Festival celebrates love of singing
The first edition of the Festival de la voix is a triple threat with star power.
The three-day event, which begins with a concert at St-Columba-by-the-Lake Presbyterian Church in Pointe-Claire on Friday, has three components: concerts, master classes and a competition.
The opening concert turns the spotlight on the stars of tomorrow.
Jazz great Ranee Lee is the featured performer at a gala concert at St. Mark’s Church in Dorval on Saturday and will adjudicate the competition earlier the same day.
“A concert is a wonderful experience to share,” co-organizer Kerry-Anne Kutz said.
Kutz joined forces with Sonia Castiglioni and Sheila Faour Warren to organize the festival, which draws on many of the musical genres explored by the voice, be it jazz, pop, classical or musical theatre.
A 50-voice Festival de la voix choir, featuring singers from all over the island and directed by Margo Keenan, performs at the gala concert Saturday, as do Kutz, Castiglioni, Warren and Keenan — as a quartet. They’ll sing The Creek Bistro Specials — a menu set to music — composed by David L. McIntyre.
Kutz has been involved with music all her life. She moved to Montreal from hometown Saskatoon permanently in 1981 because she fell in love with the French language and culture while completing her master’s degree in performance at the Université de Montréal.
Since then, she’s sung in numerous vocal ensembles, teaches, performs solo concerts and in musical theatre and has recorded five albums, including her most recent, Art Songs Heart Songs — Music of Nicholas Fairbank.
Kutz was also the first woman to be hired by the RCMP Band. She toured as the band’s lead singer for 10 years, across Canada and around the world.
“(The band) didn’t have a dressing room for me at the beginning, so I changed in the closet,” Kutz said.
Registration for the competition for singers 12 to 20 years old is closed, but the public is invited to hear the finalists in four categories — classical, pop/country, jazz and Broadway — compete for the grand prize at St-Columba-by-the-Lake Church on Sunday.
Master classes in the basics of good singing with Chantal Dionne and prepping for a musical theatre audition with Jonathan Patterson are full. A few spaces remain in a master class about learning how to let go in performance, called Singing Silly.
The Stars of Tomorrow concert is at St-Columba-by-the-Lake Church, 11 Rodney Ave. in Pointe-Claire on Friday at 8 p.m. Tickets cost $20, or $10 for students.
The Gala Concert featuring Ranee Lee is at St. Mark’s Church, 865 Lakeshore Dr. in Dorval on Saturday at 8 p.m. Tickets cost $30, or $20 for students.
The Festival Winners in Concert is at St-Columba-by-the-Lake Church on Sunday at 4 p.m. Tickets cost $10. Admission is free for children 11 years old and under.
Tickets for all the concerts are available at the door. For information, call 514-624-2307, email info@festivaldelavoix.com or visit www.festivaldelavoix.com.