The Hart House Singers is a non-auditioned choir at the University of Toronto that provides an opportunity for first-time and experienced singers to share in the joy of choral singing, to learn the art of song, to have fun, and to sing culturally and historically diverse repertoire.

Hart House Singers

Concerts

Join the Hart House Singers, Sing Carl Orff's Carmina Burana with dancers from Canada's National Ballet School and Royal Canadian Navy HMCS York & Star Bands. This is a ticketed free event, unfortunately, we reached capacity.

This is a ticketed free event, unfortunately, we have reached capacity..

About Us

The Singers

The Hart House Singers is a non-auditioned choir at the University of Toronto that provides an opportunity for first-time and experienced singers to share in the joy of choral singing, to learn the art of song, and to sing historically and culturally diverse repertoire. Typically, the choir performs music from around the world in its summer or fall terms, and one of the great choral works in the winter term. The Hart House Singers has performed at Toronto’s “Nuit blanche,” and in Mahler’s Symphony No. 2 and Holst’s The Planets with the Hart House Orchestra. In the past few seasons, we have performed such famous choral works as Bruckner’s Mass in E minor, Dvorak’s Mass in D and Stabat Mater, Mozart’s Requiem, Haydn’s Mass in Time of War, and Beethoven's Mass in C with orchestras made of students and recent graduates from the Faculty of Music and the Royal Conservatory of Music, and local professionals.

If you would like to support our work you may donate here.

Conductor

DAVID ARNOT-JOHNSTON has directed many vocal and instrumental groups, including at Canada's National Ballet School and Tafelmusik's Baroque Summer Institute at the University of Toronto. He completed the graduate program in early music at the Royal Conservatory of The Hague, The Netherlands, and holds a Masters degree in music history and performance from the University of Toronto.

As a tenor soloist, David has performed with several early and contemporary ensembles, including Tafelmusik, the Studio de musique ancienne de Montréal, Opera Atelier, Dancemakers, Utrecht Barok Consort, La Capriola of Amsterdam, Utrecht Bach Society, Ottawa Choral Society, and The Toronto Consort. He has sung as a soloist under Sigiswald Kuijken, Andrew Parrott, William Christie, and with Emma Kirkby in works by Mozart, Handel, Bach, Lully, and Monteverdi.

David has recorded as a soloist and ensemble performer on the Naxos, CBC, Marquis, RCA/BMG, and Analekta labels with the Aradia Ensemble, Tafelmusik Orchestra, Toronto Consort, Canadian Brass, and the Theatre of Early Music. A dedicated instructor of music, David directed the music education program at the National Ballet School for ten years. He has been conductor of the Hart House Singers since 2003.

Piano Accompanist

CONRAD GOLD, holds a Bachelor of Music from Oberlin College Conservatory of Music, and a Master of Music from McGill University. He undertook additional keyboard performance studies in Italy. Mr. Gold also serves as the accompanist for the Brampton Festival Singers, and has collaborated with the Tallis Choir and the Cantabile Chamber Singers of Toronto, and the Laudate Dominum Choir of Chatham. Currently living in Toronto, Mr. Gold plays organ regularly at Lorne Park Baptist Church in Mississauga, St. Michael's Cathedral in Toronto, and several other Toronto area churches. His other musical activities include playing organ recitals and teaching piano.

Repertoire

Singers 2024-2025

Winter Term: Carl Orff's Carmina Burana. The Singers will be joined with Company Life Program dancers of Canada's National Ballot School and the Royal Canadian Navy HMCS York Band.

One excellent recording of Carmina Burana is conducted by Simon Rattle with the Berlin Philharmonic. It is available on Youtube, Apple TV, and iTunes. Here is the Youtube link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cHWOYu9ntis&list=PLmN87NGxFEY6wYy_Fp-GR0Hgo3Y1-dynh

There are many other fine recordings.

Here is an interesting article about the piece and some of the best recordings: https://www.classical-music.com/features/recordings/carmina-burana-guide-best-recordings

This is a ticketed free event, unfortunately, we have reached capacity.

More information is available below.

Recent Concerts

  • Ralph Vaughan Williams: A Sea Symphony (November 2024)
  • Les oiseaux du paradis: choral works by Ravel, Britten, Halley and More (July 2024)
  • Mozart's Requiem (March 2024)
  • Frè O (November 2023) joint performance with Samba Squad
  • Folk Song Festival 3 (July 2023)
  • Beethoven's 9th Symphony (March 2023)
  • Sing Me At Dawn (November 2022), joint performance with HMCS York Band
  • Burst into Song (April 2022), joint performance with Hart House Chorus
  • Modern Choral Classics (March 2020) Canceled
  • Verdi's Requiem (November 2019)
  • Journeys (July 2019)
  • Zadok the Priest and others (March 2019)
  • Through the Eyes of a Child (November 2018)
  • Love Life! R&B and Music Theatre songs on Life (July 2018)
  • Music for Choir and Brass: A Concert! (March 2018)

    • Performance Samples

    1. "Sing Me At Dawn" arr. David Arnot-Johnston
    2. "Dies irae" from Mozart Requiem
    3. "Célébrons" trad. French

    Join Us

    Update for Hart House Singers, as of November 27, 2024:
    Hello Hart House Singers and those who may like to join us for the 2025 Winter term!

    Here are some details:

    1. Rehearsals are held on Monday evenings during the fall and winter terms, 7:45-9:30 p.m. They are usually held in the Great Hall at Hart House. There are no rehearsals on statutory holidays (e.g.: Thanksgiving, Family Day, Febuary 17, 2025). You may join the Hart House Singers for just one term or both the fall and winter terms.
    2. Fall and Winter Term Open Rehearsals: The first two rehearsals of each term are "open rehearsals." You may come, sing with us, and decide after any of the open rehearsals if you'd like to join for the term or both terms. The open rehearsals this coming academic year are held on Sept. 9 and 16 for the fall term, and Jan. 6 and 13 for the winter term in the Great Hall of Hart House.
    3. Summer Term: We often have a summer term which runs from late May to early July. Confirmation of this term is made by the end of March. Rehearsals in the summer term are held on Wednesday evenings, 7:30-9:30 p.m.

    Updates as of November 2024, the rehearsals and concerts for fall term have concluded. There are two performances in the winter term.
    1. The dress rehearsal for the winter term is Friday, March 21, 7-10 p.m.
    2. Performance #1: Saturday, March 22, 8:00-9:30 p.m. (warmup at 6:30 or 7:00 p.m.)
    3. Performance #2: Sunday, March 23, 4:00 p.m. (with a warm-up at 2:30 or 3:30) p.m.).
    4. Both performances are ticketed free event, unfortunately, we have reached capacity.

    The repertoire for the winter term is Carl Orff's Carmina Burana. An extremely popular and exciting work.

    Collaboration: Carl Orff, the composer, wanted dancers in each performance of his Carmina Burana. We will therefore be performing with "Company Life Program" dancers (i.e.: graduate dancers) from Canada's National Ballet School, with instrument accompaniment by the Royal Canadian Navy HMCS York Band, which is an official band of the Royal Canadian Navy.

    Here are some listening examples:

    1. One excellent recording of Carmina Burana is conducted by Simon Rattle with the Berlin Philharmonic. It is available on Youtube, Apple TV, and iTunes. Here is the Youtube link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cHWOYu9ntis&list=PLmN87NGxFEY6wYy_Fp-GR0Hgo3Y1-dynh
    2. A performance in a square in Venice! (Just the opening movement): https://youtu.be/GrMprOYFYg4
    3. WDR Orchestra and Chorus (Cologne): https://youtu.be/Yb6jULNu5ik

    Here is an interesting article about the piece and some of the best recordings: https://www.classical-music.com/features/recordings/carmina-burana-guide-best-recordings

    The streamed software “Match My Sound" can be used to learn the music from your home computer. You can see the music and hear your voice part separately or with all voice parts. Use of this software is optional. There is no extra cost to use this software.

    1. Registration: You can register either before the first rehearsals each term, or right after either of the two open rehearsals (see above). The easiest way to register is to go to the main reception desk at Hart House (on the main level). There is an online link to register, but this works best for those with a UofT student number: https://www.harthouseregistration.ca/Program/GetProgramDetails?courseId=8c4dc827-8c2b-452d-ab15-67566309255f&semesterId=26efa3ac-9ef0-4b52-a391-66c619d739c1
    2. Membership Fees: Fees are subject to change, but presently they are as described below. NOTE: You may join for just a term or for the academic year.
      1. Academic Year*:
        1. Non-student or non-Member: $235
        2. Under 29 and over 65: $175
      2. Per Term (i.e.: fall or winter terms):
        1. Student or Hart House Member**: $5
        2. Non-students and non-Members: $120
        3. Under 29 and over 65: $90
      3. Spring/Summer Session***:
        1. Student or Hart House Member**: $5
        2. Non-students and non-Member: $60
        3. Under 29 and over 65: $45
      *Academic Year is the period from September 1 through April 30.
      **“Student” means any student who has paid ancillary fees as part of their academic program; "Member” refers to those who also have a full Hart House fitness centre membership.
      *** SPRING/Summer sessions are not included in the Academic Year registration fee and must be purchased separately.

    Please email us at hhsingers@gmail.com to tell us if you are interested or to ask questions. You can also, of course, ask any questions you may have during rehearsals.

    Here is a photo of our March 25/2023 concert, with an orchestra:
    Hart House Singers with Orchestra 25 March 2023

    We are a non-auditioned choir. Our membership includes those who sight-read well, and those who do not read music well. Some of our members have had a lot of experience singing in choirs, while many are just starting to sing in a choir or haven't sung in one for several years. Membership to the Hart House Singers is open to everyone; you can be a student at UofT, a student from another university, or a non-student. You may join for only one term, or both terms. We may have a summer term, which of course is optional.

    Fees!

    You may pay fees either at the Hart House Hub (front desk) or on-line on the Hart House website at https://harthouse.ca/clubs/singers and follow the link for Hart House Club - Singers. The first two rehearsals of the term are open and no payment of fee is required to attend. If you have problems with the recreation site contact Hart House Hub.

    Anyone who wishes to join the Hart House Singers now has both an ANNUAL and a TERM payment option. The annual option represents the least overall cost. The term options allow participants to have flexibility and to manage their registration costs differently if they wish. We are in the process of determining summer fees, but they will be lower than the term fees.

    The fee structure for the Hart House Singers is as follows:

    Student/Member* Non-Member Under 29 & Over 65
    ACADEMIC YEAR REGISTRATION FEE** $10 $235 $175
    FALL REGISTRATION FEE $5 $120 $90
    WINTER REGISTRATION FEE $5 $120 $90
    SPRING/SUMMER REGISTRATION FEE*** $5 $60 $45

    *“Student” means any student who has paid ancillary fees as part of their academic program; "member” refers to those who also have a full Hart House fitness centre membership.
    **Academic Year is the period from September 1 through April 30.
    *** SPRING/Summer sessions are not included in the Academic Year registration fee and must be purchased separately.