The People Behind The Music
CRSP has a long history in which conductors, choristers, and instrumentalists have played a part. In each article, we will introduce our audience to one or more members of this cast of characters.
Peter-Anthony Togni
Date of article: April 2024
One of the big highlights in our 2024 Spring concert is the premiere of Togni's Magnificat which was recently commissioned by the late Jane Perry, CRSP's former Artistic Director. Mr Togni served as CRSP's Artistic Director from 1985-1987 and will be coming to Calgary to conduct this piece in the flesh!
Here a very brief summary of some of Peter-Anthony's accomplishments during his long and successful career.
Peter-Anthony's music is spiritually rooted in contemplative, ranging from the ethereally quiet to the explosive outer limits of contemplation. One of Canada's busiest contemporary composers, Juno nominated Togni has toured internationally and his music is regularly broadcast worldwide. His works have been released on XXI Records, CBC Records, Hanssler Classics, Warner Classics UK and ECM.
He is also a well known Canadian broadcaster. Recent recordings include Estuary (2015, ECMA nomination 2016) and Sea Dreams (2020, Juno nomination 2021). The work Responsio won the 2014 Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia Masterworks Arts Award, was released on ATMA classique and was nominated for a 2016 Juno Award.
Peter-Anthony played at the 53rd Magadino International Organ Festival in Switzerland in 2015, a festival co-founded by his father the late Victor Togni. His opera Isis and Osiris, Gods of Egypt, premiered during Opera in Concert's 2016 season. Sea Dreams, for choir and two flutes, premiered in Calgary in 2018 and won the 2021 ECMA for Classical Composition of the Year. Living Flame of Love premiered in Edmonton in 2019. In September 2021 Blackwood (a duo with Peter-Anthony and Jeff Reilly, bass clarinetist) released their debut recording Lost and Found. Voice of the Weaver, a commission for Jeff Reilly and choir, with texts by Mi'kmaq poet Mary Louise Martin, premiered in Canada in 2022 with the Elora Singers. Togni's Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom will premiere in Toronto in November of 2024 with the Elemer Iseler Singers and the Elora Singers with a recording to follow.
Originally from Pembroke, Ontario, he currently resides in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, where he composes and teaches at Acadia University School of Music, is organist and choirmaster at St. Benedict Parish and one half of the duo Blackwood.
Erin Masleck
Date of article: November 2023
Meet Erin Masleck - Stay-At-Home Mom, Singer, Musician and now our new General Manager!
A stay-at-home mom to William, 10, and Julia, 7, for 10 years, Erin has bravely stepped into the role of General Manager for CRSP since last Spring. Enthusiasm, talent and a fine work ethic accompanied her as she moved back into the workforce part time. Note her graphic skills on our beautiful poster promoting our December 3rd concert.
Music inspiration: A deep history of instrumental playing, begun in Junior High, with the challenges of the french horn, trumpet and classical guitar (later), precedes her recent discovery of the splendor of choral music and early music instruments such as the harpsichord and recorder. Besides her work with CRSP as GM and Producer of our upcoming concert, she is the co-founder of Concino Chorus and Collaborative Art Society in Calgary, which performs contemporary and classical music. She is very proud of the fact that her newly found passion is transforming into a professional endeavour.
Erin's eclectic musical discoveries and "Do It" determination reflect a personality which embraces many of the wonders of our world. This photo shows her with her 22 year old Kenyan boa, Mr. SnakeLson . Welcome aboard Erin!
Colin Redekop
Date of article: April 2023
Meet Colin Redekop - Organist, Singer, Musician and Accompanist Extrodinaire!
Colin Redekop has served as CRSP's Accompanist for the 2022-23 season. An organist, Colin obtained his Master of Music degree from the University of Calgary. He is active in Calgary's music scene as Assistant Organist at Christ Church Elbow Park, and also accompanies and sings with Spiritus Chamber Choir.
Colin takes great pride in performing music that speaks to people and sees his music as a gift to those he cares about. He does not shy away from conducting the occasional rehearsal when the occasion arises, in addition to accompanying our group weekly.
We asked Colin what he likes to do in his free time. He told us he has been running (competetively) for 15 years, reporting that this keeps him healthy in spite of nine times he has dislocated his shoulder! He is finally booked for surgery and so will be unable to perform with us on May 7th.
We at CRSP have enjoyed working with Colin, a talented and witty musician, and are happy that he is getting some help with that cantankerous shoulder!
Paul Grindlay
Date of article: November 2022
Meet CRSP’s Acting Artistic Director - Singer,
Choral Director, Clinician, Adjudicator
Life and love share two letters,
In an enduring union that begins and ends together
From the poem How Then Shall I Measure Life?
Paul Grindlay, January 2019
Paul, a holistic and philosophical thinker and student of life's wonders, observes relationships in many aspects of the world we inhabit- not the least, between music and nature. “They share essence - an infinite dazzling array of diversity and possibilities - limitless birth, reproduction, transmission- simple, but the manifestation is diverse and dazzling.”
An accomplished angler who guides hopeful fly fishermen over 35 times a year, he feels humbled and in awe of these God-given connections between his two passions. Indeed, he would “give an arm to see North America before people arrived”.
In his newly minted role as CRSP’s Interim Artistic Director, grateful for the trust we have all placed in him while Jane Perry is on leave, he would love to time travel to that earlier time where no TV, electricity, or phones existed - earthy and immediate, where people built community by growing vegetables and singing together about their pursuits. While history is evolving constantly, Paul believes that we need to move forward in an inclusive way that addresses our diversity. This is reflected in the musical choices that are featured in our upcoming concert which encompass several centuries and countries. These ideas will “hopefully move our civilization forward”.
Eclectic tastes? A favourite? Elvis, of course, though he does not sing his music. “I could never be more Elvis than Elvis.” Paul feels it more important for all to be “the you that only you can be”.
Paul, a truly “Renaissance Man”, begins his poem with:
How then shall I measure a life?
In year, kilometres, calories,
In loaves of bread and wine bottles
In achievements and accolades,
Income or possessions?
No indeed,
Measure it rather in love!
Richard & Sandy Willot
Date of article: April 2022
Richard (Tenor) and Sandy (Alto) Willott are the choir’s Dynamic Duo!
What motivated your participation in CRSP?
Married for almost 52 years, and members since 1986, church choirs and family involvement in music since childhood inspired a love of choral singing. Pumped by a wonderful experience in an Australian choir, they were on the lookout for a musical challenge upon their return to Canada. A chance meeting and an invitation to a CRSP social convinced them that they had found a musical home.
Dick's creation of MIDI files for our members, and Sandy's video submissions to the "Stay at Home Choir - England" and classical guitar training, have continued to stimulate growth and interest during these COVID years. Feed into that mix several musical camps abroad, including a more recent one in Italy, and you have two very enthusiastic singers. Our songbirds ground all of this in an appreciation of the Renaissance period and of polyphonic music as they chirp along with a "lovely group of people", says Sandy.
Community Engagement
Dick and Sandy are active community members. Sandy's support of her grandchildren's learning during COVID and her years of teaching English and support of new Canadians demonstrate her commitment to community. Dick's production and distribution of posters defending Alberta Parks and the closure of mines champion environmental issues close to his heart. If there is spare time, hiking in our beautiful mountains rejuvenates these two.
CRSP
Sandy and Dick have generously contributed their musical talents, energy and countless hours in a variety of roles to CRSP over the decades, including Business Manager, Librarian, Concert Producer, and Treasurer, to name a few. How fortunate we have been!
Llyn Strelau
Date of article: November 2021
Llyn Strelau was thrilled to receive four awards for three of his jewellery designs in the 2021 American Gem Trade Association's "Spectrum Awards".
First place, Classical, for "Luxuriant" Sautoir; 3rd place, Business/Day Wear and Best Use of Platinum and Colour for "Dreamweaver" neckpiece and Manufacturing Honours for "Knotty" cufflinks.
Marcia Jenneth Epstein
Date of article: November 2021
Marcia’s book, Sound and Noise: A Listener's Guide to Everyday Life, was recently featured in a book launch by Calgary's Shelf Life Books. There was a lively discussion on acoustic ecology, urban noise and how to deal with it, the legacy of Canadian composer and soundscape theorist R. Murray Schafer, and how musical activity provides a model for overcoming the competitive social paradigms of capitalism. (Shelf Life Books has copies, and books make great holiday gifts!)
Weyman Chan
Date of article: November 2021
Hearty congratulations to bass Weyman Chan who just won the Latner Writers’ Trust Poetry Prize! This award is given to a mid-career poet in recognition of a remarkable body of work, and in anticipation of future contributions to Canadian Poetry. Weyman read his poem, Mother & Child of Christmas Past, at our “Renaissance Evensong" concert last December. CLICK HERE for more details!
John van Leeuwen
Date of article: April 16, 2021
Meet one of our Instrumentalists!
Instrument: Recorder and Baroque Oboe
Member since: 1982
Musical Inspiration/ Background: Surrounded by music in his Netherlands community all his childhood, John studied recorder for 9 years. Decades of practice have resulted in beautiful, lyrical, fluid, performances.
Benefits of Being a CRSP Member: It is a joy to research and select the music for the period being featured in a concert and then to work hard to perform the music well.
Scariest Musical Moments: Auditioning for an instrument maker as a prerequisite to constructing a period instrument for him. Being informed by the conductor as he walked on the CRSP stage that the selection had been lowered a tone. Breaking news- John passed both tests!
Something to Look Forward To: Post COVID, performing at concerts on his numerous instruments armed with Joan Kent’s patient coaching, after recovering from a catastrophic hand injury while woodworking.
Jane Perry
Date of article: December 2, 2020
Huzzah! Meet our Artistic Director!
Clad in crisp jeans, a favorite t-shirt, and maybe even a colorful tie, Jane steps to the Director’s podium, donning her ever encouraging broad smile, and greets her eager singers with a cheery hello. Her confident stance, humour, and understanding of her mission will delight and focus everyone in the room. For the next two hours, she will share tidbits about the origins of the music, and paint vivid images which elicit from each member the sound or dynamic that she is seeking.
Her love of the Renaissance period, its connections to the many other musical traditions - jazz, contemporary, chamber, and even country - cultures, and historical periods, will provide a fresh approach to her well seasoned choir members, and enlightenment to those new to Renaissance music.
She does not shy away from demonstrating those connections, as seen in concerts involving Middle Eastern cultures (Music of Three Faiths, 2013), jazz (The Saxophone and The Sacred, 2012), Indigenous music, and in groundbreaking work with High Performance Rodeo four years ago.
So, what and who has informed Jane’s pizzazz and style?
Her early inspiration was Laurence Ewashko, an Ottawa conductor, and she has followed the work of great Canadian conductors such as Lydia Adams. From mentors of this caliber, she learned strategies for coaxing the best out of singers, through humor, stories, analogies, physical gestures and kindness. While respectful of formal conducting training, her own organic development blossomed from a “just do it” attitude.
Though she began piano at 4, her serendipitous introduction to conducting grew from her work accompanying the junior choir at her family church. A chance invitation from a Unitarian Minister whetted her appetite. Numerous opportunities to conduct followed. She founded Tone Cluster, an Ottawa choir, where she was Artistic Director for ten years. In 2010 she moved to Calgary and assumed her current position as Music Director of Calgary Unitarians; in addition, she became the Founding Director of One Voice Chorus. This journey dashed her aspirations to become a boxer at age ten. Lucky Calgary!
Jane boasts a Master of Music Degree (chamber music performance) from the University of Ottawa, and an Associate Diploma (piano performance) from the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto.
Not surprisingly, Jane feels very much at home in the collaborative Calgary scene, grounded in the city’s “can do” mentality. She believes that collaboration between musical groups and musical cultures can be a vehicle for strengthening the social fabric of the city and sees great potential for such collaborations in support of Reconciliation efforts and the Black Lives Matter movement.
Quiet moments involve obeying her cats’ whims, cooking with Cora, and ruminating in her garden about how to save the world with a heavy dose of love!
Dr. Tony Petti
Date of Article: September 27, 2020
Meet our choir’s Founder!
Visionary, charismatic leader, musical genius, dynamic organizer--these are just some of the qualities that Dr. Anthony Gaetano Petti (Tony), CRSP Founder and first Artistic Director, embodied.
In 1969, Tony had been appointed as a university professor, specializing in Medieval and Renaissance Studies at the University of Calgary. His first assignment – a public lecture, intended to paint a picture of this robust period, set the stage for the development of CRSP.
Singers and Players were recruited. He conducted early vocal and instrumental rehearsals on the top floor of his home. Stories abound involving choir members dragging church pews and heaving a piano up a narrow, winding staircase to accommodate preparations for concerts. His four children, and an accompanying hamster, occasionally wandered through the rehearsal, adding colour, warmth and fun to these early exercises. Costumes were created, a set formula for the concert organized, and on-stage props, including food (often chicken legs) and drink, were obtained. As the curtain was raised it exposed a period of history quite foreign to the appreciative audience.
Tony became head of the English Dept. two years after his arrival. His former energetic pursuit of original manuscripts in Europe and the US in 1959, (thanks to a Harkness Commonwealth Fellowship), as well as his many publications, were the basis of the D. Lit. he later achieved.
The passion for his work was honed as a child. From a small Italian family, Tony's grandfather founded a whole neighbourhood (now called "Little Italy") in London (UK). He was educated by Jesuits, and, at age 18, founded a soccer league for altar boys. Later, he sang in and then conducted the University of London Catholic Choir. The community life of the Renaissance period, later dramatically revealed in his concerts, in many ways reflected this diverse background into which he was born, as well as his strong musical talents and organizational skills.
CRSP continues to benefit from the vision and energy that Dr. Petti poured into its development.
Enjoy this historical video from 1984 featuring Dr. Petti conducting a live CRSP concert. Some choir members in this video are still going strong singing in the choir today!