The Chorale
Alexandra Asher (Soprano)
Alexandra Asher is a recent graduate of Wilfrid Laurier University's Bachelor of Music program, where she studied voice with Daniel Lichti. At Laurier, Alexandra participated in the opera program, and sang in many ensembles including WLU Chapel Choir, and both the WLU Ensemble Concert Choir and Laurier Singers Chamber Choir under the direction of Dr. Lee Willingham. Prior to her university studies, Alexandra sang as a member of the Toronto Children's Chorus for several years and followed her love of music to Mayfield Secondary School, where she studied voice in their Regional Arts Program. Alexandra is thrilled to join the Nathaniel Dett Chorale in 2008, marking their tenth anniversary season.
Trisha Dayal Gunpath (Soprano)
Trisha Dayal Gunpath began her singing career with the Toronto Children's Chorus, directed by Jean Ashworth Bartle, in 1990. After graduating from the vocal music program at Cardinal Carter Academy for the Arts under the instruction of Gloria Gassi, Trisha obtained her Bachelor of Fine Arts from York University where she studied voice with Albert Greer. While at York, she sang with the reknowned a capella ensemble Wibijazz'n', as well as various York University Concert Choirs. She has been a member of the inter-denominational gospel choir Toronto Mass Choir since 1992, and is their Communications Coordinator. She sang on their 2002 recording, Instrument of Praise, which garnered a Juno Award for Best Contemporary Christian Album. In 2007, she completed her certificate in Special Effects Makeup Artistry under the direction of Jane Stevenson at Seneca College. She is working towards completing all Royal Conservatory of Music exams in theory and voice under the direction of Léna Gauthier, and trying to find inventive ways to marry her passions for both makeup and music.
Kaisha Lee (Soprano)
Kate McGee (Soprano)
Born and raised in Toronto, Kate McGee has enjoyed participating in Toronto's vibrant choral scene for many years. In recent years she has performed locally with Opera in Concert Chorus, the Bach Consort, and the Bach Festival Singers. Kate sang two seasons with the Festivalensemble of the European Music Festival in Stuttgart, Germany. She appeared in the Toronto Classical Music Consort's production of Handel's Acis and Galatea in 2008. Kate is currently working towards a Master of Divinity degree at Regis College, University of Toronto.
Lisett Padron (Soprano apprentice)
Carolyn Williams (Soprano)
Carolyn Williams is a recent graduate of the Master of Music Therapy program at Wilfrid Laurier University. With over seven years experience in the field of music therapy working with individuals of varying abilities, Carolyn is a firm believer in the healing power of music. A lover of choral singing, Carolyn was excited about revisiting the music of her African-Caribbean heritage, when she rejoined the Nathaniel Dett Chorale in the 2007/2008 season. She is also a lover of worship music and thrives to be a part of a body of believers who seek to worship God in spirit and in truth.
Claire Doyle (Alto apprentice)
Alexandra (Ali) Garrison (Alto)
Alexandra (Ali) Garrison is an American-born, Toronto-raised performer, singer, teacher and lecturer. After co-founding the a capella jazz trio, The Waverlies, she graduated with her Vocal Performance degree from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, and went on to perform a huge variety of operatic and theatrical roles with both regional and national companies. She is a concert and church soloist with numerous ensembles and choirs in Canada and the U.S., and works frequently in tandem with artists, music improvisers and composers to foster new works and to promote music for a more harmonious world. Ali is proud to be a founding member of the exceptional ensemble, The Nathaniel Dett Chorale, for whom she has co-written the education series, Canaan Lan'. Currently, in addition to teaching voice privately, Ms. Garrison has begun conducting voice workshops internationally, and is also leading an exciting collaboration of five women artists in an interdisciplinary project called "Why the Sea is Salty."
Katy Harmer (Alto)
Ianjai Mounsey (Alto)
Ianjai Mounsey is a graduate of the University of Toronto's Faculty of Music and Faculty of Education (O.I.S.E.). While studying at U of T she sang with the University's Women's Chorus, McMillian Singers and the Vocal Jazz Ensemble. She holds an A.R.C.T. in Piano Performance from the Royal Conservatory of Music. She has been choir director at St. Andrews Presbyterian Church in Scarborough since 2005 and is the former music director at Agape Temple Seventh Day Adventist Church in Pickering. She also sings with the award winning University of Toronto Gospel Choir. When she is not touring and performing she shares her love for music with children as a music teacher with the Durham District School Board and in her own private piano studio.
Renaé Reid (Alto)
Prior to joining The Nathaniel Dett Chorale, Renaé Reid was a member of the jazz ensemble, Take Note, in Red Deer, Alberta, which attended OVF (Ontario Vocal Festival), the International Association of Jazz Educators Conference in Long Beach, California, was the feature group of The Canadian Jazz Festival held in Brandon, Manitoba, and also participated in the workshops headed by Phil Mattson (which included a performance in Carnegie Hall) in New York. Renaé currently attends McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario. She is working towards completing her Honours Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, and will then go on to complete her Master's and Ph.D. When she is not studying or performing with the Chorale, she enjoys spending time with close friends, attending cultural events, participating in African dance, and much more.
Karen Scovell (Alto)
Karen Scovell discovered her love of music at a very young age. From participating in almost all of her highschool musical and drama groups, to being part of an opera while in college, Karen has found her home on stage. When Karen is not singing with the Chorale, she can be found singing as section lead in St. Timothy's Anglican Church adult choir, and writing songs and/or collaborating with other artists.
Christopher Jääskeläinen (Tenor)
Lucas Marchand (Tenor)
Lucas Marchand has been singing on the stage since the tender age of three years old. Growing up, he gained recognition and experience winning the Junior Vocal category in the provincial festival of the arts and taking top spot in the Golden Gate International Music Festival in San Francisco. Lucas continued on to study Voice at the University of Victoria where he earned his Bachelor's Degree in Music with distinction. Touring with various groups, Lucas has performed in many parts of North America, South America, Europe, Asia, and Africa. Lucas enjoys performing various styles of music including opera, jazz, pop, salsa, R&B, and chamber music. He has shared the stage with top performers such as Tom Johnston of The Doobie Brothers, Martha Reeves of Motown fame, Jacksoul, Colm Wilkinson, and Measha Brueggergosman. Lucas is also a certified instructor of Speech Level Singing, the world-famous technique based on the vocal instruction of Seth Riggs. Lucas is one of only nine certified instructors in Canada, and teaches privately in Toronto. In addition to the Nathaniel Dett Chorale, you can hear Lucas sing with various groups around Toronto, including Univox (Toronto's best new choir for young adults), pop cover band Off The Wall, and the new a capella sensation, Fine Grind.
Floydd Ricketts (Tenor)
This is Floydd Ricketts' first season with The Nathaniel Dett Chorale. Floydd is originally from London, Ontario, and is currently in his final year of study at York University in Toronto, where he has studied both classical voice with Canadian tenor Benjamin Butterfield and jazz voice with Sacha Williamson. Floydd is frequently called upon as a music director for stage musicals, and has conducted fourteen productions in London (Ontario), Toronto and New York City. He is the music director and co-founder of the newly formed Greater Toronto Philharmonic Orchestra. Recently, he journeyed to Rome, Italy, where he recorded the role of Lazarus and Narration in the original cast recording of Emmanuel. He has been described by his peers as a proficient scorer and arranger and has arranged a number of works for mixed voices, chamber orchestra and jazz ensembles. He is the recipient of an Imasco Performing Arts Award and a Harry Jerome Award, among others.
Geddes Stewart (Tenor)
Dallas Bergen (Bass)
Dallas Bergen received his Bachelor of Music in Secondary Education from the University of Victoria, where he was a member of the Chamber Singers and Prima Youth Choir. International travel carried him to Thailand, where he performed with the Bangkok Combined Choir, and to New York, where he performed at Carnegie Hall with Manhattan Concert Productions. Dallas has been a member of The Nathaniel Dett Chorale since coming to Toronto in 2005. He is also the founding artistic director of Univox - Toronto's choir for young adults - conducts the Harbourfront Chorus, serves as Music Director of a Unitarian Congregation in Toronto, and has been a member of the nationally-represented Canadian Chamber Choir since 2000. Dallas teaches chess and music in a number of Toronto schools.
Andrew Gunpath (Bass)
A graduate of St. Michael's Choir School, Andrew Gunpath has been a classically-trained musician since the age of eight. After performing the lead role in the musical Godspell in two separate productions with the Artworld Actors Guild of Hope, and acting as lead vocalist/bassist for numerous alternative and heavy-metal bands, he wishes to pursue a career as a music educator.
Darryl Huggins (Bass)
Darryl Huggins is currently studying and teaching piano, guitar and voice, and performing whenever he gets the chance. In addition to The Nathaniel Dett Chorale, you can find him playing steel pan on a CD with the Toronto Tabla Ensemble, and singing on a CD with York U vocal force Wibijazz'n'. He is also the founding conductor of The Nathaniel Dett Chorale's new Training Choir.
Graham Robinson (Bass)
Graham Robinson is a young, ambitious bass-baritone hailing from Vancouver Island, British Columbia. Receiving his Bachelors of Music in Voice at the University of Victoria, Mr. Robinson was a much sought after soloist during his time in B.C. He has been featured with the University of Victoria Chorus, the University of Victoria Chamber Singers and the Victoria Chamber Orchestra. Now based out of Toronto, he often shares the stage with The Nathaniel Dett Chorale, the Elmer Iseler Singers, the Elora Festival Singers and Univox, as well as many others. Graham Robinson is a devoted supporter and patron of aesthetics who strongly believes that creativity will take us anywhere we want to go. "Putting one's soul into any discipline is art. It is in those times one learns to fly."
David Yung (Bass)
David Yung is a former member of the Canadian Children's Opera Chorus and a graduate of the Vocal Music program within Arts York at Unionville High School. He performed roles with the Young Players' Repertoire Company in community musical theatre productions of "The Mystery of Edwin Drood" and "Assassins." David is a graduate of the University of Western Ontario's Faculty of Music, where he studied voice with Darryl Edwards, and was a member of the Faculty Singers. He sang with the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir for two years, and is very much enjoying his ninth season with the Nathaniel Dett Chorale.
