Sharing Joy Through Song!

Achill and the Tapestry of Art and Music

Headwaters Arts presents “Tapestry of Art and Music”, a FREE, musically themed, art show & sale fundraising event on Saturday, May 27th, 2023 from 1:00 P.M. – 5:00 P.M. at the Alton Mill Arts Centre. The afternoon festivities are all happening 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.  There will also be an unveiling of a Mosaic Tapestry.

Jenny Crober, Guest Director

Jenny Crober has had a richly varied professional music career of over 40 years as a choral conductor, collaborative pianist, coach, clinician, choral arranger and teacher. She has been the Artistic Director & Conductor of the VOCA Chorus of Toronto since 2004. Jenny co-conducted Scott Macmillan’s Celtic Mass for the Sea at Carnegie Hall in 2015. Following a 2016 VOCA workshop with renowned composer Ola Gjeilo, she assembled numerous choristers at his request to perform in a 2018 mass choir concert featuring his work, Dreamweaver, at Carnegie Hall, which VOCA later performed as a Canadian premiere. VOCA also performed the world premiere of Anang (A Star) by celebrated Cree composer Andrew Balfour at their recent Star Songs concert, and will perform it again, with other works – featuring Shawn Grenke and guests – in April 2023, part of Roy Thomson Hall’s Choir & Organ Noon hour Concert Series.

In the Spring of 2017, Jenny conducted Achill performing the marvellous Missa Gaia: Earth Mass by Paul Winter. Welcome back, Jenny — we are having a wonderful time working with you again!

Shawn Grenke, our Artistic Director, was on sabbatical in Edmonton acquiring his doctorate in choral conducting over 2022–2023. Shawn and our Guest Director Jenny Crober worked closely together to plan our 2023 Spring season. Shawn will continue to be our Artistic Director and will be leading us in person.

Achill — Your Community Choir since 1982!

ACHILL CHORAL SOCIETY WELCOMES NEW MEMBERS

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

Our weekly Wednesday rehearsals resumed in early September 2023 on Wednesday evenings in the beautiful sanctuary of Westminster United Church, Orangeville. We are now about to sing our Spring concert, Sing your Song. Please consider joining us in September if you love to sing choral music, want to be part of a vibrant community, and wish to grow musically under expert leadership. We are a welcoming choral community that strives to create a diverse, equitable and inclusive environment. After a free 2-week trial with us, new members will participate in a short vocal placement exercise with our Director, to determine how best to blend your voice with the choir’s beautiful sound. We look forward to welcoming you in September!

We currently practice a careful Covid protocol, including full vaccination, risk self-assessment, wearing singers’ masks indoors (provided), and observing spatial distancing. We want our singers and staff to be as safe as possible. We will be updating this policy in the next month.

Please contact info@achill.ca if you wish to attend and for more information. Also you can connect with us on facebook.com/AchillChoralSociety

 

“Voices of Earth”

This is an Achill Choral Society / Eglinton St. George‘s United Church Choir Covid Zoom virtual choir video. This co-production, which features a recitation by Mark Whitcombe of Archibald Lampman’s sublime sonnet Voices of Earth, accompanied by Mark’s photos, is conducted by Shawn Grenke, with technical production by Bryan Estabrooks.
Lampman taught high school here in Orangeville in 1883. After that he devoted his life to poetry, becoming one of Canada’s finest late 19th century poets.
Achill will be singing this in person during our upcoming Spring matinee concert at Westminster Church, Orangeville, on 2023 May 6th.