VOCA 9th ANNUAL CABARET, Sat., Mar. 2, 2019
Our 9th Annual VOCA CABARET / SILENT AUCTION on Saturday, March 2, 2019 at the Estonian House, 958 Broadview Ave. featured several of our multi-talented choristers (including some of our professional leads) as soloists, in duos and in larger ensembles, performing an eclectic array of serious (and silly) musical theatre, jazz, classical, folk and other selections.
Our ever popular Silent Auction was highlighted at this fully licensed event, VOCA’s major annual fundraiser.
EARTH, SEA & SKY II, Sat., Apr. 27, 2019
On Sat., April 27, 2019, 7:30 pm at our EARTH, SEA & SKY II concert at Eastminster United, the VOCA Chorus of Toronto presented a spirited choral celebration of Earth Week. Our featured work, jazz musician Paul Winter‘s remarkable – and more timely than ever – tribute to the Earth, the “Missa Gaia / Earth Mass”, combined divergent musical styles and instrumentation with haunting recordings of a lone tundra wolf, singing Humpback whales and harp seal calls.
We also performed Cree composer Andrew Balfour‘s riveting “Ambe”, a wide range of inspiring selections by contemporary Canadian composers Paul Halley, Sarah Quartel and Matthew Emery, and compelling works by Ola Gjeilo and others.
Some of Canada’s most outstanding jazz and classical musicians joined us as our guest artists: Alana Bridgewater, vocalist, Colleen Allen, sax, Shawn Grenke, organ, Roberto Occhipinti, bass, Mark Kelso, drums & percussion and Juan Carlos Medrano, percussion.
POPCORN & PLAYBILLS CABARET, Fri., Oct. 11, 2019
On Friday, October 11, 7:30 pm, VOCA Chorus of Toronto soprano Emily Vick Agnew & artistic director Jenny Crober presented a fabulous tribute to movie musicals at the “POPCORN & PLAYBILLS” Cabaret.
Special guests included three of VOCA’s wonderful professional leads, Lindsay Connolly (mezzo), Parker Clements (baritone) & Kevin Mulligan (tenor), along with several multi-talented grads of Sheridan’s renowned Bachelor of Music Theatre Performance program, Liam Crober-Best (tenor), Tevra Plamondon (soprano), Aidan Burke (baritone) & Gunho Kwak (baritone).
Our sold-out VOCA fundraiser featured a wide variety of solos, duets & larger ensembles, complete with vintage costumes, video projections… & FREE POPCORN! …in an intimate setting: The Social Capital, 154 Danforth Avenue, near Broadview and Danforth Avenues, in Riverdale.
Comfort & Joy
Saturday, December 7, 2019
At 7:30 pm on Saturday, December 7, 2019 at Eastminster United Church (310 Danforth Ave. at Jackman/Chester Station) VOCA performed an eclectic and engaging choral celebration of the season, “COMFORT & JOY”.
We presented Antonio Vivaldi’s magnificent “Gloria”, with soloists Dallas Chorley, soprano and Lindsay Connolly, mezzo soprano, as well as Ralph Vaughan Williams‘ lush setting of folk carols, “Fantasia on Christmas Carols”, featuring baritone Parker Clements, accompanied by guest artists, the VOCA Chamber Orchestra.
A wide variety of seasonal selections in our 2nd half included works by Ola Gjeilo (“The Rose“), Elise Letourneau (“Ave Maria for Mary Tevlin“), Mark Sirett (“Christmas in Carrick“), Pentatonix (“Carol of the Bells“), Karen Rymal (“Maoz Tzur”), a quirky version of “Jingle Bells”, and our finale by Karl Jenkins (“In Dulci Jubilo”), which featured all of our performers.
Our ever-popular, annual carol sing-along, fabulous raffle and scrumptious home-baked goods sale rounded out this evening of music… a perfect way to welcome the holiday season!