2024-25 Concert Season
VPC's 20th season Special Event
Felix Mendelssohn's ELIJAH
Saturday March 22, 2025 - 7.30 pm, Christ Church Cathedral
Featuring renowned Canadian operatic baritone Russell Braun as Elijah, soprano Melody Courage, mezzo-soprano Emma Parkinson and tenor Jean-Philippe Lazure!
Few oratorios reach the dramatic heights of Felix Mendelssohn's biggest choral work, with battles between rival deities and the prophet's ascent to heaven in a chariot of fire.
Peter Butterfield conducts the Victoria Philharmonic Choir, orchestra and a roster of noted Canadian soloists.
Canadian lyric operatic baritone Russell Braun has a distinguished career on leading concert, opera and recital stages around the world, including the Metropolitan Opera and the Salzburg Festival. From the Ottawa Citizen (2016):
From his first commanding declaration, Braun simply was Elijah: at turns prophetic and stern, mocking and vengeful, and full of care and concern. Above all, Braun made the almost operatic story come alive.”
Métis soprano Melody Courage gained national attention as The Native Girl in the 2017 world premiere of Marie Clements' and Brian Current’s opera Missing, and in February sings the role of Rose in Pacific Opera Victoria's production of The Little Prince.
Chinese-Canadian mezzo-soprano Emma Parkinson has a growing reputation on both opera and concert stages, most recently as a soloist in the Victoria Symphony's Messiah and in February as Fox in The Little Prince.
Tenor Jean-Philippe Lazure In demand as a soloist with orchestras and choirs throughout Canada, in works by Handel, Bach and Bizet among others. His most recent work with the VPC was as a tenor soloist in Monteverdi's Vespers of 1610.
Although this production doesn't involve 400 choristers and 125 players as Mendelssohn conducted at the work's premiere in Birmingham in 1846, the composer's own genius infused with the spirit of his musical heroes Bach and Handel will make it an evening to remember.
Tickets are $40 regular & 15 student (plus eventbrite fees); children under 13 enter free. You can purchase the tickets here.
Russell Braun's appearance is underwritten by David Wooldridge and the late Christine Wooldridge, founding VPC members and long-time choristers.
The VPC is also grateful for the generous support of the CRD Arts & Culture Support Service, the Victoria Foundation, the Hamber Foundation, a number of private donors and Christ Church Cathedral.
Karl Jenkins - The Armed Man: A Mass for Peace
Saturday, June 7, 2025
7.30 pm, Christ Church Cathedral
Comments from VPC’s November 2018 performance of Rutter Requiem and the Lauridsen Lux Aeterna:
“What a wonderful concert! I will become a regular at your choir’s performances.”
“The Requiem was lovely, and haunting, but my favourites were the last two movements of Lux Aeterna when the voices of the singers were let loose and the joy they shared was palpable. A wonderful experience!”
“Thank you for the wonderful treat! You performed difficult music with considerable
panache and great feeling.”
“It was a wonderful concert to perform. When we feel prepared to the point that we can look up from the book and really ‘be’ with Peter in the music, and follow him wherever he decides to go, it’s the best feeling in the world. Requiems are often a bit personal, since many of us are remembering someone we lost. The orchestra was wonderful, from harp to horns and this concert was downright magical in places, with many audience members listening with closed eyes, seemingly quite transfixed!”