Contemplative Arts Festival of Saskatoon

Artist in Residence

Coco Love Alcorn - 2024

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

The multi-talented Coco Love Alcorn was the Contemplative Arts Festival of Saskatoon’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 worked with local singers to present special music as part of her Concert on the evening of Sunday May 26th, 2024. (Ticket sales are closed.)
Coco offered a Joyful Singing workshop on Friday May 24th, and a Songwriting workshop on Saturday May 25th. Coco shared music during the worship service at Grosvenor Park United Church on Sunday morning at 10:00 a.m, and spoke on a discussion panel on Sunday afternoon.

Coco’s 2024 Schedule and links follow 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, 2024, 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 led participants through some simple call and response singing, some harmonies and rhythms, and also tickled our playful sides by wee forays into the world of vocal improvisation. No experience needed.

This was a free event.
Registration is closed.
More info at Workshops.

Coco Love Alcorn with a circle of singers.

Song-writing Workshop with Coco Love Alcorn

Saturday May 25, 2024 - 1:00 to 3:00 pm 

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

More info at Workshops.
Registration is closed.

photo by Gabriel Gurrola on Unsplash

Free Flow Performance

Saturday May 25, 2024
from 7:00 to 9:00 pm, followed by a reception.
Coco performed along with other Festival artists and speakers.
Admission 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, 2024, at 10:00 to 11:30 a.m.

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

Speakers at the Contemplative Arts Festival in 2019.

Discussion Panel 2:
Embodying the Spiritual
Sunday May 26th, 2024, 1:30 to 2:30 pm.
In this one-hour panel, we explored 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 was moderated by Brenda Baker.
Admission free.
More info at Discussion Panels.

Coco Love Alcorn

Coco Love Alcorn in Concert
Sunday May 26, 2024, 7:30 pm.

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

Sunday May 26, 2024, at 7:30 to 9:30 pm.
Ticket sales are closed.
More information at Special Events.

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