What could be a more fitting final concert for our 50th anniversary season than a collaboration with our friends from the Winnipeg Philharmonic Choir, who are celebrating their 100th anniversary season. Together we present the iconic choral work Vespers by Sergei Rachmaninoff.

Rachmaninoff uses the choir almost like an orchestra, with incredible colour and precision. He asks singers to divide, merge, precisely control their volumes, and create complex and ethereal harmonies, full of poignant richness.

The "All-Night Vigil" (also known as Vespers) is widely considered one of the greatest achievements in Russian choral music, and it remains a cornerstone of the genre today.

The Winnipeg Philharmonic Choir, Western Canada’s longest-established adult choral group, has a well-earned reputation for excellence. A choral trademark for the City of Winnipeg, the Phil’s repertoire covers a broad range of music including oratorios, masses, songs, and choral symphonies with a focus on major choral works with orchestral accompaniment. Priding itself on premiering original music, the Phil has commissioned works by composers from both Manitoba and across Canada. The choir has also captivated audiences in Toronto, Vancouver and New York’s storied Carnegie Hall.

Major choral works, performed with either the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra (WSO) or the Manitoba Chamber Orchestra (MCO) include: Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis and 9th Symphony; Britten’s War Requiem; Bach’s Mass in B minor; Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Requiem; Sir Edward Elgar’s Dream of Gerontius; Mozart’s Mass in C minor; Fauré’s Requiem; Verdi’s Stabat Mater and Requiem; Bach’s Cantata No. 4 (Christ lag in Todesbanden); Mahler’s Symphony No. 2 and Mendelssohn’s Elijah. Each season, under the direction of Maestro Yuri Klaz, the Winnipeg Philharmonic Choir provides music lovers of all ages a subscription series of three concerts that bring to life some of the world’s finest choral works. Now celebrating its 100th season, the Phil continues its tradition of performing works that are dramatic, profoundly moving and always entertainingly full of heart.

Sergei Rachmaninoff (1873-1943) was a renowned Russian composer, pianist, and conductor, widely recognized for his influential contributions to classical music. Born in Semyonovo, Russia, on April 1, 1873, Rachmaninoff's innate musical talent led him to the St. Petersburg Conservatory at just ten years old. He later transferred to the Moscow Conservatory, where he honed his skills under the tutelage of Nikolai Zverev, Anton Arensky, and Sergei Taneyev.

Rachmaninoff's composition style featured rich melodies, expressive harmonies, and complex piano writing, largely inspired by Romantic composers like Tchaikovsky and Rimsky-Korsakov. While his Prelude in C-sharp minor and Piano Concerto No. 2 garnered significant acclaim, one of his most remarkable works is the "All-Night Vigil," also known as the "Vespers."

Composed in 1915, the "All-Night Vigil" is a choral masterpiece consisting of fifteen movements, based on texts from the Russian Orthodox liturgy. This magnificent work showcases Rachmaninoff's profound understanding of choral music, blending traditional Russian melodies with his signature harmonies to create a deeply spiritual and transcendent experience. The "All-Night Vigil" is widely considered one of the greatest achievements in Russian choral music, and it remains a cornerstone of the genre today.

Following the Russian Revolution, Rachmaninoff emigrated to the United States in 1918, where he continued his illustrious career in composing, performing, and conducting. He passed away on March 28, 1943, in Beverly Hills, California, leaving behind a remarkable legacy that continues to inspire generations of musicians.

A time to celebrate being 50!
We draw on many themes that have stood out over the fifty-year history of this outstanding choir.
Former conductors William Baerg, Mel Braun and Vic Pankratz will be present to direct the choir in choral pieces from their tenure.
You will hear our favourite works from:
• Our many tours to Europe, Asia and Canada
• Special concerts we have held over the years, and
• Works we have commissioned throughout the 50 years.
It will be fabulous!

Conducted by Yuri Klaz unless otherwise stated.

WELCOME

Andrew Balfour – Ambe (Welcome song)

HISTORY

Comments from William Baerg, founder and the first conductor of The Winnipeg Singers.

Charles Stanford – Beati Quorum – conducted by William Baerg

Pieces most likely performed at the first “official CBC broadcast” of The Winnipeg Singers.

Thomas Anton Morley – My bonnie lass she smileth
Claudio Monteverdi – Sì, ch'io vorrei morire

Johannes Brahms – Liebeslieder Walzer op. 52
Cary Denby & Verna Wiebe, piano
In reference to the “famous” several hours all-Brahms concert

Tribute to the former conductors – Rudy Schellenberg, Wayne Riddle and John Martens

Sergey Rachmaninoff – Bogoroditse Devo (Rejoice, O Virgin)

Comments from Mel Braun in memory of former conductors Wayne Riddell and John Martens

Eleanor Daley – In Remembrance
Arr. Alice Parker – Hark, I Hear the Harps Eternal
– conducted by Mel Braun

Comments from Vic Pankratz

Anton Bruckner – Locus iste
John Greer – All Around the Circle
– conducted by Vic Pankratz

~ INTERMISSION ~

MEMORABLE CONCERTS

Ola Gjeilo – Ubi Caritas
Ola Gjeilo in Concert with The Winnipeg Singers, May 2019

Greg Jaspers – Voice Dance
Speechless: Songs without Words, 2015

Stephen Sondheim – The Ballad of Sweeney Todd
Spirits and Spooks: Halloween Concert, October 2016

COMMISSIONS

Leonard Enns – Te Deum Brevis
Commissioned in 2004. This piece was commissioned especially for The Winnipeg Singers’ appearances on the stage of the 7th World Choral Symposium in Kyoto, Japan (2005). It is an abbreviated version of the larger 12-minute Te Deum, commissioned by The Winnipeg Singers in 1997.

Sid Robinovitch – What Shall We Do with the Drunken Sailor
The most recent commission by The Winnipeg Singers. The piece is a part of a larger composition, “Choral Trilogy from the Manitoba School Song Book”. The trilogy was commissioned in 2021 for the concert dedicated to the 150th anniversary of Manitoba – “Manitoba 150; Songs of our Heritage” it was first performed at the May 2022 concert “We Rise Again”.

INTERNATIONAL TOURS

Highlighting the music from different countries The Winnipeg Singers travelled to in the past.

Japanese folk song – Sakura
Performed in Japan in 2005.

Imant Raminsh – Ave Verum Corpus
Performed on two Winnipeg Singers tours to Europe in 1989 and 2016.

Javier Busto – Ave Maria
Performed at the Crypt of the famous Sagrada Familia Cathedral in Barcelona after winning the Grand Prix of the Golden Voices of Barcelona, Spain in 2019.

Jaakko Mäntyjärvi – Pseudo-Yoik
Music of Finno-Ugric nations

NATIONAL

Stephen Chatman – Wasps

Trent Worthington – Flunky Jim
– Bruce Waldie, soloist

The Winnipeg Singers bring Lessons and Carols for Today. This traditional study of the Christmas story, which, while being ancient, continues to be inspirational to our modern world.

We find ourselves drawing reference to the lessons learned through the story to inspire us to find ways to better our world, treat all as equals without discrimination, and take courage in the face of difficulties.

We highlight the lessons with choral works written by Canadian composers Andrew Balfour, Mark Sirett, Steven Chatman, and Winnipeg's Dan Wiebe to name a few.

The Winnipeg Singers
Yuri Klaz, Artistic Director & Conductor
Narration written and performed by Muriel Smith

Introductory Remarks

Traditional: I Wonder as I Wander
Soloists: Ainsley Wray & Marni Enns
Diane Loomer: Behold, Emanuel

LESSON ONE: The Angel Gabriel speaks to the Virgin Mary

Narrator

Andrew Balfour: Gabriel’s Message
Percussion: Brendan Thompson
Overtones & Crystal Ball: Alan Schroeder
Don Macdonald: There is no Rose

LESSON TWO: The baby is born

Narrator

Mark Sirett: Thou Shalt Know Him

Narrator

Miles Ramsay: Away in a Manger
Scott Reimer: Still, Still, Still

LESSON THREE: Shepherds come to see the Baby

Narrator

Mark Sirett: Celtic Carol

Narrator

Daniel Wiebe: Noel Nouvelet
Kathryn Parrotta: In the Bleak Midwinter
Soloists: Ainsley Wray & Craig Kremer

LESSON FOUR: Wise Men come to see the Baby

Narrator

Jon Washburn: Pat-a-Pan
Derrick Christian: Un flambeau! Jannette Isabelle

Narrator

Benjamin Bolden: I Saw Three Ships

LESSON FIVE: St. John Unfolds the Great Mystery

Jeff Enns: O Magnum Mysterium
Soloist: Marni Enns

Narrator

Peter Togni: Of the Father's Love Begotten
Kristopher Fulton: Approaching the Manger

Narrator

Miles Ramsay: Silent Night
Lowell Mason/John Rutter: Joy to the World

••••

CHORISTERS

Sopranos
Marni Enns, Ainsley Wray, Kyra Krassnigg, Jan Byrd, Celina Morphy-Siemens, Dawn Marie Wilson, Ainsley Wray

Altos
Jodie Borle, Shayla Davidson, Brittany Dheilly, Donnalynn Grills, Angela Neufeld, Pat Wray

Tenors
Jane Kehler, Craig Kremer, Doug Pankratz, Eugene Salvador, Stuart Sladden, Gregory Wiebe

Basses
Blake Collis, Greg Cooper, Steve Ens, Jack Roeder, Al Schroeder, Bruce Waldie

2022-2023 marks the 50th anniversary of The Winnipeg Singers. We begin our celebration with a special gala event at the Fort Garry Hotel.
FEATURING:
• a three-course sit-down dinner
• special guests
• offerings of treasured memories
• choral works
• and, end the evening dancing to the Ron Paley Quintet.
Cash bar.

The Winnipeg Singers
Yuri Klaz, Artistic Director & Conductor
Narration by Muriel Smith
Donnalynn Grills, Narrator

LESSONS & CAROLS: A Canadian Christmas

Introductory Remarks

Traditional: I Wonder as I Wander
Soloists: Ainsley Wray & Marni Enns
Diane Loomer: Behold, Emanuel

LESSON ONE: The Angel Gabriel speaks to the Virgin Mary

Narrator

Andrew Balfour: Gabriel’s Message
Don Macdonald: There is no Rose

Ensemble One: Carols

Here We Come A-Caroling
Hark! The Herald Angels
God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen
Go Tell it on the Mountain

LESSON TWO: The baby is born

Narrator

Mark Sirett: Thou Shalt Know Him

Narrator

Miles Ramsey: Away in a Manger
Scott Reimer: Still, Still, Still

INTERMISSION

LESSON THREE: Shepherds come to see the baby

Narrator

Mark Sirett: Celtic Carol

Narrator

Daniel Wiebe: Noel Nouvelet
Kathryn Parrotta: In the Bleak Midwinter
Soloists: Ainsley Wray & Craig Kremer

Ensemble Two: Carols

O come, All Ye Faithful
Ding Dong Merrily on High
Fum, Fum, Fum
Good Christians All, Rejoice

LESSON FOUR: Wise Men come to see the baby

Narrator

Jon Washburn: Pat-a-Pan
Derrick Christian: Un flambeau! Jannette Isabelle

Narrator

Benjamin Bolden: I Saw Three Ships

LESSON FIVE: St. John Unfolds the Great Mystery

Jeff Enns: O Magnum Mysterium
Soloist: Marni Enns

Narrator

Peter Togni: Of the Father's Love Begotten
Kristopher Fulton: Approaching the Manger

Narrator

Miles Ramsey: Silent Night
Lowell Mason/John Rutter: Joy to the World

••••

Sopranos
Marni Enns, Ainsley Wray, Kyra Krassnigg, Jan Byrd, Celina Morphy-Siemens

Altos
Brittany Dheilly, Pat Wray, Donnalynn Grills, Jodie Borle, Shayla Davidson, Angela Neufeld

Tenors
Craig Kremer, Stuart Sladden, Greg Wiebe, Kyle Briscoe, Doug Pankratz

Basses
Jack Roeder, Blake Collis, Bruce Waldie, Steve Ens, Al Schroeder, Greg Cooper

Concert Sponsors
Kelowna Community Concert Association
Hub International Insurance
Wawanesa Insurance

www.winnipegsingers.com