SEASON SONGS, Sun., Dec. 5, 2010

On Sunday, December 5, 2010 at 3:30 pm at Eastminster United Church, The East York Choir presented ‘SEASON SONGS’, an eclectic mix of choral works to celebrate the season, including Early music, carols, gospel, jazz and world music.

Our special guests were gospel/R & B vocalist, Quisha Wint, percussionist/drummer, Ray Dillard and guitarist/mandolin player, Charlie Roby.

Several selections featured soloists from the choir, including Martin Houtman, Bryan Estabrooks, Tom Roedding and Lindy Pinto.

We also presented a repeat performance of Jenny Crober’s choral arrangement of Zachary Richard’s poignant, Acadian-themed “Dans le Nord Canadien”, featuring vocalist Chi Chi Godin, Charlie Roby, guitar, and Ray Dillard, percussion.

STAGESONG, Sun., June 6, 2010

EYC’s 2010 Spring concert, ‘STAGESONG’, held on Sunday, June 6, 2010 at 3:00 pm at Eastminster United Church, featured choral, solo and ensemble favourites from the worlds of opera and musical theatre.

Our special guests that afternoon were:
Jennie Such, soprano; Vilma Vitols, mezzo soprano; Rona Goldensher, violin; Laura Jones, cello; Dianne Aitken, flute; Nicholas Coulter, percussion, drums.

Selections in the first half of the program included the “Drunken Poet” scene from Purcell’s ‘The Fairy Queen’ featuring soloist Tom Roedding, the legendary “Habanera” from Bizet’s ‘Carmen’ featuring Vilma Vitols, the sublime soprano solo and chorus, “Placido è il Mar” from Mozart’s ‘Idomoneo’ featuring Jennie Such and Verdi’s stirring “Va Pensiero” chorus, from ‘Nabucco’.

The second half featured medleys from ‘West Side Story’, ‘The Sound of Music’ (including Jennie Such’s stunning rendition of “Climb Ev’ry Mountain”, with choir), ‘Ragtime’ and ‘Crazy for You’ (with soloist, Jenny Sardone), as well as favourites such as “My Funny Valentine”, “Blow, Gabriel, Blow” (featuring soloist, Lisa Kapp and trumpeter, Dan Kapp), Irving Berlin’s wistful “What’ll I Do?” (for sopranos and altos), and “Seasons of Love” (with soloist, Bryan Estabrooks), from the rock opera, ‘RENT’. Alto Pamela Maxwell-Steele sang a heart-wrenching performance (with instrumental ensemble accompaniment) of Sondheim’s “Send in the Clowns”. Our final selection, featuring soloist Lindy Pinto, choir, and all of our guest artists was “You’ll Never Walk Alone” from Roger and Hammerstein’s ‘Carousel’ – a poignant, rousing finale.