CORO SAN MARCO - TORONTO - CANADA

Our Choir, Coro San Marco, was founded in 1995, is composed of about 50 auditioned members who share a love for choral music. The choir has a vast repertoire of folk, classical, religious and operatic music, performed extensively at many events. One of the most recent is its participation, by invitation, in a 350 voice choir performing in the closing ceremony for the City of Toronto 2008 Olympic bid, at the Roy Thompson Hall. Some other performances are: co-productions with the Nova-Amadeus orchestra of Rome, with the Esprit Alliance Orchestra, with La Classica Women's Chamber Choir and singers from University of Toronto's Symphonic Workshops Limited, concerts at the Italian Festival of Woodbridge, at the Martyrs' Shrine in Midland, the International Convention of the Alpini, for the Ontario College of Arts, for the Salvation Army Convention in Markham, for Radio Maria, at the Festival of Italo-Canadian Choirs in Kingston, at Scarborough Italfest, Mozart's Coronation Mass at St. John Norway's Church.

Among the mandates of our Choir is the promotion of a better knowledge of Italian music in Toronto, Canada, and the performance support of Italian-Canadian composers and performers. On June 1st, 1997 the choir premiered two contemporary choral compositions written by a trio of young Italian-Canadian composers. The pieces were: Sarajevo and Gloria, by Posocco, Scaini, Peppiat. Our latest CD issues include more compositions by Peter Posocco and by other Italian-Canadian composers: Alfio Foti, Giuseppe Lamanna and Cristina Enrietti. In 2000 the Choir has performed the North American premiere of a little known Magnificat by Tommaso Albinoni, live on Radio Maria

The choir is available for various special occasion performances. If interested, write to us to obtain a list of our fees and performing conditions.

The choir is a licensed charitable organization and a member of Choirs Ontario.

Launched on March 13, 1999, they are selling well! Here is the list of contents:

Title: LONGING SPIRIT

1. CHORUS OF THE HEBREW SLAVES. From the opera "Nabucco" by Giuseppe Verdi 1813-1901.

Piano: David Battilana

2. A DREAM IN VENICE. Romantic song composed by two Italian immigrants: Alfio Foti and Giuseppe Lamanna.

Piano: David Battilana. Soprano: cristina enrietti.

3. FLORENCE IS DREAMING. Popular romantic song by C. Cesarini.

Piano: David Battilana. Tenor: Alberto Posocco.

4. YOUNG MAN. Folk song from Tuscany, harmonized by Ivo Meini.

5. IN THE SEA. Sailor folk song from Veneto.

Tenor: Giovanni Tolfo.

6. THE SUN HAS SET. Lovely folk song from Lombardy depicting a beautiful sunset.

Tenor: Michael Nasato.

7. THE MOUNTAIN GIRL. Popular song from Trentino, by T. Ortelli, harmonized by L. Pigarelli.

8. THE TOFANE MOUNTAINS. Powerful song of mountain soldiers, harmonized by Gianni Malatesta.

9. TIME TO SAY GOODBYE. Popular song interpreted by Andrea Bocelli, text by L. Quarantotto and music by Francesco Sartori. Here is a choral arrangement by Daniel Colla.

Piano: David Battilana. Soprano Nadia Gugliotta-Umana.

10. AVE MARIA. Beautiful prayer to the Virgin Mary by the young Canadian composer Peter Posocco, premiered by Coro San Marco in December 1998.

11. LORD OF THE MOUNTAINS. Grief-stricken prayer for a friend who died climbing a mountain, by the Italian composer Bepi DeMarzi.

12. STABAT MATER. A Good Friday lamentation by the Italian musicologist Camillo DiBiasi, premiered by Coro San Marco in May 1998.

Sopranos: Cristina Enrietti, Nadia Gugliotta-Umana, Ada Mazzei, Maggie Pringle, Marta Cecilia Montesdeoca. Tenor: Luciano Vincenzi.

13. PSALM XVIII. Baroque motet by Benedetto Marcello (1686-1739).

Violins: Kristel Audet, Austin Hwang. Viola: Emma Galloway. Cello: William Kim. Organ: Sunny Hong.

14. CHORALE FROM CANTATA n. 147 by J. S. Bach 1685-1750.

Violins: Kristel Audet, Austin Hwang. Viola: Emma Galloway. Cello: William Kim. Organ: Sunny Hong.

15. GLORIA, SANCTUS, BENEDICTUS, AGNUS DEI. From the "Coronation Mass" H. 317 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart 1756-1791. Chorus and orchestra conducted by Roger Berg, Soprano: Nadia Gugliotta-Umana. Alto: Lois Rooney-Giurin. Tenor: Douglas Rice. Bass: Dan Perron.

Recording Engineer: Robert Tremills.

Special thanks to: St. Theodore of Canterbury Anglican Church, Toronto; Saint Catherine of Siena Church, Mississauga;

Immanuel Baptist Church, Toronto.