From the Podium #22.2
January 25, 2022
Dear Friends and Supporters of Pro Coro Canada,
This past Sunday, January 23, we performed We Breathe In Stars. It was a great event, not ‘just’ a concert, but also a celebration of Edmonton talent with 10 works by 9 local composers! What an amazing pool of talent we have in our town!
We had Allan Bevan, Allan Gilliland, John Estacion and Laura Hawley with us in-person, and Stuart Beatch, Jane Berry, Margaret King, Jennifer McMillan and Sherryl Sewepagaham watching on our livestream at tv.procoro.ca.
The preparation for this concert was challenging as I had to communicate on an almost daily basis with singers to check if anyone had any symptoms. Throughout the rehearsal process we were providing the option to participate online, so a singer could theoretically isolate for 5 days, but then, if clear of symptoms and testing negative, participate in the concert. Unfortunately, the theory did not quite translate into practise, and we were a couple singers short by the concert time. There was also the day with heavy snowfall and whiteout conditions, and we deemed it too stressful for the choir to drive to rehearsal. But then, finally, the concert day arrived!
Stepping onto the stage to applause is something we all missed. The moment you pass the threshold into the performance space, and feel and see the audience, hear their clapping and ‘bravo’, their appreciation for the in-person experience, … it makes you forget all the challenges, and the stress in figuring out health protocols and finding replacement singers last minute. It’s the rush of a live performance WITH audience we’re all longing for.
For me it is the moment when all becomes still, almost frozen, before the first note appears. And the intensity after the last chord has faded, and I can feel the collective holding their breath, having experienced an artistic expression. We need our audience for these moments, and we are so grateful that some of our patrons are comfortable to hear us once again in person. Over the next months, more and more people will attend concerts, and I believe that we all desperately need cultural gatherings of the community.
Just a year ago, Pro Coro Canada celebrated 40 years since the incorporation of the organization. We had to move our anniversary online, and many of you joined us to reminisce alongside the founding director Michel Gervais, and former members and conductors of the choir. Our short series of interviews has been and is still widely watched as it provides great education about the history of Pro Coro. I invite you to watch or revisit the series: 40 Years of Pro Coro Canada
And very soon, I hope to see you in-person or online for our Missae concert, featuring the Mass for double choir by Swiss Frank Martin, and the Missa Rigensis by Ugis Praulins (directed by emerging artist Jessie Pierpont).
Until then, with my best wishes,
Michael Zaugg, Managing and Artistic Director