Anne Stanley

Join us! Echo Spring Season Starts on Jan. 9, 2024

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Our next (Spring)season begins on January 9, 2024
at Church of the Holy Trinity Map
19 Trinity Square, Toronto (next to the Eaton Centre,
fully accessible, S-E door)

Now in our 32nd year, Echo is a community choir open to all women who can make the rehearsal commitment. Echo loves singing folk music from around the world, celebrating all the cultural traditions that are alive and vibrant in our city. We are social-justice oriented, audition-free, and anyone can join!

Rehearsals will be in-person on Tuesdays and the occasional Saturday.
We’ll have a workshop, open rehearsal, orientation for new members, sectionals, break-end singing and more!

Season Fees are $200. (Jan. 9 – May 5 Spring Concert) 
We strive to make singing accessible for everyone.
Echo has a sliding scale policy. 

Contact Anne know if you’re interested in joining.
 [email protected]

Thank you to our Ad Sponsors! Echo Winter Concert Dec. 3, 2023

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Thank you to our Ad Sponsors! Echo Winter Concert Dec. 3, 2023. Love is the Greatest Gift with Special Guest Andrew Craig

MATTACHIONI
Italian Restaurant & Grocery Locations: WEST 1617 Dupont St. Toronto
416-519-1010 & EAST 1501 Gerrard St. E. Toronto 416-466-1111

BLOOR AVENUE CHIROPRACTIC
Dr. Lynette Nissen Locations: 1033 Bay Street #314 Toronto &
2306A Bloor Street W. Toronto 416-920-2468

HARBORD BAKERY & Calandria
115 Harbord Street, Toronto
416-922-5767

Echo Winter Concert, Love is the Greatest Gift

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Thank you for a great concert!
Sunday, December 3, 2023 7:30- 9:30pm
19 Trinity Square, Toronto, beside the Eaton Centre, Accessible MAP

Join us for our Winter Concert, Love is the Greatest Gift, with Special Guest Andrew Craig
part of the ECHO!! Revived, Canada Council project.
Artistic Director: Alan Gasser
Assistant Conductor: Katie White

Echo acknowledges the generous support of the Toronto Arts Council & Canada Council for the Arts

Echo Winter Concert ‘Love is the Greatest Gift’

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Sunday, December 3, 7:30pm at Holy Trinity
With Special Guest Andrew Craig. What a great concert!
Thank you everyone!

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Echo Chocolate Fall Fundraiser 2023, Peace by Chocolate

Thank you for supporting Echo!
We’ll let you know when your order can be picked up at the East and West end Toronto locations in traditional Echo style! We are still awaiting delivery. Cathy will let you know:)

Interested in Joining Echo?

Our next (Spring)season begins on January 9, 2024
at Church of the Holy Trinity Map
19 Trinity Square, Toronto (next to the Eaton Centre,
fully accessible, S-E door)

Now in our 32nd year, Echo is a community choir open to all women who can make the rehearsal commitment. Echo loves singing folk music from around the world, celebrating all the cultural traditions that are alive and vibrant in our city. We are social-justice oriented, audition-free, and anyone can join!

Rehearsals will be in-person on Tuesdays and the occasional Saturday.
We’ll have a workshop, open rehearsal, orientation for new members, sectionals, break-end singing and more!

Season Fees are $200. (Jan. 9 – May 5 Spring Concert) 
We strive to make singing accessible for everyone.
Echo has a sliding scale policy. 

Contact Anne know if you’re interested in joining.
 [email protected]

Echo Chocolate Fall Fundraiser 2023, Peace by Chocolate

by

Thank you for supporting Echo!
We’ll let you know when your order can be picked up at the East and West end Toronto locations in traditional Echo style! The chocolate has not arrived yet, but we’re hoping soon.

Echo is proud to be partnering once again with Peace by Chocolate, a company founded by a Syrian family, whose chocolate business in their homeland was destroyed by war. When they settled in Antigonish, Nova Scotia as refugees they rebuilt their chocolate company and founded Peace by Chocolate in 2016. The company supports a range of non profit organizations and 3 – 5% of all company returns is now donated to the Peace on Earth Society, an organization registered in 2018 in Nova Scotia that contributes to peace building projects around the world. This fundraiser will be supporting Echo as well as Peace by Chocolate peace initiatives. Echo receives 20% of the profit!

Bongani Magatyana Community Weekend Workshop with South African choirleader & composer (Oct 27-29) & Tues. Oct.24

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Echo is sponsoring a very special workshop with renowned choirleader and composer Bongani Magatyana who is coming to Canada in October. Echo Choir has grabbed the opportunity to offer special public workshops with him, open to adults and teens of all voices and genders.

Renowned choirleader and composer Bongani Magatyana is coming to Canada in October, and the Echo Choir has grabbed the opportunity to offer a special public workshop with him, open to adults and teens of all voices and genders.

Mr Magatyana is a regular teacher with Village Harmony in the US. He leads choirs at home in Cape Town, and his beautiful and intricate choral pieces have been commissioned and sung by groups around the world, including Harvard University’s choirs.This workshop will feature songs in English and Xhosa, with beautiful harmonies in South African traditions.

The weekend workshop Oct. 27-29 event will take place at the Church of the Holy Trinity (beside the Eaton Centre, S-E Door) MAP
Holy Trinity is a fully accessible space, with accessible washrooms.

Specific times are 7PM-9PM on Friday Oct 27, 10AM-4PM on Sat Oct 28, and 1PM-4PM on Sun Oct 29. Tea/coffee will be provided on Saturday and Sunday. (Note that meals are otherwise not provided, nor is accommodation.)
Cost is $100 per person. Register below:

Register online here.

If you have questions, contact Rachel Bokhout ([email protected]), who is organizing this event.
We hope that you can join us for this special weekend. facebook event page

Tuesday, Oct. 24, 7-9pm at Holy Trinity
Echo will also be hosting an open workshop with Bongani as part of our regular rehearsal plan.
For or those of you who cannot make the weekend workshops. Everyone is welcome!
Contact Anne if you’d like to join us: [email protected]
PWYC suggested $15. cash in hat or by e-trans.

Andrew Craig Workshop, Sat. Sept. 30, 10am-12:30pm

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Join Echo for a workshop with Andrew Craig. at the Church of the Holy Trinity, 19 Trinity Square, Toronto
by the Eaton Centre, Accessible, S-E Door MAP
All are welcome. This workshop is geared toward treble voices, free to Echo Members,
Guests PWYC suggested $15. cash in hat style or e-transfer (see below).

Andrew is the final guest artist to be featured in ECHO!! Revived, our eighteen month-long digital project funded by a grant from the Canada Council for the Arts. Echo is very excited to host Andrew, a talented and versatile musician—singer, instrumentalist, composer and arranger, teacher—to name a few of his many creative activities. He has directed the music for Harbourfront’s tribute to Quincy Jones, performed twice for Nelson Mandela, and contributed to the public tribute for the late Oscar Peterson in 2008.

In 2013, Andrew founded Culchahworks Arts Collective, a Toronto-based arts organization that celebrates figures and events from African-Canadian, Caribbean-Canadian and African-American  cultural legacies. Dr. Martin Luther King, Bob Marley and Harry Belafonte have received large-scale tributes. Through Culchahworks, and in partnership with the Toronto District School Board, Andrew created the Warriors’ Chorus choir, as a way for young people of colour, who face unique challenges, to reclaim their heritage.

Andrew will be our Special Guest Artist at the Echo Dec. 3 Winter Concert, 7:30pm at Holy Trinity.

*e-transfer payment to  [email protected]
Question: What makes us happy? Answer: singing

Andrew Craig Fall 2023 Season

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This fall 2023 we are looking forward to workshops and winter concert with special guest artist Andrew Craig.

Andrew is the final guest artist to be featured in ECHO!! Revived, our eighteen month-long digital project funded by a grant from the Canada Council for the Arts. Echo is very excited to host Andrew, a talented and versatile musician—singer, instrumentalist, composer and arranger, teacher—to name a few of his many creative activities. He has directed the music for Harbourfront’s tribute to Quincy Jones, performed twice for Nelson Mandela, and contributed to the public tribute for the late Oscar Peterson in 2008.

In 2013, Andrew founded Culchahworks Arts Collective, a Toronto-based arts organization that celebrates figures and events from African-Canadian, Caribbean-Canadian and African-American  cultural legacies. Dr. Martin Luther King, Bob Marley and Harry Belafonte have received large-scale tributes. Through Culchahworks, and in partnership with the Toronto District School Board, Andrew created the Warriors’ Chorus choir, as a way for young people of colour, who face unique challenges, to reclaim their heritage.

Andrew will be conducting a workshop with Echo on Saturday, September 30 and will perform in Echo’s winter concert on Sunday, December 3. Echo will produce a high quality concert recording.

We are very grateful to the Canada Council for the Arts Digital Now grant, which made possible the ECHO!! Revived workshops and the filming of this concert.

photo: Kenneth Chou

Myra Percy

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Second Alto

 Myra recently returned to her hometown of Toronto after 30 years in Vancouver BC. A Registered Nurse since 1987, with a Master of Science Degree from U of T, her specialty was managing programs for internationally educated nurses in their transitions to work in Canada. In June 2021, burnout took its toll and she embarked on an extended period of time away from work. To aid in her recuperation, she ramped up her guitar lessons, began writing songs, took up square dancing, enrolled in both the Mental Health Nursing and Grief Studies Certificates, and joined Echo. 

Myra has three adult children who are the loves of her life. 

What are some of your earliest musical memories? 

My dad played polkas and waltzes on the button accordion. We used to have dance parties in our basement. My mother always played gospel music. 

What kinds of music do you enjoy currently? 

Eric Clapton, the Ramones, instrumental jazz, old time gospel and country music. 

What kinds of musical experiences did you have before joining ECHO? 

I sang in a choir throughout high school and played clarinet in the school band. After university, I joined The Mozart Choir. When my children were young I played the violin alongside my son and daughter as they took Suzuki lessons. For a short while I also played the flute. I have also sung solos, duets, and folk music in small groups at Irish dancing events. During Covid I started online guitar lessons and currently I have face to face lessons with a great teacher who can play anything. My repertoire is up to twenty songs and now I am composing my own music. 

What brought you to ECHO? 

In 2022 I decided that joining a choir would help me to heal from a traumatic family death. When I googled choirs in the downtown area, ECHO came up. It was the perfect solution. I could take the subway to get to practices and there was no audition. I found it a bit difficult to sing when I first joined in Sept 2022, but as my heart healed, so did my spirit and my ability to open myself up to feeling the music. 

Did working with internationally educated nurses affect your taste in music? 

Not specifically but it helped to open my mind to what is out there. I always asked students about their favorite songs. One thing I really enjoy is the diversity of music we sing at ECHO. I really like singing other languages. 

What is it like being a second soprano? 

Being a second soprano means a fair bit of droning. I love it as I get to work on my breathing and support the other parts of the choir. It’s beautiful. Second sopranos are a supportive group. We lean into each other for help. 

What would you say to prospective members? 

Give it a shot. Find your section and you will be welcomed quickly and warmly. When I go home I feel a great sense of accomplishment. After much preparation it feels great to perform at a concert. Join us and you won’t regret it. 

Bongani Magatyana Community Weekend Workshop with South African choirleader & composer (Oct 27-29)

by

Echo is sponsoring a very special workshop with renowned choirleader and composer Bongani Magatyana who is coming to Canada in October. Echo Choir has grabbed the opportunity to offer special public workshops with him, open to adults and teens of all voices and genders.

Mr Magatyana is a regular teacher with Village Harmony in the US. He leads choirs at home in Cape Town, and his beautiful and intricate choral pieces have been commissioned and sung by groups around the world, including Harvard University’s choirs. The workshop will feature songs in English and Xhosa, with beautiful harmonies in South African traditions.

The weekend workshop Oct. 27-29 event will take place at the Church of the Holy Trinity (beside the Eaton Centre, S-E Door) MAP
Holy Trinity is a fully accessible space, with accessible washrooms.

Specific times are 7PM-9PM on Friday Oct 27, 10AM-4PM on Sat Oct 28, and 1PM-4PM on Sun Oct 29. Tea/coffee will be provided on Saturday and Sunday. (Note that meals are otherwise not provided, nor is accommodation.)
Cost is $100 per person. Register below:

Register online here.
If you have questions, contact Rachel Bokhout ([email protected]), who is organizing this event.
We hope that you can join us for this special weekend. facebook event page

_________________________________________

Echo Chocolate Fall Fundraiser 2023, Peace by Chocolate

Echo is proud to be partnering once again with Peace by Chocolate, a company founded by a Syrian family, whose chocolate business in their homeland was destroyed by war. When they settled in Antigonish, Nova Scotia as refugees they rebuilt their chocolate company and founded Peace by Chocolate in 2016. The company supports a range of non profit organizations and 3 – 5% of all company returns is now donated to the Peace on Earth Society, an organization registered in 2018 in Nova Scotia that contributes to peace building projects around the world. This fundraiser will be supporting Echo as well as Peace by Chocolate peace initiatives.

There are 5 selections available.
Please place your orders by November 12 using this link below:

Order Form

We’ll let you know when your order can be picked up at the East and West end Toronto locations in traditional Echo style! Or at the Concert dress rehearsal Dec. 1 (Echo Members only) Date tba.
Thank you for supporting Echo!

__________________________________

Interested in Joining Echo?

Our next (Spring)season begins on January 9, 2024
at Church of the Holy Trinity Map
19 Trinity Square, Toronto (next to the Eaton Centre,
fully accessible, S-E door)

Now in our 32nd year, Echo is a community choir open to all women who can make the rehearsal commitment.
Echo loves singing folk music from around the world, celebrating all the cultural traditions that are alive and vibrant in our city.
We are social-justice oriented, audition-free, and anyone can join!

Rehearsals will be in-person on Tuesdays and the occasional Saturday.
We’ll have a workshop, open rehearsal, orientation for new members, sectionals, break-end singing and more!

Season Fees are $200. (Jan. 9 – May Spring Concert) 
We strive to make singing accessible for everyone.
Echo has a sliding scale policy. 

Contact Anne know if you’re interested in joining. She will send you an invite closer to the date with more details
 [email protected]

You might want to join in on our above mentioned Bongani Magatyana workshops or come out to our
Winter Concert with Special Guest Andrew Craig, Sunday, Dec. 3, 7:30pm at Holy Trinity. Ticket details tba.

For more information about Echo visit: www.echochoir.ca 
Take a look at our new profiles page: Meet the Choir