In 1980 a group of Choral music lovers decided that Guelph needed a new choir dedicated to singing the finest works of the repertoire with skill and musical sensitivity. Our first performance on December 7, 1980 featured twenty-six singers in front of an audience of nearly two hundred at Harcourt Memorial United Church. Conductor Gerald Neufeld has lead the choir for all but two years of its history when Katherine Laurin ably took the baton.
Over the years our ranks have swelled and our talents deepened. Now at forty voices strong we still hold close to the ideals of chamber singing: lightness and clarity of tone, subtle blending of developed voices, and clear communication of the meaning and spirit of both text and music.
Singers in the Guelph Chamber Choir represent various walks of life; their common bond is to foster community enjoyment and appreciation of choral music through performances, outreach, artistic collaboration, and community partnerships.
We remain an integral part of the strong musical heritage of Guelph. Our performances include repertoire from Renaissance masters to contemporary composers, from classical styles to Broadway and vocal jazz, and from unaccompanied choral gems to masterworks with full orchestra.
We often collaborate with other choirs from across Canada and within our own community. We have participated in festivals throughout Ontario and have toured Great Britain, Ireland, Germany and Sweden. Our success has been recognized through a number of broadcasts on national radio and prizes in the CBC National Competition for Amateur Choirs.
Dr. Gerald Neufeld, Conductor
Gerald Neufeld has been conductor of the Guelph Chamber Choir since its founding. He holds the degree of Doctor of Musical Arts from the University of Iowa and is presently a professor in the Don Wright Faculty of Music, University of Western Ontario, where he conducts choirs and teaches choral conducting. Previously, he taught in the music department of the University of Guelph and conducted the University of Guelph choir with which he toured in Europe on two occasions. Under his direction, the Guelph Chamber Choir, the University of Guelph choir and the Faculty of Music Singers from the University of Western Ontario have all won prizes in the CBC National Competition for Amateur Choirs.
Gerald Neufeld is a previous winner of the Leslie Bell Competition for Choral Conductors. He has served on juries for the Canadian recording industry’s Juno Awards and the Leslie Bell Competition. He is active as a choral clinician, and lecturer on topics of special interest in the choral field.
Board of Directors
President
Steve Pierce
Secretary
Janice Coles
Members of the Board
Ken Carey
Barbara Friend
Sarah Lowe
Terry McDonald
Auditions
The Guelph Chamber Choir is an auditioned choir of 35 to 40 singers, most of whom have vocal training and extensive choral experience. Candidates requesting an audition are required to sing an art song, perform given vocal exercises, and read an unaccompanied passage of music of medium difficulty. To request an audition, please call 519-836-5103 or email info@guelphchamberchoir.ca.