Toronto Mendelssohn Choir
The Toronto Mendelssohn Choir is a Canadian large vocal ensemble based in Toronto.
The Choir was co-founded in 1894 by Augustus S. Vogt and W. H. Hewlett. The ensemble was originally an extension of the choir of Jarvis St. Baptist Church in Toronto which Vogt directed and Hewlett accompanied. The choir is named after composer Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy.
The Choir has 150 voices, including a professional core of 20 singers along with auditioned amateur singers. The chamber sized 70-voice Mendelssohn Singers is formed from the Choir.
The Choir performs secular and sacred choral masterpieces in its own annual concert series, as well as regular performances with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra. The Choir has toured in the United States and Europe including Carnegie Hall, Royal Albert Hall, Notre Dame Cathedral, the Kennedy Center and major venues in Vienna, Salzburg and Prague. In January 2010, the Choir travelled to Vancouver to perform in the 2010 Cultural Olympiad.
The Toronto Mendelssohn Choir's outreach programs include Singsation Saturday Choral Workshops for singers and an annual Choral Conductors' Symposium for emerging conductors.
Recordings
Since 1926, the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir has made or been featured in 20 recordings, the most popular being Handel’s Messiah with Kathleen Battle, Florence Quivar, John Aler, Samuel Ramey and the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, under the direction of Sir Andrew Davis (1987). The Choir has appeared on movie soundtracks including the award-winning 1993 soundtrack to Schindler's List (uncredited) under the direction of conductor/composer John Williams. Recent recordings under conductor Noel Edison include Berlioz Requiem (1998/Naxos) and A Festival of Carols (2006).
Conductors
- [Augustus Vogt (1894 to 1917)
- Herbert A. Fricker (1917 to 1942)
- [[Sir Ernest MacMillan] (1942 to 1957)]
- Frederick Silvester (1957 to 1960)
- [[Walter Susskind] (1960 to 1964)]
- [[Elmer Iseler] 1964 to 1997)]
- Noel Edison (current, 1997 to present [Dec. 10, 2014])