HISTORY &
VISION
History
Over the span of nearly a decade, the Canadian Men's Chorus has become known for its exciting, innovative programming and exceptional musicality and professionalism. Co-Founded by Greg Rainville and Arlene Jillard in 2010, the ensemble endeavors to present repertoire that is a fusion of music from many genres and new Canadian works, making each performance an event that blends the songs, the voices, and the beauty of the space. The CMC presented its first concert on April 24, 2010, drawing accolades from the audience and excitement from the singers about a new chorus dedicated to repertoire for men’s voices.
True to its name, the Canadian Men's Chorus fosters a distinctly Canadian repertoire of men’s choral music by providing a professional quality instrument for which Canadian composers can write, and by which they can workshop and hear their works performed. As our mandate dictates, the CMC premieres a new Canadian work at every CMC series concert. In our inaugural season, we were proud to premiere new works by two emerging Canadian composers: Sean King and Avalon Rusk. To date, the Chorus has premiered nearly 50 new Canadian works!
Our inaugural season consisted of two very successful concerts at the Glenn Gould Studio. The first, A Gentlemen’s Christmas, took place on November 26, 2010 and the second, The Classics, was held on March 23, 2011. Both concerts featured works by Canadian composers Diane Loomer, Stephen Chatman, Healey Willan, Stephen Hatfield and Mark Sirett.
The CMC presented three concerts in our second season. The first, Honour: Love, Memorial and Peace was performed on October 16, 2011 to great acclaim. The second annual A Gentlemen’s Christmas: Winter’s Chill took place on December 10, 2011 and the third concert entitled Out of the Depths: An Exploration of Sacred Music was performed on May 13, 2012.
The Canadian Men's Chorus is grateful for the partnership and support of all our donors and sponsors, but especially our Founding Friends. The generosity of these audience members at the start of the CMC allows us to purchase our first scores, rent our first rehearsal space, and begin the incredible musical journey that has led us to where we are today.
Vision
MISSION STATEMENT
The mission of the Canadian Men’s Chorus is to perform and advance music specifically for low voices, thereby increasing the profile of this distinctive repertoire within the existing choral landscape. We present high calibre, professional performances of choral repertoire, both traditional and contemporary, with a focus on music that reflects Canadian culture and on creating new Canadian music.
VISION STATEMENT
We envision the Canadian Men’s Chorus as a creative environment where traditional and new music for low voices can be explored, rehearsed and performed so that our audiences can hear and appreciate this music both as entertainment and as artistry.
MANDATE
The mandate of the Canadian Men’s Chorus is to perform choral repertoire with an emphasis on premiering a new Canadian composition at every concert, thereby supporting emerging Canadian composers by giving them a professional quality instrument