MARITIME CONSERVATORY SCHOOL OF MUSIC
Seton Conservatory Choir
The Seton Conservatory Choir is one of the best mixed voice choirs in Nova Scotia. With its 30 year history and relatively small size this auditioned choir has achieved an excellent balance and blend of voices through a choral sound of high vocal quality. It is led by the Artistic Director and Coordinator of the Conservatory Choir Programme Garth MacPhee and supported by piano accompanist Dean Bradshaw.
The choir is performing a wide variety of music from classical to contemporary and regularly premieres new works by Canadian composers. In addition to its two concert programs per year, Seton performs for special events such as Festival 500, an international choral festival held in St. John’s, NL, and the 100-Year Memorial Concert commemorating the Titanic disaster. Past and future concerts are performed in November and May at the Maritime Conservatory of Performing Arts, where all rehearsals are held. All choir members are registered members of the Maritime Conservatory of Performing Arts.
In 2018 Seton initiated a Choral Scholar program which awards a free one-year membership in both the choir and the Maritime Conservatory of Performing Arts. Our first Choral Scholar was Ryan Harris. Choral Scholarships were recently awarded to Nick Leblanc and Andrew Pottie. Please contact us for more information.
Seton Conservatory Choir under the direction of Garth MacPhee with collaborative pianist Dean Bradshaw, is looking for experienced choristers with good vocal technique and sight singing skill. Rehearsals begin Wednesday, September 13, 7:00pm at the Maritime Conservatory. This year’s 40th anniversary repertoire will feature repertoire by female composers, along with an original composition by Fran Farrell.
Interested candidates are requested to contact Garth MacPhee at macpheegl@hotmail.com
All those with previous choral experience and some ability to read music are invited to audition for Seton. New members and old members absent for a year or more will be asked to attend a short audition. The membership is $250 plus $65 registration fee/year.
Artistic Director Garth MacPhee is a native Nova Scotian and a graduate of Church Music at McGill University (MMus, 2006), where he studied organ with John Grew and Dr. William Porter. He brings over 25 years of experience as a professional church musician. Among his several appointments, he served as Music Director at St. George’s Round Church in Halifax, NS, 1997-2000; at St. John the Divine in Victoria, BC; at St. John the Evangelist in Montreal, PQ, 2004-2011; and at Temple Emanu-El Beth Shalom, also in Montreal, 2007-2011. While in Montreal, he studied choral conducting with Michael Zaugg and voice with the late Jan Simons. Garth returned to St. George’s in 2011. In addition to his liturgical work there, including the training of the adult and children’s choirs, he is the music coordinator for St George’s YouthNet, which offers after-school programs to inner-city youth. Garth is the musician in residence for the Anglican Formation Programme at the Atlantic School of Theology, playing for the weekly Eucharist and giving private voice lessons to Anglican postulants. He is an experienced pianist and harpsichord player and is in demand as an accompanist and choral tenor. Garth came to Seton at the beginning of the 2014-15 season.
Piano Accompanist Dean Bradshaw received his musical training at the University of Toronto where his teachers included Jane Coop (piano) and Oscar Morawetz (composition). After graduation he joined the staff of the National Ballet of Canada. He taught piano and theory at the Maritime Conservatory of Performing Arts and is currently an accompanist and keyboard harmony instructor at Dalhousie University. He is organist and choir director at St. James United Church in Dartmouth. He has given solo recitals, played vocal and chamber music concerts and given concerto performances. Dean has been piano accompanist with Seton since the 2010-2011 season.
Call For Choral Scholars