Article by Kiley Venables – 2022 NYCC Alto

After over two years of virtual concerts and rehearsals and frustrating closures, it would be easy for the magic of choral singing to be lost amid costs, risks, and logistical nightmares. But choirs are above all else about connection, and we need that now more than ever.

It was my great privilege to sing with the National Youth Choir of Canada in 2022—my second time, but after a gap of six years. Like many of my colleagues, I auditioned in the fall of 2019 and expected to sing in May 2020. The cancellation of NYCC during that first lockdown felt cataclysmic; I knew what I was missing.

As it became clear that we would attempt a choir in 2022, I began to rehearse the music, even when it made no sense without the rest of the choir around me. The pieces were challenging and would demand the concentration and collaboration of the full artistic team. From the frantic rhythms of Eric Whitacre’s “Little Man in a Hurry” to the slowly building chords of Hussein Janmohamed’s “Sun on Water,” from the trumpet calls of the fiendishly difficult “La Guerre” by Clément Janequin to the joyful celebration of Sydney Guillaume’s “Nou Se Limyè”—none of these pieces could be fully experienced alone.

On May 8th, the forty singers of the 2022 National Youth Choir slowly trickled into the residences at UOttawa. There would be many restrictions placed on us to protect us as much as possible: we would wear masks to sing, our social time would have to take place outdoors, and we would not billet like previous choirs had. Some of the choristers had waited months, and others years, and we were ready to sing together for the first time.

The program chosen by Jean-Sébastien Vallée for the 2020 choir had only become more urgent. In his program notes, Dr. Vallée wrote: “This program is both a reflection on our society and a tribute to our world – a world where music allows us to find common ground and look towards a better and more inclusive future.” Each of the four sets in “Make Me a World” spoke to urgent issues of social justice and human connection, each opening with a setting of the Agnus Dei prayer and its call for peace: dona nobis pacem. These four composers wrote their music in different centuries but reached for the same text to express four very different moods: Josef Rheinberger’s pleading; William Byrd’s reassurance; Rupert Lang’s comfort; and Frank Martin’s yearning.

Between these touchstones, the music explored how people live together—and how they should. Set one ended with Laura Hawley’s “Rise up my love” and J.S. Bach’s “Brich dem Hungrigen dein Brot”: wildly different pieces, but each a call to connect in a complicated world. Carmen Braden’s “Crooked by Nature” depicted a dialogue between misogyny and feminism, ending in a powerful war speech by Elizabeth I of England—only to segue immediately into Clément Janequin’s onomatopoeic depiction of 16th -century war, “La Guerre.” Roderick Williams’ passionate “O Guiding Night” and Sydney Guillaume’s celebratory “Nou Se Limyè” both spoke to the search for meaning from different angles; Nicholas Kelly’s sweeping “Wind Rising in the Alleys” and Saunder Choi’s powerful “The New Colossus” addressed current social change with new settings of older poetic works. Our concerts usually ended with Matthew Emery’s “Breathe,” a gentle tribute to victims of Covid-19. Even the structure of the music was dialogue: between soloists and choir; between parts in a fugue; and between double choirs.

Our personal connections made these musical connections possible. Apprentice conductor Thomas Burton and collaborative pianist Irene Gregorio generously shared not only their musical talents but their own stories with us. Tour manager William Duffy shouldered the stress and panic of Covid logistics so that we could focus on the music. And I can never adequately express my thanks to our conductor, Jean-Sébastien Vallée, for everything he gave us: his patience in rehearsal, his passion for the music, his humour in small moments, his sensitivity in big ones, and his perseverance in waiting four years to share these magical days with us.

It was an even more emotional two weeks than I remember from my experience in 2016. Our discussions of the two new commissioned pieces, Andrew Balfour’s “Music Is Vibration” and Shireen Abu-Khader’s “I Forgive,” struck chords so deep we needed a break to hold each other in shared consolation. There were times when we held a chord together so lovely that I had to fight back tears. The tour was shortened, and some choristers had to self-isolate. We took Covid rapid tests every morning, hearts pounding with fear that we had already sung our last note together.

These challenges bonded us, but so did moments of laughter and joy. We performed in Ottawa, Kingston, Manotick, and Toronto; we grew every performance in expressiveness and artistic intention. Anyone who has sung in National Youth Choir will know how the running jokes proliferate, and this year was no different. We shared smiles expressed only with our eyes over our masks; we communicated memes and logistics through a magnificently active 40-person group chat; we celebrated birthdays; we colour-coordinated outfits; and we found ways to make our Covid test pictures every morning so
entertaining that tour manager William Duffy organized a bracket-style competition for the best one.

Our relief to be together and singing allowed us to be sentimental, knowing how quickly the ending of the program approached and how bittersweet that final concert would be. The first thing we sang together was Stephanie Martin’s “Nothing Gold Can Stay,” which perfectly captures that wistful hope to stay in a perfect moment. Dr. Vallée led us into the same song on the most difficult morning of the rehearsal week, and anytime that we needed to remind ourselves that we were here, singing together. As the rehearsals drew to a close, we found ourselves singing it everywhere. We would settle into a circle, wrap our arms around each other, and sing: at midnight on the steps of Tabaret Hall on the UOttawa campus; on Parliament Hill, with tourists looking on; with the alumni at our Podium concert; at the end of our Podium masterclass; and in Toronto’s busy Yonge-Dundas square, to send Ryan Doyle on his way.

When I asked my colleagues what the choir had meant to them, connection was the theme above everything else. Emma Yee, an alto representing New Brunswick, wrote to me that “NYCC 2022 was truly a life changing experience. I learned so much and made so many incredible friends across the country that I hope I will keep for the rest of my life. I am happy that anywhere in Canada I go, there are folks I have shared this experience with whom I will be able to sing with, work with, and hang out with.” The choir group chat has already been filled with pictures of different combinations of choristers singing together back home, or simply visiting each other. After two strange years, it feels like we are a part of a
wider community again, and the future is filled with music. Chenuka Lakwijaya, a tenor representing British Columbia, summed it up beautifully: “The 2022 NYCC experience unearthed every singer’s yearning to connect in song and heart. I felt safe and supported throughout, connected by beautiful music and conversation.”

Usually, the National Youth Choir experience ends with a full weekend at the Podium Festival, but this year half of the choir could not stay. We had started our time together in Ottawa on May 8th with a rolling series of hellos, and we ended as we began, with a slow trickle of goodbyes as choristers left Toronto. The half that remained took in everything we could: the seven incredible concerts that followed our own, the many fascinating sessions at the conference, and the chance to meet with inspiring singers, conductors, and composers. We enthusiastically participated in every opportunity for community singing, including at the Toronto Mass Choir concert and in the song sharing sessions led by Shannon
Thunderbird and Sandy Horne. After 11pm at the closing reception of Podium, the last fourteen of us wrapped each other in a hug and sang “Nothing Gold Can Stay” one final time.

Back now to ordinary life—but with the Bach runs stuck in my head, and a lingering joy to take with me. Weeks after we sang that last note together, I am still filled with gratitude. I know those thirty- nine other singers I met in May will go on to do amazing things, in music and beyond. But even though we have years of music and life ahead of us, there is something about this program that will never be replicated. In two short weeks together, we layered personal and artistic connections over each other until they could not be extricated. In the plaintive chords of the Rheinberger and the final, unified breath of “The New Colossus,” we overcame the obstacles that had kept us apart for two years and shared our joy
with our audiences and each other. I am no longer a youth by the NYCC definition, and I already envy everyone who will sing in Montreal in 2024—this time is precious.

Late in rehearsal week we were having trouble with an entry in Frank Martin’s introspective and achingly beautiful “Agnus Dei.” Dr. Vallée raised his hands for us to try again, and into the brief silence, said: “No fear, only music.”

We sang together.

Join host Frédéricka Petit-Homme as she shares highlights from the National Youth Choir of Canada's concert at the 2022 Podium Festival. The show will be broadcast on Sunday, July 3 on CBC Music's Choral Concert from 9-11am ET.

When did you first start singing/singing in choirs?

KL - I've been singing since I was born and started singing in choirs in high school after my voice changed. I was fortunate to go to an arts high school with many opportunities to sing in different kinds of choirs, including jazz choirs and a pop acapella group.

TT - I sang all throughout elementary school, but I really got back into singing in 2016.


What are your other passions/hobbies/interests? What inspires you? 

AR - I love cooking and baking, and taking really really really long walks in the wilderness. Like, days at a time preferably. Anything active will have me riled up. I love to play the guitar and piano and any instrument I can get my hands on. I am inspired by live performances and creating music with others. There is a certain “je ne sais quoi” about live music that you can't get through any other medium.

TT - I love climbing (bouldering), reading, linguistics, and playing video games. I'm inspired by the grassroots nature of the choral community, and our resilience in these trying two years that we have faced!


How did you learn about NYCC and/or what made you decide to audition?

KL -  I learned about NYCC through the Ontario Youth Choir program, which I participated in for 5 years. I decided to audition because the OYC program was so much fun, introduced me to so many wonderful people, and contributed significantly to my musical growth, and I think the NYCC program will be amazing in the same ways.

AR - I learned about NYCC through the BC Youth Choir. They held an audition in 2018 during the BCYC weekend and I thought "yeah, that would be pretty cool". Then, one thing led to another and here we are.


What are you most excited about for NYCC 2022?

KL - I'm most excited to meet all of the wonderful singers and artistic staff, and to get to work with them for an extended period of time!

TT - Singing the program – some of these pieces have been stuck in my head since 2020! However, meeting my peers and spending time at Podium are a very close joint second place. A friend and I looked through the list of alumni recently, and we were elated at all the familiar names that we encountered along the way – and so I like to think that NYCC is a glimpse at the future of Canada's choral community for the next decade or so.

When did you first start singing/singing in choirs?

GC - I started with Kodaly classes at age 3 and then sang in Cantare Children's Choir for 14 years.

MD - I first joined choir in Grade 11 in high school. At the time I had little to no singing experience and only joined because a friend convinced me to give it a try- I never would have realized how much I'd grow to love it! I stayed throughout the rest of high school, and singing in choirs has been a steady passion since.


What are your other passions/hobbies/interests? What inspires you? 

TF - Outside of music, I have a love for taking care of animals and gardening, as well as an express interest in trying out new vegan baking recipes. I am inspired most notably by interdisciplinary art practices, and the exploration of combining mediums of visual art and music especially in contemporary performance.

WI - Hmmm. I love to be by myself, but I do also love spending time with others. By myself, I enjoy walking/hiking, exploring a city if it's new to me. With smaller, more intimate groups of people (2-3), I like to talk about everything under the sun.


How did you learn about NYCC and/or what made you decide to audition?

GC -  I originally heard the National Youth Choir with Michael Zaugg at Podium in Edmonton in 2016 and it was such an incredible performance that it made me want to audition.

MD - I first heard of NYCC when I participated in the BC Youth Choir program back in 2017, and immediately made it a goal to be a part of it one day. That goal was achieved initially when I was accepted into the 2020 iteration of NYCC, but unfortunately the program was cancelled due to the pandemic. I'm excited and grateful to have been invited back for 2022.


What are you most excited about for NYCC 2022?

TF - I am most excited to meet and work with other dedicated musicians from across Canada!

WI - There is so much that I am looking forward to: Singing this rep, working with JS, singing with a high-level ensemble, spending time in Ottawa (and area). Perhaps most of all, I am looking forward to to getting to know Everyone involved in this project. In my experience, music making can allow for a degree of closeness/togetherness that transcends, or at least is different from just talking with someone, or getting to know things "about" them. I suppose I am really looking forward to seeing how the dynamic takes shape between this group of people, with this music.

Ryan Henwood - Nova Scotia
Chenuka Lakwijaya - British Columbia
Spencer Sweet - Nova Scotia
Andrew Whiteside - Alberta
Frank (Enquan) Yu - New Brunswick

When did you first start singing/singing in choirs?

RH - I was somewhat of a late bloomer to choir! I began singing with my high school choir in grade 12 as I was preparing for my university auditions. Since then, I have had the opportunity to work with many inspiring choral conductors during my time at Dalhousie University and through participation in the Nova Scotia Choral Federation’s programs like the Nova Scotia Youth Choir and Adult Choir Camp.

FY - I first started singing in choir back in Grade 9 in Fredericton. Our choir director encouraged me to join as they needed tenors, just like every other choir! I started taking voice lessons in Grade 8 when I first started doing theatre and continued throughout high school with both classical and musical theatre repertoire.


What are your other passions/hobbies/interests? What inspires you? 

CL - I love to read (favorite book at the moment: Nocturnes by Kazuo Ishiguro), play sports (ultimate frisbee, cricket, and table tennis), and listen to podcasts (my favorites being the Anthropocene Reviewed and Philosophize This)! 

SS - I enjoy spending time with friends and family and playing games of all sorts. I am inspired by the chance to better the lives of people around me and to enjoy those moments of happiness with others, no matter how big or small.


How did you learn about NYCC and/or what made you decide to audition?

RH -  My decision to audition for the NYCC in 2018 was the culmination of many factors. I had just participated in the Nova Scotia Youth Choir for the first time in 2017, led by Rachel Rensink-Hoff, and she recommended that I look into the program. Many of my friends and fellow choristers had participated in prior years and I was already working with Jeff Joudrey through the Halifax Camerata Singers. Feeling as if the universe was urging me to audition, I sent in my audition tapes and was excited to be picked as the Tenor for Nova Scotia in 2018!

FY - After hearing about NYCC through Dr. Jamie Hillman here at the University of Toronto, I decided it would be an excellent opportunity for me to not only create music with great singers, but also to represent New Brunswick and the Chinese community. I have heard many amazing things about NYCC through teachers, peers and friends which makes the experience even more exciting.


What are you most excited about for NYCC 2022?

CL - Getting to know my NYCC colleagues and perform with them on tour and at PODIUM!

SS - I’m most excited to create an extremely high quality of music with some of the best musicians I’ve met. I’m also excited to get a chance to make music with my fellow Canadians from all across the country and to share that bond with them.

William Austin - Nova Scotia
Oliver Dalton - British Columbia
Fletcher Bryce Davis - Québec
Ryan Doyle - Québec
Nathan Gritter - Ontario

When did you first start singing/singing in choirs?

OD - The first choir I sang with was my high school choir in the eighth grade. After that, I joined the Coastal Sound Youth Choir directed by Carrie Tennant and it was such a good experience that I've been singing in choirs ever since.

RD - When I was nine years old, my music teacher volunteered me for a children's choir festival - the rest is history!


What are your other passions/hobbies/interests? What inspires you? 

WA - I enjoy cooking, baking, reading, pondering and having a good laugh with my roommates. I also have two darling plants at home to take care of! Aside from music, I truly love science and learning about why things are the way they are. I am aspiring to become a doctor!

RD - My family immigrated to the U.S. from the Caribbean, so I grew up speaking Spanish and continue to love studying other foreign languages. I'm constantly inspired by artists across the world who champion new and innovative work, from fellow conductors like Donald Nally to designers like Iris van Herpen and composers like Dale Trumbore.


How did you learn about NYCC and/or what made you decide to audition?

WA -  I first heard of the NYCC through the NSYC, and then my voice teacher urged me towards it in 2020, prior to the Covid-19 pandemic. Now that it has returned, I jumped at the opportunity right away!

RD - I first heard NYCC recordings on CBC and loved the sound and musicality of the performances!


What are you most excited about for NYCC 2022?

OD - I'm most excited about performing interesting repertoire at a really high level, and getting to meet singers from choral communities all over Canada.

WA - After a near two-year hiatus from choral singing, I don’t see what there isn’t to be excited about! Challenging repertoire, community, a united passion for singing… What more could you ask for?

When did you first start singing/singing in choirs?

CS - I started singing in choirs around the age of 5 and fell in love with it right away! I went on to sing in choirs at my school and in my community and am grateful to still be singing in multiple choirs today.

AZ - I've loved to sing for as long as I can remember, but didn't find my love for choir until high school. I sang in choir all throughout high school and then began to sing with the Alberta Youth Choir as well. I have now been a member of the University of Alberta Madrigal Singers for four years! 


What are your other passions/hobbies/interests? What inspires you? 

AO - I love going on spontaneous adventures around Nova Scotia, thrift shopping, and drinking too much tea.

EY - I enjoy drawing, crocheting, embroidery, baking, and hanging out with my dog in my free time. I am passionate about expanding classical canon and studying diverse repertoire. I want to highlight BIPOC, LGBTQ, and women composers in my studies, and look at the ways in which gender and otherness plays a part in musical portrayal. I enjoy connecting with an audience through performance and enjoy creating and developing performances.


How did you learn about NYCC and/or what made you decide to audition?

KV -  I sang with NYCC in 2016 and it was the most rewarding musical experience of my life so far—I knew that if I could qualify again, it would be just as enriching and inspiring. Amid some difficult years for the world and for the performing arts, I am ecstatic to be singing once again with such a talented and passionate group of musicians.

CS - My dad sang in NYCC in the 80's and ever since he shared his experience with me I have always wanted to be a part of the choir. Choir is such an important part of my life so I knew I couldn't pass up the opportunity to audition.


What are you most excited about for NYCC 2022?

AO - I've been waiting for this moment since 2020, and the excitement has only built since then. Some of my life's happiest memories have been with choir and I can't wait to make more.

KV - The music itself will be incredible, but what stuck with me from my experience with NYCC 2016 was the sense of community and connection that the intense rehearsal period forges within the choir. I was humbled and inspired to make gorgeous music with peers whom I knew would go on to join the next cohort of choral conductors, composers, and performers. I cannot wait to bond over our shared passion for music once again!

When did you first start singing/singing in choirs?

AM - I started singing in choir when I was around 6 years old at my local church in Kenora, Ontario. I quickly fell in love with singing and continued to participate in choir and other musical programs throughout high school and university.

EG - I've been singing for as long as I can remember - both my parents are classically trained professional singers, so you might say it runs in the family :) I joined my first choir at age 5, and have never not been in a choir since!


What are your other passions/hobbies/interests? What inspires you? 

ZG - I went back to school to study American Sign Language and Deaf Studies due to my interest in ASL, and I’m so glad that I did! My hobbies include knitting, sculpting, and trying to solve Rubik's Cubes while blindfolded. I find nature particularly inspiring.

NK - Apart from singing of course, I love watching movies/tv shows, volleyball and dancing. The people I love are the ones that inspire me!


How did you learn about NYCC and/or what made you decide to audition?

BC -  I learned about the NYCC through some friends at the Schulich School of Music who've sung with the choir in the past and from others who are in it now.

AM - I've had friends participate in previous years of NYCC, but it was my choral director at Brandon University, Dr. Andrée Dagenais who encouraged me to audition for National Youth Choir.


What are you most excited about for NYCC 2022?

BC - I'm super excited to have the opportunity to participate in workshops and to be able to meet and connect with singers from across Canada!

EG - I'm most excited to make new friends from all across the country, and also to make some amazing music with some incredibly talented and hardworking people!

When did you first start singing/singing in choirs?

MG - I started when I was 6 years old and I haven’t stopped since!

LS - I’ve been singing for as long as I can remember and have the embarrassing family home videos to prove it! But my first introduction to choral singing was at the age of 11 with the Cantaré Children's Choir.


What are your other passions/hobbies/interests? What inspires you? 

EP - My other interests include cooking, attending concerts, reading, and cuddling with my goofy mini schnauzer. Spending time with friends and family is also very important to me.

LS - Before I became a full-time student, I was an early childhood educator. The children I worked with lit a spark in me. They showed me that I loved advocating for the more vulnerable. I loved being a source of stability, comfort, and protection for the children who may not have found it elsewhere. Those little muffins have inspired me to be the best version of myself, and to be someone on which one can rely. I am also a huge advocate for mental health awareness and de-stigmatization.


How did you learn about NYCC and/or what made you decide to audition?

PW - I spent two summers as a part of the Ontario Youth Choir and learned about NYCC through Choirs Ontario. After the amazing experiences I had with OYC I knew NYCC was something I had to do in the future.

EP - I first heard about NYCC when I did the Ontario Youth Choir (OYC) and they were holding auditions during the program. I loved OYC, and this sounded like the 2.0 version, so I figured it had to be awesome.


What are you most excited about for NYCC 2022?

KU - I'm really looking forward to getting to make music in a group, in person, and share that with audiences after a long 2 years of being apart.

PW - I am most excited to get to know the choir and everyone involved! Working with a group of people who have the same passion for singing and choral music that I do is something really special and I cannot wait to collaborate with them on such incredible repertoire. I can't wait to see everyone in Ottawa!