On Saturday, October 24, Sirens will be heading to Amherst, NS to spend the day with conductor and clinician Jeff Joudrey. This marks our first full-day workshop opportunity!

Entitled “Building a Better Choral Ensemble: Getting To The Heart Of The Music”, the workshop will consist of a discussion around the use of various key choral/vocal components that will ensure the continued growth of Sirens as an ensemble. Music from our upcoming concert program, Exaltation (stay tuned for more info!), will be used as a jumping off point for discussion, allowing us to get to the heart of the music and of course, deliver stronger performances in January!

A true leader in Canada’s choral community, we’re delighted to be working with Mr. Joudrey: A native of Nova Scotia, Jeff Joudrey studied organ at Acadia University and the Haarlem International Academy in the Netherlands before attending McGill University to study with organists John Grew and Raymond Daveluy. Jeff is highly regarded for his vision, musical leadership, and standards of excellence in choral music. He is the Artistic Director of the Halifax Camerata Singers, which he founded in 1986, and under his direction the choir has developed an enviable reputation for performance excellence and innovative programming. Jeff is Director of Music at Trinity – St. Stephen’s United Church, Amherst, and Chorus Master of the Symphony Nova Scotia Chorus. He is past president of Choral Canada (formerly the Association of Canadian Choral Communities) and a former president of the Nova Scotia Choral Federation.

After three years of hard work, Sirens is thrilled to have developed a resume that allows the ensemble to secure funding and to participate in such a workshop. Funding for this project is administered by the PEI Council of the Arts, on behalf of the Department of Tourism & Culture.