News

Echo Winter Concert,  Every Voice in Harmony

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with Special Guest Emma So Whitla

Join us Sunday, December 8, 7:30pm at Holy Trinity Church MAP 
19 Trinity Square (Dundas Subway, beside the Eaton Centre, main doors & accessible-south door) 

Tickets: $30 Adult, $20 Seniors, Children, PWYC 
Purchase here or cash at the door.

Echo Women’s Choir, invites you and your loved ones to a celebration of community through harmony.
We raise our voices in hope, to bring resilience to a troubled world.  
We’ll have refreshments and raffle baskets. Bring some cash!

Special Guest Emma So Whitla is a translator, performer, caregiver,
language lover, mender, and settler on the land known colonially as Toronto.
She works collaboratively, especially in community striving toward right relations
with the land and each other. Emma speaks and writes with high proficiency in Spanish and English.
She’s worked with Northern Harmony, Danza Espiral, Free Flow Dance Theatre, Máchari, Guetcha Guaritcha,
Confluence Concerts, and has taught and performed internationally. She sings with vocal quartet Harmonious
Accord, and loves to craft and contribute to the Gift Economy.
For more about her see emmaso.ca

Photo: Alkan Emin

Echo, Peace by Chocolate, Fall Fundraiser 2024

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Thank you for supporting Echo!

Echo, Peace by Chocolate Fall Fundraiser 2024, Thank you for your support! Orders are now closed. We’ll let you know when they’re ready for pick up in early December and the East and West End locations.

Hello Echo Friends, Echo is proud to be partnering 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, including wildfire relief in Canada. 
This fundraiser will be supporting Echo as well as Peace by Chocolate peace initiatives.  
Echo makes 15-20% profit!

Becca Whitla Workshop. Sing! Sing! Sing!

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Echo Conductor Emerita Becca Whitla returns to Echo to lead a Workshop.
Saturday, Oct. 5,10am-12:30pm
at Holy Trinity Church MAP  
10 Trinity Square (Dundas Subway, beside the Eaton Centre accessible)
Tickets: $20.  Purchase here or PWYC (cash in hat at workshop)

All are welcome to join Becca and the choir as she shares some of her favourite songs and introduces a couple of new beauties. And we’ll have tea & snacks!

 Becca Whitla is the professor of practical ministry and the Dr. Lydia E. Gruchy Chair in Pastoral Theology at St. Andrew’s College in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan where she teaches worship and liturgy, preaching, religious education, and practical theology. 

Her book Liberation, (De)Coloniality, and Liturgical Practices: Flipping the Song Bird was released in December, 2020 (Palgrave McMillan). From her White Euro-Canadian settler perspective, she examines ways to decolonize liturgical practices, especially community singing. 

She worked in Toronto for many years as a music director in both Anglican and United Churches (Church of the Holy Trinity, and Trinity St Paul’s United Church). She also co-directed Echo, a 70 voice women’s choir, and worked in the trade union movement developing leadership through choral singing.

Echo is a group of harmonizing women who love to sing, directed by
well-respected community music leaders Alan Gasser and Katie White.
Echo provides a strong, inclusive, mutually supportive community in the heart of Toronto for women who love to sing. The choir is committed to a unique and eclectic repertoire with a focus on social justice, musical excellence and passionate expression.  We collaborate frequently with musicians who enrich our repertoire with music from a range of genres and diverse cultures.
We have a spring and fall season. Contact Anne if you have any questions
or would like to join us: info.echo@gmail.com   
www.echochoir.ca  

david sereda! Join us for a day of singing!

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Saturday, March 23, 10am to 3pm
Church of the Holy Trinity, Toronto, beside the Eaton Centre
19 Trinity Square, Accessible MAP
Cost $30. Purchase ticket here with Zeffy or sliding scale cash at door.
Pot-luck lunch, bring something to share.

david will lead us through call and response as we learn inspiring traditional and new songs by ear, no music reading required.  From his original songs about our volatile time to Spirituals that carried Freedom Seekers along the Underground Railroad, this is music to move your hearts and minds. 
 
The workshop begins with a thorough warmup to wake up and tune in to our voices, breathing and bodies. Come and be part of a daylong community chorus – and feel the joy of connecting through music.  

david sereda is a singer-songwriter whose moving music has been heard in concerts and festivals across Canada. Whether a cappella, solo at the piano, or with his stellar ensemble, david’s joy of singing is irresistible. His unique songs draw from folk, gospel, soul, jazz and pop. His lyrics are rich in meaning and emotion. Originally from Edmonton, Alberta he now lives in Grey County,
Ontario near Georgian Bay. 
“david sereda’s range as a singer-songwriter is breathtaking.” 
(The Chronicle-Herald, Halifax, NS)

Questions? Please contact Anne: info.echo@gmail.com
www.echochoir.ca

Echo Spring Fundraiser, Feb. 22 with Turkwaz

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Echo Spring Fundraiser
Thursday, February 22, 7-10pm, 2024
Tranzac Club, 292 Brunswick Ave. Toronto MAP

You’re invited to join us for a fabulous night of music with
Turkwaz, Echo and other Special Guests!

Tickets $30. can be purchased at the door or on-line here with Zeffy 

Cash bar, free snacks and fabulous Silent Auction!
All proceeds support Echo, a non-profit community choir and registered charity.
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Turkwaz  is Sophia Grigoriadis, Jayne Brown, Maryem Tollar and Brenna MacCrimmon, four vocalists who individually have contributed widely to the Toronto world music scene and beyond. Their work together focuses on interpretations of songs primarily from Greek, Turkish, Arabic and Balkan traditions with forays into other genres when the inspiration moves them.

With gentle accompaniment provided by qanun, tambura, ukulele and various forms of hand percussion, the songs and the voices remain front and center.
Their debut album “Nazar” was nominated for a 2017 Juno, two CFMAs and made the Top of the World list in Songlines magazine in April 2018.

They have performed at the National Arts Center and Chamberfest in Ottawa, Calgary Folk Festival, Open Ears Festival (Kitchener), Silence  (Guelph), Mill Race Festival (Cambridge), Shelter Valley Folk Festival (Grafton),  Mission Folk Festival (BC), Summerfolk (Owen Sound), Cultura (North York), Luminato (Toronto), as well as at numerous venues in and around Toronto including the Small World Centre, The Burdock, COC Bradshaw Amphitheatre and the Aga Khan Museum.

☀ 🔘 💗
 www.echochoir.ca   
Echo is grateful for the ongoing support of the Toronto Arts Council.

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 Chocolate Fall Fundraiser 2023, Peace by Chocolate

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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 (rachel.bokhout@gmail.com), 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: info.echo@gmail.com
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  echotransfer3@gmail.com
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