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Wednesday, May 1, 2013

Ensemble Lyrica Directed by Brent Fifield: May 5 Concert, St. Johns Church Ancaster


The Redeemer College Choir is on tour this week in southern Ontario. Travelling with the group is Brent Fifield, music teacher and adjunct faculty member at Redeemer. It’s a busy week for Fifield. The day after returning from the tour, he has an exciting show of his own to direct in Ancaster, with Ensemble Lyrica.

Ensemble Lyrica is Brent Fifield’s special performing group comprised of singers whom he has come to know and respect over the years. Originally from St. Johns, Newfoundland, Fifield came to Ontario for his music degree at UWO. He completed his Masters in organ performance at U of T in 1999, and then returned down east to work as a elementary school music teacher in Truro, Nova Scotia.

Ontario beckoned again. Fifield became the Music Director at Trinity Anglican Church in Cambridge. He became an active participant in the local choral music scene.

Ensemble Lyrica is a 26 member choir of “very fine amateurs” with the simple mission of providing a venue to learn and perform good music. According to member Nicole Smith, “It's a neat group because most of the people in it either have oodles of choral experience or direct a choir of their own or both.” The group also made a point of not charging a membership fee when it began two years ago, but dedicates half of its concert earnings to a selected charity.


Two concerts are presented. Rehearsals begin in October for a December concert, and in February for the May concert. Nice and simple; but the dedication of the members makes it work. Using this “minimalist” management style, Fifield and his choir have determined that there would be no pre-concert printing and selling of tickets. At the door it is “pay what you can”. In this case it has worked out very well. Last fall, Ensemble Lyrica performed at Central Presbyterian and was able to donate $400 to St. Matthew’s House.

The charity for this weekend’s performance is to be announced.

Ensemble Lyrica performs Sunday, May 5 at 3:00 pm at St. John’s historic church, 272 Wilson Street East in Ancaster. The choir sang at St. John’s for an evensong service earlier this year. Fifield is glad to be able to present this performance at the historic location. The Sunday afternoon in May promises to be the perfect setting for a spring program.

The concert is simply titled “Singing in May.” Fifield describes the program as, “A John Laing piece, some new music, and some old standards.”

Fifield continues, “Ensemble Lyrica has members ranging in ages from early thirties to mid sixties. A variety of professions are represented in our membership, including medical professionals, an organist, a newspaper reporter, public health worker, and teachers. Members come from as far as Oakville. We are well balanced between soprano, alto, tenor, and bass.” Singing in May, a concert by Ensemble Lyrica St. John Anglican Church, 272 Wilson St. E. Ancaster Sunday, May 5, 3:00 pm Pay as you can in support of the choir and a select charity.

Glen T Brown is the creator of HamiltonMusician.com Google

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