Phoenix Chamber Choir

We are so thrilled by the enthusiasm for Corrinne Wolcoski's painting that we recently auctioned off as a part of our Earth Songs concert. Phoenix is proud to have made a $1000 donation to the Nature Conservancy of Canada, thanks to your generous bidding. We are continually committed to making the world a better place both through music and through the resources and platform music gives us. Thank you for supporting Phoenix and for your care for our planet!

Did you notice Mrs. Canada in our latest "Who Do You Love" video?! "I've loved being in choir in the past and I missed it very much. When someone sent me the 'Ordinary Day' choir video, I jumped on the chance to join the Canadian Physicians Virtual Choir for the next project! With how difficult the pandemic has been, being able to sing with other physicians in a virtual choir lifted my spirits significantly. I hope the video will lift the spirits of viewers as well and I'm looking forward to future performances!" - Dr. Patricia Celan Patricia is up for Mrs. International in the next tier of competition. Support her by voting here: tinyurl.com/VoteMrsCanada

As we continue to celebrate Canadian doctors this week, we are so grateful for the creative leadership of Dr. Carolyn Shiau, Phoenix alto and board member, who has made the entire Canadian Physicians Virtual Choir project possible with her musical arranging and video editing contributions. Carolyn shared the following about the project: "The Canadian Physicians Choir Project has been a way to connect physicians through something other than COVID or medical work. Singing can ...be such a release from the stresses of our regular lives... As one of the video editors, I was so impressed with the energy and care that went into crafting so many of the videos. It made me so happy to see so many young voices just playing and singing with their parents. It reminds us all that we are more than our medical profession - and there is value in finding that work-life balance - and that we can help each other to find that balance too. I think when Phoenix set out to do this project, we were not sure how many people would want to record in isolation this way. However, when you see and hear the final project come together, you realize that combined voices of the group are more cohesive and harmonious than any one of ourselves could be. Good quality health-care is a team effort - and so is singing in choir! We support each other, carry on the melody when others falter, and move forward together. "

For so many physicians, choral singing is a place to forget about the worries of the day and just breathe and do something creative. The added advantage of singing in your living room (or call-room!) and the fact that no one else in the rehearsal can hear you, is liberating especially for those who have not sung in a choir for many years! This is why we were so elated when Canadian Medical Association, MD Financial Management - Gestion financière MD, and Scotiabank came aboard as sponsors for our latest video. We are grateful for their care for physicians across Canada and their wellness. Join us in thanking these generous sponsors! And make sure to watch the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TbuBhghRNWE

Are you a doctor who sings soprano or alto? Join Vox Panacea, Phoenix's online physician's choir for treble-based voices! Rehearsals for the new session begin next week. Details can be found at: https://phoenixchoir.com/online-doctor-choir And in case you need some extra inspiration, enjoy this piece, "One Voice" that aired in the December concert: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f6CxBJuhivw

With a new year comes new opportunities to make music! We want to remind you far in advance that our Earth Songs concert will be happening on April 22, 2021 and will be virtual as has been the rest of our season. This has been a long-awaited concert, as it was originally scheduled and prepared for April 2020, but we know how that ended. With unique artistic elements, we hope Earth Songs is an evening that allows you to not only appreciate our planet on Earth Day, but honour the changing of seasons and the arrival of springtime and new birth. We can only hope that with the promise of a vaccine on the horizon that this will be the last solely-virtual concert for a long while, and yet, after this last year, we are ready for anything. Save the Date and we'll "see" you in April!

During the month of January, due to continued provincial restrictions around rehearsing together, Phoenix singers are spending time working 2:1 with the Andrews duo (Phoenix Sound Engineer, Brad, and Phoenix Artistic Director, Nicholle) in order to improve vocal performance and sound. Here they are working with Phoenix singers Shannon and Zulfikar last night via Zoom. We asked Brad his top tips for getting quality sound when everyone is stuck at home with "what they've got" and don't always have access to studio-quality sound equipment. You can check out those tips here: https://phoenixchoir.com/2021/01/how-to-record-audio-at-home A huge thank you to Brad for his ongoing support in helping Phoenix record our best sound as we continue to navigate the world of virtual choir.

Thank you to Paula Gale and CBC for featuring this wonderful interview with our very own Nicholle Andrews. Ordinary Day continues to warm hearts and evoke smiles across the country. Have a listen to our Artistic Director explain some of the inspiration behind the hit! https://www.cbc.ca//15817748-no-ordinary-choir-paula-gale-

The last several weeks have brought a lot of new followers to our audience: Welcome! For those of you wondering about the actual choir and community behind the YouTube videos, here's a bit about us: When singers join Phoenix, they join more than just a choral group. They join a community, a legacy, and a family. This practice of passing down traditions, mentorship, and a shared pledge to quality, has sustained Phoenix's sought-after vision of being the most professional-lev...el amateur choir in Canada since its inception in Vancouver in 1983. What many do not realize about Phoenix is that we are doctors, teachers, students, and baristas, and our love for singing is the simple tie that bonds all of us. It is our hope that Phoenix singers are challenged and grown in their musicianship, as well as their personhood. It is equally our hope that the communities that listen to our music are wowed, enlightened, and moved by the unique, rich sound that we create and moreover, the messages we share. For more information about Phoenix and how to participate, please visit: phoenixchoir.com. (Photo taken in 2019)

Your reaction to our Ordinary Day video has been anything but ordinary... We are blown away by the love being shared from coast to coast and around the globe this week for our video, including recognition from our own Prime Minister Justin Trudeau! A million thanks for your outpouring of support for these incredible physicians. As one commenter put it: "the scientific/medical expertise of our dedicated health professionals could only, really, truly be expressed through the a...rts." Yes, yes. yes. Please continue to share in support of the Dollar a Day Foundation, which provides funding for frontline mental health and addictions programs across Canada. Visit adollaraday.ca for more info. Watch the video: https://youtu.be/wHJYlI3roiA

Way hey, hey! It's just another Ordinary Day, and we are grateful for another news feature of our Ordinary Day video. Are you a Canadian physician inspired and energized by what we've put together? Stay tuned; we have information coming your way about how you can be a part of the next one! Check out the story by Michael Newman and Global BC here: https://globalnews.ca//physicians-virtual-choir-brings-hea

Have you seen our latest premiere? Start your New Year off right, with Great Big Sea’s Ordinary Day performed by our Canadian Physician’s Virtual Choir. Now available on youtube! This first-of-its-kind project brought together over 200 physicians from all across Canada, as well as some very special guests. Watch now! https://youtu.be/wHJYlI3roiA Thank you to @CTVVancouver for featuring our project! You can read the article here: https://beta.ctvnews.ca//british-c/2021/1/3/1_5252226.html

You made it! We welcome 2021 with open hearts and wish you and your household all the best in this new year!

"Alexa, play Christmas music." It's hard to believe we're just ONE month out from our Christmas concert! Who has started playing their favourite Christmas carols or holiday jingles already? Tell us, which ones are near and dear to your heart?

Meet your hosts and conductors for tomorrow evening's concert, Gathering Together: Phoenix Artistic Director, Nicholle Andrews and Phoenix Assistant Conductor, Dave Rosborough. We are so grateful for Nicholle and Dave and the energy they put into our artistic vision. Believe it or not, none of their formal training included "how to conduct virtually" or "how to put on a virtual concert" and yet they have handled every challenge with grace and poise Join us tomorrow night or purchase a ticket to re-watch the broadcast next week: https://phoenixchoir.com/concerts

We are once again inviting community voices to join us for a very special virtual piece for our Christmas concert! Miles Ramsay's arrangement of Silent Night has been the traditional closing piece of Phoenix's Christmas Concerts for many years, and we were lucky enough to have Miles himself with us in Dec 2018 to do the reading during the piece. Miles Ramsay sang with Phoenix for 13 seasons and was a longtime friend and supporter of the organization, and he passed away this... past June. As a way of honouring him and his family, who remains dear to Phoenix, we are inviting you to join us in the video recording of Miles's Silent Night to be aired the evening of December 20. We can't think of a more meaningful way to pay tribute to our friend and bid 2020 adieu. Please email [email protected] to get details. Recordings will be due Saturday, November 28.

If you already have plans Saturday night or if you're in a different time zone and 7:30 PST doesn't work well for you, then we have a surprise: The concert will be available for rebroadcast from Monday, Oct. 26 - Saturday, Oct. 31! If you are hopeful you'll watch the concert anytime in that 5 day window, then this is well worth $10. ... Get your tickets: https://www.cya.live/event/4240

2020 has been a year laden with challenges and has evoked many emotions for all of us. Even in the face of hardship, grief, and the oddities of a global pandemic, we can't think of a more necessary time for the warmth, camaraderie, and familiarity of our Phoenix Christmas concert... Rejoice & Sing will air at 7:30 pm PST on Sunday, December 20 but will be available for your viewing through 9 pm PST on Sunday, December 27. Join us online for familiar holiday favourites, heart...-warming readings, and our annual audience sing-a-long. Tickets for the concert are $10. Any amount over $10 will be considered a taxable donation, and you will receiver a tax receipt within the next few weeks. Purchase tickets at phoenixchoir.com/concerts

Have you purchased your ticket to Saturday night's concert yet? You do not want to miss it, trust us. Here's a little demo to navigate purchasing a ticket, should you need it. It's pretty simple, and the main thing to remember is the page where you purchased your ticket is also the concert page. Start the process here: https://www.cya.live/event/4240... If you're looking for a step by step guide, check this one out from cya.live: https://www.cya.live//05/05/how-to-join-an-event-on-cya-l/

"With so many choirs struggling with finding a path through this pandemic, I have appreciated being able to at share music in this way. I think the audience will enjoy seeing the variety of pieces we have available, from small group ‘live’ recorded pieces, to large scale virtual pieces involving other community members, and even a piece from the physician choir I am also privileged to be a part of! I can’t wait to see how it all comes together on Saturday!" - Barb, alto We cannot wait to "see" you on Saturday! Do you have your tickets yet? phoenixchoir.com/concerts

It's finally concert week! "I hope people feel inspired that despite our global situation, we’ve come together in such a human way to bring the world what it needs especially during darker times which is a little more music, and beauty, and joy, and fun." - Brad, bass Grab your tickets TODAY at phoenixchoir.com/concerts . ... Remember, replay will be available for 48 hours following the broadcast and can be streamed from anywhere in the world!

Meet Vox Panacea: Phoenix's soprano-alto doctor's choir! These amazing faces meet together via Zoom once per week to rehearse and we eagerly await their debut performance in next weekend's (yes, next weekend!) Gathering Together concert. A little behind the name: "Panacea" is the Greek goddess of universal remedy, daughter of Asclepius (God of Medicine) and Epione (personification of the care needed for recovery). "Vox" of course is Latin for voice or "voice of the people."... Join us on Saturday, October 24th to hear this unique group for the first time! Tickets: https://phoenixchoir.com/concerts

Here's something cool about our upcoming Gathering Together concert: For the first time ever (so far as we know!) a Phoenix concert will feature six Newfoundlanders. Two choristers, Andrew Fitzgerald & Brad Bonnell; one conductor, Nicholle Andrews; one sound engineer, Brad Andrews; one guitarist, Danny Mills, and a special guest appearance from percussionist Romano DiNillo (from Come From Away on Broadway and the touring company of Wicked). Phoenix is proud to represent arti...sts from coast to coast. And Newfoundlanders interested in "attending" on October 24, good news! The concert recording will be available all weekend, should you not want to stay up for us west coasters Tickets: https://phoenixchoir.com/concerts : of Cape Spear Lighthouse by Geoff Martin

We are thankful we get to sing. As a choir, we never expected to not be able to sing, but 2020 had a different agenda. It's been a year of creativity and learning how to do what we love in different ways, but with our first concert of the season now less than two weeks away, we could not be more grateful for the magic of harmonies and the power of our voices coming together as one. What are you thankful for today?

And finally... meet Venture D! Clinton, Emily, Natasha, Richard, Catherine, and Barbra. This crew is currently hard at work rehearsing Schubert’s Der Tanz and Ubi Caritas by Duruflé. Join them and the entire Phoenix Odyssey on Oct. 24 at 7:30 pm from the comfort of your own home to enjoy our first concert of the year. We are eager to share all we have prepared for you! ... Tickets: phoenixchoir.com/concerts.

We miss the fun and camaraderie of rehearsing all together each Tuesday night but are grateful that we can sing together safely at all! Here's a behind-the-scenes shot of Venture C rehearsing last Tuesday. We'd love to hear! How are our other choir friends holding up in these, shall we say, highly creative times?

We're thrilled to introduce you to Venture C! Cara, Erica, Richard, Ben, Heather, Justin, Jordan, and Bea. At Gathering Together, this amazing bunch will be performing Le Pont Mirabeau by Daunais and Sicut - Magnificat by Bach. Do you have your tickets yet? Get yours today at phoenixchoir.com/concerts.

Meet Phoenix Venture B! Olivia, Zulifkar, Leanne, Oliver, and Haley. Listen to them perform Quick But We Have a Second by Stanford and Daley's In Remembrance on October 24th at Gathering Together. Even if it looks a little different this year, we are so excited to bring choir back into your homes and lives Tickets available at https://phoenixchoir.com/concerts.