A vocal group in the Greater Toronto Area will be paying tribute to the work of women composers through a live-streamed concert this June.
The Upper Canada Choristers is a group that gathers singers of diverse voices and talents from Toronto and nearby areas like Vaughan. Its upcoming performance, called To Sit and Dream, will also encompass a wide variety of music, from Gregorian chants to modern classical music.
The works performed will include Rosephayne Powell’s To Sit and Dream, set to words by poet Langston Hughes, along with Canadian choral composer Sarah Quartel’s piece Snow Angel. The group is conducted by Laurie Evan Fraser, with Hye Won Cecilia Lee and Ayako Ochi as key accompanists.
The group has sought to keep its spirit alive while maintaining social distancing through live-streamed performances. The choir performed Inti Ukana: A Latin American Tapestry last October, and also put on a Christmas-themed Comfort & Joy stream in December.
Concerts like this, typically advertised through means like brochure printing and social media posts, combine singers of various experience levels and professionalism to create unified choral pieces. The Upper Canada Choir seeks to perform a variety of choral pieces from around the world, with inspiration from areas like Latin America and Asia, as well as closer to home.
The Upper Canada Chorister’s To Sit and Dream performance will take place in Toronto on June 26 and will be streamed for free online.
