About Da Camera

Da Camera Singers

Since its inception in 1961, Da Camera Singers, now under the direction of John Brough, has established a strong presence in the Alberta choral community and holds the distinction as Edmonton’s longest-standing chamber choir. The choir performs a diverse repertoire that encompasses classical music from the Renaissance to the 20th century, oratorios, folk song arrangements and other lighter works. As well as being active with their own annual 3‑concert season, Da Camera Singers has performed on many occasions with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra and the Alberta Baroque Ensemble under the direction of such esteemed conductors as Bernard Labadie, Ivars Taurins, and William Eddins. Da Camera Singers recently completed a tour of Northern England and Scotland, where they performed in breathtaking venues including York Minster, St. Giles’ Cathedral (Edinburgh), and Beverly Minster.

Biographies

JOHN BROUGH, ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

John Brough began music lessons at an early age, singing as a choirboy with the Men and Boys Choir at Ottawa's Christ Church Cathedral under Frances Macdonnell. He attended the University of Ottawa and was awarded a Bachelor of Music in Organ Performance in 1997. Concurrently he completed associate degrees with both the Royal Conservatory of Music in Organ Performance and the Royal Canadian Collage of Organists. While at the University of Ottawa, he sang as a countertenor soloist and chorister with the University of Ottawa Calixa Lavallée Ensemble, as well as an early music group, Musica Divina.

Continuing post-graduate studies at the University of Alberta, he received a Master of Music in Choral Conducting in 2000, and his Doctor of Music in 2007. He has studied conducting with Lawrence Ewashko, Leonard Ratzlaff, Debra Cairns and Malcolm Forsyth.

In 2000, he was selected from a field of international applicants as one of 12 participating conductors for a workshop at the University of Manitoba with Germany's Frieder Bernius of Kammerchor Stuttgart. In 2001, he was one of eight participating conductors for the 23rd International Conducting Symposium with Jon Washburn and the Vancouver Chamber Choir.

Dr. Brough has performed with the University of Alberta Madrigal Singers, Pro Coro Canada and Ensemble de la Rue, and still sings with the latter two choirs. He has taught at Grant MacEwan College, where he conducted the Schola Cantorum Women's Choir. He is an award-winning instructor in the U of A's Department of Music where he is a visiting professor in the fields of conducting and musicology. He has appeared as an adjudicator in the disciplines of piano, choral and voice in festivals across Canada, including Toronto and London, Ontario, Whitehorse, Yukon, as well as the provincial festivals of Ontario and New Brunswick. In addition to Da Camera Singers, Dr. Brough is Organist and Choirmaster at Holy Trinity Anglican Church and Associate Conductor of the Richard Eaton Singers.

Choir

Da Camera Singers is a non-professional choir which provides accomplished singers an opportunity to express the joy, beauty and bond of choral singing in a chamber choir. The choir rehearses every Monday evening and holds a series to weekend retreats to help develop the repertoire, the sound of the choir and the community that is Da Camera. All accomplished singers from the Edmonton area are welcome to apply to join the choir; annual membership is determined by audition. For more information on joining Da Camera Singers please contact John Brough, Artistic Director at info@dacamera.ab.ca.

A bit about the board:
The board of Da Camera Singers is made up of singing and non-singing members. The Artistic Director, Accompanist, Assistant Conductor and Business Manager are paid an honorarium. All other positions with the choir and the board are volunteer positions. The Board oversees: a three-concert season; annual choir retreat; auditions; guest appearances with other arts groups; hiring guest performers and orchestral musicians; volunteer appearances; paid private and corporate performances; all fund-raising activities; along with the hiring of all paid staff.