Estonian National Male Choir Tours Ontario

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Six Cities, Seven Concerts: Ontario Tour May 20-June 1

ACCLAIMED ESTONIAN NATIONAL MALE CHOIR TOURS CANADA

Ottawa: May 23

Peterborough: May 24

Hamilton: May 27

Toronto – Downtown: May 28

Toronto – Scarborough: May 30

Exeter: May 31

Guelph: May 31

The Grammy Award winning Estonian National Male Choir, one of Europe’s leading professional choral ensembles, tours Ontario this May as part of its 70th anniversary celebrations.

Between May 20 and June 1, the R.A.M Koor (Eesti Rahvusmeeskoor as it is known in Estonia) will perform seven concerts and give workshops in six Ontario cities, presented in co-operation with Choirs Ontario, Estonian Federation of Singers in North America, and the Cathedral Bluffs Symphony Orchestra. This is its first Canadian visit in about 20 years.

Under the direction of its chief conductor and artistic director Mikk Üleoja, the choir will begin its tour May 23 at Dominion-Chalmers United Church in Ottawa. On May 28, it will perform at Toronto’s SING! The Toronto Vocal Arts Festival, at Christ Church Deer Park. A second Toronto concert sees the choir joining the Cathedral Bluffs Symphony Orchestra, Toronto Estonian Male Choir and conductor Norman Reintamm at the P.C. Ho Theatre in Scarborough, May 30. Estonian Choir for release.jpg

Other locations are Peterborough, May 24; Hamilton, May 27; Exeter and Guelph, both May 31.

Maestro Reintamm lauds the Choir as “one of the crown jewels of Estonian culture. Its performances and recordings reflect Estonian music both centuries old and contemporary, as well as the great choral repertoire of the Baltic region and further afield.”

The Canadian premiere of Estonian composer Arvo Pärt’s Da Pacem Domini, in a new version for string orchestra and male choir highlights the May 30 orchestral concert with the Cathedral Bluffs Symphony Orchestra. Also on the program are Mozart’s Ave Verum Corpus, Brahms’ Alto Rhapsody – with Canadian mezzo-soprano Christina Campsall – and works by other Estonian composers.

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ESTONIAN NATIONAL MALE CHOIR TOURS CANADA – 2

The other performances feature a capella works by Estonia’s Arvo Pärt and Veljo Tormis, Ukrainian composer Galina Gregorjeva, and Italy’s Giovanni Bonato and Giovanni Gabrieli.

The tour schedule, with details, is appended. More information on the tour is at www.facebook.com/estotour, or may be obtained by e-mailing [email protected].

This Canadian tour of the Estonian National Male Choir is generously sponsored by The Estonian Cultural Foundation, Estonian Ministry of Culture, Estonian Foundation of Canada, and the Ontario Arts Council. Alexanian Carpet and Flooring is the headline tour sponsor in Canada.

ESTONIAN NATIONAL MALE CHOIR – www.concert.ee/estonian-national-male-choir

Known in Estonia as the R.A.M. Koor, the Estonian National Male Choir celebrates its 70th anniversary this year. It was formed in 1944 by conductor Gustav Ernesaks, considered a founding father of choral music in Estonia. The choir, which originally sang a cappella, is now a world-renowned professional choir noted for its renditions of large-scale choral works. The choir has regularly recorded with Deutsche Grammophon, Sony, Finlandia, Alba Records, Virgin Classics and GB Records. In 2004, RAM won a prestigious Grammy award for Sibelius: Cantatas performed together with the Ellerhein Girls’ Choir, the Estonian National Symphony Orchestra and conductor Paavo Järvi. RAM has performed more than 6,000 concerts in Estonia, in major cities of the former Soviet Union and in countries across Western Europe as well as in Israel, Canada and the United States. During its anniversary season, the choir will give concerts at several venues in Estonia as well as in Israel, Canada, France (Festival de la voix de Chateauroux) and Germany (Hanover). Since 2011, its chief conductor and artistic director has been Mikk Üleoja.

Info on the R.A.M. Koor`s recordings may be found at http://www.concert.ee/recordings. A video is available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zcmmrAtzK1g&feature=youtu.be

ESTONIAN NATIONAL MALE CHOIR: DETAILS FOR TOUR DATES

Saturday, May 23, 8 p.m. – Ottawa

Presented by Choirs Ontario

Dominion-Chalmers United Church, 355 Cooper Street. Tickets, $25, via www.cathedralbluffs.com or 613-366-1741

Sunday, May 24, 8 p.m. – Peterborough

Presented by the Peterborough Singers

All Saints Anglican Church, 235 Rubidge St. (corner of Sherbrooke St.). Tickets, $25, via 705-745-1820 or e-mail to [email protected]

Wednesday, May 27, 8 p.m. – Hamilton

Presented by Choirs Ontario with Saint Joseph’s Roman Catholic Church Choir

Saint Joseph’s Roman Catholic Church, 260 Herkimer Street. Tickets, $25, via www.cathedralbluffs.com or 416-550-6465

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ESTONIAN NATIONAL MALE CHOIR TOURS CANADA – 3

Thursday, May 28, 8 p.m. – Toronto – Downtown

Presented by SING: The Toronto Vocal Arts Festival

SING! The Toronto Vocal Arts Festival, Christ Church Deer Park, 1570 Yonge Street

www.singtoronto.com/concerts-2/tickets $40

Saturday, May 30, 8 p.m. – Toronto – Scarborough

Presented by the Cathedral Bluffs Symphony Orchestra

P.C. Ho Theatre, 5183 Sheppard Avenue East (at Markham Rd.) With the Cathedral Bluffs Symphony Orchestra Toronto, the Toronto Estonian Men’s Choir and mezzo-soprano Christina Campsall; Norman Reintamm & Mikk Üleoja, conductors. Tickets, $53/33 via via www.cathedralbluffs.com or 416-879-5566

Sunday, May 31, 2 p.m. – Exeter

Presented by the Bach Festival of Canada

Trivitt Memorial Church

264 Main Street South. Tickets via www.bachfestival.ca/events/national-estonian-male-choir-visits-exeter

Sunday, May 31, 7:30 p.m. – Guelph

Presented by the Guelph Youth Music Centre

Guelph Youth Music Centre, 75 Cardigan Street. Tickets: $35/20 students or $40/25 at the door http://gymc.ca/gymc_music2015_EstonianNationalMaleChoir.html

ESTONIAN NATIONAL MALE CHOIR (R.A.M. KOOR):

SOUTHERN ONTARIO TOUR

Saturday, May 23 – Sunday, May 31, 2015 (except May 30)

A cappella works

PROGRAM FOR OTTAWA, PETERBOROUGH AND TORONTO (SING!)

Gabrieli: Deus exaudi me

Grigorjeva: Molitva
Gabrieli: Maria virgo
Bonato: Signum magnum

Gabrieli: Buccinate in neomenia
Intermission
Tormis: Muistse mere laulud
Tormis: Kolm liivi rahvalaulu
Tormis: Incantatio maris aestuosi
Tormis: Vepsa talv
Tormis: Pikse litaania
või Tormis: Laulja

PROGRAM IN HAMILTON, GUELPH & EXETER (WITHOUT INTERMISSION)
Gabrieli: Deus exaudi meGrigorjeva: Molitva
Gabrieli: Maria virgo

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ESTONIAN NATIONAL MALE CHOIR TOURS CANADA – 4

Kreek – Psalm nr 137

Whitacre – Lux Aurumque