Kappella Kyrie

Last weekend we were thrilled to welcome Grammy-nominated composer, Benedict Sheehan, for a three-day workshop in preparation for our upcoming concert. On May 13, we will perform Sheehan's "Second Antiphon" and share the stage with our young guests from Shumayela.

The weekend was a wonderful celebration of music, an opportunity to learn more about our art and a showcase of the strong choral community in Edmonton.

"My heart is full to bursting with northern hospitality! Heading home after four wonderful days in Edmonton doing workshops with the marvelous folks of Kappella Kyrie Slavic Chamber Choir and their inspired artistic director Melanie Turgeon." - Benedict Sheehan

We hope you will join us for PRAISE An Evening of Psalm Texts on May 13.

Tickets are on sale now!

Kappella Kyrie Slavic Chamber Choir is pleased to present PRAISE with special guests Shumayela, an Edmonton-based choir for treble and changing voices, part of the Kokopelli Choir family. The concert will be held on May 13 at 7:30 PM, at the First Presbyterian Church (10025 105 Street).

The evening's program is centred on American composer Leonard Bernstein’s Chichester Psalms. Leonard Bernstein was born to Ukrainian-Jewish parents from Rivne, Ukraine. Kappella Kyrie and Shumayela will perform a version scored for organ, harp, and percussion, with a treble solo performed by Shumayela’s young soloist, Alena Malykhina. Shumayela and Kappella Kyrie will also jointly perform Grammy-nominated composer, Benedict Sheehan’s “Second Antiphon” and Brazilian composer Ernani Aguiar’s Salmo 150.

This program aims to feature living composers. Psalm texts are prolific in the services of the Eastern Christian Church and will include excerpts from the Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom and Vespers from Ukrainian-Canadian composer Roman Hurko, two Grammy-nominated composers, Benedict Sheehan and Kurt Sander, among others. Tickets for PRAISE are $25 (general admission), $20 (student/senior), and free for 12 and under. Tickets are available in advance online at eventbrite.ca or at the door. 

"The wait was worth it", writes Macro Levytsky.

Click here to read the full review from New Pathways Ukrainian News: https://newpathway.ca/kappella-kyrie-shines-with-the-true-light/

Click here to read the full article on the Edmonton Journal website.

Yurii Hryorash  joins the St. Josephat's Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral Choir to sing the Divine Liturgy. Yurii will also be performing with Kappella Kyrie on Saturday, Nov 26 2022 at the West End Christian Reformed Church.

$22,000 was raised by Kappella Kyrie and the Richard Eaton Singers at their June 19 Peace and Reconciliation concert at the Winspear Centre for Music in Edmonton. These funds were donated in the form of grocery cards to the Ukrainian Canadian Social Services. 

Here is a link to a news article that was printed in the "New Pathways" (Ukrainian) newspaper.
https://newpathway.ca/kappella-kyrie-raises-22000-for-ucss-edmonton/

Kappella Kyrie is accepting new choristers for upcoming season. Please contact Dr. Melanie Turgeon (Melanie.Turgeon@kingsu.ca) to schedule time for a voice placement.

On July 5, Kappella Kyrie was proud to perform the "Kontakion" at the 2022 General Assembly for the Christian & Missionary Alliance in Canada.

Click here to read the full review from New Pathways Ukrainian News: https://newpathway.ca/a-choral-tribute-to-ukraine-in-edmonton/

On June 19, 2022, Kappella Kyrie, along with the Richard Eaton Singers performed our "Peace and Reconciliation" concert at the Winspear as a fundraiser for Ukrainian refugees in Edmonton. The concert was a great success. We were honored to have the Consul General of Ukraine In Edmonton, Mr. Oleksandr Danyleiko along with over 800 people joined us. The concert raised over $22,000.

This past weekend, Kappella Kyrie's own Dr. Melanie Turgeon and the Richard Eaton Singers' Music Director Leonard Ratzlaff were interviewed about our upcoming concert by Orest Soltykevychon on his CKUA show "Raising Voices."

Tickets are still available for the performance on June 18: CLICK HERE

In preparation for our joint concert with the Richard Eaton Singers on June 19th at the Winspear Centre, Kappella Kyrie director Dr. Melanie Turgeon guest-conducted a rehearsal for RES this past week.

To get tickets for this reflective performance, click here.

To conclude their season, Kappella Kyrie is delighted to collaborate with the Richard Eaton Singers in a program of Slavonic music emanating from Ukraine, as well as other repertoire on the theme of Peace and Reconciliation.

"Peace and Reconciliation" - Sunday, June 19, 2022, 4pm

Winspear Centre
4 Sir Winston Churchill Square
Edmonton

Richard Eaton Singers
Kappella Kyrie, Guest Choir
Leonard Ratzlaff, Conductor

As difficult as this last year has been, Kappella Kyrie has continued with a modified rehearsal schedule as the AHS guidelines permitted through a combination of online live streaming and in person octets. 

It's great to be back rehearsing together both in person and online! Under the direction and innovation of Dr. Melanie Turgeon, we have already started preparing for the first concert in our 2020/21 season:

"Seen the True Light", An Evening with Ukrainian baritone, Yurii Hryhorash - featuring Dr. Leanne Regehr on piano, and Dr. Marnie Giesbrecht on organ.

Saturday, February 6 2021 - 7:30pm, West End Christian Reformed Church, 10015 - 149 Street Edmonton, Alberta