MUSIC

Service of Music

Each week Theresa Pothier provides piano preludes and postludes to the service and accompanies the hymns.

Terri has been a voice and piano teacher and also a teacher at the St. Catharines Collegiate High School. For several years she was the organist at St. James Anglican at Merritown as well as other churches in the region. She has played at the Oban Inn, and plays a monthly sing-along at the Riverbend Inn.

Also, some of the service leaders have been musically inclined as well, so we’ve had everything from taped music to an entire ‘a capella’ group come and join us.

Choir

Choir Master

The Choir started in 2008 by Pnina (Penny) Blake. Pnina, our choir director, is also an accomplished singer and composer. She began her musical studies in Toronto where she received her Associate in Voice from the Royal Conservatory of Music. Her interest in composition began at Temple Tikvah where she was a lay cantor and teacher. She then continued her musical studies with the eminent composer Srul Irving Glick and at Brock University with Professor Ronald Tremain and Professor Landey. As an accomplished singer she has performed with the Canadian Opera Company, and sung recitals at the Cathedral of St. Catharines and St. Barnabas. Presently she sings with the choir and the Niagara Vocal Ensemble.

Choir in Action

Since 2008, the choir has made a big difference in the music of the congregation. First we bought new music. It’s a little more contemporary and a little more diverse: it has music addressing gender issues, native chants, and non-Western sources, as well as Western sources. And of course with more people we can try different things musically – that is, not always have to sing in unison.

Recent photos of the choir in action are found in the choir photo ablum §.

Choir Schedule

The choir is scheduled to meet for more than half the services and to perform at least once a month. Times are available for solo performances, so if you are interested in performing a solo, please contact Penny.

The choir's rehearsal and performance schedule is incorporated into the Services page §.

Hymns and Religious Exploration

Our Coral Master, Pnina (Penny) Blake, is a composer and has authored some hymns. The choral song "Candles are Dancing" § that was performed Feb 2009. The hymn "What Shall we Teach our Children" § will be premiered shortly.

Congregation member, Sara Jordan, a composer and songwriter, has authored a hymn based on her Unitarian experience, "We Believe" §

Ottawa singer and songwriter, Tony Taylor, discussed his music and performed for the congregation. He has provided us with material on two of his songs, "Circle Song" § and "Highway of Heroes" §.