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Greg Furlong
Greg thinks that the best singing comes from the heart, and that happens when the singer truly believes in the song. A multi-talented musician who combines expression and ecology, Greg has cofounded two activist choirs: Song Cycles (the Choir on Bikes), which he led for 6 years in Toronto, and Just Voices (see justvoices.ca), which he presently directs in Ottawa where he lives with partner Michelle and their daughter Véla. He also wrote most of the musical arrangements for these community groups, whose repertory includes songs in 9 languages from all over the world.
Greg has participated in many other community and church choirs over the past 18 years as a singer, section leader, soloist and teacher. Musical studies include the University of Ottawa, the Royal Conservatory of Music and the University of Toronto (B. Mus. Composition), where he took arranging with Phil Nimmons. He also plays the trombone and other low brass instruments, and has several published arangements and CD's featuring brass. "When I direct the choir, I emphasize clarity and communication of the message to our audience, helping motivate the performers to join together in songs that are greater than the sum of their parts." Choir recordings include the CD "Song Cycles" (1999, dedicated to the memory of Councillor Dan Leckie) and "Mourning Dove" (2004, with the Stairwell Carollers).