Vancouver Cantata Singers honour special moments in choir's history with Reflection, May 3

At Pacific Spirit United Church, program draws on previously performed works by Bach, Mahler, and more

By emily lyth

One of the Vancouver Cantata Singers’ earliest performances, in 1959 at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre.

Vancouver Cantata Singers present Reflection at Pacific Spirit United Church on May 3 at 7:30 pm

THE FIRST-EVER VANCOUVER Cantata Singers concert took place on February 6, 1959 at the Christ Church Cathedral. The singers performed J.S. Bach’s Mass in B minor. Back then, the organization was known as the Philharmonic Choir, led by late founder Hugh McLean.

More than 65 years later, the choir has gone through a number of leadership transitions—most notably, U.S.–born conductor James Fankhauser was at the podium from 1973 to 2000, guiding the singers through several competition wins and a Juno Award nomination. Paula Kremer, who first joined the alto section of the Vancouver Cantata Singers in 1994, has been artistic director since 2013.

An upcoming concert titled Reflection will honour just a few facets of that interesting history with works that played a significant role in shaping the choir. At Pacific Spirit United Church on May 3, audiences will learn about several people and compositions that have been instrumental to the growth and success of the Vancouver Cantata Singers over the years, including Johann Bach’s “Unser Leben ist ein Schatten” (a masterful motet by J.S. Bach’s distant relative), Clytus Gottwald’s setting of Mahler’s “Im Abendrot” (the love-song Adagietto from his Symphony No. 5), and more.

Reflection is the final concert of the 2024-25 season for the Vancouver Cantata Singers. On this year’s program, each concert represented a different aspect of a long journey, from resting to roaming.  

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