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British Columbia Boys Choir
THE CHORAL LEGACY DAVID DUKE: THE HISTORY OF THE CHORAL TRADITION PT.ONE
From the beginnings of western classical music, singing has been especially significant. Vocal music designed for church use was, for many centuries, the only music notated and preserved. Chant traditions of the early middle ages (heard in last April's concert) flourished in the many monasteries and churches. As time went on, composers experimented with intertwining two or more melodic lines and what we now call polyphony became fashionable. Composers came to realize that differing voice types helped highlight the sophisticated interplay that is the hallmark of vocal polyphony. But at that time aspects of church policy effected resources available to composers: mixed choirs were not allowed in sacred contexts and there were many young singers already in the monasteries. The desirability of a complete range of voice types lead to the use of boy trebles in sacred choirs.
Today all the serious choirs learn and perform the great historical choral repertoire: modern youth choirs are unable, by definition, to handle the full-spectrum repertoire. Contemporary mixed SATB ensembles can and do perform with sophisticated musicianship but they do not ever have the sound heard by Lassus, Palestrina, Byrd, Josquin and beyond; only male voice ensembles create the sound conceived by the early masters. But let's go back to the BCBC's fundamental definition: a non-liturgical (in that they are not church affiliated) SATB choir of young people, uniquely equipped to perform the choral masterpieces of the 6th through 18th centuries. That the BCBC is by definition restricted by young tenors and basses is, to put it mildly, non-traditional. These implications, especially regarding new choral work tailored for the ensemble, will be covered in an article next issue. David Duke, Vancouver BC Our People
Donald Forbes, Founding Conductor
Interview with Tony Araujo, Artistic Director Edette Gagné , Associate Conductor
OUR ADMINISTRATION TEAM
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR: Margot Holmes has been working with the
British Columbia Boys Choir for the past 15 years. She works in the
field of arts management and is the owner of Caline Artists
International where she has developed the careers of professional
artists and worked with community based non-profit organizations.
Margot has an extensive list of artistic contacts across North
America and around the globe. She studied Oboe Performance and
Choral Conducting at the University of Western Ontario, London. She
has a keen interest in youth and is interested in their development
as performers as well as people. Margot is an experienced tour
manager and has taken the choir on over 20 local and international
tours.
Board of Directors Michael Lewis, President Peter Alexander, Alumni Representative
BCBC Charitable
#: 0435982-22. Annual General Meeting Date: Wednesday October 10,
2007 6 p.m. at designated location TBC. |
It may seem like splitting hairs, but defining
the British Columbia Boys Choir is a fairly elaborate proposition: a
non-liturgical, SATB (soprano-alto-tenor-bass), boys choir. But what
does all that really mean, and, more significantly, why does it
matter? In this and a subsequent article, I'd like to provide a bit
of background about choral tradition and the implications of both
the old and the new repertoire sung by The Boys. 
Thus for many centuries serious composers wrote
their best and most impressive works in service of the church.
Unaccompanied (or 'a capella') vocal polyphony was the style of
choice and these works were specifically conceived for the blend of
boys' and mens' voices. 
In
addition to his position as Artistic Director of the British
Columbia Boys Choir, Tony Araujo is Director of Choral Activities at
St. Patrick Regional Secondary School and Artistic Director of
Corpus Christi College Chamber Choir and Spirit Alive Men's Chorale.
Mr. Araujo has developed an award-winning high school choral music
program that includes five choirs, with over half the student body
enrolled. Mr. Araujo is recognized for the passion and musicality he
consistently develops in his choirs as well as for his selection and
interpretation of versatile repertoire. Mr. Araujo's choirs have
been invited to perform at international conferences and festivals
throughout North America, Europe and Asia, including concerts at the
Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC, Canterbury
Cathedral and the United Nations. 
Edette Gagné has built a reputation of excellence in musical performance through her work as a conductor and singer. Blending careful attention to performance practice and historical accuracy, with her deep passion for music, Ms. Gagné's performances reflect the high standards she sets for both herself and her ensembles. Ms. Gagné holds a Master of Music degree in conducting from the University of Calgary, Bachelor degrees in arts and education from the University of Alberta, as well as Associate Performance Diplomas in piano and voice from the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto. She has studied conducting with Helmut Rilling, Toshi Shimada, Paula Holcombe, Allan McMurray, Frank Klassen, Kenneth Woods, David Hoose and Christopher Zimmerman.
Ms. Gagné has conducted performances in Los Angeles and New York City, and has worked with many ensembles, choirs and orchestras in Oregon, Alberta and British Columbia. She is in great demand as a guest conductor, vocal coach and lyric soprano. A strong proponent of new and rarely performed works, Ms. Gagné has conducted several World, North American and Canadian premières. She is pleased to be entering her second season as Associate Conductor for the British Columbia Boys Choir. Edette is also Artist in Residence at St. Patrick's Regional Secondary, Resident Conductor for Opera Appassionata, Principal Conductor for the North Shore String Ensemble and the newly appointed Artistic Director and Conductor of the Coast Symphony Orchestra.
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