Volume 22 Issue 8 - May 2017

FOR OPENERS | DAVID

FOR OPENERS | DAVID PERLMAN Of Bird Songs and Bucket Lists A short while ago, relatively speaking, I dreamed I was a scientist having a sleepless night: tossing and turning while endlessly trying to calculate exactly how fast I would have to drive towards a red traffic light in order for the Doppler effect to make it appear green. For solace in his sleepless state, the scientist I was dreaming I was got out of bed and went to his telescope to observe the night sky with all its twinklingly verifiable pinpricks of fact. Instead he observed, in an indescribable rush of mingled horror and delight that the Sombrero Galaxy (M104) was no longer receding from our solar system at its usual rate of approximately 1020 km/sec but instead appeared to be standing still. After what seemed like an eternity (and probably was), it became clear to the scientist I was dreaming I was, that in defiance of all the known laws of physics and mechanics, Galaxy M104 (aka Sombrero) was making like a “bad hombre” and blue-shifting back towards us at a considerable rate of knots. After another eternity, and at precisely the right moment, not too far but not too close, Sombrero stopped blue-streaking and tipped its hat towards us in the sky, revealing the black hole, right at the crown of its hat, that was its source of motive power. And from that source of power Sombrero spoke: “Good evening,” Sombrero said. The scientist I was dreaming I was politely said “Good evening” in reply. But frankly, I wasn’t so sure about that. “I have come to tell you,” Sombrero said, “that it’s come to the point where, to use the current lingo, your galaxy either needs to ship up or to shape out.” I ask what’s that supposed to mean. “Well either there is something in your galaxy that is uniquely of value to the universe, or there isn’t. And the good news is that, based on our investigations so far, you do have that something. But the bad news is that it is starting to look as though we might just be able to extract that something without having to haul all your viral baggage along with it. In which case, as the saying goes, it’s lights out for you.” “What is that something?” our scientist asked, on behalf of all known living things, and held his breath. “It’s called Bach,” Sombrero said. And right at that moment (or as it is sometimes translated, just in time) all the birds started to sing and we awoke. And it was evening and it was morning, the sixth day. The WholeNote VOLUME 22 NO 8 | MAY 1, 2017 - JUNE 7, 2017 Centre for Social Innovation 720 Bathurst St., Suite 503, Toronto ON M5S 2R4 PHONE 416-323-2232 | FAX 416-603-4791 Publisher/Editor In Chief | David Perlman publisher@thewholenote.com Chairman of the Board | Allan Pulker directors@thewholenote.com EDITORIAL Managing Editor | Paul Ennis editorial@thewholenote.com Recordings Editor | David Olds discoveries@thewholenote.com Digital Media Editor | Sara Constant editorial@thewholenote.com Listings Editor | John Sharpe listings@thewholenote.com Club Listings Editor | Bob Ben jazz@thewholenote.com SALES, MARKETING & MEMBERSHIP Concerts & Events/Membership | Karen Ages members@thewholenote.com Record Industry Sales/Marketing | Thom McKercher thom@thewholenote.com Advertising/Production Support/Operations Jack Buell | adart@thewholenote.com Classified Ads | classad@thewholenote.com Website/Systems | Bryson Winchester systems@thewholenote.com Website/Systems Support | Kevin King kevin@thewholenote.com Circulation/Subscriptions | Chris Malcolm circulation@thewholenote.com SUBSCRIPTIONS per year + HST (9 issues) THANKS TO THIS MONTH’S CONTRIBUTORS Beat Columnists Paul Ennis, Wendalyn Bartley, Christopher Hoile, David Podgorski, Lydia Perović, Andrew Timar, Jack MacQuarrie, Ori Dagan, mJ buell, Bob Ben, Brian Chang, Jennifer Parr Features David Perlman, Andrew Timar, Brian Chang Allan Pulker, mJ buell, Paul Ennis, David Jaeger, Sara Constant CD Reviewers David Olds, Terry Robbins, Alex Baran, Hans de Groot, Tiina Kiik, Robert Tomas, Dianne Wells, Janos Gardonyi, Michael Schulman, Raul da Gama, Roger Knox, Bruce Surtees, Max Christie, Richard Haskell, Pamela Margles, Andrew Timar, Lesley Mitchell-Clarke, Ted Quinlan, Stuart Broomer, Ken Waxman Proofreading Vanessa Wells, Jennifer Liu, John Sharpe, Paul Ennis, Sara Constant Listings John Sharpe, Bob Ben, Tilly Kooyman, Ruth Atwood, Simone Desilets, Jennifer Liu, Katie White Circulation Team Beth Bartley / Mark Clifford, Bob Jerome, Dagmar Sullivan, Dave Taylor, Garry Page, Gero Hajek, Jack Buell, James Harris, Jeff Hogben, Lorna Nevison, Manuel Couto, Micah Herzog, Patrick Slimmon, Paul Ennis, Robert Faulkner, Sharon Clark, Tiffany Johnson, Tom Sepp, Wende Bartley, Lori Sandra Aginian, Christine Vespa an Ontario government agency un organisme du gouvernement de l’Ontario Upcoming Dates & Deadlines Free Event Listings Deadline 6pm Monday May 8 Display Ad Reservations Deadline 6pm Monday May 15 Classifieds Deadline 10pm Wednesday May 17 Advertising Materials Due 10pm Friday May 26 Publication Date Tuesday May 30 (online) Thursday June 1 (Print) Volume 22 No 9 “SUMMER” covers June 1, 2017 - August 31, 2017 WholeNote Media Inc. accepts no responsibility or liability for claims made for any product or service reported on or advertised in this issue. 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The Thing about Bucket Lists The thing I am realizing about bucket lists is that if you forget to take the list out of the bucket before the winter sets in, it gets frozen in the bucket, and you have to wait for the spring to start crossing things off it (assuming it hasn’t become so soggy that it’s completely unreadable). My musical bucket list has on it taking in another complete Beethoven string quartet cycle, as I explain in the story Total Immersion a little further into this issue. It also has on it a visit to the Aga Khan Museum in North York, maybe timed to coincide with World Fiddle Day. See On Our Cover for what that’s about. The list also has on it in big letters the word SING! (although I can’t remember if that’s about taking in the Sing! A Vocal Arts Festival or about actually using this year’s Canary Pages to find a choir that will have me.) It also has on it arranging a one-off performance night for myself, titled David Perlman and Friends at which I sell my as-yet-unrecorded CD to both of my friends. (But that one may take a while.) And Some Housekeeping Performers and presenters take note: after this May issue, we suspend our monthly cycle for the summer. The next issue covers June, July and August. For presenters with summer listings, that means getting your summer listings in to us as fast as possible, if you want to see them in print. (And making sure you send them anyway if you miss the print deadline because we are committed to updating them online right through the summer.) For performers and presenters not active during the summer make sure you get your 2017/18 listings in before you go incommunicado while you are crossing a year’s worth of things off your bucket list! We’re planning exciting things in terms of expanded listings coverage online for the coming season. And we’ll be working with the listings we have before we go chasing the ones we don’t. publisher@thewholenote.com IN THIS ISSUE! THE CANARY PAGES The WholeNote’s annual guide to the choral riches of Southern Ontario. A great resource for anyone seeking a choir to join or choral concerts to enjoy. Printed in May, enhanced and searchable online all year-round. IN OUR SUMMER ISSUE! THE GREEN PAGES GUIDE TO SUMMER MUSIC There’s so much to enjoy - you’ll want two copies – one at home and one in your summer travel bag. Printed in our big SUMMER magazine (June, July & August), with lots of enhanced coverage online. Deadline May 12 IN OCTOBER THE BLUE PAGES A rich resource for musicians and all lovers of live music, with detailed profiles of Southern Ontario’s live music makers and their current seasons. Printed in October’s magazine available year-round on our website. 18 TH Annual BLUE PAGES Musical guides online, all the time thewholenote.com/resources INDEX OF ADVERTISERS Academy Concert Series.................................................42 Adam Sherkin....................................................................39 Arts Media Projects.......................................................... 61 Associates of the TSO................................................. 51, 52 ATMA.....................................................................5, 67, 69, 71 Bach Children’s Chorus....................................................43 Cantemus Singers............................................................. 47 Cardinal Carter Academy for the Arts...........................41 Cathedral Bluffs Symphony Orchestra.........................49 Christ Curch Deer Park Jazz Vespers........................... 57 CONTACT Contemporary Music .............................. 29, 51 Continuum Contemporary Music...................................51 Counterpoint Community Orchestra............................53 Elmer Iseler Singers.................................................. 35, 40 Elora Festival......................................................................83 Ensemble Vivant.................................................................21 Exultate Chamber Singers..............................................46 Festival of the Sound.......................................................... 11 Greater Toronto Philharmonic Orchestra...................45 High Notes ........................................................................ 40 Horizon Tax......................................................................... 61 I Furiosi.................................................................................51 Jubilate Singers..................................................................51 Kindred Spirits Orchestra...............................................45 Lawrence Park Community Church..............................42 Li Delun Music Foundation.............................................. 16 Lulaworld Festival.........................................................4, 33 Midland Cultural Centre................................................... 11 Mississauga Symphony....................................................48 Montreal Chamberfest...................................................... 4 Music and Beyond............................................................. 10 Music at Metropolitan............................................... 39, 49 Music at St. Andrew’s................................................ 38, 43 Music Mondays...................................................................41 Music Toronto...................................................................... 9 New Focus Recordings.....................................................71 Off Centre Music Salon....................................................52 Ontario Pops Orchestra...................................................45 Open Ears...........................................................................55 Opera by Request ..............................................................31 Opus 8..................................................................................44 Orchestra Toronto............................................................ 18 Oriana Women’s Choir.....................................................48 ORMTA - Central Toronto Branch.................................. 61 Orpheus Choir of Toronto........................................... 17, 44 Peterborough Singers.....................................................53 RCCO....................................................................................42 Royal Conservatory..........................................3, 42, 46, 85 Scarborough Philharmonic............................................52 Show One Productions.................................................... 19 SING! The Toronto Vocal Arts Festival......................................................15, 46, 47, 48 St. James’ Cathedral......................................................... 47 St. Joe’s Artsfest................................................................55 Stand Up Guy...................................................................... 61 Steinway Piano Gallery.................................................... 27 Summer Opera Lyric Theatre..........................................31 Syrinx Concerts Toronto.................................................49 Tafelmusik.......................................................................2, 39 Talisker Players............................................................44, 57 Tallis Choir..........................................................................43 Tapestry Opera..................................................................23 Toronto Bach Festival.......................................... 26, 47, 50 Toronto Chamber Choir.................................................. 50 Toronto Children’s Chorus...............................................39 Toronto Choral Society....................................................44 Toronto Consort..........................................................25, 42 Toronto Mendelssohn Choir....................................35, 60 Toronto Operetta Theatre...............................................53 Toronto Summer Music Academy & Festival..................................................... 37, 83 Toronto Symphony................................................39, 51, 86 Universal Music......................................................67, 69, 71 Victoria Scholars Men’s Choral Ensemble ................. 50 Viva! Youth Singers of Toronto........................................14 VOCA Chorus of Toronto..................................................48 Weston Silver Band.............................................. 53 Windermere String Quartet.............................. 50 Women’s Musical Club...................................13, 38 Wychwood Clarinet Choir.................................. 49 Yorkminstrels Show Choir ................................60 Young Voices Toronto..........................................60 thewholenote.com May 1, 2017 - June 7, 2017 | 7