Victoria Baroque: Handel Chandos Anthems
$30 CAD ($5 CAD student/youth)
- Isaiah Bell, tenor
- Nathan McDonald, baritone
- Jennifer Turner, soprano
- St John's Chamber Singers
George Frideric Handel — Chandos Anthem No. 9: Praise the Lord with one consent, HWV 254
Henry Purcell — Rejoice in the Lord alway, Z. 49
Experience 'boundless realms of joy' with two of Handel's uplifting and exquisite Chandos Anthems for soloists, choir, and orchestra performed by an all-professional vocal ensemble.
Accessibility: If the regular ticket price isn't an option, please contact us and we’ll be happy to reduce it.
St. John's is wheelchair accessible through the Garden doors on the north side of the church. Accessible seating can be arranged by emailing Victoria-baroque@shaw.ca before noon on Thursday, April 20.
About Isaiah Bell, tenor
About Nathan McDonald, baritone
Commanding a repertoire spanning several centuries, from renaissance polyphony to modern opera, Nathan David McDonald, baritone, is often lauded for his vocal versatility. With a diverse musical background, including a degree in trumpet and seven years as a church Music Director, Nathan brings a wealth of experience and musicianship to his craft.
Active as an oratorio singer, Nathan has appeared with a variety of West Coast ensembles such as the Pacific Baroque Festival Orchestra, Victoria Philharmonic Choir, Cowichan Consort, and Vox Humana Chamber Choir. Recent highlights include Handel's Apollo e Dafne with Victoria Baroque led by Steven Divine; Bach's Magnificat with the Sooke Philharmonic and Victoria Choral Society; Bach's Christmas Oratorio with the Okanagan Festival Singers; the World Premiere of two new pieces at a Poetry and Song gala by East Van Opera; and Jean-Joseph de Mondonville's Cantate Domino at the Pacific Baroque Festival.
Nathan has presented recitals in Canada and the United States, and has sung professionally in choirs on 4 continents. A veteran of youth-oriented choral projects, Nathan has sung several times with the National Youth Choir of Canada and World Youth Choir, as well as the Carnegie Hall Chamber Choir (New York, NY), Weimar Bach Cantata Academy (Weimar, Germany), JSB Ensemble (Stuttgart, Germany), and Academia Internacional Teatro del Lago (Chile).
Operatic highlights include Nathan's 2016 mainstage debut with Pacific Opera Victoria (POV) as Fiorello in Rossini's Barber of Seville; solo chorus in the POV's school touring production of Mary's Wedding by Andrew Macdonald; performing the role of Marcello (2018) and Papageno (2017) in POV's Living Opera in schools program; and singing the role of Marcello in Puccini's La Bohème at Edmonton's NUOVA festival. Other operatic roles include Il Conte (Le Nozze di Figaro – Mozart), Dandini (La Cenerentola – Rossini), Don Alfonso (Cosi fan tutte – Mozart), Marco (Gianni Schicchi – Puccini), Colas (Bastien und Bastienne – Mozart), and Mr. Gobineau (The Medium – Menotti).
Nathan is a member of the Voice Faculty at the Victoria Conservatory of Music and the Canadian College of Performing Arts. He serves as Music Director/Kantor at Lutheran Church of the Cross, Victoria, and is mentored by soprano, Nancy Argenta.
https://nathandavidmcdonald.com/en/About Jennifer Turner, soprano
Jennifer Turner is a Victoria B.C. based soprano known for her expressive singing and powerful, ringing tone. A performer who sings with strong emotional intensity, Jennifer's warm and engaging presence has captivated audiences on the operatic and concert stages alike.
Jennifer is in demand as a concert soloist throughout Western Canada with engagements by Pacific Opera, Victoria Baroque, the Okanagan Festival Singers, the Victoria Philharmonic Choir, Opera Kelowna, Manitoba Underground Opera, the Sooke Philharmonic Orchestra, the Salt Spring Chamber Orchestra, and Choir, the Linden Singers, the Victoria Civic Orchestra and the Cowichan Consort. In 2018, Jennifer toured with Canadian baritone, Gino Quilico, along with collaborative pianist Robert Holliston for a lecture concert of opera excerpts representing historical Canadian singers.
Jennifer has performed with Pacific Opera Victoria in recital and on the main stage, making her solo debut in the role of Donna/Siren in Handel's Rinaldo. She has also sung in several productions as a chorus member. Jennifer received extensive operatic training through the Victoria Conservatory of Music Opera Studio including her role debut as Fiordiligi in Mozart's Cosi fan tutte under the stage direction of Glynis Leyshon and Maestro Giuseppe Pietraroia. She also performed the role of Countess in Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro with stage director Julie McIsaac and Maestro Timothy Vernon.
Jennifer has been generously supported by the British Columbia Arts Council through an Early Career Development Grant and Professional Development Grants. She was a 2020 recipient of an Early Music Vancouver Scholarship to study with baroque specialist Nancy Argenta. While completing her MA in Cultural Studies at Queens University, she received a prestigious SSHRC Canada Graduate Scholarship to study the disciplining effects of singing technique on the body. With her academic background, Jennifer has a strong curiosity for bringing critical perspectives into classical music. Moreover, Jennifer is interested in new music having performed avant-garde compositions and premiered works by Canadian composers.
Jennifer holds a M.Mus from the University of Manitoba where she studied with Tracy Dahl, and a Diploma in Music Performance from the Victoria Conservatory of Music where she studied with Ingrid Attrot and Nancy Argenta. Outside of the performance world, Jennifer is an enthusiastic tennis player, cat lover, and aspiring pianist and conductor.
https://jenniferturnersoprano.ca/About St John's Chamber Singers
Since their début concert in April 2011, the Victoria Baroque Players has collaborated with the St John’s Chamber Singers when performing choral works. The choir, directed by David Stratkauskas, has become known for its dynamic and stylish performances of Baroque music. Together the VBP and SJCS have performed many major 18th-century choral works such as Handel's Dixit Dominus, Telemann's German Magnificat, several of Bach's and Buxtehude's cantatas and motets, and in March 2013, Bach's St. John Passion conducted by Pacific Opera Victoria’s Timothy Vernon.
The core of the St John's Chamber Singers is an audition-based chamber choir that sings regular services at St John's. Their repertoire covers sacred music from Monteverdi, Tallis, and Byrd to modern composers such as Durufle, Howells and Britten. For concerts the choir also draws on experienced choral singers from the community, and many of its members are professional musicians and voice students. The vocal soloists sing as part of the choir, as was the custom in the 18th Century.
https://victoria-baroque.com/the-players/david-stratkauskas/st-johns-chamber-singers/