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Volume 17 Issue 1 - September 2011

  • Text
  • September
  • Jazz
  • Toronto
  • October
  • Concerts
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  • Gould
  • Arts
  • Musical

esides the beauty of the

esides the beauty of the music on this disc, you’ll treasure it alsofor its cover: a reproduction of a beautiful icon — Madonna andChild — lurking obscurely in the Church of St. Mary Magdalene.annual luncheonOctober 23, 2011, 12:00 pmfeaturingMary Lou FallisMississaugua Golf & Country ClubReservations: 905-278-7059mcsluncheon@gmail.comin support of The Compass Food BankSaturday, November 5, 2011, 7:30 pmFirst United Church, MississaugaMessiah G F Handel “MCS Tradition of Joy”Sunday, November 27, 2011, 3:00 pmSt. Patrick’s Catholic Church, Mississaugamcs-on.ca or 905-278-7059A RANDOM MENTION OF OTHERS:Two concerts highlighting English music for voices occur this month:Royal” presents anthems from the time of Charles II — music byBritannia” — madrigals, motets and bar songs from the times ofHenry VIII all the way to George I’s reign.From September 21 to 25, you can hear music for courtlycelebrations at the baroque courts of Poland, Sweden, England,France, Germany, Spain, Russia and Austria, presented byTafelmusik Baroque Orchestra.On September 10 in Waterloo: Nota Bene Baroque holds a“Fundraising Extravaganza” to celebrate its 10th Anniversary Seasonand the launching of its new name, with mini-concerts, Baroqueinspiredrefreshments, an instrument petting zoo, and guest,baroque dancer Daniel Gariepy.At the Toronto Music Garden: On September 8, you can letdusk fall over you joyfully, as baroque cellist Kate Bennett Haynesinaugurates a cycle of Bach’s Six Suites for Unaccompanied Cellowith Suite No.1 in G Major. On September 18, the VesuviusEnsemble closes the season with “I canti a Maria — Music for theMadonna,” passionate traditional songs to the Madonna from someof the many sanctuaries in the region of Naples.There’s more! Do peruse The WholeNote’s listings to discover allthat’s out there.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.22 thewholenote.comSeptember 1–October 7, 2011

DOMINIC LIPINSKI, WPA POOL/GETTY IMAGESRoyal sing song.Royal RantBENJAMIN STEINSurveying the first group of concerts out of the gate this fall,I notice that three of them have a royal theme.Considering the degree to which Western choral music isintertwined with the history of European royalty, this kind of thememight be considered obvious, even uninventive. But the degree towhich pretty much the entire world raptly followed the latest Houseof Windsor wedding last April (followed by the new couple’s tour ofCanada) gives these concerts an added resonance. It makes us enjoyanew not only the thoroughly inventive music of the master composersthat found employment at royal courts, but raises questions as towhat the meaning of royalty is at the beginning of a new century.For some, the very existence of a British royal family is worsethan an anachronism in a democratic world — it is an insult tothe idea of human equality, a desecration to the memory of thelegions of innocent people that perished over the centuries throughroyal exploitation, neglect, intrigue and war. To others, it is afun diversion, well worth the generous stipend paid to the royalfamily. Canadian writer Robertson Davies saw modern royalty inarchetypical terms — a connection to a collective past that combineshistorical reality with myth and legend.What does this mean in terms of music? The English royal courtwas a fecund ground for composers and performers well into the18th century. The resurgence that began with Elgar and culminatedwith Britten continues strongly with the work of Tavener. A strongargument can also be made against the received wisdom that Britishmusic died in the 19th century; modern church musicians continuePETER MAHONSales Representative416-322-8000pmahon@trebnet.comwww.petermahon.comSeptember 1–October 7, 2011 thewholenote.com 23

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