CANTORES CELESTES
Cantores Celestes Maritimes was formed in June 2022 with 14 singers. We now have 24 and are looking forward to growing our members in the very near future. We are building on the 30 year tradition of Cantores Celestes Toronto. Cantores Celestes began in Toronto and celebrated its 30th Anniversary season, and final Toronto Concert, in 2019. Cantores Celestes Maritimes has a partnership with the Saint John Men's Chorus delighting audiences with classical music from all eras.
Cantores Celestes does not rely on government grants to subsidize its activities. Audience attendance and sponsorships in the form of concert advertising ads are truly responsible for the continuing success of this highly trained and enthusiastic choir. The cost of admission is a small price to pay to ensure that inspirational music continues to be an integral part of community life.
Over the years, Cantores Celestes Toronto has donated over $60,000 to various charities. Cantores Celestes has appeared on CBC Radio One & Radio Two, recorded music for three films, and has released seven CDs. The choir performed at Avery Fisher Hall at the Lincoln Center in New York, in Toronto at the Sony Centre, and in New York at Carnegie Hall under the direction of Sir John Rutter. They also toured Atlantic Canada and performed in many communities throughout Ontario. They were the only women's choir invited to sing in the 1,000 - performer production of R. Murray Schafer's Apocalypsis for the 2015 Luminato Festival at Toronto's Sony Centre, and sang at a special tribute concert in 2018 at the Arts and Letters Club in Toronto honouring his music.
If you are interested in joining this committed, delightful group of treble singers, please contact us at:
cantorescelestes@hotmail.com
https://www.youtube.com/user/cantorescelestes
www.cantorescelestes.com
KELLY GALBRAITH, Artistic Director & Conductor
Choral Music has always been a passion of Cantores Celestes director Kelly Galbraith. Since her childhood she has not only sung in choirs, but as a student in high school was music director and organist at a local church in Saint John. While a student at Mount Allison, she had opportunities to conduct the Mt. A Women's Choir and it was that experience that shaped her quest to discover the greatest beauty that choral music offers.
Her work life has been closely connected to CBC Radio. She began her career as Music Consultant for CBC International Relations and from that position gained experience as producer for 'Choral Concert' and 'Saturday Afternoon at the Opera' and she organized the 'CBC Choral Competition for Amateur Choirs.' Kelly was the Senior Producer for the classical music program 'Music & Company' and produced a special radio day celebrating the 500th Anniversary of the Life and Times of Thomas Tallis. When CBC Radio began to broadcast on Sirius, Kelly was involved with its development. Besides conducting Cantores Celestes, the choir she founded thirty years ago, she was the conductor of the mixed voice Manulife Financial Choir (twenty -nine years) and the first ever conductor of the CBC Complaints Choir. Kelly loves broadcasting and is currently a freelance producer working for CBC RadioTwo, the Digital CBC Music Channels as well as producer of the CBC Classroom Music Challenge. For many years she was also programmer for CBC/StingRay Classical Music Galaxie channels 'Opera Plus' and 'Classic Masters.' Kelly was the guest conductor for the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir's 2011 Singsation, teaching and conducting Faure's Requiem. She has been the organist and music director of various churches in Toronto teaching singers age 3 to 93. She also produced a World Music Sunday Series featuring the best musicians in Toronto.
Cantores Celestes
CANTORES CELESTES STRING QUARTET
Cantores Celestes String Quartet made their debut on Dec 10, 2022 in Saint John as the resident string quartet for Cantores Celestes Maritimes and the Saint John Men’s Chorus. We are delighted that these very gifted musicians who have very busy careers in Atlantic Canada based out of Saint John are once again an intrical part of our music making! Thank you Jane Quinn & Christ Reibling on violin, Susannah McKenzie-Sutter viola and John Buckley cello for sharing your talents with us.
DR. KEVIN LANGFORD, Accompanist
We are thrilled to announce that Dr. Kevin Langford is one of
Cantores Celestes' collaborative accompanists as we begin our new incarnation in Saint John. Dr. Langford was involved as director of the Saint John Rotary Boys Choir and the Saint John Rotary Young Men’s Ensemble for over 30 years. He founded the Rothesay- Kings Rotary Girls Choir in 1989 and continued to work with the choir as co-director and accompanist until it ceased operations in 2017. He spent over 35 years as a highly respected music teacher and his choirs won many awards. Dr. Langford is also director of music at St. Luke’s Anglican Church in Saint John, a much respected member of the Saint John Men's Chorus under the leadership of Kelly Galbraith. Dr. Langford is a member of St. Mary's band. Among many distinguished accolades, Dr. Langford was bestowed a Doctor of Letters honoris causa in 2003 and the 2020 New Brunswick Choral Federation Distinguished Service Award. Welcome aboard!
Maritimes