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 neighborhood.
Inventive Director Mervin Fick is a graduate of the College of Toronto (MusBac) and the Royal Conservatory (ARCT — Efficiency and Instructor). He has a 35 yr profession in choral directing, with an intensive repertoire and programming expertise.
LvT spoke to him concerning the choir and the evolution of its position locally.
Mississauga Chamber Singers Inventive Director Mervin W. Fick: The Interview
“The MCS went via two evolution states,” says Mervin Fick.
The unique Mississauga Choral Society boasted a choir of 80+ members. That mannequin was sustained for a number of years, he notes, together with a efficiency in the course of the opening season of the Mississauga’s iconic Dwelling Arts Centre in late Nineteen 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 out to be the choir’s Inventive Director. He and the group have been on the lookout for new instructions. Mervin remembers assembly legendary Mississauga mayor Hazel McCallion at a fundraising occasion. Her recommendation was one thing like “If the folks 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 massive choir is a much less versatile ensemble, and never suited to the various smaller levels within the metropolis.
The as soon as massive choir and its mandate have been divided into three streams: the normal ticketed live shows, live shows for senior’s communities, and live shows for varsity children.
Working with a chamber choir adjustments 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 traces extra intimately or extra complexly,” he says.
A New Path — And New Title
Together with the brand new route got here a brand new title.
For a time, the group was recognized merely as MCS Choral Society. Suggested by a guide that “choral” wasn’t a phrase that up to date audiences related with, it then grew to become MCS Refrain.
Nevertheless, one other artist administration agency recommended that letter-based names aren’t as efficient or memorable as a extra particular moniker. “Now it’s Mississauga Chamber Singers.”
With robust help from the Metropolis of Mississauga, the choir performs 20+ live shows per years — together with live shows carried out at 18 faculties and 5 senior’s houses. A part of the technique is to supply stay music to these public organizations at numerous occasions of the yr. As he factors out, many musical visitors are likely to favour Christmas and different holidays in the case of senior’s residence 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 discipline of arts administration for a while when he took over MCS. He understood that organizational change was vital for numerous causes.
“I knew that we needed to do one thing for brand new technology audiences.”
He cites the inclusion of latest repertoire like Ottawa composer James Okay. Wright’s A Gallery of Music: 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 college kids, it’s not about emphasizing the thought of “classical” music. “It’s simply stay music,” Fick says. In some instances, it’s the one actual stay music expertise most 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 consists of two items: Mozart’s Solemn Vespers de Confessore, and Haydn’s Paukenmesse.
“We’re making an attempt to say in Mississauga that classical music may 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 yr, it’s his Vespers.
“The Vespers is definitely fairly well-known,” he says, noting it’s usually heard in an instrumental transcription reasonably than the unique soprano solo with refrain. “It’s considered one of these swish […] melodies.”
The piece, with textual content drawn from the Psalms, varies in temper all through, however ends on a celebratory word.
Together with Mozart himself, Fick says he needed audiences to know extra concerning the folks Mozart influenced — like Haydn. The Paukenmesse, or Missa in tempore belli (Mass in time of struggle), was composed as considered 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 capacity to compose.
Throughout this era, the Austrians, together with the remainder of western Europe, have been at struggle. “This one is in a time when Austria is being surrounded by individuals who wish to go to struggle.” Fick didn’t essentially wish to emphasize that facet, notably due to the work’s musical character.
“It’s principally sunny, vigorous and dynamic, and optimistic,” he says.
That’s the sentiment he needed to convey throughout these occasions 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, identical to nice artistic endeavors, they transcend — they’ve lasted longer — than their authentic church operate,” he notes, simply as they may admire the portray of a Renaissance Madonna in an artwork museum with out feeling its non secular 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 will 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 trying ahead to the work.
“The entire goal of that’s to do it with the actually massive orchestra.”
- Discover extra particulars concerning 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.