Opus 8

Eight voices. Centuries of music.


Aug
6
4:00 PM16:00

Songs for a Summer Garden

A concert of a cappella choral music fit for a summer afternoon. Opus 8 will sing music all about gardens and the great outdoors, followed by some fabulous close harmony.  

B. Britten – Five Flower Songs, Op. 47

Clemens non Papa – Ego Flos Campi a 7

Traditional Arr. Guy Turner – O Waly Waly

Lauper, Steinberg, & Kelly, Arr. Saunder Choi – True Colours

S. Rogers Arr. Busiakiewicz – Northwest Passage

Traditional Spiritual Arr. Busiakiewicz – Swing Low

R. Rodgers, O. Hammerstein – My Favourite Things from The Sound of Music

Wheatus Arr. Busiakiewicz – Teenage Dirtbag

Carly Rae Jepsen, Arr. Ed Rex – Call Me Maybe

Arr. Busiakiewicz – Spice Girls Medley

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Jul
12
7:30 PM19:30

Milton in Music: An Evening of Voice & Verse

Wednesday, 12th of July, 7:30pm

Music by Handel, Lawes, Stephanie Martin, Robert Busiakiewicz, and Parry. Music to texts by John Milton. In collaboration with Confluence Concerts. Organist Robert Dixon.

Admission is FREE; no registration required. To read about the 13th International Milton Conference, click here.

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Opus 8 In Concert NYC
Nov
14
7:30 PM19:30

Opus 8 In Concert NYC

  • Roman Catholic Church of Our Saviour (map)
  • Google Calendar ICS

The professional choir from Toronto, Opus 8, sing a free concert of a cappella sacred choral music in the heart of New York city.

With music by Roxanna Panufnik, Stephanie Martin, Elizabeth Maconchy, Nancy Wertsch, Cecilia McDowall, Judith Weir, Orlando Gibbons, William Byrd, Thomas Tomkins, Richard Dering, John Sheppard and Christopher Tye.

Donations are gratefully accepted.

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In The Fire - New Jersey U.S.A
Nov
10
to Nov 13

In The Fire - New Jersey U.S.A

  • Alexander Kasser Theatre (map)
  • Google Calendar ICS

Opus 8 collaborates with dancer Holly Treddenick, singing a new commission by John Gzowski at Montclair State University. Performances at the Alexander Kasser Theater given on

Thursday, November 10, 2022 | 7:30 PM
Friday, November 11, 2022 | 7:30 PM
Saturday, November 12, 2022 | 8:00 PM
Sunday, November 13, 2022 | 3:00 PM

More information and tickets available at https://www.peakperfs.org/event/in-the-fire/2022-11-10/

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In the Fire
Oct
29
7:00 PM19:00

In the Fire

Opus 8 collaborate with dancer Holly Treddenick for a new composition by John Gzowski. Tickets available at https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/in-the-fire-tickets-419333687347?aff=ebdssbdestsearch

“This show is about fire,” Treddenick said. “But this show is also about memories, trauma, and my relationship with my Dad. It’s an homage to all the Firefighters out there, and to all those who have lost something or someone to fire.”

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In the Fire
Oct
28
7:00 PM19:00

In the Fire

Opus 8 collaborate with dancer Holly Treddenick for a new composition by John Gzowski. Tickets available at https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/in-the-fire-tickets-419333687347?aff=ebdssbdestsearch

“This show is about fire,” Treddenick said. “But this show is also about memories, trauma, and my relationship with my Dad. It’s an homage to all the Firefighters out there, and to all those who have lost something or someone to fire.”

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Mon Petit Coeur
Oct
25
7:30 PM19:30

Mon Petit Coeur

Opus 8 sing a concert of French a cappella choral repertoire spanning the centuries in Toronto’s finest acoustic, collaborating with organist Robert Dixon. Entrance is free with donations gratefully accepted.

Programme to include works by Poulenc, Debussy, Clement, Lassus, Dufay, Vierne, Demessieux, Hasprois & Martin.

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CD Release Party & Concert
Jan
25
1:00 PM13:00

CD Release Party & Concert

  • Snell Hall, St James Cathedral Cente (map)
  • Google Calendar ICS

Every track on Opus 8's upcoming album Firsts is a premiere recording. These debuts span half a millennium of choral history and are a testament to the ensemble's commitment to unearthing ancient musical gems and celebrating 21st Century composers. Brand new folksong arrangements by director, Robert Busiakiewicz, reimagine and invert old expectations of the genre, while cherishing familiar tunes. John Beckwith's touching setting of bpNichol's 'All At Once' displays an effortless technique through economy of means. This is contrasted with the chansons of Franco-Flemish composers Nicolas Gombert, Thomas Crecquillon, and Jean L'Héritier, who lived during the first half of the 16th Century. These mysterious works subvert our impressions of angelic purity which too often become attached to the works of renaissance polyphony. Through new transposed performing editions and scholarly ficta, these masters of harmony are given a fresh lease of life. Works by Cambridge professor, Robin Holloway and Jazz musician Richard Meehan inspire Opus 8 to virtuosic heights. Their settings of T.S. Eliot and Y.B. Yeats are truly a feast for the ears and the mind in eight-part counterpoint.

As always, entry is pay-what-you’re-able - whether that’s a ticket to the opera or an extra bus fair, all are welcome. CDs will be on sale for $15. As well, there’ll be a raffle - here’s what you’re in for if you win: a copy of Opus 8’s two recordings, Melancholy & Mirth and Firsts, as well as a behind-the-scenes invitation to sit in on an Opus 8 rehearsal. 

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May
24
7:30 PM19:30

Chromatic License

Opus 8 tackles the 12 pitches of the western octave head on in this concert that explores just how much composers can do with only a dozen notes. From the strange and surreal mannerist compositions of 16th Century Europe, to the avant-garde wild cards of 21st Century North America, this chromatic soundscape has thrilled, bamboozled and enthralled across continents and genres. Either weaving between voice parts, or striking tone-clusters, or plainly silly slides - we are pulling out all the stops and certainly using all the notes at our disposal in this intriguing performance including choral works by Ligeti, Brahms, Hindemith, Stravinsky, Gabrieli, Gesualdo and more. 

Admission by pay-what-you-can-afford donation.

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Jan
26
8:00 PM20:00

Centuries of Souls

With Confluence

Opus 8 are delighted to be part of the inaugural season of Confluence. Headed by artistic director Larry Beckwith of the beloved Toronto Masque Theatre, Confluence is a new interdisciplinary, cross-cultural multi-media project that continues the warm approach to programming of Toronto Masque Theatre with many new twists. This concert offers a trio of exquisite sacred music: the Requiem of Johannes Ockeghem, performed by Opus 8; chants by the remarkable 12th-century mystic Hildegard of Bingen, performed by Schola Magdalena under the direction of Stephanie Martin; and sacred organ music of Olivier Messiaen, performed by organist Matthew Larkin.

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Nov
24
7:30 PM19:30

What's In A Name?

  • Royal St. George's College Chapel (map)
  • Google Calendar ICS

From Annie Laurie, Alice In Wonderland, Homer & Marge, to the ancient laments for Absalom, Amaryllis and the curious case of Alex's toothache - this concert is real who's who of playful and plangent musical history. Composers have always been inspired by named individuals and this evening sings of those specific people going through all sorts of drama from the ordinary Johnny cutting wood to the extraordinary demise of Johannes, the true treasurer of music itself. There's something for everyone from jazzy close harmony arrangements to classic compositions by Britten, Schafer, Josquin, Rogier, Tomkins, Schein and Monteverdi.

Admission by pay-what-you-can-afford donation/

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Aug
29
5:30 PM17:30

H2O

Opus 8 are thrilled to be part of the inaugural Wellington Water Week, a week-long celebration giving artistic voice to water's ability to mystify, awe, connect, inspire, and define us. By the shores of Lake Ontario, we invite you to join us for no mere offering of sea shanties, but a phantasmagoria of all things aquatic, shipwrecked and watery. Opus 8 will be taking you through a historical journey from the rivers of Babylon and the river Jordan to the torrents of summer and the tears of unrequited lovers. 

At intermission, a delicious light dinner provided by Prince Edward County's iconic Picnic, will be served  under the tent right on the shore set against the stunning backdrop of Lake Ontario. And, the brilliant mixologists at Kinsip House of Fine Spirits and The County Bounty Artisanal Soda Company are partnering for this fabulous occasion to create very special Water Week-themed cocktails for our guests.

Click here to purchase tickets

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May
5
7:30 PM19:30

What Is Our Life?

Opus 8 asks the eternal questions of the human condition, through a program of ravishing choral music. From the youthful frivolity of Howells and Britten, to the melancholic despair of Gombert and Gibbons, this concert takes us through the many stages of life - its joys, sorrows, and inevitable conclusion.

Free admission and reception

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Feb
3
7:30 PM19:30

After Dark

Explicit material warning! Don’t bring your kids. From the rude, joking songs of Mozart and Morley, to fresh pop arrangements dealing with love, lust, and licentiousness, Opus 8 will churn up music’s sordid underbelly. If you think that choral music can only be genteel or lovely, think again. Join us for what promises to be an evening of frolicks, fun, and a licensed bar to accompany this saucy serenade.

Free admission and reception

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Oct
28
5:00 PM17:00

A Musical Bestiary

A Hamilton repeat of our season opener! An evening of choral music centred around many creatures, from feathered fowl to all things creeping and curious. From the nightingale, blue bird, and swan, to the snail, beetle, and bee, we will sing our way through musical history. Exploring a fantastic array of zoological expression by Ravel, Finzi, Elgar, Monteverdi, and more, this concert has something for young and old alike.

Free admission and reception

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Oct
14
8:00 PM20:00

A Musical Bestiary

An evening of choral music centred around many creatures, from feathered fowl to all things creeping and curious. From the nightingale, blue bird, and swan, to the snail, beetle, and bee, we will sing our way through musical history. Exploring a fantastic array of zoological expression by Ravel, Finzi, Elgar, Monteverdi, and more, this concert has something for young and old alike.

Free admission and reception

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May
17
7:30 PM19:30

H2O

This is no mere offering of sea shanties, but a phantasmagoria of all things aquatic, shipwrecked and watery. Opus 8 will be taking you through a historical journey from the rivers of Babylon and the river Jordan to the torrents of summer and the tears of unrequited lovers. Row, row, row your boat to Toronto and check them out. Free admission. 

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Dona Nobis Pacem
Jan
21
7:30 PM19:30

Dona Nobis Pacem

Exploring the power and potential of the Agnus Dei over the past 700 years, this concert of devotional pacifist music will open your ears to a huge variety of interpretations of the familiar 'Lamb of God' text. Intense and beautiful, not to be missed. Free admission.

Also celebrating the release of our début recording, Melancholy & Mirth! Purchase your copy of the CD and join us after the concert for a free celebratory reception. 

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Nov
20
4:00 PM16:00

Twilight Recital

Join Opus 8 at St. James Cathedral for our first concert of the year, a half hour chock-full of music by Britten, Rogier, and Meehan. The Recital will be followed immediately by the weekly Evensong service, sung by the Cathedral Choir, which includes the members of Opus 8 singing, conducting, and organising the post-service reception.

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May
20
6:00 PM18:00

A Light in the Darkness

We're delighted to present our program in celebration of spring at Holy Trinity Anglican Church in Edmonton, AB. Please join us for this diverse program of Gesualdo, Palestrina, Vaughan Williams, Britten and more!

Admission is free; donations gratefully accepted

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May
14
7:30 PM19:30

A Light in the Darkness

As we ease our way into the light of spring after a long & drawn-out winter, Opus 8 explores the idea of light and darkness and invites you to reconnect with the land, after months of hiding indoors from the cold. Please join us as we celebrate spring, light and life with a diverse program including music by Gesualdo, Palestrina, Monteverdi, Vaughan Williams, Britten and our very own music director, Robert Busiakiewicz.

Admission is free; donations gratefully accepted. 

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