Diversity is a theme common in the performances and music selections offered by the Calgary Men’s Chorus, and a theme that helped draw the attention of the selection committee at Distinguished Concerts International New York (DCINY).
The CMC first caught the eye of notable director Matthew Oltman, Program Development for DCINY, while the group was in Denver two years ago performing at GALA – the Gay and Lesbian Choral Association concert held every four years.
Oltman so liked what he saw he checked out other performances put on by the group that were posted on YouTube.
"One reason [Oltman] ended up phoning me is he said the stuff that he saw on YouTube was different than other choruses that he saw," says Jean-Louis Bleau, Artistic Director for the CMC.
The group is becoming known for ‘carving their own path...mixing things up a bit’, collaborating with unique dancers at eclectic venues for shows outside the usual choral box. For instance, three years ago the CMC performed at a SAIT swimming pool alongside a tank full of mixed synchronized swimmers, from former Olympians to current competitors, and even a performer from the Cirque du Soleil’s O.
They can transition from Monty Python’s Precision Drilling to African American step (a type of body percussion originating from the southern US) with a polished and entertaining cadence that is winning the men international acclaim.
Bleau did not attend the Carnegie Hall performance in January – only half of the chorus journeyed to NYC for the show while the remainder stayed behind rehearsing – but he was integral in preparing the group before they left, joking he "pushed them out the door onto the plane."
Tenor Matthew Gillespie was part of that NYC-bound crew. Gillespie has been singing in choirs for a lifetime, specifically with the CMC since 2007.
"It really was one of those geez I cant believe I’m here moments", he describes. "It was, of course, surreal."
Raised in Montreal he had made the trip south to the Big Apple on numerous occasions, attending several concerts at Carnegie – what he refers to as a ‘musical pantheon’. Now it was his turn to perform on that celebrated stage.
"Anytime you get to perform outside of your native city, or where you’re from, it’s a different feeling ...you’re not singing to the choir or to your city, you’re singing with people from all over the world...they’re not your hometown boys."
Over 200 voices performed that night in Carnegie, from a high school choir out of Boise, Idaho to older retirees from South Carolina, as well as one other gay chorus from Florida.
Though the audience was dotted with some familiar faces – many family members, partners, friends and spouses of the Calgary contingent came to watch – ultimately the spectators were new and intimidating.
"You’re still singing to a New York crowd, and they’re tough," says Gillespie.
The DCINY concert was part of a series the organization puts on in different world-class venues; it is in no way adjudicated.
"You pay to play to perform in some of the greatest music halls in the world," Gillespie says.
The CMC brought with them a very stoic, American repertoire to perform in honour of the concert’s proximity to Martin Luther King, Jr. Day (celebrated the third Monday of January): "Testament to Freedom", written by Dietrich Bonhoeffer shortly before he was executed in a Nazi concentration camp in 1945; as well as "Gettysburg Address", a new work commissioned for this performance and written by Mark Hayes, based on the famous speech given by Abraham Lincoln during the American Civil War in 1863. The CMC was one of the first choirs to learn the piece.
Rehearsals leading up to the group’s departure amounted to only about 12 hours, Gillespie says, and then they had two ‘amazing’ days to work with Oltman in New York.
"It’s always interesting working with a new director when you’ve worked with your own director for a long time," Gillespie says. "It always gives you a fresh outlook... it’s a renewal of your singing ability...especially when it’s someone good who can engage a new group of people working with them in a short amount of time."
This experience was so constructive, in fact, the CMC is working on bringing Oltman here for a fall workshop retreat in Banff.
"It’s just a matter of finalizing dates and making sure he can join us," says Bleau.
In the meantime the choir will be busy preparing for a slew of upcoming spring performances.
May 3rd, the CMC will perform along with One Voice Chorus and female barbershop group the Barbarellas in a concert called "Ottawa Bound". This concert will take place at Christ Church in Elbow Park at 8pm.
All three groups will be performing the repertoire they are taking to the Unison Festival, a concert that takes place on May long weekend. Alberta has a total of four choirs going to Unison this year: three from Calgary and one from Edmonton.
The CMC is currently working on a proposal to have the Unison Festival take place here in Calgary for 2018. Like the Summer and Winter Olympics, GALA and Unison take place every four years, with two years in between each.
Then on June 13th and 14th the CMC will be offering "Beautiful City", a collaborative vocal and dance "journey through images of destruction and ruin into the hope and perseverance that rise to the surface when we choose to confront challenges head on."
"Again we’re pushing the boundaries of music doing some interesting and quirky stuff," says Bleau.
"Beautiful City" is choreographed by Paul Chambers, a former dancer with the Alberta Ballet. Shows will take place at Mount Royal Univeristy’s Nickle Theatre.
For fans of the CMC, it will be interesting to see how the group’s experience working with a high calibre of vocalists in Carnegie Hall will affect their future projects. For some, it may have been the trip of a lifetime, particularly for one singer.
"One of our members got engaged on the Brooklyn Bridge," Gillespie divulges. The singer and his boyfriend were making the long and classic walk over the bridge when the former was surprised with the ‘big question’.
His mom had made the trip to NYC as well and was in on it, Gillespie says.
"It was quite romantic."
For the tenor, the Carnegie concert marked a definite experience of achievement.
"It instils a lot of confidence to be able to do something as prestigious as this," Gillespie says. "To work with 180 strangers, and the sound that a disciplined choir and excellent director can pull from a diverse group of people, and that music really does have this strong power to bring people together either as a audience or up on stage."