Volume 8 Issue 1 - September 2002

CLAVIERS BAROQUES

CLAVIERS BAROQUES harpsichords, clavichords and fortepianos -- custom instruments; repairs, rentals for concerts or long-term, Toronto's Center for Clarinets and Oboes SALES * Dawn Lyons & Den Ciul (416) 653-3062 toll-free (888) 597-0946 mail@claviersb ues.com w'ww.claviersb ues.com ng Wood~inds· Ltd. Canada •s foremost Violin Specialists 201 Church Street Toronto, On. MSB 1Y7' email GHCL@idirect.com ,., .7~0 lluthu1~t St., Suite 51)2 (Just south of Bloor) Warranty Repair Depot www.georgeheinl.com Iii Long & McQuade - MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS• w w w. Ion 11 · - m c q u !' d •.co SALES - RENTALS - REPAIRS - IN STORE FINANCING TRADES - USED INSTRUMENTS BOUGHT & SOLD Toronto 925 Bloor St.W. (416)588-7886 North York 2777 Steeles Av.W. . (416)663-8612 Scarborough 1133 Markham Rd. (416)439-8001 Oshawa ~80 Simcoe St..S. (905)434-1612 · Brampton 370 Main St.N. (905)450·4334 Burlington 3180 Mainway Dr. (905)319-3330 _Where the Music'Begins. \ ' EARLY MUSIC by Frank Nakashima As the concert season gets slowly under way, you will notice. tJ;ie reappearance of the T.E.M.P.O. (Toronto Early Music Players Organi- . zatlon) workshops (see WholeNote 's Announcements,. .. Etcetera, page 41 for nwre activities of this type.) September 8,T.E.M.P.0. 1 will be taking a closer look at The Genevan Psalter, an earl)'. 16th-century work by Louis Bourgeois. There is also the Toronto Early Music Centre's vocal circle at which y0u can join other singers in the recreational reading of early choral music in a relaxed environment. · In order to get a good look at what's going on in terms of early music here in Toronto, you should . definitely plan to attend the TEMC's 18th annual Early Music Fair (September 21) at the historical Montgomery's Inn, now restored as a living museum to the i847~50 period. This event enables aficionados and newcomers to gain both an overview and an update of the early music scene in Toronto through performances, displays, and information on the art dfhistorical performance. It's also a: chaiice to meet musicians, concert presenters, instrument mak;ers, and music retailers and exchange ideas! Listen to the beautiful ·sounds,ofrecorders and viols played by meiµbers of the Recorder Players' Society and the Toronto Early Music Players' Organization. See and hear a variety of keyboard, woodwind and other period instruments played by some of our finest , musicians. Discover the latest CD recordings by our local artists and browse through early music books. "Du Bon Gout et du Mauvais Gout", a Sept 14 concert presented by The Musicians in Ordinary - soprano Hallie Fishel and lutenist John Edwards - with guests playing harpsichord, viola da gamba and violins, is dedicated to good taste and bad taste in the Fre~ch Baroque period. There.are songs about the usual (shepherds, nyn:iphs, and sheep~· but also the unusual (a gall7bladder operation and a cantata about a whale). Many of these songs were discovered in the U of T's rare bOok collection and will be performed from copies of the original prints. Also on the progra'.m is music by Elisabeth Jacquet de la Guerre, Marin Marais, and Michel Lambert, father-in-law of the great Jean-Baptiste Lully. There's more on the The Musicians in Ordinary at their website: www.rp.usiciansinordinary.ca Who was it who said Handel was half German, half Italian, and half English? All the composers ill the first series of Tafelmusik concerts this season (starting September 25) fit the concert theme of "Cross-Border Baroque." Handel is one,,along with Locatelli (an Italian in Amsterdam), Lully (an Italian in Versailles), Zelenka (a ·Bohemian in Dresden), and Scarlatti (an Italian in Madrid) The result is a fascinating, mix of musical culture and styles. Visitwww.tafelmusik.org Also featured. in this Tafelmusik production is "Steps to Ecstasy" by Marjan Mozetich, a contemporary Canadian composer born in Italy to Slovenian parents. It is interesting to speculate as to why more and more early music ensembles are adding contemporary art music to their repc ertoire, commissioning new works to be played on historical instruments. Is it the natural desire of any 1 musician to explore the expressive range of their instrument, their own technique, and their repertoire? Is it the need to create novel programs for their subscribers? An attempt to establish a better profile with grantgiving arts councils by performing new Canadian repertoire? A natural affinity for contemporary music among performers of early rp.usic? Whatever the case, the combination of old and new is creating something fresh and exciting for today's listeners. - The opening concert of the Toronto Consort 30th ·Anniversary Season takes us into the medieval world of romance and chivalry with a 'rendition of the fantastic Arthurian legend, "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight" (October4, 5). This story, written by an unknown contemporary of Chaucer, tells of a wild green warrior who taunts the knights of the Round Table at Camelot; Sir Gawain takes up the challenge, only to find his courage and virtue more tested by a beguiling woman than by the wild man. It is a masterpieee of alliterative poetry describing an enchanting legendary world. Frank T. Nakashima (franknak@interlog.com) is the President of the Toronto Early Music Centre, a non-profit charitable organization which promotes the appreciation of historically-informed performances of early music. • www.thewholenote.com September 1 - October 7 2002

--~-~~___,.-.--~=~-----------:-;--,- _ . Cl-loRAL·SCENE by Larry Beckwith After the summer break, rehearsals begin again just after Labour Day for most choirs and, looking at the season ahead, there are many special choral events to anticipate in t!ie coming months. September is, as usual, a little lean, but with a few notable exceptions. On September 11, the choir of St. Thomas's . Church· marks the first anniversary of the attacks on New York and Washington with a performance of the Requiem by Gabriel Faure. The service commences at 6: 15 pm and a freewill offering will be collected. David King's choir All The King's Voices presents An Ameri~ can 'faibute Sept 13 at the Weall and Cullen on Sheppard A venue and Sept 29 at Parkway Mall. Phone 416- 225-2~55 for details. The choir of Robinson College from Cambridge, England makes a tour stop at St. James' on Sept 10, and at the Church of St.. Martin-in- .John Tuttle, organist and choirmaster at St. Thomas 's Church the-Fields on Sept 14. These English church choirtour programs are always well-polished and, if you're a fan of the music of the Church of England,_ from the Tudor Age to the present - well worth attending. Every music lover in the city must be at least a little curious about the new, improved Roy Thomson Hall. The grand re-opening takes place .on September 21 with a suitably bombastic program featuring . the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir_ in a CONTINUED, NEXT PA(!;E The Choirs of the Church of St .Marr ;Magdalene present Sundavs at 3:00pm. 3 concerts celebrating the church vear. ;t Virtuous :Xose: a f'ourteenth Centurv 'Pilgrimage 1• fearurlnq music of rhe l!lbre Verme/I wtrh rhe :Xecordare Ensemble on htsrorlc lnsrruments· (recorders. shawm. bladder pipe. hurdy-gurdy. harp and percussion!. Sund av Ocrober 20. 2002 ;Music for Candlefnass wtrh Jacqueline Gorlnq. harp. }onarhan lnqham. cello. and Vtcrorla Jfarhawav & Gt// Ian }foward. oboe. Ceremony of Carols, Britten - Benedictus, Victoria Willkommen, Sii.\"ser Briiutigam, LtibeC,?k Sundav Tebruarv 2. 2003 - -········-········ - ' Music for lent wtrh rhe Choirs ofrhe Church of Sr .Marv .Maqdalene and rhe Trlntrv Col/eqe Chapel Choir. - Stabar Mater, Palest1ina - The Reproaches, Sanders Hymns and Anthems of the Nineteenth century Canada Sunday .March 30. 2003 - ·······-·········· .__..,.. The Church of St. Marv Maqda!ene 477 Manning Ave. Toronto, Ontario Tickets / available ~t the door Phone: (416) 531 -7955 - http:ffwww.stmarymagdalene.ca/ i .-ELMER I SINGERS 2180 Bayview Avenue~ Toronto, Ontario rv"14N 3K7 2002-2003 SUBSCRIPTION SERIES NEW MUSIC SINGS Friday, November 1, 2002, 7:30 p.m. St. James' Cathedral, King & Church Streets Guest Artists: Robert Aitken, flute; Lawrence Cherney, English· Hom - World Premiere Spanish Reflections and Toronto Premiere of Songs of Love, Melisa Hui; Canadian Premiere A Circle -in the Sand by the brilliant French composer Thierry Pec~n; The Flute Player, John Burge and Monodie Fragments, Robert Aitken. · BYZANTINE FESTN AL . Tuesday, November 19, 2002, 8:00 p.m. St. Michael's Cathedral, 65 Bond Street (at Shuter St.) Guest Artists: Amadeus Choir; Amadeus· Chamber Singers and orchestra, British Soprano, Patricia · Rosario; Counter Tenor, Daniel Taylor; Tenor, . Colin Ainsworth. Featured Works: Kyrie - Christos Hatzis and "Total Eclipse" (Canadian Premiere) ,- John Tavener. HANDEL'S MESSIAH Friday, De·cember 6, 2002, 7:30 p.m. St. James' Cathedral, King & Church Streets Soloists: Jennie Such, Soprano; Daniel Taylor, Counter Tenor; Colin Ainsworth, Tenor; Ru·ssell Braun, Baritone. With Orchestra. SOUNDS OF THE SEASON Wednesday, December 18, 2002, 7:30 p.m. St. James' Cathedral, King & Church Streets A Christmas Celebration ·based on the development ·of arrangements by ten Canadian composers using the Gregorian Theme Piae Cantiones. CATHEDRAL GRANDEUR Sunday, March 2, 2003, 7:30 p.m. St. James' Cathedral, King & Church Streets Music for Double Choir. Guest · Artists: Vancouver Chamber Choir, Jon Washburn, Conductor. CELEBRATION - Ruth Watson Henderson Sunday, May 4, 2003, 7:30 p.m. St. James' Cathedral, King & Church Streets A 70'" Birthday Tribute: Choir, Organ and Piano selections include Magnificat, Make Me A World, In Memoriam Elmer Iseler, Shades of Love, Song My Paddle Sings, Five Ontario Folk Songs, Psalm 150. FOR BROCHURE & TICKETS Call 416-217-0537 Monday to Friday 9-5 pm ____..___..- --..,- September 1 · October 7 2002 www.thewholenote.com 13