Media/Press
Alberta Vocal Arts welcoming community choir singers into its latest opera
Kevin Fleming - CTV Calgary
Alberta Vocal Arts’ latest production is Cavalleria Rusticana, and it’s the largest production to date for the company.
To bolster its numbers for the one-act Italian opera, it put the call out to community choir singers, and 30 have signed up to share the stage with the professionals.
“The score itself lends to community,” said Kathleen Morrison, Alberta Vocal Arts founder, and artistic and executive director.
“It’s about a rural town; you need people in the town, you need the drama, and for us to grow this way and bring all these different elements in such a short opera is a really palatable way to have more growth.”
“I’m so proud of our team and of everyone that’s involved in this production. We taught them the language, which is Italian; we taught them the music. We’re putting it all together and our chorus members have been really fantastic leaders in guiding the community members.”
hey all end up happily ever after.”
Alberta Vocal Arts hosting it's New Year tradition operetta, Johann Strauss's Die Fledermaus
Kevin Fleming - CTV Calgary
It's difficult to start a holiday tradition, but nonetheless, that’s exactly what Alberta Vocal Arts has been trying to do for the past three years.
For the third year in a row all the same performers are back for Alberta Vocal Arts’ annual production of Die Fledermaus written by Johann Strauss.
Artistic and executive director Kathleen Morrison says the operetta changes slightly each year to keep it fresh for Calgary audiences.
“It’s kind of like a musical but for opera so there’s spoken dialogue in English and our sung pieces are in German,” she said.
“Basically, it’s the story of Eisenstein and his wife,” she added. “He’s going to jail, her lover’s arriving, everyone’s getting a lighthearted revenge -- they all end up at a party, they drink too much champagne and they all end up happily ever after.”
Alberta Vocal Arts presents
'Die Fledermaus' in weekend performances
CTV's Kevin Fleming features 'Die Fledermaus in Concert'
This is the second year that Alberta Vocal Arts will present Die Fledermaus, an operetta written by Johann Strauss II.
Artistic and executive director Kathleen Morrison says they're hoping to make a presentation of the operetta an annual tradition.
"In Germany, it is the New Year's tradition," said Morrison. "It's in line with The Nutcracker and The Christmas Carol, and I always loved that you knew what the story was, you knew what you were going to see and it's so much fun on stage that we need that in January in Calgary."
'Lift the entire community':
Alberta Vocal Arts is a new non-profit giving classical singers a venue for their voice
CTV's Kevin Fleming introduces Alberta Vocal Arts to the community.
"Alberta Vocal Arts' mission is to promote and celebrate the classical vocal arts in the province, including opera, operetta, art song or German lieder.
Kathleen Morrison, a performer and artistic and executive director of the organization, says it promotes anything to do with the classical voice."
'New Alberta Vocal Arts society opens inaugural mini season'
Alberta Vocal Arts is bringing its first show to the Polaris Centre for the Performing Arts east of Balzac on Oct. 28 with hopes to break barriers between the operatic artform and everyday Albertans.
“The opera world and the classical vocal world is sometimes seen as out of touch or not being able to connect with modern audiences,” said Kathleen Morrison, the founder, and artistic and executive director of Alberta Vocal Arts, a new non-profit organization focusing on classical vocal arts in Alberta.