toronto choirs

Cantala is now auditioning!

Now in its 16th season, Cantala is an award winning treble choir in the Toronto choral community. We are raving mad about choral music, singing together and making an experience that is both inspiring, moving and uplifting for both singer and audience member.

Cantala's AGM

Did you know that Cantala is a registered charity and has a Board of Directors? All charitable organizations in Canada are required to have a Board of Directors to oversee and direct the vision and mission of the organization. Who is on the Board of Directors and what is their role in your singing experience? Read on to find out.


The Beginning of our 12th Season

The beginning of our 12th Season at Cantala has begun! If you haven’t auditioned yet for Cantala please do be in touch. We are always interested in meeting new and talented singers and musicians. Between a Fall weekend retreat to Haliburton to Banff in February and Roy Thompson Hall in May-it will be an exhilarating year in Cantala. Come and sing with us!

Magical Endocannabinoids

We have all come to choir rehearsal feeling drained and walking out feeling energised. This is not just an observation anymore but proven science. And it is due to a chemical called endocannabinoids….. Hubba what??

Me too. No idea.

In the Bleak Midwinter

I've recently discovered a lesser-known work by Britten, A Boy is Born; a very demanding unaccompanied choral work for mixed choir. But lucky for us, the 5th movement In The Bleak Midwinter, is only for treble voices and Cantala is set to perform it in concert on December 8, 2018.

 

7 ideas for warming up the choir

Years ago I had a very experienced choral singer come up to me in Cantala and tell me that I spend a lot of time on warming up and inquired "isn't there an urgency to get to rehearsing the repertoire?".

Kate Spade & Anthony Bourdain

Very recently Kate Spade and Anthony Bourdain committed suicide.  I have often asked my choir members-“why choir?”. And you know, the most popular answer is not “because I love to sing!” or “I want to meet others” or “I love music”. Nope-the most popular, reoccurring answer I receive might not surprise you after all.

Cantala Concert 2017: In the Bleak Midwinter

I've recently discovered a lesser-known work by Britten, A Boy is Born; a very demanding unaccompanied choral work for mixed choir. But lucky for us, the 5th movement In The Bleak Midwinter, is only for treble voices and Cantala is set to perform it in concert on December 9th, 2017, Toronto.

 

Cantala: The History

Naming Cantala happened rather spontaneously. My husband googled "choral singing names" and came back to me shortly with “Cantala” meaning “on wings of song”. No more than a moments thought later I made it official. "Cantala" it was.

7 easy ways to being a fantastic team player

Everyone remembers those school group projects that made you either pull your hair out or jump for joy. Here are 7 tips to being that A+ team player.

11 Tips on auditioning for Cantala-Part 2

Last year I wrote about some quick tips on how to audition for Cantala. Here 11 more tips on making the most of your voice and musical talent in the audition for Cantala, Part 2.

Warming up the choir

Everyone seems to come to choir exhausted. It’s the end of their work day and while I know they are looking forward to creating music, their sense of listening and often also their vocal apparatus are fatigued. They are ready for the couch and some tv, but you are asking them to get up, smile and sparkle. Warming up the choir is an important transition from tired work day to musical brilliance.

Vibrato + Choral Sound: Friends or Foes?

The gold standard of remarkable choral sound is unified sound. No one would dispute that. However, how to achieve this goal is not unified among conductors.