Sharing Joy Through Song!

Achill — Your Community Choir since 1982!

ACHILL CHORAL SOCIETY WELCOMES NEW MEMBERS

Achill is growing! We are overjoyed to welcome new members! Rehearsing and singing in person is wonderful!

The Achill Choral Society celebrates their 40th season with a holiday concert featuring treasures from the choir’s first performance in 1982, songs from John Williams’ Home Alone Suite , Howard Blake’s The Snowman,  and seasonal favorites including a sing-along that is sure to delight .  Under the leadership of Artistic Director Shawn Grenke  and accompanied by collaborative pianist Nancy Dettbarn, guest performers and alumni members will join the choir for an afternoon of holiday reminiscence and celebration of 40 wonderful years.

Concerts:
November 25, 2023:  Westminster United Church, 247 Broadway, Orangeville, 3:00 – 4:30 P.M.
December 2, 2023: Knox Presbyterian Church, 160 King Street South, Alliston, 3:00 – 4:30 P.M.
As the Headwaters Region’s premier community choir, we currently have 70 singers. There’s always room for more! Our Winter and Spring concerts feature songs diverse in style, culture and message.
Rehearsals;
Location: Upstairs at Westminster United Church, 247 Broadway, Orangeville, ON, L9W 2Z5
Date: Wednesdays @ 7 P.M., September 6, 13, 20, (and beyond)

All new singers are invited to participate in the first three rehearsals at no charge. After a free 3-week trial with us, new members will participate in a short vocal placement exercise with our Director, Shawn Grenke, to determine how best to blend your voice with the choir’s beautiful sound. If you then wish to join Achill, a year’s membership fee of $300 will be payable. We look forward to welcoming you in September!

Please contact info@achill.ca if you wish to attend and to receive a Pre-registration Form so that you can pick up your set of vocal scores at the first rehearsal. These are on loan, to be returned to Achill’s librarian.

Also you can connect with us on facebook.com/AchillChoralSociety

Shawn Grenke, Artistic Director

Shawn Grenke, Artistic Director

Conductor, pianist and organist Shawn Grenke is Director of Music at Eglinton St. George’s United Church in Toronto, Collaborative Pianist with the Elmer Iseler Singers of Toronto, and Artistic Director and Conductor of the Achill Choral Society. We are so happy to have Shawn leading us!

Shawn has appeared in concerts in Poland and South Korea, at the Let the
Future Sing Choral Festival in Sweden and the Xinghai Choral Competition in
China, as well as the Le Mondial Choral Loto-Québec World Choral Competition in
Laval, Québec, Roy Thomson Hall (Toronto), Winspear Centre, (Edmonton), CBC Radio, and other festivals, concert series and recitals throughout Canada, the United States and Europe.

Shawn has finished his second year of doctoral studies in Choral Conducting at the University of Alberta with Dr. Timothy Shantz. He was very honoured to be awarded the Alberta Graduate Excellence Scholarship Award, the Opera Edmonton Assistantship Award and the Centennial Bursary Fund Award. While in Alberta, Shawn was also the Artist in Residence at St. George’s Anglican Church and held a teaching assistant position with the University of Alberta’s Opera Program under the direction of Shannon Hiebert.

We deeply thank Jenny Crober for all her energy and professional musical talent for leading us last year!

Achill and the Tapestry of Art and Music

Headwaters Arts presented “Tapestry of Art and Music”, a FREE, musically themed, art show & sale fundraising event on Saturday, May 27th, 2023 at the Alton Mill Arts Centre. The afternoon festivities all happened in the outdoor arts space, under the tented roof over the Annex featuring a performance by the Achill Choral Society, led by Shawn Grenke, Artistic Director of Achill.