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“joyous eclecticism,” an apt and inspired description of what Bernsteinhas programmed: “music from 17th-century Europe; string quartetsby Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven and more; South Asian ragas; thunderingtaiko drums; music for African kora, viola da gamba andPersian instruments; fiddling from Cajun, Celtic, French-Canadianand Norwegian traditions; several world premieres — and of course thegarden’s ‘patron saint,’ J. S. Bach!” Irresistible, yes? The magic of theGarden awaits you ... as it does on several Sundays at 4pm, throughoutthe summer, as well.The final Thursday series I want to mention here is the newest kidon the block, or rather, in the park, St. James Park, former homeof the Occupy Toronto camp. Hosted by the St. Lawrence MarketNeighbourhood BIA, Music in St. James Park was conceived andcoordinated by local writer and music lover, Bob Neighbour, a spry (byall accounts) 87-year-old who, while in agreement with the Occupymessage, wanted to revive his neighbourhood park, have it knownand frequented for its loveliness rather than its political past. As NancyMiller, Neighbour’s wife, wrote in an article for the online publicationGood News Toronto, August 2012, Neighbour “just wanted to sit, on awarm evening, and listen to beautiful music.”Armed with the old adage “they can only say no” — something mywise, Jewish mother taught me — Neighbour approached his neighbourhoodBIA about supporting a free music series in the park, andthey liked the idea. Musicians were lined-up, local businesses came onboard and “occupy the gazebo” translated into beautiful music emanatingfrom the park’s gazebo, which hadn’t been used in decades. Inits inaugural year there were six concerts; this year there are eight at7pm, ranging from those classical music boundary pushers, the AnnexQuartet, on June 20, to the spirited Boxcar Boys performing theirunique mix of wild gypsy, Dixieland jazz, klezmer and folk music,on August 8. Last year I attended the second concert. Two greats,Jane Bunnett and Hilario Durán, graced the gazebo with incrediblyexhilarating, sexy Cuban music. It was a perfect evening. Here’s toeight more.Friday and Saturday: It seems that there’s a dearth, generally, ofFriday and Saturday summer concert series. Perhaps presenters figurethe city empties out on weekends with its citizens making a beelinefor “the cottage.” For those of us who remain in the city (by choiceor otherwise), local pianist Gordon Murray kindly fills the void withhis two, one-man “mini-series.” On Fridays (June 7, 14, 21, 28 andAugust 23 and 30) it’s Piano Potpourri, 1:10pm at Trinity-St. Paul’sUnited Church, featuring an assortment of selections from classics,opera, operetta, musicals, ragtime, pop, international and othergenres; you’re encouraged to bring your lunch. The three Piano Soiréeconcerts (June 29, July 27, August 24), at 8pm on Saturdays, also atTrinity-St. Paul’s, offer up more formally programmed recitals withworks ranging from Kalman’s Dream Once Again to Liszt’s Un Sospiro.Check the listings for details.Sunday: In contrast to the scarcity of Friday and Saturday concerts,Sunday’s abundance includes afternoon concerts in gardens, twilightchurch recitals and evening serenades in the square. You alreadyknow about two of them: Cathedral Church of St. James’ TwilightRecitals at 4pm (June 2, 9, 16, 23) and Harbourfront’s Summer Musicin the Garden, also at 4pm (June 30; July 21, 28; August 11, 18, 25; andSeptember 8, 15). And there’s yet another of the City of Toronto’sSummer Squares Concert Series. This time it’s “Summer Serenades”at Mel Lastman Square, featuring swing, jazz and big band music, at7:30pm, on seven consecutive Sunday evenings from July 7 to August18. Last in our survey of Sunday, City of Toronto Historic Sites presentsMusic in the Orchard. These popular outdoor performances in June atthe Spadina Museum, begin at 1:30pm and feature jazz and improvisedmusic (June 2); works by Mozart and beyond for wind octet (June 9)and classical to modern works for flute, clarinet and bassoon (June 16).As its press release suggests, “Bring a blanket. Bring a picnic. Bring thewhole family. Pay what you wish.” Instructions for a perfectly pleasantSunday afternoon.Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday: And lastbut certainly not least is Toronto Summer Music Festival. Originallyconceived as a summer series, with concerts every other day or soover a four-week period, TSMF now commands mid-July to the beginningof August with an astonishing array of local and imported talentgracing its three stages, five days a week. For those whose idea of a“staycation” includes total musical immersion, TSMF is, more than anyother, the in-town festival for which to stick around or come home.Convinced to stay put for a bit? Good. Enjoy the music andsummer on!Sharna Searle trained as a musician and lawyer, practised alot more piano than law and is listings editor at The WholeNote.She can be contacted at classicalbeyond@thewholenote.com.Cathedral BluffsSYMPHONY ORCHESTRA2013–2014 SEASONNorman ReintammArtistic Director/Principal ConductorJOIN US FOR A TERRIFIC SEASONOrchestral favourites, world music, dance and opera!Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No. 3 with ARTHUR OZOLINSBeethoven . Brahms . Mozart . Tchaikovsky . Grieg . Ravel . More!✔ Save 30% or more on the price of all 5 concerts in the Subscription Series✔ Receive a FREE guest ticket with each subscription✔ Save an additional $20 off each new subscriptionFor more information and to subscribe, visit the web siteThe Ontario Trillium Foundation is an agencyof the Government of Ontariocathedralbluffs.com | 416.879.556620 | June 7 – September 7, 2013 thewholenote.com