The Mississauga Chamber Singers are a community-based choir with excessive requirements. They’re dedicated to classical repertoire, in addition to supporting rising artists and strengthening their ties with the group.
Creative Director Mervin Fick is a graduate of the College of Toronto (MusBac) and the Royal Conservatory (ARCT — Efficiency and Instructor). He has a 35 yr profession in choral directing, with an intensive repertoire and programming expertise.
LvT spoke to him in regards to the choir and the evolution of its function locally.
Mississauga Chamber Singers Creative Director Mervin W. Fick: The Interview
“The MCS went via two evolution states,” says Mervin Fick.
The unique Mississauga Choral Society boasted a choir of 80+ members. That mannequin was sustained for a couple of years, he notes, together with a efficiency through the opening season of the Mississauga’s iconic Dwelling Arts Centre in late Nineteen Nineties.
Over time, as he relates, the big choir simply wasn’t sustainable within the metropolis. It was round that interval on the flip of this century that he was invited to grow to be the choir’s Creative Director. He and the group have been on the lookout for new instructions. Mervin remembers assembly legendary Mississauga mayor Hazel McCallion at a fundraising occasion. Her recommendation was one thing like “If the individuals of Mississauga can’t discover you, it’s a must to discover them.”
The idea of exploring outreach extra deeply sparked a brand new mind-set when it comes to viewers improvement. A really massive choir is a much less versatile ensemble, and never suited to the various smaller phases within the metropolis.
The as soon as massive choir and its mandate have been divided into three streams: the normal ticketed concert events, concert events for senior’s communities, and concert events for college children.
Working with a chamber choir modifications the dynamics and interplay of the voices, as he explains. It opens up the chance for every singer’s contribution to be extra concerned. “They’re personally colouring the strains extra intimately or extra complexly,” he says.
A New Path — And New Identify
Together with the brand new route got here a brand new title.
For a time, the group was recognized merely as MCS Choral Society. Suggested by a marketing consultant that “choral” wasn’t a phrase that up to date audiences linked with, it then grew to become MCS Refrain.
Nonetheless, one other artist administration agency prompt that letter-based names aren’t as efficient or memorable as a extra particular moniker. “Now it’s Mississauga Chamber Singers.”
With sturdy help from the Metropolis of Mississauga, the choir performs 20+ concert events per years — together with concert events carried out at 18 colleges and 5 senior’s houses. A part of the technique is to supply dwell music to these public organizations at numerous instances of the yr. As he factors out, many musical visitors are inclined to favour Christmas and different holidays with regards to senior’s dwelling visits.
“I developed a program for the senior’s residences to assist us all have a good time Canada Day,” he says. The choir will carry out this system through the weeks main as much as Canada Day, a time when many musical organizations are on summer time hiatus.
Fick had already been working within the area of arts administration for a while when he took over MCS. He understood that organizational change was essential for plenty of causes.
“I knew that we needed to do one thing for brand spanking new technology audiences.”
He cites the inclusion of latest repertoire like Ottawa composer James Okay. Wright’s A Gallery of Track: Spirit of the Land, a piece that units to music poetry written by younger writers impressed by the Group of Seven artists and their work. When such works are carried out for audiences of faculty youngsters, it’s not about emphasizing the thought of “classical” music. “It’s simply dwell music,” Fick says. In some circumstances, it’s the one actual dwell music expertise lots of the younger listeners have had.
It’s additionally about sending a message. “Singing in a choir is cool.” he says.
Live performance
MCS’s upcoming live performance on March 1 consists of two items: Mozart’s Solemn Vespers de Confessore, and Haydn’s Paukenmesse.
“We’re attempting to say in Mississauga that classical music will be in your leisure menu.”
With that in thoughts, the Mississauga Chamber Singers have established an annual “Mozart in March” custom. Each 5 years or so, it includes the Requiem. This yr, it’s his Vespers.
“The Vespers is definitely fairly well-known,” he says, noting it’s usually heard in an instrumental transcription slightly than the unique soprano solo with refrain. “It’s one in every of these swish […] melodies.”
The piece, with textual content drawn from the Psalms, varies in temper all through, however ends on a celebratory word.
Together with Mozart himself, Fick says he wished audiences to know extra in regards to the individuals Mozart influenced — like Haydn. The Paukenmesse, or Missa in tempore belli (Mass in time of conflict), was composed as one in every of a gaggle of six plenty written by Haydn for the Esterházy household between 1796 and 1802. The final of those, H.22/14, was accomplished shortly earlier than in poor health well being took away Haydn’s means to compose.
Throughout this era, the Austrians, together with the remainder of western Europe, have been at conflict. “This one is in a time when Austria is being surrounded by individuals who wish to go to conflict.” Fick didn’t essentially need to emphasize that facet, significantly due to the work’s musical character.
“It’s principally sunny, vigorous and dynamic, and optimistic,” he says.
That’s the sentiment he wished to convey throughout these instances of instability — the motion from reflection to renewed hope. As he factors out, the longevity of the compositions is already a message.
“Each of those items, similar to nice artistic endeavors, they transcend — they’ve lasted longer — than their unique church perform,” he notes, simply as they may admire the portray of a Renaissance Madonna in an artwork museum with out feeling its religious message.
The live performance additionally options soloists Mary Jane Egan (soprano), Rachel Miller (alto), Benjamin Achieved (tenor), and Bradley Christensen (bass).
Coming Up…
After the March 1 live performance, the MCS season continues with a efficiency of Haydn’s Creation on April 26. Fick may also be conducting Haydn’s Creation the next day (April 27) with the Toronto Seaside Chorale at St. Anne’s Anglican Church in Toronto.
He’s trying ahead to the work.
“The entire function of that’s to do it with the actually massive orchestra.”
- Discover extra particulars in regards to the Mississauga Chamber Singers concert events [HERE].
Are you trying to promote an occasion? Have a information tip? Have to know the perfect occasions taking place this weekend? Ship us a word.
#LUDWIGVAN
Get the day by day arts information straight to your inbox.
Join the Ludwig Van Toronto e-Blast! — native classical music and opera information straight to your inbox HERE.
Anya Wassenberg is a Toronto Metropolis Editor at Ludwig Van. She is an skilled freelance author, blogger and writing teacher.
