Just like our new banner says, you can now say it all in a song with your favourite chorus! For just $10., A Cappella Showcase will perform a personalized Singing Birthday or Anniversary Greeting that you can send to your friends and family anywhere in the world! It's as easy as pie. Click on the link below, fill out the form and voilà: your loved ones will receive a unique gift that they can treasure forever. What an original and loving keepsake! | |||
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For more information, see: | https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdFysxCiOVxFfEvo27rwMNpbGPnA0TzK4qeJWSZFifNg8aObQ/viewform |
What better way to start off the year than by celebrating the remarkable accomplishments of one of our most inspiring Youth Member? Although all of our singers achieve many of their goals, Sarah Patterson is a rising and shining star! Born in the fall of 2004, Sarah is our Assistant Director’s youngest child and we can only imagine how much music and the joy of singing in harmony filled this happy household! Throughout their schooling years, Sarah excelled in a myriad of subjects and was the recipient of the Musician of the Year Award when they graduated Grade 8 in 2018. More recently, in June of 2022, they graduated from high school with an overall average of 92.9% and were the deserving recipient of these three amazing awards: Ontario Scholar; Highest Grade in Art and Highest Grade in History. Sarah joined our chorus in January of 2018 at the young age of 13. Under the direction of our chorus director and his assistant, they worked hard and diligently learned their songs as a Bass singer, while excelling in school and holding a part-time job. Sarah attended every chorus rehearsal as well as the special ones organized for their section. Brimming with the passion of Barbershop singing, it wasn’t long before they joined Generations, an amazing ACS quartet who took 3rd Place at Area 5 AC&C in May of 2019 and no later than October of that same year, won the 1st place Women’s Quartet Award, Ontario District, BHS. Following two years of virtual rehearsals on Zoom caused by the worldwide pandemic we suffered, Generations came back with a bang and in May 2022, won the Most Improved Quartet and the First Place Quartet Awards at Area 5 AC&C. In October of 2022, Sarah was inducted into APOC as member of Generations (Association of Past Ontario Champions, Ontario District, BHS). That’s not all, though. Sarah has also served on ACS’ Board of Directors as Chair of PR and Marketing (2021/2022) and in August of 2022, they participated in the BHS Harmony University Next Generation Program. When asked about their experience at HU, Sarah stated “My best moments were the Next Gen rehearsals. When I first looked at the schedule, I thought that two rehearsals a day would be too many, but it ended up not being enough. Spending time with the other folks in the Next Gen program was the most fun, at meals, in electives, in between classes, and in classes. Those people really made HU the fantastic experience it was.” One of Sarah’s most impressive achievements in the world of Barbershop singing was when they were recognized as Harmony, Inc’s Youth Member of the Year in November of 2022 at the IC&C held in Verona, NY. In addition to the passion they have for singing, Sarah loves cats and you can often find them sitting silently with a book. Moving forward, they have applied to study psychology and are considering taking a minor in something more artistic to contrast the heavy academics of the major. Bringing youthful joy to our chorus while contributing to its healthful growth and success, Sarah is a treasure to A Cappella Showcase, to Area 5 and to Harmony, Inc., and serves as an incredible inspiration to all of our members. Our chorus is extremely proud of Sarah and can’t wait to see where their many endeavors will take them. Warmest and heartfelt congratulations, Sarah, from your riser buddies. Keep on shining! Want to experience the thrill of singing four-part a cappella harmony with a winning and highly entertaining chorus? Just email our membership team at membership@acappellashowcase.org to learn more on how to book your spot on our risers! | |||
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On September 24th, A Cappella Showcase celebrated 25 years of song, joy, friendship and harmony. The sun was out, the sky was clear and it was a perfect day for togetherness and warm camaraderie, peppered with Barbershop singing by the chorus and six amazing quartets! Filled with radiant smiles, beautiful decorations and balloons galore, our rehearsal hall also featured interesting displays of ACS’s outfits along with photos, stories and other memorabilia to remind us of the good times we’ve had together. Special thanks for the generosity and remarkable efforts of Mike Odendahl, Movinpics Videography. Mike spent countless hours compiling events, performances and entertaining moments which ACS experienced over time. As a result, our guests viewed a fascinating video of our chorus as it evolved throughout the years. There were also delightful interviews between some of the chorus members who commented on their feelings, unforgettable stories and hilarious moments they shared with their singing friends. Of course, there was delicious food, sweet centerpieces and a lovely scrumptious cake! Many wonderful guests attended this unforgettable event, including 13 of our lovely Charter members, and their attendance and warm wishes contributed to the success of our Silver Anniversary. This Open House Celebration was made possible by the chorus’ 25th Anniversary committee. Chaired by Sue Boere, the committee was comprised of Peggy Ann Budd, Rosie Châles, Hilary Flynn, Sherry McCarroll, Sheena McGuigan, Michelle Odendahl and Wilva Tasker who met frequently in-person and on Zoom for many months to plan the different aspects of this event. However, all chorus members contributed to the celebration by preparing delicious food in their own kitchen and bringing it to the hall which just proves that success grows out of efforts and cooperation between singing friends! Want to be part of a chorus where the members believe in each other and where genuine friendships are paramount? Just email our membership team at membership@acappellashowcase.org and come sing and celebrate with us! (Thirteen Charter Members attended the event! Photo credit: Myranda Amendola) | |||
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Arranged by Jordan Travis, our amazing chorus director, Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah has been performed by A Cappella Showcase at many events and concerts, along with Paul Simon’s Feelin’ Groovy. However, on Tuesday, October 4th, these two classics had a very special meaning as we began our weekly rehearsal by helping a very meaningful organization. Margaret Campos, one of our lovely members, presented an idea to the chorus that could potentially help us bring joy and peace to persons with dementia and their family care partners through VRx@Home, a virtual reality (VR) at home intervention. Her daughter, Dr. Jennifer Campos, PhD, is a Canada Research Chair (Tier 2) in Multisensory Integration and Aging. Besides the many impressive positions she holds, Jenny’s research focuses on understanding age-related impairments and on how virtual reality and simulation technologies can be blissfully helpful. While conducting a study with VRx@Home to explore whether VR experiences can enhance communication between people with dementia and their family care partners, Jenny thought of the power that music and singing enjoyment can have on an aging population and asked her mom if A Cappella Showcase could possibly help. Since this Virtual Reality system is head-mounted, it gives persons with dementia the freedom to be transported to alternate realities such as being on a beach or attending a concert. It may also have the potential to improve interpersonal relationships between persons with dementia and their family care partners. Our chorus is dedicated to lending a hand to organizations that genuinely help the world to be a better, safer and healthier place and therefore, sang this beautiful package with all its heart for this wonderful cause. Sit back and enjoy our heartfelt performance which was filmed by Dr. Raheleh Saryazdi, Postdoctoral Fellow, KITE, Toronto Rehabilitation Institute, University Health Network, who visited the chorus on that particular Tuesday evening. Leader of this highly meaningful project, Raheleh was thrilled that we accepted to help through the power of song and harmony. | |||
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For more information, see: | https://youtu.be/iHhvxGliBvg |
On Friday, November 4th, roughly two months after celebrating their Silver Anniversary, A Cappella Showcase became International Silver Medalists at the IC&C held in Verona, NY from the 2nd to the 6th of the same month. Under the theme "Together Again", our chorus, along with 24 others from Canada and the U.S., crossed the stage and performed their two contest songs before an audience and a panel of judges they hadn’t seen live for two entire years. With a rating of 83.6%, A Cappella Showcase achieved an outstanding score while maintaining its status as an A-Level chorus which it had acquired in 2019 before the COVID-19 pandemic at the IC&C in Sandusky, Ohio. A Cappella Showcase won second place with their performance of "When I Fall In Love" by Heyman and Young and of "You’re From Heaven And You’re Mine" by David Wright. Since David arranged both songs, the chorus received special coaching from this amazingly talented musician, composer and writer back in September which most certainly contributed to our winnings. Not only was it wonderful to reunite with our harmony friends from both countries, it also served as a reminder that singing keeps us young, healthy and happy. After all, if a worldwide pandemic can’t keep us apart, nothing ever will! Want to experience the joy of singing four-part a cappella harmony with a winning, caring and highly entertaining chorus? Just email our membership team at membership@acappellashowcase.org to learn more on how to book your spot on our risers! (Photo: Read Photography, Cedar Rapids, IA) | |||
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Our chorus is extremely proud of ALL our active quartets and wish to warmly congratulate Generations and Onyx who respectively took First and Second Place at Harmony Inc.’s Area 5 AC&C! On May 27, 2022, A Cappella Showcase was beautifully represented with 6 active quartets and more in the making! Here are some members of ACS’ amazing quartets. | |||
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Not only did they take First Place, Generations also won the award for Most Improved Quartet! (From L. to R.: Amy Patterson, Baritone; Emily Travis, Tenor; Elizabeth Williams, Lead; and Sarah Patterson, Bass.) | |||
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A Cappella Showcase has recently created an award that consists of a coaching scholarship given to one of the choruses of Area 5 who meets or exceeds the criteria of this program. This year, A Cappella Showcase’s Coaching Scholarship was awarded to the highly deserving Scarborough Harmony Chorus at the Area 5 AC&C! Judi Goodwin, President of the winning chorus, expressed her joy at receiving this Scholarship: “On behalf of the entire chorus, I would like to express our heartfelt gratitude for this very generous gift. The money will allow us to have much more coaching than we could have afforded, helping us on our journey to be the best we can be. Moving forward, ACS will award up to $1,500.00 as a coaching scholarship to a qualifying chorus at every Area 5 AC&C. For more information on the criteria of this program, please contact Angie Morton at president@acappellashowcase.org. | |||
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On May 28, 2022, A Cappella Showcase (ACS) performed their two contest songs before an audience and a panel of judges they hadn’t seen live for two entire years. Therefore, we were astonished to be declared the Area 5 Harmony, Inc. 2022 Chorus Champions, while achieving the highest score ever in an Area 5 Contest! More excitement followed as we learned that two other trophies were awarded to ACS: the Bonnie Barber Memorial Award and the Louise Malison Memorial Chorus Award. These beautiful trophies are respectively given to the chorus with the Highest Singing Score and the Highest Performance Score. After a mandatory hiatus imposed by the recent pandemic, A Cappella Showcase only started rehearsing their contest songs, live, last February and on a lovely Saturday in April, received special coaching from David Wright, an amazingly talented musician, composer, writer and arranger which most certainly contributed to our winnings. Want to experience the thrill of singing four-part a cappella harmony with a winning and highly entertaining chorus? Just email our membership team at membership@acappellashowcase.org to learn more on how to book your spot on our risers! | |||
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Join us for a day of barbershop music, education, friends and fun! We are thrilled to help with part of the planning of this event. More details to come so be sure to follow our Facebook page to stay posted on updates. | |||
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For more information, see: | www.facebook.com/ACappellaShowcase.ca |
Tickets: any chorus member, or call 416-271-1053 or email ACS.showtickets@gmail.com Did you miss the show? You can still watch it here Donations are being accepted for viewing via e-transfer (treasurer@acappellashowcase.org) or PayPal (http://www.paypal.me/acappellashowcase) | |||
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A Cappella Showcase is now welcoming Virtual Members ! |
A Cappella Showcase wins Gold at the 2019 Harmony, Inc. International Contest and Convention. Here is one of our winning songs. | |
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Cancelled due to COVID-19 |
Come join us Saturday November 25 ! For tickets contact Gabrielle at gmaas@cogeco.ca or phone 905-928-5033. | |||
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In November 2016, A Cappella Showcase was honoured to be named 2016 International Chorus Champions at Harmony Inc.'s International Contest and Convention. |
Join us for a great evening of music with Harmony Inc.'s 2016 Champions: Chorus Champions A Cappella Showcase and Quartet Champions Taken 4 Granite. Saturday, June 10 at 7:30 at Compass Point Bible Church, 1500 Kerns Rd., Burlington. Tickets Adults $25, Seniors and Students $20, Children 12 and Under FREE Contact Gabrielle at gmaas@cogeco.ca or phone 905-928-5033 | |||
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