We want to touch and surprise. We want to surpass the boundaries of ourselves and choral music. Philomela is a wonderful experience that will linger in your mind even after the music has died down. Philomela has become one of the most highly rega...  moreWe want to touch and surprise. We want to surpass the boundaries of ourselves and choral music. Philomela is a wonderful experience that will linger in your mind even after the music has died down. Philomela has become one of the most highly regarded Choirs in Finland. Marjukka Riihimäki has acted as the Choir´s conductor since it was established in 1984. Philomela is one of the most original Choirs in Finland. It is a group of 40 unprejudiced, music-loving women who together form a graceful, polyphonic musical instrument. The Choir performances are intensive and surprising experiences which combine theatrical elements to music. Philomela’s rehearsals are held in Helsinki but the Choir gives several concerts per year all over Finland as well as abroad. Musical profile of Philomela is composed of contemporary Scandinavian Choir music with flavours of world music, especially Finnish folk music.  less

I am very excited to be adjudicating the Choir festival and training the winning Choir for their recording studio session. I will be joining Choirmaster Dr. Mark Conley, who has been there since May working with the 14 village Choirs and prepari...

Singing in a Choir can be profoundly uplifting - but not all Choirs automatically feel safe, supportive, or mentally healthy. If you’re starting a new Choir from scratch, now is the perfect time to lay foundations that protect and support the mental...

For close to two decades, Ensemble Laude women’s Choir has enchanted audiences on Vancouver Island with its creative blend of medieval repertoire and contemporary choral works from around the world. Ensemble Laude is a community of women united by a passi...  moreFor close to two decades, Ensemble Laude women’s Choir has enchanted audiences on Vancouver Island with its creative blend of medieval repertoire and contemporary choral works from around the world. Ensemble Laude is a community of women united by a passion for choral music and the vision of our Artistic Director, Elizabeth MacIsaac. We celebrate the beauty and resilience of women’s vocal traditions through the ages and seek to share this art form through joyful, soulful, and life-enhancing performances that gladden the heart, lift the spirit, and expand the mind. Ensemble Laude began in 1998 with a group of 12 singers focused solely on medieval music. It has since expanded into a vibrant community Choir of over 50 vocalists. Today, our concerts offer an eclectic repertoire, mostly unaccompanied, encompassing early music, sacred and secular works, and folk and world music. We are committed to expanding choral repertoire for women’s voices and regularly commission new Canadian works that preserve and revitaliz...    less

The late Ella Fitzgerald, who was known as one of the best Female vocalists of her time, was once quoted as saying: “The only thing better than singing is more singing.” In the USA alone, more than 28.5 million people regularly sing in one of ...

The full title of our collective is: National collective of Russian Federation Nizhny Novgorod State University Academic Choir! During these years the Choir has been awarded honorary degrees and awards: * National collective of Russian Federation *...  moreThe full title of our collective is: National collective of Russian Federation Nizhny Novgorod State University Academic Choir! During these years the Choir has been awarded honorary degrees and awards: * National collective of Russian Federation * Laureate of Lenin's Komsomol of Gorky region * Diploma of Bolshoi Theatre * Laureate of International Competition in Riga (Latvia) * Diploma of International Choir Festival in Valencia (Spain, 1996) * Diploma of I University Choirs Festival in Izhevsk (Russia, 2000) * Diploma of Festival in Sarov (Russia, 2000) * Diploma of III University Choirs Festival in Izhevsk (Russia, 2004) * Laureate of X Choir Festival in Nizhny Novgorod (Russia, 2004) * Silver Diploma of X International Choir Competition in Budapest (Hungary, 2005) * Gold Diploma of IX international Choir Competition in Riva del Garda (Italy, 2006) * Laureate of IV Russian University Choirs Festival in Votkinsk (Russia, 2006) * Laureate of II degree of Russian University Choirs Festival in ...    less

[The views expressed in this blog are from my personal experiences from 25 years of leading non-auditioned community Choirs in the UK, as well as adult singing workshops. My focus is on teaching by ear using a repertoire of songs from traditions across th...

[The views expressed in this blog are from my personal experiences from 25 years of leading non-auditioned community Choirs in the UK, as well as adult singing workshops. My focus is on teaching by ear using a repertoire of songs from traditions across th...

[The views expressed in this blog are from my personal experiences from 25 years of leading non-auditioned community Choirs in the UK, as well as adult singing workshops. My focus is on teaching by ear using a repertoire of songs from traditions across th...

[A version of this article first appeared as a post on my blog From the Front of the Choir] I had a friend who moved to a new town and set up a new Choir, blissfully ignorant of the 100+ community chorus that already existed there.   phot...