February, 2008 - Glebe Report

24 Glebe Report February 15, 2008
Music and mythology with Seventeen Voyces
BY MARGRET BRADY
NANKIVELL
Ottawa’s multi-talented chamber
choir Seventeen Voyces, directed by
Kevin Reeves, presents a concert
entitled Music & Mythology on Fri.,
Feb. 22, 7:30 p.m. at St. Matthew’s
Anglican Church.
The concert includes new works
by three Ottawa composers. Margrit
Cattell has written an a cappella
work, The Peace Pipe, based on
Longfellow’s “The Song of
Hiawatha,” which tells the legend of
Gitchi Manitou. “I think Seventeen
Voyces is a terrific choir and that’s
why I asked Kevin to write for it,”
says the composer. When a mythology-based
composition was proposed,
she immediately considered the richness
of North American legends. The
part of Gitchi Manitou will be sung
by Ottawa baritone Gary Dahl who
“will make a good spirit,” says Ms.
Cattell.
The choir will also sing “Arcadia”
by former Ottawan Andrew Ager,
now director of music and composer-in-residence
at Toronto’s St.
James’ Cathedral. A setting of seven
odes by the great Roman poet
Horace, the texts explore themes of
love, regret, jealousy and pastoral
beauty. Written for the rising young
Canadian soprano Andrea Naccarato,
who will be singing the premiere,
these short pieces, with choral and
harp accompaniment, will bring a
refreshing and contemporary offering
to this concert on the theme of
mythology.
Last year Seventeen Voyces gave a
stunning rendition of Ager’s
Unknown Soldier at St. Matthew’s.
The poignant work will premiere in
London under the direction of
CBC’s host and conductor Howard
Dyck this summer. Ager is also
working on Frankenstein, a fullscale
opera based on Mary Shelley’s
novel.
Seventeen Voyces will also give
the second performance of Kevin
Reeves’ delightful composition
Tyger, Tyger from the poem by
William Blake. It was first performed
by renowned baritone Gerald
Finley and the men and boys of St.
Matthew’s Choir in celebration of
the church choir’s 50th anniversary
last September.
The guest artists for these works
are Toronto-based soprano Andrea
Naccarato, baritone Gary Dahl and
harpist Lucile Hildesheim.
Other works on the programme
include excerpts from Dido and
Aeneas by Henry Purcell and Hymn
to St. Cecilia by Benjamin Britten.
A reception celebrating the new
works and their composers will follow
the concert.
Tickets are $15-$25 and free for
students 16 and under if accompanied
by an adult. They can be
obtained at Leading Note, 317 Elgin
St.; Compact Music, 190 Bank St.
and 785A Bank St.; Book Bazaar,
417 Bank St.; Herb & Spice Shop,
1310 Wellington St. West, or at the
door. For more information, check
www.seventeenvoyces.ca.
MUSIC
PHOTO: PETER FRITZ
April comes alive with The Sound of Music
BY DAN SMYTHE
Singing nuns, yodelling children
and a compelling story of triumph
over oppression will be coming to
the Glebe Community Centre this
April, as Rodgers and Hammerstein’s
popular musical about the
singing Von Trapp family comes to
the stage.
The Sound of Music will take
place April 4-6, the fourth full-scale
musical to be presented by the Glebe
Neighbourhood Activities Group
(GNAG) over the past two years. The
spring production follows on the
heels of a successful musical presentation
of A Christmas Carol in
December.
The philosophy of the GNAG productions
is very much “learning by
doing.” The plays are presented as an
educational course where people can
get involved in community theatre
and learn the steps required to put on
a show, from auditions and
rehearsals to the behind-the-scenes
stagecraft that all lead to the frenzy
of production week.
Some of the actors are novices
with minimal theatre or singing
experience, others have some form
of performance under their belt (and
fans of the GNAG shows will be sure
to recognize a number of familiar
faces for The Sound of Music). “For
many involved, they learn how much
fun it can be to make good theatre,”
explains director Eleanor Crowder,
who has worked on 10 of GNAG’s
11 shows. She is joined again on the
creative team by musical director
Rachel Eugster, with Kate Preston-
Thomas stepping up from the position
of set crew boss to become
stage manager.
Rehearsals with the large cast of
75 adults and children are now in
full swing. It’s arguably the most
ambitious – and most popular – production
GNAG has taken on. Due to
the large turnout at auditions in
December, Crowder and Eugster
have double cast some of the roles.
It’s one way to involve more people
in this unique community event.
“It’s really fun to see people develop
new skills,” Crowder enthuses, as
she relates some of the benefits that
come from being involved in community
theatre.
Most people know The Sound of
Music through the 1965 movie in
which Julie Andrews played the
young governess Maria, who steals
the hearts of the aristocratic Captain
Von Trapp and his seven children.
But the play, which debuted on
Broadway in 1959, offers a chance
to explore the larger theme of the
historic backdrop that inspired the
show. “It’s really a story about the
Nazi invasion of Austria, and the
events related to a courageous family
that stood up to that,” explains
Crowder.
With more than 40 vocal numbers,
Eugster, stalwart pianist Lauren
McGee and the singing cast will
need all their musical savvy to create
the world inspired by the story of
the Von Trapp family. All the popular
songs will be there including
“My Favourite Things,” “Climb
Every Mountain,” and “Edelweiss.”
Other musical delights include a
choir of nuns singing sacred music
in four- and six-part harmony. The
play also has a few musical numbers
not featured in the movie, most
notably a German-style cabaret duet
between Elsa and Max that helps
highlight the political storm clouds
that hang over Europe in the late
1930s.
Eugster has reached back to her
family roots, and has adapted some
Swiss-German folk songs that will
be sung by a troup of Boy Scouts
and folk dancers that she and Crowder
have added to the show. “It’s
exciting to perform the music that
people know so well, but we also
want to find the depth and meaning
in songs that may not have been as
well noticed,” says Eugster.
While the actors are well on their
way, volunteers are still needed to
assist with costuming, set design
and other duties. If you think you
can contribute, contact Kate Preston-Thomas
at 613-233-0038
Showtimes are Fri., April 4 at
7:30 p.m., Sat., April 5 at 2 p.m. and
7:30 p.m., and Sun., April 6 at 2
p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Tickets for The
Sound of Music will be on sale at
the Glebe Community Centre by the
end of February. For more information,
phone 613-564-1058 or 613-
233-8713.