Register NOW for the 2020 Annual Canadian Renaissance Music Summer School (May 2020)!
February 1st is the deadline for applications to participate in the annual Canadian Renaissance Music Summer School (CRMSS). Directed by world-renowned baritone and choral workshop leader Greg Skidmore https://www.gregskidmore.co.uk, it will once again take place from May 9 to 17, 2020 at Huron University (part of Western University) in London Ontario. In its third year, this school is the only Renaissance choral music workshop of its kind in Canada. It is on par with the best of these types of workshops run by The Tallis Scholars (Seattle), the Early Music Academy (Boston) and those held across England and Europe. In fact, the schools official patron is Peter Phillips, the current director of The Tallis Scholars.
A welcoming message from our director, Greg Skidmore:
“I can’t tell you how excited I am for CRMSS 2020. This is our third year and we’ve had such great fun and learned so much since May 2018. I’m especially excited this year to be focusing on the works of the Franco-Flemish school, really the ‘home’ of Renaissance polyphonic music. Equally exciting is our expanding tutor team, this year including CRMSS Guest Artist Robert Hollingworth (director of the UK’s dynamic and inventive vocal consort, I Fagiolini) and five master’s level performance students from the University of York in the UK, all of whom bring a wide range of experience and energy to the course. If you want to spend a whole week diving so deep into Renaissance polyphony you think you might never want to come up for air, please get in touch ([email protected]) and apply! I can’t wait to hear from you.”
Aimed primarily, but not exclusively, at undergraduate students, graduates, and young professional singers, the school is dedicated to the study and performance of Renaissance polyphonic vocal music at the highest levels. Students will learn from internationally-acknowledged specialist tutors from the worlds of performance and academia https://www.crmss.org/tutors.html, and be immersed in this magnificent music for a full week. It will be an intensive period of rehearsal and performance, both liturgically and in concert, all with an emphasis on quality in performance.
The theme of CRMSS 2020 is Beyond the Ordinary with a focus on Franco-Flemish music. Complete Details of the course curriculum here:https://www.crmss.org/course.html . Canadian Renaissance Music Summer School 2020 will culminate in a final live concert performance for the public at the end of the course, again this year in the gorgeous acoustics of St Peter’s Cathedral Basilica in London on Sunday, May 17th at 2:30pm.
We have received many glowing testimonials by students from previous years – like this one:
“CRMSS is an incredible opportunity for North American conducting students to get a profoundly different and valuable perspective on the art of choral music. Grounded in the choral practices of the most esteemed ensembles in the UK, Greg and co. teach you how to sing, study, and think like a top choral singer, an invaluable set of tools for anyone looking to conduct music at the highest level. I would highly recommend this course to any choral conducting student in the country.” (Paolo Debuque, MM University of Michigan, 2017). Learn more about our previous two years of courses here: https://www.crmss.org/2018report.pdf and here: https://www.crmss.org/2019report.pdf.
Ontario Youth Choir Conductor Announcement
Robert Filion
Chef de chœur, Choral Conductor
Robert Filion’s choirs are celebrated across Canada, earning top awards at the local, provincial and national level. His vocal ensembles at the Centre d’excellence artistique de l’Ontario (École De La Salle) have won six national championships and can be regular heard on the CBC and Radio-Canada. The voice programme he heads in the CEAOhas three times been designated Best Music Programme in the National Capital Region by the Kiwanis Music Festival and the CBC—in 2008, 2012 and 2017.
A talented musician and artistic director, in 2011 Robert Filion was appointed Artistic Director of Unisong, the annual Canada Day festival of Canadian choirs at the National Arts Centre. He works with the National Arts Centre Orchestra on concerts involving youth choirs. He focuses on new works and music from around the world, and has collaborated on productions of original Canadian works by, among others, Ruth Watson-Henderson, Laura Hawley, Kelly-Marie Murphy, Stephen Hatfield, Donald Patriquin, Frédéric Lacroix and Clifford Crawley.
In January 2018, M. Filion accepted with great enthusiasm the position of Choir Conductor for the University of Ottawa Choir. He looks forward to renewing his ties to his Alma Mater. In 2013 Mr. Filion received the Prime Minister’s Award for Teaching Excellence.
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Les chœurs dirigés par Robert Filion sont reconnus partout au pays, décrochant des premiers prix à l’échelle locale, provinciale, nationale et internationale. Les ensembles vocaux sous sa direction au Centre d’excellence artistique de l’Ontario (École secondaire De La Salle), qu’on peut entendre régulièrement sur la CBC et Radio-Canada, ont remporté six concours nationaux. Le programme de musique vocale qu’il dirige au CEAO s’est vu attribuer à trois reprises (en 2008, 2012 et 2017) la désignation de Meilleur programme de musique de la capitale nationale par le Festival de musique Kiwanis et le réseau CBC.
En 2011, Robert Filion a été nommé directeur artistique de Unisong, le festival des chorales canadiennes qui se déroule chaque année au Centre national des arts, à l’occasion de la Fête du Canada. Il collabore avec l’Orchestre du Centre national des arts pour des concerts auxquels participent des chœurs de jeunes. Il met l’accent sur les œuvres nouvelles et la musique de différents pays, et il a apporté son concours à des productions d’œuvres canadiennes originales, notamment des œuvres de Ruth Watson-Henderson, Laura Hawley, Kelly-Marie Murphy, Stephen Hatfield, Donald Patriquin, Frédéric Lacroix et Clifford Crawley.
C’est avec la plus grande fierté qu’en janvier 2018 M. Filion accepte de prendre la direction musicale de la Chorale de l’Université d’Ottawa. Il entame cette nouvelle aventure avec beaucoup d’enthousiasme où il souhaite solidifier ses liens avec son Alma Mater. En 2013, M. Fillion s’est vu décerner le Prix du premier ministre pour l’excellence dans l’enseignement.