Guest Choirs
Aella Choir
Aella is an upper-voice ensemble founded by Artistic Director Jennifer Berntson, which initially started as a pick-up choir for a single concert in 2016. It operates in Ottawa, Ontario, on the traditional unceded territory of the Algonquin Anishnaabeg people. The ensemble has been described as “everything modern choir should be – innovative, technically precise, joyous, comforting and representative” (Andrew Riddles, Classical Ottawa) and “like a battle scene from Game of Thrones although with far less violence” (Blake Edwards, a fan). Its members, more specifically, have been called “fierce” (Giacomo Panico, CBC) and “abnormally close” (Aella member). They enjoy singing a mix of genres – from traditional choral repertoire, to challenging contemporary music, to pop – but mostly, they enjoy singing with each other.
Cantiamo Choirs of Ottawa
Cantiamo Choirs of Ottawa features five choirs from the ages of 5 to 95, with over 100 choristers participating in our choral program and performances. The Artistic and Choral Education team is led by Jackie Hawley and has grown to include Leslie Bricker and Kathy Goodsell as fellow choir conductors, with accompanists Teresa van den Boogaard, Kathy McGee, and Tahlia de Corso.
The OCC Chamber Choir
The Ottawa Children’s Choir (OCC) was founded in 1958 as the Ottawa Board of Education Central Choir for musically gifted students. The OCC Chamber Choir is a treble ensemble of up to forty five singers ranging from grade 7 to 12. The Chamber Choir participates in annual OCC Winter and Spring concerts, the National Remembrance Day Ceremony and other high profile events. The choir may be invited to sing with symphony orchestras in performances of major works and is regularly contracted to perform at local and national events. Chamber Choir tours and performs nationally and internationally, most recently in Edmonton for an exchange with the Edmonton Youth Choir.