The Little Match Girl Passion
Now in its 13th year, Pro Coro Canada’s Advent tradition continues to captivate audiences with a poignant and powerful musical rendition of Hans Christian Andersen’s classic tale, The Little Match Girl. This timeless story, set to music by Pulitzer Prize-winning composer David Lang, has become a cherished part of our seasonal offerings, evoking deep emotions and reflections with each performance.
For over a decade, this performance has intrigued and inspired our audiences, offering a moment of quiet contemplation during the busy holiday season. The story’s message is as timely as it is timeless, reminding us of the importance of compassion and empathy in a world often marked by hardship.
New Year's Eve
Celebrate the arrival of the new year with Pro Coro Canada in a joyous evening of music and festivities. The evening will be filled with a delightful mix of popular and classical tunes that are sure to get you singing and tapping along. This year, we’re taking the celebration to a new and elegant venue, and you’ll be welcomed after the concert into the charming Newcombe Room to toast the New Year.
New Year’s Eve with Pro Coro Canada is a highlight of your holiday season, offering a perfect blend of entertainment and elegance in a beautifully curated setting. Don’t miss out on this special opportunity to ring in the new year with style and song!
Let Us Cheer the Weary Traveller
Join Pro Coro Canada for an unforgettable evening of choral music as they team up with esteemed guest conductor Brainerd Blyden-Taylor to explore the rich and evocative works of Nathaniel Dett. Nathaniel Dett, a pioneering Black composer, was renowned for his innovative use of African-American folk songs and spirituals as the foundation for his choral compositions, blending classical forms with the deep, resonant traditions of African-American music.
This concert promises to be an emotional and educational musical journey. Audiences will be drawn into the soulful beauty and profound cultural significance of Dett’s compositions, experiencing the power and grace of his work in a deeply moving way.
Good Friday
Join us for an evening of introspection and beauty, as the German Requiem’s profound message of human suffering and hope is brought to life at Pro Coro Canada’s annual Good Friday concert, offering a perfect blend of tradition, artistry, and reflection.
Pro Coro Canada’s guest for this special performance is I Coristi, under the direction of Rob Curtis, adding further depth and resonance to this choral event. The performance will be accompanied by the skilled pianists Leanne Regehr and Roger Admiral, whose interpretation of the two-piano arrangement brings a unique and intimate dimension to Brahms’ work.
Furiouser & Spuriouser
Get ready to venture beyond the ordinary as Pro Coro Canada and our emerging artists in #connect take you on a journey down the rabbit hole with a performance of cutting-edge choral music. This daring and innovative concert invites you to experience new sounds, stories, and perspectives as we celebrate the end of another remarkable choral season.
The program will feature Furiouser and Spuriouser, a thought-provoking work by Canadian composer Jason Noble. This composition tackles the pressing issues of our digital age, delving into the dangers and complexities of social media with a bold and evocative musical narrative. The choir will also perform The Stolen Child by Eric Whitacre, with its imaginative and hauntingly beautiful soundscape.
A Christmas Carol
Following its resounding success with both audience and choir alike in 2023, Charles Dickens’ beloved classic A Christmas Carol, set to music by Grammy-nominated composer Benedict Sheehan, is returning to the stage.
After the performance, all attendees are invited to a sweet and festive after-concert reception, perfect for celebrating the season with friends and fellow music lovers. Whether you’re a long-time fan of A Christmas Carol or experiencing it for the first time, this heartwarming event is sure to become a cherished part of your holiday traditions.
Please note: this concert is NOT being live-streamed and will not be available to online audiences during or after the live performance. Pro Coro's 2023 performance will be posted on ProCoroTV.
The Emperor's New Clothes
This colourful and enticing event is perfect for all ages, offering a blend of timeless stories and contemporary musical brilliance.
Join us for an enchanting evening as we present the North American premiere of The Emperor’s New Clothes, a delightful musical adaptation of Hans Christian Andersen’s classic fairy tale. This piece is composed by one of our choir’s beloved composers, Uģis Prauliņš.
The evening will be a vibrant celebration of choral music, with Shumayela, under the direction of Kimberly Denis, joining forces with Pro Coro Canada
Light Always Returns Light (Experience Series)
A cappella selections to ignite your heart and uplift your soul reflecting on light, love, and peace.
Sing Into the Silence (Experience / EAR Series)
Pro Coro performs with the Edmonton Youth Choir and special guests.
Good Friday with Pro Coro Canada (Experience Series)
Pro Coro Canada’s annual Good Friday concert, with special guests A Joyful Noise and Marnie Giesbrecht at the organ.
Frost & Fire: Mentoring Men (Experience / EAR Series)
The Tenors & Basses of Pro Coro welcome 70 singers from the Grande Prairie Boys’ Choir and special guest the Edmonton Swiss Men’s Choir to share the stage for an afternoon of excellent choral music.
New Year’s Eve with Pro Coro Canada (Holiday Series)
Ring in the new year with Pro Coro Canada and enjoy light classical and popular choral music and a glass of bubbles!
The Little Match Girl Passion (Holiday Series)
The annual candlelight performance of a timeless and timely story by Hans Christian Andersen set to music by David Lang.
A Christmas Carol (Experience / Holiday Series)
Revel in an engaging musical dramatization of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol.
Shades of Love (Experience Series)
Join us for an autumn afternoon full of music and romance!
Path Of Miracles (Experience Series)
Experience this powerful a cappella work about the centuries-old pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela.
The Tower and The Garden
An eclectic program featuring the Vaughan String Quartet and #connect
The Tower and The Garden by Gregory Spears
While We War Against Ourselves by Torbjörn Dyrud
The Dying River by Victor Muzhchyl
Sapiens by Laura Hawley
When a Thought of War Comes by Marie-Claire Saindon
Peace, I leave with you by Knut Nystedt
Missae IX
Misa by Ryan Cayabyab
The MISA (Mass) was premiered by the U.P. Concert Chorus under the direction of Prof. Rey Paguio during Ryan’s graduation recital in 1983.
Ryan first published MISA in 1997, with Michael J. Mella as editor. Unfortunately, the 1997 publication was not based on the 1983 manuscript, which was in Cayabyab’s writing; and was nowhere to be found.
Fortunately, Ryan found the initial manuscript in 2001. While moving the bulk of his manuscripts (original compositions and arrangements) from his house to his former office at the San Miguel Foundation for the Performing Arts, the original handwritten “MISA” surfaced.
Missa Brevis in E-flat Major by Oliver Munar
This Missa Brevis is inspired by various composers whose works Oliver has been fortunate to have performed over the years. You’ll find echoes of the counterpoint of JS Bach, Brahms’ Ein Deutsches Requiem, Missae by both Josef Rheinberger and Frank Martin, and operatic motifs by W.A. Mozart, Georges Bizet and Giacomo Puccini.
The multi-year series with musical settings of the Latin Mass text.
Misa by Ryan Cayabyab
Missa Brevis in E Flat by Oliver Munar, world premiere
Kyrie Eleison, from Indonesian Mass, by Ivan Yohan
We welcome conductor Jonathan Velasco from the Philippines to lead the choir in this unique program
Jonathan Velasco is a much sought-after choral conductor, clinician, and adjudicator in the world today.
Maestro Velasco and his choirs have won first prizes in major choral competitions in Europe. He currently conducts the Ateneo Chamber Singers. He regularly judges international choral competitions in Europe and Asia.
He was a member and assistant conductor of the World Youth Choir, becoming the first Asian conductor in 1996. He has since conducted this prestigious choir two more times, in the 2001 winter session and the 2018 summer session.
Velasco is a regular guest conductor of various orchestras in the Philippines and abroad. He has conducted the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra, San Miguel Philharmonic Orchestra, the Manila Symphony Orchestra, the Manila Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Taiwan Youth Orchestra.
Velasco is the Philippine representative to the Interkultur World Choir Council. He was also elected as the first President of the Philippine Choral Directors Association in 2008.
Good Friday with Pro Coro Canada
The annual choral concert commemorating the Passion of Christ with works by Bach, Pärt, Gesualdo, Sandström, and Praulins, with Tammy-Jo Mortensen at the organ.
We welcome conductor Kari Turunen to lead this performance with the choir. Kari Turunen is the Artistic Director of the professional Vancouver Chamber Choir since 2019. Before moving to Vancouver, he was a versatile actor on the Finnish choral and vocal music scene.
During his career in Finland, Dr. Turunen led, among others, Kampin Laulu chamber choir, Chorus Cantorum Finlandiae, Spira Ensemble and the professional early music ensembles Ensemble Petraloysio. As a singer, he was a founding member of Lumen Valo and sang over 250 concerts in Finland and Europe and recorded nine critically acclaimed CDs with the group. He has toured extensively with his ensembles and won numerous prizes with his choirs, both in national and international competitions.
All-Night Vigil
One of choral history’s great treasures, the All-Night Vigil by Sergei Rachmaninoff, with guests Da Camera Singers (Laura Hawley, conductor)
Moonshot IV: The Dayking
Experience choral music with an edge, featuring the Growlers Choir from Montreal, and narrator/poet Fortner Anderson.
The Dayking by Pierre-Luc Senécal
Warning to the Rich by Thomas Jennefelt
Blood, Breath and Other Miracles by Jane Berry
Where once Poe walked by Nicholas Ryan Kelly
Book of Songs by Mari Alice Conrad
Arrache by Pascal Germain-Berardi
Note that there are two in-person performances of this program, and the Sunday performance will also be live-streamed!
New Year’s Eve with Pro Coro Canada
Celebrate the last night of 2022 with choral music and bubbles, and sing-along to Auld Lang Syne!
Three Kings by Healey Willan
Sprüche by Felix Mendelssohn
Santiago, from Path of Miracles, by Joby Talbot
Ye Shall Have A Song by Randall Thompson
Evening Morning Day by David Lang
Ave Maria by Franz Biebl
Please note: The New Year’s Eve concert will not be livestreamed this season.
The Little Match Girl Passion / Christmas 2022
Get Ready for the Holidays 2022
Pro Coro Canada’s annual performance of the Pulitzer Prize winning work by David Lang. A meditative, candle-lit event during Advent.
Dawn Bailey, soprano, sleighbells
Adrienne Sitko, alto, crotales
Ian Bannerman, tenor, glockenspiel
Michael Kurschat, bass, bass drum & tubular bells
This is the choir’s Xmas Show for 2022!
Please note: The Little Match Girl will not be livestreamed this season.
Petite Messe Solennelle
In partnership with the University of Alberta Voice Department, this performance features faculty and current students:
Jacqueline Hernandez, soprano
Catherine Daniel, mezzo-soprano
John Tessier, tenor
Jin Yu, bass
With
Matti Pulkki, accordion
Jessica Robertson, piano
A Thought of War, with #connect
Pro Coro’s ensemble for emerging singers #connect will perform a varied program in several languages and styles, spanning 3 centuries of music on the theme of War and Peace.
Soir de Neige by Francis Poulenc
A Thought of War by Marie-Claire Saindon
Wie liegt die Stadt so wüst by Rudolf Mauersberger
Trois beaux oiseaux by Maurice Ravel
Peace I leave with you by Knut Nystedt
Verleih uns Frieden by Heinrich Schütz
Stomp on the Fire by Andrea Ramsey
Sapiens by Laura Hawley
Mitten wir im Leben sind bei Felix Mendelssohn
The Nightingale
Celebrate 10 years of artistic leadership of conductor Michael Zaugg with some all-time favourites.
The Nightingale by Ugis Praulins
Rain, Rush and Rosebush by Bo Holten
There was a time by Cy Giacomin
Absence by Laura Hawley
I am small by Jane Berry
a boy & a boy by Stuart Beatch, commissioned by Pro Coro Canada
With Matthias Maute, recorder