St. John's Music and Arts Groups: Handbell Ringers  |  St. John's Chorale  |  Gospel Choir  Youth Choir  |  Theatre Arts NEWS FLASH! Get your copy of our "Ring in Christmas" CD. It makes a beautiful gift or will add to your enjoyment of the season's music in your own home. Just $15 if purchased at St. John's. Read More and Hear Samples For over twenty-five years, our handbell choirs have been ringing for services and special events at St. John’s. The initial three octaves of English Handbells made by Schulmerich were donated in memory of Shirley Ingram by her family, We now have 3 additional octaves and 4 octaves of handcimes. Our active program includes 3 handbell choirs: O'Neil - grades 6 to 8 practice Mondays from 6 to 7:30 p.m., Brass - grade 9 up, practice Sundays from 4 to 6 p.m. and Ingram - adults, practice Mondays from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. Our Handbell Program: Provides music for worship and community service; Provides fellowship and support for both youth and adults; Teaches a skill on a unique instrument; Teaches young people and adults how to read music; Encourages and fosters a good life experience - builds self-confidence, encourages service to others, develops social skills in a caring and supportive environment. Please visit the Handbell web page for the story of our handbell program and to hear the bells. For information please call our Handbell Director Carolyn Martin at 905 881 1140 or email bells001@rogers.com Carolyn Martin Handbell Director The St. John's Chorale: The St, John's Chorale is renowned as a professionally-led, volunteer based mixed voice choir, whose primary focus is offering Glory to God through music, and providing musical leadership to the Sunday 11:00 am weekly worship service at St. John's York Mills. They draw from an extensive repertoire ranging from plainsong to 21st Century compositions, with a firm commitment to excellence, and rooted in the wonderfully rich heritage of music from the Anglican tradition. Weekly anthems and service music are often presented a cappella. Carol Services are presented for Advent, Christmas and Easter. Our annual Passiontide Concert features major works, with soloists and instrumental ensemble accompaniment. For concerts and other special events the Chorale is sometimes joined by additional singers from the parish and wider community. Weekly rehearsals are on Thursdays 7:30 – 9:30 pm and Sunday at 10:30 am. For information please contact Robin Davis ph 905 428 3379. See our new web page! Passiontide Concert with Mark DuBois, internationally renowned lyric tenor, and the Canadian Sinfonietta to join the St. John's Choir in presenting J.S. Bach's immortal and beloved masterpiece, the St. John Passion, at 4:00 p.m., Palm Sunday, March 16th. Tickets can be reserved by calling 416 225 6611 Sunday March 16 @ 4pm.$20/$10 Students See our poster here St. John's Praise Team (aka. The Gospel Choir - 9:30 am Service): Our Praise Team is a group of young, energetic and dedicated singers who lead music for the 9:30 Sunday morning worship from September to June. This service is family oriented and definitely more fun than formal. We rehearse after the Sunday morning service. That's right, no mid-week rehearsal. It's a one day deal! That means we are there from 8:30 am Sunday morning until 12:30 pm. That includes a coffee break between the service and the rehearsal. Most of the members of our choir are theatre oriented and we often dramatize the gospel, arrange our own music and work with the youth choir. It is a wonderful opportunity to enhance sight reading and song writing skills. We also lead the congregation in a sing-along portion of the service where we teach new music and enjoy their favourite requests. A projector and screen (see photo to right) are used for most of our music, so that makes it very flexible for song selections. We join with the Chorale on occasion, making it a large, wonderful choir which gives us all an opportunity to sing music that is different from our usual Sunday service. There are opportunities for special concerts with other choirs including Musicfest with the handbell choirs and the Chorale. If you love music or have a desire to learn, the Gospel Choir will welcome you any time. We also encourage anyone who plays a musical instrument (e.g., guitar, drums, flute) to join our happy family. To God be our Glory. To join or learn more about the Gospel Choir, please contact the choir Director: Boni Strang See Our New Web Page! St. John's York Mills Youth Choir: The Youth Choir is a group of youth, between the ages of 6 and 15, who meet weekly to rehearse music that they perform with the Gospel Choir, the Chorale, and the Handbell Choirs at special Sunday services and for concerts. No prior musical experience is necessary; just the love of music and singing. In the past, the Youth Choir has learnt and performed a variety of music, including Goliath, Dona Nobis Pacem, many John Rudder Christmas anthems, The Days of Elijah. This is a great opportunity to learn to sing and read music in a welcoming environment. Rehearsals are held every Tuesday from 4:30 pm to 5:30 pm in the church. For more information, please contact the Youth Choir Director, Jennifer Tilk at 905-725-9633 or at jennifer.tilk@sympatico.ca St John's Theatre Arts: Director of Drama: Sally Armour Wotton Sally’s professional background and training was in the New York City theatre. She initiated the St. John’s Theatre Arts Program 18 years ago and also teaches courses in drama at the Toronto School of Theology, Queens Theological College and Centennial College. She facilitates performing arts events for worship, education or the workplace, across Canada, through her own organization, Sacred Acts. Her book Staging The Story is a basic resource for those interested in liturgical drama. See our new Theatre Arts Brochure for 2008 The St. John’s Youth Players: A multi-aged church based theatre group, established in 1985, offers classes in theatre arts (voice, improvisation / theatre games, mask and mime) for young people aged 9 through 18. This instructional program runs from September through April. All of the young people participate, as actors, in one or more major productions in the spring at the Toronto Centre For The Arts. They are supported by our experienced technical and design crew and have the opportunity to be involved in scene painting and other back stage creativity. The Youth Players perform during worship services periodically throughout the year. Some graduates of the youth program continue and become successful directors of our major family productions. Adults, those 16 years and up (& up) with five or more years experience, may join the St. John’s Seasoned Players. This group also performs during worship services and has participated in major productions. They have made a professional audiotape of plays from A Man Born To Be King, produced A Christmas Carol for Channel Ten television, and have taken productions on tour including performances at medium security prisons in Ontario. This past spring these Players wrote and performed their own monologues at the Toronto Centre of The Performing Arts. They perform annually in the lovely outdoor production of The Real Christmas Story.

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