Choir group celebrates 50 years

This 2011-2012 season, Da Camera Singers celebrates its 50th anniversary. It has the distinction of being Edmonton’s oldest chamber choir, and it can be said it has truly stood the test of time.

To stay fresh, the 35-member choir has collaborated with different choral and orchestral groups such as Alberta Baroque Ensemble, Edmonton Symphony Orchestra and the Edmonton Junior Children’s Choir.

Dedicated St. Albert emissaries include sopranos Wendy Vanderwel and Rosemarie Barnes.

In its season launch on Sunday, Nov. 13 at First Baptist Church, the singers are offering a different view of their multi-faceted personality with works commissioned from member composers of Tonus Vivus Society for New Music.

“Last spring we asked for commissions. We received a stack of submitted scores and choral pieces. We chose two works,” says artistic director John Brough.

The first work is Alex Eddington’s Light Look Down. Eddington is a local composer who has collaborated on casual improvisations and full theatrical productions with Mile Zero Dance Company, Nextfest and The Works Art and Design Festival.

“The piece itself is quite gripping. It starts with an alto line on how light is framed. It comes out of nothing and continues to grow. It is actually about light, peace and war and it plays up the sadness and joy,” Brough said.

The second piece is the very short Lacrimosa by Jack Sobieraj, a Vancouver-area composer.

“It’s written on a text from the Requiem mass, it is an experiment in sustaining sound. It’s like listening to a new piece in slow motion. The changes happen so slowly it’s almost imperceptible,” Brough said.

In addition to the new modern compositions, Brough is bringing back some old favourites sung over the years.

One of his favourite Edmonton composers is former University of Alberta instructor Violet Archer. The choir is singing Sing Unto the Lord a New Son, a Psalm 98 setting.

“She had a good sense of writing uplifting, enlightening works,” Brough said.

Another is composer Leonard Enns’ composition of former St. Albert resident E. D. Blodgett’s poem The Only Face I Want Is Yours.

“It’s a lovely beautiful story, but it’s very abstract,” he said.

And in the older tradition of composition, Brough brings back Brahms’ Opus 74 Warun ist das licht gegben.

“Brahms is such a good fit,” he said. “His music is so approachable and idiomatic in that Romantic style.”