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Volume 11 Issue 6 - March 2006

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BAND Stand by Merlin

BAND Stand by Merlin Williams March is one of my favourite months. My birthday's in March. School winter breaks are generally in March as well. I associate the month of March with presents and getaways to exotic locales. Okay, not that exotic.. .say Montreal or Ottawa. Now that my day gig is in retail, I'm less likely to be able to travel, so I'm pegging my hopes on good prezzies, though I doubt anyone is going to spring for the new bassoon I'd like. HANNAFORD FESTIVAL OF BRASS The tirelessly innovative Hannaford Street Silver Band presents its 3rd Annual four-concert Festival of Brass Friday March 10 to Sunday afternoon March 12 under the distinguished baton of guest conductor Elgar Howarth. It's a weekend of youth, community and professional music-making in joyous collaboration, in the Hannaford's prime performance venue, the Jane Mallett Theatre. The first concert Rising Stars - Friday March 10 at 8pm - features the Hannaford Street Youth Band, \' cdsmo> '7 music conducted by Youth Education Director Larry Shields, in a Young Artist Competition for the opportunity to be a soloist with the HSSB. Shields will also conduct the newlyformed Hannaford Junior Band. This opening concert of the Festival also includes Oakville's Intrada Brass under Music Director Bram Gregson. Next up is the Community Showcase - Saturday, March 11, lOam to 5pm - part of the HSSB's continuing mandate to provide education and community outreach. Metropolitan Silver Band (conductor Fran Harvey), Weston Silver Band (conductor Larry Shields), Whitby Brass Band (conductor Roland Hill), Orillia Silver Band (conductor Jim Ferris) and the Buffalo Silver Band (conductor Pam Liebmann) perform a variety of 45-minute concerts during the day, led by Larry Shields, assisted by Elgar Howarth. Collaborations - Saturday, March 11 at 8pm - brings together dedicated musicians from the bands participating in the Festival, under the batons of guest Elgar Howarth and the Fine quality instruments & accessories to suit any budget - Woodwinds, Brass, Strings & Percussion Expert Instrument Repairs in one of North America's largest and best-equipped facilities Comprehensive Band & Orchestra Rental Program with over 9,000 instruments in inventory York Region's Largest Music School serving over I ,200 students SALES • RENTALS • REPAIRS • LESSONS • PRINT MUSIC HSSB's resident conductor and artistic director, Curtis Metcalf. As well, ten members of the HSSB will give a special tribute to The Philip Jones Brass Ensemble, founded by Maestro Howarth, which had a huge impact on brass chamber music. Ottawa's Maple Leaf Brass Band with conductor David Druce will also be there, performing selections from their repertoire of popular classics and marches, and the event will conclude with a post-concert reception, for musicians and audience in the lobby. The final concert, Slide Show is Sunday, March 12 at 3pm , following a lOam to 12 noon open rehearsal and a 2: 15pm preconcert chat between HSSB co-founder and executive director, Ray Tizzard and guest conductor Elgar Howarth. The concert itself will include performances ofHowarth'sMosaic, Wilfred Heaton's Contest Music, Malcolm Arnold's Fantasy for Brass Band and many more brass band showpieces, and will feature the principal trombone of the New York Philharmonic, Joe Alessi, who will perform Elgar Howarth's Conceno for Tram Brass - Woodwind - String Instruments - Guitar Buy direct from the Distributor AUTHORIZED DEALER FOR: Armstrong, Artley, Besson, Benge Boosey & Hawkes, Buffet, Conn Getzen,Jupiter, Keilworth, King Ibanez Guitars, Scher! & Ruth String Inst. www.harknettmusic.com Elgar Howanh bone. Also featured is the world premiere of Canadian composer Barbara Croall's new work for brass band "Gi-giiwe na?" (Are you going home?). It was commissioned by the HSSB with the support of the Ontario Arts Council. Visit www.hssb.ca for more details. The HSSB 's event is by no means the only band concert on this month. As always the concert listings are chock-a-block with good stuff. Musical gifts like these make not being able to travel this month a whole lot easier to handle! lfyou would like an upcoming band evenJ to be featured in the Bandstand colwnn, Jee/free to contaa Merlin /Jy e­ mail at merlinwilliams@sympatico.ca or phone416-m3-0275. 1.1~ ......... HARKNETT Musical Services Ltd. MUSIC BOOKS BEST SELECTION OF POPULAR & EDUCATIONAL MUSIC Piano - Guitar - Instrumental Mid-Town Store 416-423-9494 943 Eglinton Ave. E. (W of Leslie) (Next door to Robert Lowrey's Piano Experts) Main Store 905-477-1141 2650 John Street Gust North of Steeles) ~~-~ I ;; Heart of the Horn Fe;ituring: Long & Mc Quade presents a series of Mar.4 Guy Few TRUMPET FREE instrument clinics featuring top instrumentalists & educators. All clinics Mar.11 Ted Waggoner CONN-SELMER will be held at the Toronto store between 2 & 4pm unless otherwise noted. MM.18 Sasha Johnson TUBA Be sure to bring your horn! 935 Bloor St.W., TORONTO Mar.25 Joaquin Valdepenas 416.588.7886 CLARINET Apr.1 Seamus Blake bloorbandC'Ylong-mcquade.com SAXOPHONE h n 11 Jr· JI ~~s~~ I~~~ -~£,~~~: ~~~~ w w w. long-mcquade.com WWW. THEWHOLENOTE , COM MAR CH 1 - APRIL 7 2006

Diamond in the rough The main opera event this March is the latest installment of "Opera to Go" from Tapestry New Opera Works. Running from March 1-17 the evening consists of six brand new mini-operas, each only 12-20 minutes long, by five different composers. The six works are "Unfamiliar" (composer Darren Fung, librettist Dave Deveau) , "Binoculars" (composer Richard Payne, librettist Joseph Maviglia), "Ashlike on the Cradle of the Wind" (composer Andrew Staniland, librettist Jill Battson), " Gotcha!" (composer Darren Fung, librettist Betty Jane Wylie), "Netsuke" (composer Rose Bolton, librettist Jill Battson) and "The Enslavement and Liberation of Oksana G" (composer Aaron Gervais, librettist Colleen Murphy). They cover a wide range of contemporary themes from adolescent alienation, modern marriage, gay sex in the shadow of AIDS, children meeting their birth parents, cross-cultural values and the international sex-slave trade. The music reflects many styles from melodic legato to rhythmically complex pieces with quartertones. Four singers are involved in various combinations-soprano Carla Huhta nen, mezzo-soprano Jessica Lloyd, tenor Keith Klassen and baritone Calvin Powell. Tapestry Artistic Director Wayne Strongman conducts a six-piece chamber orchestra and all six works are directed by Tom Diamond. In Toronto Diamond most recently directed Handel's "Semele" for the University of Toronto Opera Division in 2005, but frequent opera-goers will remember, among others, his stagings of Handel's "Giulio Cesare in Egitto" for the COC in 2002, Sartorio's work of the same title for the COC Ensemble in 2001 and the world premiere of Chan Ka Ni n' s "Iron Road" for Tapestry also in 2001. His up- On OPERA by Christopher Haile ' Tom Diamond coming "Rigoletto" for Pacific Opera Victoria will travel to London, Ontario, for a run at the Grand Theatre in June later this year. Television viewers will have seen him in action as one of the coaches and judges on Bravo's hit programme "Bathroom Divas". A conversation with Diamond on February 14 revealed how a production of "Opera to Go" comes into being: The first point that Diamond makes clear is that "Tapestry's focus on the development of new work is unique not just in Canada but in all of North America". He should know since he recently sat on the committee for the Opera Creation Program, jointly administered by Opera America and Opera.ca, reading through literally hundreds of grant proposals for new works. "The Americans were jealous of the Canadian proposals" Diamond says. "They were more adventurous and edgier than the American ones, both in subject matter and in dramatic approach" . Tapestry must take some credit for this since, according to Diamond's estimate, at least 90% of people now involved in creating new opera in Canada have passed through Tapestry's annual Composer-Librettist Laboratory, acreative " boot camp" co mmonly known as the "Lib Lab". The CONTINUES r. . . . , \CJ~J • C'l~ • I presents... • I • I • I Presents .... York Region's Professional I Opera Company fl~ fuJ_ fl'.uccini! I March 19 - 2:00 pm & March 23 - 8:00 pm at Sabatino Vacca, St. Elizabeth Performing Arts Centre, Artistic Director Call Opera York at 905-763-7853 to order tickets for St. Elizabeth Theatre ALSO March 25 - 8:00 pm Markham Theatre for Performing Arts Call Opera York at 905-305-7469 • TICKETS Group rates available www.operayork.com L • Gianni Schicchi & 1 • Suor Angelica 525 New Westminster Drive, Vaughan • • • ..J Opera Courses and Opera Tours with Iain Scott Course: The Five Key Themes of Wagner's "RING" 5 afternoons 3:00 - 5:00 pm July 17 - 21 Spread over five afternoons, this in-depth seminar will be an ideal introduction to anyone intending to attend Der Ring des Nibelungen in September. This course is designed to appeal to both the neophyte and the experienced Wagnerian. At U of T's St. Michael's College in association with Classical Pursuits Opera Tour: CHAUTAUQUA and GLIMMERGLASS see 5 operas over the August Long Weekend Thursday 3rd to Wednesday 9th August, 2006 If you have never been to Glimmerglass or to Chautauqua, you have been missing out on two of the most wonderful artistic experiences of the summer! At Glimmerglass, stay at the fabled Otesaga Resort. Then spend three days at the famed Chautauqua Institution's Athenaeum Hotel. An operatic experience not to be missed! • • I • M A RCH 1 - A PRIL 7 2006 WWW, TH EWHOLENOTE,COM 31

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