Cantabile Choirs of Kingston concludes its landmark 30th anniversary season with a celebration of music, community, and artistic legacy in Sunrise Mass. The concert will feature the music of acclaimed Norwegian composer Ola Gjeilo alongside the world premiere of a newly commissioned work by Cantabile’s founding Artistic Director, Dr. Mark Sirett. Audiences are invited to experience this special finale on Saturday, June 6 at 7:30 pm and Sunday, June 7 at 2:30 pm at the Isabel Bader Centre for the Performing Arts.
One of the most widely performed choral composers in the world today, Gjeilo is known for music of remarkable beauty, emotional immediacy, and cinematic scope. A graduate of The Juilliard School, the Norwegian-born composer has become a defining voice in contemporary choral music, with works regularly performed by leading choirs and orchestras internationally.
At the heart of the program is Sunrise Mass, a radiant work for choir and string orchestra filled with soaring lyricism, luminous harmonies, and moments of quiet intimacy. Since its premiere in 2008, Sunrise Mass has become one of the most widely performed contemporary works in the choral repertoire.
For this milestone finale, Cantabile joins forces with the Kingston Symphony to bring the full richness of Gjeilo’s score to life. The performance marks the second major collaboration between the two organizations, following last seasons acclaimed A Night at the Opera. More than 140 singers from Cantabile’s award-winning adult and youth choirs will perform alongside full string orchestra, creating a sound world of remarkable warmth, depth, and power.
The concert will also celebrate Cantabile’s own artistic legacy through the premiere of a newly commissioned work by Dr. Mark Sirett, Cantabile’s founding Artistic Director and recipient of the Order of Canada. Set to the text My Song Awakens by Nobel Prize-winning poet Rabindranath Tagore, the work will feature a special alumni choir of more than 60 former Cantabile singers, joining current choristers in a tribute to the generations of artists, families, and community members who have shaped the organization over the past 30 years.
“This concert brings together so many threads of Cantabile’s story — past and present singers, longtime collaborators, and music that speaks directly to the heart,” says Geoffrey Sirett. “Gjeilo’s music has an extraordinary ability to connect with audiences through its warmth, beauty, and emotional honesty. Combined with a world-premiere and the return of alumni from across three decades, this concert becomes not only a performance, but a celebration of community and the power of music.”
For physical events that happen at a specific time. For example a concert, or dance performance. If there are multiple shows, you can still duplicate your event to cover them all.