Rosebud’s music director sings in Juno-nominated choir

Laureen F. Guenther
Times Contributor

 

Bill Hamm, music director of Rosebud Theatre and Rosebud School of the Arts, is a member of the Canadian Chamber Choir, whose album Sacred Reflections of Canada: A Canadian Mass, was nominated for a 2016 Juno Award for Classical Album. The awards will be announced in Calgary March 28 to April 3. As part of the festivities, on April 1, Hamm will also play in the Juno Cup, a competitive hockey game between Juno nominees and former NHL players, which raises money for a music education charity.
Hamm has been singing with the choir since 2006, and choir members, who are spread around most of the provinces of Canada, typically get together to tour twice a year, he said. They spend a couple of months learning their music on their own before getting together for two or three days of intense rehearsals. Then they spend several days giving concerts and workshops.
One of the choir’s mandates is to foster choral communities, Hamm said, so they work with a variety of children, youth and adult choirs, in addition to performing. The choir has toured most of the Canadian provinces, and took their latest tour this January, in southern Ontario.
Sacred Reflections of Canada, their second album, was recorded last May. All the music was written by living Canadian composers.
Hamm knew the choir hoped the new album would be nominated for a Juno, but he said the announcement was still a surprise.
“It’s quite humbling to be recognized in such a way,” he said. “We’re just ordinary people.”
Hamm and eight fellow choir members will be in Calgary for the award events. He looks forward to sharing the awards announcement with them at a banquet on Saturday night, and having them watch him play in the Juno Cup against the former NHLers the night before. The Cup raises funds for MusiCounts, the music education charity of the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences.
Hamm invites Strathmore Times readers to come to the game.
“The game is very entertaining for the crowd,” he said. “You get to see some (NHL) greats.”
This year’s NHL line-up includes Mark Napier, Troy Crowder, Brad Dalgarno, and former Flames Curtis Glencross, Perry Berezan, Ron Sutter and Jamie Macoun.
“Come out and support music education and have some good entertainment,” he said.
The Juno Cup game takes place at Max Bell Arena, Friday, April 1, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $20 and are available at ticketmaster.com.