Welcome to our annual Advent concert series! Local performers contribute their gift of music as we prepare our hearts for Christmas, and support a local charity. Once again, we are pleased that donations will support the work of the Victoria Hospice Bereavement Fund.
In addition, this year's concert series is in loving memory of the series founder, musician and vocal teacher, Catherine McFadden Dunning Young.
And please, don't forget to honour these performers' gift of music by donating in support of the Victoria Hospice Bereavement Fund:
Donate to Victoria Hospice (support our charity partner online, powered by CanadaHelps)
Today's Programme
Today we are delighted to present The Aerie Trio: Marnie Setka-Mooney, Soprano, Kathryn LeGros, Piano, Diane Berry, Flautist.
From the trio:
We came together to do this particular project because of Cathie and her dedication to the Advent series at St.Marys' Oak Bay, as well the appreciation for the charity that we're hoping to raise funds for. In a purely musically selfish way, who doesn't love singing at St.Marys?! It's such a beautiful church for music.
The toughest thing about when Cathie passed away, is what people are experiencing worldwide with this pandemic -the near-impossible barriers for families & friends that prevent them from grieving with the usual traditions. We hope that the music we selected will boost the spirits of all who listen.
Marnie Setka-Mooney
Marnie Setka-Mooney is active in Victoria as both a performer and teacher. She has her AVCM (voice), and BMus-Vocal Performance from UBC, having studied with Catherine Young in Victoria and French Tickner at UBC. A believer in professional development, Marnie has also sung in Master Classes for Richard Miller, Edith Wiens, and Cornelia Prestl.
Over the years, Marnie has sung professionally as a recitalist in Winnipeg (Women of Note), Europe, the U.S, Vancouver (Cantata Singers), Kelowna (Philharmonic Orchestra), and Victoria (Bel Canto/Viva), while also being a frequent guest soloist at locations all around B.C, as well as in Mexico. As a performer, she enjoys premiering new compositions, especially those of the Victoria Composers Collective
On Faculty at the VCM since 1998, Marnie has also taught at Pearson College, the Victoria School of Ideal Education and she has been on faculty at the Canadian College of Performing Arts (Musical Theatre). She has adjudicated for the VCM Lieder Competition and has taught Children’s Voice for the VCM Diploma Program
A Choral Conductor for over a decade, Marnie’s current conducting role is with Sing Victoria Children and Teens’ Choir. Past Conducting duties have been with VIVA children’s choir, St. Mary’s Children’s Choir (Oak Bay), Crystal Singers Women’s Choir, Victoria Male Voice Choir, and the Foundation Choir (VCM
She is an active member of the National Association of Teachers of Singing, a BC Registered Music Teacher, she has recently begun serving as the Mid-Island representative for the BC Choral Federation and is the new Director of Music Together Mid Island, a research based early childhood music program for families.
Kathryn Le Gros
Kathryn enjoys playing piano and clarinet in chamber music and other small ensembles. After graduating Wilfrid Laurier’s Bachelor of Music program with a major in two instruments, she co-founded the Kitchener Waterloo Chamber Orchestra (and was also the manager for several years). She was a regular recitalist in southern Ontario before moving to Victoria in the 1990’s. In Victoria, she has played in classical and jazz trios quartets and quintets, as well as performed with singers and other instrumentalists. Recent performances on both clarinet and piano include An Die Musik (an evening of Schubert music) and Amor (an evening of Spanish music) with Resonance, Spring Romantique with cello and singers, classical repertoire with the Aerie Trio, light jazz with Broke and Blue (featuring music of Claude Bolling) and jazz with 5 Shadez of Blue. In addition to her musical pursuits, Kathryn had successful careers in downtown management and postsecondary education before recently retiring.
Diane Berry
Diane Berry grew up in Toronto graduating from the music program at York University and since then she has been working as a private teacher and freelance flutist. She began composing in her thirties.
She has had works performed by the Erato Ensemble, the Turning Point Ensemble, NuBC, the SOCCO string quartet in Seattle, flutist Mark McGregor, Kamloops Chamber players, and many local Victoria performers. Her work has also been featured in the Sonic Boom New Music Festival and in the Oak Bay Music series. In 2016, her piece for string quartet, "Chasing the Raven" was awarded second prize in the Seattle Composers Alliance competition, was performed by NOCCO and broadcast on Seattle's KING.FM. Earlier that year, her piece "Ephemeral" was performed in the Hugh Davidson Readings by the Victoria Symphony, and in the Jean Coulthard Readings by the Vancouver Symphony.
Last fall she was commissioned to write a piece for Open Doors Milwaukee, to be performed in the old Gas Light Building. "Gaslight 1904" is for clarinet and cello. In October 2018, she had her European debut with her piece for solo flute and electronics, "Calling" which was part of the International Alliance for Women in Music's annual concert in Dublin, Ireland.
She is a registered music teacher, an associate composer of the Canadian Music Centre, a member of the Association of Canadian Women Composers, the International Alliance for Women in Music, the Victoria Composer's Collective and the Canadian League of Composers.