Musical Journalism

Brian Chang has been involved with choral music as a singer, administrator, and conductor for over a decade. In 2015 he started writing for the Wholenote Magazine as its resident Choral Scene columnist; providing news and insight on choral music to a 30,000-print circulation. In 2016 he became a regular contributor with Ludwig Van Toronto, formerly Musical Toronto. Capable of writing blog-style quick reads, in-depth interviews, editorials, and features, Brian's work always seeks to illuminate the reader with new angles, authoritative voice, and a creative edge.

*Ludwig van Toronto is a member of the National Newsmedia Council

Pinned

Selected Highlights from the First Decades of CELA's Work

This report is organized mostly by chronology, exploring the links over time for the Environmental Bill of Rights, Legal-Aid funding, and dozens of dangerous landfill cases are just a few examples of the important work that CELA has done. Proper respect is given on my part for exceptional cases in CELA history. But there are equally important small cases, such as protecting a maple tree; fighting against unsafe radioactive materials storage at the University of Toronto; cultivating environmental law centres all across the country; and proffering the official CELA submissions which keep the government accountable, not to mention demonstrating the wherewithal to keep fighting these battles day in and out. This is a story of those battles and the ways CELA volunteers and staff have worked over forty years to implement a magnificent world of imagination which we continue to dream every day. …

CHORAL SCENE
Vocal Powerhouse Sing! The Toronto Vocal Arts Festival

In March, Suba Sankaran and Dylan Bell led a choral workshop as part of the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir’s Singsation Saturday program. In the church basement of Calvin Presbyterian Church, the duo led about 100 people in exploring their voices. No sheet music, no instruments. Nothing but the power of the a cappella, human voice....

CHORAL SCENE
VOCA in Action Discovering the Story at The Heart of a Song

Once in the fall and once in the spring, artistic director Jenny Crober brings in an artist to work with the VOCA Chorus of Toronto in an intensive workshop. Matthew Emery was the clinician for the fall, working on his song Still Colours, Velvet Shoes. At the very end Crober asked, “Do you mind if we take a little peek at Sing your Song? Would you mind telling them something about who you’ve dedicated this to and why?”...

FEATURE
How a Tragic Fire Brought A Toronto Community Together Through Music

In the midst of a catastrophic fire and water weak, kids who live in Toronto's St James Town neighbourhood have had a musical home called "Reaching Out Through Music". This is their story.

PRIMER
The Orpheus Choir Of Toronto Know How To Celebrate International Women’s Day

The Orpheus Choir of Toronto has taken the theme of International Women’s Day wholeheartedly and channelled it into four brand new compositions by female composers with words from female authors.

Giving Life to an Odawa Oratorio

On March 31, Pax Christi Chorale premieres Barbara Croall’s Ojibwe Odawa oratorio, Miziwe…(Everywhere…).As far as the creative team knows, this is the first time that the choral tradition of oratorio and the language of Ojibwe Odawa will have been united, as Pax Christi, under artistic director David Bowser, bring to life to the stories, musical evocations and spirit that Barbara Croall embodies in her new oratorio...

SCRUTINY
TSO Gets Sentimental With A Silver Screen 'Casablanca'

“Here’s looking at you kid,” says Humphrey Bogart, playing the lead of Rick Blaine. The music swells underneath with the main melody of As Time Goes By. The swirling music is at the heart of the film, a recurring and constant love theme that plays throughout the soundtrack. The rich sentimentalism of the soundtrack and the film came together for a captivating presentation of the 1942 film, Casablanca...

THE SCOOP
Sir Andrew Davis Gets A Surprise Birthday Serenade At The TSO (Video)

The agitated start of Wagner’s “Ride of the Valkyries” leads into one of the most well-known songs in opera canon. Saturday night’s performance was full of a hidden collection of Valkyries hiding in the Choir loft who burst into a rousing rendition of Happy Birthday, totally surprising Sir Andrew Davis, celebrating his 75th anniversary...

CHORAL SCENE
Choral Fire in Winter Snow

Two upcoming choral concerts promise to take some of the chill out of winter. The Nathaniel Dett Chorale, joined by alumni, premieres a new work, Hosea, to perform what artistic director Brainerd Blyden-Taylor calls a concert of “wonderful, inspirational, moving music.” This concert continues the Chorale’s 20th anniversary season. And two of the finest chamber choirs in Canada join forces to present a joint concert; the Vancouver Chamber Choir (VCC) is hosted by the Elmer Iseler Singers on their 92nd and last tour with Jon Washburn at the head of the VCC...

THE SCOOP
Musicians Tackle Homelessness With Musical Acts of Kindness

“It was New Years Day that I came across this article on Facebook,” says conductor David Bowser. The Toronto Star reported 70 deaths in the homeless community by October of 2017. A frigid winter was already underway in Toronto with temperatures reaching into the negative twenties when David felt the urge to call his fellow musicians to action...

PRIMER
The TSO's Star Wars Episode IV — "I’m already getting chills thinking about it”

Grab the edge of your seats and prepare to blast off into the grandest space saga ever created. The Toronto Symphony Orchestra begins a brave, bold, box-office-smashing foray into the live film concert format of the Star Wars Universe. First up, this week’s concerts of the original, 1977 Star Wars: A New Hope, music written by the incomparable John Williams...