The Festival Chorus will perform a variety of a capella and accompanied works, including the choral suite Music to Hear by George Shearing, smaller works from Beethoven, seasonal repertoire and other selections as time allows. 

Physical Distancing in Fall 2021
For Fall 2021, a return to in-person rehearsals in a large airy space is planned, but is contingent on provincial health guidelines. If space requirements make it necessary, rehearsals will be divided into two sessions, one starting at 6 p.m. and the second starting at 7:45 p.m., to allow for more spacing between singers.

It is anticipated that we will be able to present live concerts in the BlueShore Financial Centre for the Performing Arts on Saturday, Dec 4 with an audience in attendance. There will be a few optional Saturday in-person sectionals, dates TBD.

Search for a New Director Underway
A search for a new director for the Festival Chorus will be undertaken during the 2021/2022 academic year, and in the interim, the choir will be led by George Roberts. His focus will be on smaller works for chorus and piano, an emphasis on improving vocal skill and collaborative musicianship, while encouraging expressiveness and enjoyment of making music together.

Joining the Festival Chorus
Familiarity with choral scores and some degree of music literacy would be an asset in enabling registrants to fully enjoy the Festival Chorus.

All singers new to the choir are encouraged to have an assessment with Mr. Roberts before the first rehearsal (Sept 15) to ensure they are placed in the appropriate voice section. Please email groberts@capilanou.ca for information.

About the Festival Chorus
Capilano University Festival Chorus sings a vast range of choral music from the medieval period to newly commissioned works in collaboration with the Capilano University student choirs.

Recent concerts include Bach’s Christmas Oratorio, Handel’s Messiah and Dixit Dominus, Charpentier’s Te Deum, Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana, and the 4th movement of Beethoven’s 9th Symphony. A sampling of other major works performed in the past includes Haydn’s Lord Nelson Mass, Bach’s Magnificat, Vivaldi’s Gloria and Magnificat, Castelnuovo Tedesco’s Romancero Gitano, Ramirez’ Misa Criolla, and requiems by Mozart, Brahms, and Fauré.