Concordia Community Chorus

Concordia Community Choir - Vienna 2009

2009-07-19T20:26:00.000-07:00

Lord Jesus You Shall Be My Song

2009-07-19T20:05:00.000-07:00

It has been my joy to be the chaplain for the choir on this great trip. To see every performance through the lens of a camera or video camera has led me to appreciate so much of what makes this group special. To hear the choir grow in skill with each performance was a pleasure, as was getting to know so many people with whom we have shared a common experience. The rather late inclusion of the hymn: "Lord Jesus You Shall Be My Song as I Journey" was fortunate for in the words of the hymn are captured the essence of what was both a pilgrimage to the place were Haydn lived, worked and died as well as a pilgrimage to sing the praises of God in old and special houses of worship. It was my honor to share devotional times with the choir and to be there, in the Dom in Salzburg, as well as all the other churches, to hear the songs of praise reverberate in settings old and somewhat unfamiliar to familiar ones in Edmonton. Thanks to my collegue Joy with whom I work each day at Concordia in leading worship. Now we await where God will lead our choir to go and sing next. Garry Dombrosky, Chaplain, Concordia University College of Alberta

Sola Deo Gloria

. Exit sign...

Last Day in Innsbruck and Munich - July 15

2009-07-19T19:55:00.000-07:00

The buses were loaded at 8:30 and then we were free to go shopping and walking around town until 12:45 when we left Innsbruck. Some hearty souls went up the mountain, others just relaxed and shopped. Shoes have been a common purchase. Bus one won the contest with 22 pairs purchased compared to 11 on Bus 2. Andy’s German word for the day is: “herz schmerz “ or heartache which describes how we will feel to leave behind such a beautiful country and experience. It started to rain just before we left. Just out of the city we stopped at the Swarovski Crystal Museum and factory where some went on a tour of the crystal museum while others just shopped at the large retail area. Back on the bus in the rain to Munich. .
In the evening we gathered at the hotel for our final meal together. Songs were sung–a very special thank you song by Joy. We officially said good bye to our friends Pascal and Andreas. Andreas was thanked for his teachings in German when Bus two spoke: Du bist ein flugzeug--proclaiming our skill with the German language. We had a great time and it was sad to end such a special time together. With a prayer for safety we ended our evening. Everyone is going their own way but 41 were up at the crack of dawn to board flights to Edmonton. The flight home was long and tiring but we arrived on time, with all our luggage, to waiting families.

Our Thanks to Joy

2009-07-19T19:40:00.000-07:00

Shubert is my hero....

Reception in Mirabelle Palace by city representative

We are fortunate to have such a great conductor and friend in Joy Berg. She led us through the trip(and for months before). She also won the title for most pairs of shoes purchased on the tour.

Music at Haydn Hall

2009-07-19T16:32:00.000-07:00

This was our encore piece in Vienna by Edmontonian Brendon Lord.

Canadian Composers

2009-07-19T16:15:00.000-07:00

We took every opportunity to share music from our own area. Martin Murphy's song, arranged by Trent Worthington, expresses a lot about our choir. This is from an informal time in Haydn's hall in Eisenstadt.

In the City Square at Graz

2009-07-18T08:23:00.000-07:00

We are a very patriotic group of Canadians. We were also the first group either Andy or Pascal had been fortunate enough to lead and they may never be the same....

It was not all just fun....

2009-07-17T09:09:00.001-07:00

Okay...they suffered for fashion...

Even piano players get down...

Norm in the rain

Rainy friends on the boatride

Food Glorious Food

2009-07-17T07:26:00.000-07:00

We came. We saw. We ate. We drank. Buffet Breakfasts were great. Authentic Austrian food was wonderful. Tortes, sausages(mini brats for breakfast at the Hilton). Coffee was great as well.

Andy and Pascal

2009-07-17T07:11:00.001-07:00

Good
Morning Dear Concordia Singers..... this is Andy speaking.

They made sure we did not get too lost and that we saw the best of Austria.

Many thanks from all of us to Andy and Pascal, our super new friends.

Trip to Innsbruck and Final Concert

2009-07-17T06:52:00.000-07:00

Concert Day in Innsbruck

Again an early loading of our bus at 8:30 and we were able to actually leave 10 minutes early. Andy’s word for the day was " Schatz" or darling which is a very useful german word to know.

Bus one’s drivers very popular because he sells beer very cheaply out of the fridge in the front of the bus–bus 2 only has sparkling water.

We drove towards Innsbruck through the Alps which are spectacular(overused word but true). Each valley is a postcard in it’s own right. Late in the morning we arrived in Innsbruck and had some free time to explore the old city before our guided tour which took us to 4 pm. It, again, is an old city, with a rich history. Emperor Maximillians memorial church is here with it’s statues and majesty making sure, as he wished, that he not be forgotten. At 5 pm we were up the mountain above the city at a village church practising for the evening concert. It is a beautiful and old (roots of the present church go back 1000 years)

The concert went well and the congregation welcomed us after with a reception in the courtyard(at sunset with the Alps in the background). Local bread and wine plus some singing of local folksongs by the congregation. It was a great way to end our series of performances and a lasting memory of our time in Austria. Our hotel is in the center of town so tomorrow we will be able to do some walking/shopping before we board our buses for a short stop at the Swarovski crystal factory for Munich and then home.

Monday - Salt Mines.and Silent Night

2009-07-13T10:53:00.000-07:00

Salzburg obviously gets its name from the mineral that made it famous- “salt”. Bus 2 word of the day: Darn - “Verflixt”. . The salt mines were started by the Celts around 2500 years ago and I n the early 1600s provided the wealth to build many of the great buildings in present say Salzburg. Entering the mine on a train we walked, slide down a slide, and road a boat across a salt pond- wearing special coveralls which made us look like a host arrayed in white. We also crossed into Germany and back into \Austria–all underground.
Next for today was to travel to the chapel of Silent Night, where once the church stood where this wonderful Christmas Carol was first sung. IT is pretty special to be able to visit such special places. In the afternoon after a time for shopping(shoes are a big item) we went to Mirabelle Palace (mid 1600's) for a reception by the Mayor. We were able to sing several pieces in the famous and amazingly beautiful marble room. Supper was in a restaurant just below the fortress(our first sourkraut) and then the evening was free --- some went to the Marionette show. Tomorrow morning we leave for Innsbruck and our last concert.

Sunday, July 12 - Salzburg

2009-07-13T10:44:00.000-07:00

Got to sleep in this morning before we boarded the buses to take us to the Salzburg Don where we sang as part of the morning Mass. Sunday in Salzburg is quiet as the shops(except tourist) area closed. Lots of churches and bells ringing gives it a special air. The Dom zu Salzburg is a large and extremely beautiful cathedral–second, one person said–only to St. Peter’s in Rome. The choir met for a rehearsal in a special modern rehearsal hall with a wonderful piano (Boston). After rehearsal and devotions we lined up and entered the cathedral for one of the morning masses and in that great space sang 4 of our pieces. During Communion we sang: “Lord Jesus of You I will Sing as I journey” while people flowed towards the front of the church. Later in the day we learned, from our guides, that this cathedral, which has 5 pipe organs, has one organ where Mozart played and composed a lot. In such a space to sing God’s praises was an experience we will not soon forget.
After the service, a quick change and then a few hours to wander through the old part of Salzburg. In the afternoon excellent guides took us up to the fortress which overlooks Salzburg and then on a walking tour to the oldest graveyard owned by the Benedictines, the music festival hall, and ended up at the Mozart house. This is an old city by Canadian standards with one building sporting an “Established in 803". After the tour our choir went many different ways for evening events. Some went to concerts, some relaxed, a goodly group took in the Mozart Dinner Concert. In a lavish hall at the 803 A.D. restaurant, we ate a meal that would have been served to the aristocracy at the time of Mozart. In between each course we were entertained with Mozart music performed by a 5 piece string orchestra and two opera singers. A most delightful evening that started at 8 and ended at 11 pm. A quick walk back the hotel and the end to another wonderful day. Streets are very safe to walk on here and the cleanliness of the streets is something we as Canadians really notice. Sundays are great in Salzburg. PS: The organ on the right was played regularly by Mozart.
Andy’s German Word of the Day: “ausgezeichnet” - excellent.

Saturday, July 11, 2009 - Graz to Salzburg.

2009-07-13T10:31:00.000-07:00

Graz was a delightful experience and we could have spent days there but this morning we boarded the buses for the drive to Salzburg through beautiful forests, valleys, and villages filled with the alpine style houses with colorful window boxes on almost every balcony. The area is somewhat like the drives around Jasper with some mountains and lakes. On bus two we entered our second day of german lessons: Yesterday we learned numbers, today we learned the phrase: “Um himmel villen” or “for heaven’s sake”. Our destination at first was the small village on the lake called St. Wolfgang but chose to stop at a Benedictine Monastery at Admont. It is the home of the largest medieval library in the world. Though the monastery goes back to 1074 the present library was built in 1776 and was considered the 8th wonder of the world at the time and after visiting it we can understand why it was seen thus. It’s beauty is overwhelming, even against the large church it is beside.
Around 1:30 we boarded the buses to go to St. Wolfgang a tourist village filled, again, with beautiful houses of the Austrian style. We walked through the town, visiting shops, eating ginger bread(something the town is known for, it was good), and enjoying an air show that was going on above the lake beside the town. The town church was built in 976 A.D. - the oldest we’ve seen so far.
At 5:15 we got on a boat to cruise on the Wolfgangsee for around 50 minutes to St. Gilgen where we got on the buses to our hotel in Salzburg. The boat trip started in the sunshine but we entered a downpour but we still got an amazing experience of this lake. At our hotel we had our supper of veal goulash and spaetzle. Tired and a bit wet many made it an early night. PS: We brought along our own lounge piano player so we had some quiet entertainment in the hotel.

On the Bus

2009-07-10T23:01:00.000-07:00

This is Bus 2

More from our Trip Thus Far

2009-07-10T22:49:00.000-07:00

The Morning After - Leaving Vienna

2009-07-10T14:14:00.000-07:00

After so many months of anticipation getting up this morning was a big of a downer as we boarded our bus in the rain to go to Graz the next stop on our journey. Fond memories of the night before were shared as we drove through the hills, stopping for coffee, and then at the Schloss Eggenberg a castle filled with beautiful works of art well preserved. The Schloss reflects the desire of it's builders to make sure that everyone knew they had a lot of wealth. The rooms are opulant and the paintings fill every room. This was an extra suggested by our guides and it was a great tour. We are getting to know and appreciate our guides Andreas and Pascal.

Arriving in Graz we were taken on a walking tour of the center of the city seeing some of the very old buildings from Graz's long history. At our hotel we got our rooms and shared supper together. Another addition was a tram trip for most of the choir that ended with a cable car ride up the mountain to the ancient tower the city is known for. It was at sunset with a majestic view of the city and surrounding mountains(with a Jazz performance at a nearby pavilion for musical background) We even gathered in front of the city hall at the fountain and sang our national anthmn. Our stay in Graz is only one night but we have seen enough to know a bit of it's ancent history.

Some Pictures From Vienna

2009-07-10T14:00:00.001-07:00

Walking to the last rehearsal

A shoe sale....

The Back Entrance to the church

Breakfast on the Danube

A Quick lunch on the street

More from the Creation

2009-07-10T13:49:00.001-07:00

Rehearsal shots...

Ready to begin the concert

And taking a bow..

2009-07-10T13:11:00.001-07:00

In this old house of worship, with the Moravian Philharmonic Orchestra the choir finally reached this point of presenting Haydn's famous "Creation" as part of an evening concert that included a selection of American musical pieces. The church was packed and the concert was a success. To be able to be here, in Vienna, the home of Haydn was very special. After a standing ovatioin the choir shared a Canadian piece, conducted, as several other pieces were, by our own Dr. Joy Berg.
Brendon Lord's Christmas piece - A Song of Nativity. It is hard to describe such an evening so we will let pictures tell the story. It was also very special to have Joy conduct several of the pieces and be able to bring an Edmonton writers music to Vienna. We are so thankful to all those who enabled us to be here and give praise to our Lord. Concordia has come to Vienna and we have done our best.

Concert Day - Part One

2009-07-10T10:41:00.000-07:00

Our Conductor

Dr. Eph Ehly giving autographs at the rehearsal

At 8:30 we boarded the buses for a downtown architectural walk which included a visit to the trendy "Hundred Water street. It is already a few years old but is really quite a place to visit. From there we walked to the Haus Der Musik, a museum reflecting the great musical masters of Vienna(Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Strauss, etc). We learned that Haydn had a parrot, Mozart liked billiards, and Beethoven, well....in a society that was quite smelly he was considered really smelly. We walked to Mozart's house near St. Stephen's Cathedral and had a detailed history of this great musician in the place where he lived. At around 12:30 pm we had free time in the center of Vienna until before 3:30 when we walked to our practice church to get ready for a rehearsal with the Moravian Philharmonic Orchestra. WHAT A SOUND! After a quick practice we were bused back to the hotel for a change of chothes and then back to the church dressed for the concert. We are here, finally and ready for the event we've been practicing for.

Wednesday, July 8 - Haydn Day

2009-07-08T10:35:00.000-07:00

After another hearty European buffet breakfast we boarded the buses for our special Haydn Day in Eisenstadt. The drive through the Austrian countryside was very beautiful and the town of Eisenstadt is historic and very pretty. During the tour of the Esterhazy Palace(the patron of Joseph Haydn) there was time to stop and give a small performance in the famous Haydnsaal(see the ceiling in the picture), where many of the works of Haydn premiered. Pretty awesome for a group from Edmonton’s Concordia to be sharing the same stage as the Great Haydn and others. The four pieces were Candian works. There was a lot to be learned about Haydn when we entered his house and later the chapel and church where he is buried. A bit of trivia we learned was that for many years Haydn’s head was separated from the rest of his body(after his death) and only recently hs whole body has been reunited in the crypt in the church. In Haydn's church the choir gathered to sing another piece. It continually overwhelms the choir when we hear our voices in these old and beautiful places of worship. Lunch in the pedestrian mainstreet of Eisenstadt and then a return for a short rest before supper at the Restaurant Himmelpforte and yes, another 3 hour rehearsal. Tomorrow is the big day, the reason we came.

July 7 - Tuesday

2009-07-08T10:24:00.000-07:00

Breakfast(extensive buffet) was served from 6:30 p.m. on the patio overlooking the Danube River. It was great to be so near this famous river and watch the river traffic as we ate. On the buses by 8 the first stop was the Schoenbrun Palace, built by the Habsburgs as an imitation of the Palace at Versailles-- a majestic place considering the Main Palace is only a short distance away in the city. We took walking tours of the Palace enjoying the information from our guide. Following the tour we were dropped off again to get our own lunch after another trip through the other palace back in the city. At 2 pm we started our first rehearsal with Dr. Eph Ehly. It was a real workout until 5 pm when we took a break for food. Supper was at a family restaurant called Restaurant Kardos where we had a great time of fellowship but quickly had to get back to the ancient Minoritenkirche for another rehearsal from 7 til 9. The church dates back many hundreds of years and the sound when we sing is amazing--noting like it! Tired we got back to our hotel about 10 p.m.

THE Imperial Palace and gardens.

We are in Vienna!!

2009-07-07T06:28:00.000-07:00

We gathered at the airport at 4 am to catch the first leg of our trip to Toronto at 6 am. After a 6 hour layover and a 8 1/2 flight aboard Austrian Airlines we arrived in Vienna after a 23 hour trip at 8:30 am local time. Our tour guides met us, Andreas and Pascal, and took us on a day of touring before we got to our hotel. The Central Cemetery of 3 million graves was our first stop. Our focus were the graves of famous composers---Motzart, Beethoven, Schubert to name a few although some grave stones are just honorific--that is--they simply honor the composer. For lunch we were dropped off for a walk around the older central center where after finding something to eat many of us went into St. Stephen's Cathedral where we had to get shelter from the brief but heavy downpour. The tour then took us around the general layout of Vienna and then a 2:30 we got to our hotel-tired and ready for a rest. Some slept until 6 pm when we went out on the buses again for our authentic Austrian supper at a place which served us schnitzel and music.(The Weinschlossel) Serenaded by a violin, accordian, and a gracious lady we heard german songs and later, along with the choir, a lot of broadway songs, especially from the Sound of Music. We finished late and on the way back to the Hotel Hilton Danube we were treated to a mountan top evening view of the city of Vienna. A great way to end a very, very long day. Our hotel is on the bank of the Danube river. The trip is great so far--ready to start singing tomorrow. Vienna is an old city with a rich history going back to Roman times. It's musical history is what we look forward to being a part of

Our Itinerary For Vienna

2009-07-03T15:47:00.000-07:00

Sunday, July 5
Leave Edmonton at 6am for Vienna via Toronto

Monday, July 6 - Vienna
Arrive Vienna, meet tour managers enroute to hotel. Stop at Vienna's Central Cemetery to visit grave sites of famfous composers followed by panoramic tour of Vienna. Check into Hilton Danube Hotel. Dinner at Restaurant Weinschloessl Grinzig. Evening visit to top of Kahlenberg Mountain for scenic view of Vienna.

Tuesday, July 7 - Vienna
Tour of historical Vienna. Afternoon and Evening Rehearsals

Wednesday, July 8 - Vienna
Excursion to Eisenstadt to visit Esterhazy Palace and its Haydnsaal. Short recital in the Haydnsaal as part of the 2009 commemoration of the 200th year since the composers death.
Evening rehearsal

Thursday, July 9 - Vienna
Guided tour of Musical Vienna, afternoon rehearsal with soloists and orchestra
Evening Festival Performance in the Minoritenkirche

Friday, July 10 - Vienna/Graz
A guided tour of Graz and transfer to Hotel Europa Austria Trend

Saturday, July 11 - Graz/Salzburg
Enroute travfel through the Salzkammergut, take boat cruise on the Wolfgangsee from St. Wolfgang to St. Gilgen

Sunday, July 12 - Salzburg
Guided tour of Salzburg, Sing Morning Mass at the Salzburg Dom followed by short concert. Continue guided tour

Monday, July 13 - Salzburg
Morning excursion to Salt Mines in Hallein, visit Celtic Village showing various techniques of extracting salt. Visit Hallein's parish church as well as home and tomb of Franz-Zavier Gruber composer of Silent Night

Tuesday, July 14 - Salzburg/Innsbruck
Transfer to Innsbruck, half day guided tour of Innsbruck, Concert in the Pfarrkirche Azri as part of the American Celebration of Music in Austria.

Wednesday, July 15 - Innsbruck/Munich, Germany
Day of liesure in Innsbruck, mid afternoon transfer to Munich.

Thursday, July 16 - Depart for home via Vienna and Toronto
Arrive home in Edmonton in the evening of the same day.

Flaskback to New York: November 6, 2005.

2009-06-17T12:54:00.000-07:00

Though Vienna is ever more at the front of our minds, the members of the chorus remember fondly the first big trip of the Comunity Chorus in 2005. Carnegie Hall is a mecca for music lovers and performers and the chorus was privileged to be invited to sing in a special presentation of Haydn's Mass in a Time of War ("Paukenmesse") with Richard Sparks as the Conductor. Also part of the program was a special Christmas Cantata conducted by John Leavitt, who like Richard Sparks has had previous connections with Concordia University College of Alberta. The concert was overwhelming and the visit to the "Big Apple" with fellow members of the choir was filled with laugher, memories and a lot of practicing. No wonder we are excited about going to Vienna.

More Pix from A Night in Vienna

2009-06-17T12:45:00.001-07:00

Our Conductor and Accompanist

2009-06-01T20:11:00.001-07:00

Our Conductor, Dr. Joy Berg, assistant professor in music at Concordia University College of Alberta, holds degrees in Piano Performance and Choral Conducting from the University of Saskatchewan, The University of Alberta, and the University of Iowa. Her dissertation focused on the Christmas music of J.S. Bach. She has been a church musician for many years, participated in the Lutheran World Federation hymn selection committee as the Canadian representative, has presented at the ELCiC National worship conference in 2000 and has served the larger church as director of the Leadership Program for Musicians in Small parishes for the Alberta Synod of the ELCiC. Dr. Berg has been a clinician for Choralfest South in 1998 and 2001, an adjudicator of many music festivals throughout Alberta and B.C., in choral, vocal, and handbell areas, and is often a workshop leader for choirs and church music. Dr. Berg was awarded the 2008 Con Spirito Award from the Alberta Choral Federation. She is an active member of the professional group Pro Coro Canada. Joy serves daily as the Chapel Cantor of the Chapel Ministry at Concordia University College of Alberta.

Roxanne Classen, our accompanist holds a Master of Music degree specializing in Chamber Music from McGill University, a Bachelor of Music degree in Piano Performance from the University of Alberta and a Bachelor of Education degree specializing in Junior and Senior Choral Music and Drama from the University of Western Ontario. Ms. Classen works with vocalists, choirs and musical theatre ensembles. Her credits include Musical Direction of the MacEwan Theatre Arts Program and the Leave it to Jane Theatre Company and music instruction for Theatre Alberta’s Artstrek Program and Citadel’s Foote Theatre School. She teaches music courses for MacEwan College, gives private lessons from her own Grovenor Music Studio and accompanies the Concordia Community Chorus.

An Evening In Vienna - May 30

2009-06-01T19:18:00.000-07:00

"Wow, what a magnificent evening..." Joy Berg the conductor of the Community Chorus said of the event. An Evening in Vienna was a fund-raiser to help the choir go to the Haydn Festival in Vienna this July. It was an evening featuring great desserts and coffee accompanied by Viennese music and dance brought to us by friends of the choir. Some of the friends included Mireille Rijavec, Michael Kurschat, Trent Worthingdon, and Eva Bostrand who lent their voices to some great music. Along with them The Edmonton Swiss Men’s Choir shared traditional Swiss melodies(not quite Vienna but close enough), and special Viennese Walzes were demonstrated by Jim and Theresa Jenkins.

The choir previewed some of the music they will be presenting at the concerts in Austria. With the music was a silent auction featuring some unique works of local artists. Special thanks to Ron Hislop(who attended Concordia in the 80's) host and producer of the local news on Citytv. Those who shared this evening had a great time and it helped he choir get into the mood for the trip a few weeks into the future. A special thanks to all who shared their gifts that helped make this evening such a success.

Chorus is Vienna Bound

2009-05-29T19:51:00.001-07:00

The Chorus has had a rich background over the past 24 years - Gordon Hafso, a former professor at Concordia University College and leader of the school’s choral music program, launched the Community Chorus. His dream was to give as many people as possible a chance to fulfill a desire to sing and experience the joy of participation in a musical community. Since its inception, Chorus members have been continually challenged with music that inspires the heart and soul. The quality of singing has also grown immensely. Chorus members have enjoyed increasingly challenging music and are delighted that the reputation of the group has grown so dramatically over the years. Gordon Hafso’s original vision of a group dedicated to singing and learning with an emphasis on the social, physical and mental aspects of gathering together has enriched the lives of many.

The Community Chorus’ performance schedule includes annual participation in the Sacred Music Festival, A Concordia Christmas, performing festive music at the Alberta Legislature and a spring concert.

But they’ve also done a couple of special events - on November 6, 2005, 95 members of the Chorus had the privilege to sing at Carnegie Hall in New York performing Haydn’s Paukenmesse under the direction of Dr. Richard Sparks. And now in July, the Chorus will head off to Austria.

The Concordia Community Chorus is very proud of its varied repertoire. The ensembles range covers the full spectrum from very classical spiritual works such as Haydn’s Creation to Broadway tunes, spirituals, contemporary pieces and operatic refrains This ensemble has also had the opportunity to premiere newly commissioned works.