Background:
Castenchel derives its musical-sounding name, not, as some may think, from a medieval source, but rather from a contraction of syllables found in three Gatineau River Valley communities: Cascades, Tenaga, and Chelsea. Our membership comes primarily from the lower Gatineau River Valley, from the Village of Low down to the City of Gatineau, with a majority from the Chelsea - Wakefield area.
The Choir was founded in 1980 when a group of persons from the area sang for an ecumenical service. After the event they decided to keep singing, and Castenchel will soom mark its 30th anniversary.
We perform a wide repertoire of choral music ranging from old Slavonic Orthodox music through classical and modern. Over the years Castenchel has performed in some 15 languages.
Choral Activities:
Musical performances include mainly the autumn concert, Christmas and Easter events (concerts and ecumenical service), and year-end concerts. There are also other special concerts or events with other choirs, etc.
Other Activities:
In addition to singing, we have several social events including a fall wine and cheese get together, a Christmas Party following our Christmas concert, and a year-end party in June.
In the fall of 1999, Castenchel hosted a choir, "Les joyeux compagnons de Pau", from a city located in the South of France. As a part of our 20th anniversary celebrations, 23 members of Castenchel, together with 15 friends from the community, undertook a 3-concert tour of Southern France in October of 2000. The tour included visiting our friends from Pau and giving a joint Concert in an 11th-century Church.
In August of 2001, we hosted the Astra Choir from Brasov, Romania, and a number of members of Castenchel Choir participated in a Choral Festival in Brasov, Romania in August 2002. Afterwards the Choir toured Romania, Hungary, and the Czech Republic, concluding in Prague. During the tour the group had an opportunity to sing in a number of monasteries and Churches. After the success of the 2002 trip, the Choir returned to Brasov for the 2005 Choral Festival and a tour of Bulgaria and Vienna as well.
Venues, Rehearsals and Fees:
Castenchel's home location for concerts is the historic St. Stephen's Church in Old Chelsea. Our regular rehearsals are held Wednesday evenings from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. in the Chelsea Community Centre, 220 ch. Old Chelsea. Our season extends from the first week of September to the end of May.
Membership fees are $125 per year, payable at the beginning of the season. The fee covers hall rentals, music purchases, concert expenses, and other costs.
| The Choir's current executive members are: | |||
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President: | Dawn Young |
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| Music Director: | Gary Dahl | ||
| Vice President: | Michael Joyce | ||
| Treasurer: | John DuVernet | ||
| Secretary: | Suzanne Gibeault | ||
| Director of Special Projects: | Marieke Winkeldermaat | ||
| Gary Dahl, music director |
Carol Wiebe, accompanist |
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For information about Castenchel Choir, telephone Dawn Young at 819-459-3787.
Last updated: September 1, 2010
webmaster: neil.rask @ gmail.com