On Sunday, September 13 at 3pm, the CAMMAC Ottawa Valley chorus will fill the stunning cathedral of St. John Chrysostom Church in Arnprior with the splendour of Mozart. CAMMAC’s annual choir concert unites voices from across the Ottawa Valley — Westmeath, Pembroke, Cobden, Almonte, Pakenham, Carleton Place, Arnprior, Renfrew, Braeside, Sand Point and Ottawa-Gatineau — for an afternoon of joyful celebration.
At the heart of the program is Mozart’s Coronation Mass. Completed in Salzburg in 1779 when Mozart was only 23, the Mass became famous after being performed for the coronation of Leopold II in 1791, and later Francis II in Prague. Mozart’s operatic melodies are bright and stately, creating one of his most luminous and uplifting works.
Mozart’s majesty and warmth will be brought to life by the 65-voice choir, full professional orchestra and four highly accomplished soloists with local connections: soprano Kathleen Radke, mezzo-soprano Danielle Vaillancourt, tenor Adam Sperry and bass Jean-Sébastien Kennedy.
Returning Artistic Director Lisa Webber brings extensive choral experience as founder of the Arnprior Community Choir and Two Rivers Musical Productions, and as an active vocal teacher, to lead the CAMMAC Ottawa Valley summer program. Under Lisa’s guidance, the singers and musicians draw together into a cohesive, expressive ensemble, moving from the heights of Mozart’s soaring brilliance to the quieter beauty of the second half.
Keyboardist Ian Guenette, Director of Music and organist at St. James Anglican Church in Carleton Place, will be featured in solo performances on both the organ and grand piano, making full use of the church’s resonant acoustics.
Reflections of Hope and Grace
If the Coronation Mass conveys the grandeur of royal pageantry, the works in the second part of the program explore more personal reflections of love, gratitude and hope.
John Rutter’s This is the Day is a joyous choral anthem celebrating the 2011 wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton. Benjamin Britten’s lively Jubilate Deo in C offers praise and gratitude in this composition originally commissioned for St. George’s Chapel and performed at Prince Phillip’s funeral service in 2021.
Elaine Hagenberg’s O Love, inspired by the Scottish hymn written by George Matheson on the eve of his sister’s wedding, invites us to let go of past heartache and embrace the beautiful promise of tomorrow.
Canadian composer Eleanor Daley’s Upon Your Heart transforms the familiar Song of Solomon text, alternating upper and lower voices to evoke the binding strength of love.
The program closes on a resounding note with the jubilant O Praise Ye the Lord, supported by pipe organ accompaniment.
Concert Details
Join the CAMMAC Ottawa Valley chorus for a beautiful afternoon of music and community in an unforgettable cathedral setting. The concert will be performed on Sunday, September 13 at St. John Chrysostom Church, located at 295 Albert Street in Arnprior. Doors open at 2:30pm.
Tickets can be purchased at cammac.ca/ottawagatineau/activities/#valley-concert. You can also buy tickets in person from White Pine Books in Arnprior (cash only) or at the door based on availability. Admission is $30 for adults, $10 for students, and free for children 12 and under.