U of R choir performs at Cadogan Hall in London

The University of Regina choir took a trip across the pond.

It was invited to perform in London, England as part of an ensemble for the “I Dream A World” choral festival at Cadogan Hall.

The choir, led by instructor and acting faculty head Dr. Melissa Morgan, left for London on May 26 and stayed in the city for a week.

“Everybody was very excited,” Morgan said after the choir returned to Regina. “We haven’t really been able to do any overseas travels since COVID.”

The “I Dream A World” festival featured music by African-American composers such as composer-in-residence Rosephanye Powell.

“It was a fantastic experience because in Regina we don’t have opportunities to sing a program of all Black composers,” Morgan said.

“At the university, I want to be as diverse in my programming as possible but there is only so much that we can cover. So we might be able to sing one piece or two pieces by a Black composer because we want to also embrace Indigenous composers, female composers, LGBTQ composers and people from all walks of life.”

Powell was in attendance for the performance and was able to provide feedback.

“To be among specialists in areas like gospel music and spirituals and jazz-influenced choral music was a learning experience,” Morgan said. “It was a highlight and it was something that I don’t think we’ll be able to replicate again in that way.”

Powell’s husband, conductor William Powell, conducted at the festival.

Morgan said it was a wonderful experience to perform at Cadogan, as it is a very prestigious venue.

“(There) was just excitement and everybody was really happy to participate,” she said.

The U of R choir was invited by conductor Dr. Brandon Boyd with the University of Missouri and by the London-based choral organization Vox Anima.

After performing at Cadogan Hall, the choir was invited to London’s Canada House by High Commissioner to the U.K. Ralph Goodale, who had attended its performance the night before.

The choir was there to watch vocal group The Tenors (formerly known as the Canadian Tenors), but Morgan said the choir ended up giving a performance as well.

“The Tenors were the feature and they were the ones giving this concert and they just sort of impromptu said, ‘We hear there’s a choir from Regina, Saskatchewan. Would you sing something for us?’” Morgan said.

“It wasn’t planned. Just before they went out to sing, they came to me and they said, ‘We have this idea. What do you think?’ and I said, ‘Uh, OK. We’ll figure something out.’”

“We ended up singing just a small portion of what we had performed the night before and then The Tenors started to sing the Leonard Cohen Hallelujah and they invited us to join them and so we improvised. Then they ended up giving mics to certain singers in the choir and then the people in the audience also joined in. It was a really special moment.”