Contemplative Arts Festival of Saskatoon

Artist in Residence

Coco Love Alcorn

Coco Love Alcorn, portrait. A white woman with shoulder length brown hair, wearing a dark blue v-necked top speckled with rainbow dots. Coco's mouth is closed, with a hint of a smile.

Coco Love Alcorn

Biography

We’re thrilled to present the multi-talented Coco Love Alcorn as the Festival’s 2024 Artist in Residence!

Recently awarded the 2021 Canadian Folk Music Award for Best Contemporary Singer of the Year, Coco combines diverse musical influences including jazz, R&B, pop, folk, and Gospel. Her love of improvising, and willingness to engage fearlessly with the audience has made Alcorn an established presence on the Canadian music scene. Alcorn’s career has spanned more than 30 years, nine solo albums, cross-Canada tours, collaborations, festival appearances, and award nominations. Her original songs have been used widely in TV and film and also sung by choirs around the world. Coco also leads the Wonderland Singers, an online community choir and creative singing workshop series with hundreds of regular members from across Canada, the States and beyond.

Coco will be working with local singers to present special music as part of her Concert on the evening of Sunday May 26th. Coco will offer a Joyful Singing workshop on Friday May 24th, and a Songwriting workshop on Saturday May 25th. Coco will share music during the worship service at Grosvenor Park United Church on Sunday morning at 10:00 a.m, and will speak on a discussion panel on Sunday afternoon.

Coco’s Schedule and links are below.

In a black and white photo, Coco Love Alcorn is speaking with a group of singers standing grouped around her in a semicircle, listening carefully.

Coco Love Alcorn directing a choir.

Joyful Singing Workshop with Coco Love Alcorn

Friday May 24, 7:00 to 9:00 pm
Let’s sing! Let’s get creative and play!
A soulful, joyful singing workshop with Coco Love Alcorn. In this workshop, Coco will lead us through some simple call and response singing, some harmonies and rhythms, and also tickle our playful sides by wee forays into the world of vocal improvisation.
All are welcome, no experience needed.

This is a free event, no need to register in advance.
More info at Workshops.

Coco Love Alcorn with a circle of singers.

Song-writing Workshop with Coco Love Alcorn

Saturday May 25 - 1:00 to 3:00 pm 

Coco will share ideas about aspects of creativity and what it means to be vulnerable and share something meaningful. The group will co-create a chorus, and then everyone will have an opportunity to contemplate what they might like to express, writing their own verse or poem or melody that relates to our shared chorus. Then we will come back together for a sharing circle, sharing our verses and singing our awesome chorus many times. If time permits, Coco will facilitate a discussion about song craft at the end. 

More info and registration at Workshops.

photo by Gabriel Gurrola on Unsplash

Free Flow Performance

Saturday May 25 - 7:00 to 9:00 pm, followed by a reception. Coco will perform along with other Festival artists and speakers.
Admission is free.
More info at Special Events.  

Photo of the exterior of Grosvenor Park United Church in Saskatoon, with steps painted in rainbow Pride colours.

Grosvenor Park United Church,
photo by Rob Phillips.

Sunday service
Sunday May 26 at 10:00 to 11:30 a.m.

The Sunday morning Service at Grosvenor Park United Church will be led by Rev. Nobuko Iwai, with special music by Coco Love Alcorn.
All are welcome.
More info at Special Events.

Speakers at the Contemplative Arts Festival in 2019.

Discussion Panel 2:
Embodying the Spiritual
Sunday May 26th, 1:30 to 2:30 pm.
In this one-hour panel, we explore how a sculptor, Lee Fuller, a dancer, Miki Mappin, a singer-songwriter Coco Love Alcorn, and a spiritual director, Shelly Manley-Tannis, use art to bring deeper meaning to their lives and the lives of their audiences. What does it mean for each of these creators to “embody the spiritual” in their work? How does embodying the spiritual necessitate taking action in the world? This panel will be moderated by Brenda Baker.
Admission is free.
More info at Discussion Panels.

Coco Love Alcorn

Coco Love Alcorn in Concert
Sunday May 26 at 7:30 to 9:30 pm

Coco will be joined by a choir of local singers for this exciting concert at Grosvenor Park United Church. This event is a fundraiser to support the Contemplative Arts Festival.

Tickets are on sale now at Eventbrite at a cost of $33.28. 
Sunday May 26 at 7:30 to 9:30 pm
More information at Special Events.
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