No stranger to competition or to winning, the 23-voice group, founded by Ste. Anne de Bellevue resident Margo Keenan, has almost 20 years of experience.

With an eclectic and entertaining repertoire spanning centuries of music from Renaissance, classical, jazz, folk, gospel, pop and contemporary choral, it’s no surprise to find they have been three-time winners of the prestigious Montreal Choral Festival, most recently in 2001. In 2002 were semi-finalists in the CBC National Competition for Amateur Choirs.

“The choir has tremendous personality, a quality they really convey. They all love what they are doing, are all very ambitious and take their leisure seriously, so seriously. They are thrilled to do anything that makes them better,” said Keenan, 51, who leads the group as its musical director.

Most know ‘a cappella’ means vocal music or singing without instrumental accompaniment, but few may be aware the term is Italian for ‘from the chapel,’ its origins derived from the restrictions on the use of instruments in medieval churches.

Advances in recording technology in the late 1970s allowing for mixing and overdubbing of multiple vocal tracks encouraged artists such as the Nylons, Bobby McFerrin and Manhattan Transfer to use the genre, taking it out of the church and bringing it into the pop music scene.

“A cappella singing is so personal. It’s very physical and also very mental. It comes right from the body, so people have to feel good, be positive and energized to sing well. You can’t blame your sound on an instrument, because there aren’t any,” Keenan said.

Currently, the singers, who must audition for the group, vary in age from about 30 to 60 years, are evenly split between the two genders, and are mostly residents of the West Island.

Size of the group is limited in order to keep precision and Keenan noted, “to ensure every person feels responsible for their particular line.”

“We look for singers with a good ear and people from a variety of backgrounds, soloists, light opera singers, music teachers. We even have musicians from rock groups alongside church organists,” added Keenan.

Contemporary a cappella ensembles organize their member’s voices, similar to barbershop and doo wop, into parts consisting of lead melody, rhythmic bass and chorus.

“Just using the human voice you can come up with extraordinary and rich harmonies which provides accompaniment. For example, women’s voices can imitate the sound of a plucked string,” Keenan said.

In the past, the ensemble has collaborated with several area orchestras, including the Montreal Chamber Orchestra for a 9/11 tribute concert, last year’s Le Mondial Choral organized by Gregory Charles, and the Festival de musique religieuse with performances in Montreal’s Notre-Dame Basilica.

An upcoming project with the Ensemble Instrumental Appassionata in Montreal will feature the two in a performance of Mozart’s Mass in C Minor to mark the 250th anniversary of his birth.

“I love singing a cappella and I love the wide variety of music we do,” said Martin Fairbank, 47, of Dorval. “I particularly enjoy the challenge that being part of a small ensemble brings.”

Every season the group’s repertoire of about 24 songs is refreshed for their concerts held at Christmastime and in the spring.

Their next local appearances are set for June 2 at Dorval’s Presentation de la Sainte Vierge church and June 3 at Union Church in Ste. Anne and will feature compositions in French by Gilles Vigneault and Jean-Pierre Ferland, a US composition in18-part harmony.

Something quite innovative, probably a first, will be their vocal version of the Barber of Seville Overture which Keenan points out “was never meant to be sung in voices. It should be quite funny — voices trying to be horns and flutes,” Keenan said.

“It’s great comraderie. We really work hard as a team and it seems to get results. There are no divas, everyone participates, everyone is very talented,” said six-year veteran singer and Hudson resident Joanne Crevier, who together with husband Martin Smith, handles publicity.

“I find what makes them so special is that they sound like more people than they really are,” Smith said. “It comes from being very together as a group. They perform so professionally, yet for all of them, it’s only a pastime.”

For Rosemary Mayo, 51, of Senneville, a member for the past two years, it is the group dynamics and leadership.

“I like the people. I also enjoy Margo’s organization. She really respects her singers,” Mayo said.

Keenan also sings in Thin Ice, another locally performing a cappella quartet specializing in doo wop, jazz and pop music and directs a children’s choir at Thorndale Elementary School in Pierrefonds where she teaches music halftime.

The Ste. Anne Singers rehearse weekly at the Union Church. To date, they have produced no recordings, although Keenan felt they would like to undertake this at some time in the future. For more information visit http://pages.videotron.com/rmpaquet.

Reprinted with permission from the West Island Chronicle: http://www.westislandchronicle.com/pages/article.php?noArticle=28816

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