Full Circle Celebration

08/26/2024

COME JOIN THE TMU CONCERT CHOIR

The details are below, but the short of it is I’d love you to come join my new choir at Toronto Metropolitan University! And, please pass this information on to anyone you think might be interested.

The choir will be auditioned, but not stringently so. Sight reading ability is required, but you don’t have to be able to read the spots off the page.

Fill in this audition form to tell me a bit about yourself, and I’ll get back to you to firm things up: bit.ly/3yPtQln

Rehearsals: Mondays from 7-9pm.
First Rehearsal: Monday, September 9. (Come and try it out before you enrol!)
Location: Kerr Hall South, room 251. https://maps.app.goo.gl/dwePyxYitR9wfdp59
Duration: 13 weeks.
Dress Rehearsal: December 13, 2024
Concert: December 14, 2024
Two Additional Performances for those who can:
TMU Remembrance Day Ceremony,
Nov. 11 from 10:30-11:15am. In the Quad.
We will sing Godfrey Rideout’s O Canada.
TMU “Frost” Celebration,
Dec. 3 from 3:30-4:00. Under a tent on Gould Street.
We will perform some short works from our upcoming concert and lead the students in a sing-along.

Enrolment WebPage:
https://continuing.torontomu.ca/search/publicCourseSearchDetails.do?method=load&courseId=26382646

My Email: [email protected]

A dream of mine is coming true! For over 2 decades an excellent amateur choir has rehearsed on the TMU campus, (going way back to the Ryerson days.) They were first called The Oakham House Choir, then the Toronto Concert Choir. With the retirement of their conductor, The Chang School is folding it into our slate of music offerings. And I get to take over as conductor!

It will be very similar in concept to the University of Waterloo Oratorio Choir that I conducted way back in the 90’s. Community members as well as enrolled students, and faculty and staff, will all sing together in a wonderful Intergenerational musical experience. We hope that many members of the former choir will form the core, and we will add from there.

Back in the day we did things like The Mozart and Fauré Requiems, Britten’s “Saint Nicholas,” various masses including the Charpentier “Messe de Minuit pour Noël,” etc. We will be delving into similar traditional repertoire, but expanding it with the best choral music from traditionally under-represented composers, as well.

I want to add more music by Canadian composers, Women, First Nations, LGBTQ+, Jewish, and non-Western composers. As long as it is great choral music, I’d love for us to perform it! I would love it for this choir’s repertoire and membership to be representative of the many cultural traditions that make our campus and our nation such great places to be.

If you have any suggestions of repertoire that falls into these categories, please let me know!

This first semester will be a bit of an experiment. I have no idea how many people will enrol, so I have plans for repertoire, but will need to firm up the entire program after the first rehearsal on September 9. We are welcoming people to come to the 1st rehearsal, check us out, and then enrol before the 2nd rehearsal.

But I am leaning towards the Durante Magnificat in B-flat, a few other pieces that tell the Christmas story from Mary’s perspective, as well as some Hanukkah and Winter Solstice music. I’m also looking at some wonderful arrangements by Eleanor Daley, Ruth Watson Henderson, and Corlyn Hanney.

Here is a playlist that will give you a sense of the type of repertoire I am considering:
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL3VYtBXdbdQUCEZYqGHOtkGmwujmhGlVD&si=gFaQNXfezNjNl-IT

So please, contact me at: [email protected], or fill out the audition form and I’ll be in touch!

02/16/2019

Here is another testimonial from one of my 2018 couples. Shelby and Jared were great to work with. They took great interest in all the elements of their ceremony. So, we came up with something that spoke in heir unique voice, and illustrated their unique love. If you would like a personalized, bespoke wedding ceremony, please contact me for a no-obligation consultation. www.fullcirclecelebration.com

02/12/2019

I received another beautiful video and testimonial from one of my 2018 couples. Ayesh and Uthumi were lovely people. It was a special privilege to celebrate their wedding in the back yard of Uthumi’s parents’ home. As you can see from the video they decorated it beautifully, and created a beautiful blend of cultural traditions for the ceremony. All my best to Uthumi and Ayesh for a love filled 2019.

If you are looking for a celebrant, please contact me for a no-obligation consultation. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0jYw3hk84OM

02/10/2019

This is a very insightful article that I can relate to perfectly as a dog owner. Even just the thought of the day I'll have to say goodbye to my beloved Wheatley can bring me to tears. The author rightly points out that we don't have appropriate cultural rituals for the bereavement of our pets.

Although my celebrancy practice has so far been centred on weddings, I was actually drawn to celebrancy because of a strong sense of connection to end of life care and funeral and memorial rituals. I will be honoured on the day that someone engages me to create a loving farewell ritual for their dog, cat or other family pet.

If you've ever considered it, please get in touch for a free, no-obligation consultation. It would be a privilege to work with you as you pass through a difficult time of mourning.

Many are embarrassed to publicly show too much grief over the death of a dog. But research has shown just how devastating the loss can be.

02/09/2019

Another day at the office! Yesterday, I was back at City Hall for my second session of shadowing officiants in preparation for my own work there. I got to see two more wonderful officiants. Virginia Cheney, in the second picture, is the owner of the business that runs the Toronto wedding chambers. In addition to keeping the whole concern going, (yesterday, she was even choosing new chairs,) she is an inspired officiant herself. Her background is as a dancer and choreographer. Her ceremonies had a real sense of uplift and joy.

The second officiant I observed, (Roger LaRade) is a Jesuit educated priest in the Independent (or, Eucharistic) Catholic church. I didn’t even know such a denomination existed, and we had a fascinating conversation. His style was very conversational, intimate and heartfelt, while still being secular in its delivery. I did a little online research about his church, and it seems it was formed with equality and justice for g**s and le****ns as a founding principle. I hope he will be okay with me posting this picture of him performing a ceremony for a gay couple in Cuba. Even though he doesn’t function at City Hall as a priest, I find the image inspirational and indicative of the kind of person he obviously is.

I am so impressed that the officiants at City Hall are as diverse as the couples who come to be married there. I probably won’t get my first shift until March, since winter is “low season” for weddings. But I am now eagerly anticipating my own opportunity to put bring my unique perspective and style to the good work being done at the Toronto Wedding Chapel.

02/05/2019

Here is a little testimonial from my first wedding of 2019! Samantha and Taylor were my favourite kind of couple. They communicated their vision for their ceremony very clearly, and were a joy to work with from the planning through to the ceremony itself. Their family and friends were also lovely people. I wish them a happy marriage!

If you, or anyone you know are getting married in 2019, contact me for a personalized ceremony that reflects your unique love.

02/04/2019

On Saturday, I had the privilege of watching the incomparable Cyndy NeillySpence in action at the Toronto City Hall Wedding Chambers. She skillfully and sensitively married three couples of Vietnamese, Polish and Brazilian ancestry. Some had a rough understanding of English, and she made sure they understood each element of the ceremony and all the vows and promises they were making. The smiles on all their faces and their thanks made it pretty obvious that she is truly following her calling as an officiant, (and as a Life-Cycle Celebrant.) I feel privileged to learn from her.

02/03/2019

Check out my new office! yesterday, I did my first day of training as a City Hall Wedding Officiant. I shadowed two wonderful officiants to see how the job is done. One of them was the incomparable Cyndy Neilly-Spence!

In 2.5 hours I watched 6 beautiful weddings with participants from about 8 different nationalities. It confirms my love fore or multicultural country and city.

I even served as a witness for a le***an couple from Brazil whose friend got caught in traffic. That was a real privilege!

I have one more day of training, then I get to be the one wearing the robe at the front and pronouncing the magic words. I can't wait!

01/23/2019

What a great place and season to get married!

01/07/2019

I just received the most beautiful video from one of my summer couples, Mackenzie and Brayden. They put a huge amount of thought into their ceremony. My favourite kind of couple!

http://ow.ly/XHBq30ndShD

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Threefold Studios Email: [email protected] Website: www.threefoldstudios.ca Instagram: www.instagram.com/threefoldstudios Facebook: www.facebook.com/threefoldstudios. Music…

10/14/2018

I am on my way to officiate at the wedding of my former George Brown student, Jamie McRoberts! She is the third GB alum that I will have married, (Nicole Wilson and Alexander Offord being the first two.) Marrying a student like Jamie, who was such an enthusiastic singer, and who starred in our production of "The Baker's Wife," just piles privilege upon blessing, upon joy. I can't wait!

08/17/2018

This is me with David and Fernando, the happy couple of my first same-sex wedding. The ceremony took place on a beautiful beach in Burk’s Falls, up in Cottage Country.

David and Fernando were the perfect couple to collaborate with in creating a one of a kind ceremony that spoke of their special bond of friendship that has grown into a special kind of love.

Both families were loving, enthusiastic, and made me feel as if I were a part of the big extended family, too.

And, since Fernando’s family is from Argentina, I pronounced the guys married in Spanish and English. So now, I have done bilingual ceremonies in French, Spanish and English!

You can see by the smiles on all our faces, what a joy the whole experience was. I wish them many more years of ever growing love.