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Volume 16 Issue 10 - July/August 2011

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  • Jazz
  • August
  • Toronto
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government supported

government supported arts funding. Together, they undertook themajor infrastructure upgrade of initiating the use of the database,Artifacts Event, which was created for the much larger EdinburghFestival. “Starting from the basic premise that an artist is playinga piece at a time and a place,” Glenn Hodgins told me, “it bringstogether everything related to that event —other artists, sponsors,visitors, piano tuning, page turners, repertoire, guests, accommodation,transportation to and from the festival, local transportation,itineraries, letters of agreement, contracts, and payment, includingT-4 slips. It has allowed us to use our limited human resources betterand has led to a much calmer work environment!”Two major infusions of capital, the estate of the late music critic,Jacob Siskind, which was left to the festival, and a Province ofOntario “Celebrate Ontario” grant, have helped the festival gain“some depth in terms of its financial stability.” It now also has astable administration and administrative practices. “These have notbeen easy years for us. It has been an enormous amount of work,and we’re just getting to the point where workloads are becomingacceptable, and hopefully burnout and exhaustion are ceasing to befacts of life. I am also now very confident that in the future, when Ior anyone else decides to move on, this organization won’t have anytrouble going through a process to replace any one of us.”Borys also told me a lot about the artistic end of his work, abouthis collaborations with James Campbell of the Festival of the Sound,Brian Finlay of the Westben Festival and other Canadian summerfestivals, as well as about exciting developments for the GryphonTrio. I will try to get some of this onto our website ASAP, butmeanwhile I am sure a look at our festival listings and at the OttawaChamberfest’s website will be indicative of his work at the artisticend of things.Allan Pulker is a flautist, a founder of The WholeNote andserves as chairman of The WholeNote’s board of directors. Hecan be contacted at classicalbeyond@thewholenote.com.TMGreat summer deals for theclassical music enthusiast. Its never toolate to learn a new instrument or pickup an old one again!Teachers - register for our private studio discounts andstay tuned for exciting changes in ourPrint Music Department.Korg 88-key electricpianos starting at only9.00Full selection of “newer used”woodwinds & brass starting atonly 9.00Student level Stentor SolidTop 4/4 Violins withdeluxe case/bow startingat 9!415 Queen St, West, Torontostore: (416) 593-8888www.stevesmusic.comeducational@stevesmusic.comBach to South HuronSIMONE DESILETSIt’s time to pack your knapsack, your suitcase or your picnicbasket and head out of town in search of different impressions.For the early music aficionado this doesn’t necessarily mean abandoningthe music you’re fond of, just that you’ll have lots of chancesto experience it in new places.BACH MUSIC FESTIVAL OF CANADAFirst I must tell you about a new summer festival emerging in SouthHuron, that area situated on Lake Huron which includes severalsmall communities such as Exeter and Zurich. The Bach MusicFestival of Canada takes place from July 11 to 17, and is actually aninteresting mix of Bach, contemporary and other music, culminatingin a performance of Bach’s B Minor Mass with soloists, orchestraand over one hundred singers. At its helm is artistic director GeraldFagan, known nationally and internationally as a choral conductorand pioneer.The week is packed with concerts, workshops and master classes.Trio Alla Grande, an extremely musical and sensitive guitar trio,opens the festival with a concert of contemporary and originalmusic, and gives an interactive discussion and workshop. ViolinistLara St. John, known as a passionate exponent of Bach, performsa recital and offers a masterclass. Renowned basso Thomas Paul,now in his 70s, shares his expertise on the singing of Bach arias inintensive workshops, with a resulting concert, “The Art of the Aria.”The Harvestehuder Chamber Choir from Germany performs withLondon’s Gerald Fagan Singers in a concert of Bach, Canadian andGerman choral repertoire.All this, combined with participation of locally-based choristers,make this Festival an ambitious project indeed, and a wonderful giftof music to the area.OTHER SUMMER FESTIVALS:At the Ottawa Chamberfest there’s too much to mention here, butthey have a website to guide your hunt through medieval, renaissance,baroque and other categories (www.ottawachamberfest.com).I’ll point out just two performances: on July 25, Ensemble Capricepresents “Et In Terra Pax” featuring vocal and instrumental worksby Vivaldi and Zelenka; on August 4, “La Poésie noble du violonsous Louis XIV” features Lully, Jacquet de la Guerre, Clérambaultand others — all with brilliant performers involved.July 19 at the Hamilton Organ Festival, you can hear organ musicby Bach, Byrd and Buxtehude played by organist Matthew Coons;and during Stratford Summer Music’s “Organ Week,” music byGibbons, Purcell and Handel will be performed on July 29, andsome of the most glorious of Bach’s organ music on July 30, byRobert Quinney from Westminster Abbey. The organ in collaborationis highlighted on July 26 at Parry Sound’s Festival of the Sound:organist William McArton is joined by flutist Suzanne Shulman andtrumpeter Guy Few in works by Handel, Viviani and Rameau.Other early music can be found here too, such as a concert ofsolo Bach works for flute, cello and keyboard on July 27. This isone of three July concerts I’ve noticed which feature Bach solo cellosuites. At Festival of the Sound it’s the first suite, played by cellistMarc Johnson. On July 2, cellist Rachel Mercer will perform suitesnos. 2, 3 and 6 in Waterloo — not in a “summer” venue but in theongoing series of the Kitchener-Waterloo Chamber Music Society.And on July 5 yet another performance, this time at Campbellford’sWestben — Concerts at the Barn, with Brian Manker, principal cellistof the Montreal Symphony Orchestr, playing suites nos. 2, 4, and 6.At the Elora Festival, on July 16, there’s a most interesting concertof Telemann sacred cantatas — he completed several cycles of thesefor the church year —performed by tenor Kevin Skelton (more abouthim in a moment), along with recorder, harpsichord and gamba.14 thewholenote.comJuly 1–September 7, 2011

At Stratford SummerMusic, there’s a lovely touchof the early, “a deliciouscombination of musicianshipand cuisine,” as lutenist/guitarist Terry McKennaperforms short concerts (eachshowcasing a particular aspectof renaissance/early baroquemusic) at Rundles Restaurant,every Saturday and Sundaythroughout the festival.Whereas urban-based artistsTenor Kevin Skelton will be atElora and the Music Garden.and audiences tend to migrate to out-of-town summer venues, somewill also arrive in town from elsewhere. Kevin Skelton, who livesabroad, is a Canadian tenor of great accomplishment as performer,director, founder of several ensembles, contemporary dancer and publishedscholar who holds degrees in voice, conducting and musicology.In addition to the above-mentioned performance at the Elora Festivalon July 16, he’ll be appearing at the Toronto Music Garden on July 17with other wonderful musicians in a presentation entitled “WithJoy and Light Encircled.” And, (too late to make The WholeNote’sprint deadline; you’ll find it on the website at “Listings: Just In”), onJuly 30, Toronto’s Church of St. Mary Magdalene will resound withGregorian chant as Schola Gregoriana Aurea Luce, a choir of men’sand women’s voices from Venice, Italy, perform.I’ll leave it to you, the early music seeker, to find out more:The WholeNote’s summer listings, and individual websites, have allthe details. The opportunity to design your own summer early musicfestival awaits!Simone Desilets is a long-time contributor to The WholeNote inseveral capacities who plays the viola da gamba.She can be contacted at earlymusic@thewholenote.com.~E TO|oNTO CºNSO|t2011-12 SeasonGlorious Early MusicComes Alive!Venetian Splendour:The Music ofJohann RosenmüllerA Spanish ChristmasCharles Danielsin RecitalA Musical BestiaryThe OriginalCarmina BuranaSee 2011-12 Brochure in this issuefor concert details!Trinity-St. Paul’s Centre, 427 Bloor St. WestSubscribe Now! 5 concerts from Call 416-964-6337www.torontoconsort.org114 11TH SEASON12MUSIC IN THEAFTERNOONWOMEN’S MUSICAL CLUB OF TORONTOWEILERSTEIN TRIOROGER CHASE, violaMICHIKO OTAKI, pianoDonald Weilerstein, violinVivian Weilerstein, pianoAlisa Weilerstein, celloBARRY SHIFFMAN, violaWEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2011 • 1.30 PMROBERT AITKEN, fluteSIMON FRYER, celloWALTER DELAHUNT, pianoWorld premiere of WMCT commissionby Chris Paul Harman.THURSDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2011 • 1.30 PMADRIANNE PIECZONKA, sopranoSTEPHEN RALLS, pianoTHURSDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2011 • 1.30 PMTHURSDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2012 • 1.30 PMCECILIA STRING QUARTETBanff International String Quartet Competition winnerTHURSDAY, MARCH 29, 2012 • 1.30 PMConcert sponsor: WMCT Centennial FoundationWalter Hall, U of T, 80 Queen’s Park (Museum Subway)Single tickets each. Five concerts for 0.For information and to subscribe call 416-923-7052.All artists and programmes are subject to change without notice.Support of the Ontario Arts Council and the City of Toronto through the Toronto ArtsCouncil is gratefully acknowledged.PRESENTED BYwmct@wmct.on.ca www.wmct.on.ca 416-923-7052July 1–September 7, 2011 thewholenote.com 15

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