2026 – 2027 Concerts

For St. Cecilia
Saturday, November 21, 2026 at 3:00 PM
First Presbyterian Church (10025 105 Street NW)
A Joyful Noise – thursday choir

A Celebration of St. Cecilia

Saint Cecilia, the patron saint of music, musicians, and singers, has inspired composers and performers for centuries. A Christian martyr of ancient Rome, she became associated with music through the tradition that, while musicians played at her wedding, she sang in her heart to God. Her feast day, November 22, has long been an occasion for musical celebration, offering a fitting opportunity to reflect on the power of music to express faith, beauty, and the human spirit.

The afternoon’s concert honours St. Cecilia with two works that celebrate the voice and its capacity for expression.

Joseph Haydn’s Missa Cellensis in honorem Beatissimae Virginis Mariae in C major, Hob. XXII:5, was composed in 1766, shortly after Haydn’s promotion to Kapellmeister at Eszterháza, the magnificent Hungarian palace of Prince Nicolaus Esterházy, where Haydn lived and worked until 1790. Written on a grand scale, the Mass reflects both the splendour of its surroundings and Haydn’s extraordinary musical imagination.

For many years, the work was known as the Missa Sanctae Caeciliae, or Cäcilienmesse, suggesting a connection to St. Cecilia. The discovery, around 1970, of a fragment of Haydn’s autograph score in Budapest revealed its original title, linking the Mass to Mariazell, an important pilgrimage site dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Although the connection to St. Cecilia remains uncertain, the Mass is an especially fitting work for this afternoon’s celebration. Its radiant orchestral writing, virtuosic solo passages, and richly woven choral lines reveal Haydn’s gift for transforming sacred text into music of extraordinary vitality, drama, and beauty.

We are delighted to welcome our friends, the Da Camera Singers and their Artistic Director, Laura Hawley, in a celebration of musical community and collaboration. The programme opens with Hymn to St. Cecilia by English composer and organist Herbert Howells, a stirring setting of words by Ursula Vaughan Williams. Together, these works honour St. Cecilia’s enduring association with music while bringing Edmonton’s choral community together in song.

---

Vivaldi Gloria
A Joyful Noise – monday choir
Saturday, December 5, 2026 at 3:00 PM
St. Andrew’s United Church (9915 148 Street)

A Joyful Noise – monday choir, under the direction of Ian Bannerman, is delighted to bring you a program of two contrasting works for the holiday season.

A perennial favourite with singers and audiences alike, Antonio Vivaldi’s Gloria brings the warmth and exuberance of 18th-century Venice to an Edmonton winter. Its joyful choruses and radiant melodies echo the angels’ song over Bethlehem two thousand years ago, while its brilliant solo writing and orchestral colours make it a perfect way to begin the festive season. We are thrilled to be joined by the Joyful Orchestra, with virtuosic solos by soprano Jessica Wagner and mezzo-soprano Mayanna Carter.

Canadian composer Sarah Quartel’s choral song cycle A Winter Day provides a striking complement and contrast. Each movement captures a different moment in a winter day—from the anticipation and stillness of the pre-dawn darkness to the dazzling light of noon, and finally into the quiet darkness of evening. Along the way, Quartel evokes the magic of winter weather and the memories stirred by cold, transforming these familiar experiences into an atmospheric work for voices, piano and solo cello.

From the radiance of Vivaldi to the reflective beauty of Quartel, we hope this concert brings you both warmth and a few delightful chills—and sets the perfect tone for the holiday season.

---

Joyful Ceilidh
A Joyful Noise – monday, wednesday & thursday choirs
Saturday, February 6, 2027 at 5:00 PM
Edmonton Convention Centre – Hall D

Stay tuned for more details!