This is page two of information about Kingston’s Choralpalooza which celebrates choral excellence at the Isabel Bader Centre in Kingston. This page primarily focuses on the Bader Centre Concert Hall. Here is page one if you wish to read the information from the beginning.
Choralpalooza has been held two times so far, and the last iteration was November 8, 2015. Both celebrations were held at the stunning Isabel Bader Centre, located on Kingston’s waterfront, close by Queen’s University.
The venues for Choralpalooza were held primarily at two locations inside the Bader Centre. The second location was the Concert Hall, a hall worthwhile seeing even if there is not event taking place. The room is beautiful.
Seating in the Concert Hall is a treat. Comfortable seats with lots of leg room. Along both sides of the hall visitors relax in easy chairs, with excellent site and sound lines to the stage. The balcony extends 360 degrees, so you can sit in front or, as we did for a change, sit behind the stage to get a differing perspective of some of the Choralpalooza performances.
From just after 1:00 pm until after 4:00 pm we enjoyed choral performances from Strong Women’s Drum, Open Voices Community Choir, Queen’s Choral Ensemble, Shout Sister, the Kingston Choral Society and many others.
For many of the performances we sat front left. Here’s a view of the single mic, a bit of the stage, and the marvellous woodwork that festoons the walls of the concert hall, taken from our front-row vantage point.
Free Entertainment at Choralpalooza
In 2015 at least, admission to Choralpalooza was no charge! What a wonderful, low-cost, way to spend a November afternoon in beautiful Kingston Ontario.
There is no guarantee that Choralpalooza will always have no-charge admission though it would be good if it were, to allow those of modest means to enjoy an afternoon of an eclectic mixture of voices.
Parking on the grounds of the Bader Centre was charged for, though the relatively small parking area was full to capacity anyway, and we wouldn’t have been able to park there, pay or not.
If you are planning on taking in an event at the Bader Centre, turn North from King Street on any of the streets adjacent to the centre, and just a ways up, parking on the side of the street is no charge.
Pay attention to the signs! The parking wardens in Kingston are very effective, and adds are very good if you park in a no-parking spot, you will get ticketed!
Since Bellevue House on Centre Street, just a few hundred metres from the Bader, was closed, we used their parking lot across from Sir John’s house, which is a no-charge lot for the home when it’s open.
We thoroughly enjoyed the venue, the amenities, the many, many voices, yet all good things come to an end. This last photo was taken as we walked away from the setting sun and the Bader Centre on a clear, cool, November evening in Kingston.
Visit the Bader Center. And if Choralpalooza is held here next year, it’s a good opportunity of both see the Bader Centre, the Tett, and enjoy some marvellous song, all at the same time.
Isabel Bader Centre for the Performing Arts
390 King Street West
Kingston, Ontario, Canada
K7L 2X4
Box Office: 613.533.2424
Toll-Free: 1.855.533.2424
ibcpaboxoffice@queensu.ca
Monday-Friday, 12:30 pm – 4:30 pm
Box Office opens 1 hour prior to performances.
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