≈ 2 hours and 18 minutes · With intermission
Last updated: December 18, 2023
Dedication
This performance of Handel’s Messiah is dedicated to the memory of Mrs. Margarete Mrak. We are grateful for Mrs. Mrak's dedication to live music and for the Mrak Family for continuing her legacy.
Program
GEORGE FRIDERIC HANDEL Messiah, HWV 56
PART ONE
Sinfony: Grave – Allegro moderato
Accompagnato (Tenor): Comfort ye, comfort ye, my people, saith your God. Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned. The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, “Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.”
Air (Tenor): Ev’ry valley shall be exalted, ev’ry mountain and hill made low, the crooked straight, and the rough places plain.
Chorus: And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.
Accompagnato (Bass): Thus saith the Lord, the Lord of Hosts: yet once, a little while, and I will shake the heav’ns, and the earth, the sea and the dry land; and I will shake all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come: the Lord whom you seek, shall suddenly come to His temple, ev’n the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold He shall come, the Lord of hosts.
Air (Alto) : But who may abide the day of His coming? And who shall stand when He appeareth? For He is like a refiner’s fire.
Chorus: And He shall purify the sons of Levi that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness.
Recitative (Alto): Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call His name Emmanuel: “God with us.”
Air (Alto) and Chorus: O thou that tellest good tidings to Zion, get thee up into the high mountain; O thou that tellest good tidings to Jerusalem, lift up thy voice with strength; lift it up, be not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah, “Behold your God: Arise, shine, for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee.”
Accompagnato (Bass): For behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the Lord shall arise upon thee, and His glory shall be seen upon thee, and the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and the kings to the brightness of thy rising.
Air (Bass): The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light; and they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined.
Chorus: For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given, and the government shall be upon His shoulder; and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
Pifa: Pastoral Symphony
Recitative (Soprano): There were shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flocks by night.
Accompagnato (Soprano): And lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them, and they were sore afraid.
Recitative (Soprano): And the angel said unto them: Fear not, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David, a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
Accompagnato (Soprano): And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God, and saying,
Chorus: Glory to God in the highest and peace on earth, good will toward men.
Air (Soprano): Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem; behold, thy King cometh unto thee: He is the righteous Saviour, and He shall speak peace unto the heathen.
Chorus: His yoke is easy, and His burthen is light.
Intermission
PART TWO
Chorus: Surely, He hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows. He was wounded for our transgressions. He was bruised for our iniquities, the chastisement of our peace was upon Him.
Chorus: And with His stripes we are healed.
Chorus: All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way, and the Lord hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all.
Air (Alto): He was despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief. He gave His back to the smiters, and His cheeks to them that plucked off the hair: He hid not His face from shame and spitting.
Accompagnato (Tenor): All they that see Him, laugh Him to scorn; they shoot out their lips, and shake their heads, saying:
Chorus: He trusted in God that He would deliver Him: let Him deliver Him, if He delight in Him.
Accompagnato (Tenor): Thy rebuke hath broken His heart; He is full of heaviness; He looked for some to have pity on Him, but there was no man, neither found He any to comfort Him.
Arioso (Tenor): Behold, and see if there be any sorrow like unto His sorrow.
Accompagnato (Tenor): He was cut off out of the land of the living; for the transgression of Thy people was He stricken.
Air (Tenor): But Thou didst not leave His soul in Hell, nor didst Thou suffer Thy Holy One to see corruption.
Air (Soprano): How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace and bring glad tidings of good things.
Air (Bass): Why do the nations so furiously rage together, and why do the people imagine a vain thing? The kings of the earth rise up, and the rulers take counsel together against the Lord, and against His anointed, saying:
Chorus: Let us break their bonds asunder and cast away their yokes from us.
Recitative (Tenor): He that dwelleth in Heaven shall laugh them to scorn: The Lord shall have them in derision.
Air (Tenor): Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; Thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.
Chorus: Hallelujah for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. The kingdom of this world is become the Kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ; and He shall reign for ever and ever. King of Kings, and Lord of Lords, Hallelujah!
PART THREE
Air (Soprano): I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that He shall stand at the latter day upon the earth; and though worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God. For now is Christ risen from the dead, the first-fruits of them that sleep.
Chorus: Since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.
Accompagnato (Bass): Behold, I tell you a mystery: we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet.
Air (Bass): The trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
Chorus: Worthy is the Lamb that was slain, and hath redeemed us to God by His blood, to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing. Blessing and honour, glory and pow’r, be unto Him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb, for ever and ever.
Chorus: Amen.
— Text from the King James version of the Bible, selected and arranged by Charles Jennens. Carus Edition, Ton Koopman & Jan H. Siemons, editors.
Repertoire
Messiah, HWV 56
Probably Handel’s most famous work, Messiah (1741) is the only composition of its time to be performed continuously since its premiere in Dublin on April 12, 1742. The remarkable frequency of its performance was due in part to the accessibility of the score (which was published in 1767), and its enduring popularity owes much to the unique qualities of its text and the ways Handel set it to music.
Messiah is an oratorio—a semi-dramatic genre akin to opera but on a religious topic. Like an opera, an oratorio may have a narrative plot with characters, and unfold with operatic elements such as recitatives, arias, and choruses. However, unlike an opera, it’s performed in concert form—that is, without scenery, costumes, and acting (though action would be implied). In Italy during the first half of the 18th century, oratorios were substitutes for opera during Lent, a solemn season during the Christian liturgical calendar when one had to abstain from opera among other worldly activities. Messiah is, notably, a certain kind of concert oratorio that Handel had developed in England, as an alternative to Italian opera, which, by mid-century, was falling out of favour and fashion with audiences there. After its premiere, he introduced Messiah to London theatres beginning in 1743. Initially, the oratorio’s sacred subject appearing in a secular context provoked controversy but later, shifts in circumstance and audience tastes eventually made this a non-issue. In subsequent revivals, Handel always scheduled performances of it at the end of the theatre season, within a couple of weeks before Easter. Today, Messiah is usually performed around Christmas.
Messiah tells the story of God’s redemption of mankind through Christ the Saviour. Charles Jennens, a friend of the composer’s, created the libretto by selecting and adapting verses from the Old and New Testaments in the Authorized Version of the Bible. The verses are grouped so the drama unfolds in three main parts: Part One presents the prophecies about the Messiah’s coming, and their fulfillment in his birth; Part Two follows the passion story of Christ, his crucifixion, death, and resurrection, the rejection of Christ, and God’s ultimate victory; Part Three is a meditation on what is accomplished through Christ’s victory—the promise of eternal life and triumph over death. While the story has clear religious significance, Jennens avoids a dogmatic interpretation. As a result, Messiah’s narrative, rich in complex human themes and emotions, can be appreciated by anyone, regardless of belief or creed.
Handel’s Messiah is unique to the oratorio genre because its story is presented, not through the personification of characters, but rather, in a descriptive format by the voices of the four soloists and chorus. The text thus becomes something to be contemplated, enhanced by the composer’s deft use of recitative, aria, and chorus, to infuse variety and drama. In the recitatives, there’s a notable distinction between those accompanied by continuo (i.e. keyboard and cello) versus those accompanied by orchestra (“accompagnato”). While the former serve to introduce new topics, the latter drive the narrative forward in key moments, for example, “And lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them” (Part One), “Thy rebuke hath broken His heart” (Part Two), and “Behold, I tell you a mystery” (Part Three). For the ensuing airs (or arias) during which matters are more deeply reflected upon, Handel uses a mixture of forms. He had originally planned four arias to be set in the elaborate Baroque da capo (ABA) form but only the one for alto, “He was despised”, was not shortened before the first performance. This aria carries deep emotional weight, setting the stage for the dramatic arc of Part Two that ultimately culminates in the glorious “Hallelujah” chorus.
Regarding the choruses, shifting musical textures—from unison declarations to layered counterpoint to majestic chordal statements—enliven these commentaries to powerful effect. The aforementioned “Hallelujah” chorus is a particularly brilliant example, incorporating monophonic (“King of Kings”), homophonic (the opening “Hallelujah”), and polyphonic (“And he shall reign for ever and ever”) textures. Listen also to how it goes from low and quiet on “The kingdom of this world is become” to suddenly loud on “the Kingdom of the Lord, and of his Christ”, on a similar motif but in a higher register, as if radiant—a musical representation of the transformation described in the text. In the final “Amen” chorus, Handel inventively contrasts homophonic and polyphonic textures as well as vocal and orchestral timbres to bring the oratorio to a magnificent close.
Program note by Hannah Chan-Hartley, PhD
Artists
Grammy-winning conductor Jeannette Sorrell is recognized internationally as one of today’s most compelling interpreters of Baroque and Classical repertoire. She is the subject of the 2019 documentary Playing with Fire: Jeannette Sorrell and the Mysteries of Conducting by Oscar-winning director Allan Miller.
Bridging the period-instrument and symphonic worlds from a young age, Sorrell studied conducting at the Aspen and the Tanglewood music festivals under Leonard Bernstein and Roger Norrington, and harpsichord with Gustav Leonhardt in Amsterdam. She won First Prize in the Spivey International Harpsichord Competition, competing against over 70 harpsichordists from four continents.
Sorrell made her New York Philharmonic debut in 2021 and Philadelphia Orchestra debut in 2022, both to rave reviews. She has repeatedly conducted the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, Seattle Symphony, Utah Symphony, The Florida Orchestra, and New World Symphony, and she has also led the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic (J.S. Bach’s St John Passion), the National Symphony Orchestra at the Kennedy Center, Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, Opera Theatre of Saint Louis with the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, Grand Rapids Symphony, and Philharmonia Baroque in San Francisco, among others. This spring she also makes her debut with the Orquesta Sinfónica de Castilla y León (Spain).
As founder and conductor of Apollo’s Fire, she has led the renowned ensemble at London’s BBC Proms, Carnegie Hall, and many international venues. Sorrell and Apollo’s Fire have released 30 commercial CDs, including 11 bestsellers on the Billboard classical chart and a 2019 Grammy winner. Her CD recordings of J.S. Bach’s St John Passion and Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons have been chosen as best in the field by the London Sunday Times (2020 and 2021). Her Monteverdi Vespers recording was chosen by BBC Music Magazine as one of “30 Must-Have Recordings for Our Lifetime” (September 2022). With over 12 million views of her YouTube videos, Sorrell has attracted national attention and awards for creative programming, using contextual and dramatic elements.
Soprano Sonya Headlam performs music that spans centuries, from the Baroque era to the present. She has received acclaim as a soloist on prestigious stages across the United States. Notable recent highlights include her debut with the Philadelphia Orchestra in Handel’s Messiah and a memorable performance at Severance Hall in Cleveland, Ohio, alongside conductor Jeannette Sorrell and Apollo’s Fire. Other esteemed ensembles with which Sonya has collaborated include the North Carolina Symphony, the New World Symphony, and the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, among others. This season, she eagerly anticipates making her solo debuts with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra and the New York Philharmonic, and making her Canadian debut with the National Arts Centre Orchestra in Ottawa.
Sonya’s repertoire encompasses ensemble, chamber, opera, concert works, and art songs. She has a passion for collaborating with living composers and bringing their new compositions to life, and she is equally passionate about championing the voices of those historically overlooked in classical music. This season, she will present several solo recitals, including a performance at the 2024 Music Teachers National Association Conference, in Atlanta, Georgia.
In 2023, Sonya was appointed as the Rohde Family Artist-in-Residence at the Chelsea Music Festival, where she engaged in meaningful collaborations and premiered new works. She has contributed to various innovative contemporary projects throughout her career, including Yaz Lancaster’s song cycle ouroboros, produced by Beth Morrison Projects, and several performances of Julia Wolfe’s Steel Hammer with the Bang on a Can All-Stars, including at MASS MoCA and Carnegie Hall.
Sonya is featured on the Raritan Players’ latest recording, In the Salon of Madame Brillon: Music and Friendship in Benjamin Franklin’s Paris, and is presently collaborating with them on an album that will feature the music of Ignatius Sancho and premiere new compositions by Trevor Weston.
Canadian mezzo-soprano Georgia Burashko has been hailed as “a model of expressiveness” and “emotionally evocative” (Opera Going Toronto). Based in Den Haag, Netherlands, Georgia is a winner of The Dutch Classical Talent, which earned her a solo recital tour of her own curation through the Netherlands in 2023–2024. This season, Georgia sings Messiah under the baton of Nicholas McGeegan with both the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra and the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra, and makes her debut at The Bach Festival in Leipzig with the Netherlands Bach Society. She also joins the cast of Purcell’s The Fairy Queen with William Christie’s Les Arts Florissants, kicking off a global tour of the production, including stops at New York’s Lincoln Center and Versailles’s Opéra Royal. This past season, she premiered J.S. Bach – The Apocalypse, a joint opera production with De Nederlandse Bachvereniging and Opera2Day which toured the Netherlands. Georgia also recently released her debut album with Italian harpist Michela Amici entitled Dal suono dolcissimo, featuring both 17th-century Italian music and new works for voice and Baroque harp.
Operatic credits include Nerone (Agrippina), Juno (Orphée aux Enfers), Tirinto (Imeneo), Zosha (Farewell Auschwitz), Cari Bayar (Nicole Lizée and Joel Ivany’s No One’s Safe), Dritte Dame (Die Zauberflöte), and Zerlina (Don Giovanni) in which she was praised for her “heartfelt delivery, her luminous voice matching her radiant beauty” (Opera Canada).
Georgia was a 2019 Rebanks Family Fellow at the Glenn Gould School, and received a master’s degree in Early Music with Distinction from the Koninklijk Conservatorium Den Haag, where she attended as a Holland Fellow on full scholarship. Her work at the Koninklijk Conservatorium was celebrated for “possessing a marvelous instrument, placed at the service of musical artistry with the deepest engagement.”
Lauded for his luminous projection, lyrical sensitivity, and brilliant coloratura, American-Canadian tenor Lawrence Wiliford is in high demand in concert, opera, and recital repertoire. In 2022–2023, he joined both the Houston Symphony and NAC Orchestra for Handel’s Messiah, and returned to Early Music Vancouver for vocal selections by Schütz. In the 2023–2024 season, Wiliford appears as the tenor soloist in Messiah with the NAC Orchestra as well as the Toronto Korean Canadian Choir. He also returns to the Hamilton Philharmonic for Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9.
Lawrence Wiliford’s concert engagements encompass the major symphony orchestras and early music groups in the U.S. and Canada. Recent season highlights include performances of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra; Mozart’s Requiem with the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra and Seattle Symphony; and Britten’s Serenade for Tenor, Horn, and Strings, Op. 31 with the Hamilton Philharmonic. Additional appearances of note include Handel’s Messiah with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Detroit Symphony Orchestra, National Symphony Orchestra, Naples Philharmonic, Louisiana Philharmonic, Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra, Edmonton Symphony Orchestra, and Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra. With the National Arts Centre Orchestra, he has previously sung in J.S. Bach’s Mass in B minor and Christmas Oratorio, Mozart’s Requiem, and Haydn’s Nelson Mass.
His recorded projects appear on several labels and include a Grammy-nominated and Juno Award–winning recording of music by Vaughan Williams with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra and Peter Oundjian (Chandos); J.S. Bach’s St John Passion under the direction of Alex Weimann (ATMA Classique); a program of late works for tenor and harp by Benjamin Britten (ATMA Classique); and sacred songs by Edmund Rubbra, Ralph Vaughan Williams, and Gustav Holst (Stone Records). He is also a featured soloist on the 2020 Juno Award–nominated recording of Zachary Wadsworth’s oratorio When There is Peace by Chor Leoni Men’s Choir. In addition to his performing schedule, Lawrence Wiliford is co-artistic director of the Canadian Art Song Project.
Kevin Deas has gained international renown as one of America’s leading bass-baritones. He is perhaps most acclaimed for his signature portrayal of the title role in Porgy and Bess, having performed it with the New York Philharmonic, Philadelphia Orchestra, National Symphony Orchestra, St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, and Pacific Symphony, as well as with the most illustrious orchestras on the North American continent, and at the Ravinia, Vail, and Saratoga festivals.
Kevin Deas’s 2023–2024 season includes performances of Mozart’s Requiem with the Vermont Symphony Orchestra and Mobile Symphony Orchestra, and Handel’s Messiah with the North Carolina Symphony, Washington National Cathedral, Houston Symphony, and NAC Orchestra. Other notable performances in the season include a Gershwin program with the Oregon Symphony and Rochester Philharmonic, Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 with the Pacific Symphony, and Brahms’s German Requiem with Long Beach Symphony Orchestra. He will also be performing the role of Commendatore in Mozart’s Don Giovanni with Boston Baroque, as well as the role of Dick Hallorann in Paul Moravec’s critically acclaimed opera The Shining with Opera Atlanta.
A proponent of contemporary music, Kevin Deas has performed Menotti’s Amahl and the Night Visitors at Italy’s Spoleto Festival, Derek Bermel’s The Good Life with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, and Hannibal Lokumbe’s Dear Mrs. Parks with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. He also enjoyed a 20-year collaboration with the late jazz legend Dave Brubeck.
Kevin Deas has recorded Wagner’s Die Meistersinger (Decca/London) with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra under Sir Georg Solti and Varèse’s Ecuatorial with the ASKO Ensemble under Riccardo Chailly. Other releases include Bach’s Mass in B minor and Handel’s Acis and Galatea (Vox Classics); Dave Brubeck’s To Hope! with the Cathedral Choral Society (Telarc); Haydn’s Die Schöpfung with the Virginia Symphony Orchestra and Boston Baroque (Linn Records); and Dvořák in America (Naxos).
Cantata Singers of Ottawa (CSO) is marking 60 years and Artistic Director Andrew McAnerney has programmed “A Season of Celebration.”
CSO’s concert series for 2023–2024 includes Rachmaninoff’s Vespers (in November), Arctic Soundscapes with music from Arctic countries (in April), and the CSO@60 Anniversary Concert (in June) with works from the choir’s 60 years of music making, specially commissioned pieces, and Haydn’s Nelson Mass with The Ottawa Baroque Consort.
Founded in 1964, the choir of approximately 45 voices has distinguished itself in the performance of music of many styles and musical periods from early music to minimalism, and is at home singing a cappella, with orchestra, or with small ensembles. The choir aspires to perform choral music to the highest standards, promotes choral music in Ottawa, and supports Canadian musical talent by commissioning Canadian composers, engaging Canadian musicians, providing scholarships to young Canadian singers, and including works by women and Canadian composers in seasonal programming.
With the exception of the COVID period, CSO has performed annually with the National Arts Centre Orchestra under the baton of every NAC Artistic Director, plus visiting guest conductors, since the NAC’s opening in 1969.
The choir has been an invited guest at a number of Canadian music festivals, including Festival de Lanaudière and Festival of the Sound. It has also partnered with such well-known Canadian choirs as Pro Coro Canada of Edmonton, the Vancouver Chamber Choir, and Montreal’s St. Lawrence Choir in joint concerts. Thanks to numerous CBC and Radio Canada broadcasts, the choir is well known across Canada.
Juno-nominated conductor Andrew McAnerney was raised in the British Choral tradition as a boy chorister at Gloucester Cathedral, England. He studied music at Magdalen College, University of Oxford, and upon graduation took a position as a professional tenor (lay clerk) at St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle. In Europe Andrew built a career as a conductor, consort singer, soloist, and arranger performing extensively with many of the world’s finest vocal ensembles including the Tallis Scholars, BBC Singers, and the Brabant Ensemble.
Andrew moved to Canada in 2012 and since then has guest-directed ensembles including Arion Baroque Orchestra, the NAC Orchestra, Chamber Players of Canada, Elmer Iseler Singers, Elora Singers, Chœur Louisbourg, and La Rose des Vents. Andrew was appointed Artistic Director of the Studio de musique ancienne de Montréal (SMAM) in 2015 and is also director of the Cantata Singers of Ottawa, and the choir of men and boys at Christ Church Cathedral. In the latter role he directed the music for the national ceremonies in honour of Prince Phillip (2021) and Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II (2022).
As a singer and conductor Andrew is credited on over 50 recordings including the music of Bach, Brumel, Clemens non Papa, Crequillon, Gombert, Handel, Lotti, Morales, Moulu, Mozart, Palestrina, Phinot, Purcell, and Rore. Andrew’s debut CD with SMAM, Laudate dominum, featuring music by Lassus, was released by ATMA Classique in 2017. His second CD, L’Homme armé, also released on the ATMA Classique label, was nominated for a 2022 Juno Award in the category Classical Album of the Year (Large Ensemble).
Andrew is passionate about musical excellence and accessibility. He regularly teaches for Canadian Amateur Musicians Musiciens Amateurs du Canada (CAMMAC) and works with children and adults of all ages to explore and make music.
The Capital Chamber Choir (CCC) is an auditioned ensemble of experienced choral singers from the National Capital Region. The choir and Artistic Director, Jamie Loback, are committed to bringing a diverse range of choral music—in particular, modern, Canadian, and local works—to audiences through high-calibre and engaging performances. Founded in 2009 by Dr. Sara Brooks, the choir is a true collaboration, emphasizing the importance of collegiality in generating an integrated choral sound. CCC is a volunteer-led organization, drawing Executive Board and Committee members from within the ensemble itself.
Each season, CCC presents its own concert series in addition to undertaking collaborative projects with other musicians. The choir has collaborated with notable ensembles including the National Arts Centre Orchestra, Thirteen Strings Chamber Orchestra, Elmer Iseler Singers, and Canadian Chamber Choir, and has hosted masterclasses or performances with composers including John Rutter, Morten Lauridsen, Ola Gjeilo, and Ēriks Ešenvalds.
CCC released its all-Canadian debut album, The Delight of Paradise, in April 2017. In 2018, the choir performed a Spotlight concert in St. John’s, Newfoundland as part of the Podium Choral Conference & Festival. CCC won second prize in the Mixed-Voice Adult Choirs category of the National Competition for Canadian Amateur Choirs in 2019 and was invited to perform at Rideau Hall for recipients of the Order of Canada.
Though the COVID-19 pandemic put a halt to live performances in 2020 and 2021, CCC took advantage of the break to record two series of video sessions on YouTube. The choir re-emerged on stage in Fall 2021 and has since been building up to consistent seasons! CCC is looking forward to a full 2024–25 season program including innovative works on the National Arts Centre stage, exploring soundscapes with a local connection, a revival concert, and celebrating our 15th anniversary!
Jamie Loback holds a Master of Music degree from the University of Ottawa and is the Artistic Director of both the Capital Chamber Choir and the Ottawa Regional Youth Choir. Since 2005, he has served as Director of Music at St. Joseph’s Parish in Ottawa, conducting the church’s three choirs.
Jamie is a passionate advocate for contemporary choral music, especially works by Canadian composers as well as young composers who require performance opportunities for their music. He is dedicated to fostering inspiration, enthusiasm, and creativity in the next generation of choral musicians.
Canada’s National Arts Centre (NAC) Orchestra is praised for the passion and clarity of its performances, its visionary learning and engagement programs, and its unwavering support of Canadian creativity. The NAC Orchestra is based in Ottawa, Canada’s national capital, and has grown into one of the country’s most acclaimed and dynamic ensembles since its founding in 1969. Under the leadership of Music Director Alexander Shelley, the NAC Orchestra reflects the fabric and values of Canada, engaging communities from coast to coast to coast through inclusive programming, compelling storytelling, and innovative partnerships.
Since taking the helm in 2015, Shelley has shaped the Orchestra’s artistic vision, building on the legacy of his predecessor, Pinchas Zukerman, who led the ensemble for 16 seasons. Shelley’s influence extends beyond the NAC. He serves as Principal Associate Conductor of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in the U.K. and Artistic and Music Director of Artis—Naples and the Naples Philharmonic in the U.S. Shelley’s leadership is complemented by Principal Guest Conductor John Storgårds and Principal Youth Conductor Daniel Bartholomew-Poyser. In 2024, the Orchestra marked a new chapter with the appointment of Henry Kennedy as its first-ever Resident Conductor.
The Orchestra has a rich history of partnerships with renowned artists such as James Ehnes, Angela Hewitt, Renée Fleming, Hilary Hahn, Jeremy Dutcher, Jan Lisiecki, Ray Chen and Yeol Eum Son, underscoring its reputation as a destination for world-class talent. As one of the most accessible, inclusive and collaborative orchestras in the world, the NAC Orchestra uses music as a universal language to communicate the deepest of human emotions and connect people through shared experiences.
A hallmark of the NAC Orchestra is its national and international tours. The Orchestra has performed concerts in every Canadian province and territory and earned frequent invitations to perform abroad. These tours spotlight Canadian composers and artists, bringing their voices to stages across North America, the U.K., Europe, and Asia.
Tobi Hunt McCoy is enjoying another year as season Stage Manager with the National Arts Centre Orchestra. In past seasons, she stage-managed Mendelssohn’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream with Christopher Plummer in 2001 and Colm Feore in 2014. She co-produced the 1940s Pops show On the Air with Jack Everly for the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra, a show they co-produced in 2007 for the NAC Orchestra.
In 2018, McCoy made her Southam Hall acting debut in the role of Stage Manager in the Magic Circle Mime Co.’s production of Orchestra from Planet X. Additional professional duties have included aiding Susanna and the Countess in schooling the Count and Figaro on the finer points of marital love during The Marriage of Figaro, keeping her eyes open (for the first time ever) during the flying monkey scene in The Wizard of Oz, mistakenly asking Patrick Watson for proof of identity backstage, holding her breath while marvelling at the athletic ability of the cast during Cirque Goes Broadway, continuing to implement feedback on her British-Columbian French with the choruses of Ottawa, and cheering on Luke and Princess Leia with Charlie Ross, Émilie Fournier, and Eric Osner during the Star Wars Pops concert.
In her spare time, McCoy is the Head of Arts, Drama, English, and Library at Lisgar Collegiate Institute.
Credits
Chorus
Valerie Dueck, Rehearsal Pianist
Soprano
Katelyn Adey*
Kristi Aruja+
Melanie Aubert+
Sophie Clausius+
Bonnie Day+
Genny DeMerchant+
Valerie Douglas+
Deirdre Garcia+
Natasha Harwood+
Victoria Holland+
Sharon Keenan+
Talia Kennedy*
Erica Loughlin+
Janessa Mann*
Katarina Michalyshyn*
Carmen Nicholson*
Sophia Nickel*
Nicola Oddy*
Cathy Patton+
Lily Polowin*
Kristin Ranshaw+
Valeria Rincon*
Debbie Smith+
Sheila Stevens+
Kate Stolwyk*
Anna von Holtzendorff+
Alto
Barbara Ackison+
Patricia Bilodeau+
Trish Brooks+
Judy-Anne Brush+
Vickie Classen Iles+
Janet Cover+
Mary Gordon+
Alison Hamer*
Olivia Harvey*
Diana James+
Eileen Johnson+
Meghan Kitt*
Grace Mann+
Sheri Meyerhoffer+
Andi Murphy+
Aidan Shenkman*
Jocelyn Veevers*
Tenor
Cameron Aitken*
Loyal Beggs+
Ray Burrage-Goodwin+
Neil Crawford+
Richard Fujarczuk+
Dorian Gerdes*
Ross Jewell+
Karl Mann+
Ian Silk*
Kelly Symons*
Max Von Holtz*
Bass
Spencer Cripps*
Kevin Day+
Reid Earnshaw*
Andrew Hodgson+
Greg Huyer+
Björn Johansson+
Christopher Mallory*
Shawn Mattas*
J.P. McElhone+
Sam Paquette*
Peter Reilly-Row+
Alan Rempel*
Daniel Savoie+
Glen Seeds+
Mike Vanier+
Paul Whiteley*
Justin Willette*
John Young+
Nicolas Zuluaga*
+Cantata Singers of Ottawa
*Capital Chamber Choir
NAC Orchestra
First Violins
Yosuke Kawasaki (concertmaster)
**Jessica Linnebach (associate concertmaster)
Noémi Racine Gaudreault (assistant concertmaster)
Marjolaine Lambert
Jeremy Mastrangelo
Manuela Milani
Emily Westell
Frédéric Moisan
Second Violins
*John Marcus (guest principal)
Emily Kruspe
Leah Roseman
Carissa Klopoushak
Mark Friedman
Zhengdong Liang
Edvard Skerjanc
Winston Webber
Karoly Sziladi
Violas
**Jethro Marks (principal)
David Marks (associate principal)
David Goldblatt (assistant principal)
Tovin Allers
Paul Casey
David Thies-Thompson
Cellos
Rachel Mercer (principal)
**Julia MacLaine (assistant principal)
Leah Wyber
Timothy McCoy
Marc-André Riberdy
Double Basses
Max Cardilli (assistant principal)
Vincent Gendron
Marjolaine Fournier
Flutes
Joanna G’froerer (principal)
Stephanie Morin
Oboes
Charles Hamann (principal)
Anna Petersen
English Horn
Anna Petersen
Clarinets
Kimball Sykes (principal)
Sean Rice
Bassoons
Darren Hicks (principal)
Vincent Parizeau
Horns
Julie Fauteux (associate principal)
Lawrence Vine
Lauren Anker
Louis-Pierre Bergeron
Trumpets
Karen Donnelly (principal)
Steven van Gulik
Trombones
Colin Traquair
Bass Trombone
Zachary Bond
Tuba
Chris Lee (principal)
Timpani
*Nicholas Stoup (guest principal)
Percussion
Jonathan Wade
Harpsichord
*Mélisande McNabney
Organ
*Thomas Annand
Principal Librarian
Nancy Elbeck
Assistant Librarian
Corey Rempel
Personnel Manager
Meiko Lydall
Orchestra Personnel Coordinator
Laurie Shannon
*Additional musicians
**On leave
International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees