Announcing the 2017-18 Season

Happy Tenth Birthday to Xara!!

It's hard to believe but 2017-18 will mark Xara's tenth anniversary season! It is also shaping up to be a season full of growth for the organization and some amazing performing opportunities. Whether you've been with Xara for a long time or you're just getting started I think you'll find this to be a really extraordinary year-in-the-making! I'm going to outline the full picture of Xara's activity below. Once you've read it all through, please fill out the RETURNING SINGERS POLL so we know whether you will be joining us for the upcoming season. This will help in the planning for auditions, etc. over the summer.

Neptune Theatre and Xara present WinterLight

December 17 - 18, 2017: Neptune Theatre Main Stage (Fountain Hall)

First of all, this information is TOP SECRET right now and it will not be confirmed until Neptune has finalized their sponsorship for this show.

Xara has been approached by Neptune Theatre to become the creators and performers for Neptune's new annual holiday performance. This came about because Andrew Deacon, the Operations Manager for Neptune Theatre just happened to be in the audience the night that we sang at Open Stage. After the show he made a beeline for me ... he was SO taken with Xara but he had never heard us before. Since then, I have had two long meetings with the folks at Neptune and, as of Tuesday, we have arrived at an agreement. This show will gather up all the beauty and magic of Tales of the Old North and wrap it in a new package called WinterLight. It will be more choral and less theatre than Tales of the Old North but will continue to feature beautiful movement, cross over repertoire from Canadian, Scandinavian, and pop sources, and entrancing storytelling from our beloved Jennette White. For our organization, this is huge: it will give us the massive forces of Neptune Theatre to create staging, lighting, and costumes at no cost to us. As well, Neptune will market the show and sell the tickets, which removes the financial risk for Xara. They are currently courting a big name sponsor to get behind the show (more to come on this when it is confirmed). If you've ever dreamed of being featured on the stage of Neptune Theatre, 2017 is the year your dream will come true!!

Artistically, here's what you can expect from WinterLight:

Act I: This Frozen Land

Music that evokes the crisp, blustery, and beautiful winter landscape. Rhythmic, and gutsy, this section will be full of very fun repertoire!!

Act II: Snow Angel

This song cycle by Sarah Quartel is absolutely stunning and is already a favourite in the choral world. Cello, piano, percussion and choir explore themes of love, rebirth, and beauty through the eyes of children and the angels that watch over them, yearning to make a difference in their lives.

Act III: Sun, Moon, Stars

The sources of light in our world can be real and metaphorical. This section will be inspiring and will shimmer with beautiful sounds.  It will include a cover of Let In the Sun by Take That.

Act IV: From Out of Dark

Music sung by candlelight woven together by the story of Sankta Lucia, a traditional Swedish myth about the power of a young woman’s generosity to bring light into the darkest places. This section will feel beautiful and serene ... evoking many of the feelings people associate with the holidays and that are captured by the Danish term Hygge that has inspired fashion and interior design over the last few winters.

As music is selected for this show, I'm posting it to a Youtube Playlist where you can listen to things to get an idea of the content! There will be opportunities for small ensembles to perform in this show too so I'll be in touch soon to start asking for your ideas!

RISE: Xara's Tenth Anniversary Show

April 28 - 29, 2018 : St. Mary's University McNally Theatre

This piece of choral theatre will be an intersectional exploration of the power of women to impact social change. We will be collaborating with Rebecca Thomas, poet laureate of Halifax and acclaimed Mi'kmaw activist as well as several other artists. Rather than one large narrative, the show will contain three smaller works of choral theatre, each focusing on a story of women who find their voices and influence history for the better. The details of this show are still in development but it will have three sections, the final and largest of which will focus on the special role women are playing in the fight for water security.

This show will also offer several special initiatives. First, it will include our newly transformed Chrysalis Youth Mentorship program. Through Chrysalis, approximately eight high school aged girls will be auditioned and mentored as they sing alongside Xara members for the show. In addition to their work with all of you, they will have weekly 45 minute sessions with a leadership team to nurture their personal and artistic development. This program combines the strengths of the model we used for Chrysalis this year with the high level artistic experience our Youth Mentoring Program girls got during The Hours Turn to Nothing. Second, Xara alumnae from the last ten years will be invited to come back for the show weekend and learn a piece of music/choreography to perform with us at the close of the show (sort of the way Kyrie closed The Hours Turn to Nothing). And finally, following the performance we will have a large reception to celebrate our 10th birthday! Here's a Youtube Playlist that I've started for this show.

Beyond the Shows

Tour: The Hours Turn to Nothing
In late August and September, a smaller group will take The Hours Turn to Nothing to PEI (Aug 27) Amherst (Sept 10), and Truro (Sept 30). We have funding for 14 singers to receive a small honorarium ($500 each) in order to get this show back up to performance level and travel to these locations on top of our regular Xara activities. Selection of these singers will be determined as soon as everyone has been able to give us their full availability. In some cases, we may sub certain singers in and out if there are people not available for all three shows.

Tour: Fatty Legs
A group of 14 singers who have already been hired will be touring this reconciliation-based show to Southern and South Eastern Ontario from October 28-November 8, 2017. Several of the singers hired for this tour are now Xara alumnae. This tour is considered a professional engagement that is separate from our regular ensemble's activities. Two rehearsals for WinterLight will be affected but a plan is in the works to make this time as useful as possible for everyone!

Artistic Leadership and Staffing 2.0
As you all know, Claire has found an amazing new outlet for her skills and passion for working with teens. Her job at Keshen Goodman public library is full time and, over the course of the winter, she's been able to figure out what kind of balance will work best for her. Her favourite part of working with Xara is creating beautiful movement for all of you so she's decided to place her focus there and step back from the administrative work and large-scale artistic planning that comes with being Co-Artistic Director. The Board and I have taken a really detailed look at what it takes to keep Xara moving forward and we've decided that we will hire a General Manager to complement my role as Artistic Director. Claire will still be at most rehearsals and will be an integral part of the Xara experience. I am so glad that we get to keep making beautiful art together!!