music available to us, and to present it to our community. Almost one year later, our purpose remains the same. We are thrilled to present tonight two very significant works by Canadian composer Imant Raminsh, along with several arrangements of traditional Advent and Christmas carols.

Thank you so much for supporting our ensemble and for being a part of this evening. We wish you all a safe and happy holiday season.

Sara Brooks, Director

Fecit potentiam in brachio suo He has used the power of his arm

dispersit superbos mente cordis sui he has routed the arrogant of heart.

Deposuit potentes de sede, He has pulled down princes from

et exaltavit humiles. their thrones, and raised high the

Esurientes implevit bonis. lowly. He has filled the starving with

Dimisit divites inanes. good things,sent the rich away empty.
Il s’est servi de son bras,

Il a deloge les arrogant de Coeur,

Detrone de princes

Et eleve les humbles.

Il a comble les affames de bons mets,

Et renvoye les riches les mains vides.

recordatus misercordiae suae. Israel his servant,

Sicut locutus est ad patres mindful of his faithful love-

nostros, according to the promise he

Abraham et semini ejus, in made to our ancestors-

saecula of his mercy to Abraham and

to his descendants for ever.
Il est venu a l’aide d’Israel, son serviteur

Attentif a son loyal amour-suivant la promesse qu’il a faite

a nos ancetres- a son eternelle misericorde

envers Abraham et ses descendants.

Sicut erat in principio et nunc and to the Holy Spirit.

et semper, et in saecula As it was in the beginning, is now

saeculorum. Amen and ever shall be, forever and ever.

Amen.
Gloire au Pere, au Fils Et au Saint-Esprit

Au debut et a la fin

Des siecles des siecles. Amen.

*Texts and Translations from liner notes: Imant Raminsh: Songs of the Lights, © Vancouver Chamber choir, 1992.

Text: 16^th c. adaptation from Luke 1:42, words of Elizabeth to Mary

gratia plena, full of grace,

Dominus tecum, the Lord is with you,

benadicta tu in mulieribus, and blessed are you among women,

et benedictus fructus ventris, and blessed is the fruit of your

tui, Jesus, womb, Jesus,

Sancta maria, mater Dei Holy Mary, mother of God,

ora pro nobis peccatoribus, pray for us sinners,

nunc et in hora mortis nostrae now and at the hour of our death,

Amen. Amen

Pleine de grace

Le Seigneur est avec vous,

Vous etes benie d’entre toutes les femmes

Et Jesus, le fruit de vos entrailles, est beni.

Sainte Marie, mere de Dieu,

Priez pour nous, pauvres pecheurs,

Maintenant et a l’heure de notre mort, Amen

Magnificat anima mea My soul proclaims the

Dominum greatness of the Lord

Et exsultavit spiritus meus and my spirit rejoices

in Deo salutari meo. In God my Saviour.
Mon ame proclame la grandeur du Seigneur

Et, de joie, mon esprit s’unit

A Dieu, mon Sauveur.
Quia respexit humilitatem Because he has looked upon

ancillae suae. the humiliation of his servant,

Ecce enim ex hoc beatam me Yes, from now onwards all

dicent omnes generations. Generations will call me blessed,

Quia fecit mihi magna, for the Almighty has done

qui potens est et sanctum great things for me.

nomen ejus. Holy is his name

Et misericordia ejus and his faithful love

a progenie in progenies extends age after age to those

timentibus eum. who fear him.

En effet, il s’est avise

De l’humilation de son serviteur.

Oui, des maintenant, toutes les generations

Diront que je suis beni,

Car le Tout-Puissant a accompli de grades choses

Pour moi. Beni soit son nom! Son loyal amour

S’etend d’age en age a ceux qui le craignent.
Programme

Ave Maria Imant Raminsh

I Magnificat – et exultavit

II Quia respexit

III Fecit potentiam

IV Suscepit Israel

V Gloria Patri

 Intermission 

Noel Nouvelet arr. Donald Patriquin

Venez Divin Messie arr. Andrew Ager

Quelle est cette odeur arr. Donald Patriquin

Un Flambeau, Jeannette Isabelle arr. Stephen Hatfield

Il est ne, le divin enfant arr. Donald Patriquin
Huron Carol arr. Eleanor Daley

*Soloist: Cait Hurcomb

Celtic Carol Mark Sirett

Balulalow Mark Sirett

Mezzo-soprano Sandra Graham has established a worldwide reputation with her sumptuous vocalism, which has led to top prizes in the International Vocal Competitions of s'Hertogenbosch in Holland, the Montreal International Competition, and the Toulouse, France International Vocal Competition. Miss Graham has appeared in concert and on the operatic stages of Germany, Canada, United States, Holland and China, and performed and recorded with Helmut Rilling, Christoff Penderecki, Charles Dutoit, and Vladimir Ashkenazy, appearing with the Cleveland Symphony, the Toronto Symphony, the Montreal Symphony, the National Arts Centre Symphony Orchestra, the Oregon Bach Festival, Wigmore Hall, the Canadian Opera company, the Welsh National Opera, the Arizona Opera, and the Deutsche Oper am Rhein.

At Staatstheater Stuttgart, Sandra Graham was a guest artist from 1992 until 2006 where she has performed lead mezzo roles in Humperdink’s Hansel und Gretel, Rossini’s La Cenerentola, Wagner’s Tristan und Isolde, Ariadne auf Naxos by Richard Strauss, and Mascagni’s Cavalleria Rusticana. The distinguished mezzo's recordings include Raminsh's Songs of the Lights with the CBC Vancouver Orchestra, Mozart's Requiem and Haydn's Lord Nelson Mass with the Slovak Philharmonic, and Prevost's Ahimsa with the Toronto Symphony, The Sound of Music with the Cincinnati Pops, and a CBC recording of Harry Somer's "The Fool”. Her recent performances of Respighi's "Il Tramonto" and Vivaldi's "Nissi Dominus" at the Incontro Chamber Music Festival in Italy have been featured in a documentary by Bravo!

Sandra Graham and her husband Ingemar Korjus have toured China where they were invited to give concerts and master classes. Miss Graham teaches voice and directs the Opera Productions ensemble in the School of Music at the University of Ottawa.

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Raised in Chatham, Ontario, Sara Brooks received her ARCT in piano performance in 2002 and continued on to complete her BMus at Acadia University in Wolfvlle, NS.   During her undergraduate studies, Sara was a member of the Manning Memorial Chapel Choir and took part in their tour of the UK in 2006.  

As well as being founder and director of the Capital Chamber Choir, she currently serves as the Director of Music at All Saints Anglican Church, Sandy Hill, and was also recently appointed Assistant Chorusmaster for Opera Lyra Ottawa.

Le compositeur canadien-français Donald Patiquin est reconnu à travers le Canada et au-delà de l’océan pour ses arrangements chorals et instrumentaux de chansons folkloriques.  Sa carrière musicale comprend la composition, l’interprétation et la direction.  Patriquin a commencé à composer dès un jeune âge avant de poursuivre des études à l’université Bishop et puis des études supérieures à l’université McGill et  à l’université de Toronto sous la tutelle de Jean Papineau-Couture, Istvan Anhalt et John Weinzweig.  Patriquin a composé une grande variété d’œuvres, entre autres, des œuvres multi média, des ballets, et des comédies musicales. Parmi ses œuvres chorales les plus connues, on compte Canadian Mosaic, Caribbean Mass, et World Music Suite One.

Weinzweig. Patriquin’s compositional output includes works written in multiple styles and genres, including multi media, ballet, and musicals. His most known choral works include Canadian Mosaic, Caribbean Mass, and World Music Suite One among several others.

renowned ensembles as the Penderecki String Quartet and The Elmer Iseler Singers. An Ottawa native, Ager’s compositional

language has received influence from the Francophone culture, as well as characteristics reminiscent of the Maritimes, due in part to the time he spent living in Nova Scotia. He has served as composer-in-residence with the Georgian Bay Symphony, Timothy Eaton Memorial Church, and at St. James Cathedral, Toronto. Several of Andrew Ager’s works will be premiered during 2009-2010, including “Winter – as Evocation” (December 2009), as well as his opera “Frankenstein” (January 2010) and Symphony no. 1 (November 2010).
Known as both a music educator and composer, Stephen Hatfield’s music incorporates a multiplicity of styles and cultural influences. He has worked as a teacher in several areas including concert band, stage band, choir, jazz, and keyboard. Hatfield’s music has achieved national and international success. He has composed works for almost all types and sizes of choir and has written and premiered the Maritime-inspired chamber opera titled Ann and Seamus. Un Flambeau, Jeanneatte, Isabelle is based on the traditional Provençal carol Vénès leou Vieira la Pieoucelle. The text describes the traditional nativity scene and the Christmas village characteristic of the seasonal traditions in Provençal.
Originally from Parry Sound, Ontario, Eleanor Daley is one of Canada’s most recognised choral composers. Her output is vast and her works have been performed throughout Canada, the United States, Britain, Asia, Europe, and South Africa. Daley’s music has been performed and commissioned by several noteworthy Canadian Ensembles including The Elmer Iseler Singers, The Toronto Children’s Chorus, and The Amadeus Choir to name only a few. Also active as an organist and accompanist, Daley serves as the Director of Music at Fairlawn Avenue United Church in Toronto and works as a freelance accompanist with several Toronto choirs. The Huron Carol is based on a traditional French melody adapted to the text written in 1643 by the Jesuit Missionary Jean de Brébeuf at St Marie among the Huron. Originally written in the Huron language, the song was titled “Jesous Ahatonhia,” in which the traditional images of the three Magi were replaced by the more familiar metaphor of Chiefs who bring the newborn child gifts of fox and beaver pelt rather than gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

A native of Kingston, Ontario, Mark Sirett’s musical expertise encompasses organ performance, choral conducting, and composition. He holds undergraduate degree from Queens University and graduate degrees in choral conducting and pedagogy from the University of Iowa. His works have been performed by several eminent Canadian ensembles including the National Youth Choir of Canada and The Toronto Mendelssohn Choir. Sirett has taught at the Queen’s University and the Universities of Alberta and Western Ontario. He is currently the music director and founder of the Cantabile Choirs based in Kingston, Ontario. His Celtic Carol is based on a traditional sixteenth century Irish text “Sweet was the song, the song the virgin sang.” Balulalow, the old Scottish term for “lullaby,” is accompanied by an anonymous text dated from 1567 Wedderburn. Sirrett complements the text with expressive harmonies reminiscent of the traditional sonorities of the 16^th century.

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Imant Raminsh est né  en 1943 à Ventspils en Lethonie et immigra au Canada en 1948.  Il étudia au Royal Conservatory of  Music à Toronto où il obtint son ARCT en violon puis poursuivi ses études à l’université de Toronto et à l’Akademie Mozarteum à Salzburg en Autriche.  Raminsh est reconnu tant comme chef que compositeur et ses œuvres ont été interprétées par les orchestres symphoniques de Vancouver, d’Edmonton et de Toronto, le Vancouver Chamber Choir, le Tafelmusik Baroque Chamber Choir et plusieurs autres ensembles sur le plan international.