Cantores Fabularum Christmas Concert and CD Launch 2009

On December 6th, 1989, Marc Lépine killed fourteen women students at Montreal’s École Polytechnique. On the massacre’s twentieth anniversary, Cantores Fabularum, an inspired community choir, will dedicate its sixth annual Christmas concert and its forthcoming second CD to the memory of the massacred women. All proceeds will go to assist Toronto-area women fleeing abuse.

Cantores Fabularum (CanFab) is a choir with a unique history and mission. CanFab has been singing and raising funds for YWCA Toronto’s 1st Stop Woodlawn shelter for almost 15 years. The choir was founded in the mid 1990s, when a group of musically gifted Oakwood Collegiate students decided to use their talents to help their community. The students learned some Christmas carols, bundled themselves up and headed down to the corner of Clinton and College. They put out a hat for donations and started singing.

More than a decade later, CanFab moved inside and began performing at the Church of Saint Mary Magdalene. CanFab produced their first CD, From Pennies in a Cup, in 2006 with the support of YWCA Toronto. CanFab continues to perform a popular Christmas concert, contributes to Nuit Blanche, and collaborates on other projects year-round. Despite the choir’s professional sound, the choristers (including many professional vocalists) sing for free—for the love of the music and for the joy of helping others. To date, the choir has proudly raised almost $30,000 for the YWCA shelter.

This year, CanFab has produced a second CD, Keeping Vigil ‘Til the Morning, which will be launched at the Christmas concert on December 6, at The Church of Saint Mary Magdalene (477 Manning Ave.). All concert and CD proceeds will go to YWCA Toronto’s December 6 Fund.

The December 6 Fund offers interest-free loans to women leaving violent homes. The Fund supports women in the GTA and the Region of Peel. The YWCA December 6 Fund strives to remove some of the financial barriers that prevent women from leaving their abusers. Women use the loans to establish themselves and their children in greater safety. The purpose of the Fund is to help women make the transition from abusive situations to safety and self-reliance and to raise awareness about violence against women. For more information on the December 6 Fund, visit www.dec6fund.ca.

The new CD is dedicated to the memory of the fourteen women students killed in the Montreal Massacre on December 6th, 1989.

Concert Details:

Keeping Vigil Till the Morning: A choral Christmas concert and CD launch mark twenty years since the Montreal Massacre

Date: Sunday, December 6, 2009 at 7pm

Venue: The Church of St. Mary Magdalene, 477 Manning St.
(Manning & Ulster, S. of Harbord St., W. of Bathurst St., N. of College St.)

Tickets: Tickets are available at the door. $7, $10, $15

About Us

CANTORES FABULARUM

For over ten years, Cantores Fabularum has been caroling during the holiday season to raise money for the YWCA’s 1st Stop, formerly known as Stop 86. The choir started as an informal group of young people, (many from the Oakwood Collegiate music program), whose love of music provided the momentum each year to stand on a corner in the freezing cold and sing on weeknights during the holiday season. We have sung for residents of the O’Neil Centre and Barton Place retirement homes; as well as the dialysis units at The Hospital for Sick Children and Princess Margaret Hospital. Each year has left us with a feeling of fulfillment and gratitude for the supportive Toronto community.

At our annual Concert Hall Benefit on December 4th, 2005, we were able to raise $2259.52, a 65% increase from the previous year’s total. The concert, which took place at St. Mary Magdalene’s Church, featured a program of classic Christmas carols such as Silent Night, Deck the Halls, Angels from the Realms of Glory, and O Magnum Mysterium by Lauridsen.

Please come out and join us next year for our Sing-Along Christmas Concert and help us support YWCA Toronto’s 1st Stop Woodlawn!

For more information please contact us at cantores.fabularum@gmail.com

YWCA TORONTO'S 1ST STOP WOODLAWN

YWCA Toronto’s 1st Stop Woodlawn is a comprehensive shelter and housing program, featuring specialized services for young women, aged 16 to 25. 1st Stop Woodlawn provides emergency shelter for women of all ages; second stage housing for women who require additional support in times of transition in their lives; as well as affordable permanent housing. Various workshops are also offered to enhance the lives of the women in the Woodlawn community. 1st Stop Woodlawn is part of the Housing and Support programs of YWCA Toronto, the city’s only multi-service association by, for and about girls and women. Other YWCA programs include, Girls & Family Programs, Employment and Skills Development and Advocacy.

For information about 1st Stop Woodlawn, contact Amanda Dale, Director, Advocacy and Communications YWCA Toronto 416-961-8100 Ext. 350.

Concert December 2005

Photos: Christopher Muir