It feels good to sing.
We're reminded of that on holidays, or at the occasional birthday when we burst into song and are surprised at how energizing it is to just let that sound swell up and out.
If you're one of the smart ones who's already either joined a choir or made a lifelong pursuit of singing, you know the natural endorphin high it can produce.
I could ask a physicist why it's so satisfying to harmonize with the person next to you in a choir; the vibration of the harmonics just seems to resonate in the bones.
Those good vibes will fill the Theatre of the National Arts Centre on Monday - Canada Day - when Unisong offers a free concert at 10 a.m., amidst the swirl of activities on Parliament Hill and in downtown Ottawa. At the NAC on Elgin Street, the kids' activities begin early, like the Unisong concert. Since it's all inside, you get the benefits of air conditioning, big open spaces and nice clean washrooms. The traditional NAC chef's BBQ will be outdoors in Freiman Lane, and the NAC is open all day long for you. Come take in the free performances!
There's the 10 a.m. Unisong concert - the air full of beautiful young voices from across Canada, the voices framed by beaming faces.
At noon, a new bust by Canadian sculptor Ruth Abernethy will be unveiled, with a tribute performance by a soprano, a violinist, and a wind quintet. It's all to mark the immense contribution to Canada by Maestro Mario Bernardi, the founding conductor of the National Arts Centre Orchestra. You're invited to hear the tributes and to see, for the first time, the sculpture, commissioned from the artist last year by the NAC.
All day long, you can find performers outside, try your dance moves with a hip-hop class, let the kids experience a kind of fun that's easy, non-competitive, musical, and celebratory.
At 7:30 p.m. in the Theatre of the NAC, singer-songwriter Sarah Slean merges her exquisite melodies with the stellar talent of the musicians of the National Arts Centre Orchestra, onstage for a powerhouse concert of voice, strings, woodwinds, percussion and brass. How can you resist? In addition, select members of the Unisong choir will join in, to add icing on top of icing. Please note that this concert will fill up quickly and it's a non-ticketed event.
Walk another short distance after this concert, and you're in the heart of the nation's capital for the evening performances and fireworks on Parliament Hill. Take the OC Transpo bus, and it's much much easier to navigate. Happy Canada Day! Find everything you need to know on our website in advance: nac-cna.ca.
We look forward to seeing you here, at your National Arts Centre.