Western music has long gloried in the magnificent sounds of brass with choir and organ. Historical religious paintings frequently depict such combinations, and the practice of featuring the brilliance of brass instruments with massed human voices and with the organ’s thousands of pipes has been irresistible down to the present day.

Canadian Brass has particular reason to be grateful for this tradition as the ensemble received a huge early career boost thanks to the incomparable choral director Elmer Iseler. In 1970, Canadian Brass performed at the newly instituted Ontario Arts Council Contact “Showcase”, designed to put artists, management and concert organizations together. Dr. Iseler heard the Brass and immediately suggested the collaboration that became one of the most productive and creative in Canadian music. It extended almost thirty years and embraced countless concerts and a plethora of recordings. Not only did the singers and brass tour Canada extensively, they performed three European tours (over a ten-year period) of the magnificent churches and concert halls of England, France, Germany, Russia, Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia.

The compositions on this recording represent the signature works of this period, with the assembled forces used in a variety of ways. For example, just prior to his choir coming on stage at each tour concert, Dr. Iseler had the Brass perform the Bach Fantasie. He wanted the brilliant sound to fill the ears of the audience, winning them over and making them receptive to the musical journey he had planned for them. Dr. Iseler’s own arrangements for choir and brass of early music were highlighted throughout the concert, and a number are included here.

Music for brass and organ provides an important backdrop for this collection, and broadens the musical scope to include twentieth century composers Dupré, Karg-Elert and Schmidt. The celebrated Canadian organist Douglas Hass studied in Canada, Italy, the Netherlands and West Germany before returning to become Director of Music at St. Andrews Presbyterian Church in Kitchener, Ontario. He is also a faculty member of the University of Waterloo.

Joyful Sounds is produced as a tribute to the “Dean of Canadian Choral Conductors”, Dr. Elmer Iseler (1927-1998) whose priceless legacy is the international recognition of Canada’s singing tradition. Canadian Brass remembers him as an inspiration to excellence and for his insistence that they – even at that very early stage - deserved to be heard on the international stage. By 1980, the five virtuosi of the Canadian Brass (now Canadian icons themselves) were in a position to return the favour by proudly presenting Elmer Iseler and his Singers as their guests at a memorable Christmas concert in New York’s Carnegie Hall.

Canadian Brass

Ronald Romm, Trumpet
Frederic Mills, Trumpet
Graeme Page, Horn
Eugene Watts, Trombone
Charles Daellenbach, Tuba

Guest Artists

Festival Singers of Canada
Elmer Iseler, Conductor

Douglas Haas, Organ

Credits

Dixon K. VanWinkle, Remastering Producer

Trey Mills and Christopher McLeod, Engineering

New Horizon Communication, Remixing

Charles Daellenbach, Project Director

Additional notes:

The cover photo was taken at the Kennedy Center, Washington D.C. in 1975. Shown are Canadian Brass performing with Toronto Mendelssohn Choir and conductor Dr. Elmer Iseler.

The original Joyful Sounds LP was recorded in St. Anne’s Anglican in Toronto, Canada 1973 and the Canadian Brass Plus Organ LP was recorded in St. George’s Anglican in Guelph, Canada 1977.

Canadian Brass performs exclusively on Yamaha Gold plated instruments.
All music published by Hal Leonard Publishing Corporation.
Graphic design by Ken Raymond, www.rubbermustard.com.

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