ABOUT THE CHORALE

The Corpus Christi Male Chorale was formed in 1996 on the initiative of Peter Dueck, the choir's first president, who, together with a few others, generated interest and recruited singers. The choir had its first rehearsal on September 11, 1996, and gave its first performance in December of that year.

Since then, the choir has performed regularly, in and around Calgary as well as in various other locations, both in Canada and the U.S. Under the direction of Daniel Bensler, the choir has grown steadily, both musically and in size, with the current members being drawing from both Calgary and its surrounding communities. Participation in the choir provides members with the opportunity to socialize with others and to have the enjoyment of making music through the medium of choral singing. The choir's focus has been to provide chorale performances in the celebration and fundraising efforts for the benefit of local churches, communities and relief agencies, as well as international aid projects.

The choir's own regular performances include an annual Christmas fundraiser (for The Mustard Seed, Calgary) and a spring concert at the end of each season. The chorus also gives numerous performances throughout the year in various churches and has been a regular participant in such local choral events as the "Knox United/CBC Carol Festival", the First Alliance Church's "Hymn Sing" choral celebration, the "Calgary Protestant Male Choir Festival", and the Deerpark United Church's "Twelfth Night Celebration". The choir has also performed at "The Masters" International show jumping tournament at Spruce Meadows, Calgary, Alberta. The choir has also performed on fundraising tours at locations in British Columbia, southern Manitoba and Montana, USA.

The choir has built a large repertoire, sacred as well as secular, in a wide range of musical styles, and continues to add new music each season. The chorus has two recordings which are very well received.

The first CD of "Let the Nations Sing" was recorded in the spring of 2003 at First Mennonite Church, Calgary. All proceeds raised through the sale of this CD and cassette go towards the relief, service, and peace agency work of Mennonite Central Committee (MCC).

The second CD of "A Christmas Collection of Music and Miracles" was recorded in the fall of 2004 at Christ Church, Calgary. All proceeds raised through the sale of this CD goes towards the humanitarian inner-city work of The Mustard Seed, Calgary.