Programme:
The War March of the Priests – from Athalie Felix Mendelssohn
Prelude and Fugue in C major – BWV 531 Johann Sebastian Bach
The Arrival of the Queen of Sheba – from Solomon George Frederick Handel
Aria – Angels ever bright and fair – from Theodora George Frederick Handel
Variations on a theme of Corelli Christian Rinck
Interval
Grand March – from Tannhauser Richard Wagner
Aria – Dich, teure Halle – from Tannhauser Richard Wagner
Larghetto from Clarinet Quintet Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Song – The Lost Chord Sir Arthur Sullivan
Sortie Louis Lefébure-Wély
John Mitchell, was born and raised in North Vancouver. His first organ lessons were at St. Andrew’s United Church with Alan Thompson, who was organist of Ryerson Church in the 1930’s. He played his first services at the age of fourteen, and at seventeen became assistant organist at West Vancouver United. He continued studies with David Rogers at Central Presbyterian, and with Frederick Carter at St. John’s, Shaughnessy.
At age twenty one he became an Associate of the Royal Canadian College of Organists, and two years later became a Fellow (FRCCO) – on both occasions receiving the Willan Prize for highest marks in the exams.
In 1973 he played the dedication recital after a limited restoration of the 1900 Karn Warren organ of Holy Rosary Cathedral, and became organist there for three years. He was then appointed organist and choirmaster of St. Mary’s Anglican Church, Kerrisdale. He is now freelancing as an organist, and has frequently assisted with the music programme of Ryerson United. He has performed recitals throughout western Canada, and in England. In 2000 he was the first Vancouver organist to give a recital at Holy Rosary Cathedral after the organ was restored and enlarged by Casavant Frères. He has since played three more recitals there.
At UBC he studied voice with Donald Brown, and later privately with Luigi Wood. He combined a career as a baritone with his organ career, first as a founding member of the Gallery Singers, then for eight years in the Vancouver Chamber Choir. He made his debut as a soloist with Vancouver Opera in 1983, performing roles in La Traviata, Carmen, and Madama Butterfly. That same year he was appointed chorusmaster of Edmonton Opera, where for ten years he also coached, conducted and sang over twenty five supporting roles. He was a regular soloist with the Alberta Baroque Ensemble, and also was a soloist with Pro Coro and the Richard Eaton Singers.
A highlight of his singing career was being invited by the Alberta government to sing ‘O Canada’ at a state luncheon for Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, who afterwards graciously thanked him and had a little chat about the good acoustics in Government House.
In Edmonton he was organist for a massed service for the Archbishop of Canterbury, who had no comments to make about the acoustics of the local ‘cow palace’!
Sheila Christie, soprano
Dramatic soprano Sheila Christie most recently appeared with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra as the soprano soloist in Benjamin Britten’s War Requiem under the baton of maestro Bramwell Tovey. For the 2013/2014 season, Sheila was chosen to be the sole soprano in Vancouver Opera’s Yulanda M. Faris Young Artist Program. As a member of that program, she performed the title character in Gustav Holst’s Savitri and covered four mainstage roles including, Tosca (Tosca), Lady Billows (Albert Herring), Donna Anna (Don Giovanni), and Elisabetta (Don Carlo). Further credits include, the High Priestess in Aida and Giovanna in Rigoletto with Vancouver Opera, Hanna Glawari in The Merry Widow with Burnaby Lyric Opera, Marguerite in Faust with the Usti nad Labem City Opera, soprano soloist in Faure’s Requiem with the Lethbridge Symphony Orchestra, and soprano soloist in Beethoven’s 9th Symphony with the Vancouver Philharmonic Orchestra. Sheila is a long-standing member of the Vancouver Opera Chorus and has also been seen performing in Vancouver Opera’s community events to promote numerous operas including: Madama Butterfly, Macbeth, Aida, Tosca, Don Giovanni, and Don Carlo.
Sheila holds a Master of Music degree in Opera Performance from the University of British Columbia. She was semi-finalist in The Third Annual China (Ningbo) International Vocal Competition and received an Encouragement Award at the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions. She was recently awarded the Vancouver Opera Guild’s grant for a promising BC singer, a VOCE grant, and the Joe Boxer Memorial Fund Award from Vancouver Opera.
In addition to her performing career, Sheila is a member of the musical theatre faculty at the Richmond Academy of Dance and offers private vocal instruction.