The repertoire of the Island Consort is varied and loosely “classical”, focusing on sacred and secular music of the Renaissance and Baroque periods. Mostly we perform a cappella pieces but we have had the privilege to have accompaniment by the Nanaimo Chamber Orchestra and Organists Peter Orme, John Nelson and Jenny Vincent

Due to the Public Domain nature of most of the works we perform, we make great use of The Choral Public Domain Library (CPDL), an Internet-based free sheet music website which specializes in choral music, and the IMSLP
Petrucci Music Library, a library of public domain scores.

September 5, 2024

The Joy of Christmas(December 2024)

2:30pm 14 December 2024 - St. Andrew's United Church, Nanaimo

featuring Christmas Cantata Gloria in Excelsis Deo, BWV 191 by JS Bach accompanied by an 18 piece orchestra

2:00pm 15 December 2024 - Christ Church Gabriola, Gabriola Island

Nanaimo Tickets: $25 through the Port Theatre  or $25 cash at the door for Adults, $5 for Students, Children under 13, Free
Gabriola Tickets: $20 cash at the door for Adults, $5 for Students, Children under 13, Free

BUY NANAIMO TICKETS ONLINE VIA THE PORT THEATRE

January 5, 2024

A Choral Cornucopia (April 2024)

2:30pm 13 April 2024 - St. Andrew's United Church, Nanaimo

Nanaimo Tickets: $25 through the Port Theatre  or $25 cash at the door for Adults, $5 for Students, Children under 13, Free

What do you do when naming a harvest of wonderful repertoire that has no obvious relationships?: call it a “cornucopia”. Island Consort presents “A Choral Cornucopia” which begins with Salish Song, and an acknowledgement to the Snuneymuxw 1st Nation. Music Director, Bruce Farquharson has divided the rest of the program into 4 sections; Sacred, Contemplative, Foreign and Folk, with four selections in each section...

August 16, 2023

Bach & Beyond (November 2023)

2:00pm 25 November 2023 - Christ Church Gabriola
2:30pm 26 November 2023 - St. Andrew's United Church, Nanaimo

Gabriola Tickets: $20 cash at the door
Nanaimo Tickets: $20 (+ admin fee) through the Port Theatre or $25 cash at the door for Adults, $5 for Students, Children under 13, Free

Nanaimo Tickets via Port Theatre: 250-754-8550 or tickets.porttheatre.com

May 8, 2023

FIDDELIUM (May 18 2023)

Thursday May 18th 2023 7PM
The Port Theatre

This annual concert features over 50 local musicians ranging in age from 4 years to 60+, and it has become a favourite event in Nanaimo’s music community. This year we are excited to have the Island Consort Chamber Choir joining us as our special guest ensemble. Fiddelium were named as the Young Performers of the Year at the 18th annual Canadian Folk Music Awards in Vancouver last month.

January 24, 2023

To Music: To Life! (May 2023)

2:00pm May 6th - Christ Church Gabriola, Gabriola Island
7:30pm May 7th - St. Andrew's United Church, Nanaimo

In our many dimensions of life and living, the music we listen to, perform and appreciate forms an integral part of our psyche. Our concerts are always an exploration of history, in that our music was conceived and composed yesteryear – sometimes recently, sometimes centuries ago

August 26, 2022

Choral Treasures (Nov 2022)

2:00pm November 5th 2022 - Church of St John the Divine, Courtenay
7:30pm November 6th 2022 - St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church, Nanaimo

The Island Consort Chamber Choir presents its postponed Spring 2020 program, Choral Treasures. These Treasures express and endearingly celebrate a broad range of our “human condition”.

April 11, 2022

Lyrics of Love (May 2022)

May 7th 2022, 7:30 pm at St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, Nanaimo May 9th 2022, 7:30 pm Knox United Church, Parksville “In the Spring a young man's fancy lightly turns to thoughts of love” (Locksley Hall, Tennyson). And here we are, the Island Consort, to celebrate Love and Spring in a program of poetry readings and song. It is an interesting exercise to partner a selection of poems with choral repertoire – each from a vast library of compositions – and we hope that you enjoy our choices. Admission is adults $20, students $5 and under 13, free at the door.  COVID19 Protocols: All attendees will be required to be masked throughout the performance. Vaccinations are appreciated. Any provincial health orders at time of performance will be respected

November 10, 2021

Singing for Christmas (Dec 2021)

We are thrilled to announce that we will be presenting a heart-warming Christmas concert Singing for Christmas on Saturday, December 11th at 2:30 p.m. The performance will take place in the spacious auditorium of St. Andrew’s United Church at 311 FitzWilliam Street in Nanaimo. Tickets $20 per adult and $5 for students. Children under 13 are free. 

The Island Consort is pleased/excited to be back singing and performing in this season of Christmas 2021.  Thankfully most of our members have re-joined us but you will see a few new faces.  This program has many familiar songs and carols – some with new melodies and arrangements - that we hope you will enjoy.  Some are organ-accompanied which, I think, adds to the flavour of Christmas and for which we are again fortunate to have Jenny Vincent as accompanist.

 

January 12, 2020

Choral Treasures (POSTPONED DUE TO COVID19)

We are disappointed to announce that all three of our concerts this April are cancelled. We wish for all our members and audience to remain safe and healthy through this COVID-19 pandemic and as such we are following recommendations of our governments on limiting group activities.

When it is safe to hold concerts again we will be ready to bring you "Choral Treasures" at that time. 

February 20, 2019

Déjà Vu : A Retrospective (Apr 2019)

7:30pm April 12th 2019 – St. Mark’s Anglican Church,
Qualicum Beach
2:30pm April 14rh 2019 – St. Andrew’s United Church,
Nanaimo

Director Bruce Farquharson has assembled a collection of notable works, taken from each year of the choir’s 12-year history, that represent the many choral elements of the group’s performances.

with guest organist Jenny Vincent

 

August 27, 2018

Sing Hodie, Sing Noël (Nov 2018)

7:30pm Nov 30th 2018 – St. Mark’s Anglican Church,
Qualicum Beach
7:30pm Dec 2nd 2018 – St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church,
Nanaimo

Poulenc, Rutter, Schütz, Holst, Isaac, Lauridsen
An evening of Christmas Choral Music

with guest organist Jenny Vincent

 

February 5, 2018

There is Sweet Music (Apr 2018)

2:30pm April 14th 2018– St. Mark’s Anglican Church, Qualicum Beach
2:30pm April 15th 2018 – St. Andrew's United Church, Nanaimo

Can you feel the thrill of a soprano’s high C in Allegri’s Miserere Mei or the energy in Mozart’s Misericordias Domini or the sublime angst in Amazing Grace? “There is Sweet Music” is a program that offers the richness of Early Music, the vitality of Classical Music, the sublimity of Romantic Music and the diversity of Contemporary Music.

 

March 2, 2015

A Rose, A Kiss and A Feller (Apr 2015)

Sunday, April 26th, 2015
2:30 PM to 4:30 PM

Brechin United Church - 1998 Estevan Rd, Nanaimo

Soak up the serenity and spiritualism of Bruckner's "Christus Factus Est", Mendelssohn's "Ave Maria", Bach's motet "Der Geist Hilft" and Aarvo Part's "Da Pacem Domine". Feel the passion of unrequited love in Morley's "Fyer, Fyer", Scarlatti's "O Morte" and Lauridens' "Contre Qui, Rose". Tap your toes to Bach's "Gavotte and Fugue" with rhythm section performed in the style of the Swingle Singers, and enjoy arrangements of Robert Burn's "Ae Fond Kiss", the Irish "Dulaman" and Harry Somer's Newfoundland outport song, "Feller from Fortune". And more. . .
September 9, 2014

What Sweeter Music (Dec 2014)

A Joint Christmas Concert with the Sinclair Singers 7:30pm December 14th Brechin United Church, Namaimo Here is music to put you in the mood for the Festive Season. The Island Consort Chamber choir presents its first ever Christmas program, "What Sweeter Music", along with that sparkling youth choir, The Sinclair Singers - with a wonderfully varied package of Christmas repertoire.
November 12, 2012

Forever Young (Apr 2013)

Sunday, April 28th 2013 7:30 PM to 9:30 PM St Andrew's United Church 311 Fitzwilliam Street, Nanaimo with guests, The Nanaimo Youth Choir ”This is a wonderful collaboration between an adult choir and a children's choir presented in the excellent acoustic of St. Andrew's United Church. "Forever Young" features music by Di Lasso, Tchaikowsky, Saint-Saens, Barber, Tormis, Rutter and others. Focusing on youth and the young, the repertoire includes titles such as "The Cherubic Hymn" and "Five Childhood Lyrics", and includes a zany pair of speech choir selections from Bergmann's "Galgenlieder". The concert will end with both choirs combining to sing Humperdinck's beautiful "Prayer" from Hansel and Gretel.