Chamber Choir preparing to sing its final notes

The curtain is about to fall on the longest-running musical program in Uxbridge. After 42 years, the Uxbridge Chamber Choir will take its final bow on April 7, at a “Grande Finale” concert.

The concert, at St. Paul’s Anglican Church, will feature “greatest hits” from past concerts over the years.

For the final concert, all past and present members of the Chamber Choir were invited to take part.

“The response has been amazing,” said Marg Cunningham, a co-president of the choir. “We have past choir members from years ago and far afield who just wanted to celebrate the achievements of the Chamber Choir and sing together one last time.”

The choir was founded 42 years ago by Tom Baker and his wife Anne Mizen, herself a prominent figure in the musical world of Uxbridge, and for many years the accompanist for the choir. Tom Baker has directed the choir since the beginning, and has led the choir in more than 100 concerts.

Tom Baker, who has directed the Uxbridge Chamber Choir for the past 42 years, rehearses the choir for its final performance on April 7. Submitted photo

“The very last piece we’ll sing at this concert will be a repeat of the very first piece we sang at the first concert 42 years ago,” said Baker. “If you want to know what it is - come to the concert.”

“When we formed the choir, we were about the only game in town for choral singing, apart from some church choirs,” said Baker. “But I’m happy to see there are now other community choirs to give singers an opportunity and to bring good choral music to the area.”

Baker explains that the Chamber Choir has defied its name somewhat, performing a variety of genres.

“Over the years, we’ve focussed heavily on the great masterworks of the classical choral repertoire, but also included contemporary works, and particularly works by Canadian composers.”

The program for the final concert reflects this philosophy, with excerpts from choral masterpieces by Mozart, Fauré and Rachmaninoff, and also more modern works by Samuel Barber, Healey Willan and others. Eminent concert organist Ian Sadler, who has accompanied the choir many times, will again be the accompanist.

“But to keep things interesting, we’ve sometimes wandered into very different kinds of music,” said Baker. “For instance, we had a great bluegrass concert in a local barn, and we did a couple of concerts featuring only music by the Beatles.” After all, he added, those are classics in their own right.

Over the years, the choir has commissioned works by a number of prominent Canadian composers, and also had choir exchanges with choirs in France and England.

“The impact of this choir has been quite unique, for both singers and audiences,” said Ian Hilton, co-president. “Normally, the only opportunity for singers to sing and audiences to hear the great choral masterworks is in big cities. But here we have a small town choir with big city aspirations and big city quality.”

Hilton attributes the Chamber Choir’s success to “the prodigious musical talent” of its director, Tom Baker.

The “Grande Finale” concert will be at 3 p.m., Sunday, April 7, at St. Paul’s Anglican Church. Tickets are $25 at the door.