The JUNO Award-winning Ottawa Bach Choir (OBC) presents the first concert of its 19th season, Hodie!, on Saturday, December 5, 2020, 8 PM, in its new Digital Concert Hall. The concert features festive repertoire for Christmas, including Britten’s Ceremony of Carols,  and glorious works by Victoria, Praetorius, Pachelbel, Schütz, Sweelinck, Ottawa composers Kelly-Marie Murphy and Matthew Larkin, with Ottawa harpist Caroline Léonardelli and organist Matthew Larkin.

The OBC has won the JUNO 2020 Award for its recording, Handel: Dixit Dominus; Bach & Schütz: Motets, in the category Classical Album of the Year: Vocal or Choral. Released on the ATMA Classique label, the album has been exclaimed as “staggering and movingly performed” (Gramophone Magazine), “among the very best” (American Record Guide) and “awe-inspiring” (The WholeNote).

The choir has also been invited to return to the world’s most prestigious international Bach festival, Bachfest Leipzig 2022, as one of a select number of ensembles worldwide (and the only Canadian ensemble) asked to present the entire chorale cantata cycle of Bach, in June 2020.

Founded in 2002 by Dr. Lisette Canton, the OBC offers a wide range of choral music from all historical periods, featuring some of Canada’s top choristers. With the combination of a scholarly and emotional approach, the OBC provides an unforgettable experience of choral music at its best. The OBC has toured extensively in Canada, the United States, Europe, and  China, and  had the honour of being the first Canadian choir ever to be among the performers in Bachfest Leipzig 2014.

Listing information:

Ottawa Bach Choir

Dr. Lisette Canton, Conductor                                                   

Hodie!

Britten’s Ceremony of Carols, and works by Victoria, Praetorius, Pachelbel, Schütz, Sweelinck, Murphy and Larkin

Saturday, December 5, 2020, 8 PM: Digital Concert Hall

Tickets: General $20

Tickets are available online: OBC Digital Concert Hall

Information: info@ottawabachchoir.ca

The Ottawa Bach Choir (OBC) would like to invite you to the 2020-2021 season and its nineteenth season of glorious choral music! The professional ensemble has not only travelled the world and received national and international recognition, it also has many ‘firsts’ to its credit. And now, in 2020, the OBC received its first JUNO nomination and, this past summer, won its first JUNO award, in the category Classical Album of the Year: Vocal or Choral, for our album Handel: Dixit Dominus, Bach & Schütz: Motets! After several months of uncertainty, the choir is delighted to be able to safely offer an entire season of choral music in its new Digital Concert Hall, along with Live Concerts beginning in March 2021 (dependent on performance venue limitations). The choir will record its eighth album this season, and has been invited to return to the world’s most prestigious international Bach festival, Bachfest Leipzig, in 2022 (postponed from 2020), as one of a select number of ensembles worldwide (and the only Canadian ensemble) to present the entire chorale cantata cycle of Bach. We look forward to welcoming you to our new season and invite you to join us online in our new virtual format, and eventually in person. Come discover the best that choral music has to offer!

The Season Series offers three spectacular concerts:

(1) Hodie, Saturday, December 5, 2020, 8 PM, available in OBC’s Digital Concert Hall

(2) The French Renaissance, Saturday, March 6, 2021, 8 PM, Knox Presbyterian Church, 120 Lisgar St. & OBC’s Digital Concert Hall

(3) Bach Motets, Friday, April 30, 2021, 8 PM, St. Jean Baptiste Church, 96 Empress Ave. & OBC’s Digital Concert Hall

Join us and come discover the best that choral music has to offer!

Lisette Canton, Founder and Artistic Director  

JUNO-award winning Ottawa Bach Choir (OBC) – Virtual Bach – Der Geist hilft unser Schwachheit auf, BWV 226, by J.S. Bach, recorded June 12-24, 2020 with 22 separate videos.

The Ottawa Bach Choir (OBC) has won a JUNO 2020 Award for its recording, Handel: Dixit Dominus; Bach & Schütz: Motets, in the category Classical Album of the Year: Vocal or Choral. Featuring soloists, countertenor Daniel Taylor, sopranos Kathleen Radke and Kayla Ruiz, and accompanied by the award- winning Ensemble Caprice baroque orchestra, the recording was released on the ATMA Classique label and exclaimed as “staggering and movingly performed” (Gramophone Magazine), “among the very best” (American Record Guide) and “awe-inspiring” (The WholeNote).

“We are thrilled to win this prestigious award and honoured to have been included in a category with such talented artists,” says Founder and Artistic Director, Lisette Canton. “Congratulations and sincere thanks to the choir, soloists, Ensemble Caprice baroque orchestra, sound engineer Carl Talbot and ATMA Classique! 

The choir has also been invited to return to the world’s most prestigious international Bach festival, Bachfest Leipzig,as one of a select number of ensembles worldwide (and the only Canadian ensemble) asked to present the entire chorale cantata cycle of Bach, now postponed to 2022.

Founded in 2002 by Dr. Lisette Canton, the OBC offers a wide range of choral music from all historical periods, featuring some of Canada’s top choristers. With the combination of a scholarly and emotional approach, the OBC provides an unforgettable experience of choral music at its best.

The OBC has toured extensively in Canada, the United States, and Europe, and was invited to perform as Canada’s choral representative in the prestigious Meet in Beijing arts festival in Beijing, China, in April 2016. In 2014, the choir had the honour of being the first Canadian choir ever to be among the performers in Bachfest Leipzig 2014.

Information: info@ottawabachchoir.ca

The Ottawa Bach Choir (OBC) has won the Outstanding Choral Recording 2020 Award for its recording, Handel: Dixit Dominus; Bach & Schütz: Motets, from Choral Canada. Featuring soloists, countertenor Daniel Taylor, sopranos Kathleen Radke and Kayla Ruiz, and accompanied by the award- winning Ensemble Caprice baroque orchestra, the recording was released on the ATMA Classique label and exclaimed as “staggering and movingly performed” (Gramophone Magazine), “among the very best” (American Record Guide) and “awe-inspiring” (The WholeNote).

“We are thrilled to have won this prestigious award and honoured to be in the company of such talented choral musicians from across the country,” says Founder and Artistic Director, Lisette Canton. “Congratulations and sincere thanks to the choir, soloists, Ensemble Caprice baroque orchestra, sound engineer Carl Talbot and ATMA Classique!”

Founded in 2002 by Dr. Lisette Canton, the OBC offers a wide range of choral music from all historical periods, featuring some of Canada’s top choristers. With the combination of a scholarly and emotional approach, the OBC provides an unforgettable experience of choral music at its best.

The OBC has toured extensively in Canada, the United States, and Europe, and was invited to perform as Canada’s choral representative in the prestigious Meet in Beijing arts festival in Beijing, China, in April 2016. In 2014, the choir had the honour of being the first Canadian choir ever to be among the performers in Bachfest Leipzig 2014.

Information: info@ottawabachchoir.ca

Virtual BACH – Dona nobis pacem from Mass in B Minor, BWV 232, by J.S. Bach. Peace and hope for the world in a time of uncertainty, recorded April 28-May 3, 2020 by the Ottawa Bach Choir with 29 separate videos.

The OBC recorded the Canadian national anthem, O Canada, for a virtual performance in support of “Stronger Together” and to uplift the spirits of all Canadians at this challenging time. Recorded from April 21-24, 2020 with 22 separate videos.

“O große Lieb,” first chorale from Bach’s Johannes-Passion, BWV 245. Virtual performance recorded March 30-April 3, 2020 with 22 separate videos and produced by Daniel Gillis.

The video was included in the worldwide performance of the St. John Passion from the Thomaskirche, Leipzig, Germany, on Good Friday, April 10, 2020. Link to the performance here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Zwy1Gi4ob4

Dear OBC friends, patrons and subscribers,

It is with sadness and regret that we must inform you of the cancellation of our final concert of the season, Prelude-Europe 2020, which was supposed to occur on May 2, 2020, because of the ongoing spread of the coronavirus pandemic in Ottawa, in Canada and across the globe. Our organization has been conscious of the health and safety of our musical family and had hoped to livestream our concert for you; however, with the ongoing community spread of COVID-19, we must continue to practice social distancing as recommended by Public Health experts. The present situation would create an undue risk to our singers, our families and our community.

Although we cannot predict how the pandemic will change in the coming months, rest assured that we will continue to share our music with you through our JUNO-nominated recordings on our website, on various digital platforms (iTunes, Google Play, Amazon, and more) and on social media (Facebook, Twitter and Instagram). And don’t forget to look for our upcoming 2020-2021 season announcement! 

For those who have purchased tickets to our above performance, we offer the following options:

1) Refund: We are happy to offer a refund for your single ticket or final portion of your subscription.

2) Donation: If you are able and would like to donate your ticket purchase to the OBC, we would be happy to issue a tax receipt.

Please let us know what your preference is. If you have any questions, please contact us by email or by phone at 613-270-1015. 

We are united with you and our colleagues in Ottawa, Canada and around the world, and look to the universal message of hope and comfort in Bach’s music as we move through this challenging time together. We thank you so much for your continued support of the OBC and look forward to sharing our full program of glorious music with you as soon as possible.

Lisette Canton, Founder and Artistic Director,
and the entire Ottawa Bach Choir team

For its 18th season, the choir presented A Bach Christmas, featuring the Epiphany cantatas the choir will perform at Bachfest Leipzig 2020, BWV 124, 3 and 111, as well as the celebratory motet Singet dem Herrn and more, with Ensemble Caprice baroque orchestra and soloists, Meredith Hall, Nicholas Burns, Philippe Gagné and Andrew Mahon, followed by The Genius of Josquin, featuring his Missa Pange Lingua as well as magnificent motets and chansons, followed by Prelude-Europe 2020, which included music by German Baroque composers as well as Contemporary gems the choir was to take on its 5th European tour to Germany and Bachfest Leipzig 2020. However, because of the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic, the choir had to postpone its final concert and European tour to 2022. The OBC was also nominated for a JUNO 2020 award for its album, Handel, Bach & Schütz, on the ATMA Classique label.