Reflections from Crumbly Acres: paul halley

Wednesday, 13 February 2013

♪♫♩Ubi Caritas in Perth

Rehearsals are ongoing for our April concert of Missa Gaia. One of the pieces is this one, Ubi Caritas, composed by Ottawa organist and musician, Paul Halley.
We did this at the NAC in 1985, the Choral Society with the Paul Winter Consort, Paul Halley, and Susan Osborn. They were a new age group, hippies! There was much love and joy!

Paul Winter Consort

Listen free to Paul Winter Consort: Saxophone (Song of Miho), Icarus & more, plus 3 pictures. Paul Winter Consort is an American musical group led by the soprano saxophonist Paul Winter. Founded in 1967, the group mixes elements of classical music, jazz, and world musics, as well as the sounds o…

Today we spent some time on this piece. I did a bit of audio to give you an idea of the sound.

Glorious. Ubi Caritas begins with the Gregorian Chant, "Where there is love, there is God", which Paul sang as a choir boy in Ottawa. He juxtaposes this with the African chant, inspired by a drumming group who would rehearse in the basement of his New York church while the choir rehearsed.
Oba ye, Oba yo batala. Yemanja.

Part of the African chant, in Ubi Caritas, by Paul Halley. Oba ye, Oba yo from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.
It's going to be a fabulous concert!
Brad Mills was away with rehearsals for The Spelling Bee. Instead, his alter ego, Peter Woodwark took the rehearsal. Val is on the piano - she is amazing. Just listen to her!

Both parts together: Ubi Caritas and Oba ye from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.
Here are the two parts, in a rough rehearsal. You get the idea!

Ottawa boy, Paul Halley
Paul Halley
MA(Cantab.), FRCO, ARCT
      Five-time Grammy-winning
      composer, conductor, and performer

It's going to be a fabulous concert!

It is good, hard work. You go in tired, and come out energized.

Singing does this for you!

From Missa Gaia rehearsals in Perth, ON

Brad at the piano last week!

Thursday, 10 January 2013

Missa Gaia in Perth, ON, on April 21st, 2013!

It is with great excitement that we announce a new performance of Missa Gaia in Perth, Ontario.

Living Music

If you have never heard it, you must listen. It's on YouTube! Interspersed with wolf howls, whale songs, it is evidence of an amazing collaboration and creativity. For those who enjoy nature and respect the environment, this performance will be the true anthem that comes from Mother Earth and speaks to our souls.

I first performed this in 1985, whilst pregnant with my third child. I was a member of the Ottawa Choral Society, with Brian Law as its conductor at the time. It was an exultant moment. At the end of the performance, all of the lights were turned off in the National Arts Centre, and we all howled like wolves. It was spectacular. As with many professional choirs, and the arts these days, the OCS supplements its donations and grants, and offers choirs-for-hire. I was part of this group, as well as its Chamber Choir, too. Those were the good old days!

Paul Halley

Paul Winter

Paul Halley an Ottawa choir boy, now a prolific artist in his own right, was one of those who were involved in the creation of this master work, as a member of the Paul Winter Consort.

Rising from the days of respect for the environment, when we didn't realize what we did to planet earth, Paul, and the Paul Winter surely did. I have played this album many times with my students when we studied environmental issues.

These days, I crank up the stereo, and play it at great volume doing housework or gardening! It is inspiring, and seeps into your soul.

Missa Gaia/Earth Mass is an album released by Paul Winter in 1982 for Living Music. The title stems from two languages, latin and greek.

We announce intense rehearsals for Missa Gaia, every Tuesday night. St. James Anglican and St. Paul's church choirs, as well as other choir friends, will be presenting this piece, as well as two others, on Sunday, April 21st, 7:30.