Our
STORY
The Choir was started in September, 1972, when Professor Dilmore of the University of Western Ontario agreed to set up a community orchestra (now The Georgian Bay Symphony). He needed a group of singers to accompany the orchestra in some of the Christmas choruses from Handel’s Messiah. That group of singers eventually became what’s known today as the Georgian Bay Concert Choir.
At the time, there were many fine choral ensembles in the area, but the choir members decided that the community needed a larger four part ensemble to perform the major works of the music repertoire. Its mandate, therefore, was to assemble the necessary forces required to present master works such as Handel’s Messiah, using, where possible, up and coming soloists and musicians from the area. It was also decided to perform as much music as possible written by Canadian composers.
Meet Norman Reintamm—a top Canadian conductor, organist, and pianist who's done it all, from orchestral gigs to choral work and solo shows.
He kicked off piano lessons at just four years old. Studied at the University of Toronto and McMaster University, then headed to London's Royal College of Music with legends like Sir David Willcocks, Sir Norman del Mar, and Sir Richard Popplewell. He's also got his Licentiate in Organ from Trinity College London.
Norman got his start apprenticing with the Vancouver Chamber Choir and Hamilton Philharmonic. Then dove into Europe, running the show in opera houses across the north—coaching at
Helsinki's Sibelius Academy, heading the opera studio in Tallinn, and serving as a Senior Conductor at Estonia's National Opera.
Back home, he teamed up with the National Ballet of Canada and led Toronto's Cathedral Bluffs Symphony Orchestra as Principal Conductor for over 10 years. He's played recitals across North America and Europe, from NYC's Cathedral of Saint John the Divine to Toronto's Roy Thomson Hall.
Outside music, Norm's a retired flight instructor who trained pilots at Brantford Flight Centre. Now he's our choir's conductor, firing up singers and crowds alike. He's also a Designated Examiner for
Canadian Amateur Radio in the Georgian Bay Triangle Area.
Norman Reintamm
Barbara
Dyck
Barbara has been accompanying Georgian Bay Concert Choir since 2004. Highlights include playing piano for Beethoven’s Choral Fantasy, and harpsichord for Handel’s Messiah. She has been involved in many musical and creative projects in the Grey-Bruce area since moving here in 1997. Open to unusual venues and collaborations, Barbara has performed in a barn as “the orchestra” for Haydn’s Creation, organized and played for an outdoor concert, Six thèmes solaires by Denis Gougeon, complete with telescopes and papier-mâché planets, and on her front porch for a homeschooling project: The Silent Movie Porch Play.
Barbara grew up in Waterloo with many choral experiences, from a touring children’s choir to singing at Carnegie Hall in highschool. She then studied piano pedagogy and performance with Marvin Blickenstaff, and harpsichord with Kathryn Sherer at Goshen College in Indiana. She earned a master’s degree at The New School for Music Study (now the Frances Clark Center for Keyboard Pedagogy) in conjunction with Westminster Choir College in Princeton, New Jersey with Frances Clark, Louise Goss, and Phyllis Lehrer. Barbara now teaches group and private piano lessons from The Colour Jar in Durham, using creativity and compassion to meet the needs of a wide range of students’ ages and abilities. Barbara spends much time growing and preserving food and helps with community gardening and gleaning. She also plays fiddle and recorder for dances, and keeps her fingers otherwise occupied by knitting and doing puzzles.
Become a Chorister
Never read a note of music in your life? No problem! Reading is helpful, but it’s absolutely not required. We even offer one-on-one vocal coaching to help you find your best voice!
Beyond the music, GBCC is a wonderful place to meet new friends, share lots of laughs, and enjoy a warm, welcoming atmosphere. Our rehearsals happen every Tuesday from 7–9 PM, September to May, in Owen Sound's Harmony Centre.
Choir fees are $300 for a full season, or $150 for a half season. Contact us for more information.