Going for Baroque

BY HOLLIE WATSON

Since they were founded in 1979, the Orpheus Singers have built an enviable reputation for both the consistent high quality of their performances and their complex and engaging repertoire. This Friday, the Lakeshore Chamber Music Society plays host to this accomplished vocal ensemble at Adair Hall in Ste. Anne de Bellevue.

“We’ve performed for the society four times over the years,� said president Mike Vanier of Beaconsfield, adding that a few years ago the LCMS commissioned a piece for the choir, which was premiered at that concert.

Although it is by definition an amateur group, many of its 25 members hold music degrees and have had extensive choral training, as well as professional affiliations (i.e., director Peter Schubert is a music professor at McGill University, where he also conducts the chamber choir).

The Orpheus Singers frequently participates in the CBC/Radio Canada National Radio Competition for Amateur Choirs, an event held every two years.

“We’ve been finalists five times, won in 1996 and came second in 2004,� said Vanier, a long-time member.

Based in Montreal, the group maintains a busy performance schedule, having appeared a few weeks ago in the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts’ matinee concert series, and last Saturday at St. Mathias Church in Westmount.

“St. Mathias is our main venue, but we have a habit of jumping around downtown between different well-known churches.�

For the upcoming concert, the program will consist of compositions spanning the 16th to the late 19th centuries, ranging from “obscure to more familiar works. We do a lot of renaissance and early baroque,� Vanier said.

“The focus of this concert will be German composers, including Liszt, Brahms, and some beautiful motets by Schein,� added Pointe Claire vocalist Farah Mohammed.

“We will also be doing a very lively, intense motet by Bach, as well as some lovely Germanic and more traditional Christmas carols,� said Mohammed, a member of Orpheus for over 13 years. “Peter is a wonderful director. He has brought our standard of performance to a higher level, and shown us how to embrace different musical styles. He is Orpheus,� she added.

Now in its 46th season, the LCMS is a non-profit organization dedicated to presenting chamber concerts of the highest calibre at a reasonable cost. Its concerts, which are often recorded by CBC for future broadcast, are made possible thanks to a grant form the Conseil des arts de Montreal. The 2006-’07 series continues in the New Year with the Schulich String Quartet Jan. 19.

All concerts get under way at 7:30 p.m. in Union Church, 24 Maple Ave. Tickets are available at the door. For further information, call 514-457-5280, 514-695-0497 or 514-457-5756 or check www.lcmssmcl.ca.">www.lcmssmcl.ca.">www.lcmssmcl.ca.