Views
8 years ago

Volume 9 Issue 8 - May 2004

  • Text
  • Choir
  • Toronto
  • Choral
  • Singers
  • Theatre
  • Jazz
  • Concerts
  • Musical
  • Chorus
  • Choirs

TORONTOHEARANDNOW .COM

TORONTOHEARANDNOW .COM gramme, designed to showcase the choir's versatility and exuberance, ranges from Schubert and Brahms to Stravinsky and works by Canadian coll).posers Stephen Chatman COMPOSER COMPANIONS and Imant Raminsh. Stephen Chatman 's Proud Music of the Storm by Jason van Eyk (text by Walt Whitman), from which • ocal music dominates the theorianasingers@hotmail.com, or th.is concert.takes its title, was origlocal concert music scene in call 416-923-3123. inally commissioned to celebrate V the month of May, deliver- . the 75tl' anniversary of Vancouing a rich array of contemporary At the close of the followmg ver's Orpheum Theatre. Of the works by many of our accom- week, the ~oronto M~sque The- ·~ premiere, Vancouver newspaper plished Canadian composers in in- b"ll atre th makes . its th debut Id with .th a th double t h e Georgia · S tra1g · h t wrote: " ... terestingcontexts.Spanningfrorri 1 atpairs ~o wi enew. festive and huge ... Chatman's choral premieres to theatrical revive · 1~ commemoration of the 300th an- full-throated declarations and large als, this month's range of concerts mversary of tl_ie death of c~mpos- orchestral part let the audience enoffers musical youthful celebration, er Marc-Antome Charpentier, ~e joy the hall's acoustics at higher drama, myth and magic, performed company has complemented his volume." What better Toronto setby well-noted local and imported ~~~g-~~glecte:,/a J?~scente ting is there than the acoustically soloists and ensembles. As always, rp ee aux nJe:s Wit a new gorgeous George Weston Recital . we encourage you to open up new masque by Cana~ian ~omposer Hall to explore this weighty work. perspectives on new music and at- Jame~ Rolfe and librettist An_dre For more information please ·visit tep.d any or all of these concerts .Alexis, Orpheus and Eurydice, www.amadeuschoir.org. Fortickwith a Composer Companion as that ~es up the story where Char- ets, call 416-870-8000. your owp. ·personal audio tour pentier leaves off. Both produc- tions feature Canadian soprano guide. Monica Whicher, tenorColinAins­ The first Saturday of the month, worth, bass-baritone Paul Grindthe Oriana Singers present a very lay, !es Voix H umaines and an special cqnclusion to their 32n11 sea- ensemble of early instruments led son. This all-female choir, noted from ihe violin by Larry Beckwith. for their ability to introduce audi- When I spoke to James Rolfe ences . to new works by Canadian about the music for this world precomposers, will perform a pro- miere, he mentioned "(This gramme of world premieres, enti- masque] represents a rare chance tied Children's Voices, on May 8 to hear contemporary·music perat Grace Church-On-the-Hill. Com- formed by these wonderful singmissioned composers Stephen ers and players of early music, with Chatman, Eleanor Daley, Ruth their own distinct sound and aes- Watson Henderson, Donald Patri- thetic. It's also a rare chance to quin, Imant Raminsh and Mark hear old and new music side by Sirett offer musical settings of se- side, in dialogue. In some ways lected poems from the anthology Orpheus and Eurydice is a reflec- 2003 Urban Voices!L 'echo de la tion on the nature of opera itself, ville, a publication which showcas- telling one of the most primal opes over 170 poems written by stu- era stories, with the music arising dents from the Toronto District from the text. It is about conjuring School Board. music from words, which was the When speaking to Ruth Watson aim of earlier Orpheus operas by Henderson about her contribution Monteverdi and Gluck. Both text to the programme, she said "I al- and music refer to the pastoral lyrways find it interesting to look icism of these earlier versionsthro~gh children's poetry. They there is poetry, there are melodies! have wonderful imagination~ and But there is also a contemporary unique ways of looking at things. edge." The Toronto Masque The­ Ending the month with a grand dramatic flourish is Soundstream Canada's Somers/est, co-presented with Dance Theatre David Earle and the Pierrot Ensemble. This festival offers new productions to revitalize several musical theatre works by Harry Somers which have remained unseen and unheard since their premieres more than 25 years ago. The first installment NEw Music Qu1cKP1cKs takes place May 26 - 29 at the Jane Mallett Theatre, St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts, with Somers's The Death of Enkidu and The Merman of Orford. Both offer mythical tales of magical creatures. The Death of Enkidu is taken from the epic poem of Gilgamesh, a tale of monsters from the dawn of civilization. The Merman of Orford sets a dark medieval tale of a strange man caught in the nets of local fishermen. For more information visit www.soundstreams.ca. For tickets visit www.stlc.ca or call 416- 366-7723. Composer Companions will have composer guides available to the public for these concerts, and many more, helping you open up new perspectives on new music. To book your composer guide for any concert of new music in the Toronto area, contact the Ontario Region of the CMC by e-mail at c.cxqxisercorrµons@mlsiccentre.ca, or by phone at 416-961-6601 x207 . . (Jason van Eyk is fhe CMC's Ontario Regional DireclOr. He can be reached at 416-961-6601 x. 207 or jasonv@musiccentre.ca.) compiled by David Olds NN = some serious contemporary repertoire NNN = thoroughly contemporary Nr = new/improvised music VISIT WWW. TORONTOHEARANDNOW.COM for a more extensive version of these quickpicks, including detailed listings and other categories (N =Some contemporary repertoire and N? =insufficient infonnation, probably some new music) Saturday May D 1 Refugee Benefit COflcert: Ariadne's Dance. NN - 8:00: Village Voices/Ona Voice. NN - 8:00: Burlington Civic Chorale.A Voices on Tour. CanadianFolkloreFestival NNN - 9:00: Artifact Music.Mayday. NN - 8:00: Kristin Mueller, soprano and Sunday May DZ Mia Bach, piano in Recital. NN - 2:00: Chamber Music Society of NN-8:00: Oriana Singars.Chi7dren's Voices. Mississauga. NNN/NI- 8:00: Radio Music Gallery/CIUT. Harp Extravaganza. Doubles: A Radio Music 6allety Fundraiser NniN - 2:00: Esprit Orchestra. Radio W~ves. NN - 3:00: Chrylark Arts and Music Sunday May 09 Series. Marie Berard Ouartet. NI- 8:00: Geordie McDonald.Blue Mythos. NNN - 2:00: New M.usic Concerts/ Milkwaad. Music Speaks. I was drawn to the colourful Ian- atre debuts at the Jane Mallett The- Tuesday May D4 . NNN- 7:30: ~rshatCancerts.Ea,Y,otCabamt guage in the poems I selected. It atre, St. Lawrence Centre for the NNN - 9:30: New Adventures in Sound was most enjoyable to try to match Arts, May 13 and 14. For more Art Deep Wireless:RAOiOiNAMBiENCE 1. the children's ideas with musical information and tickets please visit Wednesday May D5 colours." A fascinating in-depth www.stlc.com or call 416-366- audio i.riterview by Peter Restivo 7723. in which Ruth Watson Henderson discusses her musical approach to The following Saturday, the Amadeus Choir offers its ga:la final con­ these texts can be found online at cert of the season: On May ·15, www.prrrediaconnection.webcentre.ca/ ruthwatsonhenderson.mp3. conductor Lydia Adams leads the For more information about the choir, soloists Sue Doran and Wendy Hatala Foley, and orchestra in a concert entitled Proud Music Children's Voices concert, please visit www.orianasingers.on.ca. For tickets, please send e-mail to of the Storm. The varied pro- 18 WWW.THEWHOLENOTE.COM NN-2:30:A'chamy.AnHOtJrofChilmberMusic. Thursday May D& NN - 2:00: Tor onto Senior Strings. Gala Both Birthday Concert in Honour of Maestro Victor Feldbri/I and Founder Ruth Budd. Friday May 07 NN - 8:00: Amici. Latin Fantasy. NN-8:00: Ouodlibat.lnPraiseofMusic. Saturday May DB NN - 8:00: Beaches Presbyterian Church. Tuesday May 11 NNN - 9:30: New Adventures in Sound Art. Oeep Wireless: RADiO iN ~MBiENCE 2. Thursday May 13 NN·- 8:00: Taranto Masque Theatre. Masques of Orpheus - Charpentier; Rolfe/Alexis Friday May 14 NN ·- 8:00: Toronto Masque Theatre. Masques of Orpheus NN - 8:00: Upper Canada Choristers. Saturday May 15 NN - 8:00: Miguel Angel Villanueva Rangel, & Vanessa May·lak Lea. CONTINUED ON PAGE 71 MAY 1 - JUNE 7 2004

CoALillON OF NEW MuSlc PRESENTERS A nother NEWS ROUNDUP season is drawing to a close for the various members of the Coalition. After the long dark winter we enter the season of Fundraisers, Fun, Finales and a hopeful look to the Future. Esprit Orchestra's fundraiser is on May 6th at the Steamwhistle Brewery. The evening's festivities include appearances by four top Toronto bands - The Liquidairies, the Bebop Cowboys, Creaking Tree String Quartet and the Jeremiahs - as well as a balloon bust and a silent auction, with such items as autographed original score pages by R. Murray Schafer, and lunch with Jan Wong. Attendance is , and a good time will be had by all! Esprit's final concert of the season is a matinee of Dutch and Canadian music on Sunday May 2 at 2:00 at the Glenn Gould, featuring pianist Tomoko Mukaiyama. To promote this concert, Ms. Mukaiyama will be performing (or wit! have been by the time this issue hits the streets) a series of private piano recitals in the CN Tower elevator as it ascends the tower. Each ~hort recital will have entertained a lucky audience of one! between 5:30 and 7:30 on April 27th and 28th. Earshot Concerts also has a fundraiser and a finale in the month of May. On Sunday May 9th at 1:30, Earshot Cabaret is at the New Works Studio (319 Spadina). This is an evening of musical fun and prizes featuring bass trombonist Scott Good, saxophonist Wallace Halladay, John Kameel Farah, Kristin Mueller, the Earshot Ensemble and many more on a new music open stage, with a fundraiser raffle anctmore. · Earshot's season finale, Ars Supernova is on May 29th at 8:00 at the Music Gallery, and features four of the best percussionists in the city - Rick Sacks, Trevor Tureski, Ryan Scott and Blair Mackay - in a concert of new music for percussion, with works by Mike Dobinson, Ben Heaslip, Gareth Farr and the rarelyperformed and monumental Construction #3 by John Cage. Also at the Music Gallery, on May 27th, is a benefit/launch party by the Ma,dawaska Quartet, M AY 1 - JU NE 7 2004 who are in residency at the Music Gallery for the 2004-05 season. New Music Concerts' season finale is Echo (Ecco (Eco)) takes place at the Glenn Gould Studio on May 16th at 8:00. The concert features four recent works by Canadian composers Brian Current, Ronald Bruce Smith, Jim O'Leary and Howard Bas.haw. ArrayMusic wraps up its annual month-long Young Composers' Workshop with Future Lnb, a concert on May 30th at 8:00 at the Music Gallery fe~turing the best of the workshop. This annual concert has become an integral part of ArrayMusic's mainstage activities and is an excellent way to introduce yourself to rising talents from Canada and abroad. Workshop alumni include James Rolfe, Rose Bolton, Allison Cameron, Marci Rabe and Eldritch Priest. This year's Future Lab concert · features premieres by Kristi Farkas, Graham Flett, Rachel . Wadham and Yvonne Wu. Also noteworthy is Soundstreams Somers/est, an ambitious presentation at the Jane Mallet Theatre from May 26th to June 4th was originally to have featured three operas by Harry Somers: The Death of Enkidu, The Merman of Orford and The Fool , as well. as The Emperor of Atlantis by Viktor Ullman. The Fool and The Emperor have however been cancelled. DRIVERS WANTED hr+ ###COLUMNCONTENT###.34/km to deliver WholeNote magazines in the GTA, one to two weekdays at the end of the month, between 10 am-3 pm. Candidates must supply their own vehicle. Please call Sheila McCoy at 416-928-6991 or e-mail smccoy@interlog.com

Volumes 21-25 (2015-2020)

Volumes 16-20 (2010-2015)

Volumes 11-15 (2004-2010)

Volumes 6 - 10 (2000 - 2006)

Volumes 1-5 (1994-2000)