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8 years ago

Volume 7 Issue 7 - April 2002

  • Text
  • April
  • Toronto
  • Theatre
  • Jazz
  • Arts
  • Bloor
  • Musical
  • Symphony
  • Choral
  • Gould

plishments -- in a

plishments -- in a program of Rameau, Handel, and Bach. "Musically Speaking", presented by the Toronto Early Music Centre, is a free, one-hour, enlightening program.of historical performance at the Church of the Holy Trinity. This month, April 14, SineNomine (Andrea Budgey, ' Randall Rosenfeld, Bryan Martin;· Janice Kerkkamp) present a program titled "Royal Poets, Singing Nuns, and Dancing Pilgrims" --monophonic songs of sacred and secular love, plainchant ornamented with polyphony, devotional narratives set to music, and "prescriptive songs for pilgrimage" from 13th and 14th century Iberia. They will also perform parts of this program in their own series later in the month (April 19)­ Music of Medieval Iberia. The Skye Consort is the only group I know performing and exploring the Celtic repertoire using countertenor voice and baroque strings instruments. Following the release of its first CD recording, "Traditional Celtic Melodies" on Disques ATMA Classique last year, the Skye Consort appears in a free concert at St. Paul's Anglican Church (April 26). The performance features countertenor Matthew White, who has a night off from "The Coronation of Poppea" (see above). Other distinguished eilSemble members include baroque violinist Alex Kehler, baroque cellist Amanda Keesmaat, cittem player Sean Dagher, and double-bassist Andrew Horton. The group brings their distinctive early sound to beaJ on contemporary folk music from Scotland, Ireland, England, Sweden, France, andQuebeC in brand new "old" arrang~Tent~ by members Sean Dagher and Alex Kehler. You' 11 not find a happier combination of instruments than in Joyous Music for Choir (April 26) - Sackbuts & Strings. The sackbut, CLASSICAL COM\IE:'llT CHORAL SCENE by Larry Beckwith immediate ancestor of the trombone, was often used to enrich and support While WholeNote celebrates the April the choral sound in Renaissance and operatic explosion in Toronto, several .early baroque music. This concert significant choral works - and an imperformed by the Te Deum Or- portant premiere - will be performed chestra & Singers includes happy this month in Toronto and environs, as music by Bach, Monteverdi and thecitygearsupformajorchoralevents Biber. in May and June of this year. Other noteworthy concerts: The weekend of April 6 and 7 Toronto's resident early music choir, features a nwilberofhigh-profile cho­ The Tallis Choir, presents master- ral performances. On the 6th, Sir pieces of the 17th and 18th century David Willcocks makes an appear­ Germany - Treasures of the German ance to conduct the Amadeus Choir Baroque (May 4). Duo in Bach's Mass in B Minor at the L'Intemporel (Mylene Guay, ba- George Weston Recital Hall. If roque flute; David Sandall, harpsi- you've never heard the work, this is chord) perform music by mostly a wonderful opportunity to experi­ German composers on April 20. And ence it in magnificent acoustics. Critical Mass continues its monthly · Other concerts taking place on series with yet another rarely-heard the same evening include the Jubilate work, Willaert's Missa gaude Singers in a performance of Barbara (April 30). Admission by Haazen's hybrid Missa Luba and a freewill offering; proceeds to "Out collection of other choral music from of the Cold." the Americas; and the Toronto . And a local modem orchestra, Mendelssohn Youth Choir, sharing Sinfonia Mississauga, performs all the stage (and raising the roof) with six wonderful Brandenburg Cancer- · Karen Burke's Toronto Mass tos (April 6), with several noted early Choir. (With the sudden departure, music soloists - Colin Tilney, harp- at the end of last season, of the sic!: xd; Ruth Fazal, violin; Norman TMYC's longtime 'musical director Engel, trumpet; Matthew Jones & Robert Cooper, the choir has kept a Avery MacLean, recorders; Carol somewhat lower profile this season. Savage, flute; Hazel Newton, obOe; We all hope to hear soon liJ1 an­ John Barnum conducts. · nouncement of a new permanent con­ Frank T. Nakilshima, President of the non-profit charitable Toronto Early Music Centre, can be reached at franknak@interlog.com. The TEMC is a non-profit charitable organilJJtion which promotes the appreciation of historicallyinformed performances of early musie,. ductor and fresh vision for Toronto's major youth choir.) Two monster programs take place on the afternoon of the 7th. John Tuttle's Hart House Choir tackle the brilliant Coronation Mass of Mozart and the Rac~off Vespers. And V ocalPoint, one ofToron~ to' s best chamber choirs, directed by Ian Grundy, offers a program of French choral masterpieces of the 20th century by . Faure, Poulenc, Durufle and Messiaen. · '" Mississauga connections:; On April 9 in Mississauga, conductor Chrys Bentley and the Mississauga Choral Society give the premiere of Requiem, by Toronto composer Derek Holman. It is a setting of the traditional Mass for the Dead (minus the Dies Irae sequence). Holman told me that the only restriction he had for the commission was that the orchestration'had to stick to that of Haydn's Harmoniemesse, which is also on the program. A Holman premiere is lil.way,s an exciting event and the choir ,is hard at work, tackling the admittedly dif" ficult score, getting ready for what is sure to be grand occasion at Harnmerson Hall. • Later in the month, the Mississauga Choral Society renews its acquaintance with pops legend Erich Kunzel and the Toronto Symphony for performances celebrating the 1 OOth anniversary of the birth of Richard Rogers, one of the great tunesmiths of all time. SINGERS WANTED SOLOISTS & SECTION LEADS At Willowdale United Churcli Call 416-225-2255 W\ \' 1 v. \' i 11 owd ,1leu11 i kd .n 1m Canada •s foremost Violin Specialists 201 Church Street · Toronto, On. MSB 1Y7 · email GHCL@idirect.com www.georgeheinl.com ·~~ tfie soutuf post Canada's String Shop violins, violas, cellos & bows ' expert repairs & rehairs strings & accessories at guaranteed lowest prices · Canada's largest stock of string music fast mail order service all prices in CDN $ - Not a: US $ price in the store! 93 Grenville St., Toronto MSS 1B4 ·tel 416-971-6990 fax 416-597-9923 12 www.thewholenote.com Apri I 1 -- M ay 7 2002

Consider welcoming spring on April 19th and 20th, with the Georgetown Choral Society, con:.' ducted by Dale Wood. They are presenting two performances of the Missa Gaia. Compiled in 1980 by the Paul Winter Consort, the work is a New Age celebration of the earth featuring taped wolf, whale and loon calls, magnificent choral sections and jazzy improvisations by a consort of instruments. Canadian Paul Halley - who is a member of the Winter Consort - will be present at tbe keyboard for these performances. For more information on the piece, visit www.livingmusic.com and follow the links . . Circumstances surroundllg the compbsition of the Requiem by Mozart are are still shrouded in mystery and the piece has a certain aura ·· that it carries from c.entury to century and continent to continen t. The committed singers of the Pax Christi ·Chorale, unper Steph,anie lb1a Auclair M.Mus. Lyric Soprano A rich and warm voice combined with an impeccable presentation! * Available for operas, oratorios, recitals, orchestral works, etc ... *Great packages for ·.:. weddings, corporate events ··tor any special occasion! '* RCM registered teacher (private lessons for all ages / levels) *Also offering coaching in , F~ench· diction (416) 630-5786 lauclair@hotmail.com Martin's direction, tackle it, along with the Haydn Te Deum with orchestra and a fine crop of soloists on Saturday and Sunday April 27 and 28. Are you in the mood for an ·intensive four-day choral marathon? You're in luck: Podium 2002 is coming to Toronto in May. The bi-ennial conference of the Association of Canadian Choral Conductors takes place from May 16-19, but don't be intimidated by the word "confer~ ence". It's an in-depth series of concerts, workshops and parties that will excite and intrigue both the professional choral musician and the amateur "fan". On the bill are four "World Voices Ambassadors", including the charismatic Englishman Bob Chilcott, Juan Tony Guzman from the Dominican Republic, the tireless .Susan Knight, conductor of the Newfoundland Symphony Youth Choir, and Doreen Rao, Elmer Iseler chair of Choral Studies at the U ofT FacultyofMusic. CLASSICAL COl\IMENT The conference will feature performances by the National Youth Choir - a collection of 40 of .the brightest and best young singers in the country -- this year conducted by Lydia Adams, the Nathaniel Dett Chorale, the Exultate Chamber Singers and special Honour Choirs of children ·and youth that are coming together under the direction of Bob Chilcott and Doreen Rao. There will also be fascinating, ,Niki Gqldschmidt, architect of the sometimes interactive workshops Joy of Singing festival will be given by leading national and inter- profiled in May's WholeNote national choral experts and plenty of you can get a good sense of what's opportunities to meet people and party upcoming by visiting their website at the way only choral nuts know how! www.joyofsinging.ca It should be an absolute blast and it's And I can always be contacted not too late to register. For all the at dunnbeckwith@sympatico.ca information you need, call Choir~ -----------­ Ontario at 416-923-1144 or consul1 the conference website at Mississauga www .choirsontario.org. Children's Next month, I'll give an indepth preview of the upcoming Joy , Choir of Singing choral festival. For now, ·'{ 1 AUDITIONS { } For the 2002 - 2003 SEASON are being held in April and May GIRLS AND BOYS (unchanged voices) CHILDREN'S CHORUS Ages 7-12 YOUTH CHORUS Ages 12 - 17 For information or an Audition Appointment Telephone: 905-624-9704 Email: mcc@eol.ca

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