Calendar
Open to all RCCO members. Orgelkit presentation to follow the meeting.
Instructor: Michael Dirk
An October tradition, RCCO Vancouver Centre’s 14th annual Halloween Organ Concert features the spookiest and scariest music written for the King of Instruments. The audience is encouraged to come in costume! The organ console will be projected on a screen so that no fancy footwork will be missed, and there will be treats for kids after the concert.
St James warmly welcomes the Vancouver Cantata Singers as they offer a free, open rehearsal as part of the 16th Annual Downtown Eastside Heart of the City Festival. If you have ever wondered how to teach a choir to sing in perform in perfect harmony, this is a great opportunity to hear some beautiful singing and commentary from Artistic Director, Paula Kremer. This is a free event, but secure your no-cost ticket to reserve a seat.
https://www.sjmusic.ca/events/vancouver-cantata-singers-open-rehearsal/2019-10-30
Biography
Frank Ezinga studied organ, piano and music theory under Jaap Zwart in The Netherlands. He followed additional classes with Anton Pauw. At age 13 Frank accompanied the worship services in the Gereformeerde Kerk (Reformed Church) in Baarn, The Netherlands, where his appointment as organist was made official in 1992. He also was the director of the church choir of Baarn-Soest. Frank was the director of the Stichts Zangkoor of Utrecht, from 1996 until his move to Canada in 1998. In The Netherlands Frank was involved with changes regarding a new hymn book and the liturgy and the roll-out in the churches.
Since his move to Canada, Frank is organist of the Canadian Reformed Church at Langley, BC. Frank continued his music studies in Canada with Mrs. Mary McTier (Langley) and Terry Fullerton of St. Johns Shaugnessy (Vancouver). He particiapted in Organ Master Classes by Piet van der Steen (Netherlands), Naji Hakim (France), Pierre Pincemaille (Paris), Marc D’Anjou (Québec), Rachel Laurin (Montréal), Jonathan Oldengarm (Montréal) and a Choral Master Class by John Tuttle (Toronto). A few times a year Frank performs in solo recitals, and he participates in RCCO events when possible, to promote the organ, organ music, and people that like to play the organ.
Frank was instrumental in the design and installation of the Casavant Freres pipe organ in the Canadian Reformed church at Langley in 2008. Since its installation Frank organizes musical events, of which the annual Christmas Concert by the VSO Brass Quintet with organist Terry Fullerton is one.
Recordings and Sheet music
In 2007 Frank recorded and produced a CD with the new Hymns that were introduced in the Canadian Reformed Churches. He played also an organ solo CD with hymns that is produced under the Crescendo Records Label (9056). In 2009, 500 years after the birth of the Reformer John Calvin, he released a CD with singing of Genevan Psalms. Frank was a technical music advisor to the Standing Committee of the Book of Praise (Canadian Reformed Churches) to assist the committee in the publication of a new song book for the churches (final edition was released in 2014). For the Hymns of the provisional version as well as the final version Frank has written an accompaniment book. In 2016 he followed up with a publication of 12 hymns written in two keys. In the Quincentennial Reformation Year 2017 frank organized four concerts featuring the 16th century Church Reformation in music. Frank has an YouTube channel and is active on Facebook.
Professional Affiliation
As a member of the Nederlandse Organisten Vereniging (NOV) and the Vereniging van Gereformeerde Kerkorganisten (VGK), Frank was involved in church music and liturgy and he participated in workshops and seminars. Frank is currently member of the American Guild of Organists (AGO) and the Royal Canadian College of Organists (RCCO) and he is Vice President of the Vancouver Centre of the RCCO. In 2001 he successfully completed the Colleague examination of the RCCO.
Choir
Since 2004 Frank is the musical director of the Fraser Valley Choir “Laudate!”. The repertoire of this choir is primarily classical music. Singers increase their singing skills and gain more knowledge about music while enjoying learning and performing choral music. The choir participated in a choral workshop under the direction of John Tuttle. In 2007 the choir performed Stainer’s Crucifixion in Kerrisdale Presbyterian Church in Vancouver BC as well as in the Emmanuel FRC in Abbotsford BC, and in 2009 and 2016 this work was performed in the Canadian Reformed Church in Langley. The choir performed the oratorio Creation (Johan Bredewout) in 2014 and 2015. In the spring of 2014 Frank worked with a project Male Choir. In the Reformation year 2017 the choir performed the Reformation Cantata by Jorrit Woudt.
Biographical information from http://www.frankezinga.com/
Expanding the Possibilities of Organ Repertoire: Transcription, improvisation, jazz and non-classical music.
Presented thanks to the RCCO Travelling Clinician programme, with the help of the Canadian International Organ Competition.
A one hour, three part workshop, with musical illustrations by Jean-Willy Kunz and volunteer audience participation in the last section.
Part 1: An overview of organ transcriptions
Part 2: Ways to use the organ in non-classical and jazz repertoire
Part 3: Ideas for improvisation, and its role, both in concert and in worship services.
The French-born Canadian organist Jean-Willy Kunz,studied with Louis Robilliard and Mireille Lagacé, as well as at McGill University, where he earned a doctorate with John Grew. He has been a prize-winner at a number of organ competitions, including the Canadian International Organ Competition, where in 2011 he won third prize and the Richard-Bradshaw Audience Prize. He also has an MBA from HEC Montréal.
Since 2013, Jean-Willy Kunz has been the Montreal Symphony Orchestra’s first organist in residence. In addition to playing both with the orchestra and in concert, he is responsible for the development and showcasing of the orchestra’s Grand Orgue Pierre-Béique, the new four manual Casavant organ installed in their home venue, Maison symphonique de Montréal.
Recent performances include with the Montreal, Quebec and Toronto Symphony Orchestras, the Cirque du Soleil, Branford Marsalis, the Violons du Roy, and Martha and Rufus Wainwright.
His discography includes many recordings which reflect the broad range of his musical influences: organ and orchestra with the OSM; “André Gagnon Baroque” for harpsichord and symphony orchestra; traditional music of the Balkans for saxophones and organ; two masses by Théodore Dubois for choir and organ; 20th-century French music for harpsichord, flute and clarinet; an album with Quebec singer songwriter Pierre Lapointe; Baroque music with Ensemble Caprice; Christmas music with Marie-Josée Lord; the original score for a number of short films. He has co-written a book on German organist Helmut Walcha (Do Bentzinger, 2004) as well as an article titled “L’orgue et le regard de l’écoute” (Presses de l’Université de Montréal, 2014).
In September 2015, Jean-Willy Kunz was appointed organ professor at the Montreal Conservatory of Music. He currently lives in Montreal, Quebec.
A co-production by Holy Rosary Cathedral and the Royal Canadian College of Organists Travelling Clinician Programme, with the help of the Canadian International Organ Competition.
Programme
Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750), Concerto in d minor BWV 596 (from Vivaldi)
Claude Debussy (1862-1918), Deuxième Arabesque (trans. Léon Roques)
Maxime Goulet (b. 1980), Citius, altius, fortius !
Jean-Willy Kunz (b. 1980), Improvisation
Camille Saint-Saëns (1835-1921), The Carnival of the Animals
Introduction
Royal March of the Lion
Hens and Roosters
Wild Donkeys Swift Animals
Tortoises
The Elephant
Kangaroos
Aquarium
Characters with Long Ears
The Cuckoo in the Depths of the Woods
Aviary
Pianists (Organists)
Fossils
The Swan
Finale
Prize winner in a number of competitions including the Grand Prix de Chartres and the Canadian International Organ Competition, Jean-Willy Kunz is an exciting and eclectic artist, whose career includes recent performances with the Montreal, Quebec and Toronto Symphony Orchestras, the Cirque du Soleil, Branford Marsalis, the Violons du Roy, and Martha and Rufus Wainwright. As the the Montreal Symphony Orchestra’s first organist in residence, he performs both with the orchestra and in concert, and is responsible for the development and showcasing of the Symphony’s new four manual Casavant organ in their home venue: Maison symphonique de Montreal. He is also organ professor at the Montreal Conservatory of Music and artistic director of the Canadian International Organ Competition.
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Unfortunately this concert has been cancelled, due to the probable upcoming full bus strike on November 27, 28 and 29. Too many members of the four choirs scheduled to perform depend on public transport and wouldn’t be able to be present.