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Volume 12 - Issue 7 - April 2007

  • Text
  • Theatre
  • April
  • Toronto
  • Jazz
  • Arts
  • Musical
  • Yonge
  • Symphony
  • Choir
  • Orchestra

winning Vesnivka Choir

winning Vesnivka Choir investigatethe seasons as depicted in theUkrainian folk song tradition.I must include a short plug forthe Exultate Chamber Singers'part in Toronto Masque Theatre'sDido and Aeneas, beginning April25. There is much crafty and sophisticatedchoral writing in Purcell'sopera. The evening also includesthe world premiere of JamesRolfe's Aeneas and Dido, whichfeatures much choral singing. Anotheropera in which the chorusplays an integral role is Gluck'sOrpheus and Eurydice, whichOpera Atelier presents beginningApril 28. The Tafelmusik ChamberChoir are part of an illustriousartistic team led by conductor AndrewParrott.Kelly Galbraith's Dances ofTime: The Spirit of Africa assemblesanother brilliant program forher Cantores Celestes Women'sChoir, also on April 28. It weavestogether stories, dances and choralmusic of Africa and Canadian responsesto this rich tradition. Specialguests abound, and the choiralways donates a considerable portionof the box office to worthycauses. Go Kelly!The same day, two choirs celebratesignificant anniversaries. TheJohn Laing Singers in Hamiltoncelebrate "twenty-five years ofsong" with a program of Britishchoral music from the 20th and21st centuries. Alumni choir membersreturn to the fold for the galaevent.Stephanie Martin's Pax ChristiChorale celebrate their twentiethanniversary with a performance ofElgar's The Music Makers, andother pieces by Handel and Torontonianand friend of the choir,Andrew Ager. Martin and herpredecessors have maintained anBOSLEY22REAL ESTATEB~1S L EY ~E.:.. L ESTATE l T[!., J:E.H TORPETER MAHONSales Representative416-322-8000pmahon@trebnet.comwww.petermahon.comextraordinary spirit over the years,tackling hefty repertoire very successfully,and they continue to do so withstyle. Guest performer, mezzo sopranoCatherine Robbin, comes outof retirement for the occasion.The following afternoon, April29, the Toronto Classical Singersperform more Elgar - the "CoronationOde" - and Vaughan Williams'"Sea Symphony" . ConductorJurgen Petrenko and his choirhave never shied away from challengingmusic. I think we'd all lovehim to program something a littlemore "contemporary" from time totime, though!The first weekend of May continuesthe busy schedule of Toronto-areachoirs, stretching to Peterborough,where the PeterboroughSingers sing "sacred soul" withguest conductor Brainerd Blyden­Tay lor on May 5. The sameevening, All the King's Voicespresent a musical "collage", featuringa catholic sampling of earlyand current "classical" and popularchoral music. David King conducts.There are two other greatlookingconcerts that evening: theDa Capo Chamber Choir, conductedby composer Leonard Enns,dive into some Latin American repin a program called daybreak; andthe Mississauga Festival Choir exploreworks by Canadian womencomposers, including a performanceof Mary Lou Fallis and Peter Tiefenbach's Primadonna Choralis, a hilariousand loving send-up of theamateur choral tradition in Canada.Lastly, on the afternoon of May6, the Toronto Chamber Choirgives another in its Joan and GeoffreyRiggs Bach Cantata Series.This year we'll hear Cantata 78,"Jesu, der du meine Seele" withan informative talk by the brilliantand affable David Fallis, with musicaldemonstrations, followed bya complete performance of the cantata.A perfect way to spend aspring afternoon (yummy refreshmentswill be served as well!) .That's all for this month. Nextmonth is the annual choral issue ofWholeNote. All choirs are encouragedto check page 61 of this issuefor information and instructions onbeing included in the "Canary listings"of choirs.This is also the time of year thatnew choristers are auditioned for the2007-08 season. If you've neversung before, or if you're rusty, it'sa wonderful way to meet new peopleand have fun communally. If youhave any questions about which choiris for you, I'm reachable atlarrybeckwith@sympatico.ca.BAND Standby Jack MacQuarrieExplorationsTwo very disparate recent events in my life have once again setme off on one of my hobby horses: the recognition of bands in thispart of the world as serious musical organizations.The first event was the discovery of an article on bands in a fifteenyear old magazine. In it the author refers to The Golden Age of bandmusic that flourished during the last decades of the 19th century and thefirst decades of the 20th. In a later paragraph, this expert states the unequivocalfact that As we all know, the original town band fervour hassince gone the way of vaudeville and other populist art forms.The other event was my fortuitous meeting with Mr. Pat Herak,the U.S. correspondent for a brass website. A subsequent visit tohis 4barsrest.com website convinced me that the author of that fifteenyear old article should take another look. This website caters tothe very alive and healthy worldwide brass band movement.For any form of organization to continue to exist in a society, itmust fulfil some useful function. Bands, as we know them today,have mainly evolved from early military bands whose purpose wasclear. It was to ease the tedium of long route marches when armiesstill moved on foot. Most of the early bands in this country weremilitia bands, which also provided town entertainment in addition totheir military duties.Modern bands perform at least three distinct functions in oursociety. The primary function for most of our bands is to provide aregular recreational outlet for those who love to make music. Analmost as important function is to provide entertainment for audienceswho enjoy the sounds of an all-brass and/or full concert band. Toa lesser extent, a significant percentage of our bands still dress up incolourful uniforms and take their entertainment to the streets in paradesand other outdoor events. However, in our northern climate,these tend to be seasonal activities.Increasingly, the modern band also provides a vehicle to exploreand exploit the tonal possibilities of a medium heretofore largelyignored by serious composers. Not only does this open up newvistas for composers, but promises to attract wider audiences for thebands which program these works. Three recent cases of such performanceslocally come to mind. Last fall the Markham ConcertBand featured George Gao, the Chinese erhu virtuoso, in works forthat ancient instrument and concert band. Earlier this year WellingtonWinds performed Casanova, Johan de Meij's concerto for cello andwind ensemble, and the Hannaford Band have just announced thepremier performance of a new work for solo violin, brass and percussionby Bramwell Tovey.ReunionsThe Northdale Concert Band celebrates its 40th anniversary Reunionon Saturday, May 26, beginning at 2pm at St. Jude's AnglicanChurch, Scarborough, and followed by a Buffet Dinner. Formermembers are invited. For details visit their websitewww.northdalemusic.com!ncb.Also, the University of Toronto Blue and White Alumni Band is(_J~111111111111111HARKNETTMusical Services Ltd.MUSIC BOOKSBEST SELECTION OF POPULAR& EDUCATIONAL MUSICPiano - Guitar - InstrumentalMid-Town StoreBrass - Woodwind -String Instruments - GuitarBuy direct from the Distributor 416-423-9494AUTHORIZED DEALER FOR:943 Eglinton Ave. E. (W: of Leslie)Armstrong, Artley, Besson. Benge (Next door to Robert Lowrey's Piano Experts)Boosey & Hawkes. Buffet. ConnGetzen, Jupiter, Keilworth. KingMain StoreIbanez Guitars. Scher! & Ruth String Inst.www.harknettrnusic.com905-477-11412650 john Street Qust North of Steeles)WWW.THEWHOLENOTE.COM APRIL 1 - M AY 7 2007

hoping to locateformer U of T bandmembers for Alumnievents in June. Organizedin 1975 as a onetime-onlyget togetherof former band members,the Alumni Bandevolved into a groupmeeting periodically toplay for Alumni functionsat the university .Membership is notThis photo, off a CD made by the U ofT Blue andrestricted to those who White Alumni Band in 1993, was taken in the Hartplayed in the old Blue House quadrangle during the Alumni Spring Reunionand White Band. Any- in 1981 . Standing next to the bass drum, the late Dr.one who attended The William Leggett who co-founded the very first_ bandat the Umverstty of Toronto tn 1913, and continued toplay with the Alumni band until a year before hisdeath in 1991. No prize for guessing the trombonistnext to Dr. Leggett.University of Torontoand plays a band instrumentis welcome.Please contact me,Jack, at 416-964-3642 or by e-mail atjmac@infinity.net.Coming Events - Please see the listings section for full details.Sunday, April 15, 7 :30pm, Jane Mallett Theatre, St. LawrenceCentre: The Hannaford Street Silver Band welcomes James Sommervilleto the podium. Sommerville is the newly appointed ArtisticDirector of the Hamilton Philharmonic. The concert also featuresacclaimed piano soloist Andrew Burashko.Sunday, April 22, 2pm, Scarborough Civic Centre: The NorthdaleConcert Band present Solos and Swing, one of that venue's nocharge concerts.Saturday, April 28, 8pm, Humber College auditorium, LakeshoreCampus: The Weston Silver Band with soloist Richard Marshall.Marshall, Principal Cornet in the famous Black Dyke Mills Band asof 2006, has been hailed as one of the finest cornet players of hisgeneration. The concert is repeated Sunday, April 29, 3pm, atKnox Presbyterian Church, Stratford, as a benefit for the StratfordCivic Orchestra. Richard Marshall will also conduct a master classSaturday, April 28 at 3pm, in the Humber College auditorium,Lakeshore Campus.Down the Road - Check in next month's issue for these events:Sunday May 6: The Hannaford Street Silver Band premiers NineDaies Wonder, Bramwell Tovey's new work for solo violin, brassand percussion. The solo violin part will be performed by MarkFewer, for whom it was written.Sunday, May 13, 3pm, St. Jude' s Anglican Church, Scarborough.The Northdale Concert Band presents their 40th Anniversary concert.Saturday, May 26, 2pm, Walter Hall, Faculty of Music, Universityof Toronto. The Hannaford Youth, Community and Junior Bandspresent a combined concert with guest Guido Basso.Saturday, June 9, Crescent School auditorium. The Encore SymphonicConcert Band present a Tribute to Johnny Cowell concert,featuring Johnny as composer, conductor and trumpet virtuoso, withseveral of Johnny's friends putting in guest appearances.l ~~.~. ~.~r~.~~?.I.~. ~~~.~~~~ .~.~~~.4Qth ANNIVERSARY~/%) ....................................... .~~

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