The Mississauga Chamber Singers are a community-based choir with excessive requirements. They’re dedicated to classical repertoire, in addition to supporting rising artists and strengthening their ties with the group.
Creative Director Mervin Fick is a graduate of the College of Toronto (MusBac) and the Royal Conservatory (ARCT — Efficiency and Instructor). He has a 35 12 months profession in choral directing, with an in depth repertoire and programming expertise.
LvT spoke to him in regards to the choir and the evolution of its position locally.
Mississauga Chamber Singers Creative Director Mervin W. Fick: The Interview
“The MCS went by two evolution states,” says Mervin Fick.
The unique Mississauga Choral Society boasted a choir of 80+ members. That mannequin was sustained for a couple of years, he notes, together with a efficiency in the course of the opening season of the Mississauga’s iconic Residing Arts Centre in late Nineties.
Over time, as he relates, the big choir simply wasn’t sustainable within the metropolis. It was round that interval on the flip of this century that he was invited to turn into the choir’s Creative Director. He and the group have been searching for new instructions. Mervin remembers assembly legendary Mississauga mayor Hazel McCallion at a fundraising occasion. Her recommendation was one thing like “If the individuals of Mississauga can’t discover you, you must discover them.”
The idea of exploring outreach extra deeply sparked a brand new mind-set by way of viewers growth. A really giant choir is a much less versatile ensemble, and never suited to the numerous smaller levels within the metropolis.
The as soon as giant choir and its mandate have been divided into three streams: the standard ticketed live shows, live shows for senior’s communities, and live shows for college children.
Working with a chamber choir modifications the dynamics and interplay of the voices, as he explains. It opens up the chance for every singer’s contribution to be extra concerned. “They’re personally colouring the strains extra intimately or extra complexly,” he says.
A New Course — And New Title
Together with the brand new path got here a brand new identify.
For a time, the group was recognized merely as MCS Choral Society. Suggested by a marketing consultant that “choral” wasn’t a phrase that modern audiences related with, it then turned MCS Refrain.
Nonetheless, one other artist administration agency advised that letter-based names aren’t as efficient or memorable as a extra particular moniker. “Now it’s Mississauga Chamber Singers.”
With robust assist from the Metropolis of Mississauga, the choir performs 20+ live shows per years — together with live shows carried out at 18 colleges and 5 senior’s houses. A part of the technique is to supply dwell music to these public organizations at varied instances of the 12 months. As he factors out, many musical visitors are likely to favour Christmas and different holidays in the case of senior’s house visits.
“I developed a program for the senior’s residences to assist us all rejoice Canada Day,” he says. The choir will carry out this system in the course of the weeks main as much as Canada Day, a time when many musical organizations are on summer time hiatus.
Fick had already been working within the area of arts administration for a while when he took over MCS. He understood that organizational change was vital for various causes.
“I knew that we needed to do one thing for brand spanking new technology audiences.”
He cites the inclusion of up to date repertoire like Ottawa composer James Okay. Wright’s A Gallery of Track: Spirit of the Land, a piece that units to music poetry written by younger writers impressed by the Group of Seven artists and their work. When such works are carried out for audiences of faculty youngsters, it’s not about emphasizing the concept of “classical” music. “It’s simply dwell music,” Fick says. In some circumstances, it’s the one actual dwell music expertise lots of the younger listeners have had.
It’s additionally about sending a message. “Singing in a choir is cool.” he says.
Live performance
MCS’s upcoming live performance on March 1 contains two items: Mozart’s Solemn Vespers de Confessore, and Haydn’s Paukenmesse.
“We’re attempting to say in Mississauga that classical music could be in your leisure menu.”
With that in thoughts, the Mississauga Chamber Singers have established an annual “Mozart in March” custom. Each 5 years or so, it includes the Requiem. This 12 months, it’s his Vespers.
“The Vespers is definitely fairly well-known,” he says, noting it’s usually heard in an instrumental transcription moderately than the unique soprano solo with refrain. “It’s certainly one of these sleek […] melodies.”
The piece, with textual content drawn from the Psalms, varies in temper all through, however ends on a celebratory observe.
Together with Mozart himself, Fick says he wished audiences to know extra in regards to the individuals Mozart influenced — like Haydn. The Paukenmesse, or Missa in tempore belli (Mass in time of battle), was composed as certainly one of a gaggle of six plenty written by Haydn for the Esterházy household between 1796 and 1802. The final of those, H.22/14, was accomplished shortly earlier than sick well being took away Haydn’s capability to compose.
Throughout this era, the Austrians, together with the remainder of western Europe, have been at battle. “This one is in a time when Austria is being surrounded by individuals who wish to go to battle.” Fick didn’t essentially need to emphasize that facet, notably due to the work’s musical character.
“It’s largely sunny, vigorous and dynamic, and optimistic,” he says.
That’s the sentiment he wished to convey throughout these instances of instability — the motion from reflection to renewed hope. As he factors out, the longevity of the compositions is already a message.
“Each of those items, similar to nice artistic endeavors, they transcend — they’ve lasted longer — than their unique church operate,” he notes, simply as they may admire the portray of a Renaissance Madonna in an artwork museum with out feeling its religious message.
The live performance additionally options soloists Mary Jane Egan (soprano), Rachel Miller (alto), Benjamin Completed (tenor), and Bradley Christensen (bass).
Coming Up…
After the March 1 live performance, the MCS season continues with a efficiency of Haydn’s Creation on April 26. Fick can even be conducting Haydn’s Creation the next day (April 27) with the Toronto Seashore Chorale at St. Anne’s Anglican Church in Toronto.
He’s wanting ahead to the work.
“The entire goal of that’s to do it with the actually giant orchestra.”
- Discover extra particulars in regards to the Mississauga Chamber Singers live shows [HERE].
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Anya Wassenberg is a Toronto Metropolis Editor at Ludwig Van. She is an skilled freelance author, blogger and writing teacher.
