What Ave Choir means for us? – Ave Choir Toronto

“When one says a word “choir” – the first thing that comes to mind is “singing”. It is true that Ave Choir is about singing but not only about it. For me, Ave Choir is about togetherness, about friendship, a sense of community and a treat after a tiring day. Ave Choir is a means to allow your love of singing to be expressed, shared and enjoyed with people who feel the same and are fully engaged in creating art together. Joining Ave Choir made me feel a sense of belonging to something special and heartwarming. I am happy to be a member of this choir!”
	“Many years ago, having got into the choir and having felt the taste of joint discordant sounding, I gradually got involved in a process, which, having tried it once is difficult to refuse later. The choir has become an important part of my life. The choir for me is a path to comprehending the world around us in one of its brightest manifestations. Music in general and choral music in particular, is not only a hobby for me, for the sake of which time and effort is not a pity. It is also a means to unite people regardless of politics and religion. Our Ave Choir turned out to be a Time Machine that first took me back to the past and then gradually became the present. I belong to this choir from its very first minute. The choir members for me are not just a group of music lovers, but also a fellowship of like-minded people, many of whom have become close friends.”
“Being a member in Ave Choir is a very special part of my life. Especially being a full time online student stuck at home during the Covid 19 pandemic, it has come to be an activity that I truly value, and becoming a coping mechanism through times of built up stress. I am also a former competitive singer, training, performing and competing from a young age and further in my high school education at Claude Watson vocal program. And while I may not be nearly at the same caliber in terms of my vocal and theory skills, I have nevertheless been able to retain and embrace this talent of mine.”
	“I love singing. It has been a big part of my life since my childhood. As long as I remember myself, I remember my family singing. When I was a girl, I took music lessons and sang in a choir. When I came to Canada, I missed that part of my life – until I met Marianna and became a member of Ave Choir Toronto. For a few years, I have been able to do what I love and feel connected to the great people who share my passion for the choral art. I learnt new vocal techniques and improved my singing skills. Participating in concerts made me very happy and proud of myself. But I didn’t realize how much Ave Choir meant to me until March 2020 when we all had to stay at home due to pandemic. It was so hard to have only a job, homeschooling and household routine day after day. I don’t know how I would’ve gone through this if I wouldn’t have an opportunity to attend online rehearsals every week and participate in Ave Choir’s online projects and events. All this time it was and still is great joy for me. My youngest son and I had a lot of fun recording our videos for the “Santa Claus is coming to town” project. It made us feel Christmas, it brought the real festive mood to our family, and I know for sure to many others too! It will be the 5th Ave Choir’s birthday soon, and I look forward to seeing Ave Choir being an important member of the Toronto community for many years to come! I wish its members luck and prosperity! Happy singing!”
“I joined Ave Choir in August 2020. I am very grateful to be part of the Ave Choir especially in this uncertain time. I am a part of the amazing, cheerful choir and community and because of this, I feel more inspiration, enjoyment and a knowledge of singing. Every lesson I learn new tools, exercise my musical parts, which I practice during the week and benefit from it toward to my emotional, mental and physical health. Thank you very much to professional teachers Daniel and Elena along with Marianna, the manager of the choir.”
	“I have been living in Canada for 4 years. I was born and grew up in Kazakhstan. 2 years ago, I went to a Mother’s Day concert that took place in Bernard Betel Centre. Ave Choir was one of the participants. I was so impressed by the choir’s performance that found their web site and Facebook page. It said that the choir welcomed new participants. I was not sure that I could join because I was a school choir’s member for around a year, so I was not really experienced. However, I contacted the administrator. So, I have been a member of Ave Choir more than one year. I feel much more confident now as a first soprano. Also it is helpful and inspires me as a newcomer: most of the choir’s members are living in Canada many years and communicating with them helps me to better understand Canadian lifestyle, to figure out some problems that I face as a new member of Canadian society.”
“An immigrant’s life is not easy. We are strangers in a strange land, and even though we work hard to make it ours by learning the language, finding good jobs, and investing in property, the true sense of belonging is quite elusive at times. From the moment I joined the Ave Choir about two year ago, I had a feeling that I was finally on the way to find my niche. I am very excited to be a part of this amazing, diligent and driven group of people, and always look forward to the next practice. Thank you, Ave Choir, for giving me a creative outlet and a true sense of belonging. “
	“My first impression of Ave choir was that I would not be able to sing with them. They sing complex classical pieces but I was sheet music illiterate. The pieces are sang in their original languages, be it German, Italian, Hebrew or even Finnish, where even English is a challenge for me. In addition, I am a tired old dog for such a new tricks. Accepting this challenge, however, brought so much beauty, fascination, self-confidence and joy to my life, that I sing with Ave and I am constantly grateful for everything it has brought in to my life.”
“My Family and I have arrived in Canada back in 1999 . Once upon a time, I was invited on a yacht trip on Lake Ontario, where I met a wonderful courage and a very interesting woman. She had an unusual, beautiful and rare name, her name was Marianna. We met and Marianna told about herself and her cherished dream of organizing an academic choir in the city of Toronto. I really liked this idea, since I previously studied in another academic choir in my homeland. I supported Marianna’s idea from the very beginning, and since then we have been together. Marianne became the heart of our choir; she is our fiery engine, our locomotive, our leader. The formation of a choir is not a simple story; our team had to overcome all sorts of difficulties. However now we have high-class professionals who selflessly work with the singers of our academic choir. In the choir, I found my like-minded people and art lovers. Each person who comes to the academic choir sets certain tasks for himself. If you ask me, why I came to the choir? I will answer you: – “I found my great love here! Love for music, for art, love for like-minded people, love for partners, and love for creating something beautiful together.”
	“I am so happy to have found Ave Choir and became part of it. Being a member of Ave Choir means to me being a part of the amazing process of music creation. I’ve met wonderful people there and enjoy each rehearsal together.”
“My biggest dream has always been to sing, and I am so happy to be a member of the Ave Choir and to learn the vocal music in a warm yet very professional atmosphere.”
	“Since I joined Ave Choir I am looking forward to my weekly rehearsal. Though sometimes we have to work hard to improve the quality of how we sound, but at the same time it’s the moment to relax and find the enjoyment in this work. Through choir, I met wonderful people with who we share same passion for singing and the moments of laughter. Choir is not only some hobby for me, but also it is a source of new knowledge and friendly support during hardships.”
“I came to Canada in 1995. A friend invited me to an Ave Choir performance and that’s where I heard about the choir for the first time. It’s a very friendly, welcoming group, opened to help a novice member. I was attracted by a wide variety of pieces and of course an amazing quality of each piece. When I joined, I was very new to choral music, never participated in a choir before. I knew some basics from music classes at school. Since I joined Ave Choir about a year later I felt I had became better. Not only I had learned beautiful songs, but I found out a new side of myself. I can sound, and I love it! Singing in the choir gives me a precious feeling of belonging and of being part of something beautiful. Moreover, I am able to share this happiness with my family and friends.”