Upcoming Concerts
Please join us for thursday choir’s Classical Connections and monday and thursday choir’s A Song to Remember concerts. Mark your calendars for these afternoon events. Purchase tickets online at Tix on the Square. E-Transfer tickets can be purchased by contacting info@ajoyfulnoisechoir.ca
A Joyful Christmas – A Time to Rejoice
What a fantastic concert! We were delighted to share our music with such a large audience during this season. Thank you to everyone who attended.
2022-23 Season
The new choir season is underway and we are are so happy to be singing together in person again! We continue to offer a Zoom option for singers who choose to join online. Term 2 begins in mid January.
To learn more about the Joyful season ahead, email info@ajoyfulnoisechoir.ca
Our Choir Members
Cathy enjoys being in choir for the challenge of learning and for the friendships and sense of community she has found. Visit our Facebook page to hear more from Joyful singers.
Safe for All
As we continue to grapple with the changing Covid 19 situation, A Joyful Noise is working to offer a safe and rewarding choir season for everyone. We have a Covid Protocol in place to guide our operations as we return to in-person singing. In order to sing in person at A Joyful Noise rehearsals and functions, singers must be fully vaccinated as described below and must sign a waiver indicating they understand and accept the rules. Singers will be distanced and use of masks will be required at all times.
For those who are unable or not yet ready to sing in person, we continue to offer virtual rehearsals on Zoom.
A JOYFUL NOISE COVID PROTOCOL
- Since singing is known to be a high-risk activity, our priority is to protect the safety of our singers and professional musicians. This is particularly important since we know some of our members are at higher risk of severe outcomes from Covid. The good news is that on September 14, the head of the World Health Organization said the end of the pandemic may be in sight as long as we remain vigilant and follow appropriate procedures.
- Accordingly, A Joyful Noise is complying with the current guidelines set out by the Government of Alberta regarding vaccinations. The Government of Alberta website states: “Vaccine protection against infection and illness declines over time and is lower with the highly transmissible Omicron variant. Getting all the doses you are eligible for boosts your immunity, which improves your protection against infection and severe outcomes, and limits the spread of the virus.”
- AJN therefore requires all members wishing to participate in in-person rehearsals to have all the vaccinations they are eligible for, including all available boosters. If you have not yet received all the vaccinations for which you are eligible, you are required to attend rehearsals only on Zoom until you receive all the vaccinations you are eligible for.
- It is important to remember that A Joyful Noise is more than its choirs. We are a community and we look after each other. Your vaccinations protect you, and they also protect others by limiting the spread of Covid. If we remain vigilant and follow best practices in managing covid, we can all look forward to the day the pandemic is behind us.
A Joyful Noise
We believe that everyone can sing and should have the chance to do so. We provide safe, encouraging and supportive learning opportunities for everyone who wants to sing.
A Joyful Noise is an inclusive organization. To make sure there is an opportunity to sing for everyone we offer three non-auditioned choirs and everyone is welcome. You can choose which choir you wish to join depending on what you are looking for in a choir, how much experience in choral singing you have, and what kind of commitment you will bring. To make sure you find the choir that is the best fit, we encourage you to read about the choirs by clicking on About the Choirs. As you read about the choirs you will see that they all have an emphasis on learning and experiencing the joy of singing.
Besides weekly rehearsals, A Joyful Noise offers members of all three choirs additional learning opportunities such as small group rehearsals and workshops in music theory and improvisation. You will find yourself capable of doing things you never thought you could, while having fun and enjoying the company of others in our choral community.
“When a group comes together for a single purpose and creates true ensemble (whether it is at work, in the community, in church, or in music), powerful things happen and lives are changed.”
Marc A. Hafso
Who is A Joyful Noise?
We’ve come along way since we started out in 2004! We began with one choir for people who believed they couldn’t sing. In fact, our members thought they couldn’t carry a tune in a bucket! Under the guidance and leadership of Artistic Director and A Joyful Noise founder Eva Bostrand, those 30 brave souls who signed up the first year soon found their voice. By the end of the first year, they were able to perform a concert for their friends and family. By the next year the membership in that choir had doubled and the numbers continued to grow each year. By 2008, so many people wanted to join A Joyful Noise that we had to start a second choir. Over the years members of both choirs continued to learn and to improve their confidence and skill. As the choir members became more advanced, it became difficult for those with no background in choral singing to join. So in 2014 we started a third choir to make sure there is a welcoming environment for everyone who wants to sing.
Who joins A Joyful Noise?
All kinds of people belong to our choirs – people of all ages from twenty somethings to senior citizens:
- Some have sung in choirs their whole lives and want to continue to develop their musicianship in a challenging and inspiring environment.
- Others haven’t sung since they were in school and want to rediscover the joys of choral singing.
- And some have never had the opportunity to sing in a choir before and honestly believe they cannot carry a tune in the proverbial bucket.
Each one of them finds a place in one of our choirs.
When does choir start?
Rehearsals for the 2022 -2023 season began in September, and our second term starts up again in January after a holiday break. We are accepting new members throughout the season.
All choirs will rehearse between 7:30 – 9:30 PM.
What are the three choirs?
Here is a quick overview of our choirs. For more information please click on About the Choirs.
A Joyful Noise – wednesday choir
Rehearsals for Wednesday choir are structured like a choral class. No previous choral experience is necessary and members learn the building blocks of choral singing and have a chance to try out the new knowledge by singing fun and interesting repertoire. Wednesday choir does not perform in any formal public concerts.
A Joyful Noise – monday choir
Monday choir is the place for you if you want to develop your confidence as a choral singer. No previous choral or music experience is required. During the choral year the choir will typically learn two different concert programs which it will perform in a variety of settings, from formal concerts to outreach performances in seniors’ homes and hospitals. From time to time Monday Choir also enjoys going on a road trip and participating in out of town workshops. To cap off their year, singers tell us one of the highlights is the annual Talent Night when they get a chance to perform for each other in a fun and relaxed setting.
A Joyful Noise – thursday choir
During the choral season the choir will typically prepare three concert programs of more challenging repertoire to be presented in concerts. As with the other choirs, no audition is required. However, to feel comfortable with the level of difficulty and amount of repertoire, some musical knowledge or choral experience is necessary. New members are invited to attend a voice placement session with our conductor, Eva Bostrand, after registration. Travel is also a part of Thursday Choir’s choral year. Some years the road trips are within western Canada but other years the choir goes on an international tour to such wonderful destinations as Iceland, Malta, and Sardinia.
How do I choose which choir is right for me?
The choice is yours! You don’t have to audition and you can pick which choir would be the best fit for you. To help you in your choice we suggest you read the descriptions of the choirs and think about which one best suits your experience and learning goals. If you would like some help with your decision, send us an email at info@ajoyfulnoisechoir.ca and we will help you decide.
To find out more about the choirs, please click on About the Choirs. For more information about how to decide which choir might be right for you, click on How to Decide Which Choir to Join.
We welcome your questions. Please contact us at:
Email: info@ajoyfulnoisechoir.ca
Phone: (780) 438-9080
Mail: A Joyful Noise Choir
P.O. Box 52182
Edmonton, Alberta
T6G 2T5
