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8 years ago

Volume 12 - Issue 8 - May 2007

  • Text
  • Jazz
  • Toronto
  • Choir
  • Theatre
  • Choral
  • Singers
  • Musical
  • Festival
  • Arts
  • Concerts

SoME THING NewBY }ASON

SoME THING NewBY }ASON VAN fYKToronto audiences seemed to fully Feel of springappreciate last month's range o f new But we can finally break free of suchmusic events that crossed over the cramped quarters now that we firmaudiovisualdivicle.ly have a feel of spring in the air.CONTACT's Opera Interna inter-Even more importantly, we can startfilling our calendars with great ofactiveexperience attracted a respecta- ferings from an always rich summerble audience, which was encour- festival season. It seems that everyaged to walk a labyrinth while year Toronto's parade of music fesenvelopedby a contemplative en- tivals creeps ever closer to the endvironment complete with candles; of'the concert season. Lucky for lots of music by both emerg-Deep Wireless Festival:flowers and subdued lighting. us! This shortened gap means that ing composers and their men- Eleanor King and Stephen Kelly of Halifax.Compose·r John Burke's score - live new music is becoming a richanebb and flow of beautiful melo- er, year-round experience. This May 7m with an open reading ses- lights include appearances by Bev­tors. The festival launches ondies, rich harmonies and dense tex- year in particular the two worlds sion. Here, Esprit and invited solo- erley Johnston, Aiyun Huang, Ryantores - was deceptively simple to collide, where an extended new ists will create an interactive and Scott, Nexus and the Steven Reichthe ear, but crafted with a com- music season crosses over the relaxed "behind-the-scenes" envi- Ensemble performing a huge lirieronmentto bring to life previously up of works, including world pre­plexity that was suitably challen~- launch of three unique festivals.ing to the perfomers. The music Launching on May 1" is the sixth unperformed orchestral works by mieres from composers Alice Ho andcompleted a meditative space installment of the Deep Wireless festhroughwhich participants were rival, which encourages involvement Robert A. Baker.Cage, Takemitsu, Aphergis,Canadian composers Gideon Kim and Brian Cherney, alongside music byasked to walk in contemplation of not only from those interested in ratheirpersonal story. Many audience dio and transmission art, but also ferect in collaboration with the Cana- blay and R.Murray Schafer. A spe­This free public workshop is of- Xenakis, Keiko Abe, Gilles Trem­members were so moved by the ex- from individuals that simply want dian Music Centre's Professional cial treat will be the Canadian preperiencethat they stayed to the very more from their radio. This monthendof the two-hour performance, long festival is jam-packed with live the Walter Carsen Centre. For full on May 24m. The Festival launchesReadings Series, starting at 8pm at miere of Reich's Daniel Variationswell after they had finished their performances, installations, artists-incoursethrough the labyrinth. residence, workshops, a three~dayfestival details, please visit at the ever-funky Lula Lounge onwww.espritorchestra.com or call May 22nd with Marimba Madness!A completely different experience conference, and radio broadcasts on 416-815-7887. and closes with a free outdoor contookover the Music Gallery on April numerous local stations. It's impos- Near the end of the month, cert at the Distillery Historic Dis­13m when an almost claustrophobic sible to do justice here to the rich Soundstreams Canada presents trict on May 27m. Events in beitsCool Drummings International tween take place at the Universitycap~city audience crushed in to ex- range of festival activity taking placeperience Jlirgen Reble and Thomas in multiple venues throughout the Percussion Festival and Confer- of Toronto Faculty of Music. ForKoner's 40-minute Quasar live per- city. Perhaps the simplest suggesformanceinstallation. The large set tion is to make your way to the edented access to the finest per- including the conference portion,ence, giving Torontonians unprec- full details about Cool Drummings,up offive film projector.s, smoke fl!a- Radio Art Salon in Gallery 1313, cussion soloists and ensembles please visit www.soundstreams.cachine and quadraphomc sound (m- where you can relax in 50s style from across Canada and around the or call 416-504-1282.eluding two subwoofers for a bass- hair salon chairs while you listen to world. Drawing together the tradi- So come be a part of the festiveheavy feel) relegated the audience to programs curated by UK's Resoaportion of the hall too cramped to nance FM, Austria's Kunstradio jazz, Cool Drummings packs a cr~ss- thing new.tions of new music, world music and feeling. Celebrate spring with somecomfortably accommodate all. Still, and other content drawn from the cultural and multi-geme percuss10n Jason van Eyk is the Canadianthe event clearly had impact. As com- festival's international call for works. punch into eight dynamic concerts Music Centre's Ontario RegionalposerJuliet Palmer remarked: "I ~as For full details, be sure to visit across four locations all within six Director. He can be reached atimpressed by the use of the proJec- www.deepwireless.ca.days. · . 416-961-6601 x. 207 ortor's light as a sculptural element Esprit Orchestra's annual New For the· new music crowd, high- jvaneyk@musiccentre.ca.shifting over time. I had expected a Wave Composers Festival returnssonic assault and was pleasantly sur- in full force from May 7m to 13'hprised by the subtlety of the sonic with a rich roster of concerts andand visual palettes. One of those 'events designed specifically to cretrance-inducingpieces that you need ate a forum for emerging artists toto enter into with both body and mind . exchange ideas, showcase their taltoexperience."ents and meet the public. The en-~1 11111~ Geo~ ;& Co. LimitedCONSERVATORS & PURVEYORSOF Fine & Rare Violinstire festival uses a numberof top Toronto venues forevents ranging from a onedayseries of concerts curatedby early career composersBrian Current andScott Good, to the muchanticipatedpremiere of DavidOgborn's film_ score forMetropolis in live performance.Also on the scheduleare two CD launches, twogala events, educationalprojects, public forums, andViolins, violas, cellos, and bowsComplete line of strings and accessories• Expert repairs and rehairsCan~da's largest stock of string musicFast mail order serviceg0.. "'201 Church St., Toronto. ON. M5B 1Y7Tel: 416-363-0093 • Fax: 416-363-0053Canada's foremost violin experts.Proud of our heritage. Excited about the future.Email: ghcl@idirect.comwww.georgeheinl.com22 WWW. THEWHOLENOTE.COM

,Jazz Notesby Jim GallowayGo East Yonge (Jazz) ManThe spirit of jazz past in Toronto - the Colonial Tavern, The TownTavern, George's Spaghetti House, The Maison J:)ore, Friars, East85th, The Sapphire, The Old Firehall, The Underground Railroad,Cafe Des Copains and more recently, Top O' The Senator and TheMontreal Bistro - were all venues for jazz that were east of YongeStreet (and I know I've left some out). They all helped to give this citya reputation for being 'a good town for jazz'.Well, jazz clubs come and jazz clubs go, but jazz, that Cinderellaof the music world,- seems to survive. It is a more fashionableart form than it once was, but, compared to the Symphony, Opera andBallet, it fails to generate the subsidies and endowments that sustain"serious" art forms. Rather, support for jazz comes from dedicatedindividuals and groups who give time, effort and love to help sustainthe music.. I have mentioned in earlier columns the newest of the clubs,Live@Courthouse, an ambitious venture to raise the profile of jazz afew notches, dare I say 'buenos notches', by presenting, at least someof the time, international names as well as the cream of the local crop.(It joins that aforementioned group of venues to the east of Yonge -where angels fear to tread.)This month, on the 14th, the club will be the setting for the 9thAnnual Ken Page Memorial Trust Fundraising Gala and KPMT isindeed one of those small organisations formed to foster jazz in Canada.As such, it relies heavily on donations and 9 years ago many ofthose contributions came from personal friends and business assocatesof Ken Page. Attrition has taken its inevitable toll and the annual fundraiserhas become correspondingly more important in the Trust's abilityto carry on its good work which includes funding workshops andmasterclasses, giving financial support to several jazz festivals throughoutthe province, helping emerging musicians and on occasion giving assistanceto jazz musicians who are unable to work because of accidentor illness. This year the evening takes the form of a ja~z party withEchoes of Swing kicking off the proceedings before the main eventwhich will feature Warren Vache, the most lyrical cornet sound in allof jazz, George Masso, well known to Toronto audiences from hiswork with The World's Greatest Jazz Band, and a clutch of the beststraightaheadjazzers in Canada - John Sherwood on piano, Reg Schwageron guitar, bassist Neil Swainson, drummer Don Vickery and yourtrusty scribe on saxophone. A great evening of swinging jazz in Toronto'snewest and most elegant jazz room. Tickets, if there are anyleft, can be obtained by calling (416) 515-0200.May 14th, by the way, is also the birth date of the first greatname in jazz saxophone - Sidney BechetA performance by Sonny Rollins is always worth a mention and onMay 5th this icon of jazz will be at Massey Hall - also just east ofYonge Street, by the way. He is, without doubt, one of the few remaininggiants - and, more than that, still playing well. He is a communicator- he always tells a story. through his music and that power to' ·f)~-

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