The Concordia Concert Choir, under Dr. Joy Berg, is part of the academic program at Concordia University of Edmonton. This mixed choral ensemble is comprised of thirty to forty auditioned singers of university age from various disciplines and interests. Auditions and registration usually occur in the fall, but on occasion happen in the spring or summer.
The choir regularly performs on campus for concerts, chapel services, and special events, as well as in the Edmonton area. In addition, the Concert Choir has sung at professional music and education conferences as well as church-related conferences and gatherings, including the Alberta Music Conference, the Alberta Teachers' Association Conference, and the Lutheran Church–Canada national and regional conventions.
The choir also spends a significant amount of time on tour, singing in churches, schools or community venues. In April 2016, the choir toured Alberta and Saskatchewan. In addition to Canada-wide appearances, the choir has also performed in the United States, Germany, Scandinavia and England. In the spring of 2014 the Choir toured Brazil. See video here: Choir Brazil Video. The next international tour will coincide with the 500th anniversary of the Reformation, and will take place in France and Germany in spring 2017.
The literature of the choir includes a wide range of styles and genres that provide an opportunity for vocal growth, musical education, and spiritual nurturing for the choir. The focus has been on sacred a cappella music, from historical traditions to the present day. A variety of rhythmic, melodic, harmonic and timbral resources creates interesting and diverse programs. New works and compositions by Canadians are regularly included in the repertoire.
Highlights of the 2016-2017 Concert Season include:
- Sacred Music Festival "Build on a Rock": Sunday, October 30th at 3 pm (Winspear)
- Christmas Concert "Angels from Heaven Came": December 4th at 7:30pm (Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church)
- Spring Concert, Friday, April 29th at 7:30 pm (Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church)
To audition, please contact Dr. Joy Berg at joy.berg@concordia.ab.ca or at (780) 479-9368.