YRCC 2026 Spring Solos

Here are the solos for this season with main soloist and back-up soloist.

These are the solos in our choir pieces. This does not include any solos in the solo and small group segments of the concert.  

As much as possible, please memorize your solo, so that you can look up at the audience instead of into your binder while you are singing your solo. Let me know if you need more rehearsal time for your solo as we get closer to the concert. Make use of the recordings as well. 

Thank you for your courage and generous service to the choir! Most people are uncomfortable standing out, but you are kindly stepping forward.  

Here’s To Song: 1. Wintston (Colby) 2. Sharon (Nadine)

One Voice 1. Soprano: Melodie (Cathy) 2. Tenor: Stanley (Jane) 3. Alto: Lorraine (Lauren)

Thank You For the Music: Robyn (Cathy)

We Rise Again: Melinda (Nadine)

Why We Sing 1. Soprano: Mona (Cathy) 2. Tenor: Stanley (Jane) 3. Alto: Lauren (Debbie) 4. Bass: Colby (Winston)

 Please let me know if I missed anyone or misplaced anyone.

 

YRCC 2026 Rehearsal Review March 10th

Wow! I'm so impressed with the progress we made at this rehearsal, and also generally with how well eveyone is learning the music this season! I hope that these reports every week have been helpful, and I can tell that people have been reviewing parts at home, so I'm confident that the recordings we have and that Donna has made are also being used and appreciated. (I can also sometimes tell when people have not been availing themselves of the resources.) I do these rehearsal reviews mostly for myself, so that I can keep track of what was done, what we need to work on, and generally to help my scheduling. I also want people not to feel bad when they need to miss rehearsals. We all have times when we're away for all kinds of reasons, and I want to be sure that you know it's okay, and I want to help you to catch up, if you need help. 

One of my goals with this rehearsal was to assign the solos for all the songs. I will publish a second post today with all the soloists and back-ups. 

The Song Sung Blue small group met at 6:30 and waited patiently for the music to arrive. Once we got it, we worked on adapting the arrangement to our liking. We added some harmony in the alto section, and created a bigger ending, of course.  

Our warm-ups included stretching, breathing, and our mummies going to Miami. 

1.  Why We Sing: We tried out a new approach to this song. We've sung it so many times that we need to give it a new spin every once in a while. This time, we'll have 4 soloists, a quartet at the beginning, and we'll have them sing the first chorus too. So, up to the pick-up at bar 42 on page 5 it's just 4 voices, one from each section. This time, we heard Mona, Stanley, Lauren, and Winston. It does add quite a bit of drama to the piece, as it builds up from single voices to two to four to everyone, and finally the very loud and complex last chorus and ending. I love it. 

2. One Voice: There is the solo/trio section at the beginning in this piece too. It's a good way to start a song of soft, so that it can build up to a dramatic loud ending. This time, we had the 3 soloists stand at the front so that we could hear how difficult it is, to appreciate their work. The alto part is the most difficult, as is often the case. But, the soprano solo has tricky timing, coming from the accompaniment, mostly. I need to hear more soprano when we all come in at 23, so we reviewed that page a few times. Sopranos, make sure you're clear on the words and learn that part well. Altos, tenors, basses, not so loud there. You're the background. I'm very happy with this song. I love the ending!

3. Here's to Song: There are two solos here, and remember that we're eliminating the oohs under the second. We heard Winston with Colby on the first, and Sharon on the second. We reviewed the chorus, remembering that the first time we sing it, it's very soft, right after the first solo. It sounds really cool when it's soft, and just this big difference in volume gives it a very different sound. We also reviewed the second verse, the one where all four parts sing different things. It's amazing, so good. I love this song, and it was the one that was stuck in my head all night. 

4. We Rise Again: There are two solos in this song, but I think we've always done it with one soloist singing both. It's a very high soprano part, and we're hearing one of our tenors sing it! Melinda has astounding range, and wonderful volume and control at the high end and the low end. We're so lucky! We reviewed the ahs under the solos (mm-oo-ahs) and I'm delighted with how well it went. I guess you must have learned it so well in the past that the new folks can easily follow you now. So happy with this. The chorus building up to the key change and big ending makes this song really rewarding to sing, and a beloved Canadian song. I heard Americans singing it at a demonstration (on Instagram) and it made me proud. 

5. Hymn to Freedom: I was very happy with our performance today! This is also an excellent Canadian song that fills me with pride. I wondered if we should jazz it up a bit. But it's really good the way that we sing it. And, we're supposed to "own" our performances of these songs, make them our own. You are awesome, and I love how you sing it.  You got the tricky ahs! Remember at the end, we're all together singing the same words on the last "we'll be free", (not free, free, free in the bass clef) loud with big harmony on the last note. Also, if you haven't already, be sure to add the missing words in bar 66: first soprano, "free", second soprano we'll "be" free. 

6. Thank You for the Music: We fixed it. It was excellent. We heard Cathy sing the solo on the third verse, without oohs underneath, and with everyone coming in at the chorus with "so I said" and the timing was much better. We've got this!  Remember at the ending that second sopranos and altos can move and choose notes that feel good, tenors and basses too should sing freely in the "me" at the end. Something I didn't say, but you always follow me at the end anyway, is that we will not be ending at pp. It's written as mf with a crescendo to f and then a decrescendo to pp. We will get louder and softer, but ending with some good volume still. 

7.  O Canada: Bonus. We had time so we stood and sang our national anthem, proudly and beautifully. 

 Next week: Tuesday, March 17 (St. Patrick's Day, so party on the weekend)

6:30 Song Sung Blue and 7:00 Circle Game (and the seasons they go round and round...) 

• Here's to Song
• Hallelujah
• Song for Canada
• I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing
• Canon of Joy
• We Rise Again 

 

 

YRCC 2026 Rehearsal Review March 3rd

I'm grateful for my church for providing the space for us to rehearse, and thankful to you all for your patience, generosity, and creativity with parking and setting up and taking down our space there. 

The small groups had their patience tried. We sang My Heart Will Go On beautifully. It's such a good song. We're not all fans of the movie the Titanic, but Celine Dion and her song stand somewhat apart from that, in that the song is a huge pop hit, one of the best-selling singles of all time and Celine is the most successful, the best-selling Canadian recording artist and a Companion of the Order of Canada. We will have to start Song Sung Blue next week, as we didn't have copies of the music on time. We had some time to sit and relax.

Warm-ups included breathing and releasing air and sound with control. We did a couple of things we used to do all the time: me, may, my, mo, moo and Maybe my mummy will go to Miami, and maybe my mummy will not. Fun, and helpful.

1. Hymn to Freedom: We reviewed the tricky ahs, and the second soprano parts, and sang through beautifully.

2.  We Rise Again: We looked at parts at "That as sure as the sun rise" starting at the pick-up to bar 40 on page 9. First sopranos are at the top of the Soprano line in the choir bracket, but sing the bottom of that line at bar 42, the melody. Second sopranos join Altos on the alto line, the second line of the choir bracket, with melody in 40 and 41, harmony in 42. Tenors are at the top of the Bass line, in the bass clef, Basses at the bottom. And, we looked at the ending, page 12. We're all in the choir bracket. First sopranos are on top, at the top of the Soprano line, the top of the choir bracket. Second sopranos start with Altos on the second, but move up to the top at the pick-up to bar 60, "and then". At 62, the second sopranos are on the bottom of the top line, their usual place. Tenors are at the top of the bass clef line, and basses are at the bottom, but free to improvise a good low note. There are lots of notes to choose from and you land on: any Ab, Eb, or C.

3. Song for Canada: Robyn brought her flute and it was really cool! We sang from 81 to the end with the flute coming in at 89. Our focus was the end of the song. On page 13, we're all in the choir bracket for this song's ending. On page 12, we're all singing in the second line, the tutti line, and then we all move down into the choir bracket for a big ending. Sopranos in the first line, divided, as written. Altos are in the second line, and it's divided but if you want, you can stay on the Eb in bar 114, and sing only the lower notes in the last system. However, altos can choose to sing any of the alto notes. So, if your neighbour is singing different notes, do not worry. Tenor and Bass, same thing. You're dividing. Tenors on top and bass on the bottom, but there are 3 notes in 115 and 4 in the last bar. Tenors can chooe the highest notes, and basses the lowest, but if a tenor chooses the middle note, it's fine. It's a big ending, and look at how many notes there are to choose from in bar 115 Bb, Ab, C, Db, F, Ab. And on the last note: any Ab, Eb, or C. You will land very well, no worries. We talked about how you have an instinctive feel for endings, and it's hard to mess them up. 

4. Thank You For The Music: My focus in this song today was the third verse, particularly how to get from the third verse to the segno/chorus. I decided to simplify that section, by eliminating the oohs. We'll have just the soloist and the piano, and when the soloist finishes "chance", we all go to the bar before the segno, on beat 2, the beginning of the chorus, "So I say Thank you..." Remember to go to the CODA on page 8 after that chorus. We can fake the ending here too. Funny, it's the same key as the other two songs, so we can end on any Ab, Eb, or C again. Second sopranos can take the top alto part, but you don't have to. Altos might want to? 

5. Grand Night For Singing: It was a grand night for singing! We went over parts in the Interlude, and sang the whole song. It's really very good already!

Next week, Tuesday, March 10thWe're back in our room.

6:30 Song Sung Blue Small Group

• Here's To Song
• Hymn to Freedom
• One Voice
• Thank You for The Music
• We Rise Again

Here's a video with a really fun Mi Me Ma Mo Mu exercise:

YRCC 2026 Rehearsal Review February 24th

Notice! Next week's rehearsal is at Trinity United Church in Newmarket again. 

We got bumped, and my church is welcoming us again. Enter by the side/Park Avenue doors. If they're locked, they'll be unlocked soon, but you can text me or Lauren and we'll send someone down to open the doors. If those stairs look like too much of a challenge that night, let me know and I'll get the key for the elevator and I'll take you up (and down again if necessary). I'll have my cell number on a sign on the door. 

It was so good to be back, and a number of people were also back after various viruses and illnesses. Yuck! 

After a brief warm-up, we stood and sang our national anthem. After watching some of the recent Winter Olympic medal ceremonies, we were disappointed to see so many athletes neglect to sing their national anthems, and we were proud of our men's team for singing ours proudly and energetically on the ice! We are happy to be prepared in case we ever find ourselves on a gold medal podium, except, maybe some of us will have to think twice to remember to sing the melody so we don't accidentally launch into our parts. But, at least we'll be seen mouthing the words, right?!!

O Canada!

Small Group: My Heart Will Go On is excellent! Next week we'll just polish it. 

1. O Canada: watch out for the ending. We decided to sing it as written, including the extra note on "for". I'll probably slow it down too, so watch and don't improvise. 

2. Song for Canada: we are still getting a little lost in the ahs under the second/French verse. We spent quite a bit of time reviewing parts. Please take some time to review on your own if you're having trouble still. We have recordings for you to practise with. There are short ones, just for the ahs. We're still getting lost at the ending, and we'll need to do that together. The French team was in good form last night! 

3. (It's a) Grand Night For Singing: I moved this in my binder to "G" instead of "I". We learned the Interlude, pages 6-8. We sang from the Interlude through to the end. Now, we've looked at the whole song, since the whole thing is just chorus, interlude, chorus. We took note of the rests everywhere. In many places, the rests make sure that you're able to enunciate ends and beginnings of words clearly.  On page 7: light'-- too lovely (not li-too lovely). Page 8 something to do'-- with you (not doowith) We also talked about how to pronunce "grand night" since there's a tie from grand night, so we can't stop to make a clear d at the end of grand. In this case, you have to squish your d into night. So we have graaaaandnight, noticing the t is strong and quick with a rest after it. Look at "moon is flying high". That rest makes sure you can be clear on moon, and separate it from is. So it's moon'- -iz, not moo-niz.  Page 4 starz'-- are, not star-zar. We have links to recordings on YouTube for you to practise parts with. 

4. Here's to Song: We also finished learning this song! What?!! Yes. We learned the second verse, the tricky one, and we've already learned the chorus, so that's it. We have solo-chorus-verse2-chorus-solo-chorus-ending/chorus. The third solo will be without oohs, like the first. We have enough oohs and ahhs in other songs this year. We'll learn those oohs another time. We had this strategy with Song for a Winter's Night, and it worked well. That second verse is pretty fancy, and the chorus is big, so we've asked Donna to record parts for us. However, we will be reviewing the whole song. Fear not. 

5. We Rise Again: mm-oo-aah, we decided to do the oohs and ahhs under the solos in this song. I was willing to let them go, but those who spent years learning them want to make sure they can use them again. So, please sing them loudly to help your new neighbours to learn them. There are only a couple tricky bits here, most of the time, Second Sopranos, Altos, Tenors and Basses are all singing melody, the chorus in unison. The first sopranos have the hard part, like a descant on top. We have recordings of parts so you can listen to your oohs and ahhs. This is a very rewarding song to sing! I love the big ending.

Soloists: make sure I know what songs you're willing to sing, and which ones you want the most (some of you are willing and able to do any and all). I have to determine who the soloists and back-up soloists are on all of our songs. I will consider your voice style and range, and need to try to be fair. I have received emails from a few of you.  

Next week: Tuesday, March 3rd   at Trinity United Church in Newmarket 461 Park Avenue
enter by the side/Park Ave doors. Parking is an issue. Give yourself extra time to find a spot. 

6:30 in the music room: My Heart Will Go On

7:00 in the music room: Song Sung Blue

7:30 everyone in the Fellowship Room (big room with sofas, opposite washrooms and music rooms. You can arrive early, after 6:30 once the room is available, and start setting up the equipment and chairs)

• Hymn to Freedom
• Grand Night for Singing
• Song for Canada
• Thank you for the Music
• We Rise Again

YRCC 2026 Rehearsal Review February 17th

I'm so sad that I had to miss choir! I've had a terrible flu, and even today can hardly speak, let alone sing. I'm tired and cranky and I'm very much looking forward to being myself again. 

We're so lucky to have Lauren, who can take over when necessary. And, we're lucky to have Tab, who took over for Donna this week, as Donna took a well-deserved vacation to visit family in Ottawa. I think we both should have a night off once in a while. You probably enjoyed the change of pace and different perspective on things. 

Lauren sent me a detailed summary of what she did, so I can catch up, and you can too. 

The small group that met at 6:30 was My Heart Will Go On, made famous by our Canadian superstar, Celine Dion. The song represents our need to sing to support us in difficult times. Good progress was made. There are only a couple of tricky bits to learn, and that will be easy. Please review your music if you are in this group.

1. Here's To Song: Excellent progress! You did the choruses and the ending. You also did the a capella part and it went well! Lauren identified a couple of places that need work, and one of them is "Kings have riches widely lain" where there's dissonance. That's always an issue, but we'll get it. 

2. Thank You for the Music:  Lauren says you really worked hard on the oohs under the solo third verse. That part is difficult in many ways. The end of the solo is particularly challenging and I don't really like the way it's done, so we'll need to work on simplifying it. You reviewed the chorus, and did the ending!? Wow. The coda is not crazy, but I'm impressed. Something Lauren mentioned was messy is at the top of page 4, "all I want is to sing it out loud". Take some time to listen to the recordings on the website, and/or on YouTube if you're finding that challenging, but we'll work on it together some more. We'll have it perfect by May. 

3. One Voice: Skipping the solos, you sang through a couple of times. Let's keep on top of this one. It's good, but we can't lose it. And, we'll work on the solos with Melodie, Lorraine, and Stanley too. Something you might want to review with the recordings is going from page 5 to 6 and into the key change. We'll do it together again, of course, but if you have a chance to work on your own, it will help us all. 

4. Hallelujah: Sounds like you had fun! I love to do something new with an old song (just look at all the pencil notes on some of your music!). Melinda suggested that all the baritone voices sing the solo, then 4 altos and 3 sopranos join them to sing the first verse and first hallelujah, then, all women sing the second solo, and finally everyone comes in at "blaze of light". Sounds good. It's much more dramatic when you start off softer, and grow bigger toward the end. There were other suggestions that Lauren noted, and we can certainly try some. 

5. Why We Sing: This one too is most powerful when you start of soft and sweet and save the strength for later. That's one reason that I've given the beginning to solos and small groups in the past. And, there's some turn taking between sections in the beginning to keep things softer. I'm thinking about having solos in the beginning again. Anyone interested? Let me know. 

Next week: Tuesday, February 24th

Small Group 6:30 My Heart Will Go On 

• Here's to Song
• Grand Night for Singing 
• O Canada
• Song for Canada
• We Rise Again 

 

Here's to our Winter Olympians!

•  

 

YRCC 2026 Rehearsal Review February 10th

We had another very busy Tuesday evening learning our music for our May concert. I try to remember, whenever we're not perfect, that we have more than 2 months of rehearsals left. We're doing great! 

We were at Trinity United Church on Main Street in Newmarket last night because our room at the regional building was needed, so we were bumped. It was a little tricky finding parking once the few spots at the back and in the library lot were taken, so if you were not early, you ended up being a little late. No worries. It was expected. Thank you to those of you who did arrive early and helped to set up chairs, and thank you to everyone who helped put them away and get the equipment and all of us down the stairs at the end of the night. Teamwork, that's what a choir is all about, right?  

We had a productive Soprano Sectional Rehearsal at 6:30. It is always nice to have extra time for one section to focus on their parts, and it's good to have a different "teacher" sometimes, with maybe a different way to tackle tricky bits. Thanks to Lauren for arranging that! We really missed her, but we managed. Next week, small groups start rehearsing in that 6:30- 7:15 time slot. I'll set up the groups in Events on the website. And, I'll announce them here and on the home page of the website every week. 

Our warm-up included a breathing and gratitude exercise that I saw. It's supposed to be calming and energizing at the same time, and I think it worked. We then did lip trills, which some of us still cannot do. We talked about putting aside your usual sense of self (who you are, eg "ladylike") and letting loose with a different version of you when you're doing this kind of exercise and when you're singing. It came up again when we talked about posture and breathing to support your voice at the edges of your vocal range. If you're interested in the theory behind this idea, look up "ego permeability". This ability to stretch your identity is also key to learning new languages (which is how I was introduced to it, studying second language aquisition). "Put on your performer panties."

1. Canon of Joy: We tried to get this to sound fresh and inspiring. The message is that we sing an everlasting song of joy despite our trials and tribulations, but we sound like this song is a trial and tribulation, which, to be fair, it kind of is. The challenge here is not the notes. The notes are not difficult. The challenge is to sound pretty and positive, joyful even, when you're singing a boring part. Try to sing page 5 a little differently each time. When pianists have to repeat a note several times, they use different fingers on the same key, called finger switching, instead of hammering that key with the same finger. It creates interest because different fingers can have different intensity and it saves muscle strain. Think about how you can hit the notes differently to create interest and save boredom. The phrasing is a bit difficult, keeping smooth without big gaps of breathing is not easy. We need to use the technique called staggered breathing. It's a key teamwork thing in choirs. We breathe at different times from our neighbours so that the sound can continue without gaps. The other way that we work as a team is that we listen for the other parts, to hear whether we need to be louder or softer in relation to them. It's also my job to let you know when your group needs to adjust your volume. I was  mentioning trying to sound like a cello instead of a trumpet, and we can all use that kind of thinking here. Think of Pachelbel's Canon at a wedding, played by a string quartet, all pretty and light, and when the Beethoven comes in, it's also one of the string instruments and not a brass section of an orchestra. When we're all singing the Beethoven, we're still a pretty string quartet at a wedding, with passion, but peacefully, not with agression. 

2. Here's to Song: We had our first good look at this new piece, and we learned most of it. We learned the chorus, not perfectly, but we got through it and it's repeated a few times, so that's most of the song. The most difficult part is the second verse, and we will spend considerable time on that, starting next week. We're going to simplify the piece the same way we did with Song for a Winter's Night when we first got it. We gave two verses to soloists, focused on the chorus and spent time on one verse in 4 parts. So, with this song, the first verse is clearly a solo, the second is the 4-part choral verse, and the third is a solo with oohs which we're going to skip, and just keep the solo like the first verse. Very manageable. I have Winston in my head for the solos, but please let me know if you would like to try one or both of those. This can be anyone, and we can have two soloists. And, I'll need back-ups in any case. We will have lots of opportunities for back-ups to sing the solos at seniors homes- we'll have 5 or 6 in May and June. 

3. It's a Grand Night for Singing: Our second brand-new song! And, it's also chorus-heavy. It's actually just the chorus two times with an "interlude". We got through the chorus pretty well for our first time looking at it. Watch out for rests. We must observe the rests, so that we can breathe, and so that the timing and enunciation are sharp. 

4. Hymn to  Freedom: We just reviewed those jazzy ahs. We sang page 7 and 8 only.  

5. Thank you For the Music:  We sang all the way through from the beginning to the end, but the focus was on the chorus. The soprano section reviewed parts during the sectional rehearsal, and it seems we can use more time for the altos again to review that. We heard Robyn and Cathy on the solo, but didn't learn the ahs below the solo. Coming in at the bar before the segno is easy when we're not singing our ahs. We'll continue to work on that transition, but make a note that right after the solo ends, we go to the bar before the segno "so I say", not overlapping. The soloist gets to hold that note one extra beat, at least, maybe more...

Next week, Tuesday February 17th 

6:30 Small Group: My Heart Will Go On (please sign up on the website to join this group)

• Here's to Song
• Hallelujah
• One Voice
• Why We Sing
• Thank You for the Music 

 

 

 

YRCC 2026 Rehearsal Review February 3rd

We worked hard again, learning ahs, which are not our favourite. And, we had some beautiful moments of harmony, friendship, and esprit de corps. 

We started a bit late, so our warm-up was brief. It  started with the singing of Happy Birthday to me! Thank you! I will share that with Lauren whose birthday was last Friday. (mine is tomorrow, Feb.5) After that, we relaxed our tense bits, and then sang the Auld Lang Syne that WWI soldiers sang: We're here because we're here because we're here because we're here. I played recordings of the two new songs we got, It's a Grand Night for Singing and Here's to Song. When you look at the words of Auld Lang Syne, it reminds me of Here's to Song. Make sure you get those 2 new pieces next time if you weren't there. 

We heard about the passing of our choir friend Lyn Gadd. She was our music librarian for a while, housing all of our stuff and preparing binders for us every season. She was a lovely person, gentle and kind, small in stature but with enormous genrosity. She is remembered with fondness and esteem. 

The tenors and basses met early at 6:30 for a sectional rehearsal. It was so good, and we were all impressed at how well they did during rehearsal. Thank you, Lauren for leading these special rehearsals!

1. Thank You For the Music: We reviewed the first section from the beginning through the chorus, and the second verse. The chorus is big, and we sing it 3 times, so having got that under our belts, we're in great shape. We kind of had an "ah" theme today, but we left these ahs (under the third verse) for another time.

2. Song for Canada: We sang the whole thing, and it was really very good already, even though many of us got a little lost and faked parts ;-) Then, we learned the ahs. Ah! It was so good! Now, we're not getting lost. And, the French Chorus (la chorale française) sang the second chorus for us beautifully. We do have recordings of the ahs on the website, if you're still feeling a little lost, or if you missed this rehearsal. 

3. Hymn to Freedom: We sang the whole thing, and it was really very good already, really! We could only get through by faking the ahs, however. But, now that we learned them, wooo-hoo, it's sooo gooood! It took several repetitions of each phrase, for each section, but we did it. Again, if you're still feeling like you're faking it, or if you missed this rehearsal, please use the recordings on the website to practise those jazzy ahs. 

4. One Voice: Colby was not surprised that it ended up being excellent, and I know that there are others who know this song really well, but I am really impressed by the new folks! This song sounded beautiful, wonderful, amazing. We had excellent soloists, Melodie, Stanley, and Lauren stand in front so we could hear that beginning part. They made it look easy, but it's really quite challenging. We spent time on the transition from page 5 to 6 again, and from there to the end. The ba-bas were golden.

5. Here's to Song: We had just heard a bit of a folksy version of this song (from my YouTube playlist) before we started, and just put the sheet music in our binders, but we sang through the whole song! Donna was awe-inspiring. We stumbled through, with a focus on the melody, just kind of looking at what lies before us to learn this song. There are big sections of harmonies and choral fanciness, and solos, one with ahs under (we'll see if we do those or not...). This song inspired our theme, and the concert will be called Here's to Song. 

Next week, Tuesday, February 10th  Trinity United Church, 461 Park Avenue

6:30 Soprano Sectional (all your tricky bits) 

We were bumped from our room and couldn't get our usual back-up space, so we're rehearsing at my church, Trinity United in Newmarket. It's at the corner of Main St. and Park Ave, opposite the Newmarket Public Library. We will enter from the Park Ave. side, and there's a small elevator there. We'll be up one level, one short flight of stairs up. Let me know if you think you'd like to use the elevator. We'll need a key and someone with permission to run it (me). We're not upstairs in the sanctuary like last time. This time, we have a room with chairs, carpet, and washrooms right across the hall. 

• Here's to Song
• Canon of Joy
• Hymn to Freedom
• Thank You for the Music 
• Grand Night for Singing

 

Happy birthday to me and Lauren!

 

Renate's Exercise Video with the song Shine

I meant to do this ages ago. I used the song Shine by Jaslyn Edgar for a warm-up song one Tuesday evening, or maybe two? I really like that song, and part of the reason I like it is that it's at the end of an exercise video that I like to do. 

Here's a link to that video:  Exercise Video

It's a YouTube video, part of a Channel called Improved Health. The instructor is a woman named Jules, and she's lovely. I highly recommend her. 

There are tons of videos on her channel. Some are short and sweet, maybe 10 minutes, and others are half an hour or more. I once did a 10,000 step video of hers which is an hour and a half long. 

I like the way each move on this video lasts for 30 seconds, and there's a little preview of the next move on the screen. I like how she doesn't talk. I did notice that she has videos with and without talking. Of course, I like the music. It makes me happy and it makes the workout fun. I like the stretching she does at the end. That's where you'll hear Shine. 

 

The Coldest Night of the Year Fundraising Walk 2026

What a severe winter we're having!

Snow, frigid temperatues, more snow, and blizzards, and cold, cold, cold. 

On one evening every February, people across Canada walk together to raise awareness, to show compassion, and to raise funds for people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness, and the places that support them, especially at this time of year when being homeless can be deadly.

Here's this from the CNOY website: 

•       We walk through the cold and dark in February to declare our concern for people who have no home and take shelter in nooks and crannies.
•     We walk for those whose days are a battle to house and feed their families and whose nights are filled with fear and frustration. 
•     We walk for those driven from home by violence and abuse. And we walk for people overwhelmed by isolation, guilt, and despair.
•     We walk humbly, realizing that anyone can lose their footing and then lose everything else.

        Each step we take brings someone closer to safety, health and home, as together, we raise funds for organizations whose commitment and work transforms peoples’ lives.

 In Newmarket, we walk to raise money for Inn From The Cold. Follow that link to learn about them. They're such a good organization! Their services have grown so much from the time we hosted them in our church basement! It's much more than shelter that they provide. 

I proudly walk with a team of  people from my church, Trinity on Main, the United Church in Newmarket. And, I'm proud of my family for joining me as often as they do, and proud of my friends and family who donate to support me every year when they can. This includes friends from work and friends from choir.

The walk is not a distance or speed challenge, but more like a rally. We all meet at Riverwalk Commons to hear speeches, and to have a warm-up with fun music. Most people wear matching toques, which we each receive when we raise $150 or more. As we walk through the streets of Newmarket, we hope to draw attention to ourseves to raise awareness and compassion, and to let people know that they're not alone.

If you would like to make a donation to support my fundraising, it's easy to do online. Here's a link:  

 My fundraising page on the CNOY website

 

YRCC 2026 Rehearsal Review January 27th

We got a lot of work done, and had a lot of fun, but it wasn't the same without Donna. We really missed her and realize how much we depend on and appreciate her. Lauren did an excellent job of playing parts for us and we had some accompaniment recordings to use. But, it was not ideal. Can't wait to have Donna back next week!

The alto sectional was excellent, thanks to Lauren. Lauren knows what altos need, and she was able to focus on the parts that they have difficulty with. We're so lucky!

We sang along with a recording of that song Hold On, from the Minneapolis rally. I've found out who wrote it: Heidi Wilson. We sang along with the recording from Facebook, and then we sang it on our own, filling in harmonies and embellishments. It was lovely. Hold on, hold on, my dear ones, here comes the dawn. We are singing songs that give us hope and help us to feel part of a kinder world in our choir, and it's good to see people using song to combat fear and helplessness in those videos of the rallies in the US. 

1. Hallelujah: It was pretty good, considering it was a recorded accompaniment. We tried having people sing the solos who hadn't sung them before. It is always a little strange to me that we don't have a ton of people wanting to sing those solos in particular, but any solo. But, it's actually quite unusual for people to feel comfortable performing alone in front of an audience, even if it's just your choir friends. I'm grateful for those of you who are willing and able to sing solos. 

2. One Voice: We learned the ba-das. They're not bad, not too difficult, especially after you sing them 10 times (right, Sopranos?). The page turn from page 5 to 6 is tricky, and we did that quite a few times too. We also looked at the next section, from bar 39-47, and reviewed 47 to the end.  We have recordings of all the parts in our Music Library in the Members Only section of the website. It was difficult singing with the recording. The timing is unusual, and so hard to follow at times. 

3. Song for Canada: We sang through with the recording, and learned the end, page 13. The ahs under the French, second, verse are not too bad, and we now have recordings of those ahs! Thanks to Tab, who was able to record them and upload them to the Music Library on the website. I have 7 people who came forward to sing the French ( Michele, Melodie, Cathy, Sharon, Robin, Yvonne, Linda S.) I think that's going to be plenty. We do need lots of people singing ahs too. 

4. Hymn to Freedom: We looked at the one section with "any hour" on page 5 which repeats on page 9, so we got two for one. We also sang it all the way through with the recorded accompaniment, and it was pretty good. We have parts recordings, and we have extra recordings just for the special ahs. You'll see. 

5. Thank you for the Music: We started at the beginning, and spent time on the chorus, which happens 3 times, so very good use of our time. It was really hard singing with the recording, but it was fun. It's such a good song. We have recordings of all the parts. 

Next week, Tuesday, February 3rd 

6:30 Tenors and Basses get to have a sectional rehearsal with Lauren. This is valuable time for you to focus on just your part, wherever it's tricky for you. 

We will probably have a second soprano sectional the week after that, and then we start with small groups. We're working on deciding what to include. I'm happy that people have made so many suggestions and we have lots of ideas. Right now, I'm looking at How Can I Keep from Singing, Song Sung Blue, My Heart Will Go On, and there's a trio forming that I'm pretty excited about. I'm going to look at the concert plan, and we'll see if we have room for another. 

Here's what I'm hoping to do next week:

• Here's to Song (if we get the sheet music)
• Hymn to Freedom
• One Voice 
• Song for Canada
• Thank You For the Music 

 

It takes just one voice, and everyone will sing. Sing!

 

 

YRCC 2026 Rehearsal Review January 20th

We had a wonderful time getting to know one another a bit better at breaktime! Lorraine set up the coffee and tea even though she couldn't stay to enjoy it (sick) and Winston, Kim (alto), and Helene brought some really yummy treats! (Thank you!) The extra-long break was well-deserved. We worked hard.

We started the evening with a warm-up to Lovely Day, by Bill Withers. It has a lovely chorus for testing your stamina. It was especially useful on a day when the tenors had several very long notes to hold. (and yes, tenors plural, there were two! Stanley and Mona came back). 

I talked about a protest song I heard being sung by a crowd of people in a demonstration in the US (Minneapolis) that was posted on Instagram. It was as a real example of "One Voice, all it takes is one voice, and everyone will sing." About 30 people were expected to come to learn a few songs to sing, but 300 people filled the church where they met. Then, in the streets, the singing crowd led by a woman with a microphone, grew to over 600 and they sang in harmony in both senses of the word. The good people of America sang, "Hold on! Hold on, my dear ones, here comes the dawn." I was moved to tears.

1. O Canada: Take a look at your sheet music. Somehow we got a couple different versions in our binders. If you have a Cypress Press copy, please hand it back to Peggy. We're using the one from Mayfair Music. We started with accompaniment, but then sang without. It's really powerful with just voices. We went over the whole song for the altos. At the end, there's a thing that we usually ignore on page 4 at the end. (see screenshot below) There's an extra note, an eighth note that isn't tied to the one before it, and it has no words. We've been interpreting that as tied. We're going to sing it this time. We're going to give the word "for" two syllables on the same note. So we get: We stand on guard fo-or thee. We're not going to have a big high note at the end. A good solid ending, not flashy.  I'm so happy and proud to be a Canadian!

2. Song for Canada: We walked/sang through what we're doing with this piece this year and we learned the ahs in verse 2. You will want to mark your music with an arrow or a star to remind you where you're singing. The first verse is simple. We're all singing the melody in unison, and that first line of music is for either a soloist or small group, or "tutti", meaning "all". In the second verse, a small group of sopranos and altos will sing the French words, in the line shown as Voice(s) 2/ Tutti, and the rest will sing the ahs in the choir bracket SATB. Several people have expressed an interest in singing the French. We do need a good number of people to sing the ahs. We'll see. There is a key change just before the last verse, and it means that the alto and bass parts will be very high and/or very low. The altos feel that it will be fine if some of them join the tenors when it's too high. They could also join the tenors and go soprano for the low parts. Bass can do the same kind of back-and forth with the melody another octave down when it's too high or join the tenors when two octaves down is too low. The last verse looks a bit busy, because a new line at the top shows up. It's got words, in case that part is sung.  But, it can also be played by a C instrument, and we happen to have one. Robyn will play that on her flute. Ignore that top line. (It's parts of O Canada, which we're all singing by itself, right?) Ignore the choir bracket from bar 89 to 112. We're all in the Voices 1 and 2 line, with the words of the third verse. Big ending: at bar 112 on the last page, we all move into the choir bracket. We sing "Land of tomorrow, your time has come, ah-ah-ah-ah!" in parts SATB. Ignore the top two lines of both systems on the last page. We will not divide the tenors nor the basses. Sopranos will divide and altos may divide. We won't have 12-part harmony on the last note, as written, but it will be big. 

3. Hymn to Freedom: We learned from the beginning to the top of page 6.  Last Tuesday, we looked at the ending. It's going to take some effort to learn this. Luckily, there are a number of us who have sung it before, even though it was quite some years ago. And, luckily, we have parts recorded! Not only do we have the parts for the whole song, but we have recordings for the tricky, jazzy ahs so you can listen to them again and again. You'll see. (see screenshot below)

4. One Voice: We learned parts from the pick-up to bar 47 to the end. It's a big ending, lots of drama. At 47, we're singing softly right after a very loud part, a big drop in volume. Then we get a little louder and louder until we're very loud at the end. The rests on the last page are very dramatic. On the last note, the first sopranos divide. Only one or two to up to the A so it's not squeaky. The other firsts take the F and the second sopranos stay on the C. Basses can do that whole phrase an octave down and end on the C or F the octave down (I want you to try the A, two octaves down too). Cathy, Stanley, and Lauren sang the solos at the beginning for us today. Let me know if you would like to try any of those three solos. I like to hear new people, or different people trying solos. 

Next week: Tuesday, January 27th

6:30 Altos' Sectional Practice, just altos getting extra practice 

• Hymn to Freedom
• One Voice
• Song for Canada
• Thank You for the Music 
• Hallelujah 

 

on our website (don't know what those numbers are)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Extra note in O Canada. 

YRCC 2026 Rehearsal Review January 13th

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It was so good to be back among my choir friends!  

The holidays were excellent, but that was almost too much time to be away from singing with you. 

We have a great theme this season: Here's to Song! 

It's about singing songs together (why we sing) and about the songs that we share (what we sing) with a focus on the songs. Songs about Canada and other things that we feel compelled to sing about, like love, equality, joy. We are trying to sing mostly songs by Canadians, but Canadians are diverse peoples, with diverse influences, so we will not restrict ourselves to only Canadian things.

Think about this theme, and the music in your binder, and see if there are songs you might like to sing in a small group or as a solo or duet. We'll set up those in the next few weeks, so please let me know soon. At the bottom of the post, I've copied the lyrics of Here's to Song, which you don't have in your binder yet. It has been ordered, and we'll get it soon.

We warmed up with a song from a fitness video I like to do. The song is called Shine, by Jaslyn Edgar, and the lyrics speak to me when I'm trying to follow the moves of the instructor and can't quite get them. It's important to remember when we're learning things to just go ahead and shine.  

Who cares if you might mess it up; You're stronger than the others think; Go ahead and shine, darling, go ahead and shine. You should know that you're perfect with those flaws. You better step into the light; just give it a try.  Go ahead and shine, darling. Go ahead and shine, my dear. 

1. Canon of Joy: We sang this recently, and I love the message and I love the two classical pieces that it's based on. "Though our hearts be tried and troubled, still our song none can destroy. Far and wide the universe resounding with a song of joy."

2. One Voice: This is another one we've done not too long ago and have sung many times. The message here is that we are not alone, and singing together helps us to face darkness, the unknown, and the things on our mind together. When one voice bravely starts to sing, soon everyone will sing. 

3.  Hymn to Freedom: This is a big one. We sang this first with the Police Male Chorus, in 2011, accompanied by our very own Donna. You'll find a picture on the website under "Time Capsule" of the whole mass choir and the directors and accompanists sitting in front. We have recordings of the accompaniment and all the parts, and separate recordings of the jazzy ahs! We started learning this song. We started at bar 59 on page 10, and sang to the end. We found little errors in the sheet music. (so good to see that others are also not perfect) In bar 66 on page 11, the first sopranos don't have a word. You can pencil in the word "free". The second sopranos in that same bar only have we'll free, so you need to add "be". We'll be free. When everyone joins in our song and together sings in harmony, that's when we'll be free.

4. Song for Canada: Big! And, there are ahs and French and a flute part! You might have a ton of pencil marking on your copy. We've sung this before in different ways. This time, we'll have everyone (tutti) sing the first verse. It ends at the bottom of page 3. Notice that bars 41-44 are applicable, because we sang this as tutti. Now, at 45, we'll have a small group of sopranos and altos sing the French part on the top (Voices 2/tutti) line. Everyone else (SATB) sings ah. This second verse ends at the top of page 77. The third verse, we'll sing together (tutti) on the top line, ignoring the SATB ahs. On page 9, we move down a line, because the top line goes to a flute (Solo instrument in C, not Sop voices, no lyrics because I want the main lyrics to be clear) Ignore the SATB ah part, and ignore the SATB parts when there are words too (to-row-row!) until bar 112. At bar 112 on page 13, we will use the SATB parts to sing "Your time has come ah-ah-ah-ah!" If you have messy pencil marks here, you might want to erase them with a good eraser that doesn't smear. We will take notes out of that, but we won't divide into 9 parts! Your notes are TBD. "Rich harmonies of races and creeds join in the chorus with... whales...wind... all our voice come together singing Land of tomorrow, your time has come."

5. Thank You for the Music: This is a good one! Obviously, we are grateful for music, thankful for all the songs people write for us to sing. Not just so we can be in a choir, but in our daily lives, and through all our seasons, the music that we have as our personal soundtracks is important to us. There is some flipping of pages that happens here. And, one tricky one is from the bottom of page 7 back to page 4. We talked about this and you might have notes in your music. We'll figure out what's best to get us to the chorus together here. Last time, we all sang "So I say" at the bottom of 7. Let's try it as written, but we'll be prepared to change it if necessary. 

6. Hallelujah: Love this! We sang it from memory one year, because we had sung it so often. Don't worry, I won't do that this year. We have a bunch of new people. There are potential solos. Let me know if you feel compelled to sing one (T/B or S/A). Here, we have a holy and a broken Hallelujah, and "it all went wrong, I'll stand before the Lord of Song with nothing on my tongue but Hallelujah". More imperfection but courageous blazes of light in every word. We sing. And, it is good. Even imperfect. Even when we don't really understand the words, but love the music. Canadian content, too.

7. Why We Sing: It really fits so perfectly. I think we can do this again, even though we've sung it so often lately. Maybe we'll bring back solos at the beginning? And, I'm thinking of having the descant done by flute here too. What do you think?  

Next week: Tuesday, January 20th 

We're going to have a coffee/tea and social time at break with treats. Plan to cross over to the other side to meet people in the other sections. 

• O Canada
• Hallelujah 
• Hymn to Freedom
• One Voice
• Song for Canada

 Here’s to Song,  by Allister MacGillivray

The candle flickers towards its last,
Our time together’s ended;
The evening spent so swiftly passed,
No richer way to spend it.
Before we head our separate ways,
I’d like in truthfulness to say:
You’ve made this day a special day,
With songs and kindness splendid.

Here’s to song, here’s to time;
Here’s to both with friends of mine;
Here’s to friends who raise their voices high.
Kings have riches widely lain,
Lords have land, but then again,
We have friends and song no wealth can buy.

We each a different road must go,
To mountains, sea and city;
The hour has come to say adieus,
And all the more’s the pity.
But first unite in hand and heart,
And sing a chorus ere we part;
For every end leads to a start,
We need not break so sadly.

Here’s to song, here’s to time;
Here’s to both with friends of mine;
Here’s to friends who raise their voices high.
Kings have riches widely lain,
Lords have land, but then again,
We have friends and song no wealth can buy.

And till our paths in future cross,
May blessings kindly greet you;
Until that time, I must, alas,
Only in memory meet you.
Often I will sit and stare,
And think upon this moment rare;
The company beyond compare,
For now, farewell and thank you.

Here’s to song, here’s to time,
Here’s to both with friends of mine,
Here’s to friends who raise their voices high;
Kings have riches widely lain,
Lords have land, but then again,
We have friends and song no wealth can buy.

Kings have riches widely lain,
Lords have land, but then again,
We have friends and song no wealth can buy.