MUSIC AT SHARONCONCERT
MUSIC AT SHARONCONCERT SERIESEVERY SUNDAY FROM JUNE 7 TO JULY 5, 2009JUNE 7NIKOLAI DEMIDENKOJUNE 14ANTON KUERTIJUNE 21ELMER ISELER SINGERSJUNE 28KRISZTINA SZABÓJULY 5THE NATHANIEL DETTCHORALEFor tickets, call (416) 597-7840Monday to Friday 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.or online at sharontemple.ca, except on July 55-concert subscription: 53-concert package: 6All events start at 3:00 p.m.The Pond Life series, from which the album takes its name, wascomposed for dancer and choreographer Terrill Maguire, reflectingSoutham’s longstanding involvement with modern dance in Canada.The rest of the collection is comprised of the ten-part Soundstillseries, which was originally composed in 1979, but revised in 2007and 2008 and dedicated to Quilico. As with the Rivers series, manyof the collections are not performed in direct sequence. Rather, theyare intermixed to bring out the best qualities of each individual piece.The performance sequence for the Pond Life recording was selectedby Southam and Quilico together, and no doubt a new sequence willbe created for the live concert, which is dedicated to the memory ofAiko Suzuki and in recognition of the work of the David SuzukiFoundation. Tickets may be purchased through the GGS box officeat http://glenngouldstudio.cbc.ca/concerts/buytickets.html or byphone at (416) 872-4255.It’s been a very busy time for Southam, with the preparations tolaunch Pond Life, workshops with dance students at York University,and the recent Composer’s Chair podcast by the Canadian MusicCentre (see http://www.musiccentre.ca/pod.cfm.) If this wasn’tenough, another one of her favourite collaborators, pianist EveEgoyan, will close out the month with another CD release concert,this time with the world premiere of Simple Lines of Enquiry, anhour-long work for solo piano. The concert will take place at theEnwave Theatre at Harbourfront Centre on May 30. For more infobe sure to check in later at www.harbourfrontcentre.com.This line-up is but the tip of the iceberg for a very busy month ofnew music. Be sure to delve into the listings to find informationabout Arraymusic’s annual Young Composers’ Workshop concert(May 23), Tapestry’s premiere of Omar Daniel and Alex Poch-Goldin’s full-length opera The Shadow (May 21-30) and EvergreenClub’s 25th anniversary concert at the Music Gallery (May 11). Seeyou all in the concert hall!2009/2010SEASONJOHN BARNUM, MUSIC DIRECTOR/CONDUCTORClassics Renowned & Singular!The MSO in the Mendelssohn Scottish Symphony,Brahms Symphony #2, Khachaturian Piano ConcertoBeethoven Emperor Piano Concerto, Kodály Dances of GalantaProkofiev Violin Concerto #2, Shostakovich Symphony #1Lau Voyage to the East, Tan Dun Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragonand in a glorious season finale concertThe Band of The Royal Regiment of Canadajoin the Mississauga Symphony...with over 140 musicians on stage in Hammerson Hall,Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture will blow you away.Masterworks & Rarities!Featuring accordion, corno, bassoon, and cimbalomin works from Dvoak to PiazzolaSinfonia Mississauga chamber concertsat First United Church in Port CreditOrchestras Mississauga 2009/2010The World in Music!Full season 9 concert subscriptionsstart at just 2, a 30% discount!Special rates for seniors and students.For more information, or to subscribeCall 905.615.4405www5.mississauga.ca/symphonyCANADA’S STRING SHOPViolins, violas, cellos, and bowsComplete line of strings and accessoriesExpert repairs and rehairsCanada’s largest stock of string musicFast mail order servicewww.thesoundpost.cominfo@thesoundpost.com93 Grenville St., Toronto M5S 1B4tel 416.971.6990 fax 416.597.992316 WWW.THEWHOLENOTE.COMMAY 1 – JUNE 7 2009
BEAT BY BEAT: JAZZ NOTESby Jim GallowayWords and MusicThe human voice is the oldest form ofmusical expression, and in its earliest usewas untexted: think of throat-singing andCeltic mouth music, for example.Whenone considers some of the current popmusictrends, thinking of the voice as amusical instrument might be a challenge,but even the spoken word can be likemusic to one’s ears. Actor James EarlJones, for example, has a beautifulvoice, although he had to overcome asevere stuttering problem and into histeens he had to communicate withteachers and classmates by handwrittennotes! From an earlier generation RonaldColman had a wonderful, resonant voicethat made music just by speaking.This being the choral issue of The WholeNote, I thought I wouldgive voice to my thoughts on vocal jazz groups. The beginnings ofthe music go back to ceremonial chants, work songs, field hollersand chain gangs, giving us the origins of the blues, which, in turnbecame an integral part of jazz. In other words, the roots of jazzwere very much vocal, although early jazz bands used singers onlyintermittently.Of the early vocal groups two that stand out for me were theBoswell Sisters and the Mills Brothers. Connie, Martha, and HelvetiaBoswell were from New Orleans. As teenagers they made theirfirst recording in 1925, but their careers really took off after theymoved to New York. They really were superior singers and theirharmonies were very advanced for the time. Groups such as the AndrewSisters and the Clark Sisters were certainly influenced bythem, and readers who aren’t familiar with the Boswell Sistersshould definitely check them out.The other vocal group that emerged in the 30s was the MillsBrothers, out of Ohio. John, Herbert, Harry and Donald also begantheir career in the 20s singing in Vaudeville shows using onlyrhythm guitar. But they had an uncanny ability to imitate bass, trumpetand trombone. After the inevitable move to New York they hitthe big time. John’s sudden death in 1936 was a huge blow to thegroup, but father, John Sr., took over as bass singer, and BernardAddison became the group’s guitarist. After their hit in 1942 with“Paper Doll” they became much more mainstream at the expense ofCONTINUES NEXT PAGE MAY 1 – JUNE 7 2009 WWW.THEWHOLENOTE.COM17
