OUR SINGING GOV. GEN.
Payette talks about Handel’s Messiah
Among the 84 singers in the chorus of Handel’s Messiah at the National Arts Centre this week was Gov. Gen. Julie Payette, probably the only soprano in the section who has been to outer space. There was so little fanfare about her appearance that Postmedia was compelled to ask the vice-regal about her history of singing choral music.
Q Tell us about your early experiences with different types of music.
A I am very fortunate — I grew up with music. There was a substantial vinyl collection in my home and my mom played piano. We, the children, were enrolled in piano lessons very early on.
When I was in Grade 4, I was part of my elementary school’s choir, a really, really small choir, and one day, a lady came by to recruit for the Pueri Cantores of the Montreal Cathedral, a children’s choir attached to the Choeur Polyphonique de Montréal. I auditioned and got in. We sang every Sunday morning at the Cathedral for the 11 a.m. service, performed several concerts a year, and even toured in France. I have been singing in choirs ever since.
Q Did you have any training on an instrument as a child? Which one, and do you still play?
A I am classically trained in piano, flute and voice. I still play these instruments and still sing. We also have several guitars at home, and I recently got a ukulele!
Q When did you start choral singing and have you had any voice training?
A All my voice training comes from choir and small ensemble singing. During my two years in Wales doing my International Baccalaureate (1980-82), I sang with the Atlantic College Chamber Choir.
During my engineering degree (1982-87), I sang with several ensembles, including the McGill Gilbert & Sullivan Society, le Choeur de l’orchestre métropolitain and with the Montreal Symphony Orchestra Choir.
During my master’s degree at U of T (1988-90), I sang with the Massey College Singers and the Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra chamber choir.
In Switzerland, during my oneyear visiting scientist work at the IBM research facility in Zurich (1991), I sang with the Piacere Vocale in Basel.
Unfortunately, I was unable to sing regularly with an organized group during my 17 years in Houston, Texas, due to the intensity of astronaut training and space missions. From 201417, I sang again with the Montreal Symphony Orchestra Choir.
Now that I live in Ottawa, I have the privilege to be a part of the Ottawa Bach Choir, which recently released a fourth CD, which features the Dixit Dominus by Handel and music by Bach and Schütz.
But I never missed an opportunity to sing with other groups. For example, last March, I went to Toronto to take part in two performances of the Mozart Requiem with Daniel Taylor’s Schola Cantorum, and this week, I joined the choir at the NAC for the second year to perform Handel’s Messiah.
By the way! Handel’s Dixit Dominus is quite special for me, as an excerpt of it was played as “wake-up music” while I was in space during my second flight (STS-127).
On my first flight (STS-96), Mozart’s aria for soprano Exultate Jubilate was played for me as “wake-up music.”
Q What do you like about singing in a group?
A There are many things I enjoy about singing in a group, but I really like that it is all about being part of a team. You need to listen to your fellow singers, keep pace with them, tune with them, and follow the conductor’s nuances, tempos and instructions.
I have been saying for many years that there are wonderful health and social benefits to being a part of a choir. I was pleased to see a recent study out of Ryerson University that backs this up scientifically! In fact, singing as part of a group can help reduce stress and help us feel more connected to others, among other benefits.
I encourage all Canadians, no matter what level of talent, to get out there and sing. Even science says it’s a good idea!
Q How often have you sung the Messiah and what’s special about it for you?
A This is my second year singing the Messiah at the NAC, but I have sang this work many times before, particularly the very well known Hallelujah chorus.
When I was a member of the Tafelmusik Baroque orchestra choir, we would present the Messiah several times in Toronto (at Massey Hall) during the Holiday Season, then go on the road in nearby cities, in London, Hamilton, Cobourg, Brockville, Kingston and others.
Although some of the pieces in the Messiah are quite intricate, after so many performances, one gets pretty familiar with the work. It’s such beautiful music, so festive, that one never gets tired of it.
This is why I take every opportunity to sing it again when I can — including sing-alongs, which are a lot of fun.