Richard Eaton Singers

Last updated
Richard Eaton Singers
Choir
Origin Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Founded1951 (1951)
FounderRichard Eaton
Chief conductorTimothy Shantz
Website richardeatonsingers.com

Richard Eaton Singers is a symphonic chorus in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada which has played a leading role in the cultural community of the city for over seven decades. Richard Eaton Singers (RES) is dedicated to the enjoyment, study and performance of great choral music to an international standard of excellence, and to fostering the appreciation and future of this musical genre. Often partnering with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra, RES has created many choral events in our city, including the performance of Mahler's Symphony of a Thousand to celebrate the opening of the Francis Winspear Centre for Music. RES has commissioned and produced premiere performances by Canadian composers, including John Estacio, Allan Bevan, Stephanie Martin, Imant Raminsh and Mark Sirett, as well as participated in several ESO premiers of Canadian works, including Malcolm Forsyth's A Ballad of Canada. RES has toured extensively across Canada, the Netherlands, Britain and Germany, and has participated in choir exchanges, including with the Calgary Philharmonic Choir and Vancouver Bach Choir. RES also regularly performs with other Edmonton area choirs, most recently with Kappella Kyrie in a concert in June 2023 as a fundraiser for assistance to Ukrainian refugee families who have relocated to Edmonton.

Contents

History

The University Singers chorus was founded in 1951 by Richard Eaton, the first Chair of the Department of Music at the University of Alberta. [1] In 1969, after Eaton's death, the choir voted to rename the group after its founder. [2] [3]

Richard Eaton conducted the Chorus until 1967, and was succeeded by Alexandra Munn (1967–1973), Larry Cook (1973–1981), and Leonard Ratzlaff (1981-2022), all U of A faculty members. [4]

The choir has completed a number of tours in Canada; in 1970 the choir performed several concerts in England, [5] and in 1987 they traveled to The Hague. [6]

In the 1980s the RES conducted evening concerts at Edmonton's All Saints Cathedral. [7] [4]

RES is currently conducted by Timothy Shantz, department head of Choral Conducting at the University of Alberta (2021). [8]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eric Whitacre</span> American composer (born 1970)

Eric Edward Whitacre is a Grammy-winning American composer, conductor, and speaker best known for his choral music.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robert Shaw (conductor)</span> American conductor

Robert Lawson Shaw was an American conductor most famous for his work with his namesake Chorale, with the Cleveland Orchestra and Chorus, and the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and Chorus. He was known for drawing public attention to choral music through his wide-ranging influence and mentoring of younger conductors, the high standard of his recordings, his support for racial integration in his choruses, and his support for modern music, winning many awards throughout his career.

The BBC Symphony Chorus is a British amateur chorus based in London. It is the dedicated chorus for the BBC Symphony Orchestra, though it performs with other national and international orchestras.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mass (Stravinsky)</span>

Igor Stravinsky composed his Mass between 1944 and 1948. This 19-minute setting of the Roman Catholic Mass exhibits the austere, Neoclassic, anti-Romantic aesthetic that characterizes his work from about 1923 to 1951. The Mass also represents one of only a handful of extant pieces by Stravinsky that was not commissioned. Part of the motivation behind its composition has been cited by Robert Craft and others as the product of a spiritual necessity, as Stravinsky intended the work to be used functionally.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Canadian Chamber Choir</span>

The Canadian Chamber Choir 's mission is to build community through choral singing. The CCC is a national ensemble that provides a professional choral environment for Canadian singers, conductors and composers, and travels across Canada promoting Canadian choral music. Under the artistic direction of Julia Davids, the CCC convenes in different regions of Canada twice a year, offering concerts and mentoring choral practitioners of all ages and stages.

The St. Lawrence Choir is a Canadian mixed-voice choir that performs music from the classical choral repertoire as well as contemporary works by Canadian and other composers. It was founded in 1972.

The Leeds Festival Chorus is based in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It has 160 singing members in soprano, alto, tenor and bass sections. Presenting classical choral music of a professional standard in Yorkshire and elsewhere, including at the BBC Proms and abroad - for example in Venice. The Chorus is broadcast regularly on BBC Radio 3.

Pacific Chorale, founded in 1968, is a professional chorus performing in Costa Mesa, California at the Renée and Henry Segerstom Concert Hall at Segerstrom Center for the Arts.

The Ambrosian Singers are an English choral group based in London.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Donald Nally</span> Musical artist

Donald Nally is an American conductor, chorus master, and professor of conducting, specializing in chamber choirs, opera, and new music. He is conductor of the professional new-music choir, The Crossing, based in Philadelphia. He teaches graduate students at Northwestern University's Bienen School of Music.

John Alldis was an English chorus-master and conductor.

Gerald Richard Fagan is considered one of Canada's premier choral conductors. He is the former Conductor and Artistic Director of Fanshawe Chorus London, The Gerald Fagan Singers, and the Concert Players Orchestra. He has been married to Marlene Fagan since 1961. They have five children; Leslie, Louise, Judy, Jennifer and Jonathon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leonid Skirko</span> Canadian opera singer

Leonid SkirkoUkr. Леонід Миколайович Скірко was a Canadian bass-baritone opera singer of Ukrainian origin.

Richard Andrew Sparks is an American choral conductor. He is one of the leading figures in choral music in the Pacific Northwest and in Scandinavian, especially Swedish a cappella, choral music.

The London Philharmonic Choir (LPC) is one of the leading independent British choirs in the United Kingdom based in London. The patron is Princess Alexandra, The Hon Lady Ogilvy and Sir Mark Elder is president. The choir, comprising more than 200 members, holds charitable status and is governed by a committee of 6 elected directors. As a charity, its aims are to promote, improve, develop and maintain education in the appreciation of the art and science of music by the presentation of public concerts.

The Choral Arts Society of Washington is a major choral organization based in Washington, D.C. Founded in 1965 by Norman Scribner, it is regarded as one of the premier symphonic choruses in the United States. The Choral Arts Society of Washington consists of three vocal ensembles; the Choral Arts Chorus, the Choral Arts Chamber Singers, and the Choral Arts Youth Choir.

Gavin Carr is a British conductor and baritone working with major choruses in the UK and appearing in opera and concert in the UK and around the globe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bristol Choral Society</span> English choir, founded in 1889

Bristol Choral Society is a large mixed-voiced choir based in Bristol, England, founded in 1889. As of 2002, it is conducted by Hilary Campbe]], it has around 140 auditioned members. The choir stages at least three concerts annually at the Bristol Beacon in Bristol with professional orchestras and soloists, and another annually at Bristol Cathedral in addition to other performances and broadcasts in Bristol and further afield.

The Ukrainian Male Chorus of Edmonton (UMCE) was founded in 1984 in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, and has performed at many events and festival both in Canada and internationally. Performances include Expo '86, the International Choral Festival, along with tours to Ukraine, Poland, and Eastern Europe. Each year the UMCE hosts a Christmas concert, A Festive Mosaic. A Festive Mosaic is hosted by the UMCE and hosts several different groups each year, including soloists, duos, and other choirs from the Edmonton region. The concert is usually held at McDougall United Church. The UMCE is also a member of the Alberta Choral Federation (ACF). The UMCE has also performed numerous times with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra (ESO) at the Winspear Centre in downtown Edmonton.

Orest Soltykevych is a Ukrainian-Canadian conductor, currently conducting the Ukrainian Male Chorus of Edmonton and the Verkhovyna Ukrainian Choir. Orest is also a radio program announcer and producer at the CKUA Radio Network. Orest is the son of Roman Soltykewych.

References

  1. "Richard Eaton Singers brought music to the people". University of Alberta website, by Tom Murray, June 1, 2001
  2. Margaret C. Matheson (2001). A Passion for Music: A Biography of Richard S. Eaton. Spotted Cow Press. pp. 274–. ISBN   978-0-9688977-0-6.
  3. Clifford Ford (1982). Canada's music: an historical survey. GLC Publishers. p. 213.
  4. 1 2 Pan Pipes of Sigma Alpha Iota. G. Banta Publishing Company. 1978. p. 19.
  5. Donald F. Forster (1971). Canadian Annual Review of Politics and Public Affairs. University of Toronto Press. p. 562.
  6. "Richard Eaton Singers". The Canadian Encyclopedia, Allison Kydd, Brian Harris 02/07/2006
  7. Phillip Buckner; R. Douglas Francis (1 November 2011). Canada and the British World: Culture, Migration, and Identity. UBC Press. pp. 331–. ISBN   978-0-7748-4031-6.
  8. Ellen Schoeck (1 October 2006). I Was There: A Century of Alumni Stories about the University of Alberta, 1906–2006. University of Alberta. pp. 278–. ISBN   978-0-88864-855-6.