Bach: Mass in B Minor

Performances of Bach's Mass in B Minor and Handel's Messiah have been key events in the history of the Vancouver Cantata Singers. The Mass in B Minor was the very the inaugural performance on the Cantata Singers, in February, 1959.  And it marked the end of James Fankhauser's brilliant tenure as our conductor in the Chan Centre concert in March, 2000.

Hugh McLean – conductor

February 16, 1959  (at Christ Church Cathedral) VCS first concert
with Kay Morrison, Beth McNairn, Joyce Newman
Eleanor Duff, Tommy Goleeke, Bernard Turgeon and William Reimer

April 6, 1963 (Christ Church Cathedral)
with Beth McNairn, Anne Hardstaff, Marlies Schoenfeld
Agnes Stieda, Victor Martens, Ian McEown and Randall Marsh

James Fankhauser – conductor

March 25 and 26, 1977 (Shaughnessy Heights United)
Soprano I: Lois March   Soprano II: Ginette Duplessis
Alto: Catherine Robbin  Tenor: Bruce Pullan
Baritone: Ian McEown    Bass: Philip Jenion

March 14 and 15, 1980 (St. John’s Shaughnessy)
Soprano I: Ingrid Suderman  Alto: Phyllis Mailing
Tenor: Bruce Pullan     Bass: Ray Nurse
Soprano II: Debra Parker    Baritone: Doug Colpitts

November 14, 1993 (Orpheum)
with Pacific Baroque Orchestra
Soprano: Christine Brandes  Countertenor: Daniel Taylor
Tenor: Jeffrey Thomas   Bass: Daniel Lichti

March 25 and 26, 2000 (Chan Centre)
James Fankhauser’s Farewell Concert
with Ann Monoyios, Jennifer Lane, Colin Balzer, Nathaniel Watson
and University Singers and Pacific Baroque Orchestra    

Handel: Messiah

December 3, 1960 (Queen Elizabeth Theatre - McLean)
with Vancouver Little Symphony
Soprano: Audrey Farnell         Alto: Joan Maxwell
Tenor: Peter Koslowsky          Bass: William Reimer

December 7, 8 and 9, 1979 (Orpheum - Fankhauser)
with members of the Vancouver Symphony
Soprano: Heather Thompson       Alto: Catherine Robbin
Tenor: Ben Heppner                     Bass: Jon Dodington

December 3 and 5, 1982 (Orpheum - Fankhauser)
with members of Vancouver Symphony and CBC Chamber Orchestras
Soprano: Henrietta Schellenberg   Alto: Catherine Robbin
Tenor: Glyn Evans                          Bass: William Reimer

December 6 and 8, 1985 (Orpheum - Fankhauser)
with CBC Vancouver Orchestra
Soprano: Jane MacKenzie     Alto: Sandra Graham 
Tenor: Mark DuBois              Bass: Peter Barnes

December 2 and 3, 1988 (Orpheum - Fankhauser)
with CBC Vancouver Orchestra
Soprano: Julianne Baird     Alto: Catherine Robbin
Tenor: Glyn Evans           Bass: Kevin McMillan

December 13 and 15, 1991 (Orpheum - Fankhauser)
with Pacific Baroque Orchestra
Soprano: Julianne Baird     Alto: Laura Pudwell
Tenor: Mark DuBois            Bass: Gary Relyea

December 16 and 18, 1994 (Orpheum - Fankhauser)
with Pacific Baroque Orchestra
Soprano: Ann Monoyios               Alto: Linda Maguire
Tenor:  Benjamin Butterfield        Bass: Paul Grindlay

December 12 and 14, 1997 (Orpheum - Fankhauser)
with Pacific Baroque Orchestra
Soprano: Suzie Le Blanc         Alto: Rosemarie van der Hooft
Tenor: Nils Brown                   Bass: William Sharp

December 16 and 17, 2000 (Orpheum- guest conductor, Wayne Riddell)
with Pacific Baroque Orchestra
Soprano: Karina Gauvin      Alto: Daniel Taylor
Tenor: Nils Brown                Bass: William Sharp

December 13, 2003 (Orpheum  - Hannan)
December 14, 2003 (South Mennonite MB Church)
with Pacific Baroque Orchestra
Soprano: Ellen Hargis           Alto: Laura Pudwell
Tenor: Colin Balzer               Bass: Tyler Duncan - ill (Funk/Colpitts)

December 22 and 23, 2006 (Orpheum – guest conductor, Jean-Marie Zeitouni)
with the Vancouver Opera Orchestra
Soprano: Shannon Mercer     Alto: Laura Pudwell
Tenor: Colin Balzer                Bass: Tyler Duncan

December 12 and 13, 2008 (Orpheum – guest conductor, Bernard Labadie )
with Vancouver Chamber Choir and Vancouver Chamber Orchestra
   Soprano: Shannon Mercer       Countertenor: Robin Blaze
   Tenor: Frédéric Antoun, tenor  Bass: Joshua Hopkins