Concerts

Spring 2020 Concert “Celebrating Beethoven”

This concert is cancelled to help slow the rate/amount of infection with the Covid-19 virus.  Any tickets will be refunded.

Fall 2019 Concert “A Choral Advent”

The Concert was held at our usual venue at St George’s United Church on the corner of Fitzgerald Avenue and 6th Street at the end of November.

Hail! Bright Cecelia – Henry Purcell. 1659-1682
O Magnum Mysterium – Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina. 1525-1594
Magnificat – Franz Schubert. 1797-1828
Gloria – Francis Poulenc. 1899-1963

Carol Anne Parkinson, Sophie Simard, Lisa Stephens Deith, Brian Lawrence and Christopher Bellamy were our soloists along with the North Island Choral Orchestra and trumpets!  Here is an article about our concert from the Record.  Download our program NICS fall 2019 program 

Come and Enjoy “A Choral Advent”

 On Friday and Saturday, November 29 and 30,  North Island Choral, with a supporting orchestra of 27 musicians, will perform their winter concert, “A Choral Advent”.  Advent, from the Latin meaning “coming”, is a season beginning December 1 and observed in many Christian churches as a time of expectant waiting and preparation for the celebration of the birth of Jesus at Christmas.
The works chosen by artistic director Paul Colthorpe celebrate Advent through the centuries.  We open with Purcell’s “Hail! Bright Cecilia” in recognition of the patron saint of music and then perform a beautiful 16^th century piece by Palestrina, “O Magnum Mysterium”.  The piece expresses the joy and awe that was felt by the shepherds as they celebrated and worshiped the Christ-child in the manger on Christmas Eve.
From the 19^th century, Franz Schubert’s “Magnificat”  presents the joy felt by Mary when she learns she is to give birth to Christ.  The  orchestra with strings, woodwind, and brass accompanies the four-part choir and the four soloists who sing the peaceful middle section of the three-section work.    The choir will be supported by accompanist, Elvera Penner, and the orchestra with concertmaster Corinne Innes, along with soloists Sophie Simard, Lisa Stephens-Deith, Brian Lawrence and Christoper Bellamy.
Francis Poulenc’s  “Gloria”  written in 1959 for soprano solo, sung by Carol Anne Parkinson,  orchestra and chorus is a setting of the Gloria text from the ordinary mass.  As a 20^th century composition, it’s six movements exhibit elements of earlier music as well as the more modern, brassy sounds of jazz.  There are a number of key changes from major to minor, quick tempos which give a dance-like impression, and slower, mysterious parts.
Please join us for a memorable afternoon or evening of wonderful music in celebration of Advent along with the opportunity to sing some Christmas carols. The concerts are on Friday, November 29^th   at 7:30pm. and on Saturday November 30^th  at 2:00pm,  at St. George’s United Church, 505 6^th Street in Courtenay.  Tickets are $20 and can be purchased at Blue Heron Books in Comox and Laughing Oyster Books in Courtenay. Tickets can also be obtained at the door.  Tickets for ages 12 and under can be purchased at the door for $5.

For those who may be planning their Spring 2020 getaways, these are the dates of our Spring 2020 Concert.
We don’t want to miss you! Concerts will be on April 3rd 2020 at 7:30 p.m. and April 4th at 2:00 p.m.

 

Spring 2019 – North Island Choral Presented Brahms, Bach and Beethoven. “The Three Bs”

North Island Choral Society gave a spring concert which was performed at St George’s Church April 12th and 13th 2019.  Below is a short article which  appeared in The Record in March 2019.  Download our program  NICS Spring 2019

Choral Society’s Spring Concert Features Brahms, Bach and Beethoven – the “Three Bs”

On Friday and Saturday April 12 and 13th, the North Island Choral Society, with a supporting orchestra of 25 musicians, will perform pieces by Brahms, Beethoven and Bach.   The Concerto for Two Violins in D minor, #1 is one of Bach’s most famous works and is also known as the the Double Violin Concerto.  The first movement, Vivace, will be performed by Isabella and James Donn on violin, accompanied by Wayne Donn on piano.

The young pianist, Danielle Bae, will perform the first of Ludwig van Beethoven’s Elf Bagatellen Op. 119  or the Eleven Bagatelles.   A bagatelle is a short, light piece of music, written typically for piano and the first one, a minuet played in a moderately quick tempo, is  G minor Allegretto.

 The choir and their artistic director, Paul Colthorpe, with accompanist Elvera Penner, will present Johann Sebastian Bach’s Cantata No.147: Herz und Mund und Tat und Leben (Heart and Mouth and Deed and Life) is a church cantata, a medium-length narrative piece for voices sung in German with instrumental accompaniment.  The opening by the choir is followed by arias and recitatives sung by the four soloists: soprano Carol Anne Parkinson,  alto Lisa Stephens-Deith, tenor Brian Lawrence and baritone Christopher Bellamy . The music of the sixth chorale is the familiar Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring. 

The featured work is Johannes Brahms’ A German Requiem, to Words of the Holy Scripture.  It is a sacred piece sung in German for chorus, orchestra, soprano and baritone soloists and Brahms’ consummate skills in counterpoint and rhythm are well-demonstrated.   The solo parts of the requiem are performed by  Parkinson and Bellamy.  Their rich voices will complement the work of the choir, as will the accompanying orchestra.

Please join us for a memorable afternoon or evening of wonderful music in celebration of the three Bs.   The concerts are on Friday April 12^th  at 7.30pm. and on Saturday April 13th at 2.00pm,  at St. George’s United Church, 505 6^th St, in Courtenay.

 

North Island Choral Presented “A Fantasy of English Carols” November/December 2018

The North Island Choral Society began rehearsals for their winter concert “A Fantasy of English Carols” on Tuesday, September 4.  This community choir provides a unique musical opportunity for singers of all ages in the Comox Valley to join for the love of classical music with no auditions to cause anxiety!  Its repertoire covers a broad range of classical choral music, generally involving 80 singers, a supporting orchestra of 20-25 musicians and up to 5 soloists, ably directed for the past 24 years by Paul Colthorpe and accompanied by Elvera Penner.

The repertoire for our upcoming winter performances can be termed “A Fantasy of English Carols” or a collection of seasonal songs in free form. The wor

ks chosen by Colthorpe for this concert are truly a collection of fantasia by four well-known English composers of the 20^th century: Benjamin Britten, Gustav Holst, John Rutter, and Ralph Vaughan Williams.

The Magnificat by John Rutter is a composition of seven movements based on the verses from the Gospel of St. Luke wherein the Virgin Mary learns that she is to give birth to Christ. In the words of Rutter, “it is a poetic outpouring of praise, joy and trust in God” which weaves a magical spell of peace.  He combines Latin text with an English poem; Gregorian chants with Latin American elements to reflect the feast days of the Virgin which are celebrated with singing, dancing and processions.   Soprano Carole Anne Parkinson is the soloist.

A Ceremony of Carols is a choral piece by Benjamin Britten which consists of eleven movements with text in Latin and in Middle English based on poems from the 15^th and 16^th centuries.  Many of the movements are written as rounds or call-and-response pieces; the Gregorian chant in unison marks the beginning and end.  The parts range from upbeat and festive to reverent; quiet and soothing to dark and foreboding.  Soprano soloist Sophie Simard will join Carol Anne Parkinson for this work.

Ralph Vaughan Williams‘ Fantasia on Christmas Carols is a choral tapestry of folk songs from southern England:  The Truth Sent from Above, Come All You Worthy Gentlemen, On Christmas Night, and There is a Fountain.  It also features fragments of other well-known carols such as The First Nowell. Baritone Christopher Bellamy sings with the choir in this piece,

Some five years before writing The Planets, Gustav Holst wrote Christmas Day, a choral fantasia of old carols.  He makes use of familiar tunes such as God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen and The First Nowell in combination with the Old Breton Melody and Good Christian Men Rejoice to weave a festive piece of solo and choral parts with the central theme of rejoicing.

The concerts will take place on Friday, November 30 at 7.30 pm. and on Saturday, December 1 at 2.00 pm. Both concerts are at St. George’s United Church, 505 6^th St, Courtenay, B, C.  Download your own copy of this information Information Winter 2018 Concert

Tickets are $20 , $5 for under 12s and will be available for purchase at The Blue Heron and Laughing Oyster bookstores at the beginning of November. Also from Choir members and at the door.

Below is a copy of an article in the Comox Valley Record

North Island Choral Presents “A Fantasy of English Carols”

On Friday and Saturday November 30 and December 1, the North Island Choral Society, with a supporting orchestra of 20 musicians, will perform their winter concerts, “A Fantasy of English Carols”.  A fantasia is a musical composition with a free form and one that is often based on several familiar tunes.  It may also be composed of a mixture of different forms or styles.  The works chosen by director Paul Colthorpe for this concert are truly a collection of fantasias by four well-known English composers of the 20^th century: Benjamin Britten, Gustav Holst, John Rutter, and Ralph Vaughan Williams.  The choir will be supported by accompanist, Elvera Penner, and the orchestra with choirmaster Corrine Innes, along with soloists Carol Anne Parkinson, Sophie Simard and Christopher Bellamy.
The Magnificat by John Rutter is a composition of seven movements based on the verses from the Gospel of St. Luke wherein the Virgin Mary learns that she is to give birth to Christ. In the words of Rutter, “it is a poetic outpouring of praise, joy and trust in God” which weaves a magical spell of peace.  He combines Latin text with an English poem; Gregorian chants with Latin American elements to reflect the feast days of the Virgin which are celebrated with singing, dancing and processions.

A Ceremony of Carols is a choral piece by Benjamin Britten which consists of eleven movements with text in Latin and in Middle English based on poems from the 15^th and 16^th centuries.  Many of the movements are written as rounds or call-and-response pieces; the Gregorian chant in unison marks the beginning and end.  The parts range from upbeat and festive to reverent; quiet and soothing to dark and foreboding, making this another fantasia for advent.

Ralph Vaughan Williams’ Fantasia on Christmas Carols is a choral tapestry of folk songs from southern England:  The Truth Sent From Above, Come All You Worthy Gentlemen and On Christmas Night. It also features fragments of other well-known carols such as The First Nowell and a tune There is a Fountain. 

Some five years before writing The Planets, Gustav Holst wrote Christmas Day, a choral fantasia of old carols.  He makes use of familiar tunes such as God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen and The First Nowell in combination with the Old Breton Melody and Good Christian Men Rejoice to weave a festive piece of solo and choral parts with the central theme of rejoicing.

Please join us for a memorable afternoon or evening of wonderful music in celebration of Advent.  The concerts are on Friday, November 30^th at 7:30pm. and on Saturday December 1^st at 2:00pm, at St. George’s United Church, 505 6^th Street in Courtenay.

Tickets are $20 and can be purchased at Blue Heron Books in Comox and Laughing Oyster Books in Courtenay. Tickets can also be obtained at the door.
Tickets for ages 12 and under can be purchased at the bookshops and at the door for $5.