CCO ANNOUNCEMENTS DECEMBER 12 25
- Lee-Ann
- 3 days ago
- 7 min read
DECEMBER 12, 2025
Happy Holidays, everyone. See you at the next rehearsal: January 5, 2026.
I. REFLECTIONS ON WINTER MOSAIC
(i) Note from Guest Conductor Manley
"Dear musicians of the CCO —-
Words can barely describe how I feel about this past weekend and the last few months. You immediately made me feel so welcome that I couldn’t wait for Mondays to come around. Your musicianship is impeccable and so thoughtful. You’re always striving for how to make a passage or section sound and feel better. I enjoyed the collaboration we had to solve issues and make interpretations make more sense. You went the extra mile for coverage of parts, bringing in extra instruments to fulfill the score and stepped up when colleagues weren’t able to attend rehearsals. Last but not least, you play so well. Musically speaking, I walked away from rehearsals feeling so good about how quickly the material was progressing and how early we could start working on musicality and those pesky dynamics (am I right? lol).
And the show — what can I say? Well, apart from Erick’s glasses snapping in half – poor guy. What are the chances?? You just never know what can happen at a show (including my scarf getting caught on the mic tower during the sing-along - I was told afterwards of it teetering forward and back - I was otherwise totally oblivious of it). Canada Mosaic was beautiful - delicately played in the tender moments and well balanced in the boisterous ones, with a dazzling, scintillating finish! The March of the Three Kings was really nice – lots of energy, with a lush adagio and cruising into a big fanfare ending (do I remember some cheers from the audience?). Nightmare Before Christmas - you made the score come alive! Mysterious, creepy, tender, and brash! True Danny Elfman spirit. Fantasia on We Three Kings – I liked it to begin with, I really grew to love it – it was good to introduce the audience to something fresh for a holiday concert. So many moods and so many places for each section to shine and take centre stage (that checks a lot of boxes for me as a conductor). And what a finish! Such a mic drop!
Last but, by far, not least — Four Last Songs - omg. I’m not crying - you’re crying. What an emotional performance - spiritual, even. It was clear you spent a lot of practice on it to make it sound so good. I think we did Rebecca proud, and wowed the audience at the same time. It felt like we were one whole unit - so well synchronized. Such a beautiful warm sound. I’m still humming and air-conducting snippets of it!
I’ve enjoyed these last few months so much - the friendships and camaraderie - and the socializing afterwards at the pub. The music-making experience has been a joy - growing together through the repertoire, working hand-in-hand to put on a polished show. I’m going to really miss all of this and all of you!
It probably goes without saying that I would be over the moon to be your music director. I think we could create some amazing shows, explore all kinds of rep, old and new, fun and serious - and diverse! Program pieces that include all the orchestra, as much as possible, so we can develop the full CCO sound (and as a tuba player, I know what it’s like to show up for just one piece). We can reach out to our queer/ally and neighbourhood communities and grow our audience.
Of course, you have two other candidates to try out - I hope you have a wonderful time with them as well. In the end, you’ll choose the one that’s right for you. No matter what the outcome, I love you all and will see you soon.
Big hugs,
Dan
Oh - PS - the singalong was a tonne of fun!”
(ii) An Informal Financial Report
The numbers are still coming in, but here’s an informal report until our Treasurer, Kevin Seymour, can finish his work:
206 on-line tickets sold - of which 180 became attendees
22 tickets sold at the door
49 tickets sold by members and collected by Helen Li
plus others & a few comps
likely attendance at the concert: around 280
Record-setting fundraising efforts:
$572 deposited into the CCO’s accounts from the 50/50 draw (and a happy friend of Holly Price’s going home with the prize)
$282.35 from the donation jars in the cookie room!
Thank you so much to all the members who donated cookies - especially some of those lovely home-made and carefully decorated ones (Em, Bie and others). We had more than enough this year which, no doubt, influenced the generosity of our audience members, and allowed the CCO to make a cookie donation at the end of the concert to Eastminster Church’s various food programmes.
(iii) Informal, Ad hoc Audience Comments
From family and friends of the Board members, there were lots of positive comments, both about the atmosphere in the room and about the programme. A few said our best concert ever. Four Last Songs was particularly commented upon as a moving work sung by a beautiful voice. However, also some negative comments about the acoustics, losing parts of Rebecca’s sound in the corners of the Sanctuary and parts of the balcony, and the words being occasionally overwhelmed by the orchestra. The facts that the Guest Conductor handled the delay caused by the broken glasses in a humorous way and that he introduced each work directly to the audience were popular. The Programme Notes were described as particularly well-written (thanks Hannah). If any members have comments they would like to share for consideration in planning for the next concert, please email to emitchell1727@gmail.com.
(iv) Where does our audience come from?
The CCO’s electronic ticketing service provides us with some interesting post-concert numbers. This graph emphasizes what a significant proportion of our audience are the friends and family of members, emphasizing each member’s part in contributing to the numbers attending each concert:
(iv) Members’ Survey
By now, CCO Members should have received a copy of the Members’ Survey, seeking their opinions on the audition rehearsals and concert by the first applicant Guest Conductor, Daniel Manley. Responses are expected by Monday the 22nd. Further surveys will follow each of the next two audition concerts, and the results of those surveys will be considered by the Board in June. If you did not receive a survey and should have, please email emitchell1727@gmail.com.
Please note, a member commented that there should have been room in the survey for general comments. The Board agreed at its meeting, and Secretary Jessica Fernando is sending an email adding a new Question 16 along the lines of “Is there anything else you would like to add?”. Question 16 will be included in the future surveys about the auditions.
II. GOING FOWARD INTO 2026
First rehearsal: January 5, 2026, 7:30 at the 519.
(i) Board Officers
The new Board has held its first meeting and has elected its Officers for the next year (they are all repeating their previous offices):
Chair: Elizabeth Mitchell
Vice Chair: Daniel Payne
Treasure: Kevin Seymour
Secretary: Jessica Fernando
Directors: David Brownstone, Lee-Ann Ngu, Hannah Brown, Matias Espinoza.
Safety and Respect Officer: David Brownstone. (Many thanks to Russell Westkirk, the first such Officer appointed under the CCO Safe & Respectful Spaces Policy.)
(ii) “A THOUSAND AND ONE NOTES” ON MARCH 7
Guest Conductor Samuel Tam has created another exciting programme for the CCO, now named “A Thousand and One Notes”:
Chaminade Callirhoe Suite
Koussevitsky Double Bass Concerto, with soloist Brian Baty
Rimsky-Korsakov, Scheherazade.
Dr. Tam has warned there may be some cuts to these complete works as we go along.
(iii) NOTE FROM LIBRARIAN MARIO LO MONACO
"Counterpoint Community Orchestra musicians, welcome and welcome back to our 42nd season of the CCO.
Dr. Samuel Tam, our guest conductor, has assembled an exciting programme for our March 7th, 2026 concert.
A reminder that musicians are normally required to print and bring to the rehearsals their music stand and their music part. Links to the music parts are below.
If you require any assistance to download or print any music, please feel free to contact Mario at mariolomonaco@hotmail.com.
RIMSKY-KORSAKOV- Scheherazade
KOUSSERVITZKY- Double Bass Concerto
Koussevitzky — Before we finalize the edition, Samuel will confirm with Brian Baty to see which tuning he prefers. We will get back to you shortly with the correct link.
CHAMINADE- Callirhoë Suite d’orchestre I. and II. Possibly adding the third movement.
III. A SOCIAL INVITATION FOR MONDAY DECEMBER 15
A member has issued an invitation to join a group for an informal holiday visit "on Monday:
"Some members of the orchestra are meeting for a social gathering happening at Sin & Redemption on Monday 15th December from 7pm. Address is 136 McCaul St, Toronto. All very informal and we haven't specifically booked out lots of space but all are welcome! https://maps.app.goo.gl/snyTZyrseY363V3F7"
IV. IMPORTANT CCO DATES
Rehearsals are Mondays, 7:30 to 9:30pm unless otherwise noted here. The rehearsals are normally at the 519 Community Centre, 519 Church Street, Please let your section leader know if you cannot attend a rehearsal.
Remaining concerts this season are March 7 and June 6, with Dress Rehearsals the Friday night, at Eastminister United Church, 310 Danforth.
Musicians must bring their own music stand and sheet music part to each rehearsal.
Snacks for the break are provided by sections in rotation: first violins, then seconds, then violas and celli, then winds, brass and piano, then leftovers, and back to the start.
January 5, 2026 - 7:30pm rehearsals resume Mondays at the 519 under our new Guest Conductor, Dr. Samuel Tam. Snacks first violins (seconds on January 12).
February 16 - no rehearsal - Family Day
March 6 - 7:00 to 10:00pm Dress Rehearsal, Eastminster Church
March 7 - 7:30pm A Thousand and One Notes, Eastminster Church, featured soloist Brian Baty, double bass
March 9 - No rehearsal
March 16 - 7:30pm - rehearsals resume Mondays at the 519 under Guest Conductor Mr. Isaac Page.
April 6 - no rehearsal - Easter Monday
May 18 - no rehearsal - Victoria Day
June 5 - 7:00pm Dress Rehearsal, Eastminster Church
June 6 - 7:30pm Concert, Eastminster Church, featured soloist, Gemma Donn, CCO Concertmaster
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