Renowned Canadian choral ensembles bring holiday cheer to Roy Thomson Hall in two upcoming Christmas concerts

Victoria Scholars Men’Äôs Choral Ensemble

& the Senior Choir of St. Michael’Äôs Choir School

A Christmas Celebration

Jerzy Cichocki, conductor / William O’ÄôMeara, organ

Tuesday, December 15, 2009 at 12 Noon, Roy Thomson Hall / Toronto

FREE Admission - Call 416-872-4255 for further information

www.roythomson.com

The Victoria Scholars Men’Äôs Choral Ensemble and the Senior Choir of St. Michael’Äôs Choir School join forces for a thrilling Christmas concert of sacred and secular choral music on Tuesday, December 15 at 12 Noon as part of Roy Thomson Hall’Äôs FREE Noon Hour Choir & Organ Concert Series. The combined two choirs, totaling over 150 singers, are led by conductor Jerzy Cichocki with William O’ÄôMeara providing the organ solos and accompaniments. The program includes festive works of the season by Bieble, Mendelssohn, Gruber, Widor, Owalabi, Holman, and many others, plus sing-alongs. Admission is FREE.

Established in 1993, the all-male 15-member Victoria Scholars recently released their 3^rd CD and are a past winner of the prestigious Healey Willan Grand Prize of the CBC Radio National Competition. In addition to their Toronto concerts, they have toured in Eastern and Western Canada. The 142 young choristers of the Senior Choir of St. Michael’Äôs Choir School are part of a rich choral tradition that has produced some of Canada’Äôs finest vocalists, including Michael Burgess, John McDermott and Michael Schade. Jerzy Cichocki is Artistic Director of St. Michael’Äôs Choir School, Conductor of the Senior Choirs of St. Michael’Äôs Cathedral, and Music Director of the Victoria Scholars. Dr. Cichocki received his Doctor of Musical Arts Degree in Conducting from Yale University and has guest conducted orchestras and choirs across Canada and the U.S. William O’ÄôMeara, Organist at St. Michael's Cathedral and Accompanist for the choirs of St. Michael's Choir School, has performed widely in Europe, Russia, North and South America and is well known for his improvisations for silent films.

Roy Thomson Hall’Äôs popular noontime series, currently celebrating its 13^th season, showcases Canada’Äôs finest choral ensembles and organists in concert and spotlights Roy Thomson Hall’Äôs magnificent Gabriel Kney Pipe Organ. The series is generously supported by Edwards Charitable Foundation.

Toronto Children’Äôs Chorus

A Chorus Christmas: Season of Creation

Elise Bradley, Artistic Director

Saturday, December 19, 2009 at 2PM - Roy Thomson Hall / Toronto

Tickets: $44.50 - $34.50: Call 416-872-4255 or visit the Roy Thomson Hall Box Office

www.roythomson.com

The multi-award-winning Toronto Children’Äôs Chorus returns to Roy Thomson Hall to present its annual Christmas concert, a long-standing and cherished Toronto tradition. Artistic Director Elise Bradley leads more than 300 choristers ’Äì ages 6 to 17 ’Äì in an enchanting program of traditional and contemporary seasonal classics including Benjamin Britten’Äôs A Ceremony of Carols, Bob Chilcott’Äôs Canticles of Light, and Ruth Watson Henderson’Äôs Creation’Äôs Praise. Special guests include True North Brass, harpist Judy Loman, organist Ruth Watson Henderson, and percussionist Andy Morris. The 100-member Alumni Choir sings carols in the Lobby before the concert under the direction of guest conductor Linda Beauprˆ©.

The Toronto Children’Äôs Chorus is recognized as one of the world’Äôs leading choral ensembles for children. Founded in 1978 by Jean Ashworth Bartle, the chorus is celebrating its 32^nd concert season and its third season under the direction Artistic Director Elise Bradley who was appointed to the position in 2007. Ms. Bradley was previously Head of Music at Westlake Girls’Äô High School in Auckland, New Zealand and also served as Musical Director of the NZ Secondary Students’Äô Choir. Under her baton, her New Zealand choirs have won such prestigious awards as the City of Vienna Prize at the Internationales Jugendng and Champions at the World Choral Games in Xiamen, China. Since arriving in Toronto, Ms. Bradley has prepared the TCC for their annual series of concerts as well as for performances with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra and the Bach Consort. The choristers’Äô 2009 summer tour to Austria, Germany, and the Czech Republic included a personal invitation from the Vienna Boys’Äô Choir to perform with them at Vienna’Äôs famed Musikverein.

This performance is co-presented by Toronto Children’Äôs Chorus and Roy Thomson Hall.