Dear friend of Elektra,
Elektra Live in Concert:
Fresh, Joyful, New - and Familiar!  On Monday nights the vaulted space of Ryerson United Church is filled with glorious music and the familiar collective concentration - and inevitable laughter - of rehearsal as 50 Elektra singers and Artistic Director Morna Edmundson work to perfect the music for the choir's upcoming concerts, Chez Nous: Christmas with Elektra.
"Each year, when I choose the music for Chez Nous, I want it to immerse the listener in beautiful, familiar Christmas melodies and at the same time be fresh, joyful, and new," explains Morna. "With our guests this year, the amazing and energetic Borealis String Quartet, we will be showcasing some brand new carol arrangements by Ed Henderson, Cameron Wilson, and Stephen Smith."
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 | | Surrey Children's Choir |
Also joining Elektra as guest ensemble is the Surrey Children's Choir under the direction of Stephen Horning. Praised by critics for their
"disciplined musicality, mastery of dynamics and purity of tone", the Surrey Children's Choir is recognized as one of the leading youth ensembles of the Lower Mainland and we are thrilled to welcome them to Chez Nous.
Elektra is singing two performances of Chez Nous on Saturday, November 26. Our matinee performance (2pm) is at Queens Avenue United Church in New Westminster. The church is a wonderful place to hear music, with good sight lines and warm sound. If you're in the Burnaby/New West/Tr-Cities/Surrey area then this venue is perfect for you. We are also offering a special $10 Youth price for the matinee performance only. Adult tickets are $28 and Seniors are $22.
Click here for more information about the 2pm matinee and to purchase tickets!
If you're in the Vancouver/Richmond/Delta/North Shore area, then our 7:30pm performance (also on November 26) at Ryerson United Church is for you. This gracious stone church has been our rehearsal home since we began and we love it for its warm accoustics and historic beauty. Adult tickets are $28 and Senior/Students tickets are $22.
Click here for more information about the 7:30pm evening show and to purchase tickets!
Chez Nous: Christmas with Elektra Saturday November 26, 2011
2pm * Queens Avenue United Church 529 Queens Ave (at 6th St), New Westminster
Adults $28 | Seniors $22 | Youth $10 7:30pm * Ryerson United Church 2195 W45 Ave, Vancouver Adults $28 | Seniors & Students $22 Tickets available through Brown Paper Tickets 1.800.838.3006, choir members, and the Elektra office 604.739.1255  | | Elektra in rehearsal for Chez Nous: Christmas with Elektra |
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Elektra Instrumental in Securing $35,000 for Ryerson Improvements
City of Vancouver Cultural Infrastructure Program
Elektra, like many other choral and music organizations presents concerts at Ryerson United Church, which is known as a fine music performance space with fine accoustics. Elektra, in partnership with Ryerson United Church, and with the support of many other choral and music organizations, requested support from the City of Vancouver Cultural Infrastructure Program for planned improvements to the sanctuary space. These include structural assessment, lighting, HVAC, and electrical system upgrades, and more.
This application was submitted last June and a lot of people have been holding their collective breath ever since! We are delighted to share that the application was successful. The Assessment Committee noted the importance of Ryerson to the choral and music community and appreciated the collaboration between the cultural organizations and the Church to improve this valued performance venue.
Morna is elated at this success. "I am absolutely thrilled that Elektra is able to take a lead role in Ryerson Church's planned improvements to the sanctuary for all Vancouver music groups!" she enthuses. "We've been singing in that beautiful acoustic for 20 years and the days of squeaky floors, flickering lights, inadequate electricity, and inflexible space for performers seem to be numbered at last."
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Exciting Developments on our Facebook Page
 | | Elektra's Facebook Page |
Friends of Elektra on Facebook, we've added some recent fun things that you may not have seen yet!
Elektra Music Store on Facebook We've now integrated the CDBaby music store right into the Elektra Facebook page itself. You can view all our albums, listen to samples, "like" a particular track, and purchase your favourite track or album right on Facebook! Click on "MusicStore" in the vertical menu under our photo, or
click here.
Post a Christmas-y Photo Contest Another fun thing we've added is a photo contest with a great prize: 2 tickets to Chez Nous plus our Christmas CD of the same name! Just upload your own "Christmas-y" photo and tell us in 50 words or less why it makes you feel Christmas-y. It might be of fresh snow on the Lions, or family unwrapping presents, or Christmas on a tropical beach - whatever Christmas means to you. Approved photos will appear within 24 hours (but probably sooner than that) and the winner will be chosen by votes from Facebook users, so share it and get your friends to vote for your pic!
Click on Contest! in the vertical menu under our photo, or click here.
Contest ends Tuesday November 22 at noon. Winner will be contacted by email, at which point you must tell us whether you prefer to attend the matinee performance (2pm at Queens Avenue United Church, New Westminster) or the 7:30pm show at Ryerson United Church, Vancouver. Your CD will be waiting for you at Will Call, along with your tickets.
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Chez Nous - the CD!
 | | our latest Christmas CD |
Elektra's latest CD, Chez Nous: Christmas with Elektra, features our rerelease of Benjamin Britten's gorgeous Ceremony of Carols with harpist Rita Costanzi, as well as carefully chosen highlights from recent Chez Nous concerts.
These include:
* Stephen Smith's ravishing arrangement of Lo, How a Rose E'er Blooming as well as his beautiful Three in White: a suite of songs about snow.
*Ed Henderson's Star Song (poetry by Luci Shaw) 
* Daniel Kantor's Night of Silence
and several more!
This CD is the perfect stocking stuffer, holiday hostess gift, Christmas present - or a great present just for yourself to enjoy as you prepare for the festive season! It's available through the Elektra website, on CDBaby, and iTunes.
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Opportunities for Singers & Conductors
but hurry - December deadlines are approaching!
Mira Mentorship Program for High School Aged Singers | Dec 10 deadline
Are you a high school-aged young woman who wants the opportunity to rehearse and sing with one of the best women's choirs in the world? Then Elektra's Mira program is for you! There are 12 spots open for qualified applicants and Mira singers will perform selected repertoire in our Pure Elektra concert this coming spring. All the details about the audition and the application form are on the Elektra website here. You must complete all three of the application requirements by December 10 and the list of the 12 successful applicants will be available by January 3, 2012. Good luck!
Conductor Mentorship Program 2012 | Dec 15 deadline Are you a choral conductor who would like to train under the direction of Elektra's amazing Artistic Director, Morna Edmundson, explore the genre of women's music, and experience what it's like to work with Elektra? Then our Conductor Mentorship program is aimed squarely at you! Two Active Participants will be chosen for the program which includes activities in January and February. All the details about the application process are on the Elektra website here.
January 21 Women's Choral Workshop | Dec 16 early bird registration cut off Save $6 by signing up early!
Elektra is the special guest at an upcoming Women's Choral Workshop hosted by Bellingham's Allegra Women's Choir (Ann MacDonald, Director) on January 21 in Bellingham, WA. Guest clinicians include our own Artistic Director, Morna Edmundson, mezzo-soprano Fabiana Katz, and Ann MacDonald, director of Allegra and Founder of Bellingham Sings.
Early registration costs $39 USD until December 16, so register now! Click here for all the details and to register!
 | | Women's Choral Workshop |
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Connections
Whether by mail, email, Twitter, Facebook, or YouTube, we love hearing from you!
Did you know that your comments are always welcome, and that we have several ways for you to reach us? If you read something that you enjoy on the Elektra blog, feel free to leave a comment. You can find the Elektra blog by clicking on the RSS icon on the Elektra site. (That's the button that looks like this:  ) or you may click on this link.
Elektra's Facebook Page is a going concern, full of comments, posts, photos, and general newsy bits, perfect for checking out while enjoying your morning coffee. Feel free to join in the conversation. 
We're on YouTube as well. 
If comments in 140 characters are more your style, follow Elektra on Twitter. We're @ElektraYVR and we'd love to connect. 
If you feel moved to write a review of a concert, we'd love to see it! Email it to us and we may post it to our website. Of course, you can also send us a card or a note through the mail. Our address is Elektra Women's Choir, 949 W49th Ave, Vancouver BC V5Z 2T1. Whichever way you choose to interact with us, we'd love to hear from you! Elektra couldn't exist without the generous support of people like you; people who believe that choral music is important enough to support. Please consider making a donation to Elektra. Every donation helps and no amount is too small.
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