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Volume 10 Issue 3 - November 2004

  • Text
  • November
  • Toronto
  • Jazz
  • Theatre
  • December
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SOME THING New by Jason

SOME THING New by Jason Van Eyk 011e result of havi11g Harbourfront Centre's huge SUPERDANISH: Newfangled Danish Culture festival loom large over the Toronto arts and cultural landscape the last month or more is that it brings the topic of international exchange and cultural intersections to the forefront of current discussion. As we all know, Toronto, the largest city in this multicultural country of ours, acts as an international cultural magnet. And certainly Toronto's artistic and cultural community plays a significant role in creating the strength of this magnet. Nowhere is this truer than in Toronto's new music community, where international exchange with the United States and Western European countries has b"een the norm for several decades. And increasingly, these partnerships are ranging further afield into Eastern Europe, the circum-polar countries, and Asia. This level of cooperation and exchange is apparent in this month's upcoming concerts and festivals. Take for example ERGO Projects, a quiet participant in the new music scene the last couple of years. ERGO is breaking out with a significant and ambitious project, a follow up to their 2002 Canadian-Finnish exchange. This new project - Celebrating the Changing 'Of the Seasons: ERGO Lithuania - Canada Exchange - unfolds in four parts, following the 'transition' of seasonal changes as a uniting theme. Part one - Autumn Passing - takes place in Toronto, November 2 - 6, 2004, with concerts of Canadian and Lithuanian contemporary music, workshops with Lithuanian guest composers Sarunas Nakas and Vytautas Germanavicius at the Music Gallery, and lectures by visiting Lithuanian composers at the Canadian Music Centre. Complete details will be available at www. ergoprojects. corn. On November 14th, Soundstreams Canada continues its focus on making musical/cultural links between Canada and other circumpolar countries. Sound- streams Artistic Director Lawrence Cherney has formed and maintained artistic connections with the Nordic countries since the l 970's. The programming that he brings to Soundstreams has been influenced by these connections and, more so, by his insights into how much we share in common with our circum-polar neighbours. As Cherney sees it, these commonalities move beyond just climate and geography, into a sense of northern identity formed by borders that push out to the very margins of civilization, that embrace extremes, and use these to spur on a unique creativity and a rich spiritual life. The artistic results inspired by these conditions will be heard in Soundstream's University Voices concert at the Metropolitan United Church, which brings together the finest university choirs from across the country under the baton of Swedish conductor Robert. Sund, to perform world premieres by composers in residence Craig Galbraith (Canada) and Giles Swayne (U.K.), amongst a range of works by Scandinavian composers (Nystedt, Sandstrom, Sisak and Hambraeus). Details are available at www .soundstreams.ca. . _,...--'\ earshot#f BeHe·ve Evertthlnt You Reari i I lff:.-) continuum .:/· ,.'/ n's ( I \-- -v; Seaso \,- opening c oncer! Young composers gleaned from Continuum's most recent Call for Scores and mature practitioners, Canadian and international. A programme pitting frenetic against serene, and presenting iterations in different guises. Montreal-based compoS r1 Michael Hynes "' presents his stunning concert-./ength structured impro\lis performed by Hyn the Earshot Ensem°J) and friends. funding partners • Cound for tN ArU PERKINS HAILING LIST SERVICES :)til$l!.HH·· ' ', New works by Allison Cameron Siaw Kin Lee Diego Soifer Pairs of works by Gerald Barry (lr) Laurence Crane (UK) Continuum Ensemble Tuesday December 7, 8pm Music Gallery at St. George the Martyr Church 179 John Street (at Stephanie) Tickets 1 O; students Information (416) 924-4945 WWW. THEWHOLENOTE.COM NOVEMBER 1 - DECEMBER 7 2004

November News Roundup Coalition of New Music Presenters Janice Jackson Near the end of the month, soprano Janice Jackson and pianist Simon Docking take the concept of cultural connections to the level of cultural intersections. Nov 25 at the Music Gallery, the duo will launch a CD titled City Night, a collection of art songs inspired by haiku poetry, many of which were commissioned by Ms Jackson herself. The title of the CD, inspired by a new song cycle from Toronto-based Canadian composer Alice Ho, also includes a range of short works by Canadian composers from across the country, and those from the USA (John Cage), the Netherlands (Ton de Leeuw), the United Kingdom (Colin Matthews) and Australia (Julian Yu). Drawing on an international mix of work, filtered through this Japanese form of poetry, creates what is sure to be an interesting space to explore the results of cultural intersections inspired by today's increasingly global village. But if Toronto is truly the exemplary reflection of our country's cultural· diversity, and Toronto's new music community is at the front of inter-cultural participation and creation, why is the reflection of so many other cultures missing? Many of Toronto's new music presenters have dabbled in the contemporary music of places not European, such as Japan, Africa, and Mexico, but with no real consistency. Where can we find the music of Asia, Africa and Canada co-mingling among the music of European countries? Perhaps Ensemble Noir's 2004/2005 season, titled Sonic Revival, which promises fresh new sounds, might be the experiment that answers the question. We will have to wait and hear for ourselves. (Jason van Eyk is the CMC's Onby Keith Denning November is traditionally New Music Month in WholeNote, going back to good old New Music festival at Massey Hall days. This month the level of activity warrants the label; there are a great many events, many with a focus on improvisation in new music. Here's a brief roundup ... On.November 4th at 8:00, CON­ TACT Contemporary Ensemble presents Urban CONTACT, featuring an intriguing and eclectic mix of compositions ranging from Arvo Part through Aphex Twins, performed by the CON­ TACT Ensemble with special guest John Farah on keyboards and live electronics. The concert takes place at Church of the Holy Trinity, 10 Trinity Square. For more info call 416-922-1658. ERGO presents two concerts at the Music Gallery Nov 5th and 6th, part of a six-day festival, called "Autumn Passing", focussing on Canadian and Lithuanian composers. See Jason van Eyk's column, and "Announcements, Etc" on page 71. Earshot Concerts presents "Soprano/Soprano", at 8:00 on November 5th at the beautiful Edward Day Gallery, 952 Queen St. W. at Shaw. Soprano saxophonist Rob Mosher and soprano Kristin Mueller will perform works and improvisations by myself, Scott Good, Rob Mosher, Chad Martin, Benjamin Heaslip and R. Murray Schafer, with texts by Edgar Varese, Charles Bukowski, Kristin Mueller, and others. For more info, call 416- 538-2006. On Sunday, November 14 at 3:00, the Music Gallery presents David Mott (bari sax) and Joseph Petric (accordion) as a part of the Gallery's Fresh Ears series. These concerts are kid-friendly and family-oriented, a great way to introduce the unfamiliar ear to newer repertoire. Tickets for the Fresh Ears series are a very friendly per person. tario Regional Director. He can be Evergreen Club Contemporary reached at 416-961-6601 x. 207 or Gamelan presents "Before and jasonv@musiccentre. ea.) NOVEMBER 1 - DECEMBER 7 2004 After" a concert of new music for gamelan at 8:00 on November 16th at the Music Gallery. This concert features new compositions by Linda Catlin Smith and German composer Dieter Mack. These works are to be recorded to Evergreen's upcoming seventh CD, "A Light Snow." After this, there is a Naxos CD Release concert featuring new arrangements of Sundanese gamelan repertoire. CONTINUES

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