Season 2024 Guests
Edward Tait
Edward Tait has had an accomplished career, which includes being a founding member of the National Arts Centre Orchestra in Ottawa . For over 45 years he was associate principal of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra. He has taught many bass students who now play in almost every important orchestra in Canada.
Edward Tait is a guest for the Christmas concert Long, Long Ago. He will be playing the bass.
Alison Melville
Alison Melville
Toronto-born Alison Melville began her musical life in a school classroom in London (UK). After studies in Toronto and at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis in Basel, Switzerland, her subsequent career as a player of recorders and historical flutes has taken her across North America and to New Zealand, Iceland, Japan and Europe. Besides making regular appearances with the Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra as orchestral player and/or soloist, Alison is Artistic Co-Director of North Wind Concerts and is a busy freelancer, collaborating in numerous artistic endeavours in Canada and beyond. For many years she was also a member of the Toronto Consort and Ensemble Polaris.
A few favourite memories include live-to-film performances of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban with the Toronto Symphony and London Symphonia; solo school shows in inner-city London (UK); an improvised duet for Baroque flute and acrobat in northern Finland; and, oh yes, a summer of concerts in Ontario prisons.
Alison’s extensive international television, film and radio credits include soundtracks for The Tudors, CBC-TV’s beloved The Friendly Giant, films by Malcolm Sutherland, Atom Egoyan, Ang Lee and others, and she can be heard on over 65 CDs including several critically acclaimed solo recordings. She taught for over a decade at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music and teaches across North America for workshops and various universities.
Alison will be performing in the Monday Morning Singers Christmas 2024 concert.
Tatsuki Shimoda
Tatsuki Shimoda
Tatsuki Shimoda has been playing the recorder since a young age, coming from a musical family with whom he has explored music in various settings. Versatile in many styles from early music to avante-garde music, he has performed across Ontario, utilizing all recorder sizes. He has been awarded at various music festivals and earned his Performer’s ARCT for recorder in 2018. He completed his Bachelors of Music from the University of Toronto in 2022, with a minor in Mathematics. He continues to explore different musical styles as he works towards his Performer's ARCT for piano as well as performing with the Japanese drumming group Nagata Shachu.
Tatsuki will be performing in the Monday Morning Singers Christmas 2024 concert.
Maggie Anderson
Maggie is a graduate of The Juilliard School’s Acting Program. She recently received her Master’s in Classical Theatre from the University of San Diego, where she spent multiple summers performing at The Old Globe Theatre. She is thrilled to be back in Uxbridge, performing with the Monday Morning Singers. Maggie has performed in many theatres both in New York and San Diego. A highlight of her time in New York was getting the chance to perform alongside Kristin Chenoweth on Broadway.
Maggie will be the soloist and will be reading in the Monday Morning Singers Christmas 2024 concert.
Wesley Bells
Wesley Bells
Wesley Bells performs on his great grandfather’s 18c. violin. He has delighted audiences at the Richmond Hill Performing Arts Centre, North York’s Meridian Arts Centre, and Toronto’s Walter Hall, Koerner Hall, and Glenn Gould Studio. After studying under Corey Gemmell and Annalee Patipatanakoon, Wesley graduated from U of T, with a Bachelor of Music Degree in Violin Performance, and holds an Associate Diploma from the Royal Conservatory of Music (ARCT). He is currently serving as Resident Violinist at the Trinity Anglican Church in Aurora and performing as a permanent member of the Ontario Philharmonic Orchestra, while pursuing his career as a concert violinist.
Wesley will perform in ‘Begone Dull Care’, the Monday Morning Singers spring 2024 concert.
Chris Saunders
Chris Saunders
Chris Saunders has lived and worked in Uxbridge for over 40 years. As a guitarist he has played in numerous music theatre productions with Onstage Uxbridge and the Uxbridge Youth Theatre. He has also performed for over 20 years with Uxperience and enjoys participating in the Fridays at the Foster summer concert series at the Foster Memorial. Although his main interest is guitar, Chris also plays mandolin, ukulele, lap steel, and banjo.
Chris will perform in ‘Begone Dull Care’, the Monday Morning Singers spring 2024 concert.