Introduction

St. Barnabas maintains a high quality of worship and music and the choir plays a central role in offering dignified service to God. Week after week, the choir, supported by the fine Casavant organ, sings the praise of God from the “west” gallery of the church, which allows for a remarkable musical presence. Under the direction of highly respected organist and choirmaster, Wesley R. Warren, the choir presents a diverse range of sacred music. Within the Anglo-Catholic tradition of plainsong (normally sung in English, but occasionally in Latin), the church's repertoire continues to represent a wide cross- section of traditional music from Renaissance polyphony (mass and motet settings by Palestrina, Victoria, Byrd, Lassus, etc.) to contemporary compositions (Willan, Howells, Rutter, Daley, etc.).

The Choir

The choir at St. Barnabas is comprised of a core of highly skilled volunteers, augmented by Choral Scholars who sing at Solemn High Mass (10:30am) and Solemn Evensong and Benediction (7:00pm, the third Sunday of the month, September-June). This group of 22 singers rehearses on Thursday evenings (7:00-8:45pm) and an hour before services (9:30am on Sunday morning, 5:45pm for Evensong). Each Sunday they sing a setting of the mass, an offertory or ablutions motet, music at communion, plainsong propers, a gradual psalm, and several hymns. Special liturgies throughout the year include: the Advent Procession with Carols, Tenebrae during Holy Week, the Easter Carol Service, All Souls Day Requiem, etc. A CD of The Office of Tenebrae, recorded in 2003, is available for sale from the parish office (price: $15.00). The music program at St. Barnabas is affiliated with the Royal School of Church Music, U.K. (RSCM) and the choir is a member of Choirs Ontario. Financial assistance with voice lessons is available for choir members upon application.

The choir was honoured to win first prize in the 2010 National Competition for Amateur Choirs, co-sponsored by the Association of Canadian Choral Communities (ACCC) and CBC/Radio Canada, in the Church Choir category. They were broadcast on CBC Radio and on Espace Musique. Judges for the competition were: Wayne Riddell, Ivars Taurins, Dianne Loomer, Jean Ashworth-Bartle and Leonard Ratzlaff. They praised the choir for their “exquisite phrasing and exceptional musical taste”.

A limited number of spaces become available, from time to time, for extra choristers and we are always interested in hearing from prospective singers who enjoy singing this repertoire. Good sight-reading skills and the ability to blend with other voices are essential.

All 22 positions in the choir are taken at present.

For further information or to arrange an audition, please contact: Wesley R. Warren at wwwarren@sympatico.ca

Organist and Choirmaster

Wesley R. Warren, M Mus (Michigan), FRCO (CHM), ARCT

613-726-6341 or 613-232-6992.  For a brief biography of our organist please click here

For more information on the Choral Scholars programme click here

For more information on the Winter/Spring music programme click here

For links to hear the choir please click here

For a link to the music that choir submitted for the National Competition for Amateur Choirs click here

Information on the Organ please click here

For updates and choir news via Twitter, please click here

St. Barnabas Choral Foundation

The St. Barnabas Choral Foundation (previously the Special Music Fund) provides the financial resources for projects under the auspices of the Music Programme not covered by the regular budget, established at Vestry. Anyone can contribute to the foundation using their regular offering envelopes or a Visitor's envelope and thereby receive a tax receipt (issued only for contributions of $20 or more) at the end of the year; just mark clearly on your offering envelope and/or cheque: “St. Barnabas Choral Foundation” and the credit will be applied correctly. The foundation has financed numerous projects over the years for the Music Programme, including: cleaning/revoicing of the organ, choir chairs for the “west” gallery, music for the choral library, hymn books for congregational use, a rehearsal piano for the choir, refurbishment of the tower room for a music office, etc. One main ongoing project which the foundation supports, is the Choral Scholarship programme (see above). Contributing to the “St. Barnabas Choral Foundation” will ensure a strong music programme at the church for many years to come.