Echo Editor

Annabelle Chvostek

by

Annabelle Chvostek is a Juno-nominated singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist whose musical achievements range from folk to jazz to indie-pop. She has composed music for dance and film, arranged and conducted choral performances, and was once a member of The Wailin’ Jennys. 

Annabelle has been a guest artist at Echo’s Winter 2013, Earth Hour 2015, and Fall 2016 concerts, and provided passionate and creative leadership as our ongoing artist-in-residence from 2016 to 2018. She led our singing of MILCK’s “I Can’t Keep Quiet” at City Hall as part of the global women’s #Can’tKeepQuiet passionate refusal to remain silent in the face of oppression. She led us in a vigorous singing of the Canadian classic “Barrett’s Privateers” in 2015, and has continued to share her gifts as a guest performer in Echo’s fundraising events, and to participate in our Pandemica online performances.

Songs by Annabelle that Echo has performed include “Apocalypse Lullaby,” “All Have Some,” “Black Hole,” “Firewalker,” and “I’ll be your Refuge,” which was written for Echo.  Visit Annabelle’s website for more information, including links to singles “Walls” and  “Belleville Rendez-vous”  from her March 2021 album String of Pearls.

Tahirih Vejdani

by
Tahirih Vejdani, Toronto singer and actor

Tahirih Vejdani was the Assistant Artistic Director and Conductor with Echo Women’s Choir for the 2019/2020 season. She brought us an abundance of skill, experience, enthusiasm, and new music, and we thoroughly enjoyed working with her.

Tahirih is an actor, singer, music educator, choir conductor, and composer. She holds a Bachelor of Music from the University of Regina with a double major in Vocal Performance and Music History.

As a conductor and music educator, she conducts the Regent Park School of Music choirs in Regent Park and Jane and Finch, and has led the Nai Childrens Choir, Toronto World Unity Choir, Florivox Women’s Choir and Univox Choir. Over the years, Tahirih has sung professionally with The Nathaniel Dett Chorale, Elmer Iseler Singers, Sing! Festival Singers, the Black Creek Festival Chorus, and is a resident musician at First Unitarian. Tahirih teaches an ensemble singing course at the Center for Indigenous Theatre and is also a private voice teacher.

When she is not teaching or leading choirs, Tahirih works as an actor having performed at various theatres across Canada including the Stratford Shakespeare Festival, The Globe Theatre, Shakespeare in the Ruff, Factory Theatre, Tarragon Theatre, and Driftwood Theatre. Her current creative ventures have led her to playing the mandolin and merlin.

Echo Spring Bulb Fundraiser! Florissa Flowers. Thank You!

by
Echo Spring Fundraiser, Florissa Flowers

Greetings Gardeners! 
Arrangements have been made for pick ups. Please contact us if you did not receive your order.
Thank you for supporting Echo:) [email protected]
 www.echochoir.ca

Choral Music Workshop with Aviva Chernick

We were delighted to welcome Aviva Chernick for a workshop focusing on Sephardic music,
including pieces learned in her recent apprenticeship with legendary musician Flory Jagoda
April 13, 7-8:30pm on Zoom.

Echo Spring Session 3 complete.
We’ll take a break over summer and begin anew in the fall,
early September. You are welcome to join us then!

 
Sessions are generally 5 weeks in duration, every Tuesday night 7-8:30pm on Zoom.
Rehearsal features lots fo singing, sectional and social breakouts. Each session includes a
special guest artist workshop open to all and a virtual recording of our favourite song! 
Sessions – $40. (includes workshop) To make singing accessible for all we have kept fees
reasonable. Echo has a sliding scale policy up and down. Like most non-profit arts organizations
we are struggling and doing our best during these Pandemic times.
We encourage you to pay what you can.

 ☀ 🔘 💗

Let Anne know if you’d like to join us. 
We look forward to hearing from you! 
[email protected]

What have we been up to?

Echo celebrated the completion of it’s Fall Session Mini-Series with a robust sing-along and outdoor carolling!
We are greatly enjoying the spring sessions in progress on Zoom for our Spring Mini-Session Series featuring fabulous workshops, sectionals, social time and virtual recordings. We’ve just finished Better Times Will Come by Janis Ian, Echo’s 6th Pandemica, 2nd Wave Singers video! Echo is learning new ways to do what we love to do, on-line, which is to sing together in community.

Also for your listening and viewing pleasure: The Echo Pandemica Singers presents: New: Holding You in the Light
Hope, Do Not Carry a Heavy Heart, Big Sky, Bird Song and Fount and Better Times Will Come.
Have a look and listen! You can also see these on our YouTube channel.

Donations
Singing together is what we do best! Echo like most non-profit arts organizations is struggling during these challenging Pandemic times but still maintain our sliding scale policy to allow inclusivity for all members.
If you would like to support Echo with a monthly or one time donation: Echo Canada Helps

Let Anne know if you have any questions: [email protected]