Gloria Blizzard and Jesse Ryan talk on saving calypso; fiftieth anniversary reprise of the Frog Bog sound walk (bet no-one's said that before!); Gregory Oh on the necessity of failure and curatorial choices that break down barriers; fanfares for an uncommon man at the RCM; and festivals galore in our 20th annual summer green pages; plus a summer's worth of music in our listening room. All this and more!
Women in Music: An
Women in Music: An upcoming collaboration by the AGO and Tafelmusik will celebrate women in music and the visual arts. Tafelmusik’s concert in the airy Walker Court will be played by a quartet drawn from the orchestra and will feature music by Elisabeth Jacquet de la Guerre, Isabella Leonarda and Marianne Martinez. The quartet will also introduce us to music composed by “Mrs. Philarmonica,” a pseudonym for a talented composer who was clearly influenced by Corelli. Their program complements the AGO’s exhibition, “Making her Mark: A History of Women Artists in Europe 1400-1800,” which ends on July 1. Jun 28 7:00: Art Gallery of Ontario. Tafelmusik: Making Herself Heard. Geneviève Gilardeau, violin; Cristina Zacharias, violin; Michael Unterman, cello; Charlotte Nediger, harpsichord. 416-979- 6648. A seated performance free with general admission. Mostly Madrigals: three matinees: Whether they showcase clever wordplay or bemoan thwarted love, Renaissance madrigals are an entertaining genre, but it must be said (and I have before!) that they are even more fun to sing than to hear. Get your madrigal on this summer at three matinee events touring different locations. A small vocal ensemble will sing 16th-century secular songs from England, France and Italy in an outdoor setting, but who will stop you if you join in? (Bring your own lawn chair!) Jun 12 1:00: Singout at Woodbine Beach. 1675 Lake Shore Blvd. E. Free. Jul 12 1:00: Singout at Humber Bay West. Gazebo at 50 Humber Bay Park Rd. W., Etobicoke. Free. Google “Gazebo at Humber Bay.” Aug 12 1:00: Singout at Pickering Esplanade Park. 1 The Esplanade, Pickering. Free. Music Mondays: Bird-watching grew exponentially in popularity during the pandemic when, like sourdough-baking, it was an activity that could be done safely at home. But it’s a different Byrd EARLY MUSIC ROUNDUP Walker Court, at the AGO CARMEN WALKER that will be celebrated in an upcoming concert by the Cardinal Consort of Viols, joined by countertenor Daniel Cabena. This year marks the 400th anniversary of a composer who is beloved by choristers and viol-players but deserves greater attention in general. The concert will feature works by William Byrd and, to place him in context, by his contemporaries as well. The Cardinal Consort of Viols Jun 17, 12:15: Church of the Holy Trinity, 19 Trinity Sq. 416-598-4521 X223 or www.musicmondays.ca or musicmondayscs@gmail.com. PWYC ( suggested). Frey at Elora: I feel that no opportunity to hear Elinor Frey play should be missed. Her performances of 17th and 18th-century compositions delight whether she is interpreting classics or bringing lesser-known works to light, such as in her latest recording of music by Dell’abaco. Her performance at this year’s Elora Festival will return to more familiar works as she revisits Bach’s Cello Suites. She recently performed the entire set over two nights in Toronto, but presumably this concert will present a selection of suites. Jul 13, 4:00: Elora Festival. Elinor Frey Plays Bach. St. John’s Anglican Church (Elora), 36 Henderson St., Elora. www.ticketpeak.co. ; (st). Elinor Frey playing Bach on a five-string Baroque cello – Church of St. Andrew & St. Paul in Montréal. Compiled by Stephanie Conn MOSTLY MADRIGALS Singout WED. JUNE 12, 1pm Woodbine Beach gazebo Singout FRI. JULY 12, 1pm Humber Bay West Park gazebo Singout MON. AUG 12, 1pm Pickering Esplanade Park gazebo These concerts are FREE. Please bring a lawn chair. For details see listing section. Painting by Catherine Anderson 30 | June, July & August, 2024 thewholenote.com
WORLD MUSIC ROUNDUP David Pecaut Square Luminato in the Square takes place June 7-16 in David Pecaut Square 215 King Street W, Toronto). This is the Luminato Festival’s lively central location for art, culture, and community, where a whole wide world of diverse concerts, performances, installations, interactive workshops, with each day’s music co-curated with another presenter or arts organization. Entry is free for all events. One such event is the Toronto Arts Council’s 50th Anniversary Celebration, on Thursday, June 13 from 6-9:30 pm, which promises to be a fun-filled, all-ages celebration of dance, music, visual/media art and community, representing just some of the dynamic work that Toronto Arts Council supports. Family-friendly interactive arts activities will give everyone the opportunity to create and innovate together as we celebrate how artists and arts organizations contrib- ute to our city. “Join us, and together, let’s keep believing in art.” Beyond David Pecault Square this summer, there’s much music from all the worlds of music and musics of the world that make their home here. Noted in brief below, by date, is just a taste of what we knew when we went to press, and could get into our daily listings. But as the summer continues, remember that The WholeNote’s online listings are updated weekly, and are searchable by “world” and other genres. Visit thewholenote.com/index.php/listings/just-ask Music in the Market – Andy Philips Plays Steel Drum Jun 5, 2pm. Bloor/Borden Farmer’s Market. Solalie. Jun 8, 10am, 11am & 3pm. WeeFestival of Arts & Culture. A unique sound art installation and concert inspired by the natural world, for infants and toddlers 12 months and up. Also Jun 9, 11 am & 3pm). Earth Garden: Aki Gitigaan Jun 7, 6-11pm. Luminato in the Square. Elder Duke Redbird, dancer and Miigwech Collective member Cotee Harper, Jeremy Dutcher, and DJ Classic Roots. Hosted by Tamara Podemski. David Pecaut Square. Free border crossing odyssey Jun 15, 5pm. Jumblies Theatre. Selected works from Jumblies’ multi-year project blue skies, red earth & tall pines, including lines between things, a multimedia exhibition of comics, sculpture and audio art and songs from the edge, a suite of new music from Suba Sankaran plus other selected works. 132 Fort York Blvd. Summer Music in the Garden: IndigiDivas at Harbourfront Jun 21, 7pm. Harbourfront Centre. Classical and contemporary. Toronto Music Garden Possibilities Jun 21, 8pm. Nagata Shachu - 9 member taiko drumming ensemble. Harbourfront Centre - Fleck Dance Theatre. thewholenote.com June, July & August, 2024 | 31
