On January 10, 2025, a very important and unforgettable event in the cultural life of Toronto took place. As part of the Christmas concerts, this unique evening was held, dedicated to renewal, the winter solstice, the birth of a new year, a new era, a new era, a turning point in the year – when the sun is first covered by clouds and the day is full of gloom and cold, and with each new day of renewal more light comes, darkness goes to its usual time and takes its usual volume. Shakespeare’s Sonnet 16th century, “Beautiful Youth”, sounds. The choir members enter the hall by candlelight, in darkness and absolute silence and sounds ,,O Sapientia”by Janella Lucyk.
The voices of the choir soloists are clearly selected and harmoniously placed, as the next piece sounds, they seem to envelop us with singing from all sides, a feeling of 3D reality arises, when the sound seems to come from behind, goes around in a circle from left to right, rises up and sounds powerfully from all sides. This is an amazing feeling that makes everyone sitting hold their breath, and this continues from the beginning of the concert until its end.
Thanks to the masterful creativity and unrealistically beautiful gentle creation of atmosphere to conductor Daniel Taylor.
Shakespeare’s sonnet sounds in the head and the actions taking place on stage repeat the movement of the sun, when after the winter solstice, the motionless sun begins to move slowly, giving the promise of light to conquer the cold darkness. We see how the wheel is turning more and more, the pagan holiday of geola, the Wheel, conveys the mystery and meaning of the idea of the year, when one ends and slowly comes the transformation and the light gradually enters the winter cold, stillness and darkness. Every day it gains more and more strength and power and eventually it defeats the darkness and gives us hope for renewal, rethinking and victory. This is very significant, since this year 2024 at the hour of the winter solstice many dates and holidays coincided and for the first time this coincidence gave hope. Gave birth to hope. A moment that echoed through many cultures around the world. Sacred. Touching. Magical, when this state is conveyed through singing and accompanied by the music of the Christmas carols of the 12-15 centuries, Scottish, Italian chants
The Toronto Consort Choir sounds wonderful, divine, angelic together with Schola Cantorum Singers.
The entire concert is based on the cycles of the Gregorian calendar and in the finale, it sounds updated, powerful, loud, apotheosis-like at first ,,Lully,lulla” by Nicolas Burns and final,,Hymn to the Mother of God” /J.Tavener/
The fact that everyone in the hall was in the magic of the melody and singing – it sounds like nothing. Divine performance and a wonderful idea for a concert. Thank you for such a creation and the opportunity to realize it THE TORONTO CONCORT( 427 Bloor St.W.,Toronto,Canada) Heather Turnbull and all creative team.
Beautiful music from the 12th-15th centuries was heard, hymns, music by Poston, Pärt, Britten, Tavener.
I love classical music, but what makes the Toronto Consort unique is that each concert remains in the memory. The memories are so vivid and colorful, they give a connection between modernity and classical works and introduce the authors and performers.
For me, this is a line that cannot be erased or changed and I am proud that there is a society in Toronto and I enjoy their work.
As they beautifully showed the flow of time, which has a cycle, a circle, and being born, becoming stronger, we produce more and more light, becoming adults and mature, we give our light, give birth to victory and life and after the summer solstice, in the aura of strength and life, we gradually fade away. Today we are talking only about birth and victory. I will describe the second part later. I have the strength and did not live to see it.
For all those who are obsessed with this unique place of intimacy and treasures, I inform you that the next concert will take place on January 25th,2025 at 8 pm and you can get more information at the link:
https://torontoconsort.org
