CANCELLED: Hamilton Children's Choir • Sunday, July 16

UPDATE: Due to forecast for rain and risk of thunderstorms, this instalment of Seven Sundays in Gage Park has been cancelled.

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Produced by Sonic Unyon, the second night of the City of Hamilton's 2017 Seven Sundays in Gage Park concert series showcases Emma Bergin, Alyssa LeClair and Gillian Nicola, all talented alumna of the acclaimed Hamilton Children’s Choir.

6:00PM: Food Trucks Open
Come buy some delicious food from local food trucks (including Kool Jim's Ice Cream Truck, MeatVentures, Relay Coffee, Rudy's, and Urban Express) serving dinner and dessert.

7:30PM: Hamilton Children's Choir featuring HCC alumna Emma Bergin, Alyssa LeClair & Gillian Nicola

Hailing from Hamilton, Ontario, Emma Bergin has currently completed her Bachelor of Music in Performance at the University of Toronto under the guidance of Canadian soprano Elizabeth McDonald, and is excited to start her Masters of Operatic Performance at the University of Toronto in the fall. At 21, she has a long list of accomplishments in both operatic repertoire and concert performances. In 2015 she was awarded the opportunity to perform as the Alto Soloist with the University of Toronto Symphony Orchestra, the University of Toronto’s Women’s Chamber Choir, and the University of Toronto’s Men’s Chorus for their presentation of Beethoven’s Choral Fantasy. Along with that, she was also seen in many onstage performances, such as University of Toronto Opera’s production of Britten’s Paul Bunyon, and Halifax Summer Opera Festival’s production Kurt Weill’s Street Scene as both Emma Jones and Olga Olsen. 2016 saw many on-stage performances such as University of Toronto Opera’s production of Orphée aux Enfers as the goddess Ceres and the understudy for Public Opinion, Halifax Summer Opera Festival’s production of Suor Angelica as La Zelatrice, and many roles at Opera NUOVA including The Duchess in Gilbert and Sullivan’s The Gondoliers, Chorus in Bellini’s I Capuleti e i Montecchi, and Mrs. Phagan in Jason Robert Brown’s Parade. 2016 concert appearances included the music of Fiddler on the Roof, where Emma performed the roles of Hodel, Chava, and Yente with the Centre for Opera Studies and Appreciation—a subset fundraising association of the Centre for Opera Studies in Italy.

Alyssa LeClair is a singer and actress based in Toronto, Ontario. She graduated from NYU Steinhardt in 2015 with her Masters in Music, Vocal Performance under the tutelage of the brilliant Dianna Heldman. Upon graduation, Alyssa worked at Sharon Playhouse as a featured Ensemble member in My Fair Lady, directed and choreographed by Richard Stafford. She can also be seen in the movie "Fat Camp" directed by Emmy nominated Jen Arnold, which was recently acquired by BET and premieres on Monday, July 17th at 8:00PM. At NYU Alyssa's was involved in Massenet's Cendrillon (Dallet Norris), A Man of No Importance (John Simpkins), Man of La Mancha, Carousel (William Wesbrooks) and See What I Wanna See (MK Lawson/Caleb Hoyer). Alyssa has also been a soloist in concerts at 54 Below including Blame Canada! an all-Canadian concert celebrating Canadian Broadway artists and writers! When she's not performing she drinks a lot of tea and watches videos of French bulldogs.

The first thing that strikes listeners about Gillian Nicola is the strength of her vocals. Nicola’s vocal delivery is full of power, while remaining authentic and vulnerable. The singer/songwriter calls on influences of folk, rock and alt-country to create a sound that honours her diverse taste. In Spring 2016, Nicola released her sophomore EP, No Place to Call, recorded at Hamilton's Catherine North Studios with producer Dan Hosh (Wild Rivers, Rose Cousins) and mastered by Elliott Brood's Stephen Pitkin. On a base level, the songs are what many have come to know and love from Canadian folk music, but the vocal delivery and heavy instrumentation set Nicola apart. Throughout the recording, she employs the use of heavy textures and ambience coupled with emotionally-charged lyrics and vocal delivery. Since the release of No Place to Call in April 2016, Nicola has completed three tours in Canada and has performed in Nashville, TN. This summer, Nicola will embark on her first tour of Western Canada. A classically trained vocalist, Nicola’s 2013 EP Chasing the Wind, was nominated for two Hamilton Music Awards (Best New Artist/Group, Alt-Country Recording of the Year) and the Toronto Independent Music Awards (Best Folk). Nicola has made many high-profile appearances, including: the JUNO Concert Series, The Love Song Edition and Hamilton’s Supercrawl. Nicola was a Regional Finalist in the 2015 CBC Searchlight Competition and was selected for the Canadian Independent Recording Artist’s Association’s Mentorship Program, where she received one-on-one mentorship with Livy Jeanne (Black Box Records, Universal Music) over the summer of 2015.

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