Arts and Entertainment

Achill Choral Society to perform ‘Season of Light’ concert at two area churches

November 13, 2025   ·   0 Comments

By Constance Scrafield

It is lovely to think about all the music this coming season brings to Orangeville, and the concerts are already being announced.

Achill Choral Society is performing its Season of Light concert on two dates: Saturday, Nov. 29, at Knox Presbyterian Church in Alliston and Sunday, Nov. 30, at Westminster United Church in Orangeville.

Much of their audience’s favourite music is included, along with surprises and the rewriting of an old carol intended to thrill them. The joy of the audience singing Christmas carols with the choir is an annual part of the program.

Shawn Grenke, artistic director, outlined the concert in an interview with the Citizen.

“We’re doing a large work, ‘Gloria,’ a new piece in 2025, by Mary McDonald from the U.S., which is written really well for community choirs,” he said.

At 12 minutes long, this is the Ontario premiere of McDonald’s “Gloria.” It is in the old text, written 300 years ago, all in Latin, and the choir will perform it in Latin.

“This is a standalone, three-movement piece with strings and piano, beautiful harmonies,” Grenke explained.

He continued, “I will mention too a written piece resetting the Huron Carol.”

Sarah Quartel’s lesous Ahatonnia (“Jesus is born”) is taken from an Indigenous-language rewrite of the Huron Carol, translated from English some years ago. Quebec-based poet, Andree Levesque Sioui, has worked on it for a “newly written Indigenous text,” Grenke said.

The choir will be singing lesous Ahatonnia in the Wendat language. Sarah Quartel co-wrote it, and she wrote a beautiful piano part for it.

Grenke commented that in the last five or 10 years, the importance of Indigenous music for choral singing has grown. About the government’s calls to action for reconciliation, one phrase he states clearly is “There is nothing to tell without us.”

Susan Allen, President of Achill for the last two years, with 30 years in the choir, was also available to talk about the concert, adding about the Gloria piece, “The chords and the dynamics make it stunningly beautiful.”

She spoke about another: Love’s Pure Light, which is a new arrangement of Silent Night by American composer Elaine Hagenberg. “It is so calming and wonderful.”

Allen also said the Westminster Bells will play at the concert on Nov. 30 at Westminster United Church.

On a more personal note, Allen was pleased to announce that two weeks ago, he attended his  Convocation for a three-year General Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies with a minor in Church Music, Worship, and Liturgy from the University of Waterloo.

This followed her retirement after many years as an elementary school teacher. Allen enjoyed her studies so much that, once she earned her degree, she continued her education by taking courses online.

Grenke remarked how much he enjoys finding new music by Canadian or other composers. When he came across the lesous Ahatonnia. he wanted to include it in this special concert.

The Achill choir is strong with around 70 members. Every year, new people audition to join.

“This is a very caring choir, a good community experience,” Grenke said. “I think it’s important to support local arts in the region. Achill is important and they will put everybody into the spirit.”

It is most thrilling, in Grenke’s opinion, to perform a vast array of music, not only traditional songs. There is music about the Solstice and the winter season, not just Christmas.

“Music is the way to be together,” Grenke commented.

Encouraging people to come and hear the very popular Achill Choral Society in concert, he feels that it is important to produce such a program, for “music calms the soul. With so much division anddifficult daily news,music is the way to put aside our worries about the world’s troubles for the moment.”

For tickets to Achill’s Season of Light concerts, go to www.achill.ca, or paper tickets can be purchased at BookLore in Orangeville or Papermoon Gallery in Alliston.

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