Laudate Singers present Reflections, Saturday, March 7, 8 p.m. at St. Andrew's United Church, 1044 St. Georges Ave., North Vancouver. Tickets: $10/$20/$25 available at laudatesingers.com or by calling 604-729-6814.
Chris Sivak knows his ABCs, but the alphabet song he's been singing lately isn't the same one his kindergarten teacher taught him.
The 32-year-old is the composer-in-residence for the Laudate Singers during the North Shore chamber choir's 2014/15 season. On March 7, he will debut the first piece of music he has written for the group. Far from traditional choral fare, Sivak describes his creation as "a high-octane version of the alphabet."
The audience will surely recognize the familiar A to Z lyrics, but Sivak's four-minute work is set to an entirely different melody than the song most North American children learn in elementary school. The finished product is a fast-paced, energy-infused a cappella number - "kind of an upbeat barn burner," Sivak describes. "It's like a really vigorous piece of music. It burns when it gets going and it should be really exciting as well."
In addition to Sivak's new work, the upcoming Laudate Singers concert, entitled Reflections, will also revive some favourite pieces written by former composers-in-residence, including Tyler Peterson, Kristopher Fulton, Bruce Sled and others, in celebration of the group's 20th anniversary season.
Sivak's job description entails not only writing for the choir, but singing with them too. He's in the bass section.
"I love to sing choral music and it's a tremendous opportunity to see the strengths of the group when you're on the ground with them."
He was admittedly nervous when he first joined on because of the high-calibre reputation of the singers. "But it's been awesome, and I've been able to step up my game quite a bit," he says.
Sivak studied music at Capilano University. That's where he first met Lars Kaario, a Capilano music instructor and the artistic director of the Laudate Singers. Sivak went on to earn a bachelor of music degree in music theory and composition from UBC, but remained in touch with Kaario over the years.
Since graduating, he has been commissioned to write music for the Vancouver Chamber Choir, Red Shift Music Society, The Vancouver Peace Choir, The Amicus Duo, The Nu:BC Collective and OperaFeHk. It was a piece he thought up for the Vancouver Chamber Choir in 2013 that sparked his interest in re-working well-known children's songs. Mother Goose's Melody consisted of three movements, each a setting of a different nursery rhyme, and the audience's "very real" reaction to the music was encouraging. "They were there in the moment," Sivak explains.
Presenting songs with a familiar text is one method Sivak uses to connect with his listeners, particularly those who don't typically listen to classical music and might be intimidated by the genre. His alphabet composition is sort of the musical equivalent of cracking a joke during a speech. "People are really receptive if you tell a joke," he explains. "I love the idea that someone will have to suppress a giggle."
The amusing piece is also designed to quash any association between classical music and elitism.
"You de-exalt yourself from your high horse when you tell a joke and you put yourself on the same level as the person you're trying to perform for," Sivak says.
When he first pitched his ABCs idea to the Laudate Singers, he was nervous it might be dismissed as too silly. That wasn't the case.
"There's always limitations to what you can do, but Lars (Kaario) is pretty adventurous."
The alphabet song is the first of two pieces Sivak is composing for the Laudate Singers this season. The second will debut at the choir's year-end concert in May. In keeping with his children's music kick, Sivak plans to present a fresh take on the lullaby "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star."
"I think I'm getting addicted to setting childhood prose to music," he says with a laugh.
