A Season of Sound and Spirit: Our 2025–2026 Choral Repertoire Annoucement
As the carefree days of summer give way to the crisp energy of fall, Cantala is eagerly looking ahead to the next chapter in our musical journey. We’re delighted to share a preview of our 2025–2026 season—a year that promises powerful storytelling, the voices of diverse Canadian composers, and meaningful collaborations that honour both tradition and bold innovation.
Andrew Balfour, Canadian Indigenous Composer
Our Fall 2025 concert is a seasonal-themed program that brings together the sacred, the secular, and the contemporary. We’re especially honored to feature the music of celebrated Cree composer Andrew Balfour, whose works Wyandot Realm and Ave Maria offer a deeply spiritual and culturally resonant start to the season. Balfour’s compositions are known for their emotional complexity and rich layering of sound, and these pieces are no exception.
We’ll also showcase Kyrie by Toronto-based composer Katherine Petkovski, a rising voice in Canada’s contemporary music scene. Her writing is meditative and emotionally charged—an ideal fit for the reflective nature of the season. Adding to the festive spirit are Three Carols by Laura Hawley, whose music captures both warmth and sophistication, reimagining traditional seasonal themes through a modern lens.
Katharine Petkovski, Toronto Composer
One of the highlights of this concert will be Ola Gjeilo’s Northern Lights, made even more magical through the addition of a live dancer. This performance promises to be a breathtaking blend of choral music and movement, creating a truly immersive experience for our audience.
While our Spring 2026 repertoire is still being finalized, we’re excited to share some of the powerful works already confirmed. We’ll be premiering Three Pieces of Regret by Toronto composer Bev Lewis, a haunting new work set to texts by beloved Canadian author L. M. Montgomery. It’s a poignant meditation on memory and emotion, and we’re proud to be bringing it to life for the first time.
Bev Lewis, Toronto Composer
We’ll also be presenting selections from the large-scale collaborative work The Lost Words, inspired by the award-winning book that seeks to reintroduce nature-based language into our everyday lives. This project features a range of Canadian composers and is a moving tribute to the natural world and the words we risk losing.
Other featured works include Tabula Rasa by Don Macdonald, a cinematic and introspective piece that evokes renewal and clarity; Stars by Ēriks Ešenvalds, an ethereal audience favorite featuring tuned water glasses; and two works by Quebec’s Marie-Claire Saindon—Alice and The Girl with the Numbers—which showcase her vivid storytelling and unique choral textures.
Marie-Claire Saindon
We’re especially proud to be presenting several premieres this season, with recordings currently in the works. These new works highlight our commitment to supporting living composers and offering audiences fresh and moving musical experiences.
All of these pieces are available to explore on streaming platforms (with the premieres arriving next year), and we invite you to join us in discovering the incredible soundscape we’ve curated for this season.