CAMMAC is a non-profit organization whose mission is to encourage people of all ages to experience the joy of making music together in a welcoming, supportive, and inclusive environment. Our normal activities include a wide array of educational programming at our Music Centre in Quebec, a summer concert series and regional activities such as sight readings, concerts and much more.
When the pandemic took hold, we were obliged to find new ways to connect with our community. Our first initiative was to develop what has become an ongoing program of virtual musical activities: a selection of workshops, lectures, concerts, a virtual choir and other fun activities are offered each month, and as much as possible, our activities are available in both English and French.
> FIND OUT MORE: CAMMAC ONLINE
Beyond our online learning initiatives, CAMMAC has also created partnerships with professional musicians and organizations from Canada and around the world to deliver quality online content for our members and the general public. Some examples include events held in partnership with British vocal consort The Gesualdo Six, the Studio de musique ancienne de Montréal, Les Boréades, the National Arts Centre Orchestra and Les Violons du Roy.
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In October 2020, 6 short films were produced at CAMMAC, with the goal of creating new Canadian musical content. Several luminaries of the Canadian musical landscape were featured: the Duo Djokic-Leblanc, Flûte Alors!, and L’harmonie des saisons. Montreal composer Kevin O’Neil was commissioned to write 3 new pieces inspired by CAMMAC for this project.
> FIND OUT MORE: MUSICAL POSTCARDS FROM THE CAMMAC MUSIC CENTRE
In December 2020, CAMMAC Ottawa-Gatineau Region released a film documenting the history of their traditional seasonal concert, “Come Sing Messiah”, an event that gathers hundreds of choir singers together to sing Handel’s great choral work. Featuring internationally renowned organist Matthew Larkin and produced by Kevin Reeves, the film presents a history of the music and documents past performances.
> FIND OUT MORE: COME SING MESSIAH
As our in-person activities are once again curtailed for the summer of 2021, we are planning a whole new season of virtual content that we hope will bring the joy of musical learning to musicians and music lovers of all ages.