Association of Canadian Choral Communities

Association of Canadian Choral Communities

 Association of Canadian Choral Communities (ACCC) (formerly Association of Canadian Choral Conductors). Formed on 19 Nov 1980 in Calgary, the ACCC is a non-profit organization whose primary role is to "promote the art of choral music by supporting conductors, choirs, choristers, composers, and the choral industry" in Canada. The ACCC works closely with provincial choral organizations in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Québec, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia, which elect one representative to serve on the ACCC national board.

The mainstay of the ACCC's activities is its biennial national conference, Podium. The first conference, 9-13 Jun 1982, was held at Queen's University, Kingston, and included conducting workshops, panel discussions, repertoire reading sessions, exhibits, concerts, and lectures by notable choral conductors; the conference maintains a similar format today. In 1984 the ACCC sponsored the first National Youth Choir of Canada in conjunction with the second biennial conference. Youth audition from across the country and the choir performs a concert at Podium.

In 1988 the ACCC launched the biennial National Choral Awards, which recognize outstanding achievement in Canadian choral music publishing, choral composition, choral recording, sponsorship, choral events, and service to the choral community. The ACCC's Competition for Choral Writing, presented in conjunction with Cypress Choral Music, was begun in 1999 to encourage the composition and performance of Canadian choral works. The winning compositions are premiered at Podium by the National Youth Choir of Canada. Through its awards and competitions, the ACCC has honoured such composers as Derek Holman (1988), Imant Raminsh (1990, 1994), Ruth Watson Henderson (1992), Eleanor Daley (1994, 2004), and Allan Bevan (1999-2000, 2001-2, 2003-4, 2008); choral recordings by the Canadian Children's Opera Chorus (1990), the Amadeus Choir of Toronto (2002), and Chor Leoni Men's Choir (2004); and choral events such as Festival 500 in Newfoundland (1998), the Voices of the Klondike concert series in Whitehorse, YT (2000), and Unisong in Ottawa (2004).

In 2010 the ACCC assumed responsibility for the National Competition for Canadian Amateur Choirs (formerly the CBC National Radio Competition for Amateur Choirs) in partnership with the CBC and the Canada Council.

The ACCC is a member of the Canadian Conference of the Arts, the Canadian Music Educators Association, and the International Federation for Choral Music. Its publications have included the journal Anacrusis and the Recommended Canadian Choral Repertoire series.