2024-2025 Concert Season
Winnipeg Philharmonic Choir & Winnipeg Singers Present:
Haydn’s
Seven Last Words of Christ
13 April 2025
3 pm
Cathédrale de Saint-Boniface
With guests: Musicians of the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra;
Ainsley Wray, soprano; Donnalynn Grills, alto; Aaron Hutton, tenor; Howard Rempel, bass
PART OF THE:
FEATURING:
CONCERT SPONSORS:
LBL HOLDINGS & SANDI & RON MIELITZ
WITH SUPPORT FROM:
Foundation for Choral Music in Manitoba
SEASON PARTNER:
Fettes Family Foundation
SEASON MEDIA SPONSOR:
Golden West Radio/Classic 107
MEDIA PARTNER:
CJNU 93.7 FM
PLEASE SILENCE YOUR PHONES
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PLEASE DIM YOUR SCREEN
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PLEASE SILENCE YOUR PHONES 〰️ PLEASE DIM YOUR SCREEN 〰️
CONCERT PROGRAM
All program notes written by Veronica Larmour.
WINNIPEG PHILHARMONIC CHOIR
arr. Johann Sebastian Bach
1685-1750/ascribed to Johann Kuhnau (1660-1722)
Der Gerechte kommt um (See, the righteous must die), BWV 1149
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Der Gerechte kommt um (See, the righteous must die), BWV 1149
The lovely motet “Der Gerechte Kommt Um”, although with firm certainty arranged by Johann Sebastian Bach, has shrouded origins. The source piece “Tristis est anima mea” [Sorrowful is My Soul] (Matthew 26:38) was included in “Ein Lämmlein geht und trägt die Schuld” [A Lamb goes forth and bears the guilt] by Carl Heinrich Graun (1704-59).
This was a “Pastiche” Easter oratorio, compiled and composed (in parts) by Graun with contributions from other composers of the time, including Bach and Georg Philipp Telemann (and possibly also Johann Christoph Altnikol, Bach’s son-in-law). This oratorio begat a second one, entitled “Wer ist der, so von Edom kommt” [Who is this that comes from Edom] (named after the opening cantata of the same title by Telemann), which was a reworking of its source oratorio (by the contributors to the first one) and contains the motet “Tristis est…”, but now reinvented by Bach as “Der Gerechte…” which you hear today.
However, the provenance of “Der Gerechte..,” is unclear. Because there was no identification of the composer of “Tristis est…” within the score of “Ein Lämmlein…”, the attribution of the motet was assigned to Graun. Later research and analysis concluded that this seems less likely than that it was another composer within the musical circle of the day, and a 19th century biography of JS Bach by Philipp Spitta supported the motet as possibly being the work of Johann Kuhnau, Bach’s predecessor as Kantor at the Thomaskirche in Leipzig. Spitta based his assertions on the evidence of score documents of “Tristis est…” he listed as being held in the Leipzig Singakademie, which attributed Kuhnau as composer.
Bach liked the work well enough to pluck it from the first Pastiche oratorio. It is believed with a fair degree of certainty that it was Bach who replaced the Latin with a vernacular text, perhaps as a stand-alone funerary piece (either before of after including it in the second oratorio), and it was he who moved the key signature down (from the one used in the “Ein Lämmlein…” oratorio), shifted segments between parts and added instrumentation, all in a manner typical of his own style.
Although much paper has been inked over origin discussions, the only definitive source material from Kuhnau, cited by Spitta, was lost sometime in the 19th century and never recovered. Adding to this unverifiability is the analysis by Bach scholars of the 20th and 21st centuries that stylistically the motet cannot easily be fitted within the canon of Kuhnau’s choral music ( which was, in a vernacular reduction of Spitta’s assessment, not that great). Therefore, the origins of the work remain a mystery, and unless the lost scores reappear, original authorship can only be “ascribed to” Kuhnau.
In fact, Diethard Hellmann, a foremost scholar of the music of Bach and his contemporaries and editor of the edition we are performing from today, first states that it almost certainly is the work of Kuhnau, but adds in a later footnote to his own essay that in fact, no, it almost certainly isn’t!
Perhaps a flow chart would have been helpful in explaining this somewhat convoluted story. In the absence of this, it is left to us as listeners to not concern ourselves with the hair-splitting minutiae of research into obscure baroque music; rather, we should be thankful that Bach applied his imagination to a simple motet composed by someone of his time and place, which is what allowed it to be preserved for us to enjoy today.
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Der Gerechte Kommt Um, BWV 1149 Johann Kuhnau, arr. Johann Sebastian Bach
Der Gerechte kommt um,
und niemand ist, der es zu Herzen nehme,
und heilige Leute werden aufgerafft,
und niemand achtet drauf.Denn die Gerechten werden weggerafft vor
dem Unglück; und die richtig vor sich
gewandelt haben, kommen zum Frieden und
ruhen in ihren Kammern.__________
The righteous must die, and there is none whose heart is moved to feel it, and men of great mercy have been taken hence, and no one thinks of it.
For these same righteous have been sent away from evil; they that rightly and well have walked among us, shall then be peaceful, reposing within their chambers.
(Isaiah 57:1-2 - Matins Responsory for Holy Saturday)
WINNIPEG SINGERS
Johann Sebastian Bach
1685-1750
Cantata No 4 Christ lag in Todesbanden (Christ Lay in Death’s Bonds), BWV 4
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Christ lag in Todesbanden BVW 4 - Johann Sebastian Bach
Based on documentary evidence, it is believed that this piece, one of Bach’s earliest sacred cantatas, was written for Easter 1707, when Bach was 22 years old and hoping for employment in Mühlhausen. Built from a hymn of the same name by Martin Luther, in Bach’s hands it is developed so that each stanza of the hymn becomes a movement with the chorale tune as “cantus firmus” or preexisting melody, which grows into unique polyphonic variations for each movement. Bach reworked the cantata for performance in Leipzig at the Thomaskirche in 1724, and this is the version which has survived.
Martin Luther’s hymn was based on a 12th-century Easter hymn “Christ ist erstanden” [Christ is risen], which in turn developed from the the Latin hymn “Victimae Paschali Laudes” [Let Christians offer sacrificial praises], a text which stressed the struggle between Life and Death and which was prescribed for the Catholic (and some Protestant Eucharistic) Masses on Easter Sunday.
This text dates back to the 11th Century and is generally attributed to Wipo of Burgundy (995-1050), chaplain to Holy Roman Emperor Conrad II (990-1039); it was translated to German sometime in the mid 11th C, and is likely to be the oldest Christian liturgical song in the German language, with performance of the first stanza of the hymn on record around 1100, and it is also mentioned in an order of service in Salzburg in 1160.
Luther translated the complete text into German and expanded on the verses to create the full-bodied hymn beloved by Lutherans since it was first published in 1524, and it remains to this day the most important hymn for Easter in the Lutheran Church.
As John Elliot Gardiner describes the work, “Luther’s hymn brings the events of Christ’s Passion and Resurrection … to life, depicting both the physical and the spiritual ordeals Christ needed to undergo in order to bring about man’s release from the burden of sin. The narrative begins with a backward glance at Christ in the shackles of death, and ends with his jubilant victory and the feast of the Paschal Lamb… Bach shows himself equal to the task of matching music to words, alert to every nuance, scriptural allusion, symbol and mood”.
Bach’s “Cantata BVW4” is a vivid musical meditation on Christ’s victory over death, featuring intricate chorales, expressive arias, and masterful counterpoint. Rich in theological depth and musical invention, the cantata captures both the solemnity and the triumph of the Resurrection, securing its stature as one of the most popular and best known of all of Bach's sacred cantatas.
Tenor part of “Christ lag ynn Todes bande”, from Martin Luther's Geystliche gesangk Buchleyn (Walthersches Gesangbuch), 1524
“Christ ist erstanden”, (12th century) The oldest known German liturgical song, melody used by M. Luther for “Christ lag in todesbanden”, (image from early 17th C manuscript, Admont Benedictine Monastery, Austria).
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1. [Sinfonia]
2. Christ lag in Todes Banden
Für unsre Sünd gegeben,
Er ist wieder erstanden
Und hat uns bracht das Leben.
Des wir sollen fröhlich sein,
Gott loben und ihm dankbar sein
Und singen alleluja,
Alleluja!3. Den Tod niemand zwingen kunnt
Bei allen Menschenkindern;
Das macht’ alles unsre Sünd,
Kein Unschuld war zu finden.
Davon kam der Tod so bald
Und nahm über uns Gewalt,
Hielt uns in seinem Reich gefangen.
Alleluja!4. Jesus Christus, Gottes Sohn,
An unsre Statt ist kommen
Und hat die Sünde weggetan,
Damit dem Tod genommen
All sein Recht und sein Gewalt;
Da bleibet nichts denn Tods Gestalt,
Den Stachel hat er verloren.
Alleluja!5. Es war ein wunderlicher Krieg,
Da Tod und Leben rungen;
Das Leben (da) behielt den Sieg,
Es hat den Tod verschlungen.
Die Schrift hat verkündig(e)t das,
Wie ein Tod den andern frass,
Ein Spott aus dem Tod ist worden.
Alleluja!6. Hier ist das rechte Osterlamm,
Davon Gott hat geboten,
Das ist hoch an des Kreuzes Stamm
In heisser Lieb gebraten,
Das Blut zeichnet unser Tür,
Das hält der Glaub dem Tode für,
Der Würger kann uns nicht mehr schaden.
Alleluja!7. So feiern wir das hohe Fest
Mit Herzensfreud und Wonne,
Das uns der Herr scheinen lässt,
Er ist selber die Sonne,
Der durch seiner Gnaden Glanz
Erleuchtet unsre Herzen ganz,
Der Sünden Nacht ist verschwunden.
Alleluja!8. Wir essen und leben wohl
In rechten Osterfladen,
Der alte Sauerteig nicht soll
Sein bei dem Wort der Gnaden,
Christus will die Koste sein
Und speisen die Seel allein,
Der Glaub will keins andern leben.
Alleluja!__________
1. [Sinfonia]
2. Christ lay in death’s bonds,
Given for our sin;
He is risen again
And has brought us [eternal] life.
Of this we should be joyful,
Praise God and be thankful to him
And sing hallelujah.
Hallelujah.3. Nobody could restrain death,
Among all the children of humankind;
Our sin made all that so;
No innocence was to be found.
As a result, death came immediately
And seized power over us,
Held us imprisoned in its realm.
Hallelujah.4. Jesus Christ, God’s son,
Has come in our stead
And did away with our sin,
Thereby taking from death
All its privilege and its power.
There remains nothing but death’s shape;
[Death] has lost its sting.
Hallelujah.5. It was a wondrous battle [on the cross],
Where death [Satan] and life [Jesus] wrestled;
Life got the victory (there);
It has swallowed up death.
Scripture has proclaimed this:
How one death [Jesus’s] devoured the other [death]
[And] a mockery was made of death.
Hallelujah.6. Here is the proper paschal/Easter lamb—
God has commanded of it—
Which is, up on the cross’s trunk,
Roasted in ardent love.
The blood [of the lamb, Jesus] marks our door,
[Blood] with which faith rebukes death;
The Destroyer Angel can no longer harm us.
Hallelujah.7. Thus we celebrate the high feast [Easter]
With joy of heart and gladness,
[The feast] that the Lord lets shine upon us;
He himself is the sun,
Who through his luster of grace
Illumines our hearts entirely;
The night of sin has vanished.
Hallelujah.8. We eat and live well
In [Christ, the] proper paschal/Easter flatbread;
The old sourdough shall not
Be with the word of grace.
Christ will be the nourishment
And alone feed the soul;
Faith will live by none other [than Christ].
Hallelujah.Martin Luther (transl. Michael Marissen and Daniel R. Melamed)
INTERMISSION
WINNIPEG PHILHARMONIC CHOIR & WINNIPEG SINGERS
Joseph Haydn
(1732-1809)
Die sieben letzten Worte unseres Erlösers am Kreuze (The Seven Last Words of Our Saviour on the Cross), Hob. XX:2
Soloists:
Ainsley Wray, soprano
Donnalynn Grills, alto
Aaron Hutton, tenor
Howard Rempel, bass
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Die sieben letzten Worte unseres Erlösers am Kreuze - Franz Joseph Haydn (1732-1809)
The Seven Last Words of Our Saviour on the Cross by Josef Haydn (XX:1A) was commissioned by Don José Sáenz de Santa María, a wealthy priest at the Oratorio de la Santa Cueva (Oratory of the Holy Cave) in Cadiz, Spain, and is thought to have been performed there on Good Friday, 1786, (although the first public performance was in Vienna the following year). Haydn later wrote of the challenges of composing a suitable piece around the restrictions given him, but according to unsubstantiated reports, as payment the priest sent him a cake which he discovered to be stuffed with gold coins!
The work was scored for full orchestra, and the sonic impact of its performance would have been significant, as the austere and less spacious underground chapel of the Santa Cueva is not the sort of large venue where one would expect to hear such a piece, so it is thought that perhaps it was performed here by a smaller ensemble as a forerunner of the next iteration of the work, the well-known String Quartet of the same title.
In its original liturgical form, each of the “Seven Words” was read by the presiding bishop, who discoursed on each text before the orchestra played the related movement.
The seven meditations on the Last Words, which can be interpreted theologically under the headings Forgiveness, Salvation, Relationship, Abandonment, Distress, Triumph and Reunion, are excerpted from all four gospels and are built around the words of Jesus on the cross in the hours before his death. Since the 16th century, they have commonly been used in sermons on Good Friday.
Haydn’s addition of the final movement “Il Terremoto: The Earthquake” was a personal choice, to give a full-bodied finale to the preceding contemplative and meditative movements. The text of this segment, while not technically one of the “Words”, clearly references an earthquake which shook the region of the Dead Sea near Jerusalem, sometime around 33CE, but although Matthew 27:51 references this event in connection with the crucifixion, its dating is not indisputable.
The well-known and more frequently performed version of the “Seven Words”, scored for String Quartet (XX:1B) was published in 1787. This lovely piece was arranged by the composer at the request of his publisher, Artaria & Co. of Vienna. Its popularity has never waned.
The oratorio work performed today (XXIIB) came to be after Haydn heard a performance of his work to which texts had been added by the Kapellmeister of Passau, Joseph Friebert. Haydn was impressed by the idea and decided to build on it, collaborating with Baron Gottfried van Swieten (also librettist for Haydn’s “The Creation” and “The Seasons”) to flesh out the work to its fullest. It was publicly premiered in Vienna in 1796.
TEXTS, TRANSLATIONS & NOTES
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Vater, vergib ihnen,
denn sie wissen nicht, was sie tun.Vater im Himmel,
o sieh hernieder vom ewigen Thron!
Vater der Liebe,
dein Eingeborner,
er fleht für Sünder,
für deine Kinder,
erhöre den Sohn!
Ach, wir sind tief gefallen,
wir sündigten schwer;
doch allen zum Heil,
uns allen,
floss deines Sohnes Blut.
Das Blut des Lamms schreit nicht um Rach’;
es tilgt die Sünden.
Vater der Liebe,
lass uns Gnade finden,
erhöre den Sohn!
O Vater, o Vater,
erhöre den Sohn!__________
Father, forgive them,
for they know not what they do.Father in heaven,
look down from your eternal throne!
Loving father,
your only-begotten son
prays for sinners,
and for your children;
harken to your son!
Ah, we have fallen low,
and have sinned lamentably;
yet for our salvation,
for that of us all
the blood of your son has flowed.
The blood of the lamb cries not for vengeance;
it redeems sins.
Loving father
let us find mercy
harken to your son!
O father, O father,
harken to your son! -
Fürwahr, ich sag es dir: Heute
wirst du bei mir im Paradiese sein.Ganz Erbarmen, Gnad’ und Liebe,
bist du Mittler,
Gotteslamm.
Kaum ruft jener reuig auf zu dir:
Wenn du kommest in dein Reich,
ach, so denke mein!
so versprichst du ihm voll Milde:
heut wirst du bei mir im Paradiese
sein.
Herr und Gott! Blick auf uns!
Sieh an deines Kreuzes Fusse
unsre wahre Reu’und Busse!
Gib uns auch zur letzten Stunde
jenen Trost aus deinem Munde:
Heut wirst du bei mir im Paradiese sein.__________
Verily I say unto you: today you will
be with me in Paradise.Full of grace, mercy and love,
you are the Mediator
and Lamb of God.
No sooner did he, repentant, call out to you:
“When you come to your kingdom
remember me!”
than you promised him compassionately:
“Today you will be with me in Paradise.”
Lord and God! Look upon us!
See at the foot of your cross
our true contrition and atonement!
Give us too, in our final hour,
that comfort from your lips:
“Today you will be with me in Paradise.” -
Frau, hier siehe deinen Sohn,
und du, siehe deine Mutter!Mutter Jesu,
die du trostlos, weinend,
seufzend bei dem Kreuze standst
und die Qualen seines Leidens
in der Stund des bittern Scheidens
siebenfach in dir empfandst:
Kaum mehr fähig, dich zu fassen,
und doch standhaft und gelassen,
nimmst als Sohn
den treuen Jünger
und mit ihm auch uns als Kinder an.
Mutter Jesu,
o du Zuflucht aller Sünder,
hör das Flehen deiner Kinder.
Steh uns bei im letzten Streit,
Mutter voll der Zärtlichkeit,
o steh uns allen bei!
Wenn wir mit dem Tode ringen
und aus dem beklemmten Herzen
unsre Seufzer zu dir dringen,
lass uns, Mutter,
lass uns da nicht unterliegen!
Hilf uns dann den Feind besiegen!
Und steh uns bei im letzten Streit!
Wenn wir mit dem Tode Ringen,
o da zeige dich als Mutter
Und empfehl uns deinen Sohn,
o Mutter!__________
Woman, behold your son.
And you, behold your mother!Mother of Jesus,
you who stood by the cross
cheerless, weeping, sighing,
you who felt the agony of his passion
in the hour of bitter parting,
felt it sevenfold within yourself:
Hardly able to bear it,
yet steadfast and serene,
you now take the faithful disciple
as your son,
and with him, us too as your children.
Mother of Jesus,
O you refuge of all sinners,
hear the prayers of your children.
Stand by us in the final struggle,
Mother full of tenderness,
O stand by us all!
As we wrestle with death
and as from our distressed souls,
our sighs reach your ears,
do not allow us, Mother,
to be subdued!
Help us, then, to conquer our foe!
And stand by us in our final struggle!
As we wrestle with death,
O reveal yourself as mother,
and commend us to your son,
O Mother! -
Mein Gott, mein Gott,
warum hast du mich verlassen?
Warum hast du mich verlassen?
Wer sieht hier der Gottheit Spur?
Wer kann fassen dies Geheimnis?
O Gott der Kraft und Macht,
O Gott der Macht und Stärke,
Wir sind deiner Hände Werke,
und deine Lieb, o Herr,
hat uns erlöst.
O Herr, wir danken dir
von Herzen.
Unserwegen littst du
Schmerzen, Spott, Verlassung,
Angst und Pein.
Herr, wir sollte dich nicht
lieben, dich mit Sünden noch
betrüben? Wer kann deine Huld
verkennen? Nein, nichts soll uns
von dir trennen
allhier und dort in Ewigkeit.__________
My God, my God,
why have you forsaken me?
Why have you forsaken me?
Where is now the hand of God?
Who can fathom this mystery?
O God of power and might,
O God of might and strength,
we are the work of your hands,
and your love, O Lord,
has redeemed us.
O Lord, we thank you
from the heart.
For our sake you suffered
pain, Contempt,
abandonment,
fear and torture.
Lord, who would not love you,
Who would sadden you with
sins? Who can mistake your
kindness? No, nothing shall
separate us from you
here on earth nor in eternity. -
Jesus rufet: Ach, mich dürstet!
Hemmt nun die Rache,
stillt eure Wut!
Menschen, lasset Mitleid
Euch erweichen,
ruft Erbarmung in das Herz!
Jesus rufet: Ach, mich dürstet!
Ihm reicht man Wein,
den man mit Galle mischet.|
So labt man ihn.
Kann Grausamkeit noch weiter gehn?
Nun kann er nicht mehr fassen
den Schmerz,
der ihn allmächtig drückt,
der Wohltun war.
Ach im Durst Ah,
vor seinem Ende
reichet man ihm Galle dar.__________
Jesus cries out, “I thirst!”
Check your vengeance,
calm your rage!
Mortals, let compassion
move you,
and pity fill your hearts!
Jesus cries out, “I thirst!”
He is given wine
mixed with gall.
This is how he is treated.
Can cruelty go any further?
He can now no longer bear
the pain
which oppresses him so powerfully,
he who was a blessing to us.
to quench his thirst
before expiring,
one gave him gall. -
Es ist vollbracht.
Es ist vollbracht!
An das Opferholz geheftet,
hanget Jesus in der Nacht;
und dann ruft er laut:
Es ist vollbracht.
Was uns jenes
Holz geschadet,
wird durch dieses gut gemacht.
Weh euch Bösen, weh euch Blinden,
weh euch allen, die ihr Sünden
immer häuft auf Sünden!
Menschen denket nach!
Werdet ihr Erbarmung finden,
wenn er kommt in seiner
Herrlichkeit
und seiner Macht?
Rett uns, Mittler, vom Verderben!
Höre, Gottmensch, unser Schrein!
Lass dein Leiden und dein Sterben
nicht an uns verloren sein.
Lass uns einst den Himmel erben
und mit dir uns ewig freun.__________
It is finished.
It is finished.
Nailed to the cross,
Jesus hangs in the night;
and then he cries aloud:
“It is finished!”
The harm brought upon us
by this cross
will be redeemed by this same cross.
Woe to the evil, woe to the blind,
woe to you all, you who heap sins
upon sins!
Mortals, reflect!
Will you find pity
when he comes in his glory
and his power?
Save us, Intercessor, from perdition!
Hear, God-man, our cries!
Let not your suffering and your death
be lost on us.
Let us yet inherit heaven
And rejoice forever with you. -
Vater, in deine Hände
empfehle ich meinen Geist.In deine Händ’, o Herr,
empfehl ich meinen Geist.
Nun steigt sein Leiden höher nicht,
Nun triumphiert er laut und spricht:
nimm, Vater, meine Seele,
dir empfehl ich meinen Geist.
Und dann neight er sein Haupt
und stirbt.
Vom ewigen Verderben
hat uns sein Blut errettet;
aus Liebe für uns Menschen
starb er den Tod der Sünder.
Du gabst uns neues Leben;
was können wir dir geben?
Was können wir?
Zu deinen Füssen leigen wir,
O Jesu, tief gerührt;
nimm unser Herz als Opfer an!__________
Father, into your hands
I commend my spirit.Into your hands, O Lord,
I commend my spirit.
Now his agony can increase no more,
now he triumphs and speaks aloud:
“Father, take my soul,
I commend my spirit to you.”
And then he lowers his head
and dies.
From eternal damnation
his blood has saved us.
out of love for mankind
he died the death of sinners.
You gave us new life;
what can we give you?
What can we do?
We lie at your feet,
O Jesus, deeply moved,
take our hearts as a sacrifice! -
Vater, in deine Hände
empfehle ich mein
Er ist nicht mehr.
Der Erde Tiefen schallen wider:
er ist nicht mehr.
Erzittre, Golgatha, erzittre!
Er starb auf deinenHöhen.
O Sonne, fleuch und leuchte
diesem Tage nicht!
Zerreisse, zerreisse Land,
Worauf die Mörder stehen.
Ihr Gräber, tut euch auf,
ihr Väter, steigt
ans Licht!
Das Erdreich, das euch deckt,
ist ganz mit Blut befleckt.__________
He is no more.
The depths of the earth ring out:
“He is no more.”
Tremble, Golgatha, tremble!
He died on your heights.
O sun, flee, and abstain
from lighting this day!
Break open, break open, earth,
on which murderers stand.
Open, graves,
and you, forefathers, rise toward
the light!
The earth that covers you
is utterly drenched with blood.
GUEST ARTISTS
Ainsley Wray
Ainsley Wray is a local soprano who was born and raised on the prairies. Now, based just outside of Winnipeg, Ainsley spends her time teaching, singing and performing, and teaching music lessons from her home.
Her most recent performances include Zerlina in Don Giovanni, Suor Genovieffa in Suor Angelica (Manitoba Underground Opera), Pamina in Die Zauberflöte (Accademia Europea Dell’Opera, Amore 2/Pallade in L’incoronazione di Poppea (Centre for Opera Studies in Italy), as well as the soprano solo in Bach’s Mass in F major with the Manitoba Chamber Orchestra.
Ainsley obtained a Master of Music from the University of Toronto in Voice Performance and a Bachelor of Music from the University of Manitoba. She also completed a Post Baccalaureate Diploma in Voice Performance at the University of Manitoba. During her studies, she had the privilege of studying with Natalie Paulin, Patrick Raftery, Tracy Dahl, and Lois Watson-Lyons. She also received additional training at AEDO (2015) and COSI (2013/2014).
After completing her Education degree at the University of Manitoba, Ainsley has been teaching Visual Arts, Drama, and Choir with the Red River Valley School Division, and has been thrilled to be able to share her knowledge and experiences with her students.
Donnalynn Grills
Mezzo soprano Donnalynn Grills is a versatile and engaging performer. Equally at home in opera, oratorio and musical theatre, Donnalynn has had the privilege of performing with several musical ensembles across Western Canada. She has been a guest soloist with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, the Manitoba Chamber Orchestra, the Vancouver Symphony, the Vancouver CBC Orchestra and the Regina Symphony Orchestra. Some of Donnalynn’s favourite stage credits include Berta – The Barber of Seville, Marcellina – Le Nozze de Figaro, Alisa - Lucia di Lammermoor, Mrs. McLean – Susannah, Annina – La Traviata, Mother Abbess – The Sound of Music, Mrs. Eynsford Hill – My Fair Lady, Madame Flora/Baba – The Medium, Mama Maddelena – Nine, Dinah – Trouble in Tahiti & Amahl’s Mother – Amahl & the Night Visitors as well as many roles with The Winnipeg Gilbert & Sullivan Society.
She is also a proud member of The Winnipeg Singers, Dead of Winter and Canzona, providing her with opportunities to perform a wide variety of choral music.
When not rehearsing for one performance or another, Donnalynn can be found at the U of M Desautels Faculty of Music as the program coordinator for the Prep Studies Division. She is also a proud “pawrent” to her wee westie, Joey.
Aaron Hutton
No stranger to the local arts scene, award-winning tenor Aaron Hutton is a versatile performer with over fifteen years singing and celebrating the music of the Baroque era. Having been recognized as “a golden tenor" (Opera Canada) and "a shining star displaying supreme confidence” (Winnipeg Free Press), his recognition as a brilliant vocalist and concert performer in Manitoba has led to numerous engagements with many of the province's leading orchestral and chamber ensembles such as the Manitoba Chamber Orchestra, Canzona, and the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra on many occasions. Select performances include The Solo Sessions (Manitoba Opera); tenor soloist is Israel in Egypt (Canzona/MCO); South Pacific (Regina Symphony Orchestra); concert productions of Guys and Dolls, A Chorus Line, and South Pacific (Rainbow Stage/WSO); tenor soloist in Mozart's Requiem, Carmina Burana, and Send in the Clowns: the music of Stephen Sondheim (WSO); Schubert's Mass in E-flat Major, Mendelssohn's Second Symphony: Lobgesang, and Mozart's Mass in C Minor (Winnipeg Philharmonic/WSO); and the tenor soloist in Bach's St. Matthew's Passion (Canzona). Aaron Hutton obtained his Bachelor of Music and Masters of Music in Vocal Performance from the University of Manitoba Marcel A. Desautels Faculty of Music, and is an alumnus of the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity.
Howard Rempel
Howard Rempel has performed as a soloist with various groups in Winnipeg, including the Winnipeg Singers, Winnipeg Philharmonic Choir, Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, and Canzona. He has also taken on numerous roles with local companies such as Manitoba Opera, the Little Opera Company, and the Gilbert and Sullivan Society. He has received acclaim for his “…refined true baritone voice, made richer with its lovely timbre and excellent diction” (Winnipeg Free Press). Following this concert, Howard will be performing as the bass soloist in Haydn's Creation.
Winnipeg Singers
Sopranos
Jan Byrd
Marni Enns
Kyra Krassnigg
Celina Morphy-Siemens
Dawn Marie Wilson
Ainsley Wray
Altos
Jodie Borle
Brittany Dheilly
Donnalynn Grills
Nicki LeGrand
Angela Neufeld
Susanne Reimer
Pat Wray
Tenors
Josiah Brubacher
Blake Collis
John Eisma
Aaron Hutton
Doug Pankratz
Stuart Sladden
Basses
Nicholas Borkowsky
Greg Cooper
Steve Ens
Paul Forget
Howard Rempel
Alan Schroeder
Bruce Waldie
Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra
First Violins
Gwen Hoebig, Concertmaster
Mona Coarda
Hong Tian Jia
Sonia Lazar
Julie Savard
Jun Shao
Liudmyla Prysiazhniuk
Darryl Strain
Second Violins
Elation Pauls, Principal
Elizabeth Dyer
Bokyung Hwang
Rodica Jeffrey
Jane Radomski
Erika Sloos
Rebecca Weger
Violas
Elise Lavallée, Principal
Laszlo Baroczi
Greg Hay
Soren Lorentzen
John Sellick
Stamato, Miguel
Cellos
Robyn Neidhold, Principal
Ethan Allers
Arlene Dahl
Samuel Nadurak
Alyssa Ramsay
Sean Taubner
Basses
Daniel Perry, Principal
Emily Krajewski
James McMillan
Flutes
Alex Conway, Principal
Laura MacDougall
Oboes
Alicia Maloney
Tracy Wright
Clarinets
Micah Heilbrunn, Principal
Alex Whitehead
Bassoons
Max Ostic, Principal
Elizabeth Mee
Horns
Ken MacDonald, Principal
Aiden Kleer
Trumpets
Isaac Pulford, Principal
Paul Jeffrey
Trombones
Steven Dyer, Principal
Eric Prodger
Timpani
Justin Gingrich, Principal
Personnel Manager
Isaac Pulford
Librarian
Michaela Kleer
Assistant Librarian
Aiden Kleer
Winnipeg Philharmonic Choir
Yuri Klaz, Artistic Director and Conductor
Donna Laube, Accompanist
Sopranos
Alison Bartel
Joy Cooper
Brenda Dyck
Meghan Evans
Linda Feasby
Wendy Gainsborough
Deborah Ginther
Debbie Girard
Kadri Irwin
Claire Johnston
Jessica Kowall
Betty Loewen
Kristin Lovrien-Meuwese
Janet Marchylo
Marika Nerbas
Crystal Penner
Dolores Tjart
Altos
Myranda Bachewich
Kaylene Blackwood
Vida Chan
Glynis Corkal
Kelley Fry
Veronica Larmour
Vivien Laurie
Brenda Marinelli
Celoris Miller
Arlene Petkau
Wanda Prychitko
Erika Rasmussen
Gail Singer
Nicola Spasoff
Alison Thiessen
Tenors
John Drewitt
Brian Fristensky
Leonard LaRue
Jackson Lotz
Aiden Sebbahi
Mikael Van der Kooy
Basses
David Elias
Robert Giesbrecht
Peter Loewen
Brian Marchylo
Liam Martin
John Murray
Dennis Penner
Tim Smith
Clement Toner
Laurent Waldie
Paul Wiebe
