Beatlemania!!! on November 19 with Capital Vox Jazz Choir & Friends

Beatlemania!!!

Saturday November 19, 2011 at 7:30 PM

Dominion-Chalmers United Church

355 Cooper Street, Ottawa ON

$25/$23/$20/$10

Join Capital Vox Jazz Choir for their upcoming "Beatlemania!!!" concert on Saturday November 19 at 7:30PM at Dominion-Chalmers United Church in downtown Ottawa. The concert represents some significant coming together in the Ottawa music community. Capital Vox (30 voices and a professional rhythm section under the direction of Elise Letourneau) is hosting the Capital Youth Jazz Orchestra for this concert. Canterbury High School for the arts has accepted our invitation to have 5 students featured as guest lead vocalists. Ottawa's newest women's choir, Vox Eclectica, is on the bill as a guest vocal ensemble. The Four Seasons String Quartet rounds out the musical offering. And special guest Amanda Putz (host of Bandwidth on CBC Radio 91.5 FM) is coming to emcee the evening. Close to 75 performers are gathering for one extravaganza concert to give the Fab Four their props.

Beatles songs will be performed in several vocal and instrumental configurations. And, due to the positive response to the choir's "Come Sing Standards" events and requests for more audience opportunities to sing, there are a couple of "everybody sing" selections planned for the programme.

Dominion-Chalmers United Church address is 355 Cooper Street. Advance tickets ($20) are available from choir members, and at Alcorn Music Studios, Wellington Herb & Spice, and The Leading Note. Advance tickets are also available online at www.capitalvox.ca until midnight November 17. Tickets can also be purchased at the door - $25 general admission, children 12 years of age and under accompanied by and adult are free of charge. Student rush tickets will go on sale 15 minutes before the show begins for $10 with the presentation of a valid student ID.

Please visit www.capitalvox.ca for additional information.

Live Piano Karaoke at Alcorn Music Studios' GigSpace

Starts Thursday October 6 - details below...

Our Come Sing Standards event was so FUN!!!

We'll have to do it again sometime!

Check in with OttawaJazzScene.ca's coverage of the event...

http://ottawajazzscene.ca/news/3275-standards-singers-overflow-new-gigspace-at-culture-days

Singing Blues and R&B course at Alcorn Music Studios

Just a heads-up that there are still a few spaces in the "Singing Blues and R&B" course at Alcorn Music Studios. Every time we run this course, we have such a fun time. All participants sing every class meeting, and it's a very supportive atmosphere. Details below.


Here's a link from one of our previous classes. It's the group number from the showcase at the end of the course.

(info below from www.alcornmusicstudios.com )

Sing Blues, Motown and classic R&B favourites. 
This course will focus on the stylistic considerations of the R&B, Motown and Blues genres. You will learn vocal techniques for breath support, phrasing, flexibility, range, judicious use of vibrato, diction, how to “belt” responsibly, lyric interpretation. Explore the art of backing vocals.  All participants will be singing lead and back-up.

You will have an absolute blast!

Time: Thursday 6:15 pm - 7:45 pm
Dates: 10 weeks Sept.22 to Nov 24. Final show Nov. 27
Instructor: vocalist/music educator Elise Letourneau, B.Mus., M.Ed.
Cost: $234.00 (non-refundable)
Pre-requisite: Some singing experience preferred.
Maximum participants: six
Register: 613-729-0693 info@alcornmusicstudios.com
Location: 953 Gladstone Ave. @ Loretta (Little Italy area)
Note: This is a "less Scent" class we ask all participants to avoid wearing perfume, body spray or cologne.

Call for Singers! - Vox Eclectica - new women's choir in Ottawa ON

When I relocated to Ottawa in 2006 with a fresh start and a clean plate to bring up to life’s buffet, I knew that if I wanted to start the jazz choir I’d always been hoping for, I had to do it then, before the rest of life had its way with my schedule. What I didn’t know at the time was how many friendly and wonderful singer-people there are in Ottawa!

Fast-forward to 2011 and Capital Vox Jazz Choir is just embarking on its fifth season. It has been a wonderful time - with lots of good experiences, learning experiences, and even some growing pains. But the best thing about growing pains is the growth at the finish line, and things have grown to the point where, to quote the rock-musical Tommy, “We need to build an extension!”

I am both honoured and blown away by the number of audition requests I am receiving. Many of the requests are coming from women, and even if we had the space in Capital Vox (both figuratively and literally - more space in the rehearsal room, more chairs, etc), we do not have enough male voices to support all the female voices who are asking for auditions.

In answer to this, I am forming another choir, a women’s choir called Vox Eclectica. This choir will be dedicated to exploring the female voice in its most captivating and entrancing settings; with music drawn from every genre, from Mozart to Mitchell, early music to Enya, lieder to lullabies, traditional music, new music, and more and more.

The vision for this first year is to find our footing in terms of singing together as a group - to find our sound, our gel, our blend, our combination of special features and unique talents. In terms of concerts, so far the intention is to plan and rehearse for three performances:
1) As a special guest vocal ensemble for a selection in the upcoming Capital Vox concert, “Beatlemania” on November 19, 2011 at Dominion-Chalmers United Church.
2) To present a short showcase concert (in multiple seatings?) with Mary as the central theme, at the new GigSpace performance facility at Alcorn Music Studios on December 18, 2011.
3) To present a full-length concert in the Spring of 2012, date/location to be determined.

Vox Eclectica will rehearse on Tuesday evenings, not far from Preston Street. I hope to begin rehearsals on September 27, or October 4 at the latest. I’m reserving time on September 13 and September 20 to hear singers, and I’d love to meet you.

Like Capital Vox, Vox Eclectica will be structured as an independent choir, without a church or school or other type of institution administering it, and as such will need to collect dues to support its basic operating costs. This will be similar in structure to Capital Vox - please visit http://www.capitalvox.ca/join-capital-vox/membership-expectations for more information about becoming a member.

And more information about what to expect at the audition/initial meeting can be found at http://www.capitalvox.ca/join-capital-vox . I'll want to hear something you love to sing (any style), check in with your music reading ability, and explore your vocal range.

Please feel free to pass this letter along, or to contact me directly. Thanks for taking the time out to read this letter. I look forward to the possibility of our paths crossing soon.

Carleton University Jazz Camp is Coming Up Soon!

Just a quick reminder that the Carleton University Jazz Camp is August 7-12. Enjoy five-and-a-half days of  workshops, ensembles large and small, masterclasses, concerts, jam sessions. A great way for singers to build technique, improv, and musicianship skills.


Visit www.cujazzcamp.ca for more detailed information and registration.

Wasn't THAT a Party!!!

Well that sure was fun! It was a perfect sunny day this past Saturday and the OLG tent at the Ottawa International Jazz Festival was full of smiling and singing people. They had all turned out to sing jazz standards with Capital Vox Jazz Choir and Our Very Fine Band - Mark Ferguson piano, Tim Bedner guitar, Mark Alcorn bass, Marilee Townsend drums. We all sang Ellington and Gershwin and Jobim and more. Definitely we have to do that again sometime. Watch either here or at www.capitalvox.ca for when the next Come Sing Jazz Standards will be. Thanks so much to all who participated - it for sure wouldn't have been the same without you!