Welcome to Sing A Rainbow
Program Notes & Translations
All Choirs
Sing a Rainbow:
Composed in 1955 by Arthur Hamilton and arranged by John Coates, Jr. in 1969, “Sing a Rainbow” has been a ‘classic’ children’s choir song for decades.
When we were looking for repertoire for this concert, we were able to borrow music from the Choirs Ontario Choral Music Library and found this beautiful song again.
It has a simple and accessible melody for our youngest singers. Enjoy the sweetness and the colours.
Cantabile
Cantar by Jay Althouse, sung in Spanish
Cantar una canción alegre, Sing a happy song!
Cantar, con una voz Sing with one voice!
Sing alle, alleluia!
Where’er You Walk
from the Opera Semele by George Frederic Handel (1685-1759)
This beautiful song is sung by the tenor playing the role of the god, Jupiter and is sung to Semele, a mortal, with whom he is in love. Jupiter arranges for the palace to be magically transformed into beautiful gardens to keep Semele from being so lonely.
Where’er you walk cool gales shall fan the glade,
Trees where you sit shall crowd into a shade,
Where’er you tread, the blushing flowers shall rise,
And all things flourish where’er you turn your eyes.
Can you hear me? by Bob Chilcott
We are continuing to learn and experience new languages. This beautiful composition incorporates American Sign Language at each chorus.
I look around me as I grow, I’d like to tell you all I know.
I see life with all its energy, the city streets, the rush of time.
This is my world, it’s where I like to be, so much to see, so much to find.
I sometimes sit and wait a while, I feel the sun, it makes me smile.
Can you see it? Can you see it, too?
I feel life with all its energy, the hoy of waking ev’ry day.
This is my world, it’s where I like to be, so much to do, so much to say.
I sometimes sit and feel the sun, its warmth is there for everyone.
Can you feel it? Can you feel it, too?
My world’s a silent one but it’s enough for me, I hear you through through your hands the movement sets me free,
But it could be a special thing to hear your voice, to hear you sing.
Can you hear me?
Encore
Laus Deo
Laus Deo in excelsis et in terra pax hominibus bonae voluntatis. Laudamus te, Benedicimus te. Adoramus te, Glorificamus te. Gloria in excelsis Deo!
Praise be to God in the highest. And on earth peace to people of goodwill. We praise you, we bless you. We adore you, we glorify you. Glory to God in the highest.
I chose Laus Deo as our opening piece to express the excitement and gratitude we have to be able to share our music with you. Filled with distinct sections, this piece takes us on a musical journey: the choir begins by swelling like stormy ocean waves, with the piano immediately leading us into the exciting rhythmic groove which sets the tone for the rest of the pieces. Through bright syncopated ideas, Leavitt builds up to the recapitulation of the opening chordal waves, leading us to the final declamation of “Glory to God in the highest!”.
Silver by Walter de la Mare
Slowly, silently, now the moon
Walks the night in her silver shoon;
This way, and that, she peers, and sees
Silver fruit upon silver trees;
One by one the casements catch
Her beams beneath the silvery thatch;
Couched in his kennel, like a log,
With paws of silver sleeps the dog;
From their shadowy cote the white breasts peep
Of doves in a silver-feathered sleep;
A harvest mouse goes scampering by,
With silver claws and a silver eye;
And moveless fish in the water gleam,
By silver reeds in a silver stream.
Italicized lines omitted from the piece.
Silver is a gorgeous piece, written by legendary Canadian conductor, Jon Washburn. In the best choral pieces, the music exists as a vehicle for the expression of poetry, letting the words work for themselves. In this setting, Washburn uses the transparency of the relatively uncommon SAB voicing to create sonorities which weave in and out of a gently meandering piano part. Though the poem does not reference a specific location, the voices set and create the ambiance of this imaginary forest pond gathering, acting as our visual guides. Alongside this, the piano part is everything else one might feel when observing such a scene; the gentle ebbing and flowing of the wind on our skin, smells of the forest wafting in and out of perception, and the stillness that comes in the hours of the night where time seemingly comes to a standstill.
Woodsmoke and Oranges by Ian Tamblyn
By woodsmoke and oranges, path of old canoe,
I would course the inland ocean to be back to you.
No matter where I go to, it’s always home again
To the rugged northern shore and the days of sun and wind.
We nosed her in by Pukaskwa, out for fifteen days,
To put paddle and the spirit at the mercy of the waves.
The wanigans were loaded down and a gift left on the shore,
For it’s best if we surrender to the rugged northern shore.
In the land of the silver birch, cry of the loon,
There’s something in this country that’s a part of me and you.
The waves smashed the smoky cliffs of Old Woman Bay,
Where we fought against the backswell and then were on our way.
I could speak to you of spirits – by the vision pits we saw them
Walk the agate beaches of the mighty Gargantua.
I have turned my back upon these things, tried to deny
The coastline of my dreams, but it turns me by and by.
It tossed the mighty ship around, smashed the lighthouse door,
Sends a shiver up my spine, oh the rugged northern shore.
In the land of the silver birch, cry of the loon
There’s something ‘bout this country that’s a part of me and you.
Ian Tambyln is a singer, songwriter, canoeist, and a great Canadian treasure. Like Silver, this song brings us outdoors, this time rooted firmly in our local Ontario geography. Pukaskwa National Park, Old Woman Bay, and Gargantua Bay can all be found along Lake Superior. Unlike Silver, Woodsmoke and Oranges does not shy away from the terrifying and rugged beauty that can be found in the world. Through mighty winds and fearsome waves, Ian communicates a deep reverence for the land; a love that embraces both the beauty and power of the earth. This arrangement pays homage to the folk background of the original song, focusing us in on the final musical statement: “There’s something ‘bout this country that’s a part of me and you.”
Secret for the Mad by Dodie
I’ve got a secret for the mad.
In a little bit of time it won’t hurt so bad.
And I get that I don’t get it.
But you will burn right now but then you won’t regret it.
You’re not gonna believe a word I say.
What’s the point in just drowning another day.
And I get that I don’t get it.
And the world will show you that you won’t regret it.
Little things, all the stereotypes,
They’re gonna help you get through this one night
And there will be a day when you can say you’re okay and mean it.
I promise you, it will all make sense again.
There’s nothing to do right now but try.
There are a hundred people who will listen to you cry.
And I get that they don’t get it.
But they love you so much that you won’t regret it.
You’re at the bottom, this is it.
Just get through, you will be fixed.
And you think that I don’t get it.
But I burned my way through and I don’t regret it.
Little things, all the stereotypes,
They’re gonna help you get through this one night.
ANd there will be a day when you can say you’re okay and mean it.
I promise you, it will all make sense again.
Off her 2017 EP “You”, songwriter Dodie says of the song: “I wrote it for a friend who I heard was going through a rough time. Today, though, I sang it for myself”. Secret for the Mad is a song about getting through the complexities and absurdities of a world that sometimes feels like it’s run away from you. Beyond that, it is also a song of hope, that one day, it will all make sense again. Young people especially have a lot to worry about these days – grades, universities, pandemics, inflation, recession, and of course, the usual crushing worries of “who am I, and where do I fit into all of this madness?”. I am reminded of the proverb “This too shall pass” as I reflect on the chaos and disarray our world has gone through these last couple of years. I then am reminded of the stereotypical and often little things which have gotten me through these times. With one more parting quote, I’m now turning to the animated TV series Rick and Morty, where one character poignantly quips “Nobody exists on purpose. Nobody belongs anywhere. Everybody’s gonna die. Come watch TV.” At its core, I believe what Dodie communicates through this song is that life is tough, but we are tougher – and that one day we will make sense and get through it all, together.
Mairi’s Wedding
Step we gaily, on we go,
Heel for heel and toe for toe,
Arm and arm and row on row,
All for Mairi’s wedding.
Over hill-ways up and down,
Myrtle green and bracken brown,
Past the shielings, through the town;
All for sake o’ Mairi.
Red her cheeks as rowans are,
Bright her eye as any star,
Fairest o’ them a’ by far,
Is our darling Mairi.
Plenty herring, plenty meal,
Plenty peat to fill her creel,
Plenty bonnie bairns as weel;
That’s the toast for Mairi.
We end the concert with Bob Chiillcot’s wonderfully fun arrangement of Mairi’s Wedding, a Scottish Folk Song originally written in Gaelic by John Roderick Bannerman in 1934.This song was written for Mary C. MacNiven, for her winning the Gold Medal at the National Mòd, the highest singing award in Scottish Gaeldom. Unfortunately, this English version bears no relation to this brief history lesson. These lyrics, written by Sir Hugh Roberton tells the story of a raucous wedding, through the Scottish flora, past the shieling huts, with plates, cups and baskets filled a’ plenty with herring, peat and as one would imagine, lots of ale. Mairi’s wedding has been recorded by a plethora of world class musicians, among them: Moira Anderson, Van Morrison and the Rankin Family.
Cantabile & Camerata
Nightsongs by Cary Ratcliff
Dancing rhythms and sparkling melodies abound in Night Songs, an imaginative three-song suite for treble chorus that celebrates the sounds of children laughing and playing on a summer night.
1. Nightdance – Text based on “Nightdance” by Rebecca Kai Dotlich
All over the world there are nightdance children
Hiding, hopping, never stopping
Jump rope rhyming, late hop-scotching, happy feet in chalky squares, children dancing everywhere,
And the sun comes up and the sun goes down, and children moon-skip all around.
As firebugs flicker in the air
There are night-dance children everywhere.
2. Blow Out the Sun – Text based on “Wordless Words” by Karla Kuskin
Wordless words, a tuneless tune
Blow out the sun, draw down the shade,
Turn off the dog, snap on the stars,
Unwrap the moon,
Wish leafy sleeping trees goodnight and listen
3. I Dance to the Stars and the Moon – Text based on “The Song of the Night” by Leslie D. Perkins
I dance to the tune of the stars and the moon,
I dance to the song of the night,
I dance to the strains of a cricket’s refrain.
I dance to the fire, dance to the fireflies’ light.
I dance to the breeze and the whispering trees,
I dance to the meteor’s flight.
I dance to the beat of the summertime heat,
I dance to the pulse of the night.
Ave Maria setting by Ellen Buchanan Hanify
Ave Maria, gratia plena, Dominus tecum.
Benedicta tu in mulieribus,
et benedictus fructus ventris tui, Iesus.
Sancta Maria, Mater Dei,
ora pro nobis peccatoribus,
nunc et in hora mortis nostrae. Amen.
Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee.
Blessed art thou among women,
and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God,
pray for us sinners,
now and in the hour of our death. Amen.
Camerata
Ich wollt meine Lieb’ ergösse sich, op. 63, #1 (duet) (I wish that I could pour my love) Text by Heinrich Heine (1797-1856) Set by Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy (1809-1847)Translation copyright Richard Stokes, author of The Book of Lieder (Faber)
Ich ch wollt, meine Lieb ergösse sich all in ein einzig Wort, Das gäb ich den luft’gen Winden, die trügen es lustig fort. Sie tragen zu dir, Geliebte, das lieberfüllte Wort; du hörst es zu jeder Stunde, du hörst es an jedem Ort. Und hast du zum nächtlichen Schlummer geschlossen die Augen kaum, so wird mein Bild dich verfolgen bis in den tiefsten Traum.
I wish that I could pour my love into a single word, I’d give it to the merry winds, who’d bear it merrily away. They’d bear it to you, beloved, this word so full of love, you’d hear it at every moment, you’d hear it in every place. And when for your nightly slumber you’ve scarcely closed your eyes, my image will then pursue you into your deepest dream.
Vichten
The Acadians are a vibrant and distinct French culture in the Canadian mosaic, descended from settlers mainly from Northern France who first arrived in 1604 to the area known today as southwest Nova Scotia. After building communities throughout Canada’s east coast provinces, the Acadians were expelled from their lands by the British colonial authorities from 1755 to 1763, and their homes and crops burned. Over 10,000 Acadians were deported to various parts of the world , some of whom settled in Louisiana where, over time, the word ‘Acadian’ – as spoken in the Acadian patois – was understood by English-language speakers as ‘Cajun’. Today, Acadian culture is thriving , and music is a huge part of everyday life. It is not uncommon for everyone in a traditional Acadian family to play an instrument and sing!
Many people in Canada mistake “Vichten” as a traditional Acadian folk song. It is not. It is a newly composed folk song that was written by Arthur Arsenault for his children and made popular by his daughter Angele Arsenault. Angele was the eighth of fourteen children, born on Prince Edward Island in 1943, and she recorded and performed “Vichten” throughout her long career as an Acadian folk singer and TV host.
Come, Let’s Be Merry – Text 17th century anonymous Music by: James Mulholland
Come, let’s be merry, let’s be airy
‘Tis a folly to be sad;
For, since the world’s gone mad,
Why alone should we be wise,
And like dull fools,
Gaze on other men’s joys
Let not tomorrow bring you sorrow
While the stream of life flows on;
But when the cheerful day is gone,
Still endeavor that the next shall be as gay,
And a little perplexed.
If you have leisure,
Follow pleasure,
Let not an hour of joy pass by;
For, a the fleeting moments fly,
Time, it will your youth decay;
Then try to live,
And enjoy while you may.
All Choirs
Like a Rainbow – Text based on the Guaymi Dawn Song and adapted by Bob Chilcott
Like a Rainbow
Let my life be like a rainbow whose colours teach us unity
Let me follow the great circle, the roundness of power.
One with the moon and the sun and the ripple of the waters,
Following the way of honour, a guide to the weak,
A rock of strength in my word that shall say no lie, no lie nor deception.
Be kind, be brave, be humble as the earth,
And be a radiant as the sunlight, like a rainbow.
Artistic Biographies
Carole Anderson
Carole Anderson is a life-long choral music enthusiast and conductor! She received her Bachelor of Music at Western University where she studied choral conducting with Deral Johnson. From 2006-2020 Carole was an Associate Conductor with the Toronto Children’s Chorus where she conducted three choirs, two that were part of the training choir program and Cantare, the junior half of the TCC’s Main Choir. As a member of the TCC’s Artistic Staff Carole was part of 8 international and 2 national tours. These tours included: Europe, South Africa, Russia and the Baltics, South America, Bahamas, New Zealand, Australia and the USA.
During her 35-year teaching career Carole taught music at all grade levels and was a music consultant in both Brant and Peel Districts. Her middle school choral and concert band ensembles were recognized for excellence at local, regional and national festivals and from 2000 to 2012, Carole produced and directed a biannual musical production involving over 200 students at Thomas Street Middle School. Shows included: Joseph and the Amazing…(twice), Guys and Dolls, Music Man, You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown and Pirates of Penzance. In 1997 23 students from Fletcher’s Creek Senior Public School performed for five months in Livent’s production of “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” starring Donny Osmond. In 2000 30 students from Thomas Street Middle School performed in “Joseph” at the Mirvish Theatre with a US touring company.
In 2012, Carole received an Honorary Life Membership from the Ontario Music Educators’ Association. From 2013 – 2018, she was a member of the Board of Directors for Choirs Ontario, with responsibility for the Ontario Youth Choir. Carole continues to serve as a choral adjudicator, guest conductor, and guest lecturer.
Carole is honoured to continue working with the Young Voices Toronto community in the special leadership role of Artistic Director.
Elizabeth Cattell
Born in Toronto, Ontario, Elizabeth Cattell graduated from Mount Allison University with a Bachelor’s degree in Education and has taught in New Brunswick, Montreal and Toronto. She retired in 2017, after a 32-year teaching career at the elementary and junior levels with the Toronto District School Board. Elizabeth has taught a variety of subjects with a focus in music, dance, special education, and French. Elizabeth has always aimed to share her love of choral music, dance and the arts through teaching. She built and developed the choral music program at Rosethorn Junior School, with choirs for Primary and Junior students, and later included specialized choirs for grade one students as well as a boys’ choir. These choirs competed at The Kiwanis Music Festival with high levels of success, winning scholarships, best of class, gold and platinum recognition and provincial qualifier. Community endeavours are also an integral part of Elizabeth’s music philosophy. While working at the Toronto District School Board, she collaborated with a local community choir, and created an annual school-wide production featuring all students and choirs in the school. Recognizing that not all students want to express themselves through vocal music, she pursued courses in Orff at the Royal Conservatory of Music, and has used Orff, voice, dance, ASL, drama and visual arts to develop alternative approaches to music and creativity in every child. Throughout her teaching career, Elizabeth has lived by her belief that music is tantamount to creating a child with a strong understanding of their inner selves. She uses music and the arts to give students confidence and a sense of freedom. She has dedicated her career to the value of the arts in an ever-changing world. Elizabeth is delighted to share her passion for music in collaboration with young minds.
Jai Eun Yoo
Jai Eun Yoo is newly joined as a Collaborative Pianist at the Young Voices Toronto. She spent the past 12 years working as a Collaborative Pianist for the Toronto Children’s Chorus (TCC) and for the Toronto Korean Children’s Choir. She currently works with Ontario Male Chorus as an accompanist, and also with the East Faith Presbyterian Church in Oakville as a choir conductor. She earned both her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in piano performance at Yonsei University (South Korea), receiving full year scholarships along the way. Before emigrating to Canada, she spent her time working in South Korea as part of the teaching faculty of the Korean Conservatory of Music, and as a professional accompanist. Although English is not her first language, she is excited to share her passion for music with the rest of the YVT artistic team!
Victor Daoyuan Cheng
Victor Daoyuan Cheng is a conductor and baritone based in Toronto. He is the founder and conductor emeritus of the Mississauga Summer Chorale, youth and young adult choral organisation involving over 100 members. Previously, Victor served as interim conductor of A Few Good Men, and A Few Good Men in Training under the umbrella of the Oakville Choirs for Youth and Children. In the fall of 2022, Victor will begin a Master of Music in Conducting in Oslo, at the Norwegian Academy of Music, studying with world renowned conductor Grete Pedersen.
In December of 2019, Victor was the first North American invited to compete in the 9th Towards Polyphony International Choral Conducting Competition, hosted at the Karol Lipinksi Academy of Music in Wroclaw, Poland. Victor was also recipient of the 2020 Ken Fleet Choral Conducting Scholarship.
In 2018, Victor was selected as an Intern Conductor with the Ontario Youth Choir, assisting Jon Washburn. He was also the apprentice conductor of the Voices Chamber Choir and has participated in workshops and masterclasses in North America with renowned conductors and ensembles, including Donald Nally, Gabriel Crouch, Luminous Voices and voces boreales. In 2020, Victor served as the choral conducting intern at St. Michael’s Choir School.
Victor is also an accomplished choral singer, currently singing in professional ensembles at the Toronto Oratory, St. Basil’s Catholic Parish, as well as the Toronto Festival Singers. Victor also sings in the Amadeus Choir as the baritone section lead. Previously, he sang in the Elmer Iseler Singers as the James. T Chestnutt Scholar in voice and conducting. Beyond the classical world, Victor has shared the stage with band and acts such as Cirque du Soleil, and the Rolling Stones.
Kelly Lin
Christian Umipig
Christian Umipig is a baritone/pianist active in the Greater Toronto Area with a passion for both choral and operatic music. Born in Toronto, Ontario, Christian is an alumnus of St. Michael’s Choir School, graduating in 2017. He is currently a student at the University of Toronto for Voice Performance and is studying with Peter Barnes. In his third year as well as his fourth and final year at the Faculty of Music, he has been studying as an Opera undergraduate, gaining further musical experience under the tutelage of Sandra Horst and Michael Albano. Christian is involved in both the choral and church scenes of Toronto. He currently cantors or plays the piano for a number of churches in the North York and Scarborough areas and also accompanies rehearsals and concerts for Babel Chorus and Young Voices Toronto. Other choral experiences include rehearsal accompanist for the Tallis Choir of Toronto and the Mississauga Summer Chorale
Dr. Hye Won Cecilia Lee
Dr. Hye Won Cecilia Lee is a diverse freelance musician based in Toronto, Canada. She performs on all three major keyboard forms, from full – orchestral and graphic score readings to figured/unfigured continuo parts and traditional classical piano writing. Dr. Lee received her DMA at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln with Paul Barnes and Nicole Narboni, with generous support from Hixon – Lied Scholarship and Creative Activity Grant. Her teachers include Lynda Metelsky, University of Toronto, Jack Winerock and Robert Koenig, University of Kansas. In addition, she studied organ/harpsichord (Douglas Bodle, Eugene Gates), clavichord (Gerhard Erber, Hochschule für Musik, Leipzig), fortepiano (Bart van Oort, Netherland). Dr. Lee has attended numerous international festivals with scholarships as soloist/chamber musician/collaborative pianist: Institute and Festival for Contemporary Performance at Mannes College (USA), Juilliard – Leipzig Summer Academy (USA-Germany), Casalmaggiore International Music Festival (Italy), Pablo Casals Music Festival (France), Banff Centre of Arts String/Winds Masterclasses, 2009 Winter and Fall residency (Canada). In addition to performing, Ms. Lee is an active recording engineer, working with Faculty of Music, University of Toronto and various freelance projects in the city, translates for the Legal Aids Ontario for immigration and refugee matters, and writes for the Ludwig-Van-Toronto, web-based Classical Music site.
Sofya Voronka
Sofya Voronko studied voice at the University of Toronto (UofT, 2011 – 2015) and later received a Master of Teaching degree from the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE, 2018 – 2020).
Currently Sofya conducts the Ave Choir, the La-La-Larks children’s choir, and teaches choir and ukulele band at the Evergreen Academy. Sofya also holds a studio where she gives private lessons in a variety of instruments and voice.
Sofya is a singer-songwriter, playing in a local progressive rock band “Lostberries”. She also writes music for voice, choir, piano, guitar, ukulele, and flute. The band “Lostberries” has motivated Sofya to learn to play the flute, which she has been truly enjoying for just over a year.
Sofya is thrilled to join YVT for one more concert, accompanying the choir and conducting the PRIMO group in a piece that she wrote specifically for this program.
Board of Directors
Jason Taylor, Co-Chair
Sebastien Duckett, Co-Chair
Julianne Rivard, Treasurer
Ruchita Chandhok, Director
Richard Greenblatt, Director
David Hope, Director
Liz Parker, Director
Nicole Staples-Dorey, Director
Reeshma Tejani, Director
Lisa Tobias, Director
Non-board support:
Kristen Colle, Social Media
Marta Roller, Music Librarian
Words of Gratitude...
Sheldon & Maria
As many of you now know, this will be the last season at YVT for our Artistic Director, Maria Conkey and our Accompanist & Composer-in-Residence, Sheldon Rose.
Maria and Sheldon are exceptional musicians and teachers who dedicated many years to YVT. During their time in our community, they helped bring the our musical program to the next level. The tour to Germany in 2019 and the production of the 2021 Conversations album are but a few occasions on which they left their extraordinary mark.
Above all, Maria and Sheldon will be remembered for the many lives they touched and made better through music. These include the hundreds of choristers who sang with them, the audiences at their many performances, and all those who were fortunate to work with them.
We wish Maria and Sheldon all the best as they continue their musical journeys and we thank them for all that they did for our community and its members.
Donors, Volunteers and Fundraisers
YVT would like to acknowledge all our supporters! In particular, we would like to thank the Ontario Arts Council, the Toronto Arts Foundation and the Green-Sanderson Family foundation for their generous support of our organization.
We also recognize all donors, big and small, who made a contribution to our CanadaHelps campaigns and the Maple Syrup Fundraiser this spring. We thank Richard Greenblatt for supporting our 2 Pianos 4 Hands fundraiser. All these small efforts make a big difference for our, small but mighty, choir!
Last and certainly not least, YVT would like to celebrate all the volunteers who make this choir go around. Rehearsal assistants, concert volunteers, theory markers and ‘whatever you need help with’ volunteers. We are truly a lucky choir to have such an engaged community.
Highligts From Our ‘Rainbow’ Season
