Thursday 27 September 2012

SCF Goes North!

What are your plans for Culture Days weekend?

This weekend, Saskatchewan Choral Federation will be teaming up with the Flin Flon Arts Council to share some choral culture with the communities of Creighton and of Flin Flon during Flin Flon Culture Days 2012. "These communities have a strong reputation of support for the arts and we are excited to work with them during Culture Days weekend," says Amanda Walton, SCF Program Coordinator.

The weekend's choral clinics will be offered by Swift Current's own, Marcia McLean. Marcia is currently the artistic director of the Swift Current Oratorio Choir, teaches private voice lessons, gives choral workshops and adjudicates. She has adjudicated for the Moose Jaw Band and Choral Festival and communities affiliated with the Saskatchewan Music Festival Association.

Choral activities will begin on Thursday, September 27, with an intensive day-long choral workshop being offered to the Creighton and Flin Flon high school choirs, followed by an evening workshop with the Coppertones. Rotating choral workshops will be offered to students on Friday as part of Flin Flon Culture Days' SUPERSTAR! program. An adult choir workshop will be held with the community choir on Saturday followed by an evening performance.

SCF is excited to share Culture Days 2012 with the Creighton and Flin Flon communities.

Friday 14 September 2012

Library Reminder

It's Not Too Late To Borrow Music!

Over 80 new titles were added to the SCF Choral Library, including:
  • A Gaelic Blessing - John Rutter
  • Five Hebrew Love Songs - Eric Whitacre
  • Like a Singing Bird - Bob Chilcott
  • Innoria - Donald Patriquin
  • Wade in the Water - Moses Hogan
  • Black Is The Color Of My True Love's Hair - arr. Rene Clausen
  • There Will Be Rest - Frank Ticheli
  • The Drunken Sailor - Robert Sund
  • Love Walked In - Steve Zegree
  • Buffalo Gals - Bob Chilcott
  • The Turtle Dove - arr. Linda Steen Spevacek
  • If Music Be The Food Of Love - David C. Dickau
  • Ngana - Stephen Leek
  • Set Me As A Seal (from A New Creation) - Rene Clausen
  •  The Moon Is Distant From The Sea - David N. Childs
  • Johnny Has Gone For A Soldier - arr. Alice Parker and Robert Shaw
  • Ave Maria - Javier Busto
  • Amor De Mi Alma (You Are The Love Of My Soul) - Z. Randall Stroope
  • Salmo 150 (Psalm 150) - Ernani Aguiar
  • Praise His Holy Name - Keith Hampton
  • Sarah - arr. Jonathan Quick
  • Famine Song - arr. Matthew Culloton
  • A Lover And His Lass - Donald Patriquin
  • O My Luve's Like a Red, Red Rose - arr. Rene Clausen
  • Muie Rendera - C.A. Pinto Fonseca
  • Te Deum - Eleanor Daley
  • and much more!
Check out the online library listings and reserve your music today!

SK Music Conference - Registration Reminder

Don't Miss Out - Early Bird Registration Closes Oct. 1

Don't miss your chance to attend SK Music Conference at a reduced rate!  Early bird registration is available until October 1.  Take advantage of the great choral sessions being offered at SK Music Conference this year:
  • Conductor Tune-up - In the flurry of our busy choral teaching and conducting lives, how often do take time to analyze what our bodies are saying to our choristers?   (Elroy Friesen)
  • It's All About the Text . . .   Text is key to inspired performance! This session focuses on using text to teach tone, technique, interpretation, and performance skills.  (Elroy Friesen)
  • Cracking the Boy Code - This humorous and informative session will take a look at how boys learn and process information differently than girls. Learn how we as teachers can gear our classes and private lessons to aid our male students to learn at their fullest potential.  (Gregory Chase)
  • Senior Choral Reading Session - Music supplied by Long & McQuade.  (Elroy Friesen)
  • Junior Choral Reading Session - Music supplied by Long & mcQuade.  (Elroy Friesen)
  • and more!
Be sure to sign up for the SMC Chamber Choir and re-experience the excitement of honour choir as you share the joy of choral singing with fellow delegates from across the province.  Rehearsals begin Thursday, November 1 with the concert performance to occur on Friday, November 2.

NEW IN 2012 - Register by September 30th and have your name entered to win a Deluxe King-Size room at the Saskatoon Inn for the weekend!

Sing Along With Jeffery Straker At SMC's Kitchen Party Welcome Social!

Join us on Thursday, November 1 (after Chamber Choir rehearsal, of course) for even more choral fun!  Saskatchewan's own Jeff Straker, will be joining us at the conference to perform and lead us in a sing along at the SMC Kitchen Party Welcome Social!  Don't miss out!

Singer-songwriter-pianist Jeffery Straker performs over 100 shows per year across Canada. He recently recorded for CBC radio’s ‘Canada Live’, and had a music video rise to the top 10 (#6) on Canada’s Much More Music. His previous album ‘Step Right Up’ was the #5 selling album in his home-land of Saskatchewan in August 2010, ahead of both Justin Bieber and Lady Gaga. He’s sure neither of them cared. But he is sure that he, in fact, did. 

Ease the Load & Lighten the Way - Take a Break & Get a Grip

Keynote Speaker - Patricia Katz 

Super-sized, multi-role demands and a supersonic pace can and do exact a huge toll on individuals, their families, and the organizations in which they work. Ongoing overload negatively impacts physical, mental and emotional health.
And, to make matters worse, overloaded individuals often abandon the very self care practices that would bring relief and help them cope. This situation is unhealthy, unprofitable, unsustainable, and ... unnecessary. Life and work do not have to be this way!

This session will help you and your colleagues:
  • Reset your mindset to embrace a more sustainable response to the nonstop pressures of a 24/7 world.
  • Enhance productivity & renew energy by giving yourselves and each other permission to offset the pressure to perform with well-paced pauses for renewal.
  • Adopt practical, workable strategies to help you carry the load, define the load, control the load, and celebrate the load.
  • Reinforce your progress through accountability and reminders.

Click here to REGISTER NOW.

Nominations Reminder

Board of Director Nominations Due Oct. 1

Saskatchewan Choral Federation is looking to fill five (5) vacant positions on its Board of Directors that will be open for election at the Annual General Meeting, November 3, 2012 at the Saskatoon Inn.  Nomination forms are due October 1st.  Click here to make a nomination.

Deadline Reminder

Find Fame At SK Music Conference!

Apply to perform during one of the breaks at this year's SK Music Conference at the Saskatoon Inn.  If you have a small group who can perform on a stage with a minimal requirement for equipment and set-up, then you're invited - you perform and we'll enjoy!  Scheduled breaks are:
  • Friday, Nov. 1 - 10:30 - 10:50 AM and 2:30 - 2:50 PM
  • Saturday, Nov. 2 - 10:00 - 10:20 AM
Please send us an e-mail outlining the:
  • Number of people in your group
  • Type of performance
  • Time you would prefer to perform
The Conference Committee will review proposals on September 22 and contact applicants shortly afterwards.  Sorry, there are currently no honorariums or expenses available, but we'll buy you coffee and applaud loudly!

Thursday 13 September 2012

SK Culture Days Reminder

Call For Participants

If you are a Saskatchewan singer or choir who is looking for a new kind of choral experience that fosters participation then SCF needs you to join us as we show off choral culture in Saskatchewan during this year's SK Culture Days.  The event will take place on Saturday, September 29.  Contact the SCF office for more details.

Choral Concert!

Singing Our Hearts Out! - Chantons a plein choeur!

You are invited to celebrate the diversity of Western and Northern Canadian francophone choral singing on one stage on Saturday, October 6, at 7:30PM at Knox Metropolitan Church.

In celebration of the Year of the Fransaskois, Alliance chorale Manitoba and its partners are delighted to present Chantons a plein chœur! / Singing our Hearts Out!, a retrospective look at the contribution of French language choirs to the musical culture of our province. Four choirs will offer a unique concert experience on October 6th at 7:30 PM at the Knox Metropolitan Church in Regina. A repertoire of original songs written by francophone songwriters from Western and Northern Canada, songs from Quebec, from France, gospel music and English songs will be presented.

The choirs: Plaines de gospel(SK) with choir director Annette Campagne, Les bles au vent (MB) with choir director Guy Boulianne, Les Ceusses-qui-ont-du-fun-quand-y-chantent (YK) directed by Danielle Bonneau and the vocal ensemble Aurora Chorealis (N.W.T.) will offer a performance full of passion. They will share the stage with special guest artists Gerry & Ziz of Manitoba and Folle Avoine, Christie-Anne Blondeau, Alexis Normand and Shawn Jobin of Saskatchewan.

Tickets are available at the Association canadienne-francaise de Regina (ACFR). Phone to reserve your tickets 306-566-6020 www.acfr.ca. Ticket price is $ 20.00 before October 5th / $25.00 at the door.

Alliance chorale Manitoba is an organization which supports the development of French language choir singing in Manitoba. It has embarked on this project in partnership with Assemble?e communautaire fransaskoise, the Conseil culturel Fransaskois, the Association canadienne-francaise de Regina, the Institut francais of the University of Regina, the Saskatchewan Choral Federation and Radio-Canada Manitoba/Saskatchewan.

For more information, please contact: Beatrice Gaudet, Producer & Artistic Director Chantons a plein chœur! at 204-489-4479 • bgfocusinc@mymts.net

Dream Broker Summer Music Camp

Photos & Video Are Now Available!

They're finally here!  Check out the official Dream Broker Summer Music Camp video here and camp photos here.

The Dream Broker Summer Music Camp was held in Saskatoon on July 3 -- 6, 2012 and in Regina on July 23 -- 26, 2012 and gave students a four-day intensive introduction to a wide range of instruments including: Guitar, Violin, Piano, Percussion, Band, Choir and First Nations' Hand Drumming and Storytelling.  Approximately 45 students came to each camp with little musical experience and left with a greater knowledge and appreciation of music.

The Dream Broker Summer Music Camp is an initiative by the Saskatchewan Choral Federation, Saskatchewan Music Educators Association, Saskatchewan Music Festival and the Saskatchewan Orchestral Association in collaboration with the Dream Broker Program.  It was supported by SaskCulture and PotashCorp with additional funding and in-kind contributions provided by Long & McQuade, First Student Canada, the University of Saskatchewan, the University of Regina, Conexus Credit Union, Access Communications, Signs by BGN, Culligan Water Matters Saskatoon, Water Warehouse Regina.

The Dream Brokers program is a joint venture between SaskSport, SaskCulture and the Saskatchewan Parks and Recreation Association to increase access to sports, culture and recreational activities for children and youth.  The Dream Brokers program was started in 2006 in partnership with the Regina Public and Catholic school boards. Dream Broker coordinators work in schools to ensure children and youth, who traditionally have not had access, get the chance to participate in new opportunities within their community.

For more information, visit: http://www.saskchoral.ca/html/whats_new/NE_DBSMC/index.cfm

Wednesday 12 September 2012

Connect With Us!

SCF Has Gone Social

SCF is now on Facebook and Twitter and we want to connect with you!  Follow @SKChoral on Twitter and like our Facebook page SCF Saskatchewan Choral Federation to join the conversation and catch the latest updates on choral events in the province.  You can also check out our YouTube and Flickr pages for videos and photos of the latest SCF and Saskatchewan Music Alliance events.

Twitter:
https://twitter.com/SKChoral

Facebook:
www.facebook.com/saskchoral

YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/user/SKChoral?feature=mhee

Flickr:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/saskchoral/