Kingston Capitol Men's Chorus light up the Grace Centre

Julie Druker | Dec 16, 2015

On December 6, Pastor Vernon Scott of the Sydenham Holiness Church introduced the Kingston Capital Men's Chorus to a large and enthusiastic crowd at a special holiday concert at the Southern Frontenac Community Services' Grace Centre in Sydenham. The free concert was sponsored by the church, with free will offerings supporting the Loughborough Christmas and Emergency Relief Committee (LC&ERC).

Sue Clinton, who chairs the committee, explained to the audience that the LC&ERC uses the donations to support those in need in the community through their annual Christmas basket program and year-round emergency relief funding.

The chorus, which is comprised of 35 male singers, was started seven years ago by conductor Ian Juby and John Cheesman and it was the choir's second concert at the center with Juby leading the group. Juby said that the Grace Centre has incredible acoustics and is the perfect venue for this kind of vocal group. “The high ceilings, wooden floor and the huge space here are great acoustically and we just love performing here”, he said when I spoke to him at the intermission.

The four-part choir, made up of first and second tenors, baritones and basses, is an accomplished vocal group who perform mainly in the Kingston area. They sing regularly at Hospice Kingston, at various retirement homes and at their annual spring concert at the Chalmers church in Kingston. Their Grace Centre program was diverse and impressive, opening with “Stars I Shall Find”, based on a poem written by Sarah Teasdale with music arranged and composed by Victor Young. They also sang many modern tunes including Gordon Lightfoot's “Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald”; Simon and Garfunkel's “The Sounds of Silence”; and one that they regularly perform at their Mother Day's concert, a tune called “I Think My Love So Fair”, written by modern composer Laura Farnell.

The group also sang a number of favorite Christmas carols like “We Three Kings”, “Away in a Manger” and “The Little Drummer Boy/Peace On Earth”, made famous decades ago by singers Bing Crosby and David Bowie. The gospel-based spiritual titled “Mary Had a Baby” amazed listeners with its huge moving and emotional ending.

The choir was accompanied by music teacher and pianist, Scott Pavey, who invited five of his students up to the stage to perform “Christmas in the Trenches “ a moving song that focuses on the soldiers who fought on opposing sides during World War 1, but who one Christmas were inspired to lay down their guns and join their voices together in song. A number of soloists also had their chance to shine in the group version of Josh Groban's tune “You Raise Me Up” with tenor singers John, Daryl and Lou taking the tenor leads throughout.

The audience was delighted to have a chance to join their voices to this accomplished group of singers and Juby is correct - the Grace Centre is the perfect venue to hear them celebrate the holiday season.