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Volume 18 Issue 3 - November 2012

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  • November
  • Toronto
  • December
  • Jazz
  • Arts
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years or more, I would

years or more, I would be happy to relegate them to the archives for ayear or so. However, many audience members may have never heardthem and are entertained by a bit of novelty.When it comes to selecting new concert works written specifically forconcert band, while the internet makes it possible to hear what theseworks might sound like, there is little opportunity to assess the challengesthey may present to the performers. There is no relying on recallingfamiliar melodies. On the other hand, if the work is of good quality,not only are the band members rewarded with new reading challenges,but the audiences experience new music.Three works which fall into that categoryhave come to my attention in recent months.Commissioned by the Kobe Symphonic Bandin Japan, Tanczi (2006) is a set of three Russiandances by Belgian composer Jan Van der Roost.Not for the faint of heart, this is an ideal selectionto provide rehearsal challenges to allsections of the band. Once mastered, it is a veryrewarding number for the audience. Anothergood contemporary choice is Concerto d’Amore(1995) by Dutch composer Jacob de Haan. Itis considerably less demanding, but still provideschallenges and entertainment. Anotheris Transformations by American composerRobert Longfield (2003). Commissioned for aschool music festival in Dade county Florida, this work develops a wideseries of variations based on the musical notes DADE in honour of thecounty where it was first performed. While a good reading exercise, it isless entertaining for an audience than the other two.As was mentioned in the September issue, the last weekend inSeptember was designated as the third annual Culture Days weekend.My only foray was to accept the invitation of the Hannaford StreetSilver Band to sit in and join them for an afternoon of music making.With a prior morning rehearsal elsewhere on trombone, I had a choiceCulture Days with the Hannaford Street SilverBand: father and son Noel Samuels,E-flat tuba, Caleb Samuels, clutching cornet.to make. Should I take the trombone and switch from bass clef totreble clef, or should I try something bolder. There was an instrumentlurking in one of my closets which hadn’t seen the light of day for over25 years; an E-flat horn.Some call this E-flat horn an alto horn and some call it a tenor horn.By either name it is normally never seen anywhere but in a brassband. Here was my chance. So, in the space of a couple of hours, itwas a switch from a B-flat slide in bass clef to a three-valve horn intreble clef. “Never fear” thought I, “the Hannaford folks will have simplemusic for us visitors.” The first coupleof numbers were just fine. Hymns arealways a good way to get the tuning settled.Then it happened. In rapid succession, wewent through the two suites for militaryband by Gustav Holst followed by Mozart’sMarriage of Figaro Overture. The parts formy newly adopted instrument were morechallenging than I expected. The “peckhorn,” as it is sometimes referred to withsome derision, gained new respect fromme. If the hospitable hosts of this worthwhileevent do it again next year, I’llbe there.While on the subject of the HannafordStreet Silver Band, they have a very specialtreat for lovers of brass band music. Their first concert of theseason, “Trumpets of the Angels,” on Saturday November 3 at 8pmin the Metropolitan United Church, will feature the renowned Britishcomposer and conductor, Edward Gregson, leading the HSSB in performancesof his brass band masterworks, Trumpets of the Angelsand Rococo Variations. The HSSB will also premiere John Burge’sCathedral Architecture, commissioned by the HSSB, with organ virtuosoWilliam O’Meara, and the beloved overture, Fall Fair, by GodfreyRidout in a newly authorized transcription by Stephen Bulla.As for what is happening on the community band scene, I am happyto report that the new Brampton Youth Concert Band is now in fullswing under the direction of their new music director, Susan BarberKahro. If you live in the area and have a young musician in the family,here’s a great opportunity. For additional information, includinghow to join and membership fees, visit their website at bramptonconcertband.com.Also on the youth band scene, the 2013 NationalYouth Band of Canada will be meeting in New Brunswick and NovaScotia from April 27 to May 5, 2013. Musicians 16 to 21 years of age areencouraged to audition by December 1, 2012. For more informationvisit their website at canadianband.ca.Over the past few weeks we have received far more informationon community band activities than can be included in this month’scolumn. On the New Horizons front, there are now six bands atthree levels with over 100 regular members. This year, the CanadianBand Association (Ontario) held its Community Band Weekend inRichmond Hill on October 13 and 14, with host band, the SilverthornSymphonic Winds. On the first day as many as 50 band membersfrom various community bands across the province, along with theSilverthorn Symphonic Winds, rehearsed seven selections, eachwith a different conductor. The second day featured a concert at theRichmond Hill Centre for the Performing Arts.It may be rushing things a bit, but we are already getting informationon Christmas concerts. The Markham Concert Band is presenting“A Seasonal Celebration” on Sunday, December 2, 2012. It will includeTchaikovsky’s Nutcracker Suite with guest harpist Kate Kunkel, aswell as the Brass Quintet from the band of HMCS York, Toronto’sNaval Reserve Division.DEFINITION DEPARTMENTThis month’s lesser known musical term is Articulosis: to be unableto play staccato. We invite submissions from readers. Let’s hear yourdaffynitions.Jack MacQuarrie plays several brass instruments andhas performed in many community ensembles. He canbe contacted at bandstand@thewholenote.com.JACK MACQUARRIE32 thewholenote.com November 1 – December 7, 2012

October’s magazine contained our annual BLUE PAGESDIRECTORY of concert presenters. The following presenters’profiles “missed the mag” so instead we welcome them hereand online at thewholenote.com:●●LARKIN SINGERSThe Larkin Singers, a 16-voice chamber choir, hasquickly established itself as one of the finest examplesof Canada’s strong choral heritage, dedicatingitself primarily to renaissance and baroque repertoire.Founded in 2008 under the direction ofMatthew Larkin, the choir is formed of professionalchoral scholars from the Toronto area. The LarkinSingers has had successful tours to Bristol, UK (as residentchoir at Bristol Cathedral) and to New York City,and has also presented concerts in Ottawa, Londonand Kingston. In 2008, the Larkin Singers released itsfirst recording, A New Work is Come on Hand, featuringmusic of the Christmas season by Bach, VaughanWilliams, Howells, Ord and others.Now in its fifth season, the Larkin Singers presentsa three concert subscription series as well as outreachand collaborative performances throughout Ontario.Robin McLean, general managerinfo@larkinsingers.comwww.larkinsingers.com●●OAKVILLE CHILDREN’S CHOIRInternationally renowned OCC consists of six choirs,ranging from the Little Notes Preparatory Choir Programto the SATB choir for boys with changed voices,A Few Good Men. The OCC provides a comprehensivemusic education program for 150 auditionedchoristers ages 5 to 24. In addition to rehearsalsand performances,the OCCparticipates inweekend excursionsinvolvingfestivals, retreats,competitionsand workshops.The OCC is a highprofile communityambassador2012|13Blue PagesPresenter ProfilesUPDATED ONLINEand is proud to perform at many public functionsand private events in the Oakville area. Educationalprograms emphasize music theory, stage comportment,choral movement and dance and its YoungLeaders Program teaches mentorship skills. TheOCC’s 2012/13 season’s concerts are “Go Tell It onthe Mountain” (December 8), “Community Carols”(December 15) and “Singing Our Stories” (May 11).The OCC has released several CDs and has wonnumerous awards, most recently two gold medalsat the 2012 World Choir Games and the Cogeco StarsAmong Us Arts Organization of the Year in Oakville.At its artistic helm is music director Sarah Morrison,recipient of the Leslie Bell Award for Conducting.Katherine Hamilton905-337-7140info@oakvillechildrenschoir.orgwww.oakvillechildrenschoir.orgcontinues on page 59INDEX OF ADVERTISERSAcademy Concert Series 48Adam Sherkin 45Airline Icarus 44Aldeburgh Connection25, 49Alex Cuba / CaracolRecords 55Amadeus Choir 21Annex Singers of Toronto51Aradia Ensemble 4Art of Time Ensemble 47Arts & Letter Club 57Associates of the TSO 16ATMA 5Bach Children’s Chorus 21Canadian Children’s OperaCompany 49Canadian Opera Company12Canadian Sinfonietta 44Cantabile Chamber Singers38Cantemus Singers 41Cathedral Bluffs SymphonyOrchestra 38Christ Church Deer ParkJazz Vespers 30Civic Light Opera 27Classical 96.3fm 69Cliff Ojala 59Cosmo Music 31Eglinton St. George’sAnglican Church 21Elmer Iseler Singers 23, 47Esprit Orchestra 11, 42Etobicoke Centennial Choir50Gallery 345 35, 40Grace Church on-the-Hill41Hannaford Street SilverBand 32Heliconian Hall 57John Laing Singers 53Jubilate Singers 45Kindred Spirits Orchestra14Larkin Singers 23Liz Parker 59LIZPR 56Long & McQuade 20Mississauga Symphony 44MNJCC 57Music at Metropolitan34, 44Music Toronto 9, 50Musical Arts Academy 57Musicians in Ordinary 39Nagata Shachu 38Naria 45New Music Concerts 10, 39Nine Sparrows ArtsFoundation 37Norm Pulker 59Oakham House Choir 47Off Centre Salon 42Ontario Philharmonic 15Opera-IS 58Orchestra Toronto 16Oriana Women’s Choir 22Pasquale Bros 57Pattie Kelly 59Pax Christi Chorale 48Peter Mahon 22RCCO, Toronto Centre 43Remenyi House of Music17Rose Theatre 46Roy Thomson Hall 4, 41Royal Conservatory 13Scarborough Philharmonic47Sheila McCoy 59Show One 7Sinfonia Toronto 15, 40Soundstreams 39St. James Cathedral 72St. Michael’s Choir School23St. Olave’s Church 49St. Philip’s Anglican Church30St. Thomas’s Church 37Steinway Piano Gallery 33Steve Jackson Pianos 24Sue Crowe Connolly 59Syrinx 14Tafelmusik 2, 3, 37Tallis Choir 48The Sound Post 29TNMA Passport 7Toronto Chamber Choir 51Toronto Children’s Chorus22, 36Toronto Classical Singers50Toronto Concert Orchestra36Toronto Consort 19Toronto Downtown Jazz 43Toronto Masque Theatre 40Toronto Mendelssohn Choir40Toronto Sinfonietta 53Toronto SymphonyOrchestra 71TorQ Percussion Quartet 39Tyndale University College& Seminary 49University of Toronto 35Via Salzburg 15, 51Village Voices 48Visual and Performing ArtsNewmarket 39Viva! Youth Singers 43Voca Chorus of Toronto 51VOICEBOX: Opera inConcert 25Voices of Colour Music –Denise Williams 59Windermere Quartet 41Women’s Musical Club ofToronto 46Wychwood Clarinet Choir51You and Media 59November 1 – December 7, 2012 thewholenote.com 33

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