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 Year 1- 1994/95The story of the Oakville Children’s Choir, began in May 1994 when a small classified ad appeared in the local papers announcing the formation of a children’s choir in Oakville. These small clippings give little indication of the remarkable progress the choir would make over the next 10 years. They were placed by Glenda Crawford , an elementary school music teacher who had earned a reputation for the success of her public school choirs in the London Kiwanis Music Festivals. When she moved to Oakville she had an opportunity to work with the Toronto Children’s Chorus (TTC) founded by Jean Ashworth Bartle. This experience inspired her to start her own choir and she tackled the job with energy and enthusiasm. Flyers for auditions were distributed all over town, and letters were sent to church music directors and music teachers introducing the choir and asking for support. By the time the first rehearsal was held on September 12, 1994 forty children had been accepted and were attending weekly rehearsals. Initially there was a Senior Choir with about 25 choristers in grades 4 to 8 and a Cherub training Choir with 15 childrens in grades 1 to 3. Additionally, nine members of the Senior Choir were selected for the Chamber choir. The accompanist was Marie Harris Read. The first concert, on December 11 1994, was attended by Oakville mayor Ann Mulvale. The following day, all choirs performed a Christmas recital at a Seniors home. By May, the choirs were ready to compete in the Hamilton Kiwanis Festival, where the Senior and Chamber choirs both placed first, earning for the OCC as the whole, the Bach Elgar Award. From this time on, the local newspapers could, truthfully, refer to the OCC as “Oakville’s award winning children’s choir”. The year was rounded off with the Chamber Choir singing Grace at the Mayors Banquet in May, a spring concert, and an appearance at the Oakville Waterfront Festival. When the season was over, the first annual picnic was held at Bronte park to celebrate. By this time, the choir had grown to 58 members. In pride of place was huge cake bearing the message “Congratulations. A wonderful first year”. |
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Home | Events | About the OCC | Choir Programs | Concert Series Staff & Board | History | OCC Tours | Photo Gallery | Join the OCC | Education Outreach Order CDs | Contact Us | Links | Support the OCC | Privacy Policy The Oakville Children's Choir is a registered charitable organization BN#889 106571 RR0001 |
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