History
First established in 1975 by a group of enthusiastic musicians at the University of Toronto’s Erindale campus, the Mississauga Choral Society (MCS) has grown into a semi-professional choir.  Artistic Director Chrys Bentley, named Mississauga’s Musician of the Year in 1997, is celebrating his 26th year with the Choir.  Mr. Bentley has led MCS in its growth to becoming a choral group of professional calibre and recognized reputation. Since 1998, MCS has established itself as the choir-in-residence of the Living Arts Centre in Mississauga. 

Choir membership has grown to 80 singers (12 of which are paid section leads), all of whom must complete an annual audition.  We have a strong association with The Sinfony Players, our contract professional chamber orchestra, led by Concertmaster Leslie Knowles.

Mandate

The Mississauga Choral Society is a volunteer, community-based choir established in 1975 with a mandate to bring the major choral repertoire of the 16th to 21st centuries to Mississauga audiences by means of live, on-stage performances, with the greater goal to broaden the cultural arts in Mississauga and the west Toronto areas.  This is accomplished through the presentation of choral masterpieces, regular commissioning of new Canadian choral works, and through the hosting of outstanding Canadian choirs, musicians and guest soloists.

Members are presented with the opportunity of approaching this music at a semi-professional level, along with the fellowship and pleasure of working together to achieve as authentic a performance as possible.
CHRYS A. BENTLEY
ARTISTIC DIRECTOR AND CONDUCTOR

Chrys A. Bentley brings three essential qualities to his role as Artistic Director of the Mississauga Choral Society: far reaching artistic visions, high standards of musical excellence, and dynamic leadership.  Under his direction, MCS has grown into a well-respected 80-voice community choir with a core of professional singers.  It is now the resident choral ensemble at the Mississauga Living Arts Centre.









Mr. Bentley became Artistic Director of MCS in 1977, and in the following year he graduated from the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Music with a degree in Music Education.  In 1983, he was appointed Director of Music at Glenview Presbyterian Church in Toronto.  Over the years, MCS and the Glenview Concert Choir have joined forces for such large-scale performances as Bach’s Magnificat and St. Matthew Passion.

His achievements include Mississauga’s Musician of the Year Award (1997) and the Lillian Forsythe Award (1983) for excellence in church music.  As well, he has had guest conducting roles at symposia under such noted conductors as John Poole, Sir David Willcocks, and Helmuth Rilling.  He also served on a task force of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in Canada, charged with creating a new Psalter which was recently published.  Mr. Bentley studied with Margaret Hillis until her death.  She was a noted choral director who founded and shaped the Grammy Award-winning Chicago Symphony Chorus.

A commitment to Canadian choral music has always been a priority for Mr. Bentley.  In the 1995-96 season, MCS performed Derek Holman’s A Song to David, a work on psalm texts.  That same year, Dr. Holman agreed to become an honorary patron of the choir.  In 1996, MCS received grants from the Ontario Arts Council and the Mississauga Arts Council to commission Dr. Holman to write a new major work, Magnificat, which premiered on February 15, 1998 to celebrate the opening of Hammerson Hall in the Living Arts Centre.  In 2001, MCS premiered its newly commissioned work by Toronto composer David Passmore, On That Day: Visions of the Prophet Isaiah.  Last season saw the world premiere performance of Derek Holman’s MCS commissioned work Requiem.  Through his career, Mr. Bentley has commissioned nine new choral works by Canadian composers.

This is Chrys A. Bentley’s 26th season as Artistic Director of the Mississauga Choral Society.