Volume 23 Issue 4 - December 2017 / January 2018
In this issue: composer Nicole Lizée talks about her love for analogue equipment, and the music that “glitching” evokes; Richard Rose, artistic director at the Tarragon Theatre, gives us insights into their a rock-and-roll Hamlet, now entering production; Toronto prepares for a mini-revival of Schoenberg’s music, with three upcoming shows at New Music Concerts; and the local music theatre community remembers and celebrates the life and work of Mi’kmaq playwright and performer Cathy Elliott . These and other stories, in our double-issue December/January edition of the magazine.
In this issue: composer Nicole Lizée talks about her love for analogue equipment, and the music that “glitching” evokes; Richard Rose, artistic director at the Tarragon Theatre, gives us insights into their a rock-and-roll Hamlet, now entering production; Toronto prepares for a mini-revival of Schoenberg’s music, with three upcoming shows at New Music Concerts; and the local music theatre community remembers and celebrates the life and work of Mi’kmaq playwright and performer Cathy Elliott . These and other stories, in our double-issue December/January edition of the magazine.
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PRICELESS<br />
Vol <strong>23</strong> No 4<br />
DOUBLE ISSUE<br />
DECEMBER <strong>2017</strong> / JANUARY <strong>2018</strong><br />
CONCERT LISTINGS<br />
FEATURES | REVIEWS<br />
COVER STORY<br />
Artful Glitcher<br />
Nicole Lizée<br />
Q & A<br />
Richard Rose on<br />
Hamlet (the musical)<br />
DISCoveries<br />
Old Wine:<br />
On Bernstein<br />
Remastered<br />
Nicole Lizée
17.18 Music<br />
James Rolfe + Morris Panych<br />
the overcoat:<br />
a musical tailoring<br />
MAR 27- APR 14<br />
voices 3<br />
3 unique concert events<br />
musica nuda<br />
FEB 22-24<br />
fides krucker:<br />
in this body<br />
MAR 14-18<br />
tanya tagaq<br />
+ laakkuluk<br />
williamson<br />
bathory<br />
MAR 22-24<br />
Geoffrey Sirett (The Overcoat: A Musical Tailoring), photo: Dahlia Katz<br />
Njo Kong Kie +<br />
Folgaa Gang Project<br />
picnic in the<br />
cemetery<br />
APR 26-MAY 6<br />
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Sponsor<br />
17.18 Berkeley<br />
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<strong>2017</strong>/18<br />
SEASON<br />
HANDEL<br />
MESSIAH<br />
Directed by Ivars Taurins<br />
Joanne Lunn soprano<br />
James Laing countertenor<br />
Rufus Müller tenor<br />
Brett Polegato baritone<br />
DEC 13–16, <strong>2017</strong> AT 7:30PM<br />
Tickets start at $39 for Toronto’s favourite<br />
holiday tradition! Seats selling quickly!<br />
SING-ALONG MESSIAH AT MASSEY HALL DIRECTED BY “HERR HANDEL” | DEC 17, <strong>2017</strong> AT 2PM<br />
WORLD<br />
PREMIERE!<br />
SAFE HAVEN<br />
A NEW PROGRAM FROM ALISON MACKAY<br />
DIRECTED BY ELISA CITTERIO<br />
JAN 18–21, <strong>2018</strong><br />
JEANNE LAMON HALL,<br />
TRINITY-ST. PAUL’S CENTRE<br />
JAN <strong>23</strong>, <strong>2018</strong><br />
GEORGE WESTON RECITAL HALL,<br />
TORONTO CENTRE FOR THE ARTS<br />
Featuring music from Vivaldi’s L’estro armonico, Telemann,<br />
Bach, and Vivaldi’s “Winter” from The Four Seasons.<br />
Production Sponsor<br />
Safe Haven is generously supported by The Pluralism Fund<br />
GWRH Series sponsored by<br />
tafelmusik.org
<strong>December</strong> 31 • 7:00 pm<br />
OPERA CANADA SYMPHONY • OPERA CANADA CHORUS<br />
Marco Guidarini, conductor<br />
Barbara Bargnesi<br />
soprano<br />
David Pomeroy<br />
tenor<br />
Carolyn Sproule<br />
mezzo-soprano<br />
Francesca Sassu<br />
soprano<br />
Carmen • Aida • La bohème • Turandot<br />
Massimo Cavalletti<br />
baritone<br />
Celebrate New Year’s at<br />
<strong>January</strong> 1 • 2:30 pm<br />
Strauss Symphony of Canada<br />
Niels Muus, conductor (Vienna)<br />
Lilla Galambos, soprano (Vienna)<br />
Thomas Weinhappel, baritone (Vienna)<br />
Featuring dancers from Kiev-Aniko Ballet of Ukraine &<br />
International Champion Ballroom Dancers<br />
European Singers,<br />
Ballroom Dancers, Ballet<br />
Enjoy Waltzes, Polkas & Operetta Excerpts<br />
Co-presented by Attila Glatz Concert Productions and Roy Thomson Hall.<br />
Artists subject to change without notice.<br />
Media Partner:<br />
Tickets: 416.872.4255 • roythomsonhall.com
PRICELESS<br />
Vol <strong>23</strong> No 4<br />
ON OUR COVER<br />
DOUBLE ISSUE<br />
DECEMBER <strong>2017</strong> / JANUARY <strong>2018</strong><br />
CONCERT LISTINGS<br />
FEATURES | REVIEWS<br />
COVER STORY<br />
Artful Glitcher<br />
Nicole Lizée<br />
Q & A<br />
Richard Rose on<br />
Hamlet (the musical)<br />
DISCoveries<br />
Old Wine:<br />
On Bernstein<br />
Remastered<br />
Nicole Lizée<br />
PHOTO: MURRAY LIGHTBURN<br />
<strong>Volume</strong> <strong>23</strong> No 4 | <strong>December</strong> & <strong>January</strong> <strong>2017</strong>/18<br />
The 2013 Lachine Canal Sessions - Reel-to-Real Photography<br />
The photo session took place in mid November 2013. Murray<br />
Lightburn – whose day job is fronting indie rock band The<br />
Dears – is also a great photographer and we share a love of<br />
analogue. He brought three or four of his vintage film cameras,<br />
including a Rolleiflex. I brought a few of my vintage machines<br />
in a large suitcase, including an AKAI reel-to-reel and an<br />
oscillator robot. Over the course of four hours we shot near<br />
the iconic lighthouse on the pier in the heart of Old Lachine. It<br />
was brutally cold and the wind was like a knife. I was standing<br />
directly on the rocks on the water’s edge wearing heels. The<br />
tape from the reels began blowing off the reel into the camera<br />
(making for some great shots), and then eventually all over<br />
Lachine. We got a few looks from passersby. And there are some<br />
outtakes of the session that capture my emotional state as I<br />
casually froze to death. — Nicky Lizée<br />
The Choir of<br />
the Church of St. Andrew<br />
and St. Paul presents<br />
LUX<br />
a collection<br />
of sacred songs<br />
FEATURES<br />
7 OPENER | Back to the<br />
Future | DAVID PERLMAN<br />
8 FEATURE | Artful Glitching:<br />
Nicole Lizée |<br />
WENDALYN BARTLEY<br />
12 QUESTIONS & ANSWERS |<br />
Rock and Rage: director<br />
Richard Rose |<br />
JENNIFER PARR<br />
14 FEATURE| Seminal<br />
Schoenberg: the Second<br />
Viennese School |<br />
DAVID JAEGER<br />
16 QUESTIONS & ANSWERS |<br />
Finding the Balance:<br />
pianist George Li |<br />
PAUL ENNIS<br />
70 REMEMBERING |<br />
Celebrating Cathy Elliott |<br />
JENNIFER PARR<br />
71 WE ARE ALL MUSIC’S<br />
CHILDEN | MJ BUELL<br />
91 DISCOVERIES | Old Wine:<br />
Bernstein Remastered |<br />
BRUCE SURTEES<br />
ACD2 2771<br />
O Come<br />
All Ye Faithful<br />
Once in Royal David’s City<br />
A Spotless Rose<br />
Lux Aurumqueand<br />
Just released!<br />
November 17, <strong>2017</strong><br />
92<br />
G R I G O R I A N . C O M
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THANKS TO THIS MONTH’S CONTRIBUTORS<br />
Beat Columnists<br />
Wendalyn Bartley, Brian Chang, Paul Ennis,<br />
Christopher Hoile, Jack MacQuarrie, Jennifer Parr,<br />
Lydia Perović, Andrew Timar, Steve Wallace,<br />
Matthew Whitfield<br />
Features<br />
Wendalyn Bartley, Paul Ennis, David Jaeger,<br />
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Andrew Timar, Ken Waxman, Dianne Wells<br />
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an Ontario government agency<br />
un organisme du gouvernement de l’Ontario<br />
BEAT BY BEAT<br />
18 Classical & Beyond |<br />
PAUL ENNIS<br />
21 Music Theatre | JENNIFER PARR<br />
22 In with the New |<br />
WENDALYN BARTLEY<br />
<strong>23</strong> Early Music |<br />
MATTHEW WHITFIELD<br />
25 On Opera | CHRISTOPHER HOILE<br />
27 Art of Song | LYDIA PEROVIĆ<br />
30 Choral Scene | BRIAN CHANG<br />
33 World View | ANDREW TIMAR<br />
35 Jazz Notes | STEVE WALLACE<br />
36 Bandstand | JACK MACQUARRIE<br />
LISTINGS<br />
39 A | Concerts in the GTA<br />
58 B | Concerts Beyond the GTA<br />
63 C | Music Theatre<br />
56 D | In the Clubs (Mostly Jazz)<br />
67 E | The ETCeteras<br />
33<br />
DISCOVERIES:<br />
RECORDINGS REVIEWED<br />
72 Editor’s Corner: DAVID OLDS<br />
74 Strings Attached:<br />
TERRY ROBBINS<br />
76 Keyed In: ALEX BARAN<br />
78 Vocal<br />
80 Classical and Beyond<br />
82 Modern and Contemporary<br />
83 Jazz and Improvised Music<br />
88 Pot Pourri<br />
89 Something in the Air |<br />
KEN WAXMAN<br />
91 Old Wine, New Bottles |<br />
BRUCE SURTEES<br />
MORE<br />
6 Contact Information<br />
7 Upcoming dates and<br />
deadlines<br />
69 Classified Ads<br />
6 | <strong>December</strong> <strong>2017</strong> / <strong>January</strong> <strong>2018</strong> thewholenote.com
FOR OPENERS | DAVID PERLMAN<br />
Back to<br />
the Future<br />
Sometimes the way I can tell that things are going well around<br />
here is by noticing how small, in the overall scheme of<br />
things, the things I am fretting about actually are. Like two<br />
days ago when I found myself agonizing about whether it would be<br />
more accurate, on the cover, to describe this two-month issue as<br />
“combined” or “double.” “Double,” I told myself, is how I think we<br />
have usually done it. But with the concert scene being significantly<br />
put on hold in the latter part of <strong>December</strong>, for Festivus or whatever<br />
you choose to call it, and the first couple of weeks of <strong>January</strong><br />
significantly dedicated to recovery, there isn’t double the amount of<br />
activity. “Combined” would be more accurate. I went searching for<br />
answers in our “rear view mirror” – the complete <strong>23</strong>-year flip-through<br />
archive of this publication on our website – to see what we’ve done<br />
in the past, all the way back to Vol 1 No 4 in <strong>December</strong> 1995. (Click on<br />
Previous <strong>Issue</strong>s under the “About” tab.)<br />
The results: “double” takes the prize by a long way, with “nothing<br />
in particular” a respectable second (as in the cover of Vol 1 No 4 illustrated<br />
here). “Combined” is almost nowhere to be found, except this<br />
time last year. (Things must have been going well for even longer than<br />
I thought!)<br />
There were three other things that I particularly noticed, as I flipped<br />
my way through the archive.<br />
First was how often the subjects of the covers of past Dec/Jan<br />
issues, especially the early ones, still crop up in our current coverage:<br />
Tafelmusik’s Ivars Taurins in his “Herr Handel” Massey Hall “Sing-<br />
Along Messiah” outfit (Vol 2); Val Kuinka, who will be stage-directing<br />
Highlands Opera Studio’s production of Andrew Balfour’s new opera<br />
Mishaabooz’s Realm this <strong>December</strong> (Vol 3); the Toronto Children’s<br />
Chorus (Vol 5) and mezzo Krisztina Szabó (Vol 7) who will appear<br />
together in the TCC’s concert “The Fire Within” <strong>December</strong> 16 at Roy<br />
Thomson Hall; Barbara Hannigan (Vol 6), just here in November<br />
for a Koerner art song recital, who dropped into her hometown in<br />
<strong>December</strong> 1999, fresh off her Lincoln Center debut, to see in Y2K as<br />
the Merry Widow for Toronto Operetta Theatre, whose New Year’s<br />
Day-straddling productions of light opera and operettas are a timehonoured<br />
fixture of the holiday season … The list goes on.<br />
Second, amusingly, was noticing the different ways the cover copy<br />
on these various issues riffs on the contrast, performance-wise,<br />
between <strong>December</strong> and <strong>January</strong>: “The Holiday Season and Its (Not-<br />
So) Flip Side”; “<strong>December</strong> Glitter, <strong>January</strong> Gold”; “To the Holidays and<br />
Beyond!”; and (my favourite), “Mid-Season Blip.”<br />
Third, and this is for you, whomever you may be: in analyzing the<br />
pattern of when we did and didn’t make an effort on the cover to call<br />
attention to the fact that it was a double issue, it seems that the years<br />
we made an extra effort (like the words DOUBLE ISSUE in 30-point<br />
type around a medallion of two-headed Janus) were right after years<br />
when we had made no effort at all. And that is because those were<br />
the years when you phoned me up to complain that it was already<br />
<strong>January</strong> 8 and your <strong>January</strong> WholeNote had still not arrived.<br />
It won’t this year either!<br />
The Rear View Mirror: The context for the headline on Vol 1 No 4,<br />
pictured here (still one of my favourites), is that it coincided with<br />
a time when funders of the arts (in particular the Ontario Arts<br />
Council) were reeling under the impact of the politics of the time.<br />
The “Common Sense Revolution” it was called. This year, for the first<br />
time in many years, we are seeing significant increases in funding to<br />
the OAC (increases that are being passed along). If it’s a sign that the<br />
value of the contribution that artists make to the wellbeing of Ontario,<br />
economically and in every other way, has been recognized, it’s a<br />
welcome sign indeed.<br />
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thewholenote.com <strong>December</strong> <strong>2017</strong> / <strong>January</strong> <strong>2018</strong> | 7
COVER STORY: IN WITH THE NEW<br />
ARTFUL GLITCHING:<br />
Nicole Lizée WENDALYN BARTLEY<br />
STEVE RAEGALE<br />
MURRAY LIGHTBURN<br />
Each year at the<br />
University of Toronto’s<br />
New Music Festival,<br />
a composer is invited to<br />
be the Roger D. Moore<br />
Distinguished Visitor in<br />
Composition. This year the<br />
festival, which runs from<br />
<strong>January</strong> 21 to 28, will host<br />
Canadian composer, sound artist and keyboardist Nicole<br />
Lizée. I’ve been fascinated by Lizée’s unique approach to<br />
working with technology and instruments, so this felt<br />
like a perfect opportunity to learn more.<br />
One of the key features of her work is the use of what she calls<br />
“glitch.” In our recent interview she offered an inspiring description<br />
of her unique relationship to working with media-based technologies<br />
and what it is that fascinates her about malfunctioning machines.<br />
“I was born into that world. My father is an electronics repairman,<br />
salesman and collector who was always repairing or beta testing new<br />
technologies and devices. During the 1960s, 70s and 80s there was<br />
a lot of experimentation, and many of the machines didn’t always<br />
work at first. I grew to love these machines – the way they looked and<br />
smelled, as well as the sounds and visuals they would produce.”<br />
Lizée’s parents were huge fans of music, including classical,<br />
soundtracks and easy listening, and had an extensive LP collection. Old<br />
films were also a favourite, and she grew up watching films on video by<br />
Hitchcock, Kubrick and Bergman. “We would watch on repeat, repeat,<br />
repeat, and inevitably the tapes would melt or malfunction. This is<br />
when those movies became the most interesting to me. The version of<br />
The Sound of Music that I know is not the version most people know.”<br />
Lizée’s passion for both music and film led to a desire to merge<br />
these worlds. This, in combination with her strong emotional<br />
connection to the malfunctioning analogue technologies of her<br />
childhood, inspired her vision to bring this world into the concert hall<br />
and to mix it with live instrumental performers.<br />
The main source of fascination was the glitch – machines<br />
malfunctioning and not behaving as planned. “Analogue devices<br />
have a life beyond what they’re intended to do. They continue to live.<br />
The tapes would become chewed or worn down, but would still play<br />
back. Their material would then become altered and new rhythms<br />
would emerge.” She gives the example of a video game machine<br />
that would play, “but if you pushed a certain button in a particular<br />
way, something else that wasn’t supposed to happen would start<br />
happening. It was crazy – and like going into a portal. I wanted to<br />
capture those sounds and those visuals, and compose with that<br />
in mind. Capturing glitch means capturing the malfunction, the<br />
stuttering, the rhythms and sounds that would be produced.”<br />
8 | <strong>December</strong> <strong>2017</strong> / <strong>January</strong> <strong>2018</strong> thewholenote.com
Many of her works also use video, but not as accompaniment to<br />
the music – rather, the video becomes an instrument itself that the<br />
performer engages with in a synced-up dialogue. Even the glitches<br />
themselves become instruments.<br />
On the stage, Lizée uses both malfunctioning technologies such<br />
as reel to reel tape recorders and old synths, as well as “behaving<br />
ones” – usually performed on by others. The glitching devices are<br />
unpredictable, so she needs to perform with that in mind and often<br />
she has no idea what will happen with them. It requires keeping an<br />
open mind and working with whatever happens. Using such devices<br />
gives new colours such as hums and hisses, and even when they don't<br />
work properly, other things will be present. Despite the glitches, the<br />
analogue machines will always offer her something to work with.<br />
They won’t shut off or fail to function – unlike digital devices. “I have<br />
never come across an analogue device that completely shuts down. It<br />
may go crazy and be unpredictable in a concert, and sometimes there<br />
will be a malfunctioning cable, but it will never shut down. It just<br />
keeps going.”<br />
“I have never come across an analogue<br />
device that completely shuts down. It may<br />
go crazy … but it just keeps going.”<br />
CHRIS HUTCHESON<br />
What enables Lizée to use these glitch features in the composing<br />
process is the notation system she has devised. And she doesn’t<br />
just approximate the sound, but rather employs great precision<br />
to accurately translate what is occurring within the glitch. Using<br />
changing time signatures for example, rather than adjusting<br />
everything to regular 4/4 time, is one outcome of her approach.<br />
Spending years developing her transcription process was essential to<br />
developing her perspective on composing music.<br />
And yes, she admits, it is labour intensive, but “ultimately it has<br />
pushed me in many ways, and performers tell me repeatedly how<br />
it has made them play differently. They all have their stories and it’s<br />
extremely interesting to hear how their relationship to this element<br />
has pushed them. It taps into different emotions and requires a<br />
spot-on precision. The stops and starts, changing tempos, metres,<br />
volume extremes, this all requires a player to completely commit to<br />
delving into this world.”<br />
Working with glitch brings up emotions in players that are of a<br />
different order than usual. The glitch often creates a “forlorn and<br />
thewholenote.com <strong>December</strong> <strong>2017</strong> / <strong>January</strong> <strong>2018</strong> | 9
WHAT’s NEW?<br />
In the New Year<br />
(and Previously Mentioned)<br />
STEVE RAEGALE<br />
plaintive sound which gets into the ears and head of the player. People<br />
tell me how they’ve gone through shock, fear and sadness, and that’s<br />
because of the source material and the way it is dealt with. It is being<br />
torn apart, hacked and taken into a different direction than originally<br />
intended.”<br />
At the U of T New Music Festival, Montreal’s Architek Percussion<br />
will be joining forces with Lizée’s ensemble SaskPwr on the evening<br />
of <strong>January</strong> 25 to perform selections from Lizée’s The Criterion<br />
Collection. These short works are an homage to both glitch and to her<br />
favourite film directors, Alfred Hitchcock and Stanley Kubrick. While<br />
watching these films growing up, “I was getting into the language<br />
and techniques of the director, but also while watching it, the tape<br />
was deteriorating and this whole other world was being created by<br />
the glitch and malfunction. The sound and image are completely<br />
synonymous and intertwined. When the glitch happens, it happens<br />
to both. The performance will be one hour long, nonstop. Everything<br />
will be live and synced, with heavily glitched scenes.”<br />
Another of her works, Malfunctionlieder, will be performed<br />
during the festival's noon concert on <strong>January</strong> 25. This piece was<br />
commissioned as a test piece for voice and piano for the <strong>2017</strong><br />
Eckhardt-Gramatté Competition, which is designed to encourage<br />
the performance of Canadian and contemporary music. Lizée’s piece<br />
includes an accompanying soundtrack and video and represents the<br />
first time in the history of the competition (which began in 1976)<br />
that the repertoire has included the worlds of both acoustic music<br />
and technology. This work also represents a more recent direction<br />
for Lizée – to write works for voice. Writing for the voice “opens up<br />
the possibility of a whole other world where the live human voice<br />
engages with the glitched characters on the screen as well as with the<br />
audience.”<br />
And finally, her work Isabella Blow at Somerset House will be<br />
performed on <strong>January</strong> 24 by the Cecilia String Quartet, who played the<br />
work earlier this year at the 21C Festival in May. Lizée wrote the piece<br />
as an acoustic representation of fashion designer Isabella Blow and<br />
what her impact on the fashion industry might sound like. If you are<br />
intrigued to experience more of Lizée’s fascinating work, I encourage<br />
you to attend not only the concerts, but also her composition<br />
masterclasses on <strong>January</strong> 24 and 26, and the composers’ forum on<br />
<strong>January</strong> <strong>23</strong>.<br />
The festival will also feature concerts from the Faculty of<br />
Music’s opera, chamber music and orchestra series, a night of<br />
improvising music from the jazz department and a concert devoted<br />
to electroacoustic music. In addition to Lizée’s Isabella Blow, the<br />
Karen Kieser Prize Concert on <strong>January</strong> 24 features Tyler Versluis’<br />
<strong>2017</strong> prizewinning work 3 Unuttered Miracles for accordion and<br />
percussion, along with past prize winner Riho Maimets’ Three<br />
Movements for Marimba.<br />
On <strong>January</strong> 26 in the Array Space on Walnut Ave., The<br />
Array Ensemble performs four new works by four Canadian<br />
composers: Rebecca Bruton (Calgary), Marielle Groven<br />
(Montréal), Stephen Parkinson (Toronto) and Holger Schoorl<br />
(Toronto). Bruton’s work happens in the intervening spaces<br />
between avant-pop, experimental chamber music and noise,<br />
and one of her current projects is co-creative producer of<br />
Tidal ~ Signal, a Vancouver-based festival dedicated to<br />
increasing representation of women and transgender artists<br />
within the fields of sound art and experimental music.<br />
Groven’s work draws on raw and emotionally charged<br />
sounds, with attention to connections between evocative<br />
human and instrumental sounds. Parkinson is a composer<br />
and performer with the Drystone Orchestra. His work,<br />
Desires Are Already Memories, is part of Arraymusic’s New<br />
World CD. Schoorl is a guitarist who is an active participant<br />
in Toronto’s improvisation community. The day following the<br />
concert, all four composers will re-gather and spontaneously<br />
compose together in various combinations.<br />
Many of early <strong>December</strong>’s events of new music were mentioned<br />
in my November column, including the “Urgent Voices” concert<br />
presented by Continuum Contemporary Music on <strong>December</strong> 8<br />
and 9 at the Daniels Spectrum Aki Studio, ...as well as New<br />
Music Concerts’ “Concertos” on <strong>December</strong> 3 at the National<br />
Ballet School’s Betty Oliphant Theatre.<br />
Upcoming New Music Concerts productions in the new<br />
year include “Kammerkonzert” on <strong>January</strong> 14 at the same<br />
venue, with a focus on music by the primary composers of<br />
the Second Viennese School, Arnold Schoenberg and Alban<br />
Berg. Michael Oesterle’s Chamber Concerto will also receive<br />
its world premiere there. Then on February 4, NMC presents<br />
Calgary’s Land’s End Ensemble at Gallery 345 on Sorauren<br />
Ave., performing compositions by Canadians Hope Lee, Sean<br />
Clarke and Matthew Ricketts. Anton Webern’s 1922 chamber<br />
arrangement of Schoenberg’s Kammersymphonie Op.9 will<br />
round out the program.<br />
And finally, the Music Gallery presents their first Emergents<br />
Concert of the season on <strong>December</strong> 7 at the the 918 Bathurst<br />
Centre for Culture, Arts, Media and Education, with four<br />
contemporary song cycles created as part of the Sounds Of<br />
Silence Initiative. After just one year, this initiative has brought<br />
together over 50 composers, poets and musicians to create new<br />
Canadian art song that tells the story of a diverse Canadian<br />
cultural identity, and supports, in particular, artists from<br />
Indigenous, immigrant, black, refugee and LGBT communities.<br />
For details on all these and other performances of interest,<br />
consult our comprehensive concert listings in this <strong>December</strong>-<br />
<strong>January</strong> double issue of the magazine, or online at<br />
thewholenote.com/just_ask, where you can filter the listings by<br />
genre to simplify your search.<br />
Wendalyn Bartley is a Toronto-based composer and electrovocal<br />
sound artist. sounddreaming@gmail.com.<br />
10 | <strong>December</strong> <strong>2017</strong> / <strong>January</strong> <strong>2018</strong> thewholenote.com
GREAT<br />
CHAMBER MUSIC<br />
DOWNTOWN<br />
Acclaimed quartet and beloved soprano<br />
offer a special programme<br />
BRENTANO QUARTET<br />
with soprano DAWN UPSHAW<br />
Thursday, <strong>January</strong> 11, <strong>2018</strong> at 8pm<br />
“Witty, buoyant, and wickedly attentive”<br />
—the Gazette, Montreal<br />
ST. LAWRENCE QUARTET<br />
Thursday, February 1, <strong>2018</strong> at 8pm<br />
The Gryphon Trio add<br />
Jethro Marks to play Brahms<br />
GRYPHON TRIO<br />
Thursday, <strong>December</strong> 7, <strong>2017</strong> at 8pm<br />
A true polymath, both as a uniquely insightful<br />
concert pianist, and as a writer and composer<br />
STEPHEN HOUGH<br />
Tuesday, <strong>January</strong> <strong>23</strong>, <strong>2018</strong> at 8pm<br />
TICKETS: 416.366.77<strong>23</strong> | www.stlc.com<br />
27 Front Street East, Toronto
Q & A<br />
ROCK<br />
AND RAGE<br />
Richard Rose<br />
on Tarragon’s<br />
Hamlet<br />
COURTESY TARRAGON THEATRE<br />
JENNIFER PARR<br />
“<br />
Music Theatre” as we use the term in The WholeNote<br />
is a large tent, covering a wide range of<br />
productions and performances in which music<br />
pervades the drama rather than simply decorating it. It’s<br />
this interweaving that I will be hoping for in a new<br />
version of a Shakespearean classic opening at the<br />
Tarragon Theatre in Toronto on <strong>January</strong> 2. Artistic director<br />
Richard Rose is making a foray into new and uncharted<br />
(pun intended) territory with a rock and roll Hamlet,<br />
with music and music direction by his longtime<br />
collaborator Thomas Ryder Payne.<br />
As a longtime devotee of both Shakespeare and musicals, with<br />
a particular fascination for when the two become blended into<br />
one, I contacted Rose to find out more about the inspiration<br />
behind this idea and what we might expect.<br />
The show isn’t even in rehearsal yet, so it is early for the<br />
director to speak about what we will see in <strong>January</strong> – but in some<br />
ways it was even more interesting to have that conversation now,<br />
as the concept and its development are currently still in flux.<br />
Here is some of what we spoke about (edited for length):<br />
WN: What was the initial inspiration to turn Hamlet into a rock<br />
and roll musical?<br />
RR: I’ve always wanted to do Hamlet, and you want to find a great<br />
time to do it. It’s not really a rock and roll musical. It’s part concert,<br />
part radio play, part performance. I’m not sure where it will eventually<br />
land. I had an idea that it would be interesting to do Hamlet<br />
accompanied by a rock and roll concert. I didn’t really know what that<br />
would lead to except that the play always seemed to be about a young<br />
person’s despair and rage against the system, about trying to find out<br />
who they are. Hamlet is struggling between being a hero who can<br />
take action and his conscience: how do you act in the world when the<br />
world is actually politically corrupt?<br />
But why rock and roll particularly?<br />
Because of the rage. Marshall McLuhan talks about how young<br />
people have turned to rock and roll to push out all this information<br />
of the electronic age that is coming at them, and they’re shrieking,<br />
trying to express their identity – and that’s why it is so loud – to<br />
somehow express their anger – and that’s Hamlet, isn’t it? He is<br />
asking “Am I man of action or conscience? Can I kill someone, can<br />
I commit an act of revenge knowing that the society and the world<br />
around me is filled with lies? I have to do absolutely the right thing,<br />
but I don’t know what the right thing is.”<br />
If we have a world full of lies it is very hard to know who we are; here<br />
the music, the rock and roll, will be a fundamental way of showing the<br />
anger at the hypocrisy of the world and it goes further than that.<br />
You and Thomas Ryder Payne are longtime collaborators. But every<br />
show is different. How did it work this time?<br />
He was part of the project from the beginning and we both felt that<br />
Hamlet was the right fit for a rock and roll take, and rock and roll was<br />
the way to connect to young audiences today. In a preliminary workshop<br />
a rough concept emerged, of speaking the text against a musical<br />
background. Hamlet’s soliloquies, for example, got bashed against<br />
the progression of a rock and roll guitar accompaniment [capturing] a<br />
feeling of what Hamlet is going through as he speaks. Then we started<br />
to find and develop a sonic experience.<br />
12 | <strong>December</strong> <strong>2017</strong> / <strong>January</strong> <strong>2018</strong> thewholenote.com
Sonic experience?<br />
An environmental mood creating the overall time and space of the<br />
play, as well as for specific scenes and effects such as the appearance<br />
of the ghost – or the chaos of the Danish Court through a mashup<br />
of Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture with jazz and martial music. So,<br />
while this is not at all a traditional rock musical, music is essential<br />
and dictated the working method. We would jam like a rock band:<br />
someone comes up with a riff, someone starts to work with that riff,<br />
someone starts to sing a song to that riff or we speak to that riff.<br />
Where do the actors fit into the process?<br />
Call it ongoing experimentation – the company is not yet officially<br />
in rehearsal at this point. It’s things like the actors taking a different<br />
approach to the text, looking at the words as song lyrics from different<br />
genres such as punk, or from the points of view of singers as different<br />
as Mick Jagger, Frank Sinatra or Peggy Lee, to see what effect this has<br />
on the speaking or thinking of the lines.<br />
“If we have a world full of lies it is<br />
very hard to know who we are.”<br />
And actual songs?<br />
There will be at least some songs as well as the underscoring and<br />
background music. Hamlet will have a song of his own, though<br />
most of the soliloquies are spoken. The Gravedigger has a song as he<br />
actually does in the play. Hamlet and Ophelia’s relationship will be<br />
explored through music with Ophelia possibly singing snatches of<br />
her later “mad songs” as happy innocent pop songs early in the play,<br />
then distorted versions of those songs after the death of her father…<br />
And we’re seeing the play within the play, when Hamlet tries to prove<br />
Claudius' guilt, as a kind of mini-operetta, a heightened moment of<br />
performance for the other characters to watch…. Most of it though<br />
will be spoken against music rather than sung – [and while] there<br />
will be some elements of staging the performers will mostly be<br />
acting the play at microphones like a radio play, but supported by<br />
the sound behind that evokes the world, the inner life, and works<br />
with them.<br />
And the musicians?<br />
The actors themselves. Only two will not be singing or playing<br />
instruments: Nigel Shawn Williams as Claudius, and Tantoo Cardinal<br />
as Gertrude. All the others will be singing and playing instruments,<br />
with no additional musicians to back them up other than<br />
[composer and music director] Thomas Ryder Payne as live mixer<br />
and sound man.<br />
As Rose went on to explain, the company is comprised of actors<br />
who are almost all musicians as well. Noah Reid, whose album Songs<br />
from a Broken Chair is available on iTunes, stars as Hamlet. Brandon<br />
McGibbon of the ElastoCitizens, and many musical theatre credits<br />
including Once and The Producers, will play Laertes as a teenager so<br />
obsessed with his guitar that he never puts it down until his world<br />
falls apart with the death of his father and madness of his sister. Jack<br />
Nicholsen, Greg Gale, Jesse LaVercombe, Beau Dixon, Cliff Saunders,<br />
Rachel Cairns (the one piece of cross-gender casting as Rosencrantz)<br />
all have strong musical backgrounds, and Tiffany Ayalik, who plays<br />
Ophelia, has special vocal techniques from the discipline of throat<br />
singing “to go to places other people don’t go.”<br />
“To go to places other people don’t go” sounds like a fitting<br />
mission statement for this latest outing by an always adventurous<br />
theatrical team.<br />
Hamlet runs <strong>January</strong> 2 to February 11 in the Tarragon Main Space<br />
at 30 Bridgman Ave., Toronto.<br />
Jennifer Parr’s regular Music Theatre column appears elsewhere<br />
in this issue of The WholeNote.<br />
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thewholenote.com <strong>December</strong> <strong>2017</strong> / <strong>January</strong> <strong>2018</strong> | 13
FEATURE<br />
SEMINAL<br />
SCHOENBERG<br />
A Mini-Revival of the<br />
Second Viennese School<br />
DAVID JAEGER<br />
Glenn Gould recording Schoenberg’s songs with Helen Vanni, 1964.<br />
DON HUNSTEIN<br />
Late in 1974, CBC Radio, in collaboration with writer/<br />
host Glenn Gould (1932-1982) and with me as<br />
producer, presented Arnold Schoenberg: The Man<br />
Who Changed Music, ten one-hour-long broadcasts<br />
honouring the centennial of the birth of composer<br />
Arnold Schoenberg (1874–1951).<br />
It was a comprehensive series of programs, and in the course of<br />
those ten episodes a great deal of Schoenberg’s music was heard,<br />
including the early Romantic works, the middle period, freely atonal<br />
pieces and the serial, 12-tone works of his late period. The inclusion of<br />
much of the Austrian/American composer’s piano music, as recorded<br />
by Gould himself, was a unique feature of the series. Gould’s script<br />
was written carefully and in a conversational style, for shared delivery<br />
between the CBC Radio staff announcer (or “sidekick,” as Gould at<br />
times called him), Ken Haslam (1930-2016) and Gould, the series host.<br />
The writing was clear, precise, with typical Gouldian exactitude. Every<br />
word was meant to count, even those words that appeared to express<br />
the personal opinions of Haslam, but which had clearly been placed<br />
in the script by Gould. And the point of all these words and music was<br />
to share as much of the Schoenberg legacy with CBC listeners as was<br />
possible within the allotted air time, and along the way, to demonstrate<br />
Gould’s devotion to it.<br />
In the tenth and final chapter of that series of broadcasts, and at<br />
precisely the right moment for summative comments about the ten<br />
programs, Gould says, “Even now, <strong>23</strong> years after his death, it’s extraordinarily<br />
difficult to effect any really balanced judgment about<br />
Schoenberg’s contribution. Though it’s not particularly difficult to<br />
find an axe to grind and with which one can whack away with.” And<br />
despite Gould’s own personal admiration for Schoenberg’s music, he<br />
doubted that the composer would ever become, as he termed it, “a<br />
household word.”<br />
Notwithstanding this assessment of the prospects for a wider<br />
acceptance of the music of Schoenberg and his students and disciples –<br />
the so-called Second Viennese School – people like flutist/composer<br />
Robert Aitken, the founder and artistic director of Toronto’s New<br />
Music Concerts (NMC), value it as an essential foundation of today’s<br />
music. And in fact, within the first eight weeks of <strong>2018</strong>, New Music<br />
Concerts’ programming will include Schoenberg’s Phantasy Op.47;<br />
his String Trio Op.45; the Chamber Symphony Op.9, in a quintet<br />
setting by Anton Webern (1883-1945); and Alban Berg’s (1885-1935)<br />
Chamber Concerto. A newly commissioned Chamber Concerto by<br />
Montreal composer Michael Oesterle (b. 1968), which uses the identical<br />
chamber orchestra as Berg’s concerto, will reflect the entire<br />
collection in the light of the present.<br />
I asked Aitken what prompted him to create, in effect, a mini-revival<br />
of the Second Viennese School in New Music Concerts’ programming<br />
for <strong>2018</strong>. He told me that the desire to include this repertoire is always<br />
a factor in his thinking, and that it has been so ever since he studied<br />
composition with John Weinzweig in the early 1960s. Weinzweig<br />
taught the 12-tone, or serial, technique of composing that Schoenberg<br />
had devised and introduced in 1921. Aitken told me that one of the<br />
aspects of Schoenberg’s music he admires is that, even given the<br />
Robert Aitken<br />
© DANIEL FOLEY<br />
14 | <strong>December</strong> <strong>2017</strong> / <strong>January</strong> <strong>2018</strong> thewholenote.com
frequent complexity of the counterpoint, the clarity of the music is<br />
never an issue. Aitken says that clarity and attention to every minute<br />
detail are also important values in his own compositions, musing that<br />
such attention to detail is a Virgo trait. (He and Schoenberg are both<br />
Virgos, as was Schoenberg’s student, John Cage (1912-1992).)<br />
New Music Concerts’ three-concert Schoenbergian revival kicks<br />
off at the Betty Oliphant Theatre at 8pm on Sunday, <strong>January</strong> 14,<br />
with a program featuring the Chicago-based Duo Diorama, violinist<br />
MingHuan Xu and Winston Choi, piano, performing the Schoenberg<br />
Phantasy Op. 47, and as the soloists in the chamber concertos of<br />
Alban Berg and Michael<br />
Oesterle. In that tenth<br />
and final centennial<br />
broadcast in the CBC’s<br />
1974 Gould/Schoenberg<br />
series, Gould said of the<br />
Phantasy, composed<br />
in 1949, and one of<br />
Schoenberg’s last<br />
completed works: “I<br />
Michael<br />
Oesterle<br />
still think it’s full of<br />
uneasy mixtures of<br />
Brahms and Wagner:<br />
you know, expressionistic violin lines, soaring, diving, equally expressionistic<br />
harmonics within a relatively four-squarish sentence structure.”<br />
Gould himself recorded the Phantasy with violinist Israel Baker<br />
in 1964 for Columbia Records.<br />
The idea to commission the Chamber Concerto by Oesterle sprang<br />
from the shared enthusiasm by Aitken, Oesterle and Daniel Cooper,<br />
an enthusiastic NMC supporter, for the Berg Chamber Concerto for<br />
piano, violin and 13 winds (19<strong>23</strong>-1925). Oesterle’s concerto has the<br />
same instrumental forces as the Berg, and it will receive its world<br />
premiere on the <strong>January</strong> 14 concert. The Berg Chamber Concerto will<br />
complete the program. Aitken will conduct the NMC ensemble, with<br />
Duo Diorama as soloists.<br />
Three weeks later, on February 4, at Gallery 345, NMC will present<br />
a 19<strong>23</strong> Anton Webern arrangement of Schoenberg’s Chamber<br />
Symphony No. 1 Op. 9 (1906). The Calgary-based Land’s End<br />
Ensemble will be joined by Aitken on flute and clarinetist James<br />
Campbell for this quintet version of one of Schoenberg’s more<br />
frequently arranged works. Schoenberg himself arranged the piece<br />
twice, for both smaller and larger forces. Berg made an arrangement<br />
for two pianos, and Webern’s arrangement itself exists in two versions.<br />
Land’s End Ensemble will also perform trios by Canadians Sean Clarke<br />
(b. 1983), Hope Lee (b. 1953) and Matthew Ricketts (b. 1986).<br />
It’s extraordinarily difficult to effect any<br />
really balanced judgment about Schoenberg’s<br />
contribution ... It’s not particularly difficult to<br />
find an axe to grind. — Glenn Gould<br />
Finally, three weeks later on February 25, at 8pm at Gallery 345,<br />
NMC will present another late work by Schoenberg: his String Trio<br />
Op. 45 (1946), in a performance by Trio Arkel, along with a program<br />
of trios by Krzysztof Penderecki (b. 1933), Kaija Saariaho (b. 1952)<br />
and James Rolfe (b. 1961). The concert will be preceded at 6:30pm<br />
by a screening of the Larry Weinstein film, My War Years: Arnold<br />
Schoenberg.<br />
Perhaps by the end of this sequence of three concerts, it will be<br />
revealed that any doubts about the value of Schoenberg’s contribution<br />
have, by now, diminished or even vanished altogether – and that,<br />
if not yet in Gould’s phrase “a household word,” Schoenberg is at very<br />
least a welcome and engaging house guest.<br />
David Jaeger is a composer, producer<br />
and broadcaster based in Toronto.<br />
<strong>2017</strong>.<strong>2018</strong><br />
SEASON HIGHLIGHTS<br />
New Music Festival<br />
With Canadian composer, sound artist and keyboardist Nicole Lizée.<br />
Chamber Music<br />
Musicians from Marlboro, Cecilia String Quartet with Patricia Parr, and<br />
Krisztina Szabó, Christopher Enns and Steven Philcox in The Artist’s Life<br />
Through Song.<br />
Choirs in Concert and Early Music<br />
Sing and Rejoice!, In High Voice, Music for a Sunday Afternoon,<br />
Cherubini’s Requiem with the UofT Symphony Orchestra,<br />
The Tallis Scholars, and Mozart’s Requiem.<br />
Thursdays at Noon<br />
Beverley Johnston, Timothy Ying, Lydia Wong and Teng Li, Music and<br />
Poetry, Rob MacDonald, Rudin Lengo, Simona Genga, and Asher Ian<br />
Armstrong and Emily Kruspe.<br />
Visitors<br />
George E. Lewis, Johannes Debus, Howard Shore, John Hess, Ineke<br />
Vandoorn and Marc van Vugt, and Renee Rosnes.<br />
For complete <strong>2017</strong>-<strong>2018</strong> listings visit music.utoronto.ca. Tickets: 416.408.0208<br />
The Faculty of Music gratefully acknowledges the generous support of our presenting sponsors:<br />
thewholenote.com <strong>December</strong> <strong>2017</strong> / <strong>January</strong> <strong>2018</strong> | 15
Q & A<br />
FINDING<br />
THE BALANCE<br />
PIANIST<br />
GEORGE LI<br />
PAUL ENNIS<br />
The 2015 International Tchaikovsky Competition<br />
produced a motherlode of talent, sparking concert<br />
careers by each of its top four prizewinners. This past<br />
March, Show One Productions brought gold medallist<br />
Dmitry Masleev to Koerner Hall; on February 4 they will<br />
complete the Koerner circle with George Li’s recital there.<br />
Boston-born Li – the son of Chinese immigrants – shared<br />
second place with Lithuanian-Russian pianist Lukas<br />
Geniušas, whom Show One presented in a memorable<br />
2016 Koerner Hall concert with fourth-place winner<br />
Lucas Debargue of France.<br />
A student of English Literature at Harvard now in his fourth year,<br />
Li explained in an email exchange with me in mid-November that<br />
his non-musical studies have affected his approach and led to a<br />
deeper understanding of the music he plays, echoing what he told the<br />
Harvard Gazette in September 2016: “With music, there’s a balancing<br />
of different qualities and you have to have control and finesse and<br />
technique. There’s always a fine line between too much control and<br />
technique with being overly emotional, overindulgent. With literature,<br />
it’s not always an outpouring of emotion. It never goes overboard. It’s<br />
on the cusp of going overboard, but it never does.”<br />
Elsewhere in this issue in his Editor’s Corner, DISCoveries editor<br />
David Olds calls Li a “fabulous young performer” in his review of Li’s<br />
debut CD, Live at the Mariinsky.<br />
WN: How important a role did music play in your home<br />
growing up?<br />
GL: It was definitely a big part of my life ever since I was little. I was<br />
always surrounded by music, whether it be listening to the classical<br />
CANZONA<br />
THE MUSIC SPEAKS<br />
SUN DEC 3 - ISLAND |<br />
MON DEC 4 - CITY<br />
A collaboration of musicians<br />
from the Toronto Symphony<br />
Orchestra and the National<br />
Arts Centre Orchestra.<br />
Mendelssohn’s miraculous<br />
String Octet in E Flat Major<br />
Opus 20 and Brahms’s first<br />
string sextet, Opus 18.<br />
SAT JAN 27 - CITY |<br />
SUN JAN 28 - ISLAND<br />
TRIO INK<br />
Yosuke Kawasaki, violin;<br />
Wolfram Koessel, cello; and<br />
Vadim Serebryany, piano;<br />
play works by Schumann,<br />
Brahms, and Shostakovich.<br />
<strong>2017</strong>-18<br />
CHAMBER MUSIC<br />
SERIES<br />
ON TORONTO<br />
ISLAND at St Andrew<br />
by the Lake Church:<br />
2pm, brunch at 12:30,<br />
by reservation.<br />
IN THE CITY<br />
at St. George the Martyr<br />
Anglican Church,<br />
197 John St., Toronto.<br />
7:30pm<br />
UPCOMING CONCERTS:<br />
FEB 25/26, MAR 18/19, APR 15/16, MAY 27/28<br />
SINGLE CONCERT TICKETS $25<br />
SEASON TICKETS $150<br />
With brunch (Island concerts only):<br />
$45 (single concert) $270 (season)<br />
reservations@canzona.org 416-822-0613<br />
SIMON FOWLER<br />
16 | <strong>December</strong> <strong>2017</strong> / <strong>January</strong> 18 thewholenote.com
adio station, going to concerts to hear the BSO, or recitals in Boston,<br />
or listening to my sister practise.<br />
How did you come to start playing the piano? How old were you?<br />
I started when I was about four years old, and much of how and<br />
why I started was due to the things that I mentioned above. Because<br />
music played such a big part in my life from a young age, it almost<br />
became inevitable that I would try it out, and I haven’t stopped since!<br />
Who was the first composer you fell in love with as a child?<br />
I remember becoming obsessed with the Moonlight Sonata for a<br />
period of time, as well as Prokofiev’s Concerto No. 3, so I suppose<br />
Beethoven and Prokofiev.<br />
Who were your musical heroes in your formative years?<br />
When I was in my teens, I listened quite a bit to pianists in the<br />
Golden Age of playing, so I really idolized Cortot, Horowitz, Gilels<br />
and Richter. I also started listening to a lot of orchestral music, so<br />
conductors like Abbado and Kleiber gave me great inspiration as well.<br />
“I connect especially with Horowitz,<br />
because of his magical abilities with<br />
the piano; the amount of colour and<br />
character in his playing is astounding,<br />
and he’s also unafraid of taking risks.”<br />
Do you feel a particular kinship to any pianist (or musician)<br />
living or dead?<br />
I connect especially with Horowitz, because of his magical abilities<br />
with the piano; the amount of colour and character in his playing is<br />
astounding, and he’s also unafraid of taking risks.<br />
When did you feel that you would devote your life to music?<br />
I think I started realizing that I would fully immerse myself in music<br />
when I was 12 or 13. It was actually at a concert I was playing then<br />
when I realized how powerful music is, and what a transformative<br />
experience it was to be able to perform onstage. Since that concert, I<br />
decided I would fully dedicate myself to music.<br />
Your upcoming Toronto recital mirrors your first CD, Live at the<br />
Mariinsky. What went into choosing the repertoire for it?<br />
There were several reasons, but the most important for me was that<br />
I felt that there was a strong arc throughout the program. Although<br />
each piece is of a totally different style and from a different period,<br />
there is also a fluidity throughout; each piece flows naturally into the<br />
next in terms of tone and character. For example, in the first half of<br />
the CD, the Haydn sonata – which contains a nuanced tinge of darkness<br />
and tragedy – flows quite naturally into the turbulent, dramatic<br />
tragedy that is the Chopin Sonata No.2.<br />
You concluded the program of your Toronto debut with Music<br />
Toronto in <strong>December</strong> 2012 with the Liszt Consolation No.3 and<br />
Hungarian Rhapsody No.2, both of which also conclude your first<br />
CD and Koerner Hall concert. What is the attraction these pieces<br />
have for you and how has your approach to them evolved over<br />
the years?<br />
Liszt has been a favourite composer of mine throughout the years,<br />
and these two pieces especially have been a part of me for a long time.<br />
I especially appreciate that Wagnerian drama and the operatic references<br />
that he often implements, and while we don’t exactly hear<br />
Wagner in the Rhapsody, I nonetheless try to highlight the drama and<br />
the variety of colours that I do hear throughout the piece.<br />
Are there any particular pieces, orchestral or chamber, that never<br />
grow stale for you?<br />
Beethoven’s Seventh Symphony, Mahler’s Second Symphony and<br />
quite recently Debussy’s Prélude à l’après-midi d’un faune have been<br />
a few of the orchestral pieces that I’ve been listening to incessantly.<br />
Paul Ennis is the managing editor of The WholeNote.<br />
the <strong>2018</strong> SeaSon<br />
The Splendour of<br />
noTre dame<br />
organist DaviD Briggs<br />
in concert with the choir of st James catheDral<br />
Friday, <strong>January</strong> 19, <strong>2018</strong><br />
8:00pm | An illustrated pre-concert talk with David Briggs begins at 7:00pm<br />
a celebration oF French repertoire including “Messe Salve<br />
Regina” by castagnet, “Messe Solennelle” by Vierne, and motets by Duruflé.<br />
For tickets and further information, visit stjamescathedral.ca<br />
65 ChurCh STreeT, ToronTo 416.364.7865 STjameSCaThedral.Ca<br />
thewholenote.com <strong>December</strong> <strong>2017</strong> / <strong>January</strong> <strong>2018</strong> | 17
Beat by Beat | Classical & Beyond<br />
A Winter Festival<br />
PAUL ENNIS<br />
The extra coverage in this double issue of The WholeNote has<br />
prompted me to consider its entire nine-plus weeks of listings as<br />
fodder for constructing my personal musical winter wonderland.<br />
You are welcome to come along for the ride!<br />
On thewholenote.com I find the LISTINGS tab and click on the<br />
indispensable JustASK feature. It’s early in planning my journey so I<br />
opt to see the entire listings for the first week in <strong>December</strong>. (Later in<br />
my wanderings, to refine my search I may<br />
choose to JustASK specifically for chamber<br />
music or piano.) In this case, I decide on a<br />
free RCM event, pianist Francine Kay in a<br />
Sunday Interludes recital at Mazzoleni Hall<br />
on <strong>December</strong> 3. Chopin’s Barcarolle has<br />
always been a personal favourite and its<br />
rolling rhythms will get my festive juices<br />
running. Besides, the eminent Princeton<br />
University faculty member (and Analekta<br />
recording artist) will be giving two masterclasses<br />
the following Friday in the same<br />
space. Depending on what the students will<br />
be playing, I may sit in.<br />
My next stop brings me to Koerner<br />
Hall on <strong>December</strong> 5 for a concert I wrote<br />
about in the November WholeNote:<br />
Messiaen’s Quartet for the End of Time, a<br />
20th-century touchstone, played by some<br />
of the newest stars in Europe’s musical<br />
firmament. I have high hopes for pianist<br />
Lucas Debargue, violinist Janine Jansen,<br />
cellist Torleif Thedéen and clarinetist<br />
Martin Fröst. Next stop, <strong>December</strong> 10 (and<br />
I still haven’t budged from Bloor Street)<br />
I’m looking forward to the return of Khatia<br />
Buniatishvili. This time she’s opening with<br />
Mussorgsky’s majestic and intricate Pictures at an Exhibition before<br />
moving on to Liszt showpieces. (And while I’m waiting, there’s the<br />
Rebanks Family Fellowship concert <strong>December</strong> 6 in Mazzoleni Hall,<br />
where young musicians on the cusp of professional careers display<br />
their craft.)<br />
Sorry to say, you’ll have to JustASK for yourself for the balance of<br />
<strong>December</strong>. That’s because my annual visit to longtime friends in the<br />
cabin they built themselves in the middle of a hundred-acre wood<br />
will take me through the month. A festive Christmas feast of turkey<br />
and trimmings baked in a wood stove will serve all of us well while a<br />
curious, sociable parrot provides live entertainment.<br />
<strong>January</strong> 4 and 6, Ryan Wang: When Ryan Wang was five years old<br />
he performed at Carnegie Hall in the American Protégé International<br />
Piano and Strings Competition. A charming child with no pretentious<br />
airs, his celebrity shone soon after, in his first appearance on The Ellen<br />
Show. When not playing a concerto with the Shanghai Symphony,<br />
for example, he enjoys biking, road hockey and Harry Potter in West<br />
Vancouver. In a YouTube video made last year, he talks about being a<br />
piano prodigy who began playing when he was four. “Kids in school<br />
think I’m just a famous pianist,” he says unabashedly. “But I’m just an<br />
ordinary kid.” He calls Harry Potter his hero “because he’s brave. And<br />
if you’re brave, you can overcome anything … Sometimes life is really<br />
challenging, but I never give up and never lose hope.”<br />
Martha Argerich debuted at four, Claudio Arrau at five. Ryan Wang<br />
at ten has been on the stage for half his life. The Li Delun Music<br />
Foundation presents him on <strong>January</strong> 4 at the Fairview Library Theatre<br />
in recital playing Bach’s French Suite No.6 – his Bach on YouTube<br />
is refreshingly without any affect – a Haydn sonata, a Poulenc<br />
Villageoise, Debussy’s Arabesque No.1, the two Chopin Waltzes Op.64<br />
and a Bartók Romanian Dance. An excursion to North York may be<br />
a New Year’s resolution worth keeping. Two days later, <strong>January</strong> 6,<br />
Wang is the soloist in Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No.2 with the<br />
Toronto Festival Orchestra conducted by Dongxiao Xu in the Li Delun<br />
Music Foundation’s “New Year’s Concert <strong>2018</strong>” at the George Weston<br />
Recital Hall.<br />
<strong>January</strong> 7, Rachel Barton Pine: She began learning the violin at<br />
three; at five she “self-identified as a violinist.” At ten, she performed<br />
with her hometown band, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra; at 17,<br />
she won the Bach International Competition in Leipzig, Germany.<br />
At 20, her violin case straps caught in the closing doors of a Chicago<br />
commuter train; the accident cost her part of a leg and mangled a<br />
foot. Her determination and discipline from her years of violin study<br />
brought her all the way back musically.<br />
On <strong>January</strong> 7, she performs the first<br />
Adrian Anantawan<br />
Sunday Interludes concert of the year in<br />
Mazzoleni Hall.<br />
<strong>January</strong> 10 to 21, Mozart @ 262: I’m back<br />
on Bloor again for some of this next part<br />
of my private winter festival. I am about to<br />
come face to face with the TSO’s Mozart<br />
@ 262 Festival that begins <strong>January</strong> 10; it<br />
will be the TSO’s 14th annual celebration<br />
of that prodigy’s genius, and the final one<br />
with Peter Oundjian (the festival’s creator)<br />
as TSO music director. Roy Thomson Hall<br />
(three performances), Koerner Hall (two)<br />
and the George Weston Recital Hall (one)<br />
will all be involved. On <strong>January</strong> 17 and 18<br />
concertmaster Jonathan Crow and principal<br />
violist Teng Li will be the soloists in<br />
Mozart’s Sinfonia Concertante for violin<br />
and viola K364/320d in what might very<br />
well be the single highlight of the festival.<br />
Oundjian’s sole conducting gig, however<br />
(<strong>January</strong> 19 to 21), is the one program I’m<br />
most focused on, though (and the only<br />
one that’s in all three venues). Anchored<br />
by Mozart’s exhilarating final symphony,<br />
No.41 in C Major “Jupiter,” the concert showcases two talented young<br />
Canadian artists. Charles Richard-Hamelin will weave his colouristic<br />
alchemy in the Piano Concerto No.<strong>23</strong> in A Major K488 – the understated<br />
grandeur of its Adagio served as the main theme of Terrence<br />
Malick’s film The New World, underscoring the pristine beauty of<br />
its first act. And Adrian Anantawan will be the soloist in the Rondo<br />
for violin and orchestra K250/248b “Haffner,” and the Adagio for<br />
violin and orchestra K261. Anantawan, who grew up in Toronto, was<br />
born with no right hand, only a stunted appendage with tiny stubs<br />
instead of fingers. At nine he took up the violin, which proved to be a<br />
great equalizer for him. Needless to say, it changed his life. Now in his<br />
early 30s, he works with cutting-edge technology to help others; he’s<br />
also given a TED Talk. He told CNN in 2013 that “it’s never about the<br />
technique or technology that is important, but the desire to live life<br />
authentically and creatively. We often forget even ‘traditional’ musical<br />
instruments are technological adaptations in their own right – they<br />
are tools to manipulate sound in a way that we couldn’t do with our<br />
bodies alone.”<br />
<strong>January</strong> 11, Brentano and Dawn Upshaw: I plan on abandoning<br />
Mozart to take advantage of a rare opportunity to hear Schoenberg’s<br />
pivotal String Quartet No.2 when Music Toronto presents the Brentano<br />
String Quartet and soprano Dawn Upshaw in the Jane Mallett Theatre.<br />
Completed in 1908, the quartet’s extreme late-Romanticism loses<br />
its harmonic bearings by its final movement, a change that can be<br />
considered the beginning of atonal music. The third and fourth movements<br />
are settings of poems by the symbolist poet Stefan George.<br />
Alex Ross in The Rest Is Noise talks about the extraordinary moment<br />
18 | <strong>December</strong> <strong>2017</strong> / <strong>January</strong> <strong>2018</strong> thewholenote.com
in the fourth movement when the soprano sings the line I feel the<br />
wind of another planet and then the “transformation,” I dissolve in<br />
tones, circling, weaving … The Schoenberg is preceded by Respighi’s<br />
intimate, lyrical setting of Shelley’s Il Tramonto. Before intermission,<br />
the Brentano (without Upshaw) will interweave Webern Bagatelles<br />
with Schubert Minuets before performing Argentine-American Mario<br />
Davidovsky’s String Quartet No.4 (1980), a piece I look forward to<br />
hearing for the first time.<br />
The next morning, <strong>January</strong> 12 at 10am, Upshaw will give a masterclass<br />
in Mazzoleni Hall. I’ve marked my calendar. Maybe I should just<br />
move to Bloor Street!<br />
Sunday, <strong>January</strong> 14, David Jalbert and Wonny Song: these two toprank<br />
Canadian pianists return to U of T’s Walter Hall and Mooredale<br />
Concerts following their acclaimed 2014 appearance there, for “Piano<br />
Dialogue,” a program inspired by dance, theatre and visual art.<br />
Rachmaninoff’s Suite No.1 for two pianos and his four-hand arrangement<br />
of Tchaikovsky’s Sleeping Beauty Waltz share the stage with<br />
Milhaud’s Scaramouche Suite for Two Pianos and Stravinsky’s kinetic<br />
Petrouchka, also for two pianos. Elsewhere in this issue Alex Baran<br />
writes in his DISCoveries Keyed In column about Jalbert’s latest CD<br />
of music connected to what Jalbert and Song are playing in their<br />
recital: “[The CD] shows why he’s considered one of the younger<br />
generation’s finest pianists. His performance of Dance russe from<br />
Petrouchka explodes into being with astonishing speed and alacrity.<br />
Jalbert possesses a sweeping technique that exudes ease and persuasive<br />
conviction.”<br />
Glionna Mansell Presents<br />
A Music Series unlike any other<br />
www.organixconcerts.ca<br />
<strong>December</strong> Concerts for<br />
ORGANIX <strong>2017</strong><br />
Hanné Becker<br />
<strong>December</strong> 6<br />
17<br />
THE ASSOCIATES<br />
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<strong>January</strong> 29, <strong>2018</strong>, 7:30 p.m.<br />
Evoking the Elegiac<br />
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Jurgis Juozapaitis,<br />
Maurice Ravel, Bedrich Smetana<br />
February 26, <strong>2018</strong>, 7:30 p.m.<br />
La Malinconia – Reflections on<br />
Solitude and Loss<br />
Ludwig van Beethoven, Dmitri Shostakovich,<br />
Johannes Brahms<br />
March 26, <strong>2018</strong>, 7:30 p.m.<br />
The Companion’s Guide to Rome<br />
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, François Devienne,<br />
Andrew Norman<br />
April <strong>23</strong>, <strong>2018</strong>, 7:30 p.m.<br />
Taste of Dark Chocolate<br />
Franz Schubert, Johannes Brahms<br />
May 28, <strong>2018</strong>, 7:30 p.m.<br />
Brahms: 20/40<br />
Johannes Brahms<br />
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Stefani Bedin<br />
<strong>December</strong> 20<br />
<strong>January</strong> Concerts for<br />
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Andrew Adair<br />
<strong>January</strong> 17<br />
Sarah Svendsen<br />
<strong>January</strong> 31<br />
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thewholenote.com <strong>December</strong> <strong>2017</strong> / <strong>January</strong> <strong>2018</strong> | 19
<strong>January</strong> <strong>23</strong>, Stephen Hough: In October 2016 the brilliant British<br />
pianist Stephen Hough revealed on BBC Radio 4’s Desert Island DIscs that<br />
he discovered he liked playing the piano when he went to visit his aunt’s<br />
house and could pick out more than one hundred nursery rhymes on her<br />
piano. After much pestering, his parents bought him a cheap second-hand<br />
piano from an antique shop. So began the storied career of this polymath,<br />
whose first novel, The Final Retreat, is to be published in March <strong>2018</strong>. On<br />
<strong>January</strong> <strong>23</strong>, he makes his fourth appearance for Music Toronto since 1996<br />
with a program mixing four Debussy works (two of which, Images Bk 1<br />
and II, appear on his latest Hyperion CD, anticipating the centenary of the<br />
composer’s death in 1918) with Schumann’s rapturous Fantasie Op.17 and<br />
Beethoven’s colossal Sonata in F Minor, Op.67, “Appassionata.” The next<br />
morning, Hough will make the trek north to Mazzoleni Hall for a public<br />
masterclass. Having been to two of these, I have no doubt it will be an<br />
insightful and inspirational experience.<br />
<strong>January</strong> 27, the Dover Quartet: The Dovers came to wide attention in<br />
2013 when they won the Banff International String Quartet Competition. I<br />
wrote about their memorable Beethoven concert at Toronto Summer Music<br />
in 2016: “Musically mature, vibrant and uncannily unified in purpose and<br />
execution, the youthful players brought passion and grace to the first two<br />
movements [of Op.132], took a decisive approach to the fourth and emphasized<br />
the rhapsodic character of the finale.” Chamber Music Hamilton, a<br />
top-flight regional series, is presenting the young Americans in a recital<br />
of Schumann’s Second, Ullmann’s Third and Zemlinsky’s Second String<br />
Quartets, Sunday <strong>January</strong> 27 at 2pm at the Art Gallery of Hamilton.<br />
<strong>January</strong> 30, RCM and Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema (although<br />
the name has changed, the address remains Bloor Street) present<br />
Stefan Avalos’ compulsively watchable Strad Style, a film I saw at<br />
Hot Docs <strong>2017</strong>. The documentary chronicles the improbable but<br />
triumphant story of a reclusive Ohio violin maker, Daniel Houck,<br />
whose confidence that he can produce a copy of “Il Canone,” the<br />
Guarneri violin built in 1742 that Paganini played, carries him through<br />
an eight-month journey that threatens to be derailed more than once.<br />
A violin aficionado who loves listening to old masters like Oistrakh<br />
and Heifetz and idolizes violin makers Amati, Guarneri and Stradivari<br />
– all from Cremona, Italy – Houck suffers from bipolar disorder but<br />
functions with medication. He befriends Razvan Stoica on Facebook<br />
when he discovers the Romanian-born violinist has won the Strad<br />
Prize at a Salzburg festival and offers to make him the Canone replica.<br />
There is magic stuff here.<br />
After the screening Jonathan Crow will bring out his own Guarneri<br />
for what promises to be a fascinating show-and-tell Q&A. And that’s<br />
why I’ll be there.<br />
And on into February: The astounding young pianist Daniil Trifonov<br />
continues his homage-to-Chopin tour February 1, with a sold-out<br />
concert at Koerner Hall. I’m lucky to have a ticket but unlucky to miss<br />
the St. Lawrence String Quartet’s annual Music Toronto visit the same<br />
evening. Fortunately I can attend the SLSQ’s masterclass in Mazzoleni<br />
Hall the next day at 10am.<br />
In 2008, clarinetist Dionysis Grammenos became the first wind<br />
player ever to be named European Young Musician of the Year. Two<br />
years later at 21, having been guided by Bernard Haitink, Christoph<br />
Eschenbach and Robert Spano, he made his conducting debut with<br />
the Vienna Chamber Orchestra. Johannes Debus hired him as assistant<br />
conductor for the COC’s <strong>2018</strong> production of Mozart’s Abduction from<br />
the Seraglio February 7 to 24. “You find in him a musician who exudes<br />
an enthusiasm for music from every single pore and who equally has<br />
the talent to communicate and share his enthusiasm and euphoria<br />
with others – no matter if it’s about an audience or fellow musicians,”<br />
Debus says. Grammenos’ appearance at noon on February 7 in<br />
the Richard Bradshaw Amphitheatre with Ensemble Made in Canada<br />
(they will perform Brahms’ late masterpiece, the sublime Clarinet<br />
Quintet in B Minor Op.115) is the last stop in my winter festival.<br />
Given the abundance of live music available to all of us in the<br />
Toronto area, there’s an ad hoc personal winter festival out there for<br />
the making for every musical taste. How? JustASK.<br />
Paul Ennis is the managing editor of The WholeNote.<br />
DENIS MASTROMONACO<br />
MUSIC DIRECTOR &<br />
C O N D U C T O R<br />
20 | <strong>December</strong> <strong>2017</strong> / <strong>January</strong> <strong>2018</strong> thewholenote.com
Beat by Beat | Music Theatre<br />
Multi-Layered<br />
Homecoming<br />
for Tale of a Town<br />
JENNIFER PARR<br />
November is almost over and two shows<br />
stood out for me recently: The Musical<br />
Stage Company’s Uncovered: Dylan &<br />
Springsteen with its brilliant storytelling through<br />
song, and the wild and wacky low-budget<br />
silliness of Christopher Bond’s Evil Dead,<br />
the Musical – an incredibly clever tribute to<br />
and parody of musicals, low-budget horror<br />
movies and Sam Raimi’s Evil Dead franchise in<br />
particular. (Good news is that the latter show’s<br />
run has just been extended to <strong>January</strong> 7.)<br />
Looking ahead to <strong>December</strong> there is a wealth<br />
of music theatre on offer. With the holiday<br />
season approaching, there are many familyoriented<br />
shows, including at least three versions<br />
of A Christmas Carol in which music is integral<br />
to the story and production. Ross Petty<br />
Productions gives us its usual anarchic take on<br />
a classic through the prism of the traditional<br />
English panto. At the Grand Theatre in London,<br />
new artistic director Dennis Garnhum is introducing<br />
himself to audiences through his own<br />
acclaimed version of Dickens’ classic, described<br />
as “brimming with music, dance, and ... all of<br />
your favourite carols.” And the Shaw Festival is<br />
joining the fray, with what I believe is their first Christmas season, in<br />
a production adapted and directed by new artistic director Tim Carroll<br />
with music direction by Paul Sportelli, movement and puppetry<br />
by Alexis Milligan, and as Scrooge, Michael Therriault, star of last<br />
season’s Me and My Girl.<br />
The Tale of a Town<br />
In and among Toronto’s rich smorgasbord of music theatre offerings<br />
to choose from, many of them not tied specifically to the season,<br />
two in particular (one in <strong>December</strong>, one in <strong>January</strong>) caught my eye<br />
because of their unusual – in different ways – weaving of music with<br />
text-based elements.<br />
The second of the two, chronologically, is the Tarragon Theatre’s<br />
rock-and-roll Hamlet commencing <strong>January</strong> 2. (You can read my interview<br />
with director Richard Rose elsewhere in the issue.)<br />
The other is Fixt Point’s production of The Tale of a Town, the<br />
creation of husband-and-wife duo Charles Ketchabaw and Lisa<br />
Marie DiLiberto which returns to its starting place at Theatre Passe<br />
Muraille, <strong>December</strong> 14 to 17. Since the show’s beginnings, Ketchabaw<br />
and DiLiberto have spent three years touring the country in their<br />
Storymobile (recording studio on wheels) gathering the stories and<br />
songs of communities from the Arctic to the East Coast and creating<br />
Lisa Marie DiLiberto and Charles Ketchabaw, with their Storymobile on PEI, July 2013<br />
local performance installations. They also built a national story map<br />
that not only forms part of each local show but remains in place in<br />
each community, as well as online and as a ten-part series on TVO – a<br />
kind of national story archive.<br />
I spoke with DiLiberto as well as with the show’s current music<br />
COURTESY OF VICTORY PLAYHOUSE<br />
THE PEASANT CANTATA<br />
by Johann Sebastian Bach<br />
ALL THE DIAMONDS<br />
Songs and Poems Inspired by the Night Sky<br />
Bach’s raucous cantata followed by a<br />
mid-winter cabaret to warm the soul.<br />
Staring Patricia O’Callaghan and Giles Tomkins<br />
and a stellar band of singers and players.<br />
an Ontario government agency<br />
un organisme du gouvernement de l’Ontario<br />
8, 9 & 10 February <strong>2018</strong><br />
Enoch Turner Schoolhouse, 106 Trinity Street<br />
Tickets from torontomasquetheatre.com<br />
or call 416-410-4561<br />
thewholenote.com <strong>December</strong> <strong>2017</strong> / <strong>January</strong> <strong>2018</strong> | 21
director, Sophia Perlman, to find out some more details of the musical<br />
side of this project. What makes it “a musical”? was our starting point,<br />
and here is the essence of the conversation that followed:<br />
DiLiberto: I wouldn’t call it a musical per se, but music is an essential<br />
part of the process and the show, which features songs and audio<br />
and performance moments which are underscored live.<br />
Perlman: You’re right. It’s not a musical, entirely. I am coming at<br />
this production from an early background in opera and music theatre,<br />
but with the last decade or so of my career being rooted mostly in jazz,<br />
blues and improvised music. Part of what I love about this piece is the<br />
process that has gone into preparing each show, and the insight that<br />
each member of the team brings to the table in terms of how music<br />
can help shape the story.<br />
DiLiberto: For me, this is a real homecoming. We began this project<br />
at Theatre Passe Muraille, and have since toured to every province<br />
and territory in Canada gathering stories. To return back home to<br />
this theatre feels like the project is coming full circle. The music is<br />
such a huge part of the show. It reveals the essence of where we are,<br />
how we feel throughout the journey of the show. It lifts everything<br />
up into a heightened space – like in a musical – but in the case of this<br />
show it lifts up the audio, the verbatim performances, and helps us<br />
get from place to place. I’m so excited to share this epic story here in<br />
Toronto where it all began, partly because of how far it has travelled<br />
in the meantime. This production is a culmination of several years of<br />
touring, story gathering and local installation performances. During<br />
the process, we worked with these archives and adapted a lot of the<br />
score from the ideas and music created by the musicians who collaborated<br />
on these performances locally.<br />
Perlman: And for me, personally, Queen West was one of the first<br />
communities that The Tale of a Town gathered stories from, and<br />
several places (like the coffee shop I used to go to in Parkdale and the<br />
Cameron House) are featured in the story. I lived in Toronto’s downtown<br />
most of my life – and only left a few years ago. … After the<br />
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amazing adventure I’ve had on the first part of this season’s tour, it<br />
feels especially wonderful to have the chance to bring this story so<br />
close to home.<br />
The WholeNote: So the version of the show we will see at Passe<br />
Muraille is still in development?<br />
Perlman: We created a score that was an overall shape for the piece<br />
back in August and September. Lisa Marie [DiLiberto] is an actor,<br />
performer and musician, and there are songs that are sung by her and<br />
guest artists. She also plays cello and guitar! Charles Ketchabaw has<br />
a background in radio and audio tech and sometimes in terms of live<br />
music my role feels a bit more like leading a silent movie orchestra!<br />
But part of what drew me to this piece, creatively, was the fact that<br />
while the score has been “set” since August, the time we took in the<br />
rehearsal room to understand those choices has meant that everywhere<br />
we go the score can be adapted to fit different instrumentation,<br />
special guests or new local content.<br />
DiLiberto: Each place we go there will be a new band, featured<br />
local guests and some kind of a choir ... Perlman: An amazing ad-hoc<br />
of musical collaborators and volunteers, you might say … And that<br />
becomes part of the story.<br />
After the Toronto run, The Tale of a Town will hit the road again<br />
in <strong>January</strong> for dates in St. Catharines, Burlington, Milton and<br />
Kingston. See their website (thetaleofatown.com) for details or call<br />
416-504-7529.<br />
QUICK PICKS<br />
To Dec 31: YPT’s streamlined production of Disney’s Beauty and<br />
the Beast, which started November 6, is aimed particularly at families<br />
and younger children and features a young, diverse cast including<br />
Celine Tsai, one of The Musical Stage Company’s <strong>2017</strong> Banks Prize<br />
winners, as Belle.<br />
Nov <strong>23</strong> to Dec 2: Two productions of the operetta Candide have<br />
popped up at the same time. Talk is Free Theatre present theirs at<br />
the Mady Centre for the Performing Arts in Barrie. Dec 28, 30, 31<br />
and Jan 5, 6, 7, Toronto Operetta Theatre presents their take on the<br />
Bernstein/Sondheim classic at the Jane Mallett Theatre. Will the Barrie<br />
version have a more “musical theatre” approach?<br />
Nov 28 to Dec 2: Randolph Academy presents the rarely seen<br />
musical Moll, with music and lyrics by Canadian composer Leslie<br />
Arden and book by Arden and Cathy Elliott, at the Annex Theatre. This<br />
is must-see for fans of Arden and Elliott.<br />
Nov 30 to Dec <strong>23</strong>: For fans of the comedy side of musical comedy,<br />
Theatre Orangeville presents a new Christmas musical, The Last<br />
Christmas Turkey, with book by Dan Needles, creator of the Wingfield<br />
plays, and music and lyrics by Clive VanderBurgh.<br />
Dec 9 to Jan 21: For fans of the large-scale musical and for families<br />
over the holidays, Mirvish Productions offers a musical version of<br />
Dr. Seuss’s The Lorax – music and lyrics by Charlie Fink, adapted for<br />
the stage by David Greig – at the Royal Alex; while Dec 12 to Jan 7,<br />
also from Mirvish, Million Dollar Quartet (which always seems to be<br />
playing somewhere) moves into the Panasonic Theatre.<br />
Jan 12 and 13: There are only two days to catch triple-threat and<br />
Stratford star Juan Chioran, starring in Podium Concert Productions’<br />
concert version of Nine, the Maury Yeston and Arthur Kopit musical<br />
based on Fellini’s film 8 ½, at Trinity-St. Paul’s Centre.<br />
Feb 4 to 25: Coal Mine Theatre, known for its riveting and darkedged<br />
theatre productions, moves into musical territory with<br />
Rumours By Fleetwood Mac: A Coal Mine Concert. It will be interesting<br />
to see where this falls on the music theatre spectrum, particularly<br />
because artistic director Ted Dykstra is also well known for his<br />
accomplished work on musicals as both performer and director.<br />
And more: for a more comprehensive overview of musical theatre<br />
listings over <strong>December</strong> and <strong>January</strong>, visit our music theatre listings on<br />
page 63 in this issue.<br />
Toronto-based “lifelong theatre person” Jennifer (Jenny) Parr<br />
works as a director, fight director, stage manager and coach, and is<br />
equally crazy about movies and musicals.<br />
22 | <strong>December</strong> <strong>2017</strong> / <strong>January</strong> <strong>2018</strong> thewholenote.com
an Ontario government agency<br />
un organisme du gouvernement de l’Ontario<br />
Beat by Beat | Early Music<br />
On Bothering and<br />
the Baroque<br />
MATTHEW WHITFIELD<br />
This sentence notwithstanding, I try not to use too many personal<br />
pronouns when writing. Call it a parasympathetic reflex from my<br />
student days writing prosaic, academically sourced theses, but<br />
words like “I” and “my” seem too personal and isolating to use even<br />
in a communal column and publication such as The WholeNote; and<br />
I don’t write editorials (although I do express the occasional opinion<br />
or two!). This month is an exception, however, for we begin our<br />
two-month survey of the Toronto early music scene with two personal<br />
anecdotes – disparate occurrences that, although entirely independent<br />
in time and place, share a common, relevant and important theme.<br />
A few weeks ago, I gave a recital at Trinity-St. Paul’s Centre. The<br />
program for this little concert contained a blend of jazz, minimalist<br />
and avant-garde music, including György Ligeti’s Harmonies for<br />
organ. After the performance one audience member approached and<br />
asked, “Why bother with such music? You could have played that<br />
piece (Harmonies) forwards or backwards and we wouldn’t have<br />
known the difference!” It was ultimately a worthwhile question and<br />
one that many performers face, particularly in the realm of music<br />
written in the 20th century and onwards: why bother playing music<br />
that people won’t understand, music that is not necessarily tuneful,<br />
pretty, or accessible to the masses?<br />
Days after my recital experience, I saw the new film Loving Vincent,<br />
an artistically oriented speculative recreation of the last days of Dutch<br />
painter Vincent van Gogh, incorporating elements of documentary<br />
and murder mystery. This film was screened at TIFF Bell Lightbox<br />
and is notable because of the way it was made. Each frame – 65,000<br />
of them altogether – was hand-painted in the style of Van Gogh by<br />
an international team of artists, then photographed and digitized<br />
using animation software, thereby creating a literal motion picture.<br />
Before viewing Loving Vincent, I read a synopsis in The Guardian in<br />
which the reviewer questioned the painstaking process of producing<br />
the film, arguing that an equally visually satisfying production could<br />
have been generated using purely digital means without the trouble of<br />
hand-painting anything at all. In our digital age, the review queried,<br />
Robert Gulaczyk as Vincent van Gogh in Loving Vincent<br />
why bother with all the unnecessarily painstaking manual labour?<br />
In early music circles, the question “Why bother?” is a relevant one,<br />
too. When we look at the frequency with which certain individual<br />
works are performed, there are inevitably moments where we question<br />
the rationale behind established conventions that have become<br />
normalized. For example, now that <strong>December</strong> is here, why bother<br />
playing Handel’s Messiah again across the city – haven’t we been<br />
up to our eyeballs in it every year for the past decade? Why bother<br />
with another performance of Bach’s Christmas Oratorio or Corelli’s<br />
Christmas Concerto? Reprising these works year after year seems to<br />
be the bad end of a Faustian pact, the lure of a full auditorium paid<br />
off with the ceaseless repetition of the same stuff, taxing our ears<br />
with all-too familiar strains of “Hallelujah!,” “Jauchzet, frohlocket!”<br />
or some other predictable and overdone work – a festive and wintry<br />
Groundhog Day, if you will.<br />
These are thought-provoking queries, many of which are difficult<br />
to answer. The questions of “Why?” and “Why bother?” will always<br />
be applicable to the arts, particularly when something new and<br />
unfamiliar (in the case of Ligeti’s Harmonies) or unusual and idiosyncratic<br />
(as we see in Loving Vincent) is put on display, but another<br />
little anecdote recounted to me by a former teacher may help answer<br />
why we always seem to return to the time-tested Baroque classics<br />
in <strong>December</strong>:<br />
Once a conductor was in a dress rehearsal of Messiah – everyone<br />
involved had performed the work many times. One singer was<br />
rather lackadaisical about his part and seemed lazy and lacklustre<br />
throughout, irking the conductor enough that he confronted him<br />
about it afterwards.<br />
“Listen,” the conductor said, “I know you have sung this many<br />
times, as I’ve conducted it many times, but you have a great responsibility<br />
as a performer. Tonight’s concert may be the first time that<br />
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thewholenote.com <strong>December</strong> <strong>2017</strong> / <strong>January</strong> <strong>2018</strong> | <strong>23</strong>
someone in that audience hears Messiah. And this performance may<br />
also be the last Messiah someone in that audience hears.”<br />
My Grown-Up Christmas List<br />
For many, Messiah is as much a quintessential seasonal favourite as<br />
mulled wine and a ten-pound fruitcake. With dozens of performers<br />
presenting various Messianic adaptations and interpretations across<br />
Toronto and its surrounding areas, it can be a tricky task to pick only<br />
one! Fortunately, The WholeNote is here to help: read my recent blog<br />
post on notable performances, or search for the word “Messiah” in our<br />
online listings to get a list of most of this year’s shows. Whether fulllength<br />
or condensed, HIP or modern, symphonic or sing-along, we<br />
have the Messiah for you.<br />
Johann Sebastian Bach’s Christmas Oratorio is another classic<br />
Christmas composition from the Baroque era, compiled and<br />
composed between 1733 and 1734 to celebrate the Christmas season<br />
in Leipzig. Although catalogued as BWV248<br />
and now considered a single, freestanding<br />
work, this “oratorio” is in actuality a series of<br />
six individual cantatas that were performed<br />
during the time between Christmas and<br />
Epiphany (what we now call the Twelve<br />
Days of Christmas) and divided between the<br />
Thomaskirche and Nikolaikirche, Leipzig’s two<br />
main churches.<br />
Monumental in scope and brilliant in its<br />
musical expression of Bach’s beliefs and<br />
theology, the Christmas Oratorio is, along with<br />
the Passions, the closest Bach came to writing<br />
a narrative opera. Geoffrey Butler and the<br />
Toronto Choral Society perform the Christmas<br />
Oratorio at Koerner Hall on <strong>December</strong> 6, in<br />
what promises to be a welcome respite from<br />
the hurly-burly of the commercially overloaded<br />
Christmas season.<br />
Continuing their trend of melding old and<br />
new, the Toronto Masque Theatre presents<br />
their seasonal salon “Peace on Earth” on<br />
<strong>December</strong> 17 and 18. Featuring the performance<br />
of baroque Noëls and the Messe de Minuit<br />
by Marc-Antoine Charpentier, these Francoflavoured<br />
evenings will explore the simplicity, beauty and joy of the<br />
French Baroque Christmas, different in many ways from the immense<br />
and intricate forms we find in English and German oratorio.<br />
To complement these French Baroque favourites, TMT also leaps<br />
forward into the 20th century with excerpts from The Birth of Christ,<br />
ILLUMINATIONS<br />
March 2 & 3, <strong>2018</strong> at 8pm<br />
Joëlle Morton<br />
Tickets on sale at TorontoConsort.org<br />
a cantata written in 1901 by Canadian composer Clarence Lucas (1866-<br />
1947) as well as seasonal readings by from T.S. Eliot’s The Journey of<br />
the Magi. With this medley of music and word on display only one<br />
week before Christmas, these performances will surely banish the last<br />
“Bah humbug!” from even the Scroogiest of curmudgeonly misers.<br />
But Wait, There’s More! A Taste of <strong>2018</strong><br />
Fast forward to <strong>January</strong> <strong>2018</strong>: Belts are loosened an extra notch<br />
(or two); turkey leftovers, eggnog and rum hangovers, and the last<br />
few sweet treats all linger longer than expected. New Year’s resolutions<br />
are resolutely made and broken, and we start looking ahead to<br />
the inevitable wintry weather that is to come. If we somehow ignore<br />
the temptation to snuggle up with a cup of cocoa and hibernate until<br />
March, there are many exciting events taking place across Toronto in<br />
<strong>January</strong>, including two promising projects by Tafelmusik (who might<br />
quite reasonably go into hibernation themselves after their busy<br />
<strong>December</strong>!).<br />
The first is the Tafelmusik Winter<br />
Institute, a terrific opportunity for those<br />
with a passion for Historically Informed<br />
Performance. A one-week intensive for<br />
advanced students and young professionals,<br />
this year’s TWI culminates in a<br />
free public performance at Jeanne Lamon<br />
Hall on <strong>January</strong> 10. Featuring music<br />
by French composers Lully, Campra,<br />
Marais and Rameau, and this performance<br />
presents a rare opportunity to hear<br />
top-notch music from the height of the<br />
French tradition for an unbeatable price.<br />
Over the last few years, Tafelmusik<br />
has pushed the boundaries of the early<br />
music concert experience with Alison<br />
Mackay’s creative multimedia conceptions<br />
and collaborations. This positive<br />
trend towards HIP-infused modernism<br />
continues with Safe Haven, a program<br />
exploring the musical ideas of Baroque<br />
Europe’s refugee artists, drawing parallels<br />
between 18th-century Europe and<br />
present-day Canada. At that time of year<br />
when the Christmas chestnuts have come and gone, this concert looks<br />
to provide a palate-cleansing leap forward in a genre that occasionally<br />
seems to specialize in blasé repetition.<br />
Scaramella: While Tafelmusik peers into the future with Safe<br />
Haven, period performance group Scaramella looks back in time<br />
with their “Ode to Music” on <strong>January</strong> 27. Featuring Scaramella’s<br />
Joëlle Morton and guest virtuoso viol players Elizabeth Rumsey and<br />
Caroline Ritchie from Basel, Switzerland, this program uses a variety<br />
of 16th-century music for viol consort to explore the impact of the<br />
muses on Renaissance composers. This concert provides a wonderful<br />
opportunity for viol enthusiasts and novices alike to acquaint themselves<br />
with the spectrum of sound these antiquated instruments can<br />
produce, living musical relics linking our ears to past centuries.<br />
As winter-themed advertising flashes across our smartphone screens<br />
and store windows are redecorated with miniaturized villages and<br />
resplendent hues of red, green and gold, it can be overwhelming and<br />
daunting to find time to attend a concert; despite the seasonal hustle<br />
and bustle, I encourage you to explore the vibrant musical offerings<br />
that are on display this <strong>December</strong> and <strong>January</strong>. Whether you prefer<br />
Handel’s Messiah, Tafelmusik’s Safe Haven, a traditional Festival of<br />
Lessons and Carols, or any of the other listings in this double issue of<br />
The WholeNote, the richness and depth of Toronto’s classical music<br />
scene ensures that no concertgoer ever has to ask, “Why bother?”<br />
Happy Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Festivus and New Year,<br />
everyone. See you in February! Until then, keep in touch at<br />
earlymusic@thewholenote.com.<br />
Matthew Whitfield is a Toronto-based harpsichordist and organist.<br />
24 | <strong>December</strong> <strong>2017</strong> / <strong>January</strong> <strong>2018</strong> thewholenote.com
Beat by Beat | On Opera<br />
Reviving the Unrevivable<br />
and Ringing in the New<br />
CHRISTOPHER HOILE<br />
It used to be that the only operatic productions that took place in<br />
<strong>December</strong> and <strong>January</strong> were from the Canadian Opera Company<br />
and Toronto Operetta Theatre. Now there are so many new small<br />
companies that there is quite a wide range of offerings available to see<br />
out the old year and see in the new.<br />
COC: That being said, the production<br />
on the largest scale in these<br />
two months is the Canadian Opera<br />
Company’s remount of Verdi’s Rigoletto<br />
for ten performances from <strong>January</strong> 20 to<br />
February <strong>23</strong>. The production, directed by<br />
Christopher Alden, was last seen in 2011.<br />
There is some controversy attached to the<br />
production, since Alden had previously<br />
created it for Lyric Opera of Chicago in<br />
2000. The action is set entirely inside<br />
a gentlemen’s gaming club in the<br />
early 1850s with the chorus onstage<br />
throughout the action. The various locations<br />
in the libretto are acted out using<br />
furniture from the club, the danger being<br />
that if people do not already know the<br />
story the staging provides no clues to help them. After its unpopular<br />
run at LOC, the production was deemed “unrevivable” and LOC now<br />
has a popular new production directed by E. Loren Meeker. When the<br />
COC and English National Opera approached Alden for a Rigoletto, he<br />
simply re-created the one he had done for Chicago.<br />
In any case, the COC has revived the unrevivable and it features<br />
Roland Wood in the title role, Anna Christy as Rigoletto’s daughter<br />
Gilda, Stephen Costello and Joshua Guerrero (February 11, 17, <strong>23</strong>) as<br />
the depraved Duke of Mantua, and Goderdzi Janelidze as the assassin<br />
Sparafucile. Stephen Lord conducts.<br />
On a much lighter note, the COC has invited the public to see a new<br />
opera for children, The Magic Victrola, on <strong>December</strong> 1, 2 and 3. The<br />
opera also has a Chicago connection in that it was premiered by the<br />
LOC in 2015. In the opera, written by David Kersnar and Jacqueline<br />
Russell, two children stay at their grandfather’s place for the summer<br />
vacation. The grandfather has a Victrola and a set of opera recordings;<br />
the children find when they play the records that the characters come<br />
alive. The hour-long show includes well-known excerpts from The<br />
Marriage of Figaro, The Magic Flute, The Tales of Hoffmann, The Elixir<br />
of Love, Lakmé, Gianni Schicchi and Carmen. The opera, suitable for<br />
ages five and over, is performed by members of the COC Ensemble<br />
Studio and is directed by Ashlie Corcoran, with music direction by<br />
Rachael Kerr and Stéphane Mayer.<br />
Toronto Operetta Theatre has been helping Torontonians bridge<br />
the old and the new years with operetta for more than 30 years. This<br />
year it revives its production of Leonard Bernstein’s Candide (1956),<br />
last staged here in 2007, which the composer himself designated as<br />
an “operetta.” The work follows the adventures of the eternal optimist<br />
Candide, whose tutor has taught him to believe that this is the best of<br />
all possible worlds. This belief is sorely tested when Candide barely<br />
survives one disaster after another. Tonatiuh Abrego takes on the<br />
title role, while Vania Chan stars as his beloved Cunegonde and sings<br />
the show-stopping coloratura aria Glitter and Be Gay. TOT favourite<br />
Elizabeth Beeler sings the Old Lady, Nicholas Borg is Dr. Pangloss,<br />
Cian Horrobin is the Governor and Mikhail Shemet is Cacambo.<br />
Candide runs for six performances from <strong>December</strong> 28 to <strong>January</strong> 7.<br />
Derek Bate conducts and Guillermo Silva-Marin directs.<br />
Talk Is Free Theatre: This is likely the first time ever that a person<br />
can see two different productions of Candide in Ontario in the same<br />
month. The second takes place at a non-traditional operatic showcase,<br />
Talk Is Free Theatre in Barrie, which is in the process of presenting<br />
the Bernstein work in a run from November <strong>23</strong> to <strong>December</strong> 2.<br />
The cast includes Thom Allison, Holly Chaplin, Gabi Epstein, Mike<br />
Nadajewski and Michael Torontow; Richard Ouzounian directs and<br />
Lily Ling conducts.<br />
Tarragon Theatre, another non-traditional showcase for opera, is<br />
presenting Mr. Shi and His Lover, a one-act work by Njo Kong Kie<br />
that runs in Toronto until <strong>December</strong> 17. In the new year it plays at<br />
the NAC in Ottawa from <strong>January</strong> 3 to 13. Mr. Shi is made up of seven<br />
scenes in which two characters, Mr. Shi and Bernard Boursicot, reflect<br />
Shi Pei Pu, the<br />
original Mr. Shi<br />
on the the strange but true story of their relationship.<br />
Boursicot, a young French diplomat stationed<br />
in China in 1964, fell in love with Shi Pei Pu, a<br />
male performer of the Peking Opera specializing<br />
in female roles, believing that Shi was actually a<br />
woman. Amazingly, Boursicot and Shi’s relationship<br />
continued for 20 years without Boursicot ever realizing<br />
Shi was a man, much less a spy recruited to<br />
entrap him. This story is the basis for David Henry<br />
Hwang’s 1988 play M. Butterfly. Jordan Cheng sings<br />
the role of Mr. Shi and Derek Kwan sings Boursicot.<br />
Njo Kong Kie conducts the singers and percussionist<br />
Yukie Lai from the piano in an eclectic score that<br />
ranges from Peking opera to traditional folk song,<br />
music hall, pop music, Western opera and the art<br />
song. Tam Chi Chun, the artistic director of Macau<br />
Experimental Theatre, directs.<br />
Tryptych: Continuing its exploration of standard repertory with<br />
Upstaged by West Side Story but never<br />
obscured, CANDIDE has become the darling<br />
of opera companies and Broadway through<br />
the sheer power of its drama, music and<br />
imaginative splendour. Voltaire’s irresistible<br />
– and censored! – masterwork becomes great<br />
music theatre.<br />
Tonatiuh Abrego<br />
Guillermo Silva-Marin<br />
General Director<br />
by Leonard Bernstein<br />
Derek Bate, Conductor<br />
Guillermo Silva-Marin, Stage Director<br />
Vania Chan<br />
Elizabeth Beeler<br />
Nicholas Borg<br />
<strong>December</strong> 28, 30 & <strong>January</strong> 5, 6 at 8 pm<br />
<strong>December</strong> 31, <strong>January</strong> 7 at 3 pm<br />
416-366-77<strong>23</strong> | 1-800-708-6754 | www.stlc.com<br />
thewholenote.com <strong>December</strong> <strong>2017</strong> / <strong>January</strong> <strong>2018</strong> | 25
what drew him to Handel instead of, say, Verdi, who also wrote<br />
about so many dispossessed people, he responded, “There is<br />
something in the form in which Handel wrote most of his music<br />
which is interesting. His draw to a formula, a repetition of text<br />
and simplicity in how he set it, is profound. Yes, Verdi is a master<br />
composer, but his music takes on a much more propelling aspect<br />
to the storytelling. Handel allows you to reflect, assess and<br />
move forward.”<br />
Some of the pieces that Bound draws upon are Acis and<br />
Galetea, Alcina, Alexander’s Feast, Ariodante, Orlando,<br />
Floridante, Giulio Cesare in Egitto, Jephtha, Rinaldo, Rodelinda,<br />
Semele, Serse and Tolomeo. For the assembled score Ivany has<br />
written a new English libretto. The cast includes soprano Danika<br />
Lorèn, tenor Asitha Tennekoon, countertenor David Trudgen,<br />
baritone Justin Welsh and bass Michael Uloth. Ivany will direct<br />
and Mokrzewski will conduct.<br />
Richard Margison and Lauren Margison<br />
large orchestra, Tryptych Concert & Opera presents its final opera in<br />
Toronto before its co-artistic directors, Edward Franko and Lenard<br />
Whiting, move to Kenora to restart the company there. On <strong>December</strong> 9<br />
and 10, Tryptych presents a fully-staged production of Engelbert<br />
Humperdinck’s Hansel and Gretel in English at the P.C. Ho Theatre in<br />
Scarborough, with the Cathedral Bluffs Symphony Orchestra and the<br />
Toronto Beaches Children’s Chorus. The cast features Meghan Symon<br />
as Hansel, Marion Samuel-Stevens as Gretel, Douglas Tranquada as<br />
the Father, Mila Ionkova as the Mother, Kira Braun as the Dew Fairy<br />
and Sandman and Whiting himself as the Witch. Franko directs and<br />
Norman Reintamm conducts. Despite Franko and Whiting’s move, the<br />
two plan to stage at least one opera with the CBSO in Toronto every<br />
year. Donizetti’s The Elixir of Love is already planned for next year.<br />
Tapestry: In the realm of new music is the welcome return of<br />
Tapestry Opera’s popular Opera Briefs. This year’s “Winter Shorts”<br />
consists of ten opera scenes developed during Tapestry’s 2016<br />
Composer-Librettist Laboratory. Creators of the shorts have drawn<br />
inspiration from current events and contemporary concerns including<br />
the Syrian refugee crisis, robot warfare, the 1984 Quebec National<br />
Assembly shooting, voyeurism, fairy tales and dysfunctional millennial<br />
relationships. This year’s operas include three composed by<br />
Afarin Mansouri, three from Iman Habibi, three from Norbert Palej<br />
and one from Kit Soden. The librettists are Bobby Theodore, Marcia<br />
Johnson, Phoebe Tsang and Jessica Murphy Moo. The performers are<br />
Alexander Dobson, Erica Iris, Keith Klassen and Jacqueline Woodley.<br />
“Winter Shorts” runs from November 30 to <strong>December</strong> 3.<br />
Against the Grain: In contrast to Tapestry’s “bite-size” offerings,<br />
from <strong>December</strong> 14 to 16 Toronto’s indomitable Against the Grain<br />
Theatre presents a “new” full-length Handel opera in the form of<br />
Bound – A Handel Mash-up. AtG’s artistic director Joel Ivany and<br />
music director Topher Mokrzewski have collaborated with awardwinning<br />
composer Kevin Lau to create a pastiche of music from<br />
Handel’s operas and oratorios that will focus on current world events.<br />
According to the AtG website, “In the wake of the world’s refugee<br />
crisis, this workshop will explore the current state of those displaced,<br />
dehumanized and mistreated, with texts and stories drawn from reallife<br />
news articles and world events.” When I asked Ivany in November<br />
Così fan tutte<br />
presented by Toronto Lyric<br />
Trinity St. Paul’s<br />
PERA<br />
Opera Centre<br />
Jeanne Lamon Hall<br />
427 Bloor Street W<br />
Sun Feb 18, <strong>2018</strong><br />
7:30 PM<br />
Highlands Opera premiere: Meanwhile, there is an important<br />
premiere outside Toronto. Opera lovers may know that the Highlands<br />
Opera Studio, based in Haliburton with Richard Margison as artistic<br />
director, presents opera in the summer. This year HOS will present a<br />
new work <strong>December</strong> 21 and 22, Mishaabooz’s Realm (Le Royaume<br />
de Michabous), with music and libretto by Cree composer Andrew<br />
Balfour. The opera, a co-production with L’Atelier Lyrique of L’Opéra<br />
de Montréal, will have its world premiere performances in Montreal<br />
on <strong>December</strong> 15 and 16 before moving to Haliburton.<br />
The opera’s central figure is Mishaabooz, an important character in<br />
Anishinaabe storytelling. Mishaabooz is another name for Nanabozho,<br />
the great trickster spirit and shape-shifter, one of whose favourite forms<br />
is as a giant rabbit, who is often sent to earth by Gitche Manitou (the<br />
Creator) to teach the Ojibwe peoples. (Mishaabooz, in fact, means “Great<br />
Hare.”) In his composer’s statement, Balfour describes the opera as “a<br />
multi-media and multi-directional work, incorporating classical styles,<br />
unique choral and vocal perspectives, Indigenous musical and oral<br />
traditions, with a libretto in First Nations dialect, French and English,<br />
exploring contemporary issues concerning Canada’s relationship with<br />
our First People and the land of Turtle Island, past, present and future.”<br />
Singers include soprano Lauren Margison and baritone Nathan<br />
Keoughan. Balfour and Cory Campbell will contribute vocals and play<br />
percussion while music director Louise-Andrée Baril will conduct<br />
from the piano. The chorus will be drawn from both Montreal and<br />
Haliburton. Valerie Kuinka is the stage director.<br />
We clearly no longer have to wait until spring for variety in operatic<br />
activity in Ontario.<br />
Christopher Hoile is a Toronto-based writer on opera and<br />
theatre. He can be contacted at opera@thewholenote.com.<br />
RUDDIGORE<br />
Artistic Director - Laura Schatz<br />
Musical Director - Brian Farrow<br />
Choreographer - Jennie Garde<br />
Jan 26 & 27, Feb 1 & 2, 7:30pm<br />
Jan 27 & 28, Feb 3 & 4, 2pm<br />
Visit tlocentre.com<br />
for tickets and<br />
more info!<br />
26 | <strong>December</strong> <strong>2017</strong> / <strong>January</strong> <strong>2018</strong> thewholenote.com
Beat by Beat | Art of Song<br />
Some Southern<br />
Comfort<br />
LYDIA PEROVIĆ<br />
If anything’s desperately needed in Toronto in <strong>December</strong>, it’s<br />
a dash of the south. The Vesuvius Ensemble to the rescue: the<br />
trio that specializes in Southern Italian music (mostly from<br />
Naples and Campania but also Calabria and Puglia) is preparing<br />
a pastoral Christmas program for mid-<strong>December</strong>, just as the<br />
Toronto winter is about to take over.<br />
Vesuvius is a three-lad enterprise: Francesco Pellegrino is<br />
the voice of the group, while Marco Cera and Lucas Harris play<br />
a variety of plucked string instruments, and are most likely to<br />
be found manning Baroque guitar and theorbo respectively.<br />
Various other period instruments are added depending on the<br />
songs chosen, like tammorra, a large tambourine with bells, or<br />
ciaramella, an early oboe with an ear-trumpet-like shape. This<br />
instrumentarium is there to accompany the songs both folk and<br />
composed, roughly from the same period, the 1500s and 1600s.<br />
The most interesting part of the Vesuvius mission is this mix of<br />
the popular and the authored material. There have always been<br />
song composers open to the influence of the folk, and among<br />
those who have used either folk music or folk lyrics you are<br />
likely to hear in Vesuvius concerts are Andrea Falconieri (d.<br />
1656), Giovanni Girolamo Kapsberger (1580-1651), Athanasius<br />
Kircher (1602-1680), Leonardo Vinci (1690-1730), and Francesco<br />
Provenzale (1624-1704).<br />
The study of Italian folk song got a significant boost in the 20th<br />
century thanks to recording technology. In the mid-1950s, Alan<br />
Lomax and Diego Carpitella travelled to villages up and down Italy<br />
to record traditional peasant songs sung in dialect. Some of the<br />
songs were work songs, some were dances like the tarantella (which,<br />
myth has it, cures poisonous spider bites and bilious moods of other<br />
kinds), and others were laments, or love songs, or wedding songs.<br />
Commercially released recordings of some of the Carpitella-Lomax<br />
treasures still exist – the Italian Treasury series of CDs divided into<br />
regions is not exactly easy to buy (an Amazon search will yield<br />
second-hand, vinyl or MP3 offers) and is best sought out in large and<br />
university libraries. Puglia: the Salento (2002), Calabria and Folk<br />
Music and Song of Italy: A Sampler (1999), for example, are available<br />
at the Toronto Reference Library and each includes booklets with<br />
lyrics and translations.<br />
Another important figure of the Italian folk revival of the 20th<br />
century is the musicologist, theatre artist and composer Roberto de<br />
Simone (b. 1933). In addition to the research and archiving of the<br />
popular chant, de Simone incorporated folk practices into his own<br />
writing and stage directing and is probably best known internationally<br />
for the opera La gatta Cenerentola. (Look for Secondo coro delle<br />
lavandaie – The Second Chorus of the Washerwomen – on YouTube.)<br />
Vesuvius Ensemble<br />
Which of the Italian traditional and composed treasures will<br />
Vesuvius perform in their Christmas concert? We’ll find out on<br />
<strong>December</strong> 17 or 19 in Heliconian Hall, though a few days earlier is<br />
also a possibility since the group will perform a similar program<br />
at the Four Seasons Centre’s Richard Bradshaw Amphitheatre on<br />
<strong>December</strong> 12 at noon. When I spoke with Francesco Pellegrino for<br />
this article in mid-October, the program had not yet been finalized.<br />
What is certain is that Tommaso Sollazzo, a connoisseur of the Italian<br />
bagpipes called zampogne, will be joining in. The trio performed<br />
with him in Italy a few years back and now he’s making the trip to<br />
wintry Toronto.<br />
And since the tarantellas and the tammurriatas are so danceable,<br />
SCARLET O'NEILL<br />
Concertos!<br />
Sunday Dec. 03 <strong>2017</strong><br />
Elliott Carter<br />
String Trio<br />
Robin de Raff<br />
Percussion Concerto<br />
Linda C. Smith<br />
Path of Uneven Stones<br />
Paul Frehner<br />
Clarinet Concerto v<br />
Ryan Scott, Eve Egoyan, Max Christie<br />
NMC Ensemble | Robert Aitken<br />
Oliphant Theatre | 404 Jarvis St.<br />
Kammerkonzert<br />
Sunday Jan. 14 <strong>2018</strong><br />
Alban Berg<br />
Kammerkonzert<br />
Arnold Schoenberg<br />
Phantasy Op.47<br />
Michael Oesterle<br />
Chamber Concerto v<br />
v World Premieres<br />
MingHuan Xu, Winston Choi<br />
NMC Ensemble | Robert Aitken<br />
Oliphant Theatre | 404 Jarvis St.<br />
Land’s End Ensemble<br />
Sunday Feb. 04 <strong>2018</strong><br />
Hope Lee<br />
Imaginary Garden VII v<br />
Sean Clarke<br />
New Work v<br />
Matthew Ricketts<br />
Graffiti Songs<br />
Arnold Schoenberg<br />
(arr. Anton Webern)<br />
Kammersymphonie Op.9<br />
Land’s End Ensemble, guest artists<br />
Robert Aitken, James Campbell<br />
Gallery 345 | 345 Sorauren Ave.<br />
www.NewMusicConcerts.com<br />
thewholenote.com <strong>December</strong> <strong>2017</strong> / <strong>January</strong> <strong>2018</strong> | 27
will Vesuvius let the audience dance<br />
during their concerts, maybe preceded<br />
by some dance instruction? “Not yet,”<br />
says Pellegrino, “but we are expanding<br />
this program and in the next couple<br />
of years our concerts may also have<br />
dancers from Italy who are well versed<br />
in tarantella or tammurriata. We’re<br />
working on it.”<br />
Outside Toronto, you can hear<br />
(though not yet dance to) Vesuvius’<br />
Christmas concert on <strong>December</strong> 18 in<br />
Hamilton and <strong>December</strong> 20 in Montreal.<br />
<strong>January</strong><br />
Twenty-five years after its world<br />
premiere, the song cycle Honey and Rue<br />
is still regularly performed by symphony<br />
orchestras and coloratura sopranos in<br />
the US. Carnegie Hall commissioned<br />
it and André Previn composed it for<br />
Claire de Sévigné<br />
Kathleen Battle, who was a keen reader<br />
of Toni Morrison and wanted her as a<br />
lyricist. We don’t hear the cycle that<br />
often in Canada, and it’s St. Catharines, not Toronto, that got lucky<br />
this season, with two Honey and Rue performances with the Niagara<br />
Symphony Orchestra in <strong>January</strong>. Morrison’s poems are a rich and<br />
intense read and should be relished without the music first (keep<br />
those programs, concertgoers: the poems are not easy to find).<br />
Young soprano Claire de Sévigné will sing. Last time I heard de<br />
Sévigné was in the COC’s Arabella, where she effortlessly produced<br />
the coloratura for the Viennese ball ingenue, Fiakermilli. There probably<br />
isn’t another Canadian soprano whose timbre more resembles<br />
Battle’s. I caught up with the travelling soprano via email to learn<br />
more about her take on the piece.<br />
When I ask her what it is that<br />
she likes about Honey and Rue,<br />
she starts with the orchestration.<br />
“Singing with an orchestra<br />
is always thrilling but singing a<br />
piece that’s in the style of ‘classical-jazz-blues<br />
fusion’ feels like<br />
a real jam. The fourth song is a<br />
huge contrast to the rest of the<br />
cycle in that it is a cappella, and<br />
this moment can be magic. I also<br />
adore the lyrics. Very strong text<br />
with stunning imagery.”<br />
I tell her that my first impression<br />
of it was that it was<br />
extremely high. Her answer<br />
doesn’t surprise me: “I don’t<br />
notice it being all that high<br />
actually – but that’s coming<br />
from a coloratura soprano and<br />
my voice lives in the clouds,<br />
haha. I think that Previn knew<br />
how to write for the voice, since<br />
the performer doesn’t notice it being all that high! I actually find the<br />
set quite lyric – the highest note is only a B flat, a whole fourth lower<br />
than my high notes, and the set sits in quite a nice place for a light<br />
soprano’s voice to spin and shimmer while still being able to sing the<br />
text… It’s quite a pleasure to sing.”<br />
The cycle was written by an African-American writer for an<br />
African-American singer originally, and although it’s still frequently<br />
sung by African-American singers, it’s become a cycle for any talented<br />
soprano who can meet its challenge. I ask de Sévigné what she thinks<br />
of the recent rise in discussions about what cultural material can<br />
be performed by who, and in what context. “It’s true, the cycle was<br />
28 | <strong>December</strong> <strong>2017</strong> / <strong>January</strong> <strong>2018</strong> thewholenote.com
I<br />
I<br />
T<br />
C H O R A L E<br />
C<br />
H O<br />
R<br />
L<br />
A<br />
E<br />
originally commissioned after Battle read The Bluest Eyes by Toni<br />
Morrison. The poems of Honey and Rue are different however – they<br />
don’t explicitly or exclusively portray the same themes from the book,<br />
with the exception of the sixth song, which I would say is outwardly<br />
about slavery and abuse.” The final poem is based on the African-<br />
American spiritual Take My Mother Home, though with added lyrics<br />
and musical material. “The cycle as a whole,” writes de Sévigné,<br />
“explores questions around equality, suffering, freedom and acceptance,<br />
which are themes that humanity as a whole has experienced<br />
and can appreciate.”<br />
This will not be the young singer’s first encounter with the piece.<br />
“It’s the second time I’ve been asked to sing it. I first performed it<br />
with piano in the Aspen Music Festival concert series in 2012 and have<br />
performed excerpts over the past years in several recitals. I find something<br />
new every time I perform it. I have found that my best way to<br />
interpret the songs is by switching between the first person and the<br />
narrator.”<br />
And what is next on her schedule? “I’m currently doing a concert<br />
tour in China with the Hantang International Music Festival in collaboration<br />
with the Salzburg Festival (writing to you from Beijing right<br />
now!). I’m back to Canada in <strong>December</strong> for the Messiah with the<br />
Edmonton Symphony and in February, I’ll be at the Canadian Opera<br />
Company singing the role of Blonde in Mozart’s Die Entführung aus<br />
dem Serail. There’s also a Mozart C Minor Mass this season, and a<br />
Carmina Burana with the Grant Park Festival in Chicago.”<br />
But as the first thing in the new year, Honey and Rue: <strong>January</strong> 20<br />
and 21, 7:30pm, with the Niagara Symphony Orchestra. Also on the<br />
program: Wagner’s Siegfried Idyll and Ravel’s Mother Goose (complete<br />
ballet). Bradley Thachuck, conductor. FirstOntario Performing Arts<br />
Centre, St. Catharines.<br />
Lydia Perović is an arts journalist in Toronto. Send her your artof-song<br />
news to artofsong@thewholenote.com.<br />
P A X<br />
•<br />
C H R<br />
I S T<br />
•<br />
C H O R A L E<br />
I<br />
David Bowser<br />
Artistic Director<br />
VOICE<br />
B OX<br />
OPERA IN CONCERT<br />
Guillermo Silva-Marin<br />
General Director<br />
operainconcert.com<br />
Beste Kalender<br />
Ilana Zarankin<br />
Holly Chaplin<br />
I DUE FIGARO<br />
by Saverio Mercadante<br />
Rediscovered in 2009, this 1826 opera turns out to be<br />
a jewel of the Bel Canto style … brilliant and graceful.<br />
Narmina Afandiyeva,<br />
Music Director<br />
featuring Beste Kalender<br />
Stuart Hamilton Memorial Award Winner,<br />
Ilana Zarankin, Holly Chaplin,<br />
Nicholas Borg,<br />
The Opera in Concert Chorus<br />
Robert Cooper, Chorus Director<br />
Sun. February 4 at 2:30 pm<br />
Gloria<br />
The joie de vivre of the season<br />
Poulenc Gloria<br />
Duruflé Four Motets<br />
Fauré Cantique de Jean Racine<br />
Gounod Noël<br />
Pax Christi Chorale with<br />
Andrea Núñez and Daniel Norman<br />
Saturday, <strong>December</strong> 16 <strong>2017</strong>, 7:30 p.m.<br />
Sunday, <strong>December</strong> 17 <strong>2017</strong>, 3:00 p.m.<br />
Grace Church on-the-Hill,<br />
300 Lonsdale Rd. Toronto<br />
FOR TICKETS, VISIT<br />
PAXCHRISTICHORALE.ORG<br />
416-366-77<strong>23</strong> | 1-800-708-6754 | www.stlc.com<br />
thewholenote.com <strong>December</strong> <strong>2017</strong> / <strong>January</strong> <strong>2018</strong> | 29
Beat by Beat | Choral Scene<br />
The Dreaded<br />
Cough<br />
BRIAN CHANG<br />
Welcome to this double edition of Choral Scene! By the time<br />
you get your hands on this magazine the holiday season will<br />
be well under way. Carols will get in your ear, festive sounds<br />
will echo out and bells will be a-ringing throughout the region. I hope<br />
you’ve got your concert tickets in hand. If not, hurry up and reserve<br />
your place in these amazing concerts before you’re disappointed.<br />
Balancing out the holiday season, I’m also going to highlight some<br />
interesting performances you should check out in the choral world<br />
into the new year. We’ll be back in February, just in time for Chinese<br />
New Year on February 16, <strong>2018</strong> – the Year of the Dog! But I’m going<br />
to highlight a few performances well beyond the date that you might<br />
want to circle in one of the seasonal calendars you will doubtless be<br />
acquiring in the coming weeks.<br />
Stage Coughs<br />
But first, from a chorister’s perspective, some thoughts on the<br />
dreaded cough and wintry illness for singers!<br />
In November’s WholeNote, Vivien Fellegi wrote about major injuries<br />
and musicians and noted that 84 percent of musicians will have to<br />
deal with a significant injury affecting their ability to make music.<br />
If you ask any vocalist to name their performance terror, it usually<br />
involves being sick around performance time. Four years ago, during<br />
an especially illness-fraught Messiah run at the Toronto Symphony<br />
Orchestra, the flu and cold hit our soprano and bass soloists.<br />
Eventually, a sub for the bass needed to be called in to finish the run.<br />
Members of the choir were hit as well. Good performers put on a good<br />
show even when adverse conditions exist, but even then, there’s only<br />
so much one can do when your body is under bacterial or viral attack.<br />
This past October, I got a pretty bad viral throat infection. It cleared,<br />
but the residual cough and throat irritation continued for a few weeks.<br />
The result was a lot of rehearsals spent sitting in the back, humming<br />
along as we began going through Suzanne Steele and Jeffrey Ryan’s<br />
Afghanistan: Requiem for a Generation. My voice returned in time<br />
for the Remembrance Day performances but there was coughing<br />
during the performance I just couldn’t control. A persistently irritated<br />
throat, diminished lung capacity, wonky musculature around the<br />
vibrating air and sudden bursts of coughing made it hard to rehearse<br />
and perform. It’s quite upsetting to find your instrument unreliable.<br />
Something is physically making your voice not work and it is quite<br />
distressing, because when it is your body, nothing can really make the<br />
healing process go faster than it takes.<br />
And Audience Echoes<br />
Let’s be clear though, illness sucks even if you aren’t a performer. If<br />
you’re in the audience, sometimes the tension of trying not to make a<br />
sound makes you uncomfortable to the point where you’re no longer<br />
enjoying the music and instead just trying to be silent. I know many<br />
of my colleagues feel very strongly about audience noises. Some barely<br />
notice, but some take great issue with coughs and shuffles and the<br />
noises that crowds of hundreds of people make just by existing.<br />
For me, any good performer can do their job, even when there is<br />
noise; the aural presence of the audience adds an ambience to the<br />
overall process of performing. Performing without an audience is just<br />
glorified rehearsal. Real audiences are made of real people and they<br />
make noises. They react to the music and they respond in kind. Think<br />
about how the energy in the room changes when everyone stands<br />
for the “Hallelujah Chorus” in Messiah – there is a visceral, physical<br />
and emotional change in the room. You don’t have to be a music<br />
aficionado to notice it, or more importantly, to feel changed by it. I<br />
like when there’s an audience, especially a big one, and I think most<br />
performing arts organizations would prefer you’re there, even if a<br />
bit noisy.<br />
So, into this season of coughs, hacks, sneezes and other wintry<br />
ailments we go. Be healthy and get your flu shot! And be kind to the<br />
singers in your life, especially if we Purell ourselves religiously and<br />
take precautions to stay away from potential illness. We’re worried<br />
sick about losing our voices!<br />
The Governor General’s Messiah<br />
The newly installed Governor General, Julie Payette, once sang in<br />
the Tafelmusik Chamber Choir. She famously carried a recording of<br />
Tafelmusik’s Messiah with her into space. Her Excellency’s love of<br />
music will surely serve her well in her position as a grand patron of<br />
the arts in Canada.<br />
Tafelmusik’s annual Messiah continues to provide a period interpretation<br />
in the inimitable Koerner Hall, <strong>December</strong> 12 to 16. Ivars<br />
Taurins leads the ensembles. Presenting one of the smaller Messiah<br />
performances annually, Tafelmusik also presents the largest Messiah<br />
in town with its annual “Sing-Along Messiah” at Massey Hall, where<br />
2,700 fans join the orchestra and choir in a grand tradition under the<br />
baton of the great maestro himself, Herr Handel (aka. Ivars Taurins),<br />
<strong>December</strong> 17 at 2pm.<br />
Welcome Christmas!<br />
<strong>December</strong> 15, <strong>2017</strong> 7:30pm<br />
Metropolitan United Church, 56 Queen St E, Toronto<br />
Swing into the Merry Season<br />
Expect high-energy chart-toppers from the Bob DeAngelis Big<br />
Band and acclaimed jazz pianist John Sherwood, alongside Nils<br />
Lindberg’s sparkling Christmas Cantata and festive favourites!<br />
Robert Cooper, C.M. Artistic Director, Edward Moroney, Accompanist<br />
Guest Artists<br />
Bob DeAngelis Big Band<br />
John Sherwood<br />
www.orpheuschoirtoronto.com<br />
416-530-4428<br />
The Jackman Foundation<br />
30 | <strong>December</strong> <strong>2017</strong> / <strong>January</strong> <strong>2018</strong> thewholenote.com
SIAN RICHARDS<br />
Tafelmusik Chamber Choir<br />
A Solid Choral Holiday at the TSO<br />
The Toronto Symphony Orchestra (TSO) has an exceptionally choirfilled<br />
holiday season.<br />
Home Alone in concert is being performed live with the Etobicoke<br />
School of the Arts Concert Choir, conducted by Constantine<br />
Kitsopoulos, November 30 to <strong>December</strong> 2. This beloved movie is very<br />
much a holiday favourite and one of John Williams’ most magical<br />
scores. “Somewhere in my Memory,” nominated for an Academy Award<br />
for Best Original Song, has become a choral classic for the season.<br />
Then, joining the TSO for the first time, Resonance Youth<br />
Choir from Mississauga makes its debut in Roy Thomson Hall on<br />
<strong>December</strong> 10 at 3pm. Only in its second season, Bob Anderson’s choir<br />
will join Tha Spot Holiday Dancers and TSYO Concerto Competition<br />
winner, cellist Dale Yoon Ho Jeong. Singalong<br />
classics Jingle Bells, Joy to the World,<br />
Hark! The Herald Angels Sing and more are<br />
part of the program, as well as an excerpt<br />
from Saint-Saëns Cello Concerto No.1. David<br />
Amado, music director of the Delaware<br />
Symphony and the Atlantic Music Festival,<br />
leads the groups. The main presentation<br />
will be live accompaniment of Howard<br />
Blake’s score to the holiday favourite film<br />
The Snowman.<br />
No holiday season is complete without the<br />
TSO Pops Concert, featuring the Canadian<br />
Brass and the Etobicoke School of the Arts<br />
Holiday Chorus. Lucas Waldin conducts. The<br />
program <strong>December</strong> 12 and 13 looks magical,<br />
including bits from The Polar Express film,<br />
unique Canadian Brass arrangements like<br />
White Christmas, Go Tell it On the Mountain,<br />
The First Noël and carols arranged by TSO<br />
Pops conductor Stephen Reineke. (Waldin,<br />
who works with the Edmonton Symphony<br />
Orchestra, was most recently in Toronto conducting the hugely<br />
popular and totally-sold-out TSO Carly Rae Jepsen performance.)<br />
Last but not least, the TSO and Toronto Mendelssohn Choir presentation<br />
of Messiah promises to be as grand as ever. Matthew Halls,<br />
British early music specialist, takes the helm. This performance has an<br />
impeccable set of soloists: Karina Gauvin, soprano; Krisztina Szabó,<br />
mezzo-soprano; Frédéric Antoun, tenor; and Joshua Hopkins, baritone.<br />
<strong>December</strong> 18 to <strong>23</strong> in Roy Thomson Hall. (Barring an uncontrollable<br />
relapse into viral coughing, I’ll be there in my usual place in the<br />
Mendelssohn tenor section.)<br />
The New Year<br />
With most musical programming seasons running to the end of<br />
conducted by Craig Pike<br />
THAT CHOIR CAROLS<br />
featuring RESONANCE and our family carol sing-a-long<br />
St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church<br />
Works by WHITACRE | EMERY | DALEY | ALLAN<br />
(73 Simcoe Street, Toronto ON) GJEILO | TWARDOWSKI | HANNEY | MEALOR<br />
VISIT US<br />
thatchoir.com<br />
thewholenote.com <strong>December</strong> <strong>2017</strong> / <strong>January</strong> <strong>2018</strong> | 31
CAROLS BY<br />
CANDLELIGHT<br />
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 10, 4:30PM<br />
A traditional candlelight choral<br />
presentation featuring choirs and<br />
musicians of Yorkminster Park.<br />
NINE LESSONS<br />
& CAROLS<br />
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 17, 4:30PM<br />
Following the historic tradition<br />
of King’s College in Cambridge.<br />
June, I’ve decided to highlight one performance from each of the next<br />
few months. They might make great gifts if you’re thinking ahead,<br />
and there are some you’ll surely want to secure seats to before they<br />
sell out.<br />
<strong>January</strong>: Annually, at the end of <strong>January</strong>, the Toronto Mendelssohn<br />
Choir hosts one of the most important training intensives for emerging<br />
conductors anywhere in North America. Under the supervision<br />
of Noel Edison, five symposium participants are exposed to a rigorous<br />
schedule of about 20 diverse songs from global choral repertoire and<br />
tested by the chamber-sized Elora Festival Singers and the symphonic,<br />
full Toronto Mendelssohn Choir. The week culminates with a free<br />
concert and a chance to see these conductors in action on <strong>January</strong> 27<br />
at 3pm, Yorkminster Park Baptist Church, Toronto.<br />
February: The Orpheus Choir presents “Nordic Light.” The Northern<br />
Lights, also known as the Aurora Borealis, have long captured<br />
the imagination and spirit of peoples in the far North. Indigenous<br />
peoples in Canada have an especially strong connection to their presence.<br />
Ēriks Ešenvalds, Latvian composer, has written Nordic Light<br />
Symphony. He will be in Toronto to introduce the work prior to the<br />
performance. This is the Canadian premiere of the work and a chance<br />
to experience Ešenvalds’ ethereal, atmospheric and deeply satisfying<br />
work, February 24 at 7:30pm, Metropolitan United Church, Toronto.<br />
March: Soundstreams presents Tan Dun’s Water Passion. Choir 21,<br />
soloists and instruments are conducted by David Fallis. I’m deeply<br />
intrigued by the program. Billed as a reimagination of the Bach<br />
St. Matthew Passion. Dun’s East Asian musicality will weave a<br />
blending of the words of Christ through the theme of water, guided<br />
by Eastern musical traditions. From Mongolian overtone singing to<br />
Peking Opera to the sound of water, this promises to be an experience,<br />
March 9 at 8pm, Trinity-St. Pauls Centre, Toronto.<br />
Follow Brian on Twitter @bfchang. Send info/media/<br />
tips to choralscene@thewholenote.com.<br />
Admission is FREE<br />
for both events.<br />
Doors open<br />
at 3:30pm.<br />
SONGS FROM A CELTIC HEART<br />
Annual Fundraising Event<br />
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 3, <strong>2018</strong> • 2:00 PM & 7:00 PM<br />
FEATURING<br />
Amadeus Choir of Greater Toronto | Lydia Adams, conductor | Joan Andrews, conductor<br />
Shawn Grenke, conductor and piano | Tom Leighton, guitar and vocals<br />
Yorkminster Park Baptist Church<br />
1585 Yonge Street | (416) 922-1167<br />
YorkminsterPark.com<br />
Single tickets: $50 | $40 | $25<br />
$5 off tickets purchased before Jan. 15, <strong>2018</strong>!<br />
For tickets, call (416) 446-0188<br />
www.amadeuschoir.com<br />
Jubilee United Church<br />
40 Underhill Dr, Toronto<br />
(just NE of the DVP and Lawrence Ave E)<br />
32 | <strong>December</strong> <strong>2017</strong> / <strong>January</strong> <strong>2018</strong> thewholenote.com
Beat by Beat | World View<br />
In Ways That Words<br />
Alone Can Not<br />
ANDREW TIMAR<br />
Christmas, and the liminal juncture between old and new years<br />
that follows, is for many of us a prime occasion for gifting<br />
and for helping those<br />
less fortunate. It’s also a time<br />
when daylight hours are at<br />
their shortest and even our<br />
waking hours are dominated<br />
by darkness. As such it’s a<br />
time which amply rewards<br />
introspection of the personal<br />
kind, when we can profitably<br />
reflect back on the past year and<br />
also look forward, hopefully, to a<br />
brighter new one.<br />
At the heart of all this is<br />
observance of the winter solstice.<br />
The period around the year’s<br />
shortest day has been marked<br />
in the Northern Hemisphere<br />
with rituals of rebirth, celebrated<br />
in holidays, festivals and<br />
community gatherings, reaching<br />
back perhaps to the Neolithic<br />
Ahmed Moneka<br />
period. Ancient Romans, Persians, Chinese, Theravada Buddhists,<br />
Northern European peoples – pagan and neo-pagan – as well as the<br />
Zuni of the American Southwest all celebrated the winter solstice.<br />
Some still do. Sensitivity to natural cycles seems to be hardwired in<br />
our human DNA.<br />
It’s no coincidence that Christians of the Western tradition chose<br />
the winter solstice to celebrate the Longest Night (aka Blue Christmas).<br />
Falling at the end of the Advent season, these long and cold nights<br />
underscore believers’ own struggle with darkness and grief as<br />
they face the end of the growing season, and loss of many kinds.<br />
Christmas, the joyous celebration of Christ’s birth, was strategically<br />
placed within the Roman annual calendar by the early Church to<br />
coincide with this period.<br />
Timar family Christmas<br />
My own family has celebrated Christmas for many generations<br />
but in recent decades the focus has increasingly shifted from longtime<br />
religious to secular rituals performed by our immediate Toronto<br />
family. In our ever-morphing clan new partners are added, names<br />
change, babies are born, people move away and some return; they<br />
grow up, grow old and yes, our elders ultimately enter the realm of the<br />
ancestors.<br />
All dressed up, each year the extended Timar clan gathers at one of<br />
our homes to celebrate our seasonal traditions, ancient and new. We<br />
feast extravagantly into the night with special rich food and drink that<br />
speaks to our multiple ethnic and religious roots, identities and values.<br />
Helping refresh family bonds is the spirit of generosity, mutual care<br />
and the hospitality that permeates that late <strong>December</strong> evening.<br />
65 Million Refugee Realities<br />
Things aren’t so rosy however for everyone at this time of year. It’s<br />
a particularly sad time for families torn apart geographically, when<br />
some are compelled to flee their homelands. So it was too with my<br />
family when I was six. We were refugees from post-revolution occupied<br />
Hungary. Our first generation is forever grateful to Canada for<br />
giving five of us sanctuary, a fertile place to put down roots, make a<br />
home, to flourish.<br />
Today, the plight of refugees of many kinds continues to confront<br />
every global citizen. Many millions of our fellow humans need aid or<br />
asylum at any given time. Celebrated Chinese multimedia artist and<br />
activist Ai Weiwei estimates the number at “about 65 million people.”<br />
In October <strong>2017</strong> he opened a vast new installation Good Fences<br />
Make Good Neighbours at some 300 sites around New York City,<br />
aiming ultimately to draw attention to the world’s refugee crisis. Good<br />
Fences criticizes “the global trend of trying to separate us by colour,<br />
race, religion, nationality ... against freedom, against humanity,” as Ai<br />
said at his October Manhattan press conference.<br />
Reunite the Moneka Family<br />
The mind-boggling numbers of displaced humanity around the<br />
world can be overwhelming in<br />
the absence of being able to put<br />
a human face on suffering. The<br />
dilemma of refugees, so passionately<br />
articulated by Ai in his art,<br />
is reflected in many ways here<br />
in Toronto. Not surprisingly,<br />
within our musical communities,<br />
it shows up particularly<br />
keenly among world musicians<br />
who have recently made Canada<br />
their home.<br />
Early in November I received<br />
an email from Jaclyn Tam,<br />
manager of concerts and<br />
special projects – including<br />
New Canadian Global Music<br />
Orchestra (NCGMO) – at<br />
the Royal Conservatory and<br />
TELUS Centre. “I wanted to<br />
tell you about a fundraiser I’m<br />
Proudly presents our 5 th<br />
HIGH NOTES GALA<br />
for Mental Health with<br />
LUBA GOY, LLOYD ROBERTSON, MICHAEL LANDSBERG<br />
GILES TOMKINS, MICHAEL BRIDGE,<br />
FRANK HORVAT & FRIENDS<br />
Thursday February 1 @ 7:30 pm<br />
Richmond Hill Centre for Performing Arts<br />
905.787.8811 rhcentre.ca<br />
ONE in FIVE are a ected<br />
WE ALL HAVE A STORY<br />
thewholenote.com <strong>December</strong> <strong>2017</strong> / <strong>January</strong> <strong>2018</strong> | 33
organizing on Monday, <strong>December</strong> 11 at Lula Lounge,” Tam’s email<br />
began. JUNO winners and nominee musicians Quique Escamilla,<br />
David Buchbinder, Maryem and Ernie Tollar, and many special guests<br />
will perform. They’re coming together to support Ahmed Moneka, an<br />
incredibly special musician and actor who now calls Toronto home, in<br />
his bid to bring his family here. I first met him last year when he auditioned<br />
for NCGMO.”<br />
I was immediately gripped. Here was a story with parallels to that of<br />
my own family of origin, as well as to ancient semi-mythic narratives<br />
of asylum, hopes of peace, reconciliation and gift-giving generosity. I<br />
called Tam at her Royal Conservatory office.<br />
“Musician and actor Ahmed Moneka was forced to apply for asylum<br />
in Canada in 2015 after his family received death threats for his lead<br />
role as a gay Iraqi man in the [short] film The<br />
Society,” she told me. (The film premiered at<br />
the Cannes Film Festival and showed at TIFF.)<br />
Moneka’s family, of African Sufi descent,<br />
was well established in Baghdad’s artist<br />
community. His father was a well-known<br />
Iraqi actor and comedian, and his sister<br />
Isra was one of the founders of the Cinema<br />
Department at the University of Basra. His<br />
younger sister Tara has an international<br />
career as a singer. She has performed on Iraqi<br />
TV and at festivals at a young age.<br />
Having faced months of violent threats<br />
from the increasingly powerful militias in<br />
Iraq, however, the family was forced to flee<br />
to Turkey in 2016. Ahmed’s family has been<br />
torn apart and they are now “in a critical<br />
situation.” Moneka speaks powerfully of their<br />
present danger in his fundraising YouTube<br />
video. Moneka hopes to reunite his family<br />
in Canada “so that they may live together in<br />
peace.” All proceeds from the <strong>December</strong> 11<br />
Lula concert will support his goal.<br />
“With Ahmed, it’s all personal,” Tam<br />
says. “I met him a few times, heard his music, and since there was a<br />
personal connection I felt compelled to act. It was simple really: here’s<br />
one person I could help reconnect with his family.”<br />
At his NCGMO audition, “Ahmed<br />
radiated pure musical joy.” But as Tam<br />
explains, by the time the final roster<br />
was decided, he had already made<br />
a commitment to tour with another<br />
band. The NCGMO moved on without<br />
him, but he made abiding connections<br />
with artistic director David<br />
Buchbinder, who has hired Ahmed for<br />
other projects.<br />
After hearing Ahmed’s story, Tam felt<br />
personally compelled to help. “I don’t<br />
have a lot of money to donate,” she<br />
says, “but I do have a large network built up over the years and also the<br />
producing skills to put together such an event.” So she reached out to<br />
Tracey Jenkins at Lula Lounge and to musicians who have worked with<br />
Ahmed. “I was touched by the response of Lula and of the musicians<br />
and artists. They didn’t hesitate to donate their talents.”<br />
This is our community at work big time (and it promises to be a fine<br />
musical evening as well)! Ahmed plays cajón and sings maqam in a<br />
wonderful trio called Moskitto Bar, which will play at the fundraiser.<br />
(One of his bandmates, Tangi Ropars, is formerly of Lemon Bucket<br />
Orkestra.) Additionally, a group dubbed Orchestra of Love has been<br />
organized for the fundraiser, bringing together Toronto world music<br />
A-listers such as trumpeter David Buchbinder, singers Maryem Tollar<br />
and Roula Said, percussionist Naghmeh Farahmand, multi-instrumentalist<br />
and vocalist Waleed Abdulhamid and wind player extraordinaire<br />
Ernie Tollar.<br />
In addition to pure music, NAMAS will recite poetry to guitar<br />
accompaniment and Zeena Sileem, an Iraqi painter, will paint a canvas<br />
ZOHAR RON<br />
Ravid Kahalani of Yemen Blues<br />
live during the evening. The completed canvas will be auctioned with<br />
proceeds benefitting the Moneka family reunification fund.<br />
All in all, this promises to be a terrific community event guaranteed<br />
to put all who come out to support the Moneka family’s desire for<br />
reunification in a proper holiday spirit.<br />
New Canadian Global Music Orchestra (NCGMO): update<br />
I promised in my summer <strong>2017</strong> column story about NCGMO that<br />
I would follow up on the ensemble’s progress. Since I was speaking<br />
with Jaclyn Tam about the Moneka story I asked her for an update<br />
on the orchestra as well. As it turns out, the Orchestra had a Banff<br />
Centre studio residency in September and October, recording its first<br />
album (which is being edited and mixed for concert release on April 7,<br />
<strong>2018</strong>). Shortly after the Banff residency, in November, the NCGMO<br />
performed a showcase at “North America’s<br />
World Music Summit,” Mundial Montréal. And<br />
on February 24, deeper and no doubt whiter<br />
into winter, NCGMO will appear on the Isabel<br />
Bader Centre stage in Kingston, in what the<br />
Isabel’s listings describe as a concert of “transcultural<br />
music which connects and communicates<br />
in ways that words, politicians, and<br />
spiritual leaders cannot. Together, we all find a<br />
common language.”<br />
Lula Music and Arts Centre<br />
In its own words, Lula “nourishes a thriving<br />
Canadian world music scene … with a focus on<br />
local artists performing music of the Americas.” It<br />
fosters the Canadian world music scene “through<br />
concerts, festivals, cultural exchanges, education,<br />
outreach, audience and professional development.”<br />
Lula’s Dundas West space appears to be in<br />
particularly heavy rotation this <strong>December</strong>. I<br />
counted 31 concerts and salsa classes on the site.<br />
That averages out to an astounding one scheduled<br />
event for each day of the month! In <strong>January</strong><br />
the action announced so far settles down to<br />
eight music events, plus another six booked to date in February. It’s<br />
entirely possible more gigs will be booked in the interim, but in any<br />
case that is much too many to talk about here. I encourage readers to<br />
Paolo Angeli<br />
visit The WholeNote’s listings or Lula’s<br />
site calendar for updates.<br />
Aga Khan Museum: concert picks<br />
for <strong>January</strong> and February <strong>2018</strong><br />
Another premier Toronto venue for<br />
culturally diverse music performance<br />
is the Aga Khan Museum. It continues<br />
its programs of concerts and more<br />
casual pop-ups.<br />
<strong>January</strong> 18 the AKM presents<br />
“Yemen Blues,” a truly transcultural<br />
band delivering “an explosive combination<br />
of Yemeni song and poetry,<br />
Jewish music, West African groove and funk.” With musicians from<br />
New York City, Uruguay and Tel Aviv, leader Ravid Kahalani’s charts set<br />
a high musical standard and have roused international audiences.<br />
February 1 “Musical Inventions” by Paolo Angeli featuring Dr. Draw<br />
takes the AKM’s auditorium stage.<br />
Angeli, playing a unique 18-string hybrid of guitar, violoncello and<br />
drums, performs music rooted in the Sardinian tradition blended with<br />
avant-garde aesthetics. He’s joined by electric violinist Dr. Draw.<br />
February 16 the AKM presents “Under the Indian Musical<br />
Sky,” with Montréal group Constantinople and Grammy Awardnominated<br />
Carnatic venu (flute) virtuoso Shashank Subramanyam.<br />
Constantinople’s collaboration with Subramanyam “bridges not only<br />
East and West but [also musical] traditions … from across the globe,”<br />
much like the group’s namesake city.<br />
Andrew Timar is a Toronto musician and music writer. He<br />
can be contacted at worldmusic@thewholenote.com.<br />
34 | <strong>December</strong> <strong>2017</strong> / <strong>January</strong> <strong>2018</strong> thewholenote.com
Beat by Beat | Jazz Notes<br />
The Pitfalls of<br />
Seasonal Gigging<br />
STEVE WALLACE<br />
Jazz musicians earn part of what is laughingly referred to as their<br />
“living” by doing what they call “jobbing gigs,” on which they<br />
provide all-purpose music for various functions. Guido Basso<br />
calls what is generally required on these gigs “jolly jazz”: a variety of<br />
familiar songs – standards, bossa novas, maybe even the odd jazz tune<br />
– well-played at tempos which are danceable, or at least listenable.<br />
Not that anyone at these dos actually listens – the music is generally<br />
intended as background to deafening chatter – but just in case.<br />
The time-honoured m.o. of these gigs is “faking” – that is, playing<br />
umpteen songs without using any written music. Even when all of<br />
the musicians involved know a lot of tunes, there is a certain amount<br />
of repertorial Russian roulette involved. Nobody knows every song –<br />
well, Reg Schwager maybe – but even if you know the given song, it<br />
may not come to you until after it’s over and it’s too late. Generally<br />
though, faking works and it cuts down on schlepping music and<br />
music stands.<br />
But a couple of bullets are added to the faking Russian roulette<br />
pistol every <strong>December</strong>, when seasonal music is thrown into the<br />
jobbing mix. Both the risks and stakes suddenly go up as musicians<br />
are naturally expected to play Christmas standards – familiar<br />
and dear to all – but which they haven’t played for a whole year. (By<br />
“Christmas standards” I mean more modern seasonal songs with some<br />
kind of jazz element such as Walking in a Winter Wonderland or<br />
White Christmas, as opposed to traditional carols which are generally<br />
performed by roving choirs or brass ensembles.)<br />
On the face of it, faking seasonal standards doesn’t seem like<br />
such a challenge, because we all know how these chestnuts (no pun<br />
intended) go, right? But you’d be surprised. Not all Christmas standards<br />
are as simple as they seem, some are quite complicated and after<br />
a year in mothballs they can prove a little elusive. Even the easier ones<br />
– such as Santa Claus Is Coming to Town or Let It Snow – present<br />
challenges because they don’t behave like other songs. Often their<br />
middle sections – or bridges – go into the key of the dominant, which<br />
very few other songs do. And because the bridges often occur only a<br />
quarter of the time, they’re harder to remember. I’ve been on many a<br />
seasonal gig where a faked Christmas tune is going along swimmingly<br />
until the middle is approaching and everyone gets a panicky look on<br />
their face which says, “Where the hell does the bridge go?” It’s ironic,<br />
but the seeming simplicity of the easier seasonal songs confound jazz<br />
musicians who spend the rest of the year negotiating the fiendish<br />
complexities of songs such as Lush Life or Round Midnight without<br />
a hitch, and maybe that’s part of the problem. Being accustomed to<br />
complex harmony, jazz musicians playing simple Christmas tunes are<br />
a bit like cryptic crossword experts who have difficulty solving regular<br />
crosswords.<br />
There are two harmonically complex seasonal standards though:<br />
The Christmas Song, and Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,<br />
each of them a must-play. Both are ballads and their slow tempos<br />
exacerbate the chord change clashes which lurk around every corner.<br />
Taken in the key of E-flat, The Christmas Song has two quick and<br />
tricky modulations in its first eight bars alone: to the key of G-Major<br />
then immediately to G-flat Major. These key changes come as something<br />
of a surprise if you haven’t played it in 12 months, but even if<br />
you do remember them there are all sorts of chord-change options to<br />
trip over before the modulations. Altogether this makes faking Mel<br />
Torme’s classic for the first time in a year a sweaty experience.<br />
Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas may be the best of the lot<br />
and is somewhat easier, but still has its scary moments. It’s smooth<br />
sailing up until the beginning of the bridge, which can start on one<br />
of two chords fraught with conflict for a bassist and a pianist. Again<br />
in E-flat, the first chord of the bridge could be A-flat Major 7, or the<br />
“hipper” option – an A Minor 7 flat-five chord which has all the same<br />
notes save for the all-important root. Notice the roots are a semitone<br />
apart, and there’s the rub. As the bridge arrives, a bassist has to make<br />
a split-second decision about which root to play, with a 50/50 chance<br />
of being dead wrong and sounding like an idiot. If he or she chooses<br />
the A and the pianist plays the A-flat chord it sounds awful and vice<br />
versa; it’s a game of chord-change chicken. If I had a dollar for every<br />
time I zigged when I should have zagged in this situation, I’d be a rich<br />
man. The smart solution would be for the pianist to omit the root altogether<br />
and leave the choice up to the bassist. But no, that would be too<br />
easy, and not many pianists think this way. This may seem like a small<br />
detail and it is, but the trouble with these clashes is that they leave<br />
you frazzled and jar your concentration, which can lead to further<br />
clunkers along the way.<br />
The big problem is that these seasonal faking mishaps occur in a<br />
context riddled with expectation, memory and the potential to spoil<br />
the seasonal mood. It’s an important time of year and the people at<br />
a seasonal gig know all these tunes intimately from years of hearing<br />
them on records and in movies, usually in more deluxe versions with<br />
strings, choirs, Bing Crosby, etc. Messing up a Christmas tune leaves<br />
the band with eggnog on its face and is like messing up a national<br />
anthem – everybody hears it right away and sometimes offence is<br />
taken. As in, “Who hired these bums and how much are they being<br />
paid? They can’t even play White Christmas, for crying out loud!”<br />
But not all the disasters of seasonal gigs come from faking tunes;<br />
some of them have to do with the merrymaking of the audience. Here<br />
are a couple of Christmas party stories to illustrate this. About 15 years<br />
ago guitarist Ted Quinlan hired saxophonist Mike Murley, drummer<br />
Ted Warren and me to play a Christmas party, held on the third floor<br />
of The Senator, for a small company. Ted is prized for his musical<br />
versatility and his whacky sense of humour, both of which came in<br />
WWW.OPJAZZFEST.ORG<br />
thewholenote.com <strong>December</strong> <strong>2017</strong> / <strong>January</strong> <strong>2018</strong> | 35
SANJA ANTIC<br />
handy on this gig. After no time at all it became clear that the people<br />
weren’t going to pay any attention to the music, all was din. We were<br />
playing God Rest Ye, Merry Gentleman when, thinking of the lyrics,<br />
I glanced over at<br />
Ted, who had a<br />
typically maniacal<br />
grin on his face.<br />
Somehow I knew<br />
this meant that he<br />
was going to yell<br />
out “Satan!” from<br />
the carol’s fifth<br />
line and when the<br />
time came we both<br />
bellowed “Satan!”<br />
at the top of our<br />
lungs. Nobody<br />
noticed except the<br />
other two guys<br />
in the band, who<br />
proceeded to join<br />
us with “Satan!” in<br />
the next choruses.<br />
I still don’t know<br />
how we managed<br />
to get through the<br />
tune with all the<br />
Ted Quinlan<br />
laughing, but we<br />
had to take a break<br />
afterwards from<br />
sheer exhaustion.<br />
A few years later, singer John Alcorn hired guitarist Reg Schwager<br />
and me – his regular band – to play a Christmas party for a small<br />
law firm, held in a private banquet facility in a downtown restaurant.<br />
It was a fairly intimate party with the people close at hand,<br />
some of them even listening to the music. All was going well until we<br />
came back from our second break and noticed that suddenly everybody<br />
was drunk. Particularly a large East Indian gentleman who really<br />
had the lamp shade on, like Peter Sellers in The Party, only louder.<br />
Alcorn called Route 66 – not a seasonal song, but a good party tune.<br />
As he began singing it, the Indian guy bellowed out “Oh goody, it’s<br />
Route 67!” and began dancing a ridiculous teetering boogie only he<br />
understood. Reg and I both doubled over laughing, but still somehow<br />
managed to keep playing. Alcorn didn’t bat an eye though; his face<br />
was a mask of composure and he kept singing as if nothing had<br />
happened. That, ladies and gentleman, is professionalism.<br />
So these are a couple of examples of musicians getting their own<br />
back amid the minefield of Christmas gigs. A few years ago some of us<br />
found a new way of having fun with seasonal music: a mashup game<br />
in which we combined the names of Christmas carols/songs with<br />
jazz tunes and standards to form wacky new titles. “Hark the Herald<br />
Angels Sing Sing Sing,” “Joy Spring to the World,” “Sippin’ at Jingle<br />
Bells,” “Silent Night in Tunisia,” “What Child Is This Thing Called<br />
Love?” and “O Little Rootie Tootie Town of Bethlehem” were among<br />
the first of these; later I expanded the game to include readers and<br />
wrote a piece about it. If you’re interested, google wallacebass.com<br />
and look for the title “Birth of the Yule” (or use the direct link:<br />
wallacebass.com/?p–4462).<br />
I’d like to take this opportunity to wish everyone a joyous and<br />
safe holiday season and a Happy New Year. The latter usually comes<br />
with resolutions, some of which are easier to stick to than others. A<br />
few years back I resolved to stop taking New Year’s Eve gigs, only to<br />
discover they’d disappeared. All New Year’s resolutions should be so<br />
easy to keep.<br />
Toronto bassist Steve Wallace writes a blog called “Steve Wallace<br />
jazz, baseball, life and other ephemera” which can be accessed at<br />
wallacebass.com. Aside from the topics mentioned, he sometimes<br />
writes about movies and food.<br />
Beat by Beat | Bandstand<br />
Pride of Performance and<br />
Canadian Connections<br />
JACK MACQUARRIE<br />
Here we are, it’s <strong>December</strong> already, but with many community<br />
ensembles still more focused on sesquicentennial projects as<br />
the year draws to a close than on events that could be described<br />
as special for the Christmas season. Let’s start with two band projects<br />
we have recently learned of that warrant mention, both of which have<br />
significant historical aspects.<br />
Cobourg: The first of these is the announcement of a CD by the<br />
Cobourg Concert Band. Although this CD, Pride of Performance, was<br />
officially released on Canada Day at the band’s concert in the Cobourg<br />
Victoria Park Bandshell, it did not come to our attention until a few<br />
days ago. There are a number of ways in which this CD is special. Not<br />
only is it a sesquicentennial project, but it marks the 175th year that<br />
there has been a town band in Cobourg. That’s 25 years longer than<br />
Canada has been a country. Whether that sets a record for the establishment<br />
of a town band in Canada will be left for this Cobourg band<br />
to dispute with the Newmarket Citizens’ Band and any others that<br />
might claim such a title. Every track on this recording is either a new<br />
arrangement of an established work or a completely new composition.<br />
All are by local musicians, including some band members.<br />
Even the cover artwork was created by contest winners from the local<br />
St. Mary’s High School. I hope to see a review of this CD in a future<br />
issue of The WholeNote.<br />
(A side note: this band also bears the title The Band of Her Majesty’s<br />
Royal Marines Association – Ontario, and is allowed, by royal assent,<br />
to wear the uniform of the Royal Marines. How could this be, you<br />
might ask. Some years ago a man named Roland White moved from<br />
England and took up residence in Cobourg. He just happened to<br />
have been an assistant bandmaster in the Royal Marines working<br />
under the renowned conductor Sir Vivian Dunn, and had studied<br />
conducting under Sir John Barbirolli. When the town band needed a<br />
new conductor, there was White to take over, get that royal assent and<br />
change the image of the town band to its present pride of Cobourg.)<br />
London: Where else might we look for a sesquicentennial band<br />
project? The first place that comes to mind, of course, is Henry<br />
Meredith’s Plumbing Factory Brass Band in London. On Wednesday,<br />
<strong>December</strong> 13, 7:30pm at Byron United Church – 420 Boler Rd.,<br />
London, Ontario – the PFBB will celebrate Canada’s 150th birthday<br />
with “The Golden Age of Brass,” featuring music from the 1800s on<br />
period instruments. Since Confederation-era music will be highlighted,<br />
von Suppé’s exuberant Jolly Robbers Overture, written<br />
exactly 150 years ago in 1867, will open the program. Then, band<br />
music by big name composers will include Beethoven’s Marsch des<br />
Yorck’schen Korps and Mendelssohn’s War March of the Priests. The<br />
centrepiece of the program will be the challenging Raymond Overture<br />
by Ambroise Thomas.<br />
Last month I mentioned the importance of musicianship for ensembles<br />
to really tell their story. Well, in this program, Dr. Hank has<br />
selected a set of four up-tempo compositions to test the skill of his<br />
band’s musicians. One highly regarded composer of the 1800s, famed<br />
for his toe-tapping pieces based on popular dance forms of the mid-<br />
19th century, was Claudio Grafulla. To demonstrate their skills, the<br />
band will play a set of four of his works: Cape May Polka, Freischutz<br />
Quick Step, Skyrocket March, and Hurrah Storm Galop. Another<br />
seasonal favourite, Johann Strauss Sr.’s famous Radetzky March from<br />
1848, will bring the concert to a rousing close. I’m sure that many<br />
instruments from Dr. Hank’s vast collection will be front and centre at<br />
this concert.<br />
(Another sidenote: While brass bands have many loyal followers,<br />
36 | <strong>December</strong> <strong>2017</strong> / <strong>January</strong> <strong>2018</strong> thewholenote.com
particularly in England and much of North America, that has not<br />
always been the case. With the origin of the brass band movement<br />
coming largely from company “works bands” in England, there<br />
were often considerable derisive comments about them. Sir Thomas<br />
Beecham was famous (or infamous) for two of these comments. “The<br />
British Brass Band has its place – outdoors, and several miles away” is<br />
perhaps his most often quoted. But the one that drew the most ire was<br />
when he referred to the brass band as “that superannuated, obsolete,<br />
beastly, disgusting, horrid method of making music.” However, attitudes<br />
gradually changed, and in 1947 Beecham even guest-conducted<br />
a mass band concert at Belle Vue.)<br />
Ukraine: Speaking of brass bands, recent Salvation Army news<br />
caught my attention. The Salvation Army is represented and active in<br />
127 countries around the world. In many of these countries, Salvation<br />
Army groups have brass bands. Ukraine, in particular, is a country<br />
where there is a will but not the required leadership to develop the<br />
brass band movement. Several attempts have been made over the<br />
last 25 years to stimulate interest. While some attempts have been<br />
successful, with the political unrest of recent years, these have been<br />
difficult to sustain.<br />
Enter Bob Gray, a Toronto high school music teacher, trumpet player<br />
and conductor with whom I play regularly, who has been active in the<br />
Salvation Army for many years. About six years ago, at the Salvation<br />
Army’s music camp at Jackson’s Point, he met two young men from<br />
Kiev, a cornet player and a euphonium player. After they had returned<br />
to Kiev, Bob decided to look into the SA band situation in Ukraine.<br />
After the revolution of 2014, Salvation Army churches throughout<br />
Ukraine closed, and now there are only two remaining in Kiev. Having<br />
learned of the demise of that Salvation Army movement, Gray decided<br />
to try to do something to rectify the situation. Item one on his agenda<br />
was language study. For over a year he actively studied in preparation<br />
for visits to Ukraine for Salvation Army activities. He went to<br />
Kiev for the first time in June 2016, then in May <strong>2017</strong>, and again in<br />
October <strong>2017</strong>. Gray, along with the people he met at Jackson’s Point<br />
years ago, are trying to resurrect the brass band movement in the<br />
Ukraine and, in particular, Kiev. A survey showed that there were 25<br />
instruments in working order and a few players who were willing<br />
to commit time and effort to form what would be a divisional band<br />
base in Kiev.<br />
The Salvation Army will be celebrating their 25th anniversary of<br />
operations in Ukraine this coming June. It is hoped that the divisional<br />
band in Kiev will have its debut during that weekend of activities.<br />
The Winton Citadel Band from Bournemouth in the United<br />
Kingdom will be the featured band for the festivities. The city of Kiev<br />
hosted the Eastern block countries Eurovision Song Festival this<br />
past June. During the event many groups entertained in local parks<br />
and squares. The Salvation Army provided a musical presentation in<br />
Victory Park. Bob Gray was a featured cornet soloist as part of these<br />
outreach concerts.<br />
A trip to Belgium: A couple of months ago I heard from longtime<br />
friend Colin Rowe that he would be travelling to Belgium. I first met<br />
Colin some time around 1984 when we were both playing in a swing<br />
band at the Newmarket Jazz Appreciation Society. After that, he played<br />
trombone in the Governor General’s Horse Guards Band and subsequently<br />
became their drum major. Having moved East some years ago,<br />
Colin now has the same duties with the Cobourg Concert Band.<br />
To commemorate the 100th anniversary of the battle of<br />
Passchendaele, Veterans Affairs Canada decided to mount a very<br />
different form of memorial. Specifically they identified nine recipients<br />
of the Victoria Cross from that era and the nine regiments in<br />
which they served. Then they selected a living representative of each<br />
regiment to go to Belgium, but that person could not be a currently<br />
serving member of the regiment. One of those VC recipients was<br />
Private Tommy Holmes VC from the 48th Canadian Mounted Rifles. At<br />
some time after WWI that unit’s name was changed to the Governor<br />
General’s Horse Guards. As the representative from the GGHG,<br />
Veterans Affairs selected Colin Rowe. All of regimental representatives,<br />
along with the band of the Royal 22nd Regiment, embarked on an<br />
thewholenote.com <strong>December</strong> <strong>2017</strong> / <strong>January</strong> <strong>2018</strong> | 37
JACK MACQUARRIE<br />
Drum major Colin Rowe with the Cobourg<br />
Concert Band in Plattsburgh NY, 2013<br />
RCAF transport for their trip to Belgium on November 5.<br />
Another formerly local musician was Kevin Fleming, who was<br />
originally introduced to the GGHG by Colin as a trombone player.<br />
Later, like Colin, he continued to play trombone, but became Drum<br />
Major of the GGHG. Some time later Fleming transferred to the<br />
Regular Force, and a while ago to the Royal 22nd Regiment, nicknamed<br />
the Van Doos. Their band was selected as the lead band<br />
because Passchendaele was one of that regiment’s battle honours.<br />
While there were many ceremonies, the highlight for Fleming was at<br />
Passchendaele, with a torchlight parade from the WW1 monument to<br />
the town square followed by a concert.<br />
Those who went on that trip commented that it had been meticulously<br />
organized by Veterans Affairs, and that on the flight over, they<br />
were presented with a six-page detailed itinerary for their ten-day<br />
visit to memorials and cemeteries, informing them of the time and<br />
place of their every move.<br />
(Aside, again: speaking of Belgium, one significant recent event<br />
I attended was a concert by Toronto’s Wychwood Clarinet Choir on<br />
November 19. While most of the works performed at their concerts<br />
are special arrangements, the opening work, Claribel, was written<br />
by Belgian composer Guido Six specifically for his Claribel Clarinet<br />
Choir in Ostend. This was a wonderful rousing opening. The arranging<br />
talent of choir member Roy Greaves was certainly on display as<br />
the choir’s moods traversed from the Irish folk song The Lark in the<br />
Clear Air and a Mozart Serenade to three tangos by Astor Piazzolla.<br />
Harmonically the choir sounded better than I had ever heard it. Their<br />
harmonies were so well blended that one might think that their<br />
sounds were coming from a single source.)<br />
Greenbank, Ontario: From the tiny Ontario hamlet of Greenbank,<br />
conductor and composer Stuart Beaudoin brought his Orpheus<br />
Symphonietta to the small town of Uxbridge for another memorable<br />
recent event – a concert featuring his new composition Elegy<br />
II: Lament and Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No.5. This was the first<br />
performance of his composition which conveys, in musical terms,<br />
some of the spectrum of the composer’s emotions arising from<br />
world events during his lifetime. It’s an interesting work which bears<br />
more listening. This same man will be back two weeks later with his<br />
Greenbank Cantorei sine Nomine choir and the same orchestra for a<br />
three-hour performance of Bach’s Christmas Oratorio in English.<br />
Flute Street: That other local same-instrument-family group, Flute<br />
Street, unfortunately had their most recent concert on the same date<br />
as the aforementioned Wychwood Clarinet Choir. Their featured<br />
soloist was Christine Beard playing alto flute and piccolo. Those<br />
types of same-instrument ensembles would seem to be competing for<br />
the same audiences, and it is unfortunate that there is not a central<br />
registry to avoid such overlaps. Flute Street’s Nancy Nourse had hoped<br />
to have her new contra alto flute, but it wasn’t available on time. She<br />
says that it will be the first of its kind in Canada. She intends to unveil<br />
it in time for their next concert, possibly in March. It’s an unusual<br />
instrument made in Holland. She may even travel there to get it and<br />
bring it home.<br />
Jack MacQuarrie plays several brass instruments and has<br />
performed in many community ensembles. He can be contacted at<br />
bandstand@thewholenote.com.<br />
Friday, <strong>January</strong> 26 <strong>2018</strong><br />
5:45 pm<br />
Cocktail hour concert with arias<br />
and duets to open Mozart’s<br />
birthday weekend celebrations.<br />
The bar opens at 5:00 pm.<br />
Natalya Gennadi, soprano<br />
Lyndsay Promane, mezzo soprano<br />
Helen Becqué,piano<br />
$25<br />
Saturday, <strong>January</strong> 27 <strong>2018</strong><br />
8:00 pm<br />
Happy birthday Wolfgang!<br />
Celebrate with the Toronto<br />
Mozart Players and guest artist<br />
Adam Sherkin. Sacher Torte to<br />
follow.<br />
Adam Sherkin,composer & pianist<br />
Toronto Mozart Players<br />
$35 adults | $15 students<br />
Sunday, <strong>January</strong> 28 <strong>2018</strong><br />
2:00 pm<br />
Celebrating the master. Symphony<br />
No. 40 in g minor, Regina Coeli<br />
K.276, “Coronation” Mass in C<br />
Toronto Mozart Players<br />
Pax Christi Chamber Choir<br />
Singers from the Toronto Mozart Vocal<br />
Competition & Masterclass Series<br />
$35 adults | $15 students<br />
38 | <strong>December</strong> <strong>2017</strong> / <strong>January</strong> <strong>2018</strong> thewholenote.com
The WholeNote listings are arranged in five sections:<br />
A.<br />
GTA (GREATER TORONTO AREA) covers all of Toronto<br />
plus Halton, Peel, York and Durham regions.<br />
B.<br />
BEYOND THE GTA covers many areas of Southern<br />
Ontario outside Toronto and the GTA. Starts on page 58.<br />
C.<br />
MUSIC THEATRE covers a wide range of music types:<br />
from opera, operetta and musicals, to non-traditional<br />
performance types where words and music are in some<br />
fashion equal partners in the drama. Starts on page 63.<br />
D.<br />
IN THE CLUBS (MOSTLY JAZZ)<br />
is organized alphabetically by club.<br />
Starts on page 65.<br />
E.<br />
THE ETCETERAS is for galas, fundraisers, competitions,<br />
screenings, lectures, symposia, masterclasses, workshops,<br />
singalongs and other music-related events (except<br />
performances) which may be of interest to our readers.<br />
Starts on page 67.<br />
A GENERAL WORD OF CAUTION. A phone number is provided<br />
with every listing in The WholeNote — in fact, we won’t publish<br />
a listing without one. Concerts are sometimes cancelled or postponed;<br />
artists or venues may change after listings are published.<br />
Please check before you go out to a concert.<br />
HOW TO LIST. Listings in The WholeNote in the four sections above<br />
are a free service available, at our discretion, to eligible presenters.<br />
If you have an event, send us your information no later than the<br />
8th of the month prior to the issue or issues in which your listing is<br />
eligible to appear.<br />
LISTINGS DEADLINE. The next issue covers the period from<br />
February 1 to March 7, <strong>2017</strong>. All listings must be received by<br />
Midnight Monday <strong>January</strong> 8.<br />
LISTINGS can be sent by email to listings@thewholenote.com<br />
or by using the online form on our website. We do not receive<br />
listings by phone, but you can call 416-3<strong>23</strong>-2<strong>23</strong>2 x27 for further<br />
information.<br />
LISTINGS ZONE MAP. Visit our website to search for concerts<br />
by the zones on this map: thewholenote.com.<br />
Lake<br />
Huron<br />
6<br />
Georgian<br />
Bay<br />
7<br />
2 1<br />
5<br />
Lake Erie<br />
3 4<br />
8<br />
City of Toronto<br />
LISTINGS<br />
Lake Ontario<br />
Friday <strong>December</strong> 1<br />
●●10:30am and 1:00: Canadian Opera Company.<br />
The Magic Victrola. Libretto by David<br />
Kersnar and Jacqueline Russell. Works by<br />
Bizet, Mozart, Puccini and others. Members<br />
of the COC’s Ensemble Studio; Ashlie<br />
Corcoran, director. Richard Bradshaw<br />
Amphitheatre, Four Seasons Centre for the<br />
Performing Arts, 145 Queen St. W. 416-363-<br />
8<strong>23</strong>1. $30; free(children under 12), Maximum<br />
of 2 free children’s tickets for each adult<br />
ticket sold. Additional children’s tickets $10.<br />
Also Dec 1(1pm), Dec 2(11am and 1:30pm),<br />
Dec 3(10:30am and 1:30pm).<br />
●●12:30: York University Department of<br />
Music. Music @ Midday: Brass Ensemble.<br />
Tribute Communities Recital Hall, Accolade<br />
East Building, YU, 4700 Keele St. 647-459-<br />
0701. Free.<br />
FOUR WEDDINGS,<br />
A FUNERAL, AND<br />
A CORONATION<br />
DIRECTED BY ELISA CITTERIO<br />
& IVARS TAURINS<br />
NOV 29 – DEC 3<br />
TRINITY-ST. PAUL’S CENTRE<br />
tafelmusik.org<br />
●●3:30: Tafelmusik. Four Weddings, a Funeral,<br />
and a Coronation. Handel: Ouverture from Il<br />
parnasso in festa; Purcell: Symphonies from<br />
the ode “From Hardy Climes” Z325; Blow: Coronation<br />
Anthem “God Spake Sometimes in<br />
Visions”; Lully: Ballet from Xerxes; Pachelbel<br />
Canon & Gigue; and other works. Tafelmusik<br />
Baroque Orchestra and Chamber Choir<br />
directed by Elisa Citterio and Ivars Taurins.<br />
Trinity-St. Paul’s Centre, 427 Bloor St. W. 416-<br />
964-6337. $19-$97. Also Nov 29, 30, Dec 2, 3.<br />
●●7:00: Brampton Folk Club. Friday Folk<br />
Night. Frost and Fire: A Celtic Christmas with<br />
Rant Maggie Rant. St. Paul’s United Church<br />
(Brampton), 30 Main St. S., Brampton. 647-<br />
<strong>23</strong>3-3655 or 905-874-2800. $18; $15(sr/st).<br />
●●7:30: Living Arts Centre. Alysha Brilla.<br />
4141 Living Arts Dr., Mississauga. 905-306-<br />
6000. $20-$35.<br />
●●7:30: Toronto Symphony Orchestra. Home<br />
Alone in Concert. John Williams: Home Alone<br />
(film with live orchestra). Etobicoke School<br />
of the Arts Concert Choir; Constantine Kitsopoulos,<br />
conductor. Roy Thomson Hall,<br />
60 Simcoe St. 416-593-1285. $25-$88. Also<br />
Nov 30(7:30pm), Dec 2(2pm and 7:30pm).<br />
●●8:00: Amadeus Choir of Greater Toronto/<br />
Elmer Iseler Singers. J.S. Bach’s Christmas<br />
Oratorio. Bach: Christmas Oratorio; Cantatas<br />
I-III. Monica Whicher, soprano; Marjorie Maltais,<br />
mezzo; Christopher Mayell, tenor; Dion<br />
Mazerolle, baritone; Lydia Adams, conductor.<br />
A. Concerts in the GTA<br />
Metropolitan United Church (Toronto),<br />
56 Queen St. E. 416-446-0188 or 416-217-<br />
0537. $55; $50(sr); $20(under 30).<br />
●●8:00: Flato Markham Theatre. Eddie Palmieri:<br />
Eddie at 80. 171 Town Centre Blvd., Markham.<br />
905-305-7469. $15-$80.<br />
●●8:00: Let There Be Music Community<br />
Choir. Songs of the Season Christmas Concert.<br />
Susan Chopp, director; Dave Parsons,<br />
director; Eric Medhurst, accompanist. Salvation<br />
Army Temple (Rexdale), 2152 Kipling Ave.<br />
416-745-0352. $15; free(under 12).<br />
●●8:00: Living Arts Centre. A Swingin’<br />
Christmas with the Toronto All Star Big Band.<br />
4141 Living Arts Dr., Mississauga. 905-306-<br />
6000. $20-$35.<br />
●●8:00: Royal Conservatory. Quiet Please,<br />
There’s a Lady on Stage: Lisa Fischer and<br />
Grand Baton. Koerner Hall, Telus Centre,<br />
273 Bloor St. W. 416-408-0208. $45-$100.<br />
●●8:00: Summerhill Orchestra. In Concert.<br />
Saint-Saëns: Carnival of the Animals;<br />
Beethoven: Symphony No.8. Sarah John, conductor.<br />
Church of the Messiah, 240 Avenue<br />
Rd. summerhillorchestra@gmail.com. $10.<br />
●●8:00: Tapestry Opera. Tapestry Briefs:<br />
Winter Shorts. Jacqueline Woodley, soprano;<br />
Erica Iris, mezzo; Keith Klassen,<br />
tenor; Alex Dobson, baritone; Artists of the<br />
2016 Composer-Librettist Laboratory. Dancemakers<br />
Studio, Distillery Historic District,<br />
9 Trinity St. 416-537-6066. From $25. Also<br />
Dec 2(4pm and 8pm), 3(4pm).<br />
●●8:00: Upper Canada Choristers/Cantemos<br />
Latin Ensemble. Christmas Joy. Charpentier:<br />
Messe de Minuit pour Noel; Kodály: Christmas<br />
Dance of the Shepherds; Forrest: Carol<br />
of Joy; carol medley (arr. Forrest), aguinaldos<br />
and other works; audience sing-along. Laurel<br />
Trainor, flute; Hye Won Cecilia Lee, piano; Laurie<br />
Evan Fraser, conductor. Grace Church onthe-Hill,<br />
300 Lonsdale Rd. 416-256-0510. $25;<br />
free(children and teens with adult). Please<br />
bring an item for the food bank.<br />
Saturday <strong>December</strong> 2<br />
●●11:00am and 1:30: Canadian Opera Company.<br />
The Magic Victrola. See Dec 1 for<br />
details. Also Dec 3(10:30am and 1:30pm).<br />
●●2:00: Gallery 345. The Art of the Piano:<br />
Shoshana Telner. Hummel: Sonata No.2 in<br />
E-flat Op.13; Hummel: 24 Etudes Op.125; Liszt:<br />
Sonata in b S17. 345 Sorauren Ave. 416-822-<br />
9781. $20; $10(st). Cash only.<br />
●●2:00: Toronto Symphony Orchestra. Home<br />
Alone in Concert. John Williams: Home Alone<br />
(film with live orchestra). Etobicoke School<br />
of the Arts Concert Choir; Constantine Kitsopoulos,<br />
conductor. Roy Thomson Hall,<br />
60 Simcoe St. 416-593-1285. $25-$88. Also<br />
Nov 30, Dec 1, 2(all at 7:30pm).<br />
●●2:00: Yorkminster Park Baptist Church.<br />
Carol Sing. Guests: Jim Codrington, Fiona<br />
Reid, Kevin Frankish. True North Brass; Canadian<br />
Children’s Opera Company; That Choir;<br />
The Hedgerow Singers; Yorkminster Park<br />
Baptist Church Choir. 1585 Yonge St. 416-241-<br />
1298. Free. A collection will be taken. In support<br />
of the Churches-on-the-Hill Food Bank.<br />
●●2:30: Bel Canto Singers. Songs for a Winter’s<br />
Night. Linda Meyer, conductor; Jacqueline<br />
Mokrzewski, piano. Scarborough Bluffs<br />
United Church, 3739 Kingston Rd., Scarborough.<br />
416-286-8260. $20. Also 7:30pm.<br />
●●3:00: Singing Out. A Sky Full of Stars!<br />
Jane Mallett Theatre, 250 Front St. W.<br />
thewholenote.com <strong>December</strong> 1, <strong>2017</strong> - February 7, <strong>2018</strong> | 39
416-585-4498. $30(door, cash only);<br />
$25/$20(adv/adv before Nov 17); $20(st/<br />
child)/$15(st/child before Nov 17). Also<br />
7:30pm. Proceeds benefit Singing Out, a<br />
registered charity.<br />
●●3:00: St. Michael’s Choir School. Christmas<br />
at Massey Hall. Handel: Messiah (Part<br />
I); Vaughan Williams: Fantasia on Christmas<br />
Carols; secular and sacred carols with audience<br />
participation. Elementary, Junior, Senior,<br />
Massed, and Alumni Choirs; Meredith<br />
Hall, soprano; Christina Stelmacovich, alto;<br />
Lawrence Wiliford, tenor; Stephen Hegedus,<br />
bass; chamber orchestra; Maria Conkey, Teri<br />
Dunn, Peter Mahon, and Vincent Cheng, conductors.<br />
Massey Hall, 178 Victoria St. 416-872-<br />
4255. $20-$60. Also Dec 3.<br />
Saturday, <strong>December</strong> 2<br />
Pax Christi Chorale<br />
presents<br />
The<br />
Children’s<br />
Messiah<br />
Church of the Redeemer<br />
Pay what you can<br />
●●4:00: Pax Christi Chorale. Children’s Messiah.<br />
Handel: Messiah (excerpts). Church of<br />
the Redeemer, 162 Bloor St. W. boxoffice@<br />
paxchristichorale.org. PWYC.<br />
●●4:00: Tapestry Opera. Tapestry Briefs:<br />
Winter Shorts. See Dec 1 for details. Also<br />
Dec 2(8pm), 3(4pm).<br />
●●7:00: Liona Boyd. In Concert: A Winter Fantasy.<br />
Andrew Dolson, guitar; Ron Korb, flute.<br />
Guests: Richmond Hill United Church Chancel<br />
Choir. Richmond Hill United Church,<br />
10201 Yonge St., Richmond Hill. 905-884-<br />
1301 x5. $35.<br />
●●7:00: University of Toronto Scarborough.<br />
Fall Flourish Concert. UTSC Concert Band,<br />
Concert Choir and String Orchestra. University<br />
of Toronto Scarborough Campus,<br />
Room AC2<strong>23</strong>, 1265 Military Trail. 416-208-<br />
4769. Free.<br />
●●7:30: Bach Children’s Chorus and Bach<br />
Chamber Youth Choir. Good Cheer! Charissa<br />
Bagan, artistic director; James Pinhorn,<br />
Bach Chamber Youth Choir conductor; Eleanor<br />
Daley, piano. Toronto Centre for the Arts,<br />
5040 Yonge St., North York. 1-855-985-2787.<br />
$35-$40.<br />
●●7:30: Bel Canto Singers. Songs for a Winter’s<br />
Night. Linda Meyer, conductor; Jacqueline<br />
Mokrzewski, piano. Scarborough Bluffs<br />
United Church, 3739 Kingston Rd., Scarborough.<br />
416-286-8260. $20. Also 2:30pm.<br />
●●7:30: Cantores Celestes Women’s Choir.<br />
Mystery and Wonder. Arnesen: Magnificat;<br />
other works by Class, Halley, Gjeilo and<br />
A. Concerts in the GTA<br />
Vivaldi. Adanya Dunn, soprano; Stephen Tam,<br />
flute; Kate Carver, piano; Matthew Coons,<br />
organ; Emperor String Quartet; Kelly Galbraith,<br />
conductor. Runnymede United Church,<br />
432 Runnymede Rd. 416-655-7335. $25. A<br />
$1,000 donation will be made to Stella’s Place.<br />
●●7:30: Etobicoke Centennial Choir. Sacred<br />
Traditions <strong>2017</strong>. Pergolesi: Magnificat; Holst:<br />
Christmas Day; and other seasonal works.<br />
Caroline Corkum, soprano; Maria Stevens,<br />
soprano; Emma Cava, alto; Devin Herbert,<br />
tenor; Lawrence Shirkie, baritone; Henry<br />
Renglich, conductor; Carl Steinhauser, piano<br />
and organ. Humber Valley United Church,<br />
76 Anglesey Blvd., Etobicoke. 416-779-2258.<br />
$25. 6pm Christmas Marketplace.<br />
●●7:30: MCS Chorus Mississauga. Rutter’s<br />
Gloria and Favourite Carols. Rutter: Gloria;<br />
What Sweeter Music; and other seasonal<br />
works by the composer. With brass, timpani,<br />
organ, and percussion. First United Church<br />
(Mississauga), 151 Lakeshore Rd. W., Mississauga.<br />
905-278-7059. $20; $10(under 19).<br />
●●7:30: Mississauga Festival Choir. When<br />
Angels Sing. Britten: A Ceremony of Carols;<br />
Mark Hayes: Gloria; traditional holiday music.<br />
Guests: Mississauga Symphony Orchestra.<br />
Hammerson Hall, Living Arts Centre,<br />
4141 Living Arts Dr., Mississauga. 905-306-<br />
6000. $37.<br />
●●7:30: Music at St. Andrew’s. Charles Dickens’<br />
A Christmas Carol. Dramatic readings<br />
with musical interludes. Rick Phillips<br />
and Mary Weins, readers; Marion Newman,<br />
mezzo; Joseph Angelo, tenor; St. Andrew’s<br />
Gallery Choir; and others. St. Andrew’s<br />
Church (Toronto), 73 Simcoe St. 416-593-<br />
5600 x<strong>23</strong>1. Freewill offering. Donations support<br />
St. Andrew’s Out of the Cold program.<br />
Gingerbread and hot apple cider reception<br />
to follow.<br />
●●7:30: Oakham House Choir. The Star of<br />
Bethlehem. Rheinberger: The Star of Bethlehem;<br />
Christmas carol sing-along; orchestral<br />
and vocal seasonal favourites. Oakham<br />
House Choir; Toronto Sinfonietta; Allison<br />
Cecilia Arends, soprano; Jeremy Ludwig,<br />
baritone; Matthew Jaskiewicz, conductor.<br />
Calvin Presbyterian Church, 26 Delisle Ave.<br />
416-960-5551. $30/$25(adv); $15(st); free(12<br />
and under).<br />
●●7:30: Singing Out. A Sky Full of Stars! Jane<br />
Mallett Theatre, 250 Front St. W. 416-585-<br />
4498. $30(door, cash only); $25/$20(adv/<br />
adv before Nov 17); $20(st/child)/$15(st/child<br />
before Nov 17). Also 3pm. Proceeds benefit<br />
Singing Out, a registered charity.<br />
●●7:30: T Dots Records. Sounds of the City<br />
Holiday Food Drive Concert. CoCo Coelho;<br />
Ai’ma Khojé; Across the Board; Signs of a<br />
Slumbering Beast; Alabasterds; and others;<br />
Joey Harlem, MC. Mây Cafe, 876 Dundas St.<br />
W. 647-675-1279. $10. Donations in support of<br />
Daily Bread Food Bank.<br />
●●7:30: Toronto Symphony Orchestra. Home<br />
Alone in Concert. John Williams: Home Alone<br />
(film with live orchestra). Etobicoke School<br />
of the Arts Concert Choir; Constantine Kitsopoulos,<br />
conductor. Roy Thomson Hall,<br />
60 Simcoe St. 416-593-1285. $25-$88. Also<br />
Nov 30(7:30pm), Dec 1(7:30pm), 2(2pm).<br />
●●7:30: University of Toronto Faculty of<br />
Music. Wind Ensemble: Music Responding<br />
to Crisis. Balmages: Fanfare Canzonique;<br />
Benson: The Leaves Are Falling; Meechan:<br />
Korn Symphony; Gillingham: Waking Angels;<br />
Sweelinck: Mein junges Leben hat ein End;<br />
and other works. Gillian Mackay, conductor.<br />
MacMillan Theatre, Edward Johnson Building,<br />
80 Queen’s Park. 416-408-0208. $30;<br />
$20(sr); $10(st).<br />
●●8:00: Aga Khan Museum. Nazar by Turkwaz.<br />
Melodies inspired by Arabic, Balkan, and<br />
Turkish folk songs. Maryem Toller, vocals; and<br />
others. 77 Wynford Dr. 416-646-4677. $40.<br />
Ticket incl. same day museum admission.<br />
●●8:00: Alliance Française de Toronto. Klezmology:<br />
Klezmer Reinvented. Jonno Lightstone,<br />
David Mott and Nick Fraser. 24 Spadina<br />
Rd. 416-922-2014 x37. $15; $10(sr/st/<br />
member).<br />
●●8:00: Arraymusic. Sarah Hennies and Kurt<br />
Newman. Hennies: Gather & Release (for<br />
vibraphone, sine waves, field recordings and<br />
bilateral stimulation). Sarah Hennies, percussion;<br />
Kurt Newman, pedal steel guitar.<br />
Gallery 345, 345 Sorauren Ave. 416-532-7513.<br />
PWYC, $15 suggested.<br />
●●8:00: Healey Willan Singers. Christmas in<br />
the Village. Fauré and Messager: Messe des<br />
pecheurs de Villerville; Chilcott: The Midnight<br />
of Your Birth. John Stephenson, piano; Ron Ka<br />
Ming Cheung, conductor. St. Martin-in-the-<br />
Fields Anglican Church, 151 Glenlake Ave. 416-<br />
519-0528. $20; $15(sr/st).<br />
●●8:00: Isabel Bader Theatre. Sultans of<br />
String: A Christmas Caravan. Guests: Rebecca<br />
Campbell and Amanda Martinez, vocals.<br />
93 Charles St. W. 416-408-0208. $25-$30.<br />
●●8:00: Royal Conservatory. Music Mix:<br />
SongBird North. Temerty Theatre, 273 Bloor<br />
St. W. 416-408-0208. $35.<br />
●●8:00: Tafelmusik. Four Weddings, a<br />
Funeral, and a Coronation. Handel: Ouverture<br />
from Il parnasso in festa; Purcell: Symphonies<br />
from the ode “From Hardy Climes” Z325;<br />
Blow: Coronation Anthem “God Spake Sometimes<br />
in Visions”; Lully: Ballet from Xerxes;<br />
Pachelbel Canon & Gigue; and other works.<br />
Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra and Chamber<br />
Choir directed by Elisa Citterio and Ivars<br />
Taurins. Trinity-St. Paul’s Centre, 427 Bloor<br />
St. W. 416-964-6337. $19-$97. Also Nov 29,<br />
30, Dec 1, 3.<br />
●●8:00: Tapestry Opera. Tapestry Briefs:<br />
Winter Shorts. See Dec 1 for details. Also<br />
Dec 3(4pm).<br />
Sunday <strong>December</strong> 3<br />
●●10:30am and 1:00: Canadian Opera Company.<br />
The Magic Victrola. See Dec 1 for<br />
details.<br />
●●2:00: Canzona Chamber Players. In Concert.<br />
Mendelssohn: String Octet in E-flat<br />
Op.20; Brahms: Sextet for Strings No.1 in<br />
B-flat Op.18. Yosuke Kawasaki, violin; Jessica<br />
Linnebach, violin; Shane Kim, violin; Ashley<br />
Vandiver, violin; Theresa Rudolph, viola;<br />
Ivan Ivanovich, viola; Joseph Johnson, cello;<br />
Alastair Eng, cello. St. Andrew by-the-Lake<br />
Anglican Church, Cibola Ave., Toronto Island.<br />
647-248-4048. $25. Also Dec 4(7:30pm, St.<br />
George the Martyr Anglican Church).<br />
●●2:00: Peter Margolian and Friends. Chamber<br />
Music Concert. Bridge: Blow, blow Thou<br />
Winter Wind (Shakespeare) for tenor and<br />
piano; Ireland: Sea Fever (Masefield) for<br />
tenor and piano; Sonata for violin and piano;<br />
Fricker: Serenade for flute, oboe and piano.<br />
Ryan Downie, tenor; Peter Margolian, piano;<br />
Samantha Chang, flute; Hazel Boyle, oboe;<br />
Steve Prime, violin. Canadian Music Centre,<br />
20 St. Joseph St. 647-980-5475 (information).<br />
Free.<br />
●●2:00: Royal Conservatory. Sunday Interludes:<br />
Francine Kay. Janáček: Piano Sonata;<br />
Schumann: Fantasiestücke Op.12; Chopin:<br />
Barcarolle Op.60; Debussy: Ondine, L’Isle joyeuse.<br />
Mazzoleni Concert Hall, Royal Conservatory,<br />
273 Bloor St. W. 416-408-0208. Free.<br />
●●2:00: Toronto Mozart Players. Brass<br />
by Eric Wilder. Steven Woomert, trumpet;<br />
James Gardiner; trumpet; Audrey Good,<br />
horn; Vanessa Fralick, trombone; Mark<br />
Tetreault, tuba; Rachael Kerr, piano. Church<br />
of the Redeemer, 162 Bloor St. W. 647-478-<br />
7532. $35; $15(st).<br />
●●2:30: University of Toronto Faculty of<br />
Music. Choirs in Concert: Sing and Rejoice!<br />
Jocelyn Hagen: How to Survive Winter for<br />
women’s voices and string quartet; and other<br />
works. UofT Men’s Chorus; Women’s Chorus;<br />
Women’s Chamber Choir; MacMillan Singers;<br />
Hilary Apfelstadt, Elaine Choi, Mark Ramsay,<br />
Tracy Wong, conductors. MacMillan Theatre,<br />
Edward Johnson Building, 80 Queen’s Park.<br />
416-408-0208. $30; $20(sr); $10(st).<br />
●●3:00: Burlington Performing Arts Centre.<br />
The Ennis Sisters: Christmas Originals<br />
Music at<br />
St. Thomas’s Church<br />
383 Huron Street, Toronto<br />
Matthew Larkin<br />
Organist & Director of Music<br />
Sunday, Dec. 3 | Advent I<br />
Evensong &<br />
Advent Carols at 7 pm<br />
Sunday, Dec. 17 | Advent III<br />
Festival of Nine Lessons<br />
& Carols at 7 pm<br />
Christmas Eve<br />
Midnight Mass at 11 pm<br />
Christmas Day<br />
Sung Eucharist at 9:30 am<br />
Solemn Eucharist at 11 am<br />
Sunday, Jan. 7 | Epiphany<br />
Evensong & Epiphany<br />
Carols at 7 pm<br />
Sunday, Jan. 28<br />
Evensong Prelude 6:30 pm<br />
Julia Morson, soprano<br />
Evensong at 7 pm (weekly)<br />
Friday, Feb. 2 | Candlemas<br />
Procession & Solemn<br />
Eucharist at 6:15 pm<br />
www.stthomas.on.ca<br />
40 | <strong>December</strong> 1, <strong>2017</strong> - February 7, <strong>2018</strong> thewholenote.com
and Holiday Classics. Burlington Performing<br />
Arts Centre, Community Studio Theatre,<br />
440 Locust St., Burlington. 905-681-6000.<br />
$45. Series discount available.<br />
●●3:00: Gallery 345. From Russia with Love.<br />
Works by Arensky, Rachmaninoff and Shchedrin.<br />
Decus Duo: Lucia Barcari, violin; Katya<br />
Lhatsko, piano; Guest: Olga Laktionova, cello.<br />
345 Sorauren Ave. 416-822-9781. $25; $10(st).<br />
Cash only.<br />
●●3:00: Harmony Singers. That’s Christmas!<br />
Bob Rae: We’re in the Same Boat Now;<br />
and seasonal readings and music. Guests:<br />
The Hon. Bob Rae, reader; Martina Myskohlid,<br />
vocalist; Bruce Harvey, accompanist; Harvey<br />
Patterson, conductor. Humber Valley United<br />
Church, 76 Anglesey Blvd., Etobicoke. 416-<br />
<strong>23</strong>9-5821. $20.<br />
●●3:00: St. Michael’s Choir School. Christmas<br />
at Massey Hall. Handel: Messiah (Part<br />
I); Vaughan Williams: Fantasia on Christmas<br />
Carols; secular and sacred carols with audience<br />
participation. Elementary, Junior, Senior,<br />
Massed, and Alumni Choirs; Meredith<br />
Hall, soprano; Christina Stelmacovich, alto;<br />
Lawrence Wiliford, tenor; Stephen Hegedus,<br />
bass; chamber orchestra; Maria Conkey, Teri<br />
Dunn, Peter Mahon, and Vincent Cheng, conductors.<br />
Massey Hall, 178 Victoria St. 416-872-<br />
4255. $20-$60. Also Dec 2.<br />
●●3:00: York University Department of<br />
Music. York University Wind Symphony.<br />
Bill Thomas, conductor. Tribute Communities<br />
Recital Hall, Accolade East Building, YU,<br />
4700 Keele St. 416-736-5888. $15; $10(sr/st).<br />
●●4:00: Cathedral Church of St. James.<br />
Organ Recital: Ian Sadler. 65 Church St. 416-<br />
364-7865 x<strong>23</strong>4. Donations welcomed.<br />
●●4:00: Church of St. Mary Magdalene<br />
(Toronto). Nico Muhly’s ‘O Antiphons’.<br />
Andrew Adair, organ. 477 Manning Ave. 416-<br />
531-7955. Free.<br />
●●4:00: Humbercrest United Church. Advent<br />
Vespers. Bach: Cantata No.140 “Sleepers,<br />
Wake!”. Jennifer Krabbe, soprano; Matthew<br />
Dalen, tenor, Daniel Thielmann, baritone; Alex<br />
Halliday, bass; Melvin J. Hurst, director of<br />
music; Rev. Jessica McCrae, presider. 16 Baby<br />
Point Rd. 416-767-6122. Freewill offering. Religious<br />
service.<br />
●●4:00: St. Olave’s Anglican Church. Christmas<br />
Lights. Choral Evensong for Advent Sunday.<br />
Christmas songs, poems, stories and<br />
instrumental solos. St. Olave’s Arts Guild and<br />
guests. 360 Windermere Ave. 416-769-5686.<br />
Contributions appreciated. Christmas tea<br />
following.<br />
●●4:00: Tapestry Opera. Tapestry Briefs:<br />
Winter Shorts. See Dec 1 for details. Also<br />
Dec 2(4pm and 8pm).<br />
●●4:30: Cathedral Church of St. James.<br />
Advent Procession. Works by Grier, Monteverdi,<br />
Sowerby, Cabena, McKie and others.<br />
Choir of St. James Cathedral. 65 Church St.<br />
416-364-7865 x<strong>23</strong>4. Free.<br />
●●7:00: Choral Bonanza Team. Messiah Singalong.<br />
Handel: Messiah (Christmas Portion).<br />
Dr. Richard Heinzle, conductor; Sapphire<br />
Navaratnarajah, accompanist. Richmond Hill<br />
Presbyterian Church, 10066 Yonge St., Richmond<br />
Hill. 416-568-9838. $25(participation<br />
fee); $10(suggested donation for concert).<br />
Rehearsal 2:30-5pm.<br />
●●7:00: Music at St. Thomas’s. Advent I:<br />
Evensong and Advent Carols. Matthew Larkin,<br />
organ and director of music. St. Thomas’s<br />
Anglican Church (Toronto), 383 Huron St.<br />
416-979-<strong>23</strong><strong>23</strong>. By donation. Religious service.<br />
●●7:00: Small World Music. Minha Lua:<br />
A Fado Project Born in Alhambra. Small<br />
World Music Centre, Artscape Youngplace,<br />
180 Shaw St. 416-536-5439. $20.<br />
●●7:30: Hart House Symphonic Band.<br />
150 Years of Music. Grainger: Shepherd’s<br />
Hey; Lincolnshire Posy; William Schuman:<br />
Chester; Hazo:Arabesque; Whitacre: The<br />
Seal Lullaby. Mark Saresky, conductor. Hart<br />
House, Great Hall, 7 Hart House Circle. 613-<br />
806-4944. Free.<br />
●●7:30: University of Toronto Faculty of<br />
Music. Percussion Ensembles. Walter Hall,<br />
Edward Johnson Building, University of<br />
Toronto, 80 Queen’s Park. 416-408-0208.<br />
Free.<br />
CONCERTOS!<br />
SUN. DEC. 03 @ 404 JARVIS ST.<br />
www.NewMusicConcerts.com<br />
●●8:00: New Music Concerts. Concertos.<br />
Carter: String Trio; De Raaff: Percussion Concerto;<br />
Linda C. Smith: Path of Uneven Stones;<br />
Frehner: Clarinet Concerto “Cloak”. Ryan<br />
Scott, percussion; Max Christie, clarinet; Eve<br />
Egoyan, piano; New Music Concerts Ensemble;<br />
Robert Aitken, conductor. Betty Oliphant<br />
Theatre, 404 Jarvis St. 416-961-9594. $35;<br />
$25(sr/arts workers); $10(st). Pre-concert<br />
talk 7:15pm.<br />
●●8:00: Tafelmusik. Four Weddings, a<br />
Funeral, and a Coronation. Handel: Ouverture<br />
from Il parnasso in festa; Purcell: Symphonies<br />
from the ode “From Hardy Climes” Z325;<br />
Blow: Coronation Anthem “God Spake Sometimes<br />
in Visions”; Lully: Ballet from Xerxes;<br />
Pachelbel Canon & Gigue; and other works.<br />
Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra and Chamber<br />
Choir directed by Elisa Citterio and Ivars<br />
Taurins. Trinity-St. Paul’s Centre, 427 Bloor<br />
St. W. 416-964-6337. $19-$97. Also Nov 29,<br />
30, Dec 1, 2.<br />
●●8:00: University of Toronto Faculty of<br />
Music. Tallis Scholars: Gaude Virgo. Rachmaninoff:<br />
The Lord’s Prayer; Tavener: Song<br />
for Athene; Josquin: Gaude Virgo;Pärt: The<br />
Deer’s Cry. University of Toronto Schola<br />
Cantorum; Choir of the Theatre of Early<br />
Music; Peter Phillips, conductor; Daniel<br />
Taylor, conductor. Grace Church on-the-<br />
Hill, 300 Lonsdale Rd. 416-408-0208. $40;<br />
$25(sr); $10(st).<br />
Monday <strong>December</strong> 4<br />
●●12:30: York University Department<br />
of Music. Music @ Midday: Instrumental<br />
Masterclass in Concert. Martin Family<br />
Lounge, Accolade East Building, YU,<br />
4700 Keele St. 647-459-0701. Free.<br />
●●7:30: Canzona Chamber Players. In Concert.<br />
Mendelssohn: String Octet in E-flat<br />
Op.20; Brahms: Sextet for Strings No.1 in<br />
B-flat Op.18. Yosuke Kawasaki, violin; Jessica<br />
Linnebach, violin; Shane Kim, violin; Ashley<br />
Vandiver, violin; Theresa Rudolph, viola;<br />
Ivan Ivanovich, viola; Joseph Johnson, cello;<br />
Alastair Eng, cello. St. George the Martyr<br />
Church, 197 John St. 647-248-4048. $25. Also<br />
Dec 3(2pm, St. Andrew by-the-Lake Church,<br />
Toronto Island).<br />
●●7:30: University of Toronto Faculty of<br />
Music. Vocalis (Graduate Singers Series):<br />
An Evening with the Parnassians. Jason<br />
Nedecky, curator. Heliconian Hall, 35 Hazelton<br />
Ave. 416-408-0208. Free.<br />
●●7:30: University of Toronto Faculty of<br />
Music. Guitar Orchestra. Jeffrey McFadden,<br />
director. Walter Hall, Edward Johnson Building,<br />
University of Toronto, 80 Queen’s Park.<br />
416-408-0208. Free.<br />
●●8:00: Soundstreams. Electric Messiah.<br />
Music by Handel. Adanya Dunn, vocals; Elizabeth<br />
Shepherd, vocals; Jonathan MacArthur,<br />
vocals; Justin Welsh, vocals; Adam Scime,<br />
music director; and others. The Drake Underground,<br />
1150 Queen’s St. W. 416-531-5042.<br />
$20. Also Dec 5, 6.<br />
Tuesday <strong>December</strong> 5<br />
●●12:00 noon: Canadian Opera Company.<br />
Vocal Series: Wirth Vocal Prize Showcase.<br />
Simone McIntosh, mezzo. Richard Bradshaw<br />
Amphitheatre, Four Seasons Centre for the<br />
Performing Arts, 145 Queen St. W. 416-363-<br />
8<strong>23</strong>1. Free. First-come, first-served. Late seating<br />
not available.<br />
●●12:10: Nine Sparrows Arts Foundation/<br />
Yorkminster Park Baptist Church. Lunchtime<br />
Chamber Music: Tristan Savella, Piano.<br />
Yorkminster Park Baptist Church, 1585 Yonge<br />
St. 416-241-1298. Free; donations welcomed.<br />
●●1:00: Cathedral Church of St. James.<br />
Organ Recital: Thomas Gonder. 65 Church St.<br />
416-364-7865 x<strong>23</strong>4. Donations welcomed.<br />
FESTIVAL<br />
OF CAROLS<br />
WITH THE CANADIAN<br />
STAFF BAND &<br />
CANADIAN CHILDREN’S<br />
OPERA COMPANY<br />
Dec 5 & 6<br />
at 7:30 pm<br />
www.tmchoir.org<br />
●●7:30: Toronto Mendelssohn Choir. Festival<br />
of Carols. Guests: The Canadian Staff<br />
Band; Canadian Children’s Opera Company<br />
(Teri Dunn, conductor); David Briggs, organ.<br />
Yorkminster Park Baptist Church, 1585 Yonge<br />
St. 416-408-0208. $35-$76; $35-$70(sr);<br />
$20(VoxTix for 30 years and under). Also<br />
Dec 6.<br />
●●7:30: University of Toronto Faculty of<br />
Music. gamUT: Contemporary Music Ensemble.<br />
Wallace Halladay, director. Walter Hall,<br />
Edward Johnson Building, University of<br />
Toronto, 80 Queen’s Park. 416-408-0208.<br />
Free.<br />
●●8:00: Gallery 345. Jazz At The Gallery.<br />
Davis: Birth Of The Cool; Ellington/Strayhorn:<br />
Nutcracker Suite. Young musicians from<br />
across the GTA. 345 Sorauren Ave. 416-822-<br />
9781. $20; $10(st). Cash only.<br />
Janine Jansen,<br />
Martin Fröst,<br />
Torleif Thedéen,<br />
and Lucas Debargue<br />
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 5, 8PM<br />
PRE-CONCERT TALK 7PM<br />
KOERNER HALL<br />
TICKETS ON SALE NOW! 416.408.0208<br />
WWW.PERFORMANCE.RCMUSIC.CA<br />
●●8:00: Royal Conservatory. Chamber Music.<br />
Bartók: Contrasts; Szymanowski: Myths<br />
Op.30; Messiaen: Quartet for the End of Time.<br />
Janine Jansen, violin; Martin Fröst, clarinet;<br />
Torleif Thedéen, cello, and Lucas Debargue,<br />
piano. Koerner Hall, Telus Centre, 273 Bloor<br />
St. W. 416-408-0208. $30-$75.<br />
●●8:00: Soundstreams. Electric Messiah.<br />
Music by Handel. Adanya Dunn, vocals; Elizabeth<br />
Shepherd, vocals; Jonathan MacArthur,<br />
vocals; Justin Welsh, vocals; Adam Scime,<br />
music director; and others. The Drake Underground,<br />
1150 Queen’s St. W. 416-531-5042.<br />
$20. Also Dec 4, 6.<br />
●●8:00: Toronto Symphony Orchestra. Best<br />
of Tchaikovsky. Laura Pettigrew: Dòchas<br />
(Sesquie for Canada’s 150th); Tchaikovsky:<br />
BEST OF<br />
TCHAIKOVSKY<br />
DEC 5–7<br />
Reserve today!<br />
TSO.CA/holiday<br />
thewholenote.com <strong>December</strong> 1, <strong>2017</strong> - February 7, <strong>2018</strong> | 41
Romeo and Juliet Fantasy-Overture; Variations<br />
on a Rococo Theme Op.33 (original version),<br />
Symphony No.5 in e Op.64. Joseph<br />
Johnson, cello; Keri-Lynn Wilson, conductor.<br />
Roy Thomson Hall, 60 Simcoe St. 416-593-<br />
1285. $34.75-$148. Also Dec 6, 7.<br />
Wednesday <strong>December</strong> 6<br />
●●12:00 noon: Canadian Opera Company.<br />
Jazz Series: Jazz@McGill. McGill Jazz Quintet;<br />
Kevin Dean, trumpet. Richard Bradshaw<br />
Amphitheatre, Four Seasons Centre for the<br />
Performing Arts, 145 Queen St. W. 416-363-<br />
8<strong>23</strong>1. Free. First-come, first-served. Late seating<br />
not available.<br />
●●12:00 noon: Yorkminster Park Baptist<br />
Church. Noonday Organ Recitals: Imre Olah.<br />
1585 Yonge St. 416-922-1167. Free.<br />
●●12:30: Organix Concerts/All Saints Kingsway.<br />
Kingsway Organ Concert Series.<br />
Hanné Becker, organ. All Saints Kingsway<br />
Anglican Church, 2850 Bloor St. W. 416-571-<br />
3680. Freewill offering. 45-minute concert.<br />
●●7:00: Royal Conservatory. Taylor Academy<br />
Orchestra. Mazzoleni Concert Hall, Royal<br />
Conservatory, 273 Bloor St. W. 416-408-<br />
0208. Free.<br />
●●7:30: Living Arts Centre. Tartan Terrors<br />
Christmas. 4141 Living Arts Dr., Mississauga.<br />
905-306-6000. $30-$50. Also Dec 7.<br />
●●7:30: Royal Conservatory. Rebanks Family<br />
Fellowship Concert. Mazzoleni Concert Hall,<br />
Telus Centre, 273 Bloor St. W. 416-408-0208.<br />
Free.<br />
●●7:30: Toronto Choral Society. Bach’s Christmas<br />
Oratorio. Talisker Players; Geoffery Butler,<br />
conductor. Koerner Hall, Telus Centre,<br />
273 Bloor St. W. torontochoralsociety.org.<br />
From $45.<br />
●●7:30: Toronto Mendelssohn Choir. Festival<br />
of Carols. Guests: The Canadian Staff<br />
Band; Canadian Children’s Opera Company<br />
(Teri Dunn, conductor); David Briggs, organ.<br />
Yorkminster Park Baptist Church, 1585 Yonge<br />
St. 416-408-0208. $35-$76; $35-$70(sr);<br />
$20(VoxTix for 30 years and under). Also<br />
Dec 5.<br />
●●7:30: University of Toronto Faculty of<br />
Music. PianoFest. Walter Hall, Edward<br />
Johnson Building, University of Toronto,<br />
A. Concerts in the GTA<br />
80 Queen’s Park. 416-408-0208. Free. Also<br />
Dec 7, 9(2:30pm).<br />
●●8:00: Soundstreams. Electric Messiah.<br />
Music by Handel. Adanya Dunn, vocals; Elizabeth<br />
Shepherd, vocals; Jonathan MacArthur,<br />
vocals; Justin Welsh, vocals; Adam Scime,<br />
music director; and others. The Drake Underground,<br />
1150 Queen’s St. W. 416-531-5042.<br />
$20. Also Dec 4, 5.<br />
●●8:00: Toronto Symphony Orchestra. Best<br />
of Tchaikovsky. Andrew Ager: The Talk of the<br />
Town (Sesquie for Canada’s 150th); Tchaikovsky:<br />
Romeo and Juliet Fantasy-Overture; Variations<br />
on a Rococo Theme Op.33 (original<br />
version), Symphony No.5 in e Op.64. Joseph<br />
Johnson, cello; Keri-Lynn Wilson, conductor.<br />
Roy Thomson Hall, 60 Simcoe St. 416-593-<br />
1285. $34.75-$148. Also Dec 5, 7.<br />
Thursday <strong>December</strong> 7<br />
●●12:00 noon: Canadian Opera Company.<br />
Chamber Music Series: The Golden Hour.<br />
Joshua Morris, cello. Richard Bradshaw<br />
Amphitheatre, Four Seasons Centre for the<br />
Performing Arts, 145 Queen St. W. 416-363-<br />
8<strong>23</strong>1. Free. First-come, first-served. Late seating<br />
not available.<br />
●●12:00 noon: Encore Symphonic Concert<br />
Band. Monthly Concert. Big band, swing,<br />
jazz and film scores. Wilmar Heights Centre,<br />
963 Pharmacy Ave., Scarborough. 416-346-<br />
3910 or 647-287-5390. $10. First Thursday of<br />
each month. Refreshments available or bring<br />
your lunch.<br />
●●1:00: Miles Nadal JCC. Jump & Jive @ the<br />
J. Classic songs from the 1950s and early<br />
1960s. Rev-Tones rock & roll band. Al Green<br />
Theatre, 750 Spadina Ave. 416-924-6211 x0.<br />
$18.<br />
●●7:00: Living Arts Centre. Tartan Terrors<br />
Christmas. 4141 Living Arts Dr., Mississauga.<br />
905-306-6000. $30-$50. Also Dec 6.<br />
●●7:30: Nuné Melik. Hidden Treasures: Rediscovered<br />
Music from Armenia. Works by Khachaturian,<br />
Vardapet and other Armenian<br />
composers. Nuné Melik, violin; Michel-Alexandre<br />
Broekaert, piano. Atelier Rosemarie<br />
Umetsu, 310 Davenport Rd. 416-420-6853.<br />
$10. CONCERT MOVED FROM NOV 16.<br />
●●7:30: University of Toronto Faculty of<br />
Music. PianoFest. Walter Hall, Edward<br />
Johnson Building, University of Toronto,<br />
80 Queen’s Park. 416-408-0208. Free. Also<br />
Dec 6, 9(2:30pm).<br />
Sultans<br />
of String<br />
presents<br />
A Christmas<br />
Caravan<br />
Thurs. <strong>December</strong> 7,<br />
8pm<br />
auroraculturalcentre.ca<br />
905 713-1818<br />
●●8:00: Aurora Cultural Centre. Sultans of<br />
String: A Christmas Caravan. Guest: Rebecca<br />
Campbell, vocals. 22 Church St., Aurora. 905-<br />
713-1818. $30-$35.<br />
●●8:00: Burlington Performing Arts Centre.<br />
Canadian Brass: Christmas Concert. Burlington<br />
Performing Arts Centre, Main Theatre,<br />
440 Locust St., Burlington. 905-681-6000.<br />
$69.50. Series discount available.<br />
●●8:00: Music Gallery. Emergents I: Sounds<br />
of Silence Initiative. Four contemporary song<br />
cycles. 918 Bathurst Centre for Culture, Arts,<br />
Media and Education, 918 Bathurst St. 416-<br />
204-1080. $12; $8(members).<br />
Rococo Theme Op.33 (original version), Symphony<br />
No.5 in e Op.64. Joseph Johnson, cello;<br />
Keri-Lynn Wilson, conductor. Roy Thomson<br />
Hall, 60 Simcoe St. 416-593-1285. $34.75-<br />
$148. Also Dec 5, 6.<br />
Friday <strong>December</strong> 8<br />
●●1:00: Spadina Road Library. Odin String<br />
Quartet. Alex Toskov and others. 10 Spadina<br />
Rd. 416-393-7666. Free.<br />
80 th<br />
YEAR AT THE CHURCH<br />
OF THE HOLY TRINITY<br />
●●7:30: Church of the Holy Trinity. The<br />
Christmas Story. Nativity pageant. Professional<br />
musicians and volunteer cast. 19 Trinity<br />
Sq. 416-598-4521 x301. $20; $(17 and under).<br />
A collection will be taken. Also Dec 15, 16, 21,<br />
22, <strong>23</strong>(all at 7:30pm); Dec 9, 10, 16, 17, <strong>23</strong>, 24(all<br />
at 4:30pm).<br />
●●7:30: University of Toronto Faculty of<br />
Music. UofT Symphony Orchestra. Zemlinsky:<br />
Sinfonietta Op.<strong>23</strong>; Mendelssohn: Piano<br />
Concerto No.1 in g Op.25; Dvořák: Symphony<br />
No.9 in e Op.95 “From the New World”. Aisa<br />
Sayama, piano; Uri Mayer and Chad Heltzel,<br />
T H E T O R O N T O C H O R A L S O C I E T Y P R E S E N T S<br />
Bach’s Christmas Oratorio<br />
at Koerner Hall<br />
Conductor:<br />
Geoffrey Butler<br />
TELUS Centre<br />
Featuring:<br />
The Talisker Players<br />
<strong>December</strong> 6, <strong>2017</strong>, 7:30 PM<br />
Tickets from $45 TorontoChoralSociety.org<br />
<strong>December</strong> 7 at 8pm<br />
GRYPHON<br />
TRIO<br />
●●8:00: Music Toronto. Gryphon Trio.<br />
Haydn: Piano Trio in E-flat HobXV:29; Marjan<br />
Mozetich: Scales of Joy and Sorrow; Brahms:<br />
Piano Quartet in A Op.26. Guest: Jethro<br />
Marks, viola. St. Lawrence Centre for the<br />
Arts, 27 Front St. E. 416-366-77<strong>23</strong>. $50-$55;<br />
$10(st, full time).<br />
●●8:00: Toronto Symphony Orchestra.<br />
Best of Tchaikovsky. Tchaikovsky: Romeo<br />
and Juliet Fantasy-Overture; Variations on a<br />
We Sing<br />
and<br />
Rejoice!<br />
Friday, <strong>December</strong><br />
8th, <strong>2017</strong>, 8pm<br />
Songs and Stories<br />
of the Season<br />
Featuring Canadian<br />
Composers from<br />
Coast-to-Coast<br />
383 Huron Street, Toronto<br />
416-971-9229 www.exultate.net<br />
an Ontario government agency<br />
un organisme du gouvernement de l’Ontario<br />
42 | <strong>December</strong> 1, <strong>2017</strong> - February 7, <strong>2018</strong> thewholenote.com
conductors. MacMillan Theatre, Edward<br />
Johnson Building, 80 Queen’s Park. 416-408-<br />
0208. $30; $20(sr); $10(st). Pre-performance<br />
chat.<br />
●●8:00: Continuum Contemporary Music.<br />
Urgent Voices. Hostman: The Invisible Forest;<br />
Rolfe: Clinical Notes of the Bipolar Therapist;<br />
Southam: Glass Houses; Wilson: From<br />
the Diaries of William Lyon Mackenzie King.<br />
Guests: Alex Dobson, baritone; Pascal Charbonneau,<br />
tenor; Laurent Philippe, piano. Aki<br />
Studio, Daniels Spectrum, 585 Dundas St.<br />
E. 416-531-1402. $35; $25(sr/arts workers);<br />
$15(st). Also Dec 9.<br />
●●8:00: Coro San Marco. Jesus Born On<br />
This Day: Christmas and Marian Celebration.<br />
Guest soloists. St. Dominic Catholic Church,<br />
625 Atwater Ave., Mississauga. 905-278-<br />
7762. $25.<br />
●●8:00: Exultate Chamber Singers. We Sing<br />
and Rejoice! Songs and stories of the season<br />
featuring Canadian composers from coast to<br />
coast. Hilary Apfelstadt, conductor. St. Thomas’s<br />
Anglican Church (Toronto), 383 Huron St.<br />
416-971-9229. $25; $20(sr); $10(st).<br />
●●8:00: Flato Markham Theatre. Men of the<br />
Deeps: Christmas in the Mine. 171 Town Centre<br />
Blvd., Markham. 905-305-7469. $15-$80.<br />
●●8:00: Small World Music. Ivan Mazuze<br />
Quartet Presents Ubuntu. Small World Music<br />
Centre, Artscape Youngplace, 180 Shaw St.<br />
416-536-5439. $20.<br />
●●8:00: Toronto Consort. Navidad: A Spanish<br />
Christmas. Trinity-St. Paul’s Centre, Jeanne<br />
Lamon Hall, 427 Bloor St. W. 416-964-6337.<br />
From $29. Also Dec 9, 10(3:30pm).<br />
Saturday <strong>December</strong> 9<br />
●●1:30: Oakville Children’s Choir. Community<br />
Carol Concerts. Guest: Lianne Tan, organ. St.<br />
John’s United Church (Oakville), 262 Randall<br />
St., Oakville. 905-337-7104. $25; $20(sr);<br />
$15(under 13). Also 4pm.<br />
●●2:00: National Ballet of Canada. The Nutcracker.<br />
Music by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky,<br />
with libretto by James Kudelka. James<br />
Kudelka, choreographer/librettist. Four<br />
Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts,<br />
145 Queen St. W. 416-345-9595. $39-$190.<br />
Opens Dec 9, 2pm. Runs to Dec 30. Days and<br />
times vary. See national.ballet.ca for details.<br />
●●2:30: University of Toronto Faculty of<br />
Music. PianoFest. Walter Hall, Edward<br />
Johnson Building, University of Toronto,<br />
80 Queen’s Park. 416-408-0208. Free. Also<br />
Dec 6, 7(both at 7:30pm).<br />
●●2:30: Village Voices. Christmas Joy. Hayes:<br />
Christmas Suite; Hoelscher: Still, Still, Still;<br />
Hagenberg: Sweetest Music, Softly Stealing;<br />
Forrest: He is Born; and other works. Oksana<br />
Vignan, conductor; Robert Graham, accompaniment;<br />
Prometheus Male Choir (Pablo<br />
Fondera, conductor); Zajvir Childrens’ Choir<br />
(Olesia Konyk, conductor). Markham Missionary<br />
Church, 5438 Major Mackenzie Dr.<br />
E., Markham. 905-763-4172. $25; $20(sr);<br />
$10(st); free(under 12). Also 7:30pm.<br />
●●3:00: Mississauga Children’s Choir. Peace<br />
On Earth. RBC Theatre, Living Arts Centre,<br />
4141 Living Arts Dr., Mississauga. 905-306-<br />
6000. $25; $15(under 13).<br />
●●4:00: Oakville Children’s Choir. Community<br />
Carol Concerts. Guest: Lianne Tan, organ. St.<br />
John’s United Church (Oakville), 262 Randall<br />
St., Oakville. 905-337-7104. $25; $20(sr);<br />
$15(under 13). Also 1:30pm.<br />
●●4:00: Timothy Eaton Memorial Church.<br />
Yule Sing! Festive Christmas music and carol<br />
sing. Timothy Eaton Memorial Church Choir<br />
School and Sanctuary Choir, Weston Silver<br />
Band. <strong>23</strong>0 St. Clair Ave. W. 416-925-5977. $15;<br />
$45(family); free(under 5).<br />
●●4:30: Church of the Holy Trinity. The<br />
Christmas Story. See Dec 8 for details.<br />
●●7:00: National Ballet of Canada. The Nutcracker.<br />
Opens Dec 9. Runs to Dec 30. Days<br />
and times vary. See national.ballet.ca for<br />
details.<br />
●●7:00: Toronto Gilbert and Sullivan Society.<br />
Joy to the World! Gilbert and Sullivan<br />
selections and Christmas carols. St. Andrew’s<br />
United Church (Bloor St.), 117 Bloor St E. 416-<br />
763-0832. Free(members); $5(non-members).<br />
Refreshments included.<br />
●●7:30: Annex Singers. <strong>December</strong> Diaries:<br />
A Choral Drama. Roger Honeywell, tenor;<br />
Cheryl MacInnis, actor; Anne Lindsay, violin;<br />
Alejandro Céspedes, percussion. Jane Mallett<br />
Theatre, St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts,<br />
27 Front St. E. 416-968-7747. $35; $25(sr/st).<br />
Also Dec 10(3pm).<br />
●●7:30: Chris Tsujiuchi. A Very Chris-terical<br />
Christmas Cabaret <strong>2017</strong>. Colin Asuncion,<br />
Kevin Wong, Leah Canali, Steve John Dale<br />
and others. Buddies in Bad Times Theatre,<br />
12 Alexander St. 416-975-8555. $30. Also<br />
Dec 10. Limited tickets at the door.<br />
●●7:30: Espressivo Singers. Benjamin Britten’s<br />
A Ceremony of Carols and More. Daley:<br />
What Sweeter Music; J.O. Edwards: Wassail;<br />
What Child Is This? (arr. James Helme<br />
Sutcliffe); Rutter (arr.): Tomorrow Shall<br />
Be My Dancing Day. Guest: Liane James,<br />
harp. Westminster United Church (Whitby),<br />
1850 Rossland Rd. E., Whitby. 905-686-6299.<br />
$25; $15(12 and under).<br />
●●7:30: Living Arts Centre. Oscar Peterson<br />
and Oliver Jones: A Celebration. 4141 Living<br />
Arts Dr., Mississauga. 905-306-6000.<br />
$75-$150.<br />
●●7:30: Scarborough Philharmonic Orchestra.<br />
Around the World at Holiday Time. Tchaikovsky:<br />
Act 2 from The Nutcracker; The<br />
Huron Carol; An Impression of Beautiful<br />
Southern China; Holiday Music for Choir and<br />
Orchestra; Carol Sing-along. Sistema Toronto<br />
Youth Choir; St. Paul’s Youth and Adult Choirs;<br />
Woburn Collegiate Choir; Scarborough<br />
presents<br />
DECEMBER DIARIES<br />
A Choral Drama<br />
Shackleton at the South Pole, Champlain in New France, the<br />
Christmas Truce of 1914... A journey in words and music to<br />
three remarkable Christmases past.<br />
featuring:<br />
Roger Honeywell, tenor<br />
Cheryl MacInnis, actor<br />
Anne Lindsay, violin<br />
Alejandro Céspedes, percussion<br />
Maria Case, Artistic Director<br />
<strong>December</strong> 9 at 7:30 PM & <strong>December</strong> 10 at 3 PM<br />
Jane Mallett Theatre, St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts<br />
www.annexsingers.com<br />
thewholenote.com <strong>December</strong> 1, <strong>2017</strong> - February 7, <strong>2018</strong> | 43
Philharmonic Women’s Choir. Salvation Army<br />
Scarborough Citadel, 2021 Lawrence Ave.<br />
E., Scarborough. www.spo.ca. $30; $25(sr);<br />
$15(st); $10(child).<br />
●●7:30: University of Toronto Faculty of<br />
Music. Wind Symphony. Irvine: Hannaford<br />
Overture; Forsyth: Songs from the Qu’Appelle<br />
Valley; Arnold: Prelude, Siciliano and Rondo;<br />
Meechan: Letters for Home; Milhaud: Suite<br />
française. Jeffrey Reynolds, conductor. Mac-<br />
Millan Theatre, Edward Johnson Building,<br />
80 Queen’s Park. 416-408-0208. $30;<br />
$20(sr); $10(st).<br />
●●7:30: Village Voices. Christmas Joy. Hayes:<br />
Christmas Suite; Hoelscher: Still, Still, Still;<br />
Hagenberg: Sweetest Music, Softly Stealing;<br />
Forrest: He is Born; and other works. Oksana<br />
Vignan, conductor; Robert Graham, accompaniment;<br />
Prometheus Male Choir (Pablo<br />
Fondera, conductor); Zajvir Childrens’ Choir<br />
(Olesia Konyk, conductor). Markham Missionary<br />
Church, 5438 Major Mackenzie Dr.<br />
E., Markham. 905-763-4172. $25; $20(sr);<br />
$10(st); free(under 12). Also 2:30pm.<br />
●●7:30: VOCA Chorus of Toronto. The Great<br />
Canadian Choirbook. All-Canadian choral<br />
music (including two world premieres and<br />
songs of the season) by celebrated composers<br />
and singer-songwriters. Cheri Maracle,<br />
vocalist; Michael Occhipinti, guitar; James<br />
Gordon, guitar and vocalist; Rob Clutton, bass;<br />
Jamie Drake, percussion; Jenny Crober, conductor;<br />
Elizabeth Acker, accompanist. Eastminster<br />
United Church, 310 Danforth Ave.<br />
416-947-8487. $25; $20(sr); $10(st).<br />
●●7:30: York Chamber Ensemble. Christmas<br />
Masterpieces: Sing-Along! Boyce: Symphony<br />
No.1 in B-flat – Ode for the New Year;<br />
Handel: Messiah (selections); Bach: Christmas<br />
Oratorio Part 3; carol sing-along. Trevor<br />
Dearham, guest conductor. Trinity Anglican<br />
Church (Aurora), 79 Victoria St., Aurora.<br />
905-727-6101. $20; $15(sr/st).<br />
●●8:00: Cathedral Bluffs Symphony Orchestra.<br />
Subscription Concert #2. Humperdinck:<br />
Hansel and Gretel. Tryptych Concert & Opera;<br />
Norman Reintamm, conductor. P.C. Ho Theatre,<br />
Chinese Cultural Centre of Greater<br />
Toronto, 5183 Sheppard Ave. E., Scarborough.<br />
416-879-5566. $35 and up; $30(sr/st);<br />
A. Concerts in the GTA folk music; improvisation. Rebekah Wolkstein,<br />
Cathedral Bluffs<br />
SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA<br />
Norman Reintamm<br />
Artistic Director/Principal Conductor<br />
free(under 12). 7:15pm: Pre-concert talk. Also<br />
Dec 10(2pm).<br />
●●8:00: Continuum Contemporary Music.<br />
Urgent Voices. Hostman: The Invisible Forest;<br />
Rolfe: Clinical Notes of the Bipolar Therapist;<br />
Southam: Glass Houses; Wilson: From<br />
the Diaries of William Lyon Mackenzie King.<br />
Guests: Alex Dobson, baritone; Pascal Charbonneau,<br />
tenor; Laurent Philippe, piano. Aki<br />
Studio, Daniels Spectrum, 585 Dundas St.<br />
E. 416-531-1402. $35; $25(sr/arts workers);<br />
$15(st). Also Dec 8.<br />
●●8:00: Flato Markham Theatre. Lynn<br />
Harrell: J.S. Bach - Six Suites for Solo Cello.<br />
171 Town Centre Blvd., Markham. 905-305-<br />
7469. $15-$85.<br />
●●8:00: North York Concert Orchestra. In<br />
Concert. Seasonal holiday favourites; Royer:<br />
Fantasia on Canadian Christmas Carols; Goldstein:<br />
Hannukah Medley. Youth Concerto<br />
Competition Winners; Rafael Luz, conductor.<br />
Yorkminster Citadel, 1 Lord Seaton Rd., North<br />
York. 416-628-9195. $25; $20(sr); $10(st).<br />
●●8:00: Payadora Tango Ensemble. Album<br />
Release Concert. Original tangos; arrangements<br />
of traditional tangos and Argentinian<br />
Album Release<br />
Concert<br />
Saturday Dec 9, 8pm<br />
Gallery 345, Toronto<br />
payadora.com<br />
Saturday <strong>December</strong> 9, <strong>2017</strong> 8 pm<br />
HANSEL & GRETEL<br />
by Humperdinck<br />
with TrypTych Concert & Opera<br />
Special Encore Matinée: 2 pm Sunday<br />
SUBSCRIPTION CONCERT 2 | TICKETS: from $35 adult $30 senior/student<br />
children under age 12 are free ORDER ONLINE OR BY PHONE<br />
P.C. HoTheatre 5183 Sheppard Ave E (1 block east of Markham Rd), Scarborough<br />
cathedralbluffs.com | 416.879.5566<br />
violin; Branko Džinović, accordion and bandoneon;<br />
Robert Horvath, piano; Joe Phillips,<br />
double bass. Guest: Elbio Fernandez, vocals.<br />
Gallery 345, 345 Sorauren Ave. 416-822-9781.<br />
$25; $15(st). Reserve on the phone and tickets<br />
available at the door.<br />
●●8:00: Royal Conservatory. TD Jazz: Dianne<br />
Reeves Quintet. Great American Songbook.<br />
Koerner Hall, Telus Centre, 273 Bloor St. W.<br />
416-408-0208. $50-$100.<br />
●●8:00: Toronto Consort. Navidad: A Spanish<br />
Christmas. Trinity-St. Paul’s Centre, Jeanne<br />
Lamon Hall, 427 Bloor St. W. 416-964-6337.<br />
From $29. Also Dec 8, 10(3:30pm).<br />
●●9:00: Ava Productions. Rastak Music<br />
Group. Persian folk music from every corner<br />
of Iran with different dialects. Performers on<br />
tar, dulcimer, ney, tombak, daf, fiddle, quishak.<br />
John Basset Theatre, 255 Front St. W. 647-<br />
960-0282. $55-$120.<br />
Sunday <strong>December</strong> 10<br />
●●1:00: National Ballet of Canada. The Nutcracker.<br />
Opens Dec 9. Runs to Dec 30. Days<br />
and times vary. See national.ballet.ca for<br />
details.<br />
●●1:30: Music at Metropolitan. Deck the<br />
Halls: Downtown Carol Sing. Sing carols with<br />
the Metropolitan Silver Band and organ.<br />
Metropolitan Silver Band. Metropolitan<br />
United Church (Toronto), 56 Queen St. E. 416-<br />
363-0331 x26. Donations welcome.<br />
●●1:30: Oakville Symphony Orchestra. Family<br />
Christmas. Guests: Oakville Children’s Choir.<br />
Oakville Centre for the Performing Arts,<br />
130 Navy St., Oakville. 905-815-2021. $13-$25.<br />
Also 4pm.<br />
●●2:00: Cathedral Bluffs Symphony Orchestra.<br />
Subscription Concert #2. Humperdinck:<br />
Hansel and Gretel. Tryptych Concert & Opera;<br />
Norman Reintamm, conductor. P.C. Ho Theatre,<br />
Chinese Cultural Centre of Greater<br />
Toronto, 5183 Sheppard Ave. E., Scarborough.<br />
416-879-5566. $35 and up; $30(sr/st);<br />
free(under 12). Also Dec 9(8pm).<br />
●●2:00: Festival Wind Orchestra. Holiday<br />
Soliloquy. Hannaford Overture; Rikudim;<br />
Bond…James Bond; Copacabana; Autumn<br />
Soliloquy; Christmas carol sing-along. Justin<br />
Bartlett, oboe; Keith Reid, conductor. Isabel<br />
Bader Theatre, 93 Charles St. W. 416-302-<br />
1875. $20; $15(sr/st); free(under 13). Gift Basket<br />
Raffle.<br />
●●2:00: Living Arts Centre. The Nutcracker.<br />
4141 Living Arts Dr., Mississauga. 905-306-<br />
6000. $50-$85. Also 7:30pm.<br />
●●3:00: Annex Singers. <strong>December</strong> Diaries:<br />
A Choral Drama. Roger Honeywell, tenor;<br />
Cheryl MacInnis, actor; Anne Lindsay, violin;<br />
Alejandro Cespedes, percussion. Jane Mallett<br />
Theatre, St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts,<br />
27 Front St. E. 416-968-7747. $35; $25(sr/st).<br />
Also Dec 9(7:30pm).<br />
●●3:00: Durham Chamber Orchestra. It’s<br />
Christmas. Symphonic works by Schubert<br />
and Rossini; Ave Verum Corpus; O Holy Night;<br />
Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas; The<br />
Nutcracker. Guests: Martina Ortiz-Luis and<br />
The Durham Girls’ Choir. Forest Brook Community<br />
Church, 60 Kearney Dr., Ajax. 905-<br />
852-1141. $20; free(under 12).<br />
●●3:00: Hart House. True North: 100 Years<br />
of Canadian Classical Music. New Canadian<br />
classical works. Stephanie Chua, piano; Veronique<br />
Mathieu, violin. Hart House, Great Hall,<br />
7 Hart House Circle. 416-978-2452. Free.<br />
●●3:00: Orchestra Toronto. Holiday Music<br />
Magic. How the Grinch Stole Christmas;<br />
music from Frozen; seasonal sing-along.<br />
Trevor Rines, narration. George Weston<br />
Recital Hall, 5040 Yonge St. 1-855-985-2787.<br />
$45; $39(sr); $19(under 29). 2:45pm: preconcert<br />
chat. During intermission: Long &<br />
McQuade instrument petting zoo.<br />
●●3:00: Royal Conservatory. Invesco Piano<br />
Concerts: Khatia Buniatishvili. Mussorgsky:<br />
Pictures at an Exhibition; works by Liszt.<br />
Koerner Hall, Telus Centre, 273 Bloor St. W.<br />
416-408-0208. $35-$80. Pre-concert talk<br />
2pm.<br />
●●3:00: St. Paul’s Bloor Street. Michael Bloss,<br />
Organ. 227 Bloor St. E. 416-961-8116. Free.<br />
●●3:00: Stouffville United Church. Sing Along<br />
Messiah. Handel: Messiah. Anna Bateman,<br />
soprano; Susan Black-McAuliffe, alto; Bruce<br />
Nasmith, conductor, and others. 34 Church<br />
St. S., Stouffville. 905-640-7107. $20; $10 (sr/<br />
st). Scores provided or bring your own.<br />
●●3:00: Symphony on the Bay. A Double-<br />
Reed Christmas. Vivaldi: Christmas Concerto;<br />
Vaughan Williams: Fantasia on Christmas<br />
Carols; and other works. Fraser Jackson,<br />
bassoon; Claudio Vena, conductor. Burlington<br />
Performing Arts Centre, 440 Locust St.,<br />
Burlington. 905-681-6000. $43; $36.50(sr);<br />
$24.50(16-24); $12(under 16).<br />
●●3:00: Syrinx Concerts Toronto. Sofya Gulyak,<br />
Piano. Coulthard: Sonata No.2; Clementi:<br />
Sonata in C Op.33; Brahms: Handel Variations<br />
Op.24; Tchaikovsky: Nutcracker Suite<br />
(arr. Pletnev); Shostakovich: Prelude and<br />
Fugue in D-flat. Heliconian Hall, 35 Hazelton<br />
Ave. 416-654-0877. $30; $20(st). Post-concert<br />
reception.<br />
●●3:00: Toronto Symphony Orchestra. The<br />
Snowman. Traditional: Jingle Bells Fantasie<br />
(arr. C. Dragon); Smith-Bernard: Winter Wonderland;<br />
Blake: The Snowman; Korngold:<br />
The Snowman Overture; J. Strauss II: Pizzicato<br />
Polka; and other works; traditional carol<br />
sing-along. David Amado, conductor. Guests:<br />
Tha Spot Holiday Dancers; Resonance Youth<br />
Choir. Roy Thomson Hall, 60 Simcoe St. 416-<br />
593-1285. $25-$69. 20-minute intermission.<br />
●●3:30: St. Anne’s Anglican Church. St.<br />
Anne’s Community Cantate. St. Anne’s Choir;<br />
Young Voices Toronto; Junction Trio; St.<br />
Anne’s Festival Brass Quintet. 270 Gladstone<br />
Ave. 416-536-3160. $15; $10(sr/st);<br />
44 | <strong>December</strong> 1, <strong>2017</strong> - February 7, <strong>2018</strong> thewholenote.com
free(under 12). Proceeds to Oasis Food Bank<br />
and CPDL Youth Scholarship Program.<br />
●●3:30: Toronto Consort. Navidad: A Spanish<br />
Christmas. Trinity-St. Paul’s Centre, Jeanne<br />
Lamon Hall, 427 Bloor St. W. 416-964-6337.<br />
From $29. Also Dec 8, 9(both at 8pm).<br />
●●4:00: Cathedral Church of St. James.<br />
Organ Recital: Ian Sadler. 65 Church St. 416-<br />
364-7865 x<strong>23</strong>4. Donations welcomed.<br />
●●4:00: Eglinton St George’s United Church.<br />
All Bells in Paradise. An ESG Christmas with<br />
brass, carols, choir and organ. ESG Choir;<br />
Trillium Brass; Andrew Adair, organ; Shawn<br />
Grenke, conductor. Eglinton St. George’s<br />
United Church, 35 Lytton Blvd. 416-481-1141.<br />
$35; $25(st).<br />
●●4:00: Oakville Symphony Orchestra.<br />
Family Christmas. Guests: Oakville Children’s<br />
Choir. Oakville Centre for the Performing<br />
Arts, 130 Navy St., Oakville. 905-815-2021.<br />
$13-$25. Also 1:30pm.<br />
●●4:00: Toronto Classical Singers. Noël Noël:<br />
A French Christmas. Contrasting the elegance<br />
of the court at Versailles with the passion<br />
of 19th-century Paris. Charpentier:<br />
Messe de minuit pour noël; Saint-Saëns: Oratorio<br />
de Noël. Whitney Mather, soprano; Kendra<br />
Dyck, soprano; Lillian Brooks, mezzo;<br />
Stephen McClare, tenor; Bruce Kelly, baritone;<br />
Talisker Players Orchestra; Jurgen<br />
Petrenko, conductor. Christ Church Deer<br />
Park, 1570 Yonge St. 416-444-7863. $30.<br />
●●4:30: Church of the Holy Trinity. The<br />
Christmas Story. See Dec 8 for details.<br />
CAROLS BY<br />
CANDLELIGHT<br />
SUN., DEC. 10, 4:30pm<br />
NINE LESSONS<br />
& CAROLS<br />
SUN., DEC. 17, 4:30pm<br />
Yorkminster Park<br />
Baptist Church<br />
yorkminsterpark.com<br />
●●4:30: Yorkminster Park Baptist Church.<br />
Carols by Candlelight. Choirs and musicians<br />
of Yorkminster Park. 1585 Yonge St. 416-922-<br />
1167. Free.<br />
●●5:30: National Ballet of Canada. The Nutcracker.<br />
Opens Dec 9. Runs to Dec 30. Days<br />
and times vary. See national.ballet.ca for<br />
details.<br />
●●7:30: Chris Tsujiuchi. A Very Chris-terical<br />
Christmas Cabaret <strong>2017</strong>. Colin Asuncion,<br />
Kevin Wong, Leah Canali, Steve John Dale<br />
and others. Buddies in Bad Times Theatre,<br />
12 Alexander St. 416-975-8555. $30. Also<br />
Dec 9. Limited tickets at the door.<br />
●●7:30: Echo Women’s Choir. We Must Be the<br />
Light: Celebrating Canada at 150. Craig: We<br />
Must Be the Light; Valverde: Suave Brisa (Soft<br />
Breeze); Alcorn: That Old Feeling; and other<br />
songs reflecting many aspects of Canadian<br />
life. Becca Whitla, conductor and piano; Alan<br />
Gasser, conductor. Guest: Coco Love Alcorn.<br />
Church of the Holy Trinity, 19 Trinity Sq. 416-<br />
779-5554. $20/$15(adv); $10(sr/child/underwaged).<br />
Wheelchair accessible.<br />
●●7:30: Leaside United Church. Lessons and<br />
Carols. Willan: Let All Mortal Silence; Sirett:<br />
If Ye would Hear the Angels Sing; Britten: A<br />
Boy was Born; Eisele: Joyful Message; Rutter:<br />
Jesus Child; Albright: An African Celebration;<br />
What Child is This? (arr. Cynda Fleming).<br />
Chancel Choir of Leaside United (dir. Sharon<br />
L. Beckstead); Junior Choir (dir. Nancy Stewart);<br />
C Flats Jazz Band (dir. Cynda Fleming).<br />
822 Millwood Rd. 416-425-1253. Freewill<br />
offering. In support of the Out of the Cold<br />
Program.<br />
●●7:30: University of Toronto Faculty of<br />
Music. Percussion Ensembles. Walter Hall,<br />
Edward Johnson Building, University of<br />
Toronto, 80 Queen’s Park. 416-408-0208.<br />
Free.<br />
<strong>2017</strong>–<strong>2018</strong><br />
ConCErt SEriES<br />
All Bells<br />
in Paradise<br />
SUNDAY, Dec 10 th<br />
At 4 p.m.<br />
eSG chOIR AND<br />
tRILLIUm BRASS<br />
An ESG Christmas with<br />
Brass, Carols, Choir<br />
and organ<br />
ShAwn GrEnkE,<br />
ConduCtor<br />
AndrEw AdAir, orGAn<br />
35 Lytton BLvd.<br />
toronto<br />
416.481.1141<br />
www.esgunited.org<br />
Monday <strong>December</strong> 11<br />
●●7:00: Lula Music and Arts Centre. Reunite<br />
the Moneka Family. In support of Ahmed<br />
Moneka’s dream of reuniting his family. Lula<br />
Lounge, 1585 Dundas St. W. 416-588-0307. $15.<br />
Tuesday <strong>December</strong> 12<br />
●●12:00 noon: Canadian Opera Company.<br />
World Music Series: Christmas in Southern<br />
Italy. Traditional Christmas folk music. Vesuvius<br />
Ensemble. Richard Bradshaw Amphitheatre,<br />
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 10 - 1:30pm<br />
Deck the Halls: Downtown Carol<br />
Sing with the Metropolitan Silver<br />
Band and Organ<br />
Sing favourite carols<br />
~ Freewill donation helps Metropolitan’s<br />
community work in the downtown core<br />
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 17 - 7:00pm<br />
Annual Candlelight Service of<br />
Lessons and Carols with the<br />
Metropolitan Choirs<br />
~ Freewill offering<br />
www.metunited.org • 416-363-0331, ext. 26<br />
56 Queen Street East, Toronto<br />
TORONTO<br />
CLASSICAL<br />
SINGERS<br />
FRENCH<br />
CHRISTMAS<br />
CONCERT<br />
CHARPENTIER<br />
MESSE DE MINUIT<br />
SAINT-SAËNS<br />
ORATORIO DE NOËL<br />
Jurgen Petrenko,<br />
Artistic Director and Conductor<br />
The Talisker Players Orchestra<br />
Whitney Mather , soprano<br />
Kendra Dyck , soprano<br />
Lillian Brooks , mezzo-soprano<br />
Stephen McClare, tenor<br />
Bruce Kelly , baritone<br />
4pm<br />
Sunday , <strong>December</strong> 10, <strong>2017</strong><br />
Christ Church Deer Park<br />
1570 Yonge Street at Heath<br />
Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts,<br />
145 Queen St. W. 416-363-8<strong>23</strong>1. Free. Firstcome,<br />
first-served. Late seating not available.<br />
●●12:10: Nine Sparrows Arts Foundation/<br />
Yorkminster Park Baptist Church. Lunchtime<br />
Chamber Music: Rising Stars Recital.<br />
Students from the Glenn Gould School. Yorkminster<br />
Park Baptist Church, 1585 Yonge St.<br />
416-241-1298. Free; donations welcomed.<br />
●●1:00: Cathedral Church of St. James.<br />
Organ Recital: Matthew Whitfield. 65 Church<br />
St. 416-364-7865 x<strong>23</strong>4. Donations welcomed.<br />
MetUnited Music<br />
MetUnitedMusic<br />
NOËL NOËL<br />
TORONTO CLASSICAL SINGERS<br />
thewholenote.com <strong>December</strong> 1, <strong>2017</strong> - February 7, <strong>2018</strong> | 45
●●7:30: Hannaford Street Silver Band.<br />
Christmas Cheer. Ben Heppner, tenor and<br />
host; Elmer Iseler Singers. Metropolitan<br />
United Church (Toronto), 56 Queen St. E. 416-<br />
366-77<strong>23</strong> or 1-800-708-6754. $45; $35(sr);<br />
$15(st).<br />
Toronto Youth Choir &<br />
Incontra Vocal Ensemble<br />
present<br />
O Nata Lux<br />
A. Concerts in the GTA<br />
Arts Senior Chorus; Lucas Waldin, conductor.<br />
Roy Thomson Hall, 60 Simcoe St. 416-593-<br />
1285. $34.75-$107. Also Dec 13(2pm and 8pm).<br />
Wednesday <strong>December</strong> 13<br />
●●12:00 noon: Canadian Opera Company.<br />
Vocal Series: Bound. Works by Handel.<br />
Against the Grain Theatre. Richard Bradshaw<br />
Amphitheatre, Four Seasons Centre for the<br />
Performing Arts, 145 Queen St. W. 416-363-<br />
8<strong>23</strong>1. Free. First-come, first-served. Late seating<br />
not available.<br />
●●12:00 noon: Yorkminster Park Baptist<br />
Church. Noonday Organ Recitals: Rashaan<br />
Allwood. 1585 Yonge St. 416-922-1167. Free.<br />
●●2:00: Toronto Symphony Orchestra. Canadian<br />
Brass Christmas. Tyzik: Christmas<br />
Overture; Silvestri (arr. Pope): The Spirit of<br />
Christmas from The Polar Express; Traditional:<br />
Ar Hyd y Nos (All through the Night)<br />
(arr. C. Dragon); Williams: Merry Christmas<br />
from Home Alone 2; and other works. Canadian<br />
Brass, brass quintet; Etobicoke School<br />
of the Arts Senior Chorus; Lucas Waldin, conductor.<br />
Roy Thomson Hall, 60 Simcoe St.<br />
416-593-1285. $34.75-$107. Also Dec 12 and<br />
13(both 8pm).<br />
●●7:00: National Ballet of Canada. The Nutcracker.<br />
Opens Dec 9. Runs to Dec 30. Days<br />
and times vary. See national.ballet.ca for<br />
details.<br />
●●7:30: Incontra Vocal Ensemble. Hodie<br />
Christus Natus Est. Works by Palestrina,<br />
Lauridsen, Sixten, Gjeilo, Rutter and others.<br />
Matthew Otto, artistic director and conductor;<br />
Sarah Leung, assistant conductor.<br />
St. Joseph’s Chapel, Regis College, University<br />
of Toronto, 100 Wellesley St. W. 416-922-<br />
5474 x266. $35.<br />
●●8:00: Toronto Symphony Orchestra. Canadian<br />
Brass Christmas. Tyzik: Christmas<br />
Overture; Silvestri (arr. Pope): The Spirit of<br />
Christmas from The Polar Express; Traditional:<br />
Ar Hyd y Nos (All through the Night)<br />
(arr. C. Dragon); Williams: Merry Christmas<br />
from Home Alone 2; and other works. Canadian<br />
Brass, brass quintet; Etobicoke School<br />
of the Arts Senior Chorus; Lucas Waldin, conductor.<br />
Roy Thomson Hall, 60 Simcoe St. 416-<br />
593-1285. $34.75-$107. Also Dec 12(8pm) and<br />
13(2pm).<br />
Thursday <strong>December</strong> 14<br />
●●12:00 noon: Canadian Opera Company.<br />
Vocal Series: A Cappella Christmas. Original<br />
music and classic Christmas songs.<br />
Cadence. Richard Bradshaw Amphitheatre,<br />
Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts,<br />
145 Queen St. W. 416-363-8<strong>23</strong>1. Free. Firstcome,<br />
first-served. Late seating not available.<br />
●●5:30: Canadian Music Centre. CMC Presents:<br />
KUYUM. Francisco Barradas, violin;<br />
Cesar Aguilar, countertenor; Yolanda<br />
Tapia, piano. 20 St. Joseph St. 416-961-6601<br />
x202. $20; $15(CMC members/arts workers);<br />
$10(st).<br />
●●7:00: National Ballet of Canada. The Nutcracker.<br />
Opens Dec 9. Runs to Dec 30. Days<br />
and times vary. See national.ballet.ca for<br />
details.<br />
●●7:30: Gallery 345. Mid Winter’s Eve. Works<br />
by Schubert, Debussy, Brahms and Sarasate.<br />
Carmen Lasceski Custers, violin; Emily Rho,<br />
piano. 345 Sorauren Ave. 416-822-9781. $25;<br />
$10(st). Cash only.<br />
●●8:00: Art of Time Ensemble. To All A Good<br />
Night 3: The Different Holiday Concert.<br />
Harbourfront Centre Theatre, <strong>23</strong>5 Queens<br />
Quay W. 416-973-4000. $25-$64; $15(rush<br />
tickets, 30 and under). Also Dec 15, 16.<br />
●●8:00: Blythwood Winds. Blythwood Strikes<br />
Back: A Darth Vader Holiday. Star Wars Episode<br />
V: The Empire Strikes Back (arr. Vander<br />
Hyden); holiday favourites. Tim Crouch, flute;<br />
Elizabeth Eccleston, oboe; Anthony Thompson,<br />
clarinet; Curtis Vander Hyden, french<br />
horn; Kevin Harris, bassoon. Free Times Cafe,<br />
320 College St. 416-999-6097. PWYC. Come<br />
early for dinner! Shows sell out.<br />
●●8:00: Flato Markham Theatre. Wonderful<br />
World of Christmas: Graceland Edition.<br />
171 Town Centre Blvd., Markham. 905-305-<br />
7469. $15-$65.<br />
●●8:00: Polyphonic Ground. Slim Flex and<br />
Success K/Evolution/Los Poetas. Revival Bar,<br />
783 College St. 416-536-5439. $35.<br />
Friday <strong>December</strong> 15<br />
●●7:00: Bell Tower Coffee and Community.<br />
Jason Wilson. Reggae. Church of the Messiah,<br />
240 Avenue Rd. 647-828-1176. Free.<br />
●●7:00: National Ballet of Canada. The Nutcracker.<br />
Opens Dec 9. Runs to Dec 30. Days<br />
and times vary. See national.ballet.ca for<br />
details.<br />
●●7:00: Raffi Altounian. Imagine: Christmas.<br />
Ellington: The Nutcracker Suite; Guaraldi: A<br />
Charlie Brown Christmas. Rebekah Wolkstein,<br />
violin; Tom Skublics, clarinet; Burke<br />
Carroll, pedal steel; Raffi Altounian, guitar;<br />
Ben Heard, double bass; Andrew Rasmus,<br />
percussion. St. Barnabas Anglican Church,<br />
361 Danforth Ave. 416-528-5349. $30.<br />
●●7:30: Church of the Holy Trinity. The<br />
Christmas Story. See Dec 8 for details.<br />
●●7:30: Orpheus Choir of Toronto. Welcome<br />
Christmas! Lindberg: Christmas Cantata;<br />
and festive sing-along carols. The Bob<br />
DeAngelis Big Band; John Sherwood, jazz<br />
pianist; Orpheus Choir of Toronto; Edward<br />
Maroney, accompanist; Robert Cooper, artistic<br />
director. Metropolitan United Church<br />
Tickets: $10 - $25<br />
Christ Church Deer Park<br />
Tues. Dec. 12 | 7:30PM<br />
torontochildrenschorus.com<br />
●●7:30: Toronto Youth Choir/Incontra Vocal<br />
Ensemble. O Nata Lux: 5th Anniversary Concert.<br />
Seasonal music. Christ Church Deer<br />
Park, 1570 Yonge St. 416-920-5211. $25;<br />
$20(st/sr); $10(child). Proceeds will help<br />
support Toronto Youth Choir’s tour to New<br />
York City.<br />
●●8:00: Sony Centre for the Performing<br />
Arts. The Tenors: Christmas Together.<br />
1 Front St. E. 1-855-872-7669 or 416-916-7878.<br />
$50-$125.<br />
●●8:00: Toronto Symphony Orchestra. Canadian<br />
Brass Christmas. McPherson: In Excelsis<br />
Gloria (After the Huron Carol) - Sesquie<br />
for Canada’s 150th; Tyzik: Christmas Overture;<br />
Silvestri (arr. Pope): The Spirit of Christmas<br />
from The Polar Express; Traditional:<br />
Ar Hyd y Nos (All through the Night) (arr. C.<br />
Dragon); Williams: Merry Christmas from<br />
Home Alone 2; and other works. Canadian<br />
Brass, brass quintet; Etobicoke School of the<br />
HANDEL<br />
MESSIAH<br />
DEC 13–16, KOERNER HALL,<br />
TELUS CENTRE<br />
tafelmusik.org<br />
●●7:30: Tafelmusik. Messiah. Music by Handel.<br />
Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra and<br />
Chamber Choir; Joanne Lunn, soprano;<br />
James Laing, countertenor; Rufus Müller,<br />
tenor; Brett Polegato, baritone; Ivars Taurins,<br />
conductor. Koerner Hall, Telus Centre,<br />
273 Bloor St. W. 416-408-0208. From $30.<br />
Also Dec 14, 15, 16.<br />
●●8:00: Nathaniel Dett Chorale. An Indigo<br />
Christmas...Parranda. Guest: Maestre &<br />
Friends. All Saints Kingsway Anglican Church,<br />
2850 Bloor St. W. 416-736-2100 x33068. $30.<br />
The Glenn Gould School<br />
New Music Ensemble<br />
THURS., DEC. 14, 7:30PM<br />
TEMERTY THEATRE<br />
FREE (TICKET REQUIRED)! 416.408.0208<br />
WWW.PERFORMANCE.RCMUSIC.CA<br />
●●7:30: Royal Conservatory. Discovery Series:<br />
Glenn Gould School New Music Ensemble.<br />
Curated by Brian Current. Temerty Theatre,<br />
273 Bloor St. W. 416-408-0208. Free.<br />
●●7:30: Tafelmusik. Messiah. Music by Handel.<br />
Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra and<br />
Chamber Choir; Joanne Lunn, soprano;<br />
James Laing, countertenor; Rufus Müller,<br />
tenor; Brett Polegato, baritone; Ivars Taurins,<br />
conductor. Koerner Hall, Telus Centre,<br />
273 Bloor St. W. 416-408-0208. From $30.<br />
Also Dec 13, 15, 16.<br />
●●8:00: Against the Grain Theatre. Bound.<br />
Music by George Frideric Handel, libretto by<br />
Joel Ivany. COC Jackman Studio, 227 Front<br />
Street East. 647-367-8943. $35. Also<br />
Dec 15(8pm), 16(6pm and 9pm).<br />
sine nomine<br />
Ensemble for Medieval Music<br />
A Medieval Nunnery<br />
Christmas<br />
Friday, <strong>December</strong> 15, 8 pm<br />
Trinity College Chapel<br />
6 Hoskin Avenue<br />
Tickets $20 / $15<br />
416-978-8849<br />
tickets.harthouse.ca<br />
Information 416-638-9445<br />
sinenominetoronto@gmail.com<br />
46 | <strong>December</strong> 1, <strong>2017</strong> - February 7, <strong>2018</strong> thewholenote.com
(Toronto), 56 Queen St. E. 416-530-4428. $45;<br />
$40(sr); $20(st).<br />
●●7:30: Tafelmusik. Messiah. Music by Handel.<br />
Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra and<br />
Chamber Choir; Joanne Lunn, soprano;<br />
James Laing, countertenor; Rufus Müller,<br />
tenor; Brett Polegato, baritone; Ivars Taurins,<br />
conductor. Koerner Hall, Telus Centre,<br />
273 Bloor St. W. 416-408-0208. From $30.<br />
Also Dec 13, 14, 16.<br />
●●8:00: Against the Grain Theatre. Bound.<br />
See Dec 14 for details. Also Dec 16(6pm and<br />
9pm).<br />
●●8:00: Art of Time Ensemble. To All A Good<br />
Night 3: The Different Holiday Concert.<br />
Harbourfront Centre Theatre, <strong>23</strong>5 Queens<br />
Quay W. 416-973-4000. $25-$64; $15(rush<br />
tickets, 30 and under). Also Dec 14, 16.<br />
●●8:00: Etobicoke Community Concert Band.<br />
Christmas Memories. Favourite seasonal carols;<br />
reading of “Twas the Night Before Christmas,”<br />
backed by the band. Guest: Councillor<br />
Stephen Holyday. Etobicoke Collegiate Auditorium,<br />
86 Montgomery Rd., Etobicoke. 416-<br />
410-1570. $15; free(under 12).<br />
●●8:00: Etobicoke Philharmonic Orchestra.<br />
Holiday Magic. Tchaikovsky: Waltz of<br />
the Flowers (Nutcracker Suite); L. Anderson:<br />
Sleigh Ride; seasonal favourites; Christmas<br />
sing-along. Jessica Lane, soprano.<br />
Humber Valley United Church, 76 Anglesey<br />
Blvd., Etobicoke. 416-<strong>23</strong>9-5665. $30;<br />
$25(sr)/$22(adv); $15(st). Silent Auction.<br />
●●8:00: Sine Nomine Ensemble for Medieval<br />
Music. A Medieval Nunnery Christmas.<br />
Trinity College Chapel, University of Toronto,<br />
6 Hoskin Ave. 416-978-8849 (reservations),<br />
416-638-9445 (information). $20; $15(sr/st/<br />
unwaged).<br />
●●8:00: Sony Centre for the Performing<br />
Arts. Dance Me: Music of Leonard Cohen. Les<br />
Ballet Jazz de Montréal. 1 Front St. E. 1-855-<br />
872-7669 or 416-916-7878. $55-$145.<br />
Saturday <strong>December</strong> 16<br />
●●2:00: National Ballet of Canada. The Nutcracker.<br />
Opens Dec 9. Runs to Dec 30. Days<br />
and times vary. See national.ballet.ca for<br />
details.<br />
●●2:00: Roy Thomson Hall. Toronto Children’s<br />
Chorus: The Fire Within. Vivaldi: Gloria. Lesia<br />
Mackowycz, soprano; Krisztina Szabó, mezzo;<br />
TORONTO<br />
CHILDREN’S<br />
CHORUS<br />
The Fire Within<br />
SAT DEC 16 ◆ 2 PM<br />
ROYTHOMSONHALL.COM<br />
416-872-4255<br />
TCC Alumni Choir, Toronto Youth Choir,<br />
friends from the Toronto Symphony Orchestra;<br />
Michael Bloss, organ. 60 Simcoe St. 416-<br />
872-4255. $35.50-$45.50.<br />
●●3:00: Neapolitan Connection. Musical<br />
Matinées at Montgomery’s Inn: Rome<br />
& Romance. Alicja Wysocka soprano;<br />
Ronée Boyce, piano. Montgomery’s Inn,<br />
4709 Dundas St. W. 416-<strong>23</strong>1-0006. $30;<br />
$15(child). 2:15pm: historical tour; tea and<br />
cookies included.<br />
●●3:30: York Symphony Orchestra. YSO<br />
Holiday Spectacular. Seasonal favourites<br />
and audience sing-along. Trinity Anglican<br />
Church (Aurora), 79 Victoria St., Aurora. 416-<br />
410-0860. $28; $<strong>23</strong>(sr); $15(st). Also 8pm,<br />
Dec 17(7:30pm, Richmond Hill).<br />
●●3:30: Young Voices Toronto. This Christmastide.<br />
Fraser: This Christmastide; Engelhardt:<br />
Gaudete!; Gjeilo: Tundra; Brymer:<br />
Happy Xmas (War Is Over); Fjelheim: Winter’s<br />
Night. Maria Conkey, conductor; Brenda<br />
O”Connor, conductor; Sheldon Rose, pianist.<br />
Trinity-St. Paul’s United Church, 427 Bloor St.<br />
W. 416-762-0657. $25; $15(sr/st); free(under<br />
5).<br />
●●4:30: Church of the Holy Trinity. The<br />
Christmas Story. See Dec 8 for details.<br />
●●6:00: Against the Grain Theatre. Bound.<br />
See Dec 15. Also Dec 16(9pm).<br />
●●7:00: National Ballet of Canada. The Nutcracker.<br />
Opens Dec 9. Runs to Dec 30. Days and<br />
times vary. See national.ballet.ca for details.<br />
●●7:00: St. Elizabeth of Hungary Roman<br />
Catholic Church. Christmas Concert.<br />
Saturday <strong>December</strong> 16 at 8 p.m.<br />
(Pre-concert chat at 7:15 p.m.)<br />
Christmas in<br />
San Marco:<br />
Monteverdi at 450<br />
With the Toronto Continuo<br />
Collective<br />
Calvin Presbyterian Church<br />
26 Delisle Avenue<br />
(416) 763-1695<br />
torontochamberchoir.ca<br />
DENIS MASTROMONACO<br />
MUSIC DIRECTOR &<br />
C O N D U C T O R<br />
Poulenc: Gloria; Christmas songs. Brigitte<br />
Emery, soprano; Ian Sadler, organ, St. Elizabeth<br />
Scola Cantorum Adult and Children’s<br />
Choirs; Imre Olah and Christa Lazar, conductors.<br />
432 Sheppard Ave. E. 416-225-3300. $20;<br />
$10(st). Post-concert reception.<br />
●●7:30: Church of the Holy Trinity. The<br />
Christmas Story. See Dec 8 for details.<br />
●●7:30: Cirque Musica Holiday. Believe. Incredible<br />
feats of strength, skill and grace to great<br />
holiday music favourites performed by a live symphony.<br />
Tribute Communities Centre, 99 Athol St.<br />
E., Oshawa. ev12.evenue.net. $49.99-$75.<br />
●●7:30: Pax Christi Chorale. Gloria. Poulenc:<br />
Gloria; Duruflé: Four Motets; Fauré: Cantique<br />
de Jean Racine; Gounod: Noël; classic french<br />
Pax Christi Chorale<br />
<strong>December</strong> 16 & 17<br />
Gloria<br />
thewholenote.com <strong>December</strong> 1, <strong>2017</strong> - February 7, <strong>2018</strong> | 47
carols. Andrea Núñez, soprano; Daniel Norman,<br />
organ; David Bowser, conductor. Grace<br />
Church on-the-Hill, 300 Lonsdale Rd. n/a.<br />
$45; $40(sr); $25(st). Also Dec 17(3pm).<br />
●●7:30: Royal Conservatory. Taylor Academy<br />
Showcase Concert. Taylor Academy<br />
Chamber Orchestra. Mazzoleni Concert Hall,<br />
Royal Conservatory, 273 Bloor St. W. 416-408-<br />
0208. Free.<br />
●●7:30: Tafelmusik. Messiah. Music by Handel.<br />
Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra and<br />
Chamber Choir; Joanne Lunn, soprano;<br />
James Laing, countertenor; Rufus Müller,<br />
tenor; Brett Polegato, baritone; Ivars Taurins,<br />
conductor. Koerner Hall, Telus Centre,<br />
273 Bloor St. W. 416-408-0208. From $30.<br />
Also Dec 13, 14, 15.<br />
●●7:30: The Salvation Army. Christmas Spectacular.<br />
God Bless us Everyone, Of Great<br />
Wonder, Joy to the World, Hark the Herald<br />
and other songs. Amadeus Choir; North York<br />
Temple Band; Organ; Brass Band; Choir. Tyndale<br />
Chapel, 3377 Bayview Ave. 416-225-7968.<br />
$20. Call for tickets. Limited general admission<br />
space.<br />
●●7:30: Voices Chamber Choir. Handel: Messiah.<br />
Antonina Ermolenko, soprano; Monica<br />
Zerbe, alto; Michael Taylor, tenor; Steven<br />
Henriksen, bass; John Stephenson, organ;<br />
chamber orchestra; Ron Ka Ming Cheung,<br />
conductor. Church of St. Martin-in-the-<br />
Fields, 151 Glenlake Ave. 416-519-0528. $35;<br />
$25(sr/st).<br />
●●8:00: Art of Time Ensemble. To All A Good<br />
Night 3: The Different Holiday Concert.<br />
Harbourfront Centre Theatre, <strong>23</strong>5 Queens<br />
Quay W. 416-973-4000. $25-$64; $15(rush<br />
tickets, 30 and under). Also Dec 14, 15.<br />
●●8:00: Kindred Spirits Orchestra. Russian<br />
Romance. Shostakovich: Festive Overture;<br />
Violin Concerto No.1; Rachmaninoff: Symphony<br />
No.2 Op.27. Kristian Alexander, conductor;<br />
Marc Djokic, violin. Flato Markham<br />
Theatre, 171 Town Centre Blvd., Markham.<br />
905-604-8339. $30-$40; $25(sr); $15(youth).<br />
7:15pm pre-concert recital; 7:30pm pre-concert<br />
talk; intermission discussion with Marc<br />
Djokic.<br />
●●8:00: Mississauga Symphony Orchestra.<br />
Highlights from Messiah. Handel: Messiah<br />
(excerpts). Sara Schabas, soprano; Beste Kalender,<br />
mezzo; Zachary Rioux, tenor; Christopher<br />
Dunham, baritone; Mississauga Festival<br />
Chamber Choir; David Ambrose, guest conductor.<br />
Hammerson Hall, Living Arts Centre,<br />
4141 Living Arts Dr., Mississauga. 905-306-<br />
6000. $40-$65; $36-$58(sr); $30(youth);<br />
A. Concerts in the GTA<br />
$25(15 and under); $100(family).<br />
●●8:00: Toronto Chamber Choir. Christmas<br />
in San Marco. Celebrating the 450th<br />
anniversary of Claudio Monterverdi. Monteverdi:<br />
Magnificat, Psalm settings and hymns.<br />
Guests: Toronto Continuo Collective. Calvin<br />
Presbyterian Church, 26 Delisle Ave. 416-763-<br />
1695. $30; $25(sr); $12.50(under 30). Preconcert<br />
chat at 7:15pm.<br />
●●8:00: York Symphony Orchestra. YSO Holiday<br />
Spectacular. Seasonal favourites and<br />
audience sing-along. Trinity Anglican Church<br />
(Aurora), 79 Victoria St., Aurora. 416-410-<br />
0860. $28; $<strong>23</strong>(sr); $15(st). Also 3:30pm,<br />
Dec 17(7:30pm, Richmond Hill).<br />
●●9:00: Against the Grain Theatre. Bound.<br />
See Dec 14 for details.<br />
Sunday <strong>December</strong> 17<br />
●●1:00: National Ballet of Canada. The Nutcracker.<br />
Opens Dec 9. Runs to Dec 30. Days<br />
and times vary. See national.ballet.ca for<br />
details.<br />
●●2:00: Gallery 345. Christmas Concert Beau<br />
Noel. Bosco/Humphrey: Noëls de Lourmarin;<br />
D’où viens-tu bergère (arr. Murphy); Entre le<br />
boeuf et l’âne gris (arr. Murphy); Büsser: Le<br />
sommeil de L’Enfant Jésus; Widor: Ave Maria;<br />
traditional carols; and other works. Julie Nesrallah,<br />
mezzo; Caroline Léonardelli, harp;<br />
Matthew Larkin, piano. 345 Sorauren Ave.<br />
416-822-9781. $25; $10(st). Cash only.<br />
SING-ALONG<br />
MESSIAH<br />
DEC 17, MASSEY HALL<br />
tafelmusik.org<br />
●●2:00: Tafelmusik. Sing-Along Messiah.<br />
Music by Handel. Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra<br />
and Chamber Choir; Joanne Lunn, soprano;<br />
James Laing, countertenor; Rufus<br />
Müller, tenor; Brett Polegato, baritone; Ivars<br />
Taurins, conductor. Massey Hall, 178 Victoria<br />
St. 416-872-4255. From $30.<br />
●●3:00: Greater Toronto Philharmonic<br />
Orchestra. Christmas at Columbus Centre.<br />
Tchaikovsky: The Nutcracker Suite;<br />
MacMillan: Christmas Carols; Verdi: Va pensiero<br />
from Nabucco; Donizetti: Overture and<br />
arias from L’Elisir d’amore; Handel: Messiah<br />
(excerpts). Elisabeth Polese, soprano; Columbus<br />
Belle Voci Choir; Paolo Busato, conductor.<br />
Columbus Centre, 901 Lawrence Ave. W. 647-<br />
<strong>23</strong>8-0015. $25; $20(sr); $15(st).<br />
●●3:00: Mississauga Symphony Orchestra. A<br />
Merry Little Christmas. Bob Anderson, music<br />
director; Resonance Youth Choir. Hammerson<br />
Hall, Living Arts Centre, 4141 Living Arts<br />
Dr., Mississauga. 905-306-6000. $40-$65;<br />
$36-$58(sr); $30(youth); $25(15 and under);<br />
$100(family).<br />
●●3:00: Pax Christi Chorale. Gloria. Poulenc:<br />
Gloria; Duruflé: Four Motets; Fauré: Cantique<br />
de Jean Racine; Gounod: Noël; classic french<br />
carols. Andrea Núñez, soprano; Daniel Norman,<br />
organ; David Bowser, conductor. Grace<br />
Church on-the-Hill, 300 Lonsdale Rd. n/a.<br />
$45; $40(sr); $25(st). Also Dec 16(7:30pm).<br />
●●4:00: Cathedral Church of St. James.<br />
Organ Recital: Manuel Piazza. 65 Church St.<br />
416-364-7865 x<strong>23</strong>4. Donations welcomed.<br />
●●4:30: Christ Church Deer Park. Jazz Vespers.<br />
Ellington’s Nutcracker. The Brian Barlow<br />
Big Band. 1570 Yonge St. 416-920-5211.<br />
Freewill offering. Religious service.<br />
●●4:30: Church of the Holy Trinity. The<br />
Christmas Story. See Dec 8 for details.<br />
●●4:30: Yorkminster Park Baptist Church.<br />
Nine Lessons and Carols. 1585 Yonge St. 416-<br />
922-1167. Free. Religious service.<br />
●●5:30: National Ballet of Canada. The Nutcracker.<br />
Opens Dec 9. Runs to Dec 30. Days<br />
and times vary. See national.ballet.ca for<br />
details.<br />
●●7:00: Music at Metropolitan. Candlelight<br />
Service of Lessons and Carols. The Metropolitan<br />
Choirs. Metropolitan United Church<br />
(Toronto), 56 Queen St. E. 416-363-0331 x26.<br />
Freewill offering.<br />
●●7:00: Royal Conservatory. Emilie-Claire<br />
Barlow: Lumières d’hiver Album Release Concert.<br />
Koerner Hall, Telus Centre, 273 Bloor St.<br />
W. 416-408-0208. From $40.<br />
●●7:00: St. Thomas’s Anglican Church. Festival<br />
of Nine Lessons and Carols. St. Thomas’s<br />
Church Choir; Elizabeth Anderson,<br />
assistant organist; Matthew Larkin, organ<br />
and conductor. St. Thomas’s Anglican Church<br />
(Toronto), 383 Huron St. 416-979-<strong>23</strong><strong>23</strong>. Freewill<br />
offering. Religious service.<br />
●●7:00: The Choir of Trinity-St. Paul’s United<br />
Church & VIVA! Youth Singers of Toronto.<br />
Carols by Candlelight. A seasonal service of<br />
music and candlelight. Trinity-St. Paul’s Centre,<br />
427 Bloor St. W. 416-922-8435. Free.<br />
Peace on Earth<br />
Carols, stories and seasonal<br />
music, served up with<br />
holiday food and TMT’s<br />
famous Renaissance Punch.<br />
17 & 18 <strong>December</strong> <strong>2017</strong><br />
●●7:30: Toronto Masque Theatre Salon Series.<br />
Peace on Earth: A Christmas Salon. Carols,<br />
songs and instrumental works; Lucas:<br />
The Birth of Christ (excerpts). Atrium,<br />
21 Shaftesbury Ave. 416-410-4561. $25. Food,<br />
drink and silent auction. Also Dec 18.<br />
●●7:30: Victoria Scholars. Yuletide on the<br />
Canadian Side. Our Lady of Sorrows Church,<br />
3055 Bloor St. W., Etobicoke. 416-761-7776.<br />
$30; $25(sr/st). Also Dec 18(Blessed Sacrament<br />
Church).<br />
●●7:30: York Symphony Orchestra. YSO<br />
Holiday Spectacular. Seasonal favourites<br />
and audience sing-along. St. Mary’s Anglican<br />
Church, 10030 Yonge St., Richmond Hill.<br />
416-410-0860. $28; $<strong>23</strong>(sr); $15(st). Also<br />
Dec 16(3:30pm and 8pm, Aurora).<br />
●●8:00: Istituto Italiano di Cultura di<br />
Toronto. Vesuvius Ensemble: Christmas Concert.<br />
Traditional Christmas folk songs from<br />
the Italian countryside. Heliconian Hall,<br />
35 Hazelton Ave. 416-356-5016. $25; $10(sr/<br />
st); free(children under 12). Also Dec 19.<br />
●●8:00: Music Gallery/Kith & Kin. Kith &<br />
Kin Holiday Wassail. 918 Bathurst Centre<br />
48 | <strong>December</strong> 1, <strong>2017</strong> - February 7, <strong>2018</strong> thewholenote.com
for Culture, Arts, Media and Education,<br />
918 Bathurst St. 416-204-1080. $18; $16(adv);<br />
$12(st/member/arts worker); free(ages 12<br />
and under).<br />
THAT CHOIR<br />
CAROLS<br />
featuring Resonance & our<br />
family carol sing-a-long<br />
Dec 17, <strong>2017</strong> | 8PM<br />
thatc ho ir. c o m<br />
●●8:00: That Choir. That Choir Carols.<br />
Whitacre: Lux Nova; Gjeilo: Serenity; Twardowski:<br />
Alleluia; K. Allan: Angels’ Daley: Huron<br />
Carol; M. Emery: new work. Guests: Resonance<br />
Youth Choir. St. Andrew’s Church<br />
(Toronto), 73 Simcoe St. 416-419-1756. $30;<br />
$20(sr/arts worker); $10(st); free(under 18).<br />
Monday <strong>December</strong> 18<br />
●●7:00: St. Cuthbert’s Anglican Church<br />
(Toronto). Carols with Friends. Carol singalong.<br />
1399 Bayview Ave. 416-485-0329. Free<br />
with donation to Flemingdon Park Community<br />
Food Bank. Mulled cider and cookies to follow.<br />
●●7:30: Toronto Masque Theatre Salon Series.<br />
Peace on Earth: A Christmas Salon. Carols,<br />
songs and instrumental works; Lucas:<br />
The Birth of Christ (excerpts). Atrium,<br />
21 Shaftesbury Ave. 416-410-4561. $25. Food,<br />
drink and silent auction. Also Dec 17.<br />
●●7:30: Victoria Scholars. Yuletide on the<br />
Canadian Side. Blessed Sacrament Church,<br />
24 Cheritan Ave. 416-761-7776. $30; $25(sr/<br />
st). Also Dec 17(Our Lady of Sorrows Church).<br />
●●8:00: Toronto Symphony Orchestra. Messiah.<br />
Karina Gauvin, soprano; Kriztina Szabó,<br />
mezzo; Frédéric Antoun, tenor; Joshua Hopkins,<br />
baritone; Toronto Mendelssohn Choir;<br />
Matthew Halls, conductor. Roy Thomson Hall,<br />
60 Simcoe St. 416-593-1285. $38.75-$111.25.<br />
Also Dec 19, 20, 22(all at 8pm), <strong>23</strong>(3pm).<br />
Tuesday <strong>December</strong> 19<br />
21 ST ANNUAL NOON HOUR<br />
CHOIR & ORGAN CONCERTS<br />
ELMER ISELER<br />
SINGERS<br />
Season of Joy<br />
Lydia Adams, conductor<br />
Shawn Grenke, organ<br />
TUE DEC 19 ◆ 12 PM<br />
FREE<br />
ROYTHOMSONHALL.COM<br />
416-872-4255<br />
●●12:00 noon: Roy Thomson Hall. Elmer Iseler<br />
Singers. Season of Joy. Shawn Grenke, organ;<br />
Lydia Adams, conductor. 60 Simcoe St. 416-<br />
872-1255. Free.<br />
●●1:00: Cathedral Church of St. James.<br />
Organ Recital: Manuel Piazza. 65 Church St.<br />
416-364-7865 x<strong>23</strong>4. Donations welcomed.<br />
●●7:00: Mississauga Festival Youth Choir.<br />
Joy and Wishes. Folk songs and carols<br />
from around the world. Youth Choristers;<br />
piano; percussion. Eden United Church,<br />
3051 Battleford Rd., Mississauga. 905-267-<br />
1101. $15; $10(sr/child under 10).<br />
●●7:00: National Ballet of Canada. The Nutcracker.<br />
Opens Dec 9. Runs to Dec 30. Days<br />
and times vary. See national.ballet.ca for<br />
details.<br />
●●8:00: Istituto Italiano di Cultura di<br />
Toronto. Vesuvius Ensemble: Christmas Concert.<br />
Traditional Christmas folk songs from<br />
the Italian countryside. Heliconian Hall,<br />
35 Hazelton Ave. 416-356-5016. $25; $10(sr/<br />
st); free(children under 12). Also Dec 17.<br />
●●8:00: Toronto Symphony Orchestra. Messiah.<br />
See Dec 18 for details. Also Dec 20, 22(all<br />
at 8pm), <strong>23</strong>(3pm).<br />
FAITH<br />
AMOUR<br />
& Friends<br />
JAZZ FOR CHRISTMAS<br />
Wednesday<br />
Dec 20, 7pm<br />
faithamourjazz.com<br />
●●7:30: Cardinal Carter Academy for the<br />
Arts Vocal Program. A Festival of Nine Lessons<br />
and Carols. 165 singers from school<br />
vocal ensembles. St. Justin Martyr Church,<br />
3898 Hwy. 7, Unionville. 416-393-5556. $20.<br />
●●8:00: Toronto Symphony Orchestra. Messiah.<br />
See Dec 18 for details. Also Dec 19,<br />
22(both at 8pm), <strong>23</strong>(3pm).<br />
Thursday <strong>December</strong> 21<br />
●●7:00: National Ballet of Canada. The Nutcracker.<br />
Opens Dec 9. Runs to Dec 30. Days<br />
and times vary. See national.ballet.ca for<br />
details.<br />
●●7:00: Yorkminster Park Baptist Church.<br />
John McDermott: Family Christmas. Guests:<br />
Dala. 1585 Yonge St. 416-241-1298 or eventbrite.com.<br />
$30/$25(adv).<br />
●●7:30: Church of the Holy Trinity. The<br />
Christmas Story. See Dec 8 for details.<br />
●●8:00: Quartetto Gelato. The Magic of<br />
Christmas. Christmas carols, gypsy tunes,<br />
original compositions and other works. Trinity-St.<br />
Paul’s Centre, 427 Bloor St. W. 416-738-<br />
6390. $25-$60.<br />
●●8:00: Roy Thomson Hall. The Barra Mac-<br />
Neils: An East Coast Christmas. 60 Simcoe St.<br />
416-872-4255. $29.50-$199.50.<br />
THE BARRA<br />
MACNEILS<br />
An East Coast Christmas<br />
THU DEC 21 ◆ 8 PM<br />
ROYTHOMSONHALL.COM<br />
416-872-4255<br />
Wednesday <strong>December</strong> 20<br />
MESSIAH<br />
DEC 18–<strong>23</strong><br />
Tickets are limited—book now!<br />
TSO.CA/holiday<br />
●●12:30: Organix Concerts/All Saints Kingsway.<br />
Kingsway Organ Concert Series Listings.<br />
Stefani Bedin, organ. All Saints Kingsway<br />
Anglican Church, 2850 Bloor St. W. 416-571-<br />
3680. Freewill offering. 45-minute concert.<br />
●●7:00: National Ballet of Canada. The Nutcracker.<br />
Opens Dec 9. Runs to Dec 30. Days<br />
and times vary. See national.ballet.ca for<br />
details.<br />
●●7:00: In Tribute Jazz Productions. Jazz<br />
for Christmas. The Christmas Song; Baby, It’s<br />
Cold Outside; Coventry Caroll; Let It Snow; Little<br />
Drummer Boy; and other seasonal works.<br />
Faith Amour, alto; Taylor Evans, tenor; Jeremy<br />
Ledbetter, piano; Mark Godfrey, bass; Morgan<br />
Childs, drums. Jazz Bistro, 251 Victoria St.<br />
416-363-5299. $20.<br />
thewholenote.com <strong>December</strong> 1, <strong>2017</strong> - February 7, <strong>2018</strong> | 49
QUARTETTO<br />
GELATO<br />
presents<br />
THE MAGIC OF CHRISTMAS<br />
<strong>December</strong> 21, 8pm<br />
An exciting holiday show of well-known<br />
Christmas songs and carols, virtuosic showpieces,<br />
gypsy tunes and original compositions<br />
Trinity-St. Paul United Church, Jeanne Lamon Hall,<br />
427 Bloor St West, Toronto<br />
Tickets start at $25 • eventbrite.ca<br />
quartettogelato.ca • 416-738-6390<br />
WITH SPECIAL GUESTS DALA<br />
Friday <strong>December</strong> 22<br />
●●7:00: National Ballet of Canada. The Nutcracker.<br />
Opens Dec 9. Runs to Dec 30. Days<br />
and times vary. See national.ballet.ca for<br />
details.<br />
●●7:30: Burlington Performing Arts Centre/Orillia<br />
Opera House. Charles Dickens’<br />
A Christmas Carol. Burlington Performing<br />
Arts Centre, Main Theatre, 440 Locust St.,<br />
Burlington. 905-681-6000. $47; $25(child);<br />
$124(family 4-pack). Also Dec <strong>23</strong>(2pm and<br />
7:30pm).<br />
●●7:30: Church of the Holy Trinity. The<br />
Christmas Story. See Dec 8 for details.<br />
●●7:30: Euterpe Corporation/Reaching Out<br />
Through Music. Holiday Concert. Ensemble<br />
Vivant; St. James Town Children’s Choir; Anne<br />
Massicotte, director. Rose Avenue Jr. Public<br />
A. Concerts in the GTA<br />
School, 675 Ontario St. 416-465-8856. Free.<br />
●●8:00: Dr. Draw and the Strange<br />
Parade. Holiday Extravaganza. Royal Cinema,<br />
608 College St. www.drdraw.ca.<br />
$35/$25(adv).<br />
●●8:00: Living Arts Centre. My Home Land.<br />
Sarzamin Man; Dawood Sarkhosh Ensemble.<br />
4141 Living Arts Dr., Mississauga. 905-306-<br />
6000. $60-$75.<br />
●●8:00: Toronto Symphony Orchestra. Messiah.<br />
See Dec 18 for details. Also Dec 19,<br />
20(both at 8pm), <strong>23</strong>(3pm).<br />
Saturday <strong>December</strong> <strong>23</strong><br />
●●2:00: Burlington Performing Arts Centre/Orillia<br />
Opera House. Charles Dickens’<br />
A Christmas Carol. Burlington Performing<br />
Arts Centre, Main Theatre, 440 Locust St.,<br />
Burlington. 905-681-6000. $47; $25(child);<br />
$124(family 4-pack). Also Dec 22, <strong>23</strong>(7:30pm).<br />
●●2:00: National Ballet of Canada. The Nutcracker.<br />
Opens Dec 9. Runs to Dec 30. Days<br />
and times vary. See national.ballet.ca for<br />
details.<br />
●●3:00: Toronto Symphony Orchestra. Messiah.<br />
See Dec 18 for details. Also Dec 19, 20,<br />
22(all at 8pm).<br />
●●4:30: Church of the Holy Trinity. The<br />
Christmas Story. See Dec 8 for details.<br />
●●7:00: National Ballet of Canada. The Nutcracker.<br />
Opens Dec 9. Runs to Dec 30. Days and<br />
times vary. See national.ballet.ca for details.<br />
●●7:30: Burlington Performing Arts Centre/Orillia<br />
Opera House. Charles Dickens’<br />
A Christmas Carol. Burlington Performing<br />
Arts Centre, Main Theatre, 440 Locust St.,<br />
Burlington. 905-681-6000. $47; $25(child);<br />
$124(family 4-pack). Also Dec 22(7:30pm),<br />
<strong>23</strong>(2pm).<br />
●●7:30: Church of the Holy Trinity. The<br />
Christmas Story. See Dec 8 for details.<br />
Sunday <strong>December</strong> 24<br />
●●10:30am: Music at St. Andrew’s. 4th Sunday<br />
of Advent: Candle of Love. St. Andrew’s<br />
Gallery Choir; Dan Bickle, organ. St. Andrew’s<br />
Church (Toronto), 73 Simcoe St. 416-593-<br />
5600 x220. Freewill offering. Religious<br />
service.<br />
●●1:00: National Ballet of Canada. The Nutcracker.<br />
Opens Dec 9. Runs to Dec 30. Days<br />
<strong>December</strong> 21st<br />
7:00 pm<br />
YORKMINSTER PARK<br />
BAPTIST CHURCH<br />
1585 Yonge Street<br />
www.yorkminsterpark.com<br />
TICKETS:<br />
General Admission: $25<br />
Online: $26.74<br />
at www.eventbrite.com<br />
At the door: $30.00<br />
Euterpe & Reaching Out Through Music present a<br />
free community outreach concert celebrating the<br />
spirit of the holiday season.<br />
Ensemble Vivant<br />
joined by the St. James Town Children’s Choir,<br />
directed by Anne Massicotte<br />
<strong>December</strong> 22, <strong>2017</strong> • 7:30<br />
Rose Avenue Jr. Public School<br />
Come One and All!<br />
Concert is free of charge.<br />
50 | <strong>December</strong> 1, <strong>2017</strong> - February 7, <strong>2018</strong> thewholenote.com
and times vary. See national.ballet.ca for<br />
details.<br />
●●4:00: Church of St. Mary Magdalene<br />
(Toronto). Sung Mass with Pageant and Carols.<br />
477 Manning Ave. 416-531-7955. Free.<br />
Religious service.<br />
●●4:30: Cathedral Church of St. James. Nine<br />
Lessons and Carols. TBA. Choir of St. James<br />
Cathedral. 65 Church St. 416-364-7865 x<strong>23</strong>4.<br />
Free.<br />
●●4:30: Church of the Holy Trinity. The<br />
Christmas Story. See Dec 8 for details.<br />
●●5:30: St. Anne’s Anglican Church. Christmas<br />
Eve Service. Christmas carol sing-along;<br />
Choral eucharist. Organ and brass quartet.<br />
270 Gladstone Ave. 416-536-3160. Freewill<br />
offering. Religious service. Also 10:30pm.<br />
●●7:00: Music at St. Andrew’s. Candlelight<br />
Service of Lessons and Carols. St. Andrew’s<br />
Gallery Choir; Aldbury Garden Brass Quintet;<br />
Dan Bickle, organ. St. Andrew’s Church<br />
(Toronto), 73 Simcoe St. 416-593-5600 x220.<br />
Freewill offering. Religious service.<br />
●●10:30: St. Anne’s Anglican Church. Christmas<br />
Eve Service. Christmas carol sing-along;<br />
Choral eucharist. Organ and brass quartet.<br />
270 Gladstone Ave. 416-536-3160. Freewill<br />
offering. Religious service. Also 5:30pm.<br />
●●11:00: Church of St. Mary Magdalene<br />
(Toronto). Solumn Midnight Mass and Procession.<br />
477 Manning Ave. 416-531-7955. Free.<br />
Religious service.<br />
●●11:00: Music at St. Andrew’s. Christmas<br />
Eve Candlelight Service of Worship and<br />
Carols. St. Andrew’s Gallery Choir; Daniel<br />
Bickle, organ. St. Andrew’s Church (Toronto),<br />
73 Simcoe St. 416-593-5600 x220. Freewill<br />
offering. Religious service.<br />
●●11:00: St. Thomas’s Anglican Church.<br />
Christmas Eve Midnight Mass. St. Thomas’s<br />
Church Choir; Elizabeth Anderson, assistant<br />
organist; Matthew Larkin, organ and<br />
conductor. St. Thomas’s Anglican Church<br />
(Toronto), 383 Huron St. 416-979-<strong>23</strong><strong>23</strong>. Freewill<br />
offering. Religious service.<br />
Monday <strong>December</strong> 25<br />
●●9:30am: Music at St. Thomas’s. Christmas<br />
Day: Sung Eucharist. Matthew Larkin, organ<br />
and director of music. St. Thomas’s Anglican<br />
Church (Toronto), 383 Huron St. 613-962-<br />
3636. By donation. Religious service.<br />
●●10:00am: Church of St. Mary Magdalene<br />
(Toronto). Sung Mass with Carols.<br />
477 Manning Ave. 416-531-7955. Free. Religious<br />
service.<br />
●●11:00am: Music at St. Thomas’s. Christmas<br />
Day: Solemn Eucharist. Matthew Larkin,<br />
organ and director of music. St. Thomas’s<br />
Anglican Church (Toronto), 383 Huron St.<br />
613-962-3636. By donation. Religious service.<br />
Wednesday <strong>December</strong> 27<br />
●●1:00: National Ballet of Canada. The Nutcracker.<br />
Opens Dec 9. Runs to Dec 30. Days and<br />
times vary. See national.ballet.ca for details.<br />
●●5:30: National Ballet of Canada. The Nutcracker.<br />
Opens Dec 9. Runs to Dec 30. Days and<br />
times vary. See national.ballet.ca for details.<br />
Thursday <strong>December</strong> 28<br />
●●7:00: National Ballet of Canada. The Nutcracker.<br />
Opens Dec 9. Runs to Dec 30. Days and<br />
times vary. See national.ballet.ca for details.<br />
In Concert<br />
Watch on the big screen while a full<br />
symphony orchestra plays the entire<br />
score in sync with the film!<br />
<strong>December</strong><br />
28 & 29<br />
●●7:30: Sony Centre for the Performing<br />
Arts. Jurassic Park in Concert. Motion Picture<br />
Symphony Orchestra. 1 Front St. E.<br />
1-855-872-7669 or 416-916-7878. $49-$99.<br />
Also Dec 29.<br />
●●8:00: Toronto Operetta Theatre. Candide.<br />
Music by Leonard Bernstein. Tonatiuh<br />
Abrego, tenor (Candide); Elizabeth Beeler,<br />
soprano (Old Lady); Vania Lizbeth Chan, soprano<br />
(Cunégonde); Nicholas Borg, baritone<br />
(Voltaire/Pangloss/Martin); Cian Horrobin,<br />
tenor (Governor); and others; Derek<br />
Bate, conductor. St. Lawrence Centre for<br />
the Arts, 27 Front St. E. 416-366-77<strong>23</strong>. $49-<br />
$95. Also Dec 30, Jan 5, 6(all at 8pm), Dec 31,<br />
Jan 7(both at 3pm).<br />
St_Andrews_Church_Dec2016.pdf 1 2016-11-15 8:05 AM<br />
cANDLELIGHT<br />
Friday <strong>December</strong> 29<br />
●●1:00: National Ballet of Canada. The Nutcracker.<br />
Opens Dec 9. Runs to Dec 30. Days and<br />
times vary. See national.ballet.ca for details.<br />
●●5:30: National Ballet of Canada. The Nutcracker.<br />
Opens Dec 9. Runs to Dec 30. Days and<br />
times vary. See national.ballet.ca for details.<br />
●●7:30: Sony Centre for the Performing<br />
Arts. Jurassic Park in Concert. Motion Picture<br />
Symphony Orchestra. 1 Front St. E.<br />
1-855-872-7669 or 416-916-7878. $49-$99.<br />
Also Dec 28.<br />
Saturday <strong>December</strong> 30<br />
●●2:00: Flato Markham Theatre. Canada’s<br />
Ballet Jorgen: The Nutcracker, A Canadian<br />
Tradition. 171 Town Centre Blvd., Markham.<br />
905-305-7469. $15-$55. Also 7pm.<br />
●●2:00: National Ballet of Canada. The Nutcracker.<br />
Opens Dec 9. Runs to Dec 30. Days and<br />
times vary. See national.ballet.ca for details.<br />
●●7:00: National Ballet of Canada. The Nutcracker.<br />
Opens Dec 9. Runs to Dec 30. Days and<br />
times vary. See national.ballet.ca for details.<br />
●●8:00: Toronto Operetta Theatre. Candide.<br />
See Dec 28 for details.<br />
Sunday <strong>December</strong> 31<br />
●●3:00: Toronto Operetta Theatre. Candide.<br />
See Dec 28 for details.<br />
●●7:00: Attila Glatz Concert Productions/<br />
Roy Thomson Hall. Bravissimo! Opera’s<br />
Greatest Hits. Selections from Carmen, La<br />
bohème, Turandot. Barbara Bargnesi and<br />
Francesca Sassu, sopranos; Carolyn Sproule,<br />
Christmas Eve<br />
Services<br />
7 PM<br />
Lessons & Carols<br />
Organ, brass band &<br />
our renowned choir<br />
TM & © Universal Studios<br />
Tonatiuh Abrego<br />
11 PM<br />
Worship & Carols<br />
Organ & our choir<br />
Vania Chan<br />
by Leonard Bernstein<br />
Derek Bate<br />
Conductor<br />
Guillermo Silva-Marin<br />
Stage Director<br />
Dec. 28<br />
to Jan.7<br />
torontooperetta.com<br />
New Year’s Eve • 7:00 pm<br />
Tickets: 416.872.4255<br />
roythomsonhall.com<br />
Opera Stars,<br />
Chorus & Orchestra<br />
Roy Thomson Hall<br />
mezzo; David Pomeroy, tenor; Massimo Cavalletti,<br />
baritone. Roy Thomson Hall, 60 Simcoe<br />
St. 416-872-4255. From $55.<br />
Monday <strong>January</strong> 1<br />
416.872.4255<br />
roythomsonhall.com<br />
<strong>January</strong> 1 • 2:30 pm<br />
Roy Thomson Hall<br />
● ● 2:30: Attila Glatz Concert Productions/Roy<br />
Thomson Hall. Salute to Vienna New Year’s<br />
Concert. Lilla Galambos, soprano; Thomas<br />
Weinhappel, baritone; Strauss Symphony<br />
of Canada; Kiev-Aniko Ballet of Ukraine and<br />
International Champion Ballroom Dancers;<br />
thewholenote.com <strong>December</strong> 1, <strong>2017</strong> - February 7, <strong>2018</strong> | 51
Niels Muus, conductor. Roy Thomson Hall,<br />
60 Simcoe St. 416-872-4255. From $65.<br />
Thursday <strong>January</strong> 4<br />
●●12:00 noon: Encore Symphonic Concert<br />
Band. In Concert. Big Band swing, jazz, film<br />
scores and marches. Wilmar Heights Centre,<br />
963 Pharmacy Ave., Scarborough. 416-<br />
346-3910. $10.<br />
●●5:30: Adam Sherkin. Rachmaninoff: Let<br />
Hands Speak. Rachmaninoff: Morceaux<br />
de fantaisie, op. 3 (transcribed for saxophone<br />
and piano), Lullaby (After Tchaikovsky),<br />
Scherzo (from a Midsummer Night’s<br />
Dream); Sherkin: Elegiac Variants (<strong>2017</strong>),<br />
Northern Frames (2013), Sunderance (2008).<br />
Adam Sherkin, piano; David Zucchi, saxophones.<br />
Glenn Gould Studio, lobby, 250 Front<br />
St. W. 416-205-5000. $30; $26 (sr); $22 (35<br />
and under). The Write Off the Keyboard Series<br />
is presented in partnership with Steinway<br />
Piano Gallery.<br />
A. Concerts in the GTA<br />
Friday <strong>January</strong> 5<br />
●●8:00: Toronto Operetta Theatre. Candide.<br />
See Dec 28 for details.<br />
Saturday <strong>January</strong> 6<br />
●●7:30: Li Delun Music Foundation. New<br />
Year’s Concert <strong>2018</strong>. Bernstein: Magnificent<br />
Seven Theme; Beethoven: Piano Concerto<br />
No.2; Verdi: Ah, forse e lui from La traviata<br />
and a Chinese song; Anlun Huang: Chinese<br />
Rhapsody No.9; and other works. Ryan Wang,<br />
piano; Yuanyuan Huo, soprano; Toronto Festival<br />
Orchestra; Dongxiao Xu, conductor. Host:<br />
Kemin Zhang. George Weston Recital Hall,<br />
5040 Yonge St. 416-490-7962. $30-$88.<br />
●●8:00: Toronto Operetta Theatre. Candide.<br />
See Dec 28. Also Jan 7(3pm).<br />
Sunday <strong>January</strong> 7<br />
●●2:00: Royal Conservatory. Sunday Interludes:<br />
Rachel Barton Pine. Mazzoleni Concert<br />
Hall, Royal Conservatory, 273 Bloor St. W. 416-<br />
408-0208. Free.<br />
●●2:00: St. Barnabas Anglican Church. Charlotte<br />
Abbott, Soprano and Michael Pare,<br />
Guitar. Scarlatti; Argento: Letters from Composers;<br />
Celtic and Canadian Folksongs.<br />
361 Danforth Ave. 416-463-1344. $20; $10(sr/<br />
st).<br />
●●3:00: Toronto Operetta Theatre. Candide.<br />
See Dec 28 for details.<br />
●●4:00: Church of St. Mary Magdalene<br />
(Toronto). Organ music for Epiphany.<br />
Andrew Adair, organ. 477 Manning Ave. 416-<br />
531-7955. Free.<br />
●●4:00: St. Olave’s Anglican Church. Epiphany<br />
Choral Evensong. 360 Windermere Ave.<br />
416-769-5686. Contributions appreciated.<br />
Religious service with Epiphany tea following.<br />
5pm: Lecture by Dr. Giles Bryant on Cathedral<br />
and Parish Music.<br />
●●4:30: Christ Church Deer Park. Jazz Vespers.<br />
TBA. 1570 Yonge St. 416-920-5211. Freewill<br />
offering. Religious service.<br />
●●7:00: St. Thomas’s Anglican Church. Evensong<br />
with Epiphany Carols. St. Thomas’s<br />
Church Choir; Elizabeth Anderson, assistant<br />
organist; Matthew Larkin, organ and<br />
conductor. St. Thomas’s Anglican Church<br />
(Toronto), 383 Huron St. 416-979-<strong>23</strong><strong>23</strong>. Freewill<br />
offering. Religious service.<br />
Tuesday <strong>January</strong> 9<br />
●●12:00 noon: Canadian Opera Company.<br />
Chamber Music Series: Martinů and Korngold.<br />
Martinů: Three Madrigals for violin and<br />
viola; Korngold: String Sextet in D Op.10. Artists<br />
of the COC Orchestra. Richard Bradshaw<br />
Amphitheatre, Four Seasons Centre for the<br />
Performing Arts, 145 Queen St. W. 416-363-<br />
8<strong>23</strong>1. Free. First-come, first-served. Late seating<br />
not available.<br />
●●12:10: Nine Sparrows Arts Foundation/<br />
Yorkminster Park Baptist Church. Lunchtime<br />
Chamber Music: Rising Stars Recital.<br />
Sophia Szokolay, violin. Yorkminster Park<br />
Baptist Church, 1585 Yonge St. 416-241-1298.<br />
Free; donations welcomed.<br />
Wednesday <strong>January</strong> 10<br />
●●12:00 noon: Yorkminster Park Baptist<br />
Church. Noonday Organ Recitals: Alex<br />
Straus-Fausto. 1585 Yonge St. 416-922-1167.<br />
Free.<br />
●●12:10: TO.U Collective/Music at St.<br />
Andrew’s. Noontime Recital. Aperghis: À<br />
Tombeau ouvert. Jana Luksts, piano. St.<br />
Andrew’s Church (Toronto), 73 Simcoe St.<br />
416-593-5600 x<strong>23</strong>1. Free.<br />
●●5:30: Canadian Opera Company. World<br />
Music and Jazz Series: Golpes y Flores. Eliana<br />
Cuevas, singer and songwriter. Richard Bradshaw<br />
Amphitheatre, Four Seasons Centre for<br />
the Performing Arts, 145 Queen St. W. 416-<br />
363-8<strong>23</strong>1. Free. First-come, first-served. Late<br />
seating not available.<br />
●●7:30: Tafelmusik. Tafelmusik Winter Institute<br />
Concert. Works by Lully, Campra, Marais<br />
and Rameau. Participants of the annual<br />
Tafelmusik Winter Institute. Trinity-St. Paul’s<br />
Centre, 427 Bloor St. W. 416-964-6337. Free.<br />
Arrive early to get the best seats.<br />
●●8:00: Toronto Symphony Orchestra. Mozart@262<br />
Festival: Majestic Mozart. Mozart:<br />
Serenade No.10 in B-flat K3701A/361 “Gran<br />
Partita”; Symphony No.39 in E-flat K543. Bernard<br />
Labadie, conductor. Roy Thomson Hall,<br />
60 Simcoe St. 416-593-1285. $34.75-$148.<br />
Also Jan 13.<br />
Thursday <strong>January</strong> 11<br />
●●12:00 noon: Canadian Opera Company.<br />
Dance Series: Dance Ontario’s Dance Weekend<br />
Preview. Kaha:wi Dance Theatre. Richard<br />
Bradshaw Amphitheatre, Four Seasons Centre<br />
for the Performing Arts, 145 Queen St. W.<br />
416-363-8<strong>23</strong>1. Free. First-come, first-served.<br />
Late seating not available.<br />
●●12:10: University of Toronto Faculty of<br />
Music. Thursdays at Noon: Bev @ 60! Works<br />
by Kontogiorgos, Hatzis, Wijeratne and Ho.<br />
Beverley Johnston, percussion. Walter Hall,<br />
Edward Johnson Building, University of<br />
Toronto, 80 Queen’s Park. 416-408-0208.<br />
Free.<br />
●●12:30: York University Department of<br />
Music. Jazz at Noon: Turboprop. Martin<br />
Family Lounge, Accolade East Building, YU,<br />
4700 Keele St. 647-459-0701. Free.<br />
●●8:00: Music Toronto. Brentano Quartet<br />
with Soprano Dawn Upshaw. Webern: Bagatelles<br />
interwoven with Schubert Minuets<br />
(D89); Mario Davidovsky: Quartet No.4; Respighi:<br />
Il tramonto; Schoenberg: Quartet No.2.<br />
St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts, 27 Front St.<br />
E. 416-366-77<strong>23</strong>. $50-$55; $10(st, full time).<br />
RYAN WANG<br />
JAN 4 THU, 7:30 PM<br />
Piano Recital<br />
Tickets:<br />
canadaticketbox.com<br />
●●7:30: Li Delun Music Foundation. Ryan<br />
Wang Piano Recital. Works by Bach,<br />
Beethoven, Chopin, Debussy, Poulenc and<br />
Bartók. Fairview Library Theatre, 35 Fairview<br />
Mall Dr. 416-490-7962. $25/$33(VIP).<br />
Sunday 7 Jan. at 4 p.m.<br />
Choral Evensong<br />
for Epiphany Sunday<br />
plus Epiphany Tea and at 5:<br />
GILES BRYANT:<br />
CATHEDRAL AND<br />
PARISH MUSIC<br />
Giles traces Anglican church<br />
music from just before the<br />
Prayer Book up to now.<br />
His illustrated talk at the piano<br />
will focus on Tallis, Purcell,<br />
Maurice Greene, Stanford,<br />
S.S. Wesley, Howells and<br />
their parish contemporaries.<br />
St. Olave’s Church<br />
Bloor and Windermere<br />
416-769-5686 stolaves.ca<br />
52 | <strong>December</strong> 1, <strong>2017</strong> - February 7, <strong>2018</strong> thewholenote.com
<strong>January</strong> 11 at 8pm<br />
BRENTANO<br />
QUARTET<br />
with soprano<br />
DAWN UPSHAW<br />
Friday <strong>January</strong> 12<br />
●●7:30: Toronto Symphony Orchestra. Mozart@262<br />
Festival: What Makes It Great?®<br />
Mozart Clarinet Concerto. Q&A with audience.<br />
Mozart: Clarinet Concerto in A K622<br />
(Various musical examples and commentary)<br />
followed by the complete Clarinet Concerto.<br />
Joaquin Valdepeñas, clarinet; Rob Kapilow,<br />
conductor. Roy Thomson Hall, 60 Simcoe St.<br />
416-593-1285. $35.75-$83.75.<br />
Saturday <strong>January</strong> 13<br />
●●7:00: Toronto Gilbert and Sullivan Society.<br />
Songfest. A glorious evening of G&S with four<br />
companies performing excerptsfrom their<br />
upcoming productions. St. Andrew’s United<br />
Church (Bloor St.), 117 Bloor St E. 416-763-<br />
0832. Free(members); $5(non-members).<br />
Refreshments included.<br />
●●7:30: Southern Ontario Lyric Opera.<br />
Encore: Favourite Opera Arias. Jean Stilwell,<br />
mezzo; Joni Henson, soprano; David Pomeroy,<br />
tenor. Burlington Performing Arts Centre,<br />
440 Locust St., Burlington. 905-681-6000.<br />
$20-$65.<br />
●●8:00: Toronto Symphony Orchestra. Mozart@262<br />
Festival: Majestic Mozart. Mozart:<br />
Serenade No.10 in B-flat K3701A/361 “Gran<br />
Partita”; Symphony No.39 in E-flat K543. Bernard<br />
Labadie, conductor. Roy Thomson Hall,<br />
60 Simcoe St. 416-593-1285. $34.75-$148.<br />
Also Jan 10.<br />
Sunday <strong>January</strong> 14<br />
●●1:15: Mooredale Concerts. Music and Truffles:<br />
Piano Dialogue: David Jalbert and Wonny<br />
Song. Host Joanna leads an interactive concert<br />
for young people with a Lindt truffle<br />
at the end. Walter Hall, Edward Johnson<br />
Building, University of Toronto, 80 Queen’s<br />
Park. 416-922-3714 x103. $20. 3:15pm: main<br />
performance.<br />
●●3:00: St. Paul’s Bloor Street. Stephen<br />
Frketic, Organ. 227 Bloor St. E. 416-961-8116.<br />
Free.<br />
●●3:00: Vesnivka. Vesnivka’s Christmas Concert.<br />
Guests: Natalya Matyusheva, soprano;<br />
Pavlo Fondera, baritone; Dudaryk Men’s<br />
Chamber Choir from Lviv. Islington United<br />
Church, 25 Burnhamthorpe Rd. 416-763-2197<br />
or 416-246-9880. $30; $25(sr/st). Reception<br />
with coffee and home-baked treats after<br />
the concert.<br />
●●3:15: Mooredale Concerts. Piano Dialogue:<br />
David Jalbert and Wonny Song. Rachmaninoff:<br />
Suite No.1 “Fantasie-tableaux” in g<br />
Op.5; Sleeping Beauty Waltz; Milhaud: Scaramouche<br />
Op.165b; Stravinsky: Petrushka Suite<br />
for two pianos. Walter Hall, Edward Johnson<br />
Building, University of Toronto, 80 Queen’s<br />
Park. 416-922-3714 x103. $40; $20(under 30).<br />
1:15pm: Music and Truffles.<br />
KammerKonzert<br />
SUN. JAN. 14 @ 404 JARVIS ST.<br />
www.NewMusicConcerts.com<br />
●●8:00: New Music Concerts. Kammerkonzert.<br />
Berg: Kammerkonzert; Schoenberg:<br />
Phantasy Op.47; Oesterle: Chamber<br />
Concerto. Duo Diorama (MingHuan Xu, violin;<br />
Winston Choi, piano); New Music Concerts<br />
Ensemble; Robert Aitken, conductor.<br />
Betty Oliphant Theatre, 404 Jarvis St. 416-<br />
961-9594. $35; $25(sr/arts workers); $10(st).<br />
7:15pm: pre-concert talk.<br />
Monday <strong>January</strong> 15<br />
●●7:00: Royal Conservatory. Music Mix:<br />
Maple Blues Awards. Koerner Hall, Telus Centre,<br />
273 Bloor St. W. 416-408-0208. $35-$80.<br />
Tuesday <strong>January</strong> 16<br />
● ● 12:00 noon: Canadian Opera Company.<br />
Chamber Music Series: The English Violin.<br />
Elgar: Violin Sonata in e Op. 82; Britten: Suite<br />
for violin and piano Op.6. Benjamin Baker,<br />
violin; Daniel Lebhardt, piano. Richard Bradshaw<br />
Amphitheatre, Four Seasons Centre for<br />
the Performing Arts, 145 Queen St. W. 416-<br />
363-8<strong>23</strong>1. Free. First-come, first-served. Late<br />
seating not available.<br />
●●12:00 noon: York University Department<br />
of Music Student Association. Music Media<br />
Showcase. Martin Family Lounge, Accolade<br />
East Building, YU, 4700 Keele St. 647-459-<br />
0701. Free.<br />
●●12:10: Nine Sparrows Arts Foundation/<br />
Yorkminster Park Baptist Church. Lunchtime<br />
Chamber Music: Rising Stars Recital.<br />
Students from the Glenn Gould School. Yorkminster<br />
Park Baptist Church, 1585 Yonge St.<br />
416-241-1298. Free; donations welcomed.<br />
●●7:00: University of Toronto Faculty of<br />
Music. Student Composers Concert. Walter<br />
Hall, Edward Johnson Building, University<br />
of Toronto, 80 Queen’s Park. 416-408-0208.<br />
Free.<br />
Wednesday <strong>January</strong> 17<br />
●●12:00 noon: Organix Concerts/All Saints<br />
Kingsway. Kingsway Organ Concert Series<br />
Listings. Andrew Adair, organ. All Saints<br />
Kingsway Anglican Church, 2850 Bloor St. W.<br />
416-571-3680. Freewill offering. 45-minute<br />
concert.<br />
●●12:00 noon: York University Department<br />
of Music. Music @ Midday: New Music<br />
Ensemble. Matt Brubeck, conductor. Martin<br />
Family Lounge, Accolade East Building, YU,<br />
4700 Keele St. 647-459-0701. Free.<br />
●●12:00 noon: Yorkminster Park Baptist<br />
Church. Noonday Organ Recitals. Performer<br />
TBA. 1585 Yonge St. 416-922-1167. Free.<br />
●●8:00: Toronto Symphony Orchestra.<br />
JAN<br />
18<br />
8 PM<br />
Mozart@262 Festival: Essential Mozart. Mozart:<br />
Overture to The Magic Flute K620; Sinfonia<br />
concertante in E-flat for Violin, Viola,<br />
and Orchestra K364/320d; Overture to<br />
Der Schauspieldirektor (The Impresario)<br />
K486; Symphony No.36 in C K425 “Linz”.<br />
Jonathan Crow, violin; Teng Li, viola; Bernard<br />
Labadie, conductor. Roy Thomson Hall,<br />
60 Simcoe St. 416-593-1285. $34.75-$148.<br />
Also Jan 18(Koerner Hall).<br />
Thursday <strong>January</strong> 18<br />
●●12:10: University of Toronto Faculty of<br />
Music. Thursdays at Noon: Timothy Ying,<br />
Violin and Lydia Wong, Piano. Walter Hall,<br />
Edward Johnson Building, University of<br />
Toronto, 80 Queen’s Park. 416-408-0208.<br />
Free.<br />
●●7:30: York University Department of<br />
Music Students Association. Music Media<br />
Music Concert. Tribute Communities Recital<br />
Hall, Accolade East Building, YU, 4700 Keele<br />
St. 416-736-5888. $15; $10(sr/st).<br />
●●8:00: Aga Khan Museum. Yemen Blues.<br />
Yemeni song and poetry, Jewish music, West<br />
African groove and funk. 77 Wynford Dr. 416-<br />
646-677. $50. Tickets include same day entry<br />
to the Aga Khan Museum.<br />
●●8:00: Living Arts Centre. Nikki Yanofsky.<br />
4141 Living Arts Dr., Mississauga. 905-306-<br />
6000. $40-$60.<br />
●●8:00: Tafelmusik. Safe Haven. Program<br />
created by Alison Mackay. Works by Corelli,<br />
Lully, Bach and Vivaldi. Elisa Citterio, director.<br />
Trinity-St. Paul’s Centre, 427 Bloor St. W.<br />
416-964-6337. From $19. Also Jan 19, 20(both<br />
at 8pm), 21(3:30pm), <strong>23</strong>(8pm, George Weston<br />
Recital Hall).<br />
NIKKI<br />
YANOFSKY<br />
“arguably one of the most talented acts in the<br />
tradition of Amy Winehouse since Amy herself.”<br />
– DuJour.com<br />
thewholenote.com <strong>December</strong> 1, <strong>2017</strong> - February 7, <strong>2018</strong> | 53
SAFE HAVEN<br />
JAN 18–21,<br />
JEANNE LAMON HALL,<br />
TRINITY-ST. PAUL’S CENTRE<br />
tafelmusik.org<br />
●●8:00: Toronto Symphony Orchestra. Mozart@262<br />
Festival: Essential Mozart. Mozart:<br />
Overture to The Magic Flute K620; Sinfonia<br />
concertante in E-flat for Violin, Viola,<br />
and Orchestra K364/320d; Overture to Der<br />
Schauspieldirektor (The Impresario) K486;<br />
Symphony No.36 in C K425 “Linz”. Jonathan<br />
Crow, violin; Teng Li, viola; Bernard Labadie,<br />
conductor. Koerner Hall, Telus Centre,<br />
273 Bloor St. W. 416-593-1285. $34.75-$148.<br />
Also Jan 17(Roy Thomson Hall).<br />
Friday <strong>January</strong> 19<br />
●●7:30: Living Arts Centre. Shen Yun.<br />
4141 Living Arts Dr., Mississauga. 905-306-<br />
6000. $100-$150. Also Jan 20(2pm and<br />
7:30pm), 21(2pm), <strong>23</strong>(7:30pm).<br />
●●7:30: Toronto Symphony Orchestra. Mozart@262<br />
Festival: Mozart Jupiter Symphony.<br />
Mozart: Rondo for Violin and Orchestra from<br />
Serenade No.7 “Haffner” K248b; Adagio in E<br />
for Violin and Orchestra K261; Piano Concerto<br />
No. <strong>23</strong> in A K488; Symphony No.41 in C K551<br />
“Jupiter”. Charles Richard-Hamelin, piano;<br />
Adrian Anantawan, violin; Peter Oundjian,<br />
conductor. Roy Thomson Hall, 60 Simcoe St.<br />
A. Concerts in the GTA<br />
416-593-1285. $30.75-$148. Also Jan 20(2pm<br />
and 8pm, Koerner Hall), 21(3pm, Toronto Centre<br />
for the Arts).<br />
The Splendour of<br />
noTre<br />
dame<br />
The Choir of<br />
ST JameS CaThedral<br />
& organiST david BriggS<br />
in ConCerT<br />
friday, <strong>January</strong> 19, <strong>2018</strong><br />
8:00pm<br />
STJameScaThedral.ca<br />
●●8:00: Cathedral Church of St. James.<br />
The Splendour of Notre Dame. Castagnet:<br />
Messe salve regina; Vierne: Messe solennelle;<br />
Duruflé: motets; and other works. David<br />
Briggs, organ; Choir of St. James Cathedral.<br />
65 Church St. 416-364-7865 x<strong>23</strong>4. From $20.<br />
●●8:00: Tafelmusik. Safe Haven. Program<br />
created by Alison Mackay. Works by Corelli,<br />
Lully, Bach and Vivaldi. Elisa Citterio, director.<br />
Trinity-St. Paul’s Centre, 427 Bloor St. W.<br />
416-964-6337. From $19. Also Jan 18, 20(both<br />
at 8pm), 21(3:30pm), 21(8pm, George Weston<br />
Recital Hall).<br />
Saturday <strong>January</strong> 20<br />
●●2:00: Home Music Club. An Afternoon of<br />
Chamber Music. Selections for piano, strings,<br />
winds and voice. Northern District Public<br />
Library, Room 224, 40 Orchard View Blvd.<br />
416-393-7610. Free.<br />
●●2:00: Living Arts Centre. Shen Yun.<br />
4141 Living Arts Dr., Mississauga.<br />
905-306-6000. $100-$150. Also Jan 19,<br />
20(7:30pm), 21(2pm), <strong>23</strong>(7:30pm).<br />
●●2:00: Toronto Symphony Orchestra. Mozart@262<br />
Festival: Mozart Jupiter Symphony.<br />
Mozart: Rondo for Violin and Orchestra<br />
from Serenade No.7 “Haffner” K248b; Adagio<br />
in E for Violin and Orchestra K261; Piano<br />
Concerto No. <strong>23</strong> in A K488; Symphony No.41<br />
in C K551 “Jupiter”. Charles Richard-Hamelin,<br />
piano; Adrian Anantawan, violin; Peter<br />
Oundjian, conductor. Roy Thomson Hall,<br />
60 Simcoe St. 416-593-1285. $30.75-$148.<br />
Also Jan 19(7:30pm, Roy Thomson Hall),<br />
20(8pm, Koerner Hall), 21(3pm, Toronto Centre<br />
for the Arts).<br />
●●3:00: York Region Chamber Music. The<br />
Story of Babar the Elephant. Gershwin: Rhapsody<br />
in Blue (arr. Joachim Linckelmann); Poulenc:<br />
The Story of Babar the Elephant (arr.<br />
Frédéric Lacroix). Quintroversy Woodwind<br />
Quintet (Shaelyn Archibald, flute; Danielle<br />
Johannes, oboe; Jessica Tse, clarinet; Megan<br />
Morris, bassoon; Jay Austin, french horn).<br />
Richmond Hill Centre for the Performing<br />
Arts, 10268 Yonge St., Richmond Hill. 905-<br />
787-8811. $25, $20(st/children).<br />
●●7:30: Academy Concert Series. Dvořák<br />
on the Low. Dvořák: String Quartet No.2 in<br />
G Op.77; Onslow: String Quintet No.26 in g<br />
Op.67. Mark Fewer, violin; Elizabeth Loewen<br />
Andrews, violin; Emily Eng, viola; Kerri<br />
McGonigle, cello; Joseph Phillips, bass. Eastminster<br />
United Church, 310 Danforth Ave.<br />
416-629-3716. $20; $14(sr/st); $5(under 18).<br />
●●7:30: Canadian Opera Company. Rigoletto.<br />
Music by Giuseppe Verdi. Roland Wood,<br />
baritone (Rigoletto); Anna Christy, soprano<br />
(Gilda); Stephen Costello, tenor (Duke of<br />
Mantua); Joshua Guerrero, tenor (Duke of<br />
Manuta); Christopher Alden, director; Stephen<br />
Lord, conductor. Four Seasons Centre<br />
for the Performing Arts, 145 Queen St. W. 416-<br />
363-8<strong>23</strong>1. $35-$225. Also Jan 27(4:30pm),<br />
Feb 1, 4(2pm), 6, 9, 11(2pm), 17, 21, <strong>23</strong>.<br />
●●7:30: Living Arts Centre. Shen Yun. See<br />
Jan 19 for details. Also Jan 20(2pm), 21(2pm),<br />
<strong>23</strong>(7:30pm).<br />
●●7:30: Opera by Request. Salome. Music by<br />
R. Strauss. Naomi Eberhard, soprano (Salome);<br />
Michael Robert-Broder, baritone<br />
(Jochanaan); Jason Lamont, tenor (Herod);<br />
Leah Giselle Field, mezzo (Herodias); Ryan<br />
Harper, tenor (Narraboth); and others; William<br />
Shookhoff, piano and conductor. College<br />
Street United Church, 452 College St. 416-<br />
455-<strong>23</strong>65. $20.<br />
●●7:30: SoundCrowd. Movie Night. Songs and<br />
themes from Back to the Future, Harry Potter<br />
and Pitch Perfect performed a cappella.<br />
Bloor Street United Church, 300 Bloor St. W.<br />
soundcrowd.ca. Free.<br />
●●8:00: Guitar Society of Toronto. Thibaut<br />
Garcia. Works by Albéniz, Rodrigo, Tarrega<br />
and others. St. Simon-the-Apostle Anglican<br />
Church, 525 Bloor St. E. 416-964-8298.<br />
$35/$30(adv); $30(sr/st)/$25(adv).<br />
●●8:00: Tafelmusik. Safe Haven. Program<br />
created by Alison Mackay. Works by Corelli,<br />
Lully, Bach and Vivaldi. Elisa Citterio, director.<br />
Trinity-St. Paul’s Centre, 427 Bloor St. W.<br />
416-964-6337. From $19. Also Jan 18, 19(both<br />
at 8pm), 21(3:30pm), <strong>23</strong>(8pm, George Weston<br />
Recital Hall).<br />
●●8:00: Toronto Symphony Orchestra.<br />
Mozart@262 Festival: Mozart Jupiter Symphony.<br />
Mozart: Rondo for Violin and Orchestra<br />
from Serenade No.7 “Haffner” K248b;<br />
Adagio in E for Violin and Orchestra K261;<br />
Piano Concerto No. <strong>23</strong> in A K488; Symphony<br />
No.41 in C K551 “Jupiter”. Charles<br />
VERDI<br />
RIGOLETTO<br />
JAN 20 –<br />
FEB <strong>23</strong><br />
coc.ca<br />
54 | <strong>December</strong> 1, <strong>2017</strong> - February 7, <strong>2018</strong> thewholenote.com
Richard-Hamelin, piano; Adrian Anantawan,<br />
violin; Peter Oundjian, conductor. Roy Thomson<br />
Hall, 60 Simcoe St. 416-593-1285. $30.75-<br />
$148. Also Jan 19(7:30pm, Roy Thomson Hall),<br />
20(2pm, Koerner Hall), 21(3pm, Toronto Centre<br />
for the Arts).<br />
Sunday <strong>January</strong> 21<br />
●●1:00: University of Toronto Faculty of<br />
Music. UofT Symphony Orchestra Concerto<br />
Competition Finals. Walter Hall, Edward<br />
Johnson Building, University of Toronto,<br />
80 Queen’s Park. 416-408-0208. Free.<br />
●●2:00: Living Arts Centre. Shen Yun. See<br />
Jan 19 for details. Also Jan 20(2pm and 7:30),<br />
<strong>23</strong>(7:30pm).<br />
●●2:00: Royal Conservatory. Russell Braun<br />
Sings Schumann’s Dichterliebe. Mazzoleni<br />
Concert Hall, Royal Conservatory, 273 Bloor<br />
St. W. 416-408-0208. SOLD OUT.<br />
●●2:30: University of Toronto Faculty of<br />
Music. Opera Student Composer Collective:<br />
Vengeance. Performed with Surtitles.<br />
Michael Patrick Albano, director; Sandra<br />
Horst, conductor. MacMillan Theatre, Edward<br />
Johnson Building, 80 Queen’s Park. 416-408-<br />
0208. Free.<br />
●●3:00: Toronto Symphony Orchestra. Mozart@262<br />
Festival: Mozart Jupiter Symphony.<br />
Mozart: Rondo for Violin and Orchestra from<br />
Serenade No.7 “Haffner” K248b; Adagio in<br />
E for Violin and Orchestra K261; Piano Concerto<br />
No. <strong>23</strong> in A K488; Symphony No.41 in<br />
C K551 “Jupiter”. Charles Richard-Hamelin,<br />
piano; Adrian Anantawan, violin; Peter Oundjian,<br />
conductor. Roy Thomson Hall, 60 Simcoe<br />
St. 416-593-1285. $30.75-$148. Also<br />
Jan 19(7:30pm, Roy Thomson Hall), 20(2pm<br />
and 8pm, Koerner Hall).<br />
●●3:30: Tafelmusik. Safe Haven. Program created<br />
by Alison Mackay. Works by Corelli, Lully,<br />
Bach and Vivaldi. Elisa Citterio, director. Trinity-St.<br />
Paul’s Centre, 427 Bloor St. W. 416-964-<br />
6337. From $19. Also Jan 18, 19, 20(all at 8pm),<br />
<strong>23</strong>(8pm, George Weston Recital Hall).<br />
●●4:30: Christ Church Deer Park. Jazz Vespers.<br />
TBA. 1570 Yonge St. 416-920-5211. Freewill<br />
offering. Religious service.<br />
●●5:00: Nocturnes in the City. Highlights<br />
from Czech and World Operas. John Holland,<br />
baritone; Danielle Dudycha, soprano;<br />
William Shookhoff, piano. St. Wenceslaus<br />
Church, 496 Gladstone Ave. 416-481-7294.<br />
$25; $15(st).<br />
●●8:00: Continuum Contemporary Music.<br />
Time Travels Light. Oesterle: California; Staniland:<br />
Time Travels Light; Orion Constellation<br />
Theory v.1 & 2; Evans: new work. Rob Power<br />
and Ryan Scott, percussion. Guests: TorQ Percussion<br />
Quartet. 918 Bathurst Centre for Culture,<br />
Arts, Media and Education, 918 Bathurst<br />
St. 416-924-4945. $30; $20(sr/arts workers);<br />
$10(st).<br />
Monday <strong>January</strong> 22<br />
●●7:30: University of Toronto Faculty of<br />
Music. Musicians from Marlboro. Beethoven:<br />
String Trio in c Op.9 No.3; Penderecki: Quartet;<br />
Brahms: Clarinet Quintet in b Op.115.<br />
Anthony McGill, clarinet; Emilie-Anne Gendron,<br />
violin; David McCarroll, violin; Daniel<br />
Kim, viola; Marcy Rosen, cello. Walter<br />
Hall, Edward Johnson Building, University<br />
of Toronto, 80 Queen’s Park. 416-408-0208.<br />
$40; $25(sr); $10(st).<br />
JANUARY 22<br />
7:30 PM<br />
music.utoronto.ca<br />
Tuesday <strong>January</strong> <strong>23</strong><br />
●●12:00 noon: Canadian Opera Company.<br />
Vocal Series: Interpretations of Love. Joshua<br />
Guerrero, tenor. Richard Bradshaw Amphitheatre,<br />
Four Seasons Centre for the Performing<br />
Arts, 145 Queen St. W. 416-363-8<strong>23</strong>1.<br />
Free. First-come, first-served. Late seating<br />
not available.<br />
●●12:10: Nine Sparrows Arts Foundation/<br />
Yorkminster Park Baptist Church. Lunchtime<br />
Chamber Music. Angus Sinclair, ragtime<br />
piano. Yorkminster Park Baptist Church,<br />
1585 Yonge St. 416-241-1298. Free; donations<br />
welcomed.<br />
●●7:30: Living Arts Centre. Shen Yun. See<br />
Jan 19 for details. Also Jan 20(2pm and<br />
7:30pm), 21(2pm).<br />
<strong>January</strong> <strong>23</strong> at 8pm<br />
STEPHEN<br />
HOUGH<br />
●●8:00: Music Toronto. Stephen Hough,<br />
Piano. Debussy: Clair de lune (Suite bergamasque);<br />
Images Bk II; Schumann: Fantasie<br />
Op.17; Debussy: La terrasse des audiences<br />
au clair de lune (Préludes Bk II); Images Bk I;<br />
Beethoven: Sonata in F Minor Op.57 “Appassionata”.<br />
St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts,<br />
27 Front St. E. 416-366-77<strong>23</strong>. $50-$55; $10(st,<br />
full time).<br />
●●8:00: Tafelmusik. Safe Haven. Program<br />
created by Alison Mackay. Works by Corelli,<br />
Lully, Bach and Vivaldi. Elisa Citterio, director.<br />
SAFE HAVEN<br />
JAN <strong>23</strong>,<br />
GEORGE WESTON RECITAL HALL,<br />
TORONTO CENTRE FOR THE ARTS<br />
tafelmusik.org<br />
George Weston Recital Hall, 5040 Yonge St.<br />
416-964-6337. From $15. Also Jan 18, 19, 20(all<br />
at 8pm, Trinity-St. Paul’s Centre), 21(3:30pm,<br />
Trinity-St. Paul’s Centre).<br />
Wednesday <strong>January</strong> 24<br />
●●12:00 noon: Yorkminster Park Baptist<br />
Church. Noonday Organ Recitals: Angus Sinclair.<br />
1585 Yonge St. 416-922-1167. Free.<br />
●●5:30: Canadian Opera Company. World<br />
Music and Jazz Series: Jazz Cubano. Humber<br />
College Latin Jazz Ensemble; Hilario Durán,<br />
conductor. Richard Bradshaw Amphitheatre,<br />
Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts,<br />
145 Queen St. W. 416-363-8<strong>23</strong>1. Free. Firstcome,<br />
first-served. Late seating not available.<br />
●●7:30: University of Toronto Faculty of<br />
Music. New Music Festival: Karen Kieser<br />
Prize Concert. Tyler Versluis: Three<br />
Unuttered Miracles for accordion and percussion;<br />
Riho Maimets: Three Movements<br />
for Marimba; Nicole Lizée: Isabella Blow at<br />
Somerset House; and other works. Michael<br />
Bridge, accordion; Michael Murphy, percussion;<br />
Jonny Smith, marimba; Cecilia String<br />
Quartet. Walter Hall, Edward Johnson Building,<br />
University of Toronto, 80 Queen’s Park.<br />
416-408-0208. Free.<br />
Thursday <strong>January</strong> 25<br />
●●12:00 noon: Canadian Opera Company.<br />
Vocal and Chamber Music Series: Meet the<br />
Orchestra Academy. COC Orchestra Academy;<br />
Members of the COC Orchestra; Artists<br />
from the COC Ensemble Studio. Richard<br />
Bradshaw Amphitheatre, Four Seasons Centre<br />
for the Performing Arts, 145 Queen St. W.<br />
416-363-8<strong>23</strong>1. Free. First-come, first-served.<br />
Late seating not available.<br />
●●12:10: University of Toronto Faculty of<br />
Music. Electroacoustic Music Concert. Lizée:<br />
Malfunctionlieder; Martynec: Improvisation;<br />
and other works. Maeve Palmer, soprano; Joy<br />
Lee. Walter Hall, Edward Johnson Building,<br />
University of Toronto, 80 Queen’s Park. 416-<br />
408-0208. Free. Also 5pm.<br />
●●1:00: Miles Nadal JCC. Hollywood’s Oscar-<br />
Winning Songs. Historical lecture with live<br />
piano music. Popular songs written for<br />
Oscar-winning films by Jewish songwriters.<br />
Jordan Klapman, piano. 750 Spadina Ave. 416-<br />
924-6211 x155. $5.<br />
●●7:30: University of Toronto Faculty<br />
of Music. New Music Festival: Architek<br />
Percussion. Works by Nicole Lizée and Eliot<br />
Britton. Walter Hall, Edward Johnson Building,<br />
University of Toronto, 80 Queen’s Park.<br />
416-408-0208. Free.<br />
●●7:30: York Masonic Temple. Mozart’s<br />
Masonic Journey: The Mysteries of The Magic<br />
Flute. Dillon Parmer, tenor (Tamino); Sara<br />
Schabas, soprano (Pamina); Gregory Finney,<br />
baritone (Papageno); Nicole Dubinsky, soprano<br />
(Queen of the Night); John Forster, bass<br />
(Sarastro); Christina Faye, piano; Brainerd<br />
Blyden-Taylor, narrator. 1100 Millwood Rd.<br />
mozart.valleyoftoronto.com. $60. Also Jan 27.<br />
Reception to follow.<br />
●●8:00: Toronto Symphony Orchestra.<br />
Holst The Planets. Stravinsky: Funeral Song;<br />
Estacio: Trumpet Concerto; Holst: The Planets.<br />
Andrew McCandless, trumpet; Women<br />
of the Elmer Iseler Singers; John Storgårds,<br />
conductor. Roy Thomson Hall, 60 Simcoe<br />
St. 416-593-1285. $34.75-$148. Also Jan 26,<br />
27(both at 7:30pm).<br />
Friday <strong>January</strong> 26<br />
●●1:30: York University Department of<br />
Music. Music @ Midday: Aria with Me. Young<br />
singers from the studios of Stephanie Bogle,<br />
Norma Burrowes, Karen Rymal and Lawrence<br />
Wiliford. Tribute Communities Recital<br />
Hall, Accolade East Building, YU, 4700 Keele<br />
St. 647-459-0701. Free.<br />
●●5:45: Toronto Mozart Players. Toronto<br />
Mozart Festival: Cocktail Hour Concert.<br />
Mozart: Arias and duets. Natalya Gennadi,<br />
soprano; Lyndsay Promane, mezzo; Helen<br />
Becqué, piano. Church of the Redeemer,<br />
162 Bloor St. W. 647-478-7532. $25.<br />
●●7:00: Brampton Folk Club. Friday Folk<br />
Night. Swing Night. Moo’d Swing and Hot<br />
Swing Caravan. St. Paul’s United Church<br />
(Brampton), 30 Main St. S., Brampton. 647-<br />
<strong>23</strong>3-3655 or 905-874-2800. $18; $15(sr/st).<br />
●●7:30: Burlington Performing Arts Centre.<br />
The Slocan Ramblers. Bluegrass. Burlington<br />
Performing Arts Centre, Community Studio<br />
Theatre, 440 Locust St., Burlington. 905-681-<br />
6000. $40. Series discount available.<br />
●●7:30: Toronto Symphony Orchestra.<br />
Holst The Planets. Stravinsky: Funeral Song;<br />
Estacio: Trumpet Concerto; Holst: The Planets.<br />
Andrew McCandless, trumpet; Women<br />
of the Elmer Iseler Singers; John Storgårds,<br />
conductor. Roy Thomson Hall, 60 Simcoe St.<br />
416-593-1285. $34.75-$148. Also Jan 25(8pm),<br />
27(7:30pm).<br />
●●7:30: University of Toronto Faculty of<br />
Music. New Music Festival: In Memory of<br />
Steven Stucky. Xak Bjerken, piano. Walter<br />
Hall, Edward Johnson Building, University<br />
of Toronto, 80 Queen’s Park. 416-408-0208.<br />
Free.<br />
●●8:00: Arraymusic. Four New Works. Works<br />
by Bruton, Groven, Parkinson and Schoorl (all<br />
world premieres). Array Space, 155 Walnut<br />
Ave. 416-532-3019. PWYC. 7pm: pre-concert<br />
talk.<br />
●●8:00: Royal Conservatory. Quiet Please,<br />
There’s a Lady On Stage: Calypso Rose with<br />
Kobo Town. Koerner Hall, Telus Centre,<br />
273 Bloor St. W. 416-408-0208. $35-$80.<br />
Saturday <strong>January</strong> 27<br />
●●3:00: Toronto Mendelssohn Choir. Choral<br />
Conductors Symposium Concert. Classical<br />
and contemporary choral music. Toronto<br />
Mendelssohn Choir; Elora Singers. Yorkminster<br />
Park Baptist Church, 1585 Yonge St. 416-<br />
408-0208. Free (donations accepted).<br />
thewholenote.com <strong>December</strong> 1, <strong>2017</strong> - February 7, <strong>2018</strong> | 55
●●4:00: Toronto Singing Studio Celebration<br />
Choir. Joyful, Joyful! Works by Haydn, Vivaldi,<br />
Mozart and others. Linda Eyman, conductor.<br />
Bloor Street United Church, 300 Bloor St. W.<br />
416-455-9<strong>23</strong>8. $20; $15(sr/st). Cash only at<br />
the door.<br />
●●4:30: Canadian Opera Company. Rigoletto.<br />
See Jan 20 for details.<br />
●●6:30: VIVA! Youth Singers of Toronto. The<br />
Time of Snow. VIVA!’s five choirs, ages 4 to<br />
adults. Trinity-St. Paul’s Centre, 427 Bloor St.<br />
W. 416-788-8482. $25; $20(sr/st).<br />
●●7:00: York Masonic Temple. Mozart’s<br />
Masonic Journey: The Mysteries of The Magic<br />
Flute. Dillon Parmer, tenor (Tamino); Sara<br />
Schabas, soprano (Pamina); Gregory Finney,<br />
baritone (Papageno); Nicole Dubinsky, soprano<br />
(Queen of the Night); John Forster, bass<br />
(Sarastro); Christina Faye, piano; Brainerd<br />
Blyden-Taylor, narrator. 1100 Millwood Rd.<br />
mozart.valleyoftoronto.com. $60. Also<br />
Jan 25. Reception to follow.<br />
●●7:30: Canzona Chamber Players. In Concert.<br />
Works by Clara Schumann, Brahms and<br />
Shostakovich. Trio Ink (Yosuke Kawasaki, violin;<br />
Wolfram Koessel, cello; Vadim Serebryany,<br />
piano). St. George the Martyr Church, 197 John<br />
St. 647-248-4048. $25. Also Jan 28(2pm, St.<br />
Andrew by-the-Lake Church, Toronto Island).<br />
●●7:30: Toronto Symphony Orchestra. Holst<br />
The Planets. Estacio: Trumpet Concerto;<br />
Holst: The Planets. Andrew McCandless,<br />
trumpet; Women of the Elmer Iseler Singers;<br />
John Storgårds, conductor. Roy Thomson<br />
Hall, 60 Simcoe St. 416-593-1285. $34.75-<br />
$148. Also Jan 25(8pm), 26(7:30pm).<br />
●●7:30: University of Toronto Faculty of<br />
Music. University of Toronto Symphony<br />
Orchestra at the New Music Festival. Mozart:<br />
Symphony No.38 in D K504 “Prague”; R.<br />
Strauss: Four Last Songs Op.10 Nos.1 & 8 and<br />
Op.48 Nos.2 & 3; Korngold: Themes and Variations<br />
Op.42; Hindemith: Symphony - Mathis<br />
der Maler. Brittany Cann, soprano; Uri Meyer<br />
and Samuel Tan, conductors. MacMillan Theatre,<br />
Edward Johnson Building, 80 Queen’s<br />
Park. 416-408-0208. $30; $20(sr); $10(st).<br />
Pre-performance chat.<br />
●●8:00: Arraymusic. Rat Drifting 3: Four New<br />
Improvisations. Rebecca Bruton, Marielle<br />
Groven, Stephen Parkinson and Holger Schoorl,<br />
composer-performers. Array Space, 155 Walnut<br />
Ave. 416-532-3019. PWYC, $15 suggested.<br />
HAPPY Chamber Music at<br />
BIRTHDAY<br />
St. George on Yonge<br />
MOZART<br />
Sunday April 24, 7:30 pm<br />
featuring<br />
Scott St. John, violin<br />
& Sharon Wei, viola<br />
SAT. JAN. 27<br />
8PM<br />
Chris Gongos, horn<br />
Vanessa May-Lok Lee, piano,<br />
Joyce Lai, violin<br />
canadiansinfonietta.com<br />
A. Concerts in the GTA<br />
●●8:00: Canadian Sinfonietta. Happy Birthday<br />
Mozart. Overture to Apollo and Hyacinthus<br />
Overture K38; Sinfonia Concertante for<br />
violin, viola and orchestra; Symphony No.29<br />
in A K201. Scott St. John, violin; Sharon Wei,<br />
viola. Glenn Gould Studio, 250 Front St. W.<br />
647-812-0839. $35; $30(sr); $20(st).<br />
●●8:00: Royal Conservatory. Music Mix: DJ<br />
Jazzy Jeff and the Playlist with Skratch Bastid.<br />
Koerner Hall, Telus Centre, 273 Bloor St.<br />
W. 416-408-0208. $40-$55.<br />
●●8:00: Scaramella. Ode to Music. Works<br />
by Michael East and Christopher Simpson.<br />
Elizabeth Rumsey, viol; Caroline Ritchie,<br />
viol; Esteban La Rotta, theorbo. Victoria College<br />
Chapel, 91 Charles St. W. 416-760-8610.<br />
$20-$30.<br />
●●8:00: Toronto Mozart Players. Toronto<br />
Mozart Festival: Happy Birthday, Wolfgang!<br />
Mozart: Quintet in E-flat for Piano and Winds;<br />
Sherkin: New Work. Adam Sherkin, composer<br />
and piano. Church of the Redeemer,<br />
162 Bloor St. W. 647-478-7532. $35; $15(st).<br />
Concert will end with the cutting of a sacher<br />
torte.<br />
Sunday <strong>January</strong> 28<br />
●●2:00: Canzona Chamber Players. In Concert.<br />
Works by Clara Schumann, Brahms and<br />
Shostakovich. Trio Ink (Yosuke Kawasaki, violin;<br />
Wolfram Koessel, cello; Vadim Serebryany,<br />
piano). St. Andrew by-the-Lake Anglican<br />
Church, Cibola Ave., Toronto Island. 647-248-<br />
4048. $25. Also Jan 27(7:30pm, St. George<br />
the Martyr Anglican Church).<br />
●●2:00: Toronto Mozart Players. Toronto<br />
Mozart Festival: Celebrating the Master. Mozart:<br />
Symphony No.40 in g; Regina Coeli K276;<br />
Coronation Mass in C. Pax Christi Chamber<br />
Choir; Singers selected from the Toronto<br />
Mozart Vocal Competition and Masterclass<br />
Series; David Bowser, composer. Church of<br />
the Redeemer, 162 Bloor St. W. 647-478-7532.<br />
$35; $15(st).<br />
I N S P I R E D B Y<br />
JANUARY 28, <strong>2018</strong><br />
3PM<br />
●●3:00: Amici Chamber Ensemble. Inspired<br />
by Strauss. Duett Concertino; Piano Quartet<br />
in c Op.13; Lieder: Die Nacht, Morgen,<br />
Traum durch die Dämmerung, Zueignung.<br />
Guests: Sasha Djihanian, soprano; Soovin<br />
Kim, violin; Joaquin Valdepeñas, clarinet;<br />
David Hetherington, cello; Serouj Kradjian,<br />
piano. Mazzoleni Concert Hall, Telus Centre,<br />
273 Bloor St. W. 416-408-0208. $45; $40(sr);<br />
$15(under 31); $10(st).<br />
●●6:30: Music at St. Thomas’s. Evensong Prelude.<br />
Julia Morson, soprano; Matthew Larkin,<br />
organ and director of music. St. Thomas’s<br />
Anglican Church (Toronto), 383 Huron St.<br />
613-962-3636. By donation.<br />
●●7:00: Music at St. Thomas’s. Evensong.<br />
Matthew Larkin, organ and director of music.<br />
St. Thomas’s Anglican Church (Toronto),<br />
383 Huron St. 613-962-3636. By donation.<br />
Religious service.<br />
●●7:30: University of Toronto Faculty of<br />
Music. New Music Festival: Jazz Faculty with<br />
Special Guests. Walter Hall, Edward Johnson<br />
Building, University of Toronto, 80 Queen’s<br />
Park. 416-408-0208. Free.<br />
Monday <strong>January</strong> 29<br />
●●12:30: York University Department of<br />
Music. Music @ Midday: Classical Instrumental<br />
Recital. Student soloists. Tribute Communities<br />
Recital Hall, Accolade East Building, YU,<br />
4700 Keele St. 647-459-0701. Free.<br />
EVOKING THE ELEGIAC<br />
<strong>January</strong> 29<br />
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart,<br />
Jurgis Juozapaitis, Maurice<br />
Ravel, Bedrich Smetana<br />
www.associates-tso.org<br />
●●7:30: Associates of the Toronto Symphony<br />
Orchestra. The Small Concerts: Evoking the<br />
Elegaic. Mozart: Piano Trio in B-flat K502;<br />
Juozapaitis: Light of the Moon; Ravel: Minuet<br />
and Rigaudon from Le tombeau de Couperin;<br />
Smetana: Piano Trio in g Op.15. Zephyr Piano<br />
Trio: Terry Holowach, violin; Edward Hayes,<br />
cello; Ilona Damasiute-Beres, piano. Trinity-<br />
St. Paul’s Centre, 427 Bloor St. W. 416-282-<br />
6636. $22; $20(sr/st).<br />
Tuesday <strong>January</strong> 30<br />
●●12:00 noon: Canadian Opera Company.<br />
Piano Virtuoso Series: Bravura Piano. Works<br />
by Debussy and Liszt. Leon Bernsdorf, piano.<br />
Richard Bradshaw Amphitheatre, Four<br />
Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts,<br />
145 Queen St. W. 416-363-8<strong>23</strong>1. Free. Firstcome,<br />
first-served. Late seating not available.<br />
●●12:10: Nine Sparrows Arts Foundation/<br />
Yorkminster Park Baptist Church. Lunchtime<br />
Chamber Music. Gina Lee, piano. Yorkminster<br />
Park Baptist Church, 1585 Yonge St.<br />
416-241-1298. Free; donations welcomed.<br />
Wednesday <strong>January</strong> 31<br />
●●10:00am: Royal Conservatory. Discovery<br />
Series: Glenn Gould School Concerto<br />
Competition Finals. Koerner Hall, Telus Centre,<br />
273 Bloor St. W. 416-408-0208. Free.<br />
CLOSE ENCOUNTERS<br />
… IN SALZBURG<br />
WED JAN 31 | 11AM<br />
HELICONIAN HALL<br />
SAT FEB 3 | 2PM<br />
TEMERTY THEATRE,<br />
TELUS Centre<br />
tafelmusik.org<br />
●●11:00am: Tafelmusik. Close Encounters …<br />
in Salzburg. Works by Biber. Thomas Georgi,<br />
viola d’amore. Heliconian Hall, 35 Hazelton<br />
Ave. 416-964-6337. $45(adv). Also Feb 3(Temerty<br />
Theatre, 2pm).<br />
●●12:00 noon: Yorkminster Park Baptist<br />
Church. Noonday Organ Recitals: Andrew<br />
Adair. 1585 Yonge St. 416-922-1167. Free.<br />
●●12:30: Organix Concerts/All Saints Kingsway.<br />
Kingsway Organ Concert Series Listings.<br />
Sarah Svendsen, organ. All Saints<br />
Kingsway Anglican Church, 2850 Bloor St. W.<br />
416-571-3680. Freewill offering. 45-minute<br />
concert.<br />
●●8:00: Toronto Symphony Orchestra. A<br />
European Romance. Liadov: The Enchanted<br />
Lake Op.62; Falla: Nights in the Garden of<br />
Spain for Piano and Orchestra; R. Strauss:<br />
Don Juan Op.20; R. Strauss: Suite from Der<br />
Rosenkavalier Op.59. Ingrid Fliter, piano;<br />
Juraj Valcuha, conductor. Roy Thomson Hall,<br />
60 Simcoe St. 416-593-1285. $34.75-$148.<br />
Also Feb 2(7:30pm).<br />
●●8:00: Westwood Concerts. Five for Five.<br />
Penderecki: Quartet for Clarinet and Strings;<br />
Brahms: Piano Trio No.1; Bruch: 8 Pieces; and<br />
other works. Rebekah Wolkstein, violin; Yosef<br />
Tamir, viola; Amy Laing, cello; Michael Westwood,<br />
clarinet; Megumi Okamoto, piano.<br />
Gallery 345, 345 Sorauren Ave. 416-822-9781.<br />
$20; $15(sr/st).<br />
Thursday February 1<br />
●●12:00 noon: Canadian Opera Company.<br />
Vocal and Chamber Music Series: Mr. Tambourine<br />
Man. Corigliano: Mr. Tambourine<br />
Man – Seven Poems of Bob Dylan. Artists<br />
from The Glenn Gould School; Topher<br />
Mokrzewski, conductor. Richard Bradshaw<br />
Amphitheatre, Four Seasons Centre for the<br />
Performing Arts, 145 Queen St. W. 416-363-<br />
8<strong>23</strong>1. Free. First-come, first-served. Late seating<br />
not available.<br />
●●12:00 noon: Encore Symphonic Concert<br />
Band. In Concert. Big Band swing, jazz, film<br />
scores and marches. Wilmar Heights Centre,<br />
963 Pharmacy Ave., Scarborough. 416-<br />
346-3910. $10.<br />
●●12:10: University of Toronto Faculty of<br />
Music. Thursdays at Noon: Rob Macdonald,<br />
Guitar. Helmut Oehring: K.A.L.T. Walter<br />
56 | <strong>December</strong> 1, <strong>2017</strong> - February 7, <strong>2018</strong> thewholenote.com
Hall, Edward Johnson Building, University<br />
of Toronto, 80 Queen’s Park. 416-408-0208.<br />
Free.<br />
Dr. Draw, 18-stringed hybrid guitar/violoncello/drums.<br />
77 Wynford Dr. 416-646-4677.<br />
$40. Ticket price includes same day Museum<br />
admission.<br />
●●8:00: Burlington Performing Arts Centre.<br />
Gord Bamford. Country music. Burlington<br />
Performing Arts Centre, Main Theatre,<br />
440 Locust St., Burlington. 905-681-6000.<br />
$69. Series discount available.<br />
●●8:00: Burlington Performing Arts Centre/Orillia<br />
Opera House. Compagnie Marie<br />
Chouinard. Dance. 24 Preludes by Chopin;<br />
The Rite of Spring. Burlington Performing<br />
Arts Centre, Main Theatre, 440 Locust St.,<br />
Burlington. 905-681-6000. $49; $19(youth).<br />
Series discount available.<br />
Lake Op.62; Falla: Nights in the Garden of<br />
Spain for Piano and Orchestra; R. Strauss:<br />
Don Juan Op.20; R. Strauss: Suite from Der<br />
Rosenkavalier Op.59. Ingrid Fliter, piano;<br />
Juraj Valcuha, conductor. Roy Thomson Hall,<br />
60 Simcoe St. 416-593-1285. $34.75-$148.<br />
Also Jan 31(8pm).<br />
●●7:30: University of Toronto Faculty of<br />
Music. Instrumentalis: Trios and Quartets.<br />
Graduate student instrumentalists collaborate<br />
on trio and quartet repertoire. Walter<br />
Hall, Edward Johnson Building, University<br />
of Toronto, 80 Queen’s Park. 416-408-0208.<br />
Free.<br />
Saturday February 3<br />
MFC’s Festival<br />
of Friends<br />
SAT. FEBRUARY 3,<br />
7:30PM<br />
Join us<br />
mfchoir.com<br />
●●5:30: Adam Sherkin. Chopin: Poetic<br />
Jest. Write Off the Keyboard Series. Chopin:<br />
Scherzo No.3 Op.39 and No.4 Op.54,<br />
Impromptu No.2 Op.36; Sherkin: Punch,<br />
Revisited (2015). Verse and prose by David<br />
James Brock. Adam Sherkin, piano; Andrea<br />
Runge, actor. Glenn Gould Studio, lobby,<br />
250 Front St. W. 416-205-5000. $30; $26(sr);<br />
$22(35 and under).<br />
●●7:30: Canadian Opera Company. Rigoletto.<br />
See Jan 20 for details.<br />
GALA for<br />
MENTAL HEALTH<br />
LLOYD ROBERTSON,<br />
LUBA GOY & FRIENDS<br />
Feb 1, <strong>2018</strong><br />
WE ALL HAVE A STORY<br />
905.787.8811<br />
●●7:30: High Notes Avante Productions. Gala<br />
for Mental Health. Luba Goy, Lloyd Robertson,<br />
Michael Landsberg, Orlando Da Silva,<br />
Giles Tomkins, and others. Richmond Hill Centre<br />
for the Performing Arts, 10268 Yonge St.,<br />
Richmond Hill. 905-787-8811. $10-$65.<br />
●●7:30: University of Toronto Faculty of<br />
Music. Jazz Composers Concert. Walter<br />
Hall, Edward Johnson Building, University<br />
of Toronto, 80 Queen’s Park. 416-408-0208.<br />
Free.<br />
●●8:00: Aga Khan Museum. Musical Inventions<br />
by Paolo Angeli featuring Dr Draw.<br />
Avant-garde tunes rooted in Sardinian music.<br />
February 1 at 8pm<br />
ST. LAWRENCE<br />
QUARTET<br />
●●8:00: Music Toronto. St. Lawrence Quartet.<br />
Haydn: Quartet in C Op.33 No.3 “The Bird”;<br />
Janáček: Quartet No.2 “Intimate Letters”;<br />
Tchaikovsky: Quartet No.3 in e-flat Op.30. St.<br />
Lawrence Centre for the Arts, 27 Front St. E.<br />
416-366-77<strong>23</strong>. $50-$55; $10(st, full time).<br />
●●8:00: Royal Conservatory. Daniil Trifonov.<br />
Koerner Hall, Telus Centre, 273 Bloor St. W.<br />
416-408-0208. SOLD OUT.<br />
●●8:00: Soundstreams. Almost Unplugged.<br />
Andréa Tyniec, violin; Jesse Zubot, violin. Buddies<br />
in Bad Times Theatre, 12 Alexander St.<br />
416-975-8555. $20.<br />
Friday February 2<br />
●●12:10: Music at St. Andrew’s. Noontime<br />
Recital. Bach: Prelude and Fugue in D;<br />
Debussy: Poissons d’or; Beethoven: Piano<br />
Sonata No.32 in c Op.111. David Potvin, piano.<br />
St. Andrew’s Church (Toronto), 73 Simcoe St.<br />
416-593-5600 x<strong>23</strong>1. Free.<br />
●●6:15: Music at St. Thomas’s. Candlemas:<br />
Procession and Solemn Eucharist. Matthew<br />
Larkin, organ and director of music.<br />
St. Thomas’s Anglican Church (Toronto),<br />
383 Huron St. 613-962-3636. By donation.<br />
Religious service.<br />
●●7:30: Burlington Performing Arts Centre.<br />
The Fugitives. Indie Folk Collective. Burlington<br />
Performing Arts Centre, Community Studio<br />
Theatre, 440 Locust St., Burlington. 905-681-<br />
6000. $45. Series discount available.<br />
●●7:30: Living Arts Centre. Amanda<br />
Rheaume. 4141 Living Arts Dr., Mississauga.<br />
905-306-6000. $20-$35.<br />
●●7:30: Toronto Symphony Orchestra. A<br />
European Romance. Liadov: The Enchanted<br />
SONGS FROM A<br />
CELTIC HEART<br />
Annual Fundraising Event<br />
FEBRUARY 3<br />
amadeuschoir.com<br />
●●2:00: Amadeus Choir of Greater Toronto.<br />
Songs From a Celtic Heart. Tom Leighton,<br />
guitar and vocals; Lydia Adams and Joan<br />
Andrews, conductors; Shawn Grenke, conductor<br />
and piano. Jubilee United Church,<br />
40 Underhill Dr. 416-446-0188. $50; $40(sr);<br />
$25(under 30). Also 7pm. Annual fundraising<br />
event. Complimentary snacks, cash bar,<br />
games and silent auction.<br />
●●2:00: Tafelmusik. Close Encounters ... in<br />
Salzburg. Works by Biber. Thomas Georgi,<br />
violist. Temerty Theatre, 273 Bloor St. W. 416-<br />
964-6337. $45(adv). Also Jan 31(Heliconian<br />
Hall, 11am).<br />
●●7:00: Amadeus Choir of Greater Toronto.<br />
Songs From a Celtic Heart. Tom Leighton,<br />
guitar and vocals; Lydia Adams and Joan<br />
Andrews, conductors; Shawn Grenke, conductor<br />
and piano. Jubilee United Church,<br />
40 Underhill Dr. 416-446-0188. $50; $40(sr);<br />
$25(under 30). Also 2pm. Annual fundraising<br />
event. Complimentary snacks, cash bar,<br />
games and silent auction.<br />
●●7:30: Opus 8. After Dark. From the rude,<br />
joking songs of Mozart and Morley, to fresh<br />
pop arrangements dealing with love, lust,<br />
and licentiousness. Works by Mozart, Purcell,<br />
Warlock, Palestrina and others. Heliconian<br />
Hall, 35 Hazelton Ave. 647-<strong>23</strong>3-5803. PWYC.<br />
Licensed bar.<br />
●●7:30: Royal Conservatory. Discovery<br />
Series: Glenn Gould School Vocal Showcase.<br />
Mazzoleni Concert Hall, Telus Centre,<br />
273 Bloor St. W. 416-408-0208. $15.<br />
●●7:30: Mississauga Festival Choir. Festival<br />
of Friends Annual Massed Choral Festival.<br />
Resonance Youth Choir and others in solo<br />
and massed repertoire. Eden United Church,<br />
3051 Battleford Rd., Mississauga. 416-986-<br />
5537. $25; $15(12 and under). All proceeds will<br />
go to Alzheimer Society, Peel.<br />
●●7:30: University of Toronto Faculty of<br />
Music. Wind Ensemble: Disparate Places.<br />
Giroux: Just Flyin’; Nishimura: Lake Superior<br />
Suite; McPhee: Concert for Wind Orchestra;<br />
Sigur Rós: Ára Bátur; Kodály: Háry János<br />
Suite. Strings of the UofT Symphony Orchestra;<br />
Gillian Mackay, conductor. MacMillan Theatre,<br />
Edward Johnson Building, 80 Queen’s<br />
Park. 416-408-0208. $30; $20(sr); $10(st).<br />
●●8:00: Burlington Performing Arts Centre.<br />
A Night At The Opera. Act II music from<br />
Bizet’s Carmen. Julie Nesrallah, mezzo-soprano;<br />
Lauren Margison, soprano; Richard<br />
Margison, tenor; Gary Relyea, bass-baritone;<br />
Robert Kortgaard, piano. Burlington<br />
Performing Arts Centre, Main Theatre,<br />
440 Locust St., Burlington. 905-681-6000.<br />
$69.50. Series discount available.<br />
●●8:00: Oakville Symphony Orchestra.<br />
Vienna: City of Music. Guest: Mehdi Ghazi,<br />
piano. Oakville Centre for the Performing<br />
Arts, 130 Navy St., Oakville. 905-815-2021.<br />
$27-$56. Also Feb 4(2pm).<br />
●●8:00: Royal Conservatory. TD Jazz: Gerald<br />
Clayton and Friends - The Blues. Koerner<br />
Hall, Telus Centre, 273 Bloor St. W. 416-408-<br />
0208. $40-$90.<br />
●●8:00: Scarborough Philharmonic Orchestra/Infiniti<br />
Music and Arts Centre. Serenades<br />
and Stories. Mozart: Serenade in c;<br />
Serenata Transformata; Austria and the US<br />
from International Suite; Compositions from<br />
SPO’s <strong>2017</strong> New Composer Workshop; Grand<br />
Gallop Through Mysterious Lands. Scarborough<br />
Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra; The<br />
Winds of the Scarborough Philharmonic;<br />
Ronald Royer, conductor. Infinti Strings,<br />
351 Ferrer St., Unit 1, Markham. www.spo.ca.<br />
$30; $25(sr); $15(st); $10(child).<br />
●●8:00: Sony Centre for the Performing<br />
Arts. Tao: Drum Heart. 1 Front St. E. 1-855-<br />
872-7669 or 416-916-7878. $55-$95.<br />
Sunday February 4<br />
●●2:00: Canadian Opera Company. Rigoletto.<br />
See Jan 20 for details.<br />
●●2:00: Oakville Symphony Orchestra.<br />
Vienna: City of Music. Guest: Mehdi Ghazi,<br />
piano. Oakville Centre for the Performing<br />
Arts, 130 Navy St., Oakville. 905-815-2021.<br />
thewholenote.com <strong>December</strong> 1, <strong>2017</strong> - February 7, <strong>2018</strong> | 57
$27-$56. Also Feb 3(8pm).<br />
VOICE<br />
B OX<br />
OPERA IN CONCERT<br />
I DUE FIGARO<br />
by Saverio Mercadante<br />
Narmina Afandiyeva,<br />
Music Director<br />
February 4 at 2:30 pm<br />
www.operainconcert.com<br />
A. Concerts in the GTA<br />
Beste<br />
Kalender<br />
●●2:00: Royal Conservatory. Sunday Interludes:<br />
Derek Gripper. Mazzoleni Concert<br />
Hall, Telus Centre, 273 Bloor St. W. 416-408-<br />
0208. Free.<br />
●●2:30: University of Toronto Faculty of<br />
Music. Choirs in Concert: Music for a Sunday<br />
Afternoon. Works by Nancy Telfer and others.<br />
Women’s Chamber Choir; Men’s Chorus;<br />
Women’s Chorus; Tracy Wong, conductor.<br />
MacMillan Theatre, Edward Johnson Building,<br />
80 Queen’s Park. 416-408-0208. $30;<br />
$20(sr); $10(st).<br />
●●2:30: Voicebox/Opera in Concert. I due<br />
Figaro. Music by Saverio Mercadante. Beste<br />
Kalender, mezzo-soprano; Ilana Zarankin,<br />
soprano; Holly Chaplin, soprano; Nicholas<br />
Borg, baritone; Opera in Concert Chorus;<br />
Narmina Afandiyeva, music director and<br />
piano. St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts,<br />
27 Front St. E. 416-366-77<strong>23</strong>. $22-$52.<br />
●●3:00: Toronto Symphony Orchestra.<br />
Toronto Symphony Youth Orchestra Winter<br />
Concert. Dukas: The Sorcerer’s Apprentice;<br />
Mozart: Flute Concerto No.1 K313/285c;<br />
Dvořák: Symphony No.8. Sarah Pollard, flute;<br />
Earl Lee, conductor. Toronto Centre for the<br />
Arts, 5040 Yonge St., North York. 416-593-<br />
1285. $44.25-$100.50.<br />
●●3:00: Vesnivka Choir. Tribute to Zenoby<br />
Lawryshyn. Music written and arranged by<br />
Zenoby Lawryshyn. Humber Valley United<br />
Church, 76 Anglesey Blvd., Etobicoke. Free.<br />
Donations accepted towards publication of Z.<br />
Lawryshyn’s works.<br />
●●3:00: Windermere String Quartet. Young<br />
Blood, Part II. Mozart: Quartet in B-flat K172;<br />
Arriaga: Quartet No.1 in d; Schubert: Quartet<br />
in g D173. St. Olave’s Anglican Church,<br />
360 Windermere Ave. 416-769-0952. $25;<br />
$20(sr); $10(st). On period instruments.<br />
●●4:00: Church of St. Mary Magdalene<br />
(Toronto). Organ music for Candlemas.<br />
Andrew Adair, organ. 477 Manning Ave. 416-<br />
531-7955. Free.<br />
●●4:00: Georgetown Bach Chorale. The<br />
Power of the Piano, the Passion of Strings!<br />
Taneyev: Piano Quintet in g Op.30. Piano Hall,<br />
157 Main St. S., Georgetown. 905-873-9909.<br />
$45. Reception to follow.<br />
●●4:30: Christ Church Deer Park. Jazz Vespers.<br />
TBA. 1570 Yonge St. 416-920-5211. Freewill<br />
offering. Religious service.<br />
LAND’S END ENSEMBLE<br />
Schoenberg by Webern<br />
SUN. FEB. 04 @ GALLERY 345<br />
www.NewMusicConcerts.com<br />
●●7:00: Show One Productions. George<br />
Li, Piano. Silver medalist in the 15th International<br />
Tchaikovsky Competition. Haydn:<br />
B. Concerts Beyond the GTA<br />
IN THIS ISSUE: Barrie, Belleville, Burlington, Cambridge, Dundas,<br />
Guelph, Haliburton, Hamilton, Innisfil, Kingston, Kitchener, London,<br />
Midland, Niagara Falls, North Bay, Norwood, Orangeville, Orillia, Owen<br />
Sound, Peterborough, Picton, Port Dover, Port Hope, Sault Ste. Marie,<br />
St. Catharines, Wasaga Beach, Waterdown, Waterloo, Welland.<br />
Friday <strong>December</strong> 1<br />
●●12:00 noon: First-St. Andrew’s United<br />
Church. Friday Advent Noon Recital. Ken<br />
Baldwin, trumpet; Terry Mead, piano and<br />
organ. First-St. Andrew’s United Church,<br />
350 Queens Ave, London. 519-679-8182. Free<br />
will offering. Lunch following $7.<br />
●●7:30: Melos Choir and Period Instruments.<br />
A Star in the East III. Advent and Marian<br />
chant, Renaissance dances, carols and<br />
motets. Works by Lassus, Scheidt and Praetorius.<br />
Guests: Sine Nomine; Holly Gwynne-<br />
Timothy, artistic director. St. George’s<br />
Cathedral (Kingston), 270 King St. E., Kingston.<br />
613-767-7245. $25; $10(st). Pre-concert<br />
lecture at 7pm. CD launch reception to follow<br />
concert.<br />
●●7:30: University of Waterloo Department<br />
of Music. Rejoice in the Lamb: Chamber<br />
Choir. Britten: Rejoice in the Lamb; works<br />
by Sandström, Ešenvalds, Corlis, Biebl and<br />
others. Jan Overduin, organ; Mark Vuorinen,<br />
conductor. Knox Presbyterian Church (Waterloo),<br />
50 Erb St. W., Waterloo. 519-885-<br />
8220 x24226. $10; $5(sr/st).<br />
●●8:00: Folk Under the Clock. The Once: An<br />
East Coast Christmas. Modern indie folk trio<br />
from Newfoundland. Geraldine Hollett; Phil<br />
Churchill; Andrew Dale. Market Hall Performing<br />
Arts Centre, 140 Charlotte St., Peterborough.<br />
705-749-1146. $37.50; $25(st).<br />
●●8:00: Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony.<br />
Jonathan Crow Plays Beethoven. Jörg Widmann:<br />
Con brio Concert Overture; Mendelssohn:<br />
Symphony No.3 in a “Scottish”;<br />
Beethoven: Violin Concerto in D. Jonathan<br />
Crow, violin, Pablo Rus Broseta, conductor.<br />
Centre in the Square, 101 Queen St.<br />
N., Kitchener. 519-745-4711 or 1-888-745-4717.<br />
$19-$82. Also Dec 2.<br />
●●8:00: Registry Theatre. Sultans of String:<br />
A Christmas Caravan. Guest: Rebecca Campbell,<br />
vocals. 122 Frederick St., Kitchener. 519-<br />
578-1570. $30.<br />
●●8:00: Wilfrid Laurier University Faculty of<br />
Music. Laurier Percussion Ensemble. Maureen<br />
Forrester Recital Hall, 75 University Ave.,<br />
Waterloo. 519-884-1970 x2432. Free.<br />
Saturday <strong>December</strong> 2<br />
●●2:00: Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony.<br />
Youth Orchestra: Concert 1. Centre in the<br />
Square, 101 Queen St. N., Kitchener. 519-745-<br />
4711 or 1-888-745-4717. $13; $11(child).<br />
●●3:00: Westben Concerts at The Barn.<br />
Upper Canada Christmas. Narrated concert.<br />
Susanna Moodie and Catharine Parr Traill,<br />
vocalists; Westben Choruses; Donna Bennett<br />
and Brian Finley, directors. Norwood<br />
United Church, 4264 Hwy 7, Norwood. 705-<br />
653-5508 or 1-877-883-5777. $25; $15(st);<br />
$5(youth). Also Nov 25(Campbellford, 1pm),<br />
Nov 26(Campbellford, 3pm), Dec 3 (Peterborough,<br />
3pm).<br />
●●4:00: Hamilton Children’s Choir. Annual<br />
Holiday Concert: Welcome Christmas (Fah<br />
Who Foraze). Guest: Ian Thomas, narrator.<br />
Ryerson United Church (Hamilton), 842 Main<br />
St. E., Hamilton. 905-527-1618. $10-$30.<br />
●●7:00: Kawartha Youth Orchestra. Gloria!<br />
St. Cecilia Singers; St. Paul’s Singers. Market<br />
Hall Performing Arts Centre, 140 Charlotte<br />
St., Peterborough. 705-868-5050. $20;<br />
$5(youth). Silent auction. Reception. Bake<br />
sale.<br />
●●7:00: Skyway Connection Chorus. Christmas<br />
Cabaret. Skyway Connection; Supertoniic<br />
Quartet; Nuance Quartet. Royal<br />
Canadian Legion (Waterdown), 9 Hamilton St.<br />
N., Waterdown. 905-630-7464. $25.<br />
●●7:30: Arcady. Handel’s Messiah. Ronald<br />
Beckett, conductor. Lighthouse Festival Theatre,<br />
247 Main Street, Port Dover. 519-583-<br />
2221. $30.<br />
●●7:30: Choralis Camerata. Handel’s Messiah.<br />
Jocelyn Fralick, soprano; Jillian Yemen,<br />
mezzo; Bud Roach, tenor; Michael York, baritone;<br />
David Braun, conductor; Lynne Honsberger,<br />
accompaniment. Knox Presbyterian<br />
Church (St. Catharines), 53 Church St., St.<br />
Catharines. 905-646-9225. $28; $25(sr);<br />
$12(st). Also Dec 3(2:30pm, Welland).<br />
●●7:30: Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and<br />
Performing Arts, Brock University. Viva<br />
Voce Choral Series. Brock University Choirs,<br />
conductor Rachel Rensink-Hoff. Cairns Hall,<br />
FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre, 250 St.<br />
Paul St., St. Catharines. 905-688-0722. $15;<br />
$10 (sr/st); $5 eyeGo program.<br />
●●7:30: Musicata - Hamilton’s Voices. Christmas<br />
Concert. Church of St. John the Evangelist,<br />
320 Charlton Ave. W., Hamilton.<br />
905-628-5<strong>23</strong>8. $25; $20(sr); $5(st).<br />
●●8:00: Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony.<br />
Jonathan Crow Plays Beethoven. Jörg Widmann:<br />
Con brio Concert Overture; Mendelssohn:<br />
Symphony No.3 in a “Scottish”;<br />
Beethoven: Violin Concerto in D. Jonathan<br />
Crow, violin, Pablo Rus Broseta, conductor.<br />
Centre in the Square, 101 Queen St. N., Kitchener.<br />
519-745-4711 or 1-888-745-4717. $19-<br />
$82. Also Dec 1.<br />
Sunday <strong>December</strong> 3<br />
●●2:00: University of Waterloo Department<br />
of Music. UW Jazz Ensemble. Featuring<br />
jazz classics. Michael Wood, conductor.<br />
Great Hall, Conrad Grebel University College,<br />
140 Westmount Rd. N., Waterloo. 519-<br />
885-8220 x24226. $10; $5(sr/st). Reception<br />
following.<br />
●●2:30: Choralis Camerata. Handel’s Messiah.<br />
Jocelyn Fralick, soprano; Jillian Yemen,<br />
mezzo; Bud Roach, tenor; Michael York,<br />
baritone; David Braun, conductor; Lynne<br />
Honsberger, accompaniment. Welland Centennial<br />
Secondary School, 240 Thorold Rd.,<br />
Welland. 905 646 9225. $28; $25(sr); $12(st).<br />
Also Dec 2(7:30pm, St. Catharines).<br />
●●2:30: Guelph Chamber Choir. Carols For<br />
Christmas (plus Christmas CD Release!). Canadian<br />
and other repertoire for choir and/or<br />
hand bells; seasonal readings. Guelph Chamber<br />
Choir, Gerald Neufeld, conductor; Alison<br />
MacNeill, accompanist; guests: Bells Ablaze,<br />
Susan Carscadden-Mifsud, conductor.<br />
St. George’s Anglican Church (Guelph),<br />
99 Woolwich St., Guelph. 519-763-3000. $25;<br />
$20(group of 4 or more); $10(30 and under/<br />
st); $5(14 and under).<br />
●●2:30: Kingston Symphony. Masterworks<br />
Series: Ryan and Tchaikovsky. Mascall:<br />
Grunge; Ryan: Equilateral; Tchaikovsky: Symphony<br />
No.5. Gryphon Trio. Isabel Bader Centre<br />
for the Performing Arts, 390 King St. W.,<br />
Kingston. 613-530-2050. From $50.<br />
●●2:30: Scottish Rite Tuscan #551 A.F. &<br />
A.M. Christmas in Silver. Holiday favourites<br />
and sing-along carols. Weston Silver Band.<br />
Scottish Rite Club of Hamilton, 4 Queen St. S.,<br />
Hamilton. 1-888-655-9090. $25; $20(sr/st);<br />
$5(under 15).<br />
●●3:00: La Jeunesse Youth Orchestra. Home<br />
for the Holidays! Michael Lyons, music director;<br />
Guests: Voices of Victory Choir (Lindsay).<br />
Port Hope United Church, 34 South St., Port<br />
Hope. 1-866-460-5596. $20; free(under 12).<br />
●●3:00: Westben Concerts at The Barn.<br />
Upper Canada Christmas. Narrated concert.<br />
Susanna Moodie and Catharine Parr Traill,<br />
vocalists; Westben Choruses; Donna Bennett<br />
and Brian Finley, directors. Northminster<br />
United Church, 300 Sunset Blvd, Peterborough.<br />
705-653-5508 or 1-877-883-5777. $25;<br />
$15(st); $5(youth). Also Nov 25(Campbellford,<br />
1pm), Nov 26(Campbellford, 3pm), Dec 2(Norwood,<br />
3pm).<br />
●●7:00: Barrie Concert Band. Christmas at<br />
the Beach. Lighthouse Community Church,<br />
800 Sunnidale Rd., Wasaga Beach. 705-481-<br />
1607. Donations to the food bank welcomed.<br />
58 | <strong>December</strong> 1, <strong>2017</strong> - February 7, <strong>2018</strong> thewholenote.com
Piano Sonata in b HobXVI:32; Chopin: Piano<br />
Sonata No.2 in b-flat Op.35; Rachmaninoff:<br />
Variations on a Theme of Corelli; Liszt:<br />
Consolation No.3 in E; Hungarian Rhapsody<br />
No.2 in C-sharp. Koerner Hall, Telus Centre,<br />
273 Bloor St. W. 416-408-0208. $35 and up.<br />
●●8:00: New Music Concerts. Land’s End<br />
Ensemble. H. Lee: Imaginary Garden VII;<br />
Clarke: Delirium Nocturnum; Ricketts: Graffiti<br />
Songs; Schoenberg (arr. Webern): Kammersymphonie<br />
Op.9 (Quintet version). Land’s<br />
End Ensemble (John Lowry, violin; Beth Root<br />
Sandvoss, cello; Suzanne Ruberg-Gordon,<br />
piano); James Campbell, clarinet, Robert Aitken,<br />
flute. Gallery 345, 345 Sorauren Ave. 416-<br />
961-9594. $35; $25(sr/arts workers); $10(st).<br />
7:15pm: pre-concert talk.<br />
Tuesday February 6<br />
●●12:10: Nine Sparrows Arts Foundation/<br />
Yorkminster Park Baptist Church. Lunchtime<br />
Chamber Music: Rising Stars Recital.<br />
Students from the Glenn Gould School. Yorkminster<br />
Park Baptist Church, 1585 Yonge St.<br />
416-241-1298. Free; donations welcomed.<br />
●●7:30: Canadian Opera Company. Rigoletto.<br />
See Jan 20 for details.<br />
February 6 at 8pm<br />
ALEXEI<br />
LUBIMOV<br />
●●8:00: Music Toronto. Alexei Lubimov,<br />
Piano. Mozart: Sonata in D K311; Adagio in b<br />
K540; Beethoven: Sonata No.7 in D Op.10 No.3;<br />
Stravinsky: Sonata (1924); Debussy: Nine<br />
Preludes, Book 1: nine selections. St. Lawrence<br />
Centre for the Arts, 27 Front St. E. 416-<br />
366-77<strong>23</strong>. $50-$55; $10(st, full time).<br />
Wednesday February 7<br />
●●12:00 noon: Canadian Opera Company.<br />
Chamber Music Series: Brahms Clarinet<br />
Quintet. Brahms: Clarinet Quintet in b Op.115.<br />
Dionysis Grammenos, clarinet; Ensemble<br />
Made In Canada. Richard Bradshaw Amphitheatre,<br />
Four Seasons Centre for the Performing<br />
Arts, 145 Queen St. W. 416-363-8<strong>23</strong>1.<br />
Free. First-come, first-served. Late seating<br />
not available.<br />
●●7:30: Canadian Opera Company. The<br />
Abduction from the Seraglio. Music by W.<br />
A. Mozart. Jane Archibald, soprano (Konstanze);<br />
Mauro Peter, tenor (Belmonte);<br />
Claire de Sévigné (Blonde); Owen McCausland,<br />
tenor (Pedrillo), Goran Jurić, bass<br />
(Osmin); Wajdi Mouawad, director; Johannes<br />
Debus, conductor. Four Seasons Centre<br />
for the Performing Arts, 145 Queen St. W.<br />
416-363-8<strong>23</strong>1. $35-$225. Also Feb 10, 13, 16,<br />
18(2pm), 22, 24(4:30pm).<br />
●●7:30: University of Toronto Faculty of<br />
Music. Vocalis (Graduate Singers Series):<br />
Winternächte - Lieder über Träume und<br />
MOZART THE<br />
ABDUCTION<br />
FROM THE<br />
SERAGLIO<br />
FEB 2 – 25<br />
coc.ca<br />
Sehnsucht (Winter Nights - Songs of Dreams<br />
and Longing). Mia Bach and Marje Zschiesche<br />
Stock, curators. Victoria College Chapel,<br />
91 Charles St. W. 416-408-0208. Free.<br />
... Concerts Beyond the GTA<br />
●●7:30: Attila Glatz Concert Productions.<br />
Festival of Stars. Doo-wop, Motown, country,<br />
pop, and rock-and-roll hits. Featuring Neil<br />
Sedaka; Under the Streetlamp; Mickey Gilley.<br />
Club Italia, 2525 Montrose Rd., Niagara Falls.<br />
416-3<strong>23</strong>-1403. $42 and up. Also Dec 4(2pm<br />
and 8pm).<br />
●●8:00: Aeolian Hall. Sultans of String: A<br />
Christmas Caravan. Guest: Rebecca Campbell,<br />
vocals. 795 Dundas St. E., London. 519-<br />
672-7950. $30-$35.<br />
●●8:00: Kitchener-Waterloo Chamber Music<br />
Society. Raffi Besalyan, Piano. KWCMS Music<br />
Room, 57 Young St. W., Waterloo. 519-886-<br />
1673. $35; $20(st). MOVED TO MAR 14, <strong>2018</strong>.<br />
Monday <strong>December</strong> 4<br />
●●2:00: Attila Glatz Concert Productions.<br />
Festival of Stars. Doo-wop, Motown, country,<br />
pop, and rock-and-roll hits. Featuring Neil<br />
Sedaka; Under the Streetlamp; and Mickey<br />
Gilley. Club Italia, 2525 Montrose Rd., Niagara<br />
Falls. 416-3<strong>23</strong>-1403. $42 and up. Also 8pm;<br />
Dec 3(7:30pm).<br />
●●7:30: University of Waterloo Department<br />
of Music. Instrumental Chamber Ensembles.<br />
Six different chamber ensembles will<br />
play classical music ranging from Brahms<br />
to Koechlin. Chapel, Conrad Grebel University<br />
College, 140 Westmount Rd. N., Waterloo.<br />
519-885-8220 x24226. Free. Reception<br />
following.<br />
●●8:00: Attila Glatz Concert Productions.<br />
Festival of Stars. Doo-wop, Motown, country,<br />
pop, and rock-and-roll hits. Featuring Neil<br />
Sedaka; Under the Streetlamp; and Mickey<br />
Gilley. Club Italia, 2525 Montrose Rd., Niagara<br />
Falls. 416-3<strong>23</strong>-1403. $42 and up. Also 2pm;<br />
Dec 3(7:30pm).<br />
Tuesday <strong>December</strong> 5<br />
●●12:00 noon: Marilyn I. Walker School of<br />
Fine and Performing Arts, Brock University.<br />
RBC Foundation Music@Noon. Piano<br />
and guitar students. Cairns Hall, FirstOntario<br />
Performing Arts Centre, 250 St. Paul St., St.<br />
Catharines. 905-688-0722. Free.<br />
●●7:30: Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine<br />
and Performing Arts, Brock University.<br />
The University Wind Ensemble. Zoltan Kalman,<br />
conductor. Partridge Hall, FirstOntario<br />
Performing Arts Centre, 250 St. Paul St., St.<br />
Catharines. 905-688-0722. $12; $5(child);<br />
$5(eyeGo); free(Brock students).<br />
Wednesday <strong>December</strong> 6<br />
●●12:15: St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church<br />
(Kitchener). Wednesday Noon-Hour Concerts.<br />
Renaissance School of the Arts Flute<br />
Choir; Wendy Wagler, conductor. 54 Queen<br />
St. N., Kitchener. Free. 11:30am: Optional lowcost<br />
lunch available in the foyer.<br />
●●7:30: St. George’s Cathedral (Kingston).<br />
Advent Concert. Gershwin: Rhapsody in<br />
Blue; and other works. Valery Lloyd-Watts<br />
and Clare Gordon, piano duo. 270 King St. E.,<br />
Kingston. 613-548-4617. $15.<br />
●●8:00: Kitchener-Waterloo Chamber Music<br />
Society. Alex DaCosta, Violin and Beth Ann De<br />
Souza, Piano. Program TBA. KWCMS Music<br />
Room, 57 Young St. W., Waterloo. 519-886-<br />
1673. $30; $20(st).<br />
Thursday <strong>December</strong> 7<br />
●●12:15: St. George’s Cathedral (Kingston).<br />
Advent Concert. Mulberry School Choir;<br />
Margaret Moncrieff, director. 270 King St.<br />
E., Kingston. 613-548-4617. Free. Voluntary<br />
offering.<br />
●●7:00: Magisterra Soloists. Baroque Christmas.<br />
Bach: Brandenburg Concerto No.3;<br />
Corelli: Christmas Concerto Grosso; Vivaldi:<br />
Double Concerto in d; Bach: Double Concerto<br />
in d; Telemann: Viola Concerto. St. Luke’s<br />
Anglican Church (London), 1204 Richmond<br />
St., London. 416-930-4842. $25; $20(sr);<br />
$15(st); $10(under 10). Also Dec 10(3pm, Windermere<br />
on the Mount).<br />
Friday <strong>December</strong> 8<br />
●●12:00 noon: First-St. Andrew’s United<br />
Church. Friday Advent Noon Recital. Catholic<br />
Central Chamber Choir; Don Sills, director.<br />
First-St. Andrew’s United Church,<br />
350 Queens Ave, London. 519-679-8182. Free<br />
will offering. Lunch following $7.<br />
●●7:00: Liona Boyd. In Concert: A Winter Fantasy.<br />
Andrew Dolson, guitar. Guests: Midland<br />
Children’s Community Choir. St. Paul’s United<br />
Church (Midland), 308 King St., Midland.<br />
www.ticketfly.com/event/1566380-lionaboyd-winter-fantasy-midland/.<br />
$30.<br />
●●8:00: First-St. Andrew’s United Church<br />
(London). The Gift of the Magi. Sonja Gustafson;<br />
Francesca Ranalli; Todd Wieczorek; Chad<br />
Louwerse; Terry Head; George Jolin, director.<br />
350 Queens Ave., London. 519-679-8182.<br />
$45(6:30pm dinner & show); $20(8pm show<br />
only). Also Dec 9(3pm and 8pm).<br />
●●8:00: Kitchener-Waterloo Chamber<br />
Music Society. Toronto Serenade Quartet<br />
with Elena Kalabeev, Piano. Rare Quintets by<br />
Sibelius and Berger. KWCMS Music Room,<br />
57 Young St. W., Waterloo. 519-886-1673.<br />
$35; $20(st).<br />
Saturday <strong>December</strong> 9<br />
●●2:00: Lyrica Chamber Choir of Barrie.<br />
Magnificat. Arnesen: Magnificat; works by<br />
Ola Gjeilo. Chamber strings; organ; Steve<br />
Winfield, conductor; Brent Mayhew, piano.<br />
Burton Avenue United Church, 37 Burton<br />
Ave., Barrie. 705-722-0271. $17; $14(sr/st).<br />
Also 7:30pm.<br />
●●2:00: Peterborough Symphony Orchestra.<br />
Hollywood for the Holidays. Music from<br />
Home Alone, The Polar Express, It’s a Wonderful<br />
Life, and other films. Guests: Kawartha<br />
Youth Orchestra; Peterborough Pop Ensemble;<br />
Michael Newnham, conductor. Showplace Performance<br />
Centre, 290 George St. N., Peterborough.<br />
705-742-7469. $30; $10(st). Also 7:30pm.<br />
thewholenote.com <strong>December</strong> 1, <strong>2017</strong> - February 7, <strong>2018</strong> | 59
●●2:30: Niagara Symphony Orchestra. All<br />
Through the House: A Holiday Wassail! Colin<br />
Anthes, director; Laura Secord Secondary<br />
School Concert Choir; Bradley Thachuk, conductor.<br />
FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre,<br />
250 St. Paul St., St. Catharines. 905-688-<br />
0722 or 1-855-515-0722. $32; $32(sr/30 and<br />
under); $12(st/arts/child); $5(eyeGO). Also<br />
Dec 9(7:30pm), Dec 10(2:30pm).<br />
●●3:00: First-St. Andrew’s United Church<br />
(London). The Gift of the Magi. Sonja Gustafson;<br />
Francesca Ranalli; Todd Wieczorek; Chad<br />
Louwerse; Terry Head; George Jolin, director.<br />
350 Queens Ave., London. 519-679-8182. $20.<br />
Also Dec 8, 9(both at 8pm).<br />
●●7:00: Huronia Symphony Orchestra. HSO<br />
Christmas List. Corelli: Concerto Grosso in g<br />
“Christmas Concerto”; Anderson: A Christmas<br />
Festival, Sleigh Ride; Tormé: Chestnuts<br />
Roasting on an Open Fire; Prokofiev: Troika;<br />
Strauss: Pizzicato Polka; Waldteufel: The<br />
Skaters’ Waltz; traditional Christmas favourites<br />
and carol sing. Guests: Youth Songsters<br />
of Innisfil featuring the choirs of Alcona Glen<br />
Elementary and Lake Simcoe Public Schools.<br />
Oliver Balaburski, conductor. Innisfil Community<br />
Church, 1571 Innisfil Beach Road,<br />
Innisfil. 705-721-4752. $25; $10(st); $5(child).<br />
●●7:30: Barrie Concert Band. Christmas<br />
Goes “Pop”. Collier Street United Church,<br />
112 Collier St., Barrie. 705-481-1607. $20;<br />
$15(sr/st); free(under 5).<br />
●●7:30: Georgian Bay Symphony. Christmas<br />
Cheer. Mozart: Clarinet Concerto in A;<br />
and other seasonal works. Rob Tite, clarinet;<br />
François Koh, conductor. East Ridge Community<br />
School, 1550 8th St. E., Owen Sound.<br />
519-372-0212. $35; $33(sr); $5(st).<br />
●●7:30: Grand Philharmonic Choir. Handel’s<br />
Messiah. With projected images from the St.<br />
John’s Bible. Jacqueline Woodley, soprano;<br />
Marjorie Maltais, mezzo; Andrew Haji, tenor;<br />
Russell Braun, baritone; Kitchener-Waterloo<br />
Symphony; Mark Vuorinen, conductor. Centre<br />
in the Square, 101 Queen St. N., Kitchener.<br />
519-578-1570. From $30.<br />
●●7:30: Isabel Bader Centre for the Performing<br />
Arts. Charlie Brown Christmas.<br />
Taurey Butler Trio; Éléonore Lagacé, vocalist.<br />
390 King St. W., Kingston. 613-533-2424. $29-<br />
$55; $15-$27(st).<br />
B. Concerts Beyond the GTA<br />
●●7:30: Kokoro Singers. Prelude to Winter.<br />
Works by Rutter and Martin; arrs. by Bolden,<br />
Hatfield and Weir. Brenda Uchimaru,<br />
conductor. Guests: Cambridge Girls’ Choir<br />
(Peter West, conductor). Rockway Mennonite<br />
Church, 47 Onward Ave., Kitchener. 289-<br />
439-9447. $20; $15(sr/st); free(under 13). Also<br />
Dec 17(3:30pm, Hamilton).<br />
●●7:30: Lyrica Chamber Choir of Barrie.<br />
Magnificat. Arnesen: Magnificat; works by<br />
Ola Gjeilo. Chamber strings; organ; Steve<br />
Winfield, conductor; Brent Mayhew, piano.<br />
Burton Avenue United Church, 37 Burton<br />
Ave., Barrie. 705-722-0271. $17; $14(sr/st).<br />
Also 2:00.<br />
●●7:30: Niagara Symphony Orchestra. All<br />
Through the House: A Holiday Wassail! Colin<br />
Anthes, director; Laura Secord Secondary<br />
School Concert Choir; Bradley Thachuk, conductor.<br />
FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre,<br />
250 St. Paul St., St. Catharines. 905-688-<br />
0722 or 1-855-515-0722. $67; $62(sr); $32(30<br />
and under); $12(st/arts/child); $5(eyeGO).<br />
Also Dec 9(2:30pm), Dec 10(2:30pm).<br />
●●7:30: Peterborough Symphony Orchestra.<br />
Hollywood for the Holidays. Music from<br />
Home Alone, The Polar Express, It’s a Wonderful<br />
Life, and other films. Guests: Kawartha<br />
Youth Orchestra; Peterborough Pop Ensemble;<br />
Michael Newnham, conductor. Showplace<br />
Performance Centre, 290 George St. N.,<br />
Peterborough. 705-742-7469. $30; $10(st).<br />
Also 2pm.<br />
●●8:00: First-St. Andrew’s United Church<br />
(London). The Gift of the Magi. Sonja Gustafson;<br />
Francesca Ranalli; Todd Wieczorek; Chad<br />
Louwerse; Terry Head; George Jolin, director.<br />
350 Queens Ave., London. 519-679-8182.<br />
$45(6:30pm dinner & show); $20(8pm show<br />
only). Also Dec 8(8pm), 9(3pm).<br />
●●8:00: North Bay Symphony. Sultans of<br />
String: A Christmas Caravan. Capitol Centre,<br />
150 Main St. E., North Bay. 705-474-4747. $45,<br />
$15(st); free(child - under 13 - with Adult or<br />
Student ticket).<br />
Sunday <strong>December</strong> 10<br />
●●2:30: Georgian Music. Christmas Memories.<br />
Monica Whicher, soprano; Judy Loman,<br />
harp; Marty Smyth, organ;. St. Andrew’s<br />
Presbyterian Church (Barrie), 47 Owen St.,<br />
Barrie. 705-726-1181. $65.<br />
●●2:30: Kingston Symphony. Messiah. Handel:<br />
Messiah. Kingston Chamber Society;<br />
Bethany Hörst, soprano; Erin Lawson, mezzo;<br />
Christopher Mayell, tenor; David Pike, baritone.<br />
Isabel Bader Centre for the Performing<br />
Arts, 390 King St. W., Kingston. 613-530-<br />
2050. From $40; $25(30 and under).<br />
●●2:30: Niagara Symphony Orchestra. All<br />
Through the House: A Holiday Wassail! Colin<br />
Anthes, director; Laura Secord Secondary<br />
School Concert Choir; Bradley Thachuk, conductor.<br />
FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre,<br />
250 St. Paul St., St. Catharines. 905-688-<br />
0722 or 1-855-515-0722. $67; $62(sr); $32(30<br />
and under); $12(st/arts/child); $5(eyeGO).<br />
Also Dec 9(2:30pm and 7:30pm).<br />
●●2:30: Peterborough Community Carol<br />
Sing. Christmas Carol Concert. Salvation<br />
Army Temple (Peterborough), 219 Simcoe St.,<br />
Peterborough. communitycarolsing.com.<br />
Freewill offering in support of the Christmas<br />
Hamper Fund.<br />
●●3:00: Magisterra Soloists. Baroque Christmas.<br />
Bach: Brandenburg Concerto No.3;<br />
Corelli: Christmas Concerto Grosso; Vivaldi:<br />
Double Concerto in d; Bach: Double Concerto<br />
in d; Telemann: Viola Concerto. Windermere<br />
on the Mount Chapel, 1486 Richmond St.,<br />
London. 416-930-4842. $25; $20(sr); $15(st);<br />
$10(under 10). Also Dec 7(7:30pm, St. Luke<br />
the Evangelist Anglican Church).<br />
●●3:00: Orillia Brassworks Christmas. In<br />
Concert. Albert Greer, director; St. James<br />
Concert Choir; Andrea Donais, soprano. St.<br />
James’ Anglican Church (Orillia), 58 Peter St.<br />
N., Orillia. 705-726-4168. Freewill donation.<br />
●●3:00: Rosewood Consort. Bethlehem.<br />
Praetorius: Joseph Lieber; Byrd: Lulla, Lullaby;<br />
Balbastre (arr. Potvin): Variations on Où<br />
s’en vont des gais bergers. Stephane Potvin,<br />
conductor. Grace Lutheran Church (Hamilton),<br />
1107 Main St. W., Hamilton. 905-648-<br />
5607. PWYC, $20 suggested. Reception to<br />
follow.<br />
●●3:00: Symphony on the Bay. A Double-<br />
Reed Christmas. Vivaldi: Christmas Concerto;<br />
Vaughan Williams: Fantasia on Christmas<br />
Carols; and other works. Fraser Jackson,<br />
bassoon; Claudio Vena, conductor. Burlington<br />
Performing Arts Centre, 440 Locust St.,<br />
Burlington. 905-681-6000. $43; $36.50(sr);<br />
$24.50(16-24); $12(under 16).<br />
●●7:30: Serenata Choir. Carols by Candlelight.<br />
Gary Heard, conductor. St. Mark’s Anglican<br />
Lutheran Church (Midland), 303 Third<br />
St., Midland. 705-526-6800. Freewill offering.<br />
All proceeds to the Guesthouse emergency<br />
shelter.<br />
Tuesday <strong>December</strong> 12<br />
27 th annUaL<br />
CiviC Christmas<br />
Carol ConCert<br />
Presented by the<br />
City of st. Catharines<br />
Tues Dec.12th<br />
Noon<br />
Doors Open<br />
11:30 a.m.<br />
●●12:00 noon: City of St. Catharines. 27th<br />
Annual Civic Carol Concert. Carols and singalong.<br />
Laura Secord Secondary and Holy<br />
Cross Secondary School Choirs; Civic Brass<br />
Ensemble; Peter M. Partridge, conductor;<br />
Ross R. Stretton, organist-producer. St.<br />
Thomas’ Church, 99 Ontario St., St. Catharines.<br />
905-688-5601 x2160. Freewill offering.<br />
Proceeds to Christmas Community Care.<br />
●●7:30: Isabel Bader Centre for the Performing<br />
Arts. National Arts Centre Orchestra.<br />
Copland: Fanfare for the Common<br />
Man; Mozart: Violin Concerto No.3; Sibelius:<br />
Symphony No.1. Alexander Shelley, conductor;<br />
Jessica Linnebach, violin. 390 King<br />
St. W., Kingston. 613-533-2424. $29-$55;<br />
$15-$27(st).<br />
Wednesday <strong>December</strong> 13<br />
●●12:15: St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church<br />
(Kitchener). Wednesday Noon-Hour Concerts.<br />
Cambridge Girls’ Choir; Peter West,<br />
conductor. 54 Queen St. N., Kitchener. Free.<br />
11:30am: Optional low-cost lunch available in<br />
the foyer.<br />
●●2:30: Seniors Serenade. Innisdale Christmas.<br />
Karen Parnell and Innisdale Secondary<br />
School Students. Grace United Church (Barrie),<br />
350 Grove St. E., Barrie. 705-726-1181.<br />
Free. 3:30pm: tea and cookies $5.<br />
●●7:30: Plumbing Factory Brass Band. The<br />
Golden Age of Brass. Von Suppé: Jolly Robbers<br />
Overture; Beethoven: Marsch des<br />
York’schen Korps; Mendelssohn: War March<br />
of the Priests; Thomas: Raymond Overture;<br />
works by Grafulla; and other works. Byron<br />
United Church, 420 Boler Rd., London. 519-<br />
471-1250 or 519-659-3600. $15/$13(adv);<br />
$10(st)/$8(adv).<br />
Thursday <strong>December</strong> 14<br />
● ● 12:15: St. George’s Cathedral (Kingston).<br />
Advent Concert. Allan Pulker, flute. 270 King<br />
St. E., Kingston. 613-548-4617. Free. Voluntary<br />
offering.<br />
60 | <strong>December</strong> 1, <strong>2017</strong> - February 7, <strong>2018</strong> thewholenote.com
●●7:00: Cirque Musica Holiday. Believe.<br />
Incredible feats of strength, skill, and grace<br />
to great holiday music favourites performed<br />
by a live symphony. RBC Theatre, Budweiser<br />
Gardens, 99 Dundas St., London. www.budweisergardens.com/events/detail/cirquemusica-holiday-spectacular.<br />
$40-$115.<br />
●●8:00: Regent Theatre. Sultans of String:<br />
A Christmas Caravan. Guest: Rebecca<br />
Campbell, vocals. Regent Theatre (Picton),<br />
224 Main St., Picton. 613-476-8416. $30.<br />
Friday <strong>December</strong> 15<br />
●●12:00 noon: First-St. Andrew’s United<br />
Church. Friday Advent Noon Recital. Laudamus<br />
Bells; Terry Head, director. First-St.<br />
Andrew’s United Church, 350 Queens Ave,<br />
London. 519-679-8182. Freewill offering.<br />
Lunch following for $7.<br />
●●7:30: Cirque Musica Holiday. Believe.<br />
Incredible feats of strength, skill, and grace<br />
to great holiday music favourites performed<br />
by a live symphony. Peterborough Memorial<br />
Centre, 151 Lansdowne St,, Peterborough.<br />
tickets.memorialcentre.ca. $24-$79.99.<br />
●●7:30: Orchestra Kingston/Frontenac<br />
Women’s Chorus. A Christmas Story. Christmas<br />
music for orchestra and choir, with<br />
guest Darrel Bryan, tenor. Sydenham Street<br />
United Church, 82 Sydenham St., Kingston.<br />
613-766-4345. $25; $20(sr/st), free(under 12).<br />
●●8:00: Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony.<br />
Yuletide Spectacular. Joni NehRita, vocalist;<br />
Mike Nadjewski, narrator; Grand Philharmonic<br />
Choir; Grand Philharmonic<br />
Children’s Choir; Carousel Dance Company;<br />
Daniel Bartholomew-Poyser, conductor. Centre<br />
in the Square, 101 Queen St. N., Kitchener.<br />
519-745-4711 or 1-888-745-4717. $19-$86. Also<br />
Dec 16(2:30pm and 8pm), 17(2:30pm).<br />
Saturday <strong>December</strong> 16<br />
●●2:30: Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony.<br />
Yuletide Spectacular. See Dec 15. Also<br />
Dec 16(8pm), 17(2:30pm).<br />
●●7:00: Orangeville Community Band. Music<br />
of Christmas. Vocal music, concert band,<br />
sing-along. Majestic Concert Band; children’s<br />
choir; Joy Spencer, music director.<br />
Westminster United Church (Orangeville),<br />
247 Broadway Ave., Orangeville. 519-942-<br />
9673. $20/$15(adv); $15(sr)/$10(adv);<br />
$10(child)/$5(adv). Registered charity.<br />
●●7:30: Chorus Niagara. Big Band Christmas.<br />
Lindberg: Christmas Cantata; festive<br />
carols, audience sing-alongs and seasonal<br />
music. Chorus Niagara; 20-piece Big Band;<br />
John Sherwood, jazz piano. FirstOntario Performing<br />
Arts Centre, 250 St. Paul St., St.<br />
Catharines. 1-855-515-0722 or 905-688-<br />
0722. $43; $41(sr); $28(under 30); $18(st);<br />
$15(child); $5(eyeGo).<br />
●●8:00: Kitchener-Waterloo Chamber<br />
Music Society. Penderecki String Quartet.<br />
Beethoven’s Birthday Concert. Beethoven:<br />
Quartets No.5, Op.18 No.5; No.7, Op.59 No.1;<br />
No.16 Op.135. KWCMS Music Room, 57 Young<br />
St. W., Waterloo. 519-886-1673. $40; $25(st).<br />
●●8:00: Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony.<br />
Yuletide Spectacular. See Dec 15 for details.<br />
Also Dec 17(2:30pm).<br />
●●8:00: Sault Symphony. Sultans of String:<br />
A Christmas Caravan. Sault Community Theatre<br />
Centre, 1007 Trunk Rd., Sault Ste. Marie.<br />
705-945-7299. $31; $<strong>23</strong>(sr); $8(child/st). Also<br />
Dec 17(Elliot Lake).<br />
Sunday <strong>December</strong> 17<br />
●●2:30: Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony.<br />
Yuletide Spectacular. See Dec 15 for details.<br />
●●3:30: Kokoro Singers. Prelude to Winter.<br />
Works by Rutter and Martin; arrs. by Bolden,<br />
Hatfield and Weir. Brenda Uchimaru, conductor.<br />
Guests: Cambridge Girls’ Choir (Peter<br />
West, conductor). Grace Lutheran Church<br />
(Hamilton), 1107 Main St. W., Hamilton. 289-<br />
439-9447. $20; $15(sr/st); free(under 13). Also<br />
Dec 9(7:30pm, Kitchener).<br />
●●4:00: Hamilton Children’s Choir. The Simple<br />
Joys. Ilumini Choir Special Concert. Hamilton<br />
Philharmonic Orchestra String Quartet.<br />
Christ Church Cathedral, 252 James St.<br />
N., Hamilton. hamiltonchildrenschoir.com.<br />
$20-$30.<br />
●●4:00: St. George’s Cathedral (Kingston).<br />
Christmas Lessons and Carols. Cathedral<br />
Christmas Choir and Children’s Choir.<br />
270 King St. E., Kingston. 613-548-4617. Free.<br />
Religious service.<br />
●●4:30: Music At St. Thomas’. Carols by<br />
Candlelight: A Festival of Nine Lessons<br />
and Carols. St. Thomas’ Choral Academy.<br />
St. Thomas’ Anglican Church (Belleville),<br />
201 Church St., Belleville. 613-962-3636.<br />
Freewill offering. Religious service.<br />
●●7:00: Huronia Symphony Orchestra. HSO<br />
Christmas List. Corelli: Concerto Grosso in g<br />
“Christmas Concerto”; Anderson: A Christmas<br />
Festival, Sleigh Ride; Tormé: Chestnuts<br />
Roasting on an Open Fire; Prokofiev:<br />
Troika; Strauss: Pizzicato Polka; Waldteufel:<br />
The Skaters’ Waltz; traditional Christmas<br />
favourites and carol sing. Guests: Maestro<br />
Music Centre Children’s/Youth Choir and Collier<br />
Street Choir School. Oliver Balaburski,<br />
conductor. Collier Street United Church,<br />
112 Collier St., Barrie. 705-721-4752. $25; $10<br />
(st); $5 (child).<br />
●●7:30: Arcady. There’s a Song in the Air: A<br />
Timeless Holiday Classic. Beckett. Ronald<br />
Beckett, director; Tammy Whetham, staging.<br />
Cambridge Arts Theatre, 47 Water St. S.,<br />
Cambridge. 1-800-838-3006. $25; $10(st).<br />
Monday <strong>December</strong> 18<br />
●●7:30: Peterborough Singers. Handel’s Messiah.<br />
Suzie LeBlanc, soprano; Erin Fisher,<br />
mezzo-soprano; Colin Ainsworth, tenor;<br />
Andrew Tees, bass; Ian Sadler, organ; Paul<br />
Otway, trumpet; Stan Ewing, timpani; Sydney<br />
Birrell, conductor. Emmanuel (George<br />
St.) United Church, 534 George St. N., Peterborough.<br />
705-745-1820. $30; $20(under 30);<br />
$10(st).<br />
Tuesday <strong>December</strong> 19<br />
●●7:30: Kingston Symphony. Candlelight<br />
Christmas. Kingston Choral Society. Isabel<br />
Bader Centre for the Performing Arts,<br />
390 King St. W., Kingston. 613-530-2050.<br />
From $10. Also Dec 20.<br />
Wednesday <strong>December</strong> 20<br />
●●12:00 noon: Music at St. Andrews. Sarah<br />
Svendsen, Organ and Rita Arendz, Horn.<br />
St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church (Barrie),<br />
47 Owen St., Barrie. 705-726-1181. $5;<br />
free(st).<br />
●●7:30: Kingston Symphony. Candlelight<br />
Christmas. Kingston Choral Society. Isabel<br />
Bader Centre for the Performing Arts,<br />
390 King St. W., Kingston. 613-530-2050.<br />
From $10. Also Dec 19.<br />
Thursday <strong>December</strong> 21<br />
●●12:15: St. George’s Cathedral (Kingston).<br />
Advent Concert. Jeff Hanlon, guitar. 270 King<br />
St. E., Kingston. 613-548-4617. Free. Voluntary<br />
offering.<br />
MISHAABOOZ’S<br />
REALM<br />
DEC 21 & 22 @ 7:30pm<br />
NLPAP | Haliburton<br />
BOX OFFICE 1-855-455-5533<br />
HighlandsOperaStudio.com<br />
●●7:30: Highlands Opera Studio. Mishaabooz’s<br />
Realm. Music by Andrew Balfour.<br />
Northern Lights Performing Arts Pavilion,<br />
5358 County Rd. 21, Haliburton. 1-855-455-<br />
5533. $25. Also Dec 22.<br />
Friday <strong>December</strong> 22<br />
●●7:00: Highlands Opera Studio. Mishaabooz’s<br />
Realm. Music by Andrew Balfour.<br />
Northern Lights Performing Arts Pavilion,<br />
5358 County Rd. 21, Haliburton. 1-855-455-<br />
5533. $25. Also Dec 21.<br />
Saturday <strong>December</strong> <strong>23</strong><br />
● ● 7:30: Guelph Chamber Choir. Handel’s<br />
Messiah. Guelph Chamber Choir, Gerald<br />
Neufeld, conductor, Alison MacNeill, accompanist;<br />
Meredith Hall, soprano; Daniel Taylor,<br />
countertenor; Neal Banerjee, tenor;<br />
Alex Dobson, baritone; Musica Viva Orchestra<br />
on period instruments. River Run Centre,<br />
35 Woolwich St., Guelph. 519-763-3000. $40;<br />
$35(group of 4 or more); $10(30 and under/<br />
st); $5(14 and under).<br />
Saturday <strong>December</strong> 30<br />
●●2:30: Attila Glatz Concert Productions.<br />
Salute to Vienna New Year’s Concert. Lilla<br />
Galambos, soprano; Thomas Weinhappel,<br />
baritone; Kiev-Aniko Ballet of Ukraine<br />
and International Champion Ballroom Dancers;<br />
Strauss Symphony of Canada; Niels<br />
Muus, conductor. FirstOntario Concert Hall,<br />
1 Summers Ln., Hamilton. 855-872-5000.<br />
$39-$95.<br />
Wednesday <strong>January</strong> 3<br />
●●12:00 noon: Midday Music with Shigeru.<br />
Michael Adamson, violin and Philip Adamson,<br />
piano. Works by Beethoven, Martucci, Morris<br />
and Elgar. Hi-Way Pentecostal Church,<br />
50 Anne St. N., Barrie. 705-726-1181. $5;<br />
free(st).<br />
Thursday <strong>January</strong> 4<br />
●●12:00 noon: Wilfrid Laurier University Faculty<br />
of Music. Music at Noon. Katie Schlaikjer,<br />
cello. Maureen Forrester Recital Hall,<br />
75 University Ave., Waterloo. 519-884-1970<br />
x2432. Free.<br />
Wednesday <strong>January</strong> 10<br />
●●2:30: Seniors Serenade. Mike Lewis Plays<br />
His “F” List. Songs beginning with F. Mike<br />
Lewis, piano. Grace United Church (Barrie),<br />
350 Grove St. E., Barrie. 705-726-1181. Free.<br />
3:30pm: tea and cookies $5.<br />
Thursday <strong>January</strong> 11<br />
●●12:00 noon: Wilfrid Laurier University<br />
Faculty of Music. Music at Noon. Guy Few,<br />
trumpet; Stephanie Mara, piano. Maureen<br />
Forrester Recital Hall, 75 University Ave.,<br />
Waterloo. 519-884-1970 x2432. Free.<br />
●●8:00: Kitchener-Waterloo Chamber Music<br />
Society. Scott St. John, Violin and Catherine<br />
Chi, Piano. Violin works by Willan, Grattan,<br />
Champagne and L. Smith. KWCMS Music<br />
Room, 57 Young St. W., Waterloo. 519-886-<br />
1673. $30; $20(st).<br />
Friday <strong>January</strong> 12<br />
●●8:00: Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony.<br />
Elgar’s Cello Concerto and Mozart’s Jupiter.<br />
Hindemith: Overture to Cupid and Psyche;<br />
Elgar: Cello Concerto in e; Mozart: Prelude<br />
to Apollo and Hyacinthus; Mozart: Symphony<br />
No.41 in C “Jupiter”. Denise Djokic, cello; Tung-<br />
Chieh Chuang, conductor. Centre in the<br />
Square, 101 Queen St. N., Kitchener. 519-745-<br />
4711 or 1-888-745-4717. $19-$86. Also Jan 13.<br />
Saturday <strong>January</strong> 13<br />
●●3:00: 5 at the First Chamber Music Series.<br />
Piano Trio Masters: AYR Trio. Beethoven:<br />
Piano Trio in D major Op.70 No.1 “Ghost;”<br />
Staniland: Solstice Songs; Brahms: Trio in C<br />
major No.2 Op.87. AYR Trio: Yehonatan Berick,<br />
violin; Rachel Mercer, cello; Angela Park,<br />
piano. First Unitarian Church of Hamilton,<br />
170 Dundurn St. S., Hamilton. 905-399-5125.<br />
$20; $15(sr); $5(st/unwaged); free(under 12).<br />
●●7:30: Southern Ontario Lyric Opera.<br />
Encore: Favourite Opera Arias. Jean Stilwell,<br />
mezzo; Joni Henson, soprano; David Pomeroy,<br />
tenor. Burlington Performing Arts Centre,<br />
440 Locust St., Burlington. 905-681-6000.<br />
$20-$65.<br />
thewholenote.com <strong>December</strong> 1, <strong>2017</strong> - February 7, <strong>2018</strong> | 61
The magic of live opera with<br />
Jean Stilwell,<br />
Joni Henson &<br />
David Pomeroy<br />
Saturday Jan 13, 7:30pm<br />
Burlington<br />
southernontariolyricopera.com<br />
●●8:00: Jeffery Concerts. Love Triangle.<br />
Haydn: Piano Trio No.45 in E-flat HobXV:29;<br />
Wijeratne: Love Triangle; Beethoven: Piano<br />
Trio No.7 in B-flat Op.97 “Archduke”. Gryphon<br />
Trio. Wolf Performance Hall, 251 Dundas St.,<br />
London. 519-672-8800. $40.<br />
●●8:00: Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony.<br />
Elgar’s Cello Concerto and Mozart’s Jupiter.<br />
Hindemith: Overture to Cupid and Psyche;<br />
Elgar: Cello Concerto in e; Mozart: Prelude<br />
to Apollo and Hyacinthus; Mozart: Symphony<br />
No.41 in C “Jupiter”. Denise Djokic, cello; Tung-<br />
Chieh Chuang, conductor. Centre in the<br />
Square, 101 Queen St. N., Kitchener. 519-745-<br />
4711 or 1-888-745-4717. $19-$82. Also Jan 12.<br />
Sunday <strong>January</strong> 14<br />
●●2:30: Kingston Symphony. Korngold and<br />
Shostakovich. Beethoven: Overture to Leonore<br />
No.3; Korngold: Violin Concerto; Shostakovich:<br />
Symphony No.5. Jonathan Crow,<br />
violin. Isabel Bader Centre for the Performing<br />
Arts, 390 King St. W., Kingston. 613-530-<br />
2050. From $10.<br />
●●8:00: Kitchener-Waterloo Chamber<br />
Music Society. AYR Trio. Beethoven: Op.70/1<br />
B. Concerts Beyond the GTA General admission.<br />
“Ghost”; Brahms: No.2 Op.87; Staniland: Solstice<br />
Songs. Angela Park piano; Yehonatan<br />
Berick, violin; Rachel Mercer, cello. KWCMS<br />
Music Room, 57 Young St. W., Waterloo. 519-<br />
886-1673. $35; $20(st).<br />
Tuesday <strong>January</strong> 16<br />
●●12:15: Wilfrid Laurier University Faculty<br />
of Music. Maureen Forrester Singers. First<br />
United Church (Waterloo), 16 William St. W.,<br />
Waterloo. 519-884-1970 x2432. Free.<br />
Thursday <strong>January</strong> 18<br />
●●12:00 noon: Music at St. Andrews. Christopher<br />
Dawes, Organ. St. Andrew’s Presbyterian<br />
Church (Barrie), 47 Owen St., Barrie.<br />
705-726-1181. $5; free(st).<br />
●●12:00 noon: Wilfrid Laurier University Faculty<br />
of Music. Music at Noon. Kimberly Barber,<br />
mezzo; Anna Ronai, piano; Christine<br />
Vlajk, viola. Maureen Forrester Recital Hall,<br />
75 University Ave., Waterloo. 519-884-1970<br />
x2432. Free.<br />
●●7:00: Magisterra Soloists. Magisterra at<br />
the Museum: “Entartete Musik” - Music of the<br />
Holocaust. Works by Krása, Weiner, Morawetz,<br />
Klein and Schulhoff. Museum London<br />
Theatre, 421 Ridout St. N., London. 519-661-<br />
0333. $30; $25(sr); $15(st); $10(child).<br />
●●8:00: Kitchener-Waterloo Chamber Music<br />
Society. Andre LaPlante, Piano. Schubert:<br />
Sonata in A D664; Liszt: Funerailles; Sposalizio;<br />
Chopin: Two Nocturnes; Sonata No.<br />
2 “Funeral March”. KWCMS Music Room,<br />
57 Young St. W., Waterloo. 519-886-1673.<br />
$40; $25(st).<br />
Friday <strong>January</strong> 19<br />
●●8:00: Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony.<br />
Casablanca: The Film with Live Orchestra.<br />
Evan Mitchell, conductor. Centre in the<br />
Square, 101 Queen St. N., Kitchener. 519-745-<br />
4711 or 1-888-745-4717. $19-$86. Also Jan 20.<br />
Saturday <strong>January</strong> 20<br />
●●2:30: Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony.<br />
Spectacular Strings. Margaret Wise Brown:<br />
The Runaway Bunny; and other works.<br />
Bénédicte Lauzière, concertmaster; Ann<br />
Baggley, narrator; Evan Mitchell, conductor.<br />
Centre in the Square, 101 Queen St. N., Kitchener.<br />
519-745-4711 or 1-888-745-4717. $18;<br />
$11(child).<br />
●●7:30: Barrie Concerts. Liszt’s Twelve Colossal<br />
Transcendental Études. Sheng Cai, piano.<br />
Hi-Way Pentecostal Church, 50 Anne St. N.,<br />
Barrie. 705-726-1181. $85.<br />
●●7:30: Niagara Symphony Orchestra.<br />
Honey and Rue. Wagner: Siegfried Idyll; Previn:<br />
Honey and Rue; Ravel: Mother Goose<br />
(complete ballet). Claire de Sévigné, soprano;<br />
Bradley Thahuck, conductor. FirstOntario<br />
Performing Arts Centre, 250 St. Paul St.,<br />
St. Catharines. 905-688-0722 or 1-855-515-<br />
0722. $67; $62(sr); $32(30 and under); $12(st/<br />
arts/child); $5(eyeGO). Also Jan 21(2:30pm).<br />
●●8:00: Kitchener-Waterloo Chamber Music<br />
Society. Capella Intima. Program TBA. Sheila<br />
Dietrich, soprano; Jennifer Enns Modolo,<br />
mezzo; Bud Roach, tenor; David Roth, baritone.<br />
KWCMS Music Room, 57 Young St. W.,<br />
Waterloo. 519-886-1673. $35; $20(st).<br />
●●8:00: Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony.<br />
Casablanca: The Film with Live Orchestra.<br />
Evan Mitchell, conductor. Centre in the<br />
Square, 101 Queen St. N., Kitchener. 519-745-<br />
4711 or 1-888-745-4717. $19-$86. Also Jan 19.<br />
Sunday <strong>January</strong> 21<br />
●●2:30: Isabel Bader Centre for the Performing<br />
Arts. Faculty Artist Series: Marjan<br />
Mozetich Retirement Concert. Mozetich: Bassoon<br />
Concerto; and other works. Katie Leger,<br />
bassoon. 390 King St. W., Kingston. 613-533-<br />
2424. $10-$28.<br />
●●2:30: Niagara Symphony Orchestra.<br />
Honey and Rue. Wagner: Siegfried Idyll; Previn:<br />
Honey and Rue; Ravel: Mother Goose<br />
(complete ballet). Claire de Sévigné, soprano;<br />
Bradley Thahuck, conductor. FirstOntario<br />
Performing Arts Centre, 250 St. Paul St.,<br />
St. Catharines. 905-688-0722 or 1-855-515-<br />
0722. $67; $62(sr); $32(30 and under); $12(st/<br />
arts/child); $5(eyeGO). Also Jan 20(7:30pm).<br />
●●4:30: Music At St. Thomas’. A Clarinet<br />
and Bassoon Duo Concert. Works by Bach,<br />
Beethoven, Poulenc and Koechlin. François<br />
Laurin-Burgess, clarinet; Antoine Saint-Onge,<br />
bassoon. St. Thomas’ Anglican Church (Belleville),<br />
201 Church St., Belleville. 613-962-<br />
3636. Admission by donation.<br />
Tuesday <strong>January</strong> <strong>23</strong><br />
●●12:00 noon: Marilyn I. Walker School of<br />
Fine and Performing Arts, Brock University.<br />
RBC Foundation Music@Noon. Timothy White,<br />
trumpet; Lesley Kingham, piano. Cairns Hall,<br />
FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre, 250 St.<br />
Paul St., St. Catharines. 905-688-0722. Free.<br />
Wednesday <strong>January</strong> 24<br />
●●8:00: Kitchener-Waterloo Chamber<br />
Music Society. Mauro Bertoli, Piano and<br />
Lucia Luque, Violin. Beethoven: Romance in F;<br />
Franck: Sonata; Schumann: Sonata No.1; Piazzolla:<br />
Gran Tango; Sarasate: Carmen Fantasy.<br />
KWCMS Music Room, 57 Young St. W., Waterloo.<br />
519-886-1673. $30; $20(st).<br />
Friday <strong>January</strong> 26<br />
●●7:30: Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and<br />
Performing Arts, Brock University. Encore!<br />
Professional Concert Series: Jump. Guy Few,<br />
trumpet and piano; Stephanie Mara, piano.<br />
Partridge Hall, FirstOntario Performing Arts<br />
Centre, 250 St. Paul St., St. Catharines.<br />
905-688-0722 or 1-855-515-0722. $28.50;<br />
$22.50(sr/st); $12.50(child); $5(eyeGo).<br />
●●8:00: Don Wright Faculty of Music. Pirates<br />
of Penzance. Music by Sir Arthur Sullivan.<br />
Libretto by W.S. Gilbert. Tyrone Paterson,<br />
music director; Theodore Baerg, stage director.<br />
First-St. Andrew’s United Church,<br />
350 Queens Ave, London. 519-672-8800. $30;<br />
$20(sr/st). Also Jan 27, Feb 2, 3(all at 8pm),<br />
4(2pm).<br />
Saturday <strong>January</strong> 27<br />
DOVER<br />
QUARTET<br />
SATURDAY, JANUARY 27<br />
2:00 p.m.<br />
CHAMBER<br />
MUSIC<br />
HAMILTON.CA<br />
●●2:00: Chamber Music Hamilton. Dover<br />
String Quartet. Schumann: String Quartet<br />
No.2 in F major Op.41 No.2; Ullmann: String<br />
Quartet No.3; Zemlinsky: String Quartet No.2.<br />
Art Gallery of Hamilton, 1<strong>23</strong> King St. W., Hamilton.<br />
905-525-7429. $35; $30(sr); $15(st).<br />
●●2:30: Kingston Symphony. Rachmaninoff<br />
and Beethoven. Wagner: Prelude to<br />
Act 1 of Lohengrin; Rachmaninoff: Piano Concerto<br />
No.3; Beethoven: Symphony No.5. Avan<br />
Yu, piano. Isabel Bader Centre for the Performing<br />
Arts, 390 King St. W., Kingston. 613-<br />
530-2050. From $10. Also Jan 28.<br />
●●7:00: Wilfrid Laurier University Faculty of<br />
Music. Laurier Choirs. First United Church<br />
(Waterloo), 16 William St. W., Waterloo. 519-<br />
884-1970 x2432. $15; $8(sr/st).<br />
●●8:00: Don Wright Faculty of Music. Pirates<br />
of Penzance. See Jan 26 for details.<br />
Sunday <strong>January</strong> 28<br />
●●2:30: Kingston Symphony. Rachmaninoff<br />
and Beethoven. Wagner: Prelude to<br />
Act 1 of Lohengrin; Rachmaninoff: Piano Concerto<br />
No.3; Beethoven: Symphony No.5. Avan<br />
Yu, piano. Isabel Bader Centre for the Performing<br />
Arts, 390 King St. W., Kingston. 613-<br />
530-2050. From $10. Also Jan 27.<br />
●●3:00: Dundas Valley Orchestra. Afternoon<br />
at the Opera. Rossini: Overture to La<br />
gazza ladra; Handel (arr. A. Luck): Largo from<br />
Xerxes; Gounod: Que fais-tu blanche tourterelle<br />
from Roméo et Juliette; Puccini: Quando<br />
m’en vo from La bohème; Weber: Overture<br />
to Oberon; and other works. Tessa Victoria<br />
Laengert, soprano; Rebecca Cuddy, mezzo;<br />
Dundas Celebration Singers; Laura Thomas,<br />
music director. St. Paul’s United Church (Dundas),<br />
29 Park St. W., Dundas. 905-387-4773.<br />
Free; donations welcome.<br />
●●7:00: Wilfrid Laurier University Faculty<br />
of Music. Laurier Jazz Ensemble. Maureen<br />
62 | <strong>December</strong> 1, <strong>2017</strong> - February 7, <strong>2018</strong> thewholenote.com
Forrester Recital Hall, 75 University Ave.,<br />
Waterloo. 519-884-1970 x2432. $15; $8(sr/st).<br />
Tuesday <strong>January</strong> 30<br />
●●12:00 noon: Marilyn I. Walker School of<br />
Fine and Performing Arts, Brock University.<br />
RBC Foundation Music@Noon. Zoltan Kalman,<br />
clarinet; Erika Reiman, piano. Cairns Hall,<br />
FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre, 250 St.<br />
Paul St., St. Catharines. 905-688-0722. Free.<br />
Thursday February 1<br />
●●12:00 noon: Wilfrid Laurier University<br />
Faculty of Music. Music at Noon. Faculty<br />
Woodwinds. Maureen Forrester Recital Hall,<br />
75 University Ave., Waterloo. 519-884-1970<br />
x2432. Free.<br />
●●8:00: Kitchener-Waterloo Chamber Music<br />
Society. Composers & Improvisers Association,<br />
WLU Faculty of Music. Student composers<br />
and performers (woodwind quintet<br />
and flute/piano duo). KWCMS Music Room,<br />
57 Young St. W., Waterloo. 519-886-1673.<br />
$15; $10(st).<br />
Friday February 2<br />
●●8:00: Don Wright Faculty of Music. Pirates<br />
of Penzance. See Jan 26 for details.<br />
●●8:00: Jeffery Concerts. Stories from Russia.<br />
Mendelssohn: Quartet in D Op.44, No.1;<br />
Janáček: String Quartet No.1 “Kreutzer<br />
Sonata”; Beethoven: Quartet in F Op.59 No.1<br />
“Razumovsky”. Calidore String Quartet. Wolf<br />
Performance Hall, 251 Dundas St., London.<br />
519-672-8800. $40.<br />
Saturday February 3<br />
●●2:30: Niagara Symphony Orchestra. Fun<br />
with Fables. Maltz: Aesop’s Fables; Dorff: Goldilocks<br />
and the Three Bears; Woods: The Ugly<br />
Duckling. Bradley Thachuk, conductor. Cairns<br />
Hall, FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre,<br />
250 St. Paul St., St. Catharines. 905-688-<br />
0722 or 1-855-515-0722. $67; $62(sr); $32(30<br />
and under); $12(st/arts/child); $5(eyeGO).<br />
Also Feb 4.<br />
●●7:30: Peterborough Symphony Orchestra.<br />
Paris Bustle and Blues. Ravel: Ma mère<br />
l’oye and Bolero; Gershwin: An American in<br />
Paris and Rhapsody in Blue. Anastasia Rizikov,<br />
piano; Michael Newnham, conductor. Showplace<br />
Performance Centre, 290 George St.<br />
N., Peterborough. 705-742-7469. $20-$48.50;<br />
$10(st).<br />
●●8:00: Don Wright Faculty of Music. Pirates<br />
of Penzance. See Jan 26 for details.<br />
●●8:00: Wilfrid Laurier University Faculty<br />
of Music. Laurier Wind Orchestra. Wilfrid<br />
Laurier University, Theatre Auditorium,<br />
75 University Ave. W., Waterloo. 519-884-1970<br />
x2432. $15; $8(sr/st).<br />
Sunday February 4<br />
●●2:00: Don Wright Faculty of Music. Pirates<br />
of Penzance. See Jan 26 for details.<br />
●●2:30: Niagara Symphony Orchestra. Fun<br />
with Fables. Maltz: Aesop’s Fables; Dorff: Goldilocks<br />
and the Three Bears; Woods: The Ugly<br />
Duckling. Bradley Thachuk, conductor. Cairns<br />
Hall, FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre,<br />
250 St. Paul St., St. Catharines. 905-688-<br />
0722 or 1-855-515-0722. $67; $62(sr); $32(30<br />
and under); $12(st/arts/child); $5(eyeGO).<br />
Also Feb 3.<br />
Monday February 5<br />
●●8:00: Kitchener-Waterloo Chamber Music<br />
Society. Ensemble Made in Canada. Brahms:<br />
Clarinet Quintet; and other works. Elissa Lee,<br />
violin; Sharon Wei, viola; Rachel Mercer,cello;<br />
Angela Park, piano; Dionysis Grammenos,<br />
clarinet. KWCMS Music Room, 57 Young St.<br />
W., Waterloo. 519-886-1673. $40; $25(st).<br />
Tuesday February 6<br />
●●12:00 noon: Marilyn I. Walker School of<br />
Fine and Performing Arts, Brock University.<br />
RBC Foundation Music@Noon. Voice students.<br />
Cairns Hall, FirstOntario Performing<br />
Arts Centre, 250 St. Paul St., St. Catharines.<br />
905-688-0722. Free.<br />
Wednesday February 7<br />
●●8:00: Kitchener-Waterloo Chamber Music<br />
Society. Katie Schlajker, Cello and Heather<br />
Taves, Piano. Schumann: Fantasiestücke<br />
Op.73; Adagio and Allegro Op.70; Gesänge der<br />
Frühe, Op.133 (piano solo); 5 Stücke im Volkston,<br />
Op.102; and other works. KWCMS Music<br />
Room, 57 Young St. W., Waterloo. 519-886-<br />
1673. $30; $20(st).<br />
●●8:00: Wilfrid Laurier University Faculty<br />
of Music. Student Composer Series. Maureen<br />
Forrester Recital Hall, 75 University Ave.,<br />
Waterloo. 519-884-1970 x2432. Free.<br />
C. Music Theatre<br />
These music theatre listings contain a wide range of music theatre types including<br />
opera, operetta, musicals and other performance genres where music and drama<br />
combine. Listings in this section are sorted alphabetically by presenter.<br />
●●Against the Grain Theatre. Bound. Music<br />
by George Frideric Handel, libretto by Joel<br />
Ivany. COC Jackman Studio, 227 Front St. E.<br />
647-367-8943. $35. Opens Dec 14, 8pm. Runs<br />
to Dec 16. Thurs/Fri(8pm), Sat(6pm/9pm).<br />
●●Alexander Showcase Theatre. A Musical<br />
Celebration! A 30th anniversary cabaret. Alumnae<br />
Theatre, 70 Berkeley St. 416-324-1259. $30-<br />
$50. Opens Dec 9, 8pm. Also Dec 10(2pm).<br />
●●Annex Singers. <strong>December</strong> Diaries: A<br />
Choral Drama. Jane Mallett Theatre, St Lawrence<br />
Centre for the Arts, 27 Front St E.<br />
416-968-7747. $35; $25(sr/st). Opens Dec 9,<br />
7:30pm. Also Dec 10(3pm).<br />
New Year’s Eve • 7:00 pm<br />
Tickets: 416.872.4255<br />
roythomsonhall.com<br />
Opera Stars,<br />
Chorus & Orchestra<br />
Roy Thomson Hall<br />
●●Attila Glatz Concert Productions/Roy<br />
Thomson Hall. Bravissimo! Opera’s Greatest<br />
Hits. Selections from Così fan tutte, Madama<br />
Butterfly, Rigoletto, Don Giovanni, Tosca and<br />
others. Barbara Bargnesi and Francesca<br />
Sassu, sopranos; Carolyn Sproule, mezzo;<br />
David Pomeroy, tenor; Massimo Cavalletti,<br />
baritone. Roy Thomson Hall, 60 Simcoe St.<br />
416-872-4255. from $55. Dec 31, 7pm.<br />
●●Burlington Performing Arts Centre. A<br />
Night at The Opera. Act II music from Bizet’s<br />
Carmen. Julie Nesrallah, mezzo; Lauren Margison,<br />
soprano; Richard Margison, tenor;<br />
Gary Relyea, bass-baritone; Robert Kortgaard,<br />
piano. Burlington Performing Arts<br />
Centre, Main Theatre, 440 Locust St., Burlington.<br />
905-681-6000. $69.50. Feb 3, 8pm.<br />
●●Canadian Opera Company. The Magic Victrola.<br />
Libretto by David Kersnar and Jacqueline<br />
Russell. Works by Bizet, Mozart, Puccini<br />
and others. Members of the COC’s Ensemble<br />
Studio; Ashlie Corcoran, director. Richard<br />
Bradshaw Amphitheatre, Four Seasons Centre<br />
for the Performing Arts, 145 Queen St.<br />
W. 416-363-8<strong>23</strong>1. $30; free(children under<br />
12), Maximum of 2 free children’s tickets for<br />
each adult ticket sold. Additional children’s<br />
tickets $10. Dec 2, 11am. Also Dec 2(1:30pm);<br />
Dec 3(10:30am and 1:30pm).<br />
●●Canadian Opera Company. Vocal Series:<br />
Wirth Vocal Prize Showcase. Simone<br />
McIntosh, mezzo. Richard Bradshaw Amphitheatre,<br />
Four Seasons Centre for the Performing<br />
Arts, 145 Queen St. W. 416-363-8<strong>23</strong>1.<br />
Free. First-come, first-served. Late seating<br />
not available. Dec 5, 12pm.<br />
RIGOLETTO<br />
VERDI<br />
JAN 20 –<br />
FEB <strong>23</strong><br />
coc.ca<br />
●●Canadian Opera Company. Rigoletto.<br />
Music by Giuseppe Verdi, libretto by Francesco<br />
Maria Piave. Four Seasons Centre for<br />
the Performing Arts, 145 Queen St. W. 416-<br />
363-8<strong>23</strong>1. $35-$225. Opens Jan 20, 7:30pm.<br />
Runs to Feb <strong>23</strong>. Days and times vary, visit coc.<br />
ca for details.<br />
●●Canadian Opera Company. The Abduction<br />
from the Seraglio. Music by Wolfgang Amadeus<br />
Mozart, libretto by Christoph Friedrich<br />
Bretzner with adaptations by Gottlieb Stephanie.<br />
Four Seasons Centre for the Performing<br />
Arts, 145 Queen St. W. 416-363-8<strong>23</strong>1. $35-<br />
$225. Opens Feb 7, 7:30pm. Runs to Feb 24.<br />
Days and times vary, visit coc.ca for details.<br />
MOZART THE<br />
ABDUCTION<br />
FROM THE<br />
SERAGLIO<br />
FEB 2 – 25<br />
coc.ca<br />
●●Cathedral Bluffs Symphony Orchestra.<br />
Subscription Concert #2. Humperdinck: Hansel<br />
and Gretel. Tryptych Concert & Opera.<br />
P.C. Ho Theatre, Chinese Cultural Centre<br />
of Greater Toronto, 5183 Sheppard Ave. E.,<br />
Scarborough. 416-879-5566. $35 and up;<br />
$30(sr/st); free(under 12). 7:15pm: Pre-concert<br />
talk. Dec 9, 8pm. Also Dec 10(2pm).<br />
●●Civic Light Opera Company. The Wizard<br />
of Oz. Music, lyrics and book by Joe Cascone<br />
and James P. Doyle, based on the film. Zion<br />
Cultural Centre, 1650 Finch Ave. E. 416-755-<br />
1717. $28. Opens Nov 29, 7pm. Runs to Dec 10.<br />
Wed (7pm), Thurs-Sat(8pm), Sun(2pm). Note:<br />
extra show Dec 9, 2pm.<br />
thewholenote.com <strong>December</strong> 1, <strong>2017</strong> - February 7, <strong>2018</strong> | 63
●●Coal Mine Theatre. Rumours, by Fleetwood<br />
Mac: A Coal Mine Concert. Coal Mine Theatre,<br />
1454 Danforth Ave. coalminetheatre.com.<br />
$45. Opens Feb 4, 7:30pm. Runs to Feb 25.<br />
Tues-Sat(7:30pm), Sun(2pm).<br />
●●Crow’s Theatre. A&R Angels. Created<br />
by Kevin Drew. Streetcar Crowsnest,<br />
345 Carlaw Ave. 647-341-7390. $20-$50.<br />
Opens Nov 20, 8pm. Runs to Dec 9. Mon-<br />
Sat(8pm), Wed/Sat(2pm). Note: no matinee<br />
Nov 22.<br />
●●Dancyn Productions. Aladdin: A Panto in<br />
One Arabian Night. Regent Theatre, 50 King<br />
St. E., Oshawa. 905-721-3399. $29. Opens<br />
Dec 28, 7pm. Runs to Dec 31. Thurs-Sat(7pm),<br />
Sat/Sun(1pm).<br />
●●Drayton Entertainment. Kings and<br />
Queens of Country. Featuring hits of early<br />
country music. St. Jacob’s Schoolhouse<br />
Theatre, 11 Albert St. W., St. Jacob’s. 1-855-<br />
372-9866. $27-$46. Opens Sep 19, 2pm.<br />
Runs to Dec 24. Tues-Thurs/Sat/Sun(2pm),<br />
Thurs-Sat(7:30pm).<br />
●●Drayton Entertainment. Beauty and the<br />
Beast. Music by Alan Menken, lyrics by Howard<br />
Ashman and Tim Rice, book by Linda<br />
Woolverton. Dunfield Theatre Cambridge,<br />
46 Grand Ave. S., Cambridge. 1-855-372-<br />
9866. $27-$46. Opens Nov 22, 2pm. Runs<br />
to Dec 31. Wed/Thurs/Sat(2pm), Thurs-<br />
Sat(7:30pm), Sun(1pm/7pm). Note: extra<br />
shows Dec 19&27, 7:30pm. Note: no mat<br />
Dec 20, no eve Dec 24&31.<br />
●●Drayton Entertainment. Honk. Music by<br />
George Stiles, lyrics and book by Anthony<br />
Drewe. St. Jacobs Country Playhouse,<br />
40 Benjamin Rd. E., Waterloo. 1-855-372-<br />
9866. $27-$46. Opens Nov 29, 10:30am. Runs<br />
to Dec 24. Wed(10:30am), Thurs/Sat(2pm),<br />
Thurs-Sat(7:30pm), Sun(11:30am/4pm). Note:<br />
extra shows Dec 12, 19(10:30am). Note: no<br />
eve show Dec 14. Note: Dec 24 show is at 1pm.<br />
●●Dreamtheatre Productions. My Fair<br />
Lady. Music by Frederick Loewe, lyrics and<br />
book by Alan Jay Lerner. Michael Power/St.<br />
Joseph Secondary School, 105 Eringate Dr.<br />
dreamtheatreproudctions.com. $30. Opens<br />
Jan 18, 7:30pm. Runs to Jan 20.<br />
●●Dundas Valley Orchestra. Afternoon at<br />
the Opera. St. Paul’s United Church (Dundas),<br />
29 Park St. W., Dundas. 905-387-4773. Free;<br />
donations welcome. Jan 28, 3pm.<br />
●●Factory Theatre/b current performing<br />
arts. Trace. Written, composed and performed<br />
by Jeff Ho. Nina Lee Aquino, director.<br />
Factory Studio Theatre, 125 Bathurst St. 416-<br />
504-9971. $20-$50. Opens Nov 11, 8pm. Runs<br />
to Dec 3. Tues-Sat(8pm), Sun(2pm).<br />
●●First-St. Andrew’s United Church. The Gift<br />
of the Magi. Music by David Conte, libretto<br />
by Nicholas Giardini. First-St. Andrew’s<br />
United Church, 350 Queens Ave, Waterloo.<br />
519-679-8182. $20. Opens Dec 8, 8pm. Also<br />
Dec 9(3pm).<br />
●●Grand Theatre. A Christmas Carol.<br />
Adapted for the stage by Dennis Garnhum.<br />
Music by Jeremy Spencer. Grand Theatre,<br />
471 Richmond St, London. 519-672-8800.<br />
$29.95-$88. Opens Nov 28, 7:30pm. Runs to<br />
Dec 30. Tues-Sat(7:30pm), Sat/Sun(1pm).<br />
Note: extra shows Dec 6, 27(1pm). Note: no<br />
show Dec 21.<br />
●●Irregular Entertainment. Grease -- The<br />
Musical. Music, lyrics and book by Jim Jacobs<br />
and Warren Casey. Winter Garden Theatre,<br />
189 Yonge St. 1-855-985-5000. $29-$159.<br />
C. Music Theatre<br />
Opens Nov 1, 1:30pm. Runs to Dec 10. Tues-<br />
Sat(7:30pm), Wed/Sat/Sun(1:30pm).<br />
●●Jaybird Productions. Cabaret. Music by<br />
John Kander, lyrics by Fred Ebb, book by Joe<br />
Masteroff. Al Green Theatre, 640 Spadina<br />
Rd. jaybirdproductions.ca. $30-$50. Opens<br />
Nov 30, 8pm. Runs to Dec 2. Thurs/Fri(8pm),<br />
Sat(2pm).<br />
●●Lower Ossington Theatre. Buddy Holly<br />
Winter Concert. Featuring Zachary Stevenson<br />
performing Buddy Holly hits. Randolph<br />
Theatre, 736 Bathurst St. 1-888-324-6282.<br />
$39.99. Opens Dec 12, 7:30pm. Also Dec 13, 14.<br />
●●Lower Ossington Theatre. Annie. Music<br />
by Charles Strouse, lyrics by Martin Charnin,<br />
book by Thomas Meehan. Randolph Theatre,<br />
736 Bathurst St. 1-888-324-6282.<br />
$49.99-$64.99. Opens Dec 8, 7:30pm. Runs<br />
to Jan 14. Fri/Sat(7:30pm), Sat(3:30pm),<br />
Sun(12pm/4pm). Note: no 4pm show on<br />
Dec 31. Note: extra show Jan 4(2pm).<br />
●●Mainstage Theatre Company. The Addams<br />
Family. Music and lyrics by Andrew Lippa,<br />
book by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice,<br />
based on characters created by Charles<br />
Addams. Papermill Theatre, Todmorden Mills,<br />
67 Pottery Rd. 416-396-2819. $35; $20(st).<br />
Opens Dec 15, 7:30pm. Runs to Dec 17. Fri/<br />
Sat(7:30pm), Sat/Sun(2pm).<br />
●●Marigon Productions/Next Stage Theatre<br />
Festival. Rumspringa Break. Music by<br />
Colleen Dauncy, lyrics by Akiva Romer-Segal,<br />
book by Matt Murray. Factory Theatre Mainspace,<br />
125 Bathurst Ave. info@colleenandakiva.com.<br />
$15. Opens Jan 4, 9:15pm. Runs<br />
to Jan 14. Days and times vary. Visit fringetoronto.com<br />
for details.<br />
●●Mirvish. Bat Out of Hell: The Musical.<br />
Music, lyrics and book by Jim Steinman. Ed<br />
Mirvish Theatre, 244 Victoria St. 416-872-1212.<br />
$29-$139. Opens Oct 14, 8pm. Runs to Jan 7.<br />
Tues-Sat(8pm), Wed(1:30pm), Sat/Sun(2pm).<br />
Note: no show Dec 26. Note: Extra show<br />
Dec 28(1:30pm).<br />
●●Mirvish. Dr Seuss’s The Lorax. Music<br />
and lyrics by Charlie Fink, adapted for the<br />
stage by David Greig. Royal Alexandra Theatre,<br />
260 King St. W. 416-872-1212. $59-$165.<br />
Opens Dec 9, 7:30pm. Runs to Jan 21. Tues-<br />
Sat(7:30pm), Wed/Sat/Sun(1:30pm). Note:<br />
also Dec 14&28(1:30pm).<br />
●●Mirvish. Million Dollar Quartet. Features<br />
music of Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl<br />
Perkins, and Elvis Presley. Panasonic Theatre,<br />
651 Yonge St. 416-872-1212. $59-$89. Opens<br />
Dec 12, 8pm. Runs to Jan 7. Tues-Sat(8pm),<br />
Wed(1:30pm), Sat/Sun(2pm).<br />
●●National Ballet of Canada. The Nutcracker.<br />
Music by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, with<br />
libretto by James Kudelka. James Kudelka,<br />
choreographer. Four Seasons Centre for the<br />
Performing Arts, 145 Queen St. W. 416-345-<br />
9595. $39-$190. Opens Dec 9, 2pm. Runs to<br />
Dec 30. Days and times vary. Visit national.<br />
ballet.ca for details.<br />
●●Nocturnes in the City. Highlights from<br />
Czech and World Operas. John Holland, baritone;<br />
Danielle Dudycha, soprano; William<br />
Shookhoff, piano. St. Wenceslaus Church,<br />
496 Gladstone Ave. 416-481-7294. $25;<br />
$15(st). Jan 21, 5pm.<br />
●●Onstage Uxbridge. Oklahoma! Music by<br />
Richard Rodgers, lyrics and book by Oscar<br />
Hammerstein II. Uxbridge Music Hall, 16 Main<br />
St. S., Uxbridge. onstageuxbridge.com.<br />
$24. Opens Jan 18, 7:30pm. Runs to Jan 27.<br />
Thurs-Sat(7:30pm), Sat/Sun(2pm).<br />
●●Opera by Request. Salome. Music and<br />
libretto by Richard Strauss. William Shookhoff,<br />
piano and conductor. College Street<br />
United Church, 452 College St. 416-455-<strong>23</strong>65.<br />
$20. Jan 20, 7:30pm.<br />
●●Podium Concert Productions. Nine (in<br />
concert). Music and lyrics by Maury Yeston,<br />
book by Arthur Kopit. Trinity St. Paul’s Centre<br />
for the Arts, 427 Bloor St. W. 647-800-<br />
4745. $39-$89. Opens Jan 12(7:30pm). Also<br />
Jan 13(2pm/7:30pm).<br />
●●Port Hope Festival Theatre. Robin Hood:<br />
The Panto. Written, directed and visual<br />
effects by Antonio Sarmiento. Cameco Capitol<br />
Arts Centre, 20 Queen St., Port Hope. 1-800-<br />
434-5092. $27-$35. Opens Nov 16, 7pm. Runs<br />
to Dec <strong>23</strong>. Days and times vary. Visit<br />
capitoltheatre.com for details.<br />
●●Randolph Academy. Moll. Music and lyrics<br />
by Leslie Arden, book by Leslie Arden and<br />
Cathy Eliot with Anna T. Cascio. Annex Theatre,<br />
736 Bathurst St. 416-924-2243. $22.<br />
Opens Nov 28, 8pm. Runs to Dec 2. Tues-<br />
Sat(8pm), Sat(2pm).<br />
●●Ross Petty Productions. A Christmas<br />
Carol. Tracey Flye, director/choreographer.<br />
Elgin Theatre, 189 Yonge St. 1-855-599-9090.<br />
$27-$99. Opens Nov 24, 7pm. Runs to Dec 31.<br />
Days and times vary. Visit rosspetty.com for<br />
details.<br />
●●Shaw Festival. A Christmas Carol. Adapted<br />
for the stage by Tim Carroll. Paul Sportelli,<br />
music director. Royal George Theatre,<br />
85 Queen St, Niagara on the Lake. 1-800-511-<br />
7429. $30-$50. Opens Nov 15, 1pm. Runs to<br />
Dec <strong>23</strong>. Days and times vary. Visit shawfest.<br />
com for details.<br />
●●Soulpepper Concert Series. A Very Soulpepper<br />
Christmas. A family concert celebrating<br />
the sounds of the season from around<br />
the globe. Mike Ross, music director. St.<br />
Lawrence Centre for the Arts: Jane Mallett<br />
Theatre. 27 Front St E. 416-866-8666. $25-<br />
$70. Opens Dec 15, 8pm. Runs to Dec 17. Fri/<br />
Sat(8pm), Sat/Sun(2pm).<br />
ON STAGE JANUARY 10, <strong>2018</strong><br />
PETER SHAFFER<br />
AMADEUS<br />
TICKETS START AT $35<br />
● ● Soulpepper. Amadeus. By Peter Shaffer.<br />
Directed by Albert Schultz. Baillie Theatre,<br />
Young Centre for the Performing Arts,<br />
50 Tank House Lane, Distillery Historic District.<br />
416-866-8666. Tickets from $35. Jan 10,<br />
7:30pm to Feb 10, 7:30pm.<br />
●●Scarborough Music Theatre. The Addams<br />
Family. Music and lyrics by Andrew Lippa,<br />
book by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice,<br />
based on characters created by Charles<br />
Addams. Scarborough Village Community<br />
Centre, 3600 Kingston Rd. 416-267-9292. $30;<br />
$27(sr/st); $25(ch). Opens Feb 1, 8pm. Runs<br />
to Feb 17. Thurs-Sat(8pm), Sun(2pm). Note:<br />
Feb 17 show at 2pm.<br />
●●Southern Ontario Lyric Opera. Encore.<br />
Favourite opera arias. Burlington Performing<br />
Arts Centre, 440 Locust St., Burlington. 905-<br />
681-6000. $20-$65. Jan 13, 7:30pm.<br />
RUDDIGORE<br />
<strong>January</strong> 26-28<br />
February 1-4<br />
●●St. Anne’s Music & Drama Society. Ruddigore,<br />
or The Witch’s Curse. Music by Arthur<br />
Sullivan, lyrics by W. S. Gilbert. St. Anne’s Parish<br />
Hall, 651 Dufferin St. 416-922-4415. $27;<br />
$22(sr/st). Opens Jan 26, 7:30pm. Runs to<br />
Feb 4. Thurs/Fri(7:30pm), Sat/Sun(2pm). Also<br />
Jan 27 at 7:30pm.<br />
●●Talk is Free Theatre. Candide (A Satirical<br />
Musical). Music by Leonard Bernstein, lyrics<br />
by Richard Wilbur, John Latouche and Stephen<br />
Sondheim, book by Hugh Wheeler. Mady<br />
Centre for the Performing Arts, 1 Dunlop St.<br />
W., Barrie. 705-792-1949. $37.50-$40.80.<br />
Opens Nov <strong>23</strong>, 7:30pm. Runs to Dec 2. Wed/<br />
Thurs(7:30pm), Fri/Sat(8pm), Sat(2pm).<br />
●●Tapestry Opera. Tapestry Briefs: Winter<br />
Shorts. Jacqueline Woodley, soprano; Erica<br />
Iris, mezzo; Keith Klassen, tenor; Alex Dobson,<br />
baritone; Artists of the 2016 Composer-<br />
Librettist Laboratory. Dancemakers Studio,<br />
Distillery Historic District, 9 Trinity St. 416-<br />
537-6066. From $25. Opens Dec 1(8pm). Runs<br />
to Dec 3. Fri/Sat(8pm), Sun(4pm).<br />
●●Tarragon Theatre. Mr. Shi and His Lover.<br />
Music by Njo Kong Kie, libretto by Kjo Kong Kie<br />
and Wong Teng Chi. Tarragon Theatre Mainspace,<br />
30 Bridgman Ave. 416-531-1827. $55;<br />
$49(sr); $29(st). Opens Nov 15, 8pm. Runs<br />
to Dec 17. Tues-Sat(8pm), Wed(1:30pm), Sat/<br />
Sun(2:30pm).<br />
●●Tarragon Theatre. Hamlet. Written by William<br />
Shakespeare, music by Thomas Ryder<br />
Payne. Richard Rose, stage director. Tarragon<br />
Theatre Mainspace, 30 Bridgman Ave.<br />
416-531-1827. $55; $49(sr); $29(st). Previews<br />
begin Jan 2, 8pm. Runs to Feb 11. Tues-<br />
Sat(8pm), Wed(1:30pm), Sat/Sun(2:30pm).<br />
●●Theatre Ancaster. Annie. Music by Charles<br />
Strouse, lyrics by Martin Charnin, book by<br />
Thomas Meehan. Ancaster High School,<br />
64 | <strong>December</strong> 1, <strong>2017</strong> - February 7, <strong>2018</strong> thewholenote.com
374 Jerseyville Rd, Ancaster. 905-304-7469.<br />
$32; $27(sr); $17(st). Opens Nov 17, 7:30pm.<br />
Runs to Dec 2. Fri-Sat(7:30pm), Sun(1:30pm).<br />
Note: Extra show Nov 25 at 1:30pm.<br />
●●Theatre Aquarius. Joseph and the Amazing<br />
Technicolour Dreamcoat. Music by Andrew<br />
Lloyd Webber, lyrics by Tim Rice. Theatre<br />
Aquarius, 190 King William St, Hamilton. 905-<br />
522-7529. $40 and up. Opens Nov 29, 7pm.<br />
Runs to Dec 24. Tues-Sat(7pm), Sat/Sun(1pm).<br />
●●Theatre Aurora. If/Then. Music by Tom<br />
Kitt, lyrics by Brian Yorkey. Theatre Aurora,<br />
150 Henderson Dr, Aurora. 905-727-3669.<br />
$25; $<strong>23</strong>(sr at box office); $10(st at box<br />
office). Opens Jan 25, 8pm. Runs to Feb 3.<br />
Thurs-Sat(8pm), Sun(2pm).<br />
●●Theatre Orangeville. The Last Christmas<br />
Turkey, The Musical. Music and lyrics by Clive<br />
VanderBurgh, book by Dan Needles. Orangeville<br />
Town Hall Opera House, 87 Broadway,<br />
Orangeville. 519-942-34<strong>23</strong>. $36. Opens<br />
Nov 30, 8pm. Runs to Dec <strong>23</strong>. Days and times<br />
vary. Visit theatreorangeville.ca for details.<br />
●●Theatre Passe Muraille. The Tale of a Town<br />
- Canada. Created, directed, and performed<br />
by Lisa Marie DiLiberto and Charles Ketchabaw.<br />
Theatre Passe Muraille Mainspace,<br />
16 Ryerson Ave. 416-504-7529. $17-$38.<br />
Opens Dec 13, 7:30pm. Runs to Dec 17. Wed-<br />
Sat(7:30pm), Sat/Sun(2pm).<br />
●●Theatre Sheridan. Trap Door. Music and<br />
lyrics by Anika Johnson and Britta Johnson,<br />
book and additional lyrics by Morris Panych.<br />
Macdonald-Heaslip Hall, 1430 Trafalgar Rd,<br />
Oakville. 905-815-4049. $25. Opens Nov 28,<br />
7:30pm. Runs to Dec 10. Tues-Thur(7:30pm), Fri-<br />
Sat(8pm), Sat/Sun(2pm). Note: no show Dec 3.<br />
●●Theatre Sheridan. Into the Woods. Music<br />
and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, book by<br />
James Lapine. Studio Theatre, 1430 Trafalgar<br />
Rd, Oakville. 905-815-4049. $25. Opens<br />
Nov 30, 7:30pm. Runs to Dec 9. Tues-<br />
Sat(7:30pm), Sat(2pm).<br />
●●Theatre Unlimited Performing Arts.<br />
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour<br />
Dreamcoat. Music by Andrew Lloyd Webber,<br />
lyrics by Tim Rice. Meadowvale Theatre,<br />
6315 Montevideo Rd, Mississauga. 905-615-<br />
4720. $30; $28(sr/st). Opens Jan 19, 8pm.<br />
Runs to Jan 28. Thurs-Sat(8pm), Sun(2pm).<br />
Note: extra performance Jan 27 at 2pm.<br />
●●Toronto Masque Theatre Salon Series.<br />
Peace on Earth: A Christmas Salon. The<br />
Atrium, 21 Shaftesbury Ave. 416-410-4561.<br />
$25. Opens Dec 17(7:30pm). Also Dec 18.<br />
Tonatiuh Abrego<br />
Vania Chan<br />
by Leonard Bernstein<br />
Derek Bate<br />
Conductor<br />
Guillermo Silva-Marin<br />
Stage Director<br />
Dec. 28<br />
to Jan.7<br />
torontooperetta.com<br />
●●Toronto Operetta Theatre. Candide. Music<br />
by Leonard Bernstein. Tonatiuh Abrego,<br />
tenor; Vania Chan, soprano; Elizabeth Beeler,<br />
soprano; Cian Horrobin, tenor; Derek Bate,<br />
conductor. St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts,<br />
27 Front St. E. 416-366-77<strong>23</strong>. $49-$95. Opens<br />
Dec 28, 8pm. Runs to Jan 7. Days and times<br />
vary. Visit torontooperetta.com<br />
●●Torrent Productions. Pinocchio: A Merry<br />
Magical Pantomime. Royal Canadian Legion<br />
#001, 243 Coxwell Ave. 1-800-838-3006.<br />
$35; $25(ch). Opens Dec 22, 7pm. Runs to<br />
Dec 31. Tues/Wed/Thurs/Sat/Sun(2pm),<br />
Thurs-Sat(7pm).<br />
●●University of Toronto Faculty of Music.<br />
Opera Student Composer Collective: Vengeance.<br />
Performed with Surtitles. Michael<br />
Patrick Albano, director; Sandra Horst, conductor.<br />
MacMillan Theatre, Edward Johnson<br />
Building, 80 Queen’s Park. 416-408-0208.<br />
Free. Jan 21, 2:30pm.<br />
●●Unsung Heroes Productions. Sing for<br />
Tomorrow 5. Vaughan City Playhouse Theatre,<br />
1000 New Westminster Dr, Thornhill.<br />
unsungheroesproductions.com. $40-$90.<br />
Opens Feb 6, 7:30pm. Also Feb 7, 8.<br />
●●Victoria College Drama Society. The<br />
Drowsy Chaperone. Music and lyrics by Lisa<br />
Lambert and Greg Morrison, book by Bob Martin<br />
and Don McKellar. Isabel Bader Theatre,<br />
93 Charles St. W. 416-978-8849. $15; $10(sr/<br />
st). Opens Nov 29, 8pm. Also Nov 30, Dec 1.<br />
VOICE<br />
B OX<br />
OPERA IN CONCERT<br />
I DUE FIGARO<br />
by Saverio Mercadante<br />
Narmina Afandiyeva,<br />
Music Director<br />
February 4 at 2:30 pm<br />
www.operainconcert.com<br />
Beste<br />
Kalender<br />
●●Voicebox/Opera in Concert. I due Figaro.<br />
Music by Saverio Mercadante. Beste Kalender,<br />
mezzo-soprano; Ilana Zarankin, soprano; Holly<br />
Chaplin, soprano; Nicholas Borg, baritone. St.<br />
Lawrence Centre for the Arts, 27 Front St. E.<br />
416-366-77<strong>23</strong>. $22-$52. Feb 4, 2:30pm.<br />
●●Wavestage Theatre. Big Fish. Music and<br />
lyrics by Andrew Lippa, book by John August,<br />
based on the novel. Newmarket Theatre,<br />
505 Pickering Cres, Newmarket. wavestagetheatre.com.<br />
$28; $24(sr/st). Opens<br />
Jan 25, 7:30pm. Runs to Jan 28. Thurs-<br />
Sat(7:30pm), Sun(1pm).<br />
●●Young People’s Theatre. Beauty and the<br />
Beast. Music by Alan Menken, lyrics by Howard<br />
Ashman and Tim Rice, book by Linda<br />
Woolverton. Young People’s Theatre, 165 Front<br />
St. E. 416-862-2222. $10-$49. Opens Nov 6,<br />
10:15am. Runs to Dec 31. Days and times vary.<br />
Visit youngpeoplestheatre.ca for details.<br />
D. In the Clubs (Mostly Jazz)<br />
As we approach the goal of realizing our intention of listing club events in a searchable format,<br />
we take a step back before taking two steps forward. In this issue, while we do list<br />
regular recurring events at some clubs, we do not have detailed listings. Please visit the<br />
clubs’ websites or use the phone number provided for further information. We apologize<br />
for this temporary inconvenience.<br />
120 Diner<br />
120 Church St. 416-792-7725<br />
120diner.com (full schedule)<br />
All shows: PWYC ($10-$20 suggested)<br />
Every Tue 6pm Leslie Huyler Group; Every<br />
Wed 6pm Madoka Murata: Discovery<br />
Through the Arts; 8pm Lisa Particelli’s Girls<br />
Night Out Jazz Jam; Dec 1 6pm Andrew Merrigan<br />
Presents His Very Talented Friends:<br />
<strong>Volume</strong> 4 PWYC/$10-$20 suggested. Dec 2<br />
6pm The Hampton Avenue 4 PWYC/$10-$20<br />
suggested; 9pm Chris Birkett and Friends<br />
PWYC/$10-$20 suggested. Dec 3 6pm Kent<br />
Sheridan: White Boy Lost in the Blues $20<br />
cover; 8:30 All Sondheim!: Charlotte Moore<br />
with John Hughes $20 cover. Dec 21 6pm L J<br />
Folk: Celebrate Me Home PWYC.<br />
Alleycatz<br />
2409 Yonge St. 416-481-6865<br />
alleycatz.ca<br />
All shows: 9pm unless otherwise indicated.<br />
Call for cover charge info.<br />
Every Mon 8:30pm Salsa Night. Every Tue<br />
Bachata Night. Every Wed Midtown Blues<br />
Jam. Every Thurs 7:30pm Claudia Lopez<br />
Duo Jazz.<br />
Dec 1, 15, Jan 19, 27 Lady Kane; Dec 2, 22,<br />
30, Feb 2 Gyles Band; Dec 8 & Jan 27 Lady<br />
Kane; Dec 9 3:30 Jazz Matinee, 9:30 Red Velvet;<br />
Dec 16, Jan 13, Feb 3 Soular; Dec <strong>23</strong>, 29,<br />
Jan 5 Parkside Drive; Dec 31 New Year’s Party<br />
with Gyles Band; Jan 6 Von; Jan 11 Comedy<br />
Night; Jan 12 Urban Jive; Jan 20 Sound<br />
Parade; Jan 26 Red Velvet<br />
Artword Artbar<br />
15 Colbourne St., Hamilton. 905-543-8512<br />
artword.net (full schedule)<br />
Dec 1 8pm Mark McNeil with Tales from Hamilton<br />
tip jar. Dec 2 8pm The New Cumberland<br />
Bluegrass Band $15. Dec 7-16 Tue-Sat 8pm,<br />
Sun Dec 10 matinee at 3pm (no show Monday)<br />
Charly’s Piano $20.<br />
The Black Swan Tavern<br />
154 Danforth Ave., 416-469-0537<br />
winterfolk.com<br />
Dec 8 8pm Winterfolk XVI Preview & Benefit<br />
+ Birthday Bash The Achromatics, David<br />
Storey, Tony Quarrington, Brian Gladstone,<br />
Piper Hayes and others $10 minimum<br />
donation<br />
Sun, Dec 17 at 4:30pm<br />
Ellington’s Nutcracker with<br />
The Brian Barlow Big Band.<br />
Christ Church Deer Park, 1570 Yonge St.<br />
(north of St. Clair at Heath St.)<br />
Admission is free; donations are welcome.<br />
The Blue Goose Tavern<br />
1 Blue Goose St. 416-255-2442<br />
thebluegoosetavern.com (full schedule)<br />
Every Sun 4pm Blues at The Goose. Big<br />
Groove featuring Downchild`s Mike Fitzpatrick<br />
& Gary Kendall with Special Guests<br />
Dec 3 Steve Marriner & Curtis Chaffey;<br />
Dec 10 Kevin McQuade & Martin Alex Aucoin;<br />
Dec 17 Raoul Bhaneja & Darren Gallen<br />
Bloom<br />
<strong>23</strong>15 Bloor St. W. 416-767-1315<br />
bloomrestaurant.com<br />
All shows: 19+. Call for reservations.<br />
Burdock<br />
1184 Bloor St. W. 416-546-4033<br />
burdockto.com (full schedule)<br />
Dec 1 6:30pm Kalyna Rakel feat. Kevin<br />
Breit, Jacob Gorzhaltsan & George Chenery<br />
$15/$10(adv); 9pm François Klark<br />
$15/$12(adv). Dec 2 6:30pm The O’Pears<br />
w/ Danielle Knibbe $20/15(adv); 9pm Winona<br />
Wilde w/ Campbell Woods $12/$10(adv).<br />
Dec 3 6:30pm Son of Town Hall w/ Abigail<br />
Lapell $15/$10(adv). Dec 4 Century Thief w/<br />
Creature Speak $10/$8(adv). Dec 5 9pm Bad<br />
History Month, Chris, Low Sun & Dinosaur<br />
Island $10/$8(adv). Dec 6 9pm Confabulation<br />
Presents: Family Stories $10/$8(adv);<br />
9:30 Naked Wild, Pleasure Craft & Sly<br />
Why: Kid $10/$8(adv). Dec 7 9pm Chelsea<br />
McBride’s Socialist Night School: The<br />
Christmas $15/$10(adv). Dec 8 6:30 Catalyst<br />
Ensemble $15/$10(adv); 9pm Oh Geronimo<br />
‘The Sled’ Sneak Preview w/ Little Coyote<br />
& Peter van Helvoort $15/$10(adv). Dec 9<br />
6:30pm Deon Blyan & The Myth of Fingerprints<br />
Band $12/$10(adv); 9pm A Tribute<br />
to BUH - Guelph County Line & The Mandevilles<br />
$10/$8(adv). Dec 10 6:30pm SOA<br />
$15/$12(adv); 9pm Lindsay Foote w/ Aimée<br />
Butcher & Brandon Wall $15/$10(adv). Dec 11<br />
9pm Honesty, Manshun & Rogue Tenant<br />
$10/$8(adv). Dec 12 9pm Unbridled Futurism<br />
$10/$8(adv). Dec 13 6:30pm The Band Named<br />
Crow & The Anthology Project $12/$10(adv);<br />
9pm The Cluttertones w/ John Millard & Germaine<br />
Liu $15/$10(adv). Dec 14 9pm Bousada<br />
w/ Sly Why: Kid $10/$8(adv). Dec 15 9pm Session<br />
Americana $15/$10(adv). Dec 17 8pm<br />
Community Celebration of the Vocal Arts<br />
$10/$8(adv). Dec 18 9pm Nick Donneff / Rob<br />
Featuring some of Toronto’s best<br />
jazz musicians with a brief reflection<br />
by Jazz Vespers Clergy<br />
Save these dates for <strong>2018</strong>,<br />
musicians TBA:<br />
Sun, Jan 7 | Sun, Jan 21 |<br />
Sun, Feb 4 | at 4:30pm.<br />
416-920-5211<br />
www.thereslifehere.org<br />
thewholenote.com <strong>December</strong> 1, <strong>2017</strong> - February 7, <strong>2018</strong> | 65
McLaren $10/$8(adv). Dec 20 9pm Marie<br />
Goudy 12tet feat. Jocelyn Barth $12/$10(adv).<br />
Dec 21 9pm Origins $20/$15(adv). Dec 29<br />
9pm The Hollowbodies $15/$12(adv). Dec 30<br />
9pm Shirwan w/ Katelin Albert & Jordan<br />
Randall $15/$10(adv). Jan 7 9pm The Last<br />
Revel & The Slocan Ramblers $20/$15(adv).<br />
Jan 31 9pm Daniel Champagne $15/$10(adv).<br />
Feb 4 9pm Heavy Bell $15/$12(adv).<br />
Castro’s Lounge<br />
2116 Queen St. E. 416-699-8272<br />
castroslounge.com (full schedule)<br />
All shows: No cover/PWYC<br />
Every Tue Every Fri 5:30pm The Straight<br />
Eights; 10pm I Hate You Rob. Every Sat 6pm<br />
Thelonious Hank. Every Sun 9pm Watch This<br />
Sound - Vintage Jamaican Music.<br />
C’est What<br />
67 Front St. E. (416) 867-9499<br />
cestwhat.com (full schedule)<br />
Dec 1 10pm Metronome Chomsky. Dec 2<br />
3pm The Boxcar Boys PWYC; 10pm Collective<br />
Arts Brewing Presents: Old.Soul.Rebel Suggested<br />
contribution $10. Dec 3 7pm Bob Wegner<br />
CD Release PWYC. Dec 7 10pm Garage<br />
Baby PWYC. Dec 8 10pm Felix’s Belt. Dec 9,<br />
<strong>23</strong>, Jan 6, 20, Feb 3 3pm The Hot Five Jazzmakers<br />
PWYC. Dec 9 9pm Bring Your Own<br />
Vinyl Party Free. Dec 10 7pm Song Studio<br />
Open Mic Free. Dec 14 10pm Jessica Speziale<br />
with Emily Mac and Leaving Esmeralda<br />
PWYC. Dec 15 10pm The Responsables Suggested<br />
contribution $10. Dec 16 3pm Thelonious<br />
Hank PWYC; 9pm Bring Your Own Vinyl<br />
Party Free. Dec 17 7pm Women in Music Vol. 3<br />
$10-$15. Dec 21 10 pm Jack Walker’s Festivus<br />
Miracle PWYC. Jan 4 10pm Blind Cats PWYC.<br />
Emmet Ray, The<br />
924 College St. 416-792-4497<br />
theemmetray.com (full schedule)<br />
All shows: No cover/PWYC<br />
Gate 403<br />
403 Roncesvalles Ave. 416-588-2930<br />
gate403.com (full schedule)<br />
All shows: PWYC.<br />
Every Mon 7pm Jazz Mondays with the<br />
Jim Hamel Trio and featured guests. Every<br />
Wed 7pm Julian Fauth Blues Night. Every<br />
Sat 5pm Bill Heffernan’s Saturday Sessions.<br />
Grossman’s Tavern<br />
379 Spadina Ave. 416-977-7000<br />
grossmanstavern.com (full schedule)<br />
All shows: No cover (unless otherwise noted).<br />
Every Sat 4.30 The Happy Pals Dixieland jazz<br />
jam. Every Sun 4pm New Orleans Connection<br />
All Star Band; 10pm Sunday Jam with<br />
Bill Hedefine. Every Wed 10pm Action Sound<br />
Band w/ Leo Valvassori.<br />
Hirut Cafe and Restaurant<br />
2050 Danforth Ave. 416-551-7560<br />
Every Sun 3pm Hirut Sundays Open Mic.<br />
Dec 1 & Jan 5 8pm In the Round Master<br />
Singer/Songwriter Series PWYC. Dec 7 &<br />
Jan 4 8pm Franklin Ave Swingtet PWYC.<br />
Dec 5, 19, Jan 2, 16 8pm Finger Style Guitar<br />
Association PWYC. Dec 15 & Jan 12 8:30pm<br />
E=Jazz and Latin Jazz w/ Don Naduriak<br />
PWYC/by donation. Dec 28 & Jan 25 8pm<br />
The Daniel Barnes Low Stress Trio PWYC/<br />
suggested $10. Dec 18 & Jan 29 8pm The<br />
D. In the Clubs (Mostly Jazz)<br />
Tequila Mockingbirds Community Singalong<br />
Free. Dec 29 & Jan 26 9pm Hirut Hoot Cabaret<br />
$5. Dec 31 9pm Hirut New Year’s Eve<br />
Extravaganza.<br />
Home Smith Bar – See Old Mill, The<br />
Hugh’s Room<br />
2261 Dundas St. W 416 533 5483<br />
hughsroom.com<br />
All shows: 8:30pm unless otherwise noted<br />
Dec 1 John Sheard Vinyl Café Tribute<br />
$30/$25(adv). Dec 2 Tribute to Muddy<br />
Waters & Howlin’ Wolf $38/$35(adv).<br />
Dec 3 Còig $30/$25(adv). Dec 4 7:30pm<br />
Soulville: An R&B Cabaret $20/$15(adv).<br />
Dec 6 Minor Empire - CD Launch $30/<br />
($25(adv). Dec 7 The Bills 20th Anniversary<br />
Show $30/$25(adv. Dec 8 The Hogtown<br />
All-Stars $30/$25(adv). Dec 9 Carlos<br />
del Junco $35/$30(adv). Dec 13 A Quartette<br />
Christmas $55/$50(adv). Dec 15 Craig<br />
Cardiff $30/$25(adv). Dec 16 Anthony<br />
Gomes $38/$35(adv). Dec 17 matinee Ault<br />
Sisters $30/$25(adv); $15(12 & under).<br />
Dec 19 A Bluesy Christmas $38/$35(adv).<br />
Dec 20 Lazer Lloyd $25/$20 adv). Dec 28 Don<br />
Ross $50/$45(adv). Dec 29 Suzie Vinnick<br />
$30/$25(adv). Dec 30 Wintergarten<br />
Orchestra $30/$25(adv). Dec 31 New Year’s<br />
Eve with Chris Whiteley & Diana Braithwaite<br />
$55/$50(adv). Jan 5 James Taylor<br />
Tribute $30/$25(adv). Jan 13 The Jitters<br />
$30/$25(adv). Jan 18 Tété $30/$25(adv).<br />
Jan 19 Garnet Rogers $35/$30(adv).<br />
Jan 20 Paul Reddick $25/$20(adv).<br />
Jan 17 Jazz FM91 - President’s Choice Concert<br />
Series: Molly Johnson $55. Jan 27 Lori<br />
Cullen $30/$25(adv). Jan 31 The Fugitives<br />
$30/$25(adv). Feb 3 The Flying Bulgar<br />
Klezmer Band: 30th Anniversary Concert<br />
$35/$30(adv)<br />
Jazz Bistro, The<br />
251 Victoria St. 416-363-5299<br />
jazzbistro.ca<br />
Dec 1 9pm The Maureen Kennedy Quartet<br />
$15. Dec 2 9 pm Scott Hamilton and the<br />
Mark Eisenman Trio $20. Dec 8 9pm The<br />
Willows $20. Dec 9 7:30pm and 10pm Matt<br />
Dusk CD release event for “Old School Yule”<br />
$39, recording included with ticket purchase<br />
(**ticket required, purchase ticket<br />
online). Dec 10 7pm CD launch event for Adi<br />
Braun’s “Moderne Frau” $20. Dec 15 9pm Stu<br />
Mac $20. Dec 16 9pm Robert Scott’s “Charlie<br />
Brown’s Christmas” $20. Dec 17 7pm Sam<br />
Broverman “A Jewish Boy’s Christmas” $15.<br />
Dec 18 8:30pm Christopher Wilson’s “Cocktails<br />
and Candy Canes Cabaret” $15. Dec 20<br />
6pm Faith Amour “Jazz for Christmas” $20.<br />
Dec <strong>23</strong> 9pm Robi Botos and Hilario Duran<br />
$25. Dec 29 & 30 9pm Galen Weston “The<br />
Space Between” $20. Dec 31 5pm “Soul Stu” -<br />
Dinner and Show Package.<br />
Jazz Room, The<br />
Located in the Huether Hotel, 59 King St. N.,<br />
Waterloo. 226-476-1565<br />
kwjazzroom.com (full schedule)<br />
All shows: 8:30pm-11:30pm unless otherwise<br />
indicated. Attendees must be 19+. Cover<br />
charge varies (generally $12-$25)<br />
Dec 1 New Vibes $18. Dec 2 Louis Simao<br />
Ensemble $25. Dec 8 8:30pm Elaine Riddock<br />
$16. Dec 9 8:30pm Yvette Tollar Group $18.<br />
FAITH<br />
AMOUR<br />
& Friends<br />
JAZZ FOR CHRISTMAS<br />
Wednesday<br />
Dec 20, 7pm<br />
faithamourjazz.com<br />
Dec 15 8:30pm The Woodhouse with Barbra<br />
Lica $25. Dec 16 8:30pm Bob Brough Quartet<br />
$18. Dec 20 7pm Faith Amour & Friends.<br />
Dec 22 8:30pm Tom Nagy’s Christmas $20.<br />
Dec <strong>23</strong> 8:30pm Lorne Lofsky Trio $16. Dec 29<br />
8:30pm Rebecca Binnendyk $20. Dec 30<br />
8:30pm Phoenix Jazz Group $16. Dec 31<br />
8:30pm New Years Eve with Rufus & Guests.<br />
Lula Lounge<br />
1585 Dundas St. W. 416-588-0307<br />
lula.ca (full schedule)<br />
Every Fri 7:30pm Early Jazz & World Sessions<br />
free before 8pm; Every Fri 10:30pm<br />
Havana Club Cuba Libre Fridays $15; Every<br />
Sat 10:30pm Salsa Saturdays $15. Dec 3<br />
6:30pm Gregg Stafford - New Orleans Stomp.<br />
Dec 8 7:30pm Zim Zum $15. Dec 11 7pm<br />
Reunite the Moneka Family $20. Dec 13 8pm<br />
An Evening of Native Jazz: Songbirds & Nightingales<br />
of Turtle Island $30/$25(adv). Dec 17<br />
7pm The Woodhouse featuring Barbra Lica<br />
$22/$18(adv). Dec 26 8pm Rebel Vibez Presents<br />
Stages $10. Dec 27 7pm Gary Morgan<br />
& PanAmericana $20. Dec 31 10:30pm New<br />
Year’s Eve Salsa Party with Cafe Cubano & DG<br />
Santiago Valazsquez $50(show); $140(dinner<br />
& show)<br />
Manhattans Pizza Bistro & Music Club<br />
951 Gordon St., Guelph 519-767-2440<br />
manhattans.ca (full schedule)<br />
All shows: PWYC.<br />
Every Tue Open Stage hosted by Paul, Pete<br />
& Ron.<br />
Mây Cafe<br />
876 Dundas St. W. 647-607-2032<br />
maytoronto.com (full schedule)<br />
Dec 2 7:30pm Sounds of the City Holiday Food<br />
Drive hosted by T Dots Records at May Cafe!<br />
A night of live music, comedy, great food and<br />
drinks. $10 Dec 15 Brownman Akoustic Quartet’s<br />
Xmas Jazz Concert $15 Jan 13 & 26 8pm<br />
Sounds of the City.<br />
Mezzetta Restaurant<br />
681 St. Clair Ave. W. 416-658-5687<br />
mezzettarestaurant.com (full schedule)<br />
All shows: 9pm, $8 (unless otherwise noted).<br />
Every Wed 9 & 10:15pm Wednesday Concert<br />
Series. Cover $10.<br />
Monarch Tavern<br />
12 Clinton St. 416-531-5833<br />
themonarchtavern.com (full schedule)<br />
Every Tues 9pm Vinyl Night $5; Every<br />
Thu 10pm Monarch Karaoke $5. Dec 11 and<br />
Jan 8 7:30pm Martin Loomer & His Orange<br />
Devils Orchestra $10.<br />
N’awlins Jazz Bar & Dining<br />
299 King St. W. 416-595-1958<br />
nawlins.ca<br />
All shows: No cover/PWYC.<br />
Every Tue 6:30pm Stacie McGregor. Every<br />
Wed 7pm The Jim Heineman Trio. Every Thur<br />
8pm Nothin’ But the Blues with Joe Bowden.<br />
Every Fri & Sat 8:30pm N’awlins All Star<br />
Band; Every Sun 7pm Brooke Blackburn.<br />
Nice Bistro, The<br />
117 Brock St. N., Whitby. 905-668-8839<br />
nicebistro.com (full schedule)<br />
Old Mill, The<br />
21 Old Mill Rd. 416-<strong>23</strong>6-2641<br />
oldmilltoronto.com<br />
The Home Smith Bar: No reservations. No<br />
cover. $20 food/drink minimum. All shows:<br />
7:30pm-10:30pm<br />
Every Tues, Thu, Fri, and Sat.<br />
Nov 30 Robin Banks with Ted Quinlan,<br />
Richard Whiteman. Dec 1 Canadian Jazz<br />
Quartet & Friends Celebrate First Fridays.<br />
Dec 2 Mike Downes with David Restivo, Larnell<br />
Lewis. Dec 5 In Concert and Conversation<br />
with Gene DiNovi. Dec 7 Genevieve<br />
Marentette Trio with Robert Scott,<br />
George Koller. Dec 8 Sean Bray’s Peach<br />
trio. Dec 9 Brian Blain’s Blues Campfire.<br />
Dec 14 John Sherwood Trio. Dec 15 Jordana<br />
Talsky. Dec 16 Barry Elmes Quartet.<br />
Dec 21 Alex Samaras Trio. Dec 22 Alison<br />
Young Quartet. Dec <strong>23</strong> Adrean Farrugia Trio.<br />
Dec 31 New Year’s Eve Jazz Party hosted<br />
by Alex Pangman and her Alleycates. $150<br />
ticket (advance tickets only) includes buffet<br />
from 7:30pm music from 8pm and sparkling<br />
wine at 11:45. ALSO Dining Room - Dec 11<br />
8pm JAZZFM.91 Sound of Jazz Concert Series:<br />
Matt Dusk’s Old School Yule $45 reservations<br />
recommended.<br />
Only Café, The<br />
972 Danforth Ave. 416-463-7843<br />
theonlycafe.com (full schedule)<br />
All shows: 8pm unless otherwise indicated.<br />
Paintbox Bistro<br />
555 Dundas St. E. 647-748-0555<br />
paintboxbistro.ca (full schedule)<br />
Pilot Tavern, The<br />
22 Cumberland Ave. 416-9<strong>23</strong>-5716<br />
thepilot.ca<br />
All shows: 3:30pm. No cover.<br />
Every Sat 3pm Saturday Jazz.<br />
Dec 2 Alex Dean Quartet. Dec 9 Jake Koffman<br />
Quartet. Dec 16 Sugar Daddies Sextet.<br />
Dec <strong>23</strong> Norman Marshall Villeneuve Quintet.<br />
Dec 30 Adrean Farrugia Quartet.<br />
Poetry Jazz Café<br />
224 Augusta Ave. 416-599-5299<br />
poetryjazzcafe.com (full schedule)<br />
Reposado Bar & Lounge<br />
136 Ossington Ave. 416-532-6474<br />
reposadobar.com (full schedule)<br />
66 | <strong>December</strong> 1, <strong>2017</strong> - February 7, <strong>2018</strong> thewholenote.com
Reservoir Lounge, The<br />
52 Wellington St. E. 416-955-0887<br />
reservoirlounge.com (full schedule). Every<br />
Tue, 8:45pm Tyler Yarema and his Rhythm.<br />
Every Wed 9pm The Digs. Every Thursday<br />
9:45pm Mary McKay. Every Fri 9:45pm Dee<br />
Dee and the Dirty Martinis. Every Sat 9:45pm<br />
Tyler Yarema and his Rhythm. Dec 7 pm Alex<br />
Pangman.<br />
Rex Hotel Jazz & Blues Bar, The<br />
194 Queen St. W. 416-598-2475<br />
therex.ca (full schedule)<br />
Call for cover charge info.<br />
Every Wed 6:30pm Alex Coleman’s A/C<br />
Unit. Every Thu 6:30pm Worst Pop Band<br />
Ever. Every Fri 4pm Hogtown Syncopators;<br />
6:30pm Bugaloo Squad. Every Sat 12noon<br />
The Sinners Choir.<br />
Dec 1 9:45pm Chuck Jackson. Dec 2 3:30pm<br />
Neon Eagle;7pm Brecker Brothers; 9:45pm<br />
Alex & Her Alleycats. Dec 3 Club Django; 7pm<br />
Kelzkonnection; 9:30pm Ethiojazz. Dec 4<br />
& 11 6:30pm University of Toronto Student<br />
Jazz Ensembles; Dec 4 9:30pm Off the Road<br />
Big Band. Dec 5 6:30pm Chris Gale Quartet;<br />
9:30pm Edmar Colon. Dec 6 9:30 Uncertainty<br />
Principle. Dec 7 9:30pm Lauren Falls Five.<br />
Dec 8 9:45pm Bernie Senensky. Dec 9<br />
7pm Brecker Brothers; 9:45pm Anti-Gravity<br />
Machine. Dec 10 & 17 12noon Excelsior<br />
Dixieland Jazz; 7pm Teri Parker Trio. Dec 10<br />
9:30pm Barry Romberg. Dec 11 9:30pm Jake<br />
Wilkinson’s Be-Bop Christmas. Dec 12 & 19<br />
6:30pm Brian de Lima Trio. Dec 12 9:30pm<br />
Classic Rex Jam. Dec 13 & 14 9:30pm Alec<br />
Dean Jazz Orchestra. Dec 15 9:45pm Walter<br />
Kemp 3oh Plus. Dec 16 3:30pm Chris<br />
Hunt Tentet + 2; 7pm Alec Trent’s Triple Bari;<br />
9:45pm Dave Young Quintet. Dec 17 9:30pm<br />
Zimzum. Dec 18 6:30pm Peter Hill Quintet.<br />
Dec 18 & 19 9:30pm Jabfung. Dec 20<br />
9:30pm Mike Field Quintet. Dec 21 9:30pm<br />
Freeman Dre. Dec 22 9:45pm Bob Brough<br />
Quartet. Dec <strong>23</strong> 3:30pm Jerome Godboo;<br />
7pm Alec Trent’s Triple Bari; 9:45pm Russ<br />
Nolan. Dec 26 8pm The Sinners Choir. Dec 27<br />
9:30pm Mr. Marbelsz. Dec 28 9:30pm Frank<br />
Botos. Dec 29 9:45pm Kiki Misumi Sextet.<br />
Dec 30 3:30pm Laura Hubert Band; 7pm<br />
Alec Trent’s Triple Bari; 9:45pm Justin Bacchus<br />
Xmas. Dec 31 9:30pm New Year’s<br />
Grooveyard.<br />
Salty Dog Bar & Grill, The<br />
1980 Queen St. E. 416-849-5064<br />
thesaltydog.ca (full schedule)<br />
Every Tue 7-10pm Jazz Night. Every<br />
Thu 8:30pm Karaoke. Every Fri 9:30pm<br />
Blues Jam - house band with weekly featured<br />
guest.<br />
Sauce on Danforth<br />
1376 Danforth Ave. 647-748-1376<br />
sauceondanforth.com<br />
All shows: No cover.<br />
Every Mon 9pm Funky Mondays. Every<br />
Tue 6pm Julian Fauth Plays Barrel-House<br />
Jazz. Every Thursday 8pm An Evening of<br />
Music with Steven Koven and Artie Roth.<br />
Every Sat 4pm Saturday Matinees.<br />
Tranzac<br />
292 Brunswick Ave. 416-9<strong>23</strong>-8137<br />
tranzac.org<br />
3-4 shows daily, various styles, in four different<br />
performance spaces. Mostly PWYC.<br />
Every Mon 10pm Open Mic Mondays. Every<br />
Tuesday 8pm Annex Ukelele Jam Every<br />
Thursday 7:30pm Bluegrass Thursdays<br />
Every Fri 5pm The Friends of Hugh Oliver<br />
(folk). Every Sunday 7pm The Rhythmicaturgically<br />
Syncopated Social Hour Jazz Jam.<br />
Dec 10 10pm The Lina Allemano Four. Dec 12<br />
10 pm Michael Davidson and guests. Dec 19<br />
10pm The Ken McDonald Quartet. Dec 26<br />
10pm Nick Fraser presents. Dec 27 10pm<br />
Galas and Fundraisers<br />
●●Dec 15 7:30: Church of St. Peter and St.<br />
Simon-the-Apostle. A fundraiser presenting<br />
good music and a reading of A Child’s Christmas<br />
in Wales by Dylan Thomas featuring radio<br />
personality Tom Allen and Canadian actress<br />
Jayne Lewis. Save room for dessert. Refreshments<br />
included at intermission. All proceeds<br />
will benefit the refugee projects of the<br />
church. 525 Bloor St. E. 416-9<strong>23</strong>- 8714. $20.<br />
GALA for<br />
MENTAL HEALTH<br />
LLOYD ROBERTSON,<br />
LUBA GOY & FRIENDS<br />
Feb 1, <strong>2018</strong><br />
WE ALL HAVE A STORY<br />
905.787.8811<br />
●●Feb 1 7:30: High Notes Avante. High Notes<br />
Gala for Mental Health. Join Luba Goy, Lloyd<br />
Robertson, Michael Landsberg, Orlando Da<br />
Silva, Giles Tomkins and others for this exciting<br />
evening in support of mental health initiatives.<br />
Richmond Hill Centre for the Performing<br />
Arts, 102868 Yonge St., Richmond Hill. Tickets<br />
at 905-787-8811 or rhcentre.ca. $10-$65.<br />
Lectures, Salons and Symposia<br />
●●Dec 3 2:00: Toronto Opera Club. Love at<br />
First Sight! Guest Speaker: Iain Scott. Room<br />
330, Faculty of Music, Edward Johnson Bldg.,<br />
80 Queen’s Park Cr. W. 416-924-3940. $10.<br />
●●Dec 7 7:30: Darchei Noam Synagogue. Four<br />
Jewish Musical Titans (Part 4: George Szell).<br />
Rick Phillips examines four master musicians<br />
and their music. A mix of lecture, music, and<br />
discussion. 864 Sheppard Ave. W. 416-638-<br />
4783. $20 per lecture.<br />
●●Dec 10 2:00-5:00: Classical Music Club<br />
Toronto. Beethoven 9. In some cultures,<br />
<strong>December</strong> is a month where Beethoven’s<br />
Ninth Symphony is performed as often as Handel’s<br />
Messiah is in the English-speaking world.<br />
To celebrate this occasion, we will be examining<br />
recent recordings of this epic work. 416-<br />
898-2549. Annual membership: $25(regular);<br />
Bellweather 4. Dec 29 10pm The Ryan Driver<br />
Sextet. Dec 30 8pm The Special Interest<br />
Group. Jan 2 10pm Peripheral Vision. Jan 6<br />
10om Heavy Ethics Jan 7 7:30pm Harrington.<br />
Jan 9 10pm Michael Davidson and guests.<br />
Jan 12 7:30pm Tanya Gill Quartet; 10pm Harley<br />
Card. Jan 14 10pm The Lina Allemano<br />
Four. Jan 16 10pm The Ken McDonald Quartet.<br />
Jan 18 10pm The Special Interest Group.<br />
Jan 21 7:30pm Diane Roblin with guests.<br />
E. The ETCeteras<br />
$10(sr/st). Free for first-time visitors. Donations<br />
accepted for refreshments.<br />
●●Jan. 7 5:00: St. Olave’s Church. Giles<br />
Bryant: Cathedral and Parish Music. Epiphany<br />
Choral Evensong at 4pm followed by Epiphany<br />
Tea. Dr. Giles Bryant traces Anglican church<br />
music from just before the Prayer Book to the<br />
main forms now used in cathedrals and parish<br />
churches. His illustrated talk at the piano<br />
will focus on Tallis, Purcell, Maurice Greene,<br />
S.S. Wesley, Stanford, Howells and their parish<br />
contemporaries. St. Olave’s Church, Bloor<br />
and Windermere. Contributions appreciated.<br />
Information at 416-769-5686 or stolaves.ca.<br />
●●Jan 14 2:00-5:00: Classical Music Club<br />
Toronto. Romantic Cello Concertos. The lush<br />
tone of the cello has provided the inspiration<br />
for a number of 19th-century masterworks for<br />
this instrument combined with the growing<br />
virtuosity of the symphony orchestra. To commemorate<br />
this musical partnership, we will be<br />
examining recent audio and video recordings.<br />
416-898-2549. Annual membership: $25(regular);<br />
$10(sr/st). Free for first-time visitors.<br />
Donations accepted for refreshments.<br />
10pm Makeshift Island (Rebecca Hennesey).<br />
Jan <strong>23</strong> 7:30pm Fergus Hambleton and guests.<br />
Jan 24 10pm Bellweather 4. Jan 26 10pm<br />
The Ryan Driver Sextet. Jan 28 3pm Michael<br />
Laderoute; 5pm Steve Paul Simms and<br />
guests; 10pm Chris Adriaanse. Jan 30 10pm<br />
Nick Fraser Presents. Feb 2 10pm Heavy Ethics.<br />
Feb 4 7:30pm Harrington. Feb 6 10pm<br />
Peripheral Vision.<br />
●●Jan <strong>23</strong> 7:00: University of Toronto Faculty of<br />
Music. Composers’ Forum with Nicole Lizée. Walter<br />
Hall, 80 Queen’s Park Cr. 416-408-0208. Free.<br />
●●Jan 24 7:00: Canadian Opera Company.<br />
Opera Insights: Baritone Bravado. Join Head<br />
of the COC Ensemble Studio Liz Upchurch and<br />
singers Samuel Chan, Bruno Roy and Neil Craighead<br />
as they explore the baritone voice in all its<br />
fascinating facets. Education Centre, Four Seasons<br />
Centre for the Performing Arts, 145 Queen<br />
St. W. Tickets at coc.ca/OperaInsights or 416-<br />
363-8<strong>23</strong>1. Registration opens Jan 9. Free.<br />
●●Jan 25 7:00: Tafelmusik. The Listening Club:<br />
The Battle for Good Taste. The desire to possess<br />
good taste in music was an occupation<br />
of the 18th century, highlighted by an ongoing<br />
battle between the French and the Italians.<br />
Join BBC Radio host Dr. Hannah French and<br />
Tafelmusik violinist Christopher Verrette<br />
who examine both sides of this debate. Trinity-St.<br />
Paul’s Centre, 427 Bloor St. W. 416-964-<br />
6337. $25.<br />
●●Jan 31 7:00: Canadian Opera Company.<br />
Opera Talks: The Trials of Teen Love – Rigoletto.<br />
Join Wayne Gooding in a multi-media<br />
YIP’S<br />
MUSIC<br />
FESTIVAL<br />
COMPETITION<br />
Celebrating Today’s Talent<br />
Nurturing Tomorrow’s Stars<br />
$10,000 in trophies and prizes!<br />
Piano Violin<br />
Voice Musical Theatre<br />
Erhu Guzheng<br />
Traditional Chinese Music Ensemble<br />
Chamber Music<br />
Crystal Award Competition<br />
<strong>2018</strong> Competition Dates (Saturdays & Sundays):<br />
Apr 21/22, 28/29, May 5/6<br />
Application Deadline:<br />
Tues, Feb 20, <strong>2018</strong><br />
ymf.yips.com (905) 948-YIPS (9477) x2211<br />
thewholenote.com <strong>December</strong> 1, <strong>2017</strong> - February 7, <strong>2018</strong> | 67
exploration of Rigoletto and explore the way<br />
a timeless tale plays out through Verdi’s brilliant<br />
bel canto music. Toronto Public Library,<br />
Don Mills, 888 Lawrence Ave. E. Register by<br />
calling the Don Mills branch of the Toronto<br />
Public Library at 416-395-5710. Free.<br />
Master Classes<br />
●●Jan 7 2:30: Li Delun Music Foundation &<br />
Steinway Piano Gallery. Piano Master Class<br />
and Conversation by Kum Sing Lee, jury of<br />
International Competitions Chopin (Warsaw).<br />
2651 John St., Markham. canadaticketbox.<br />
com, 905-946-8040. $20, $15.<br />
●●Jan 24 10am-12pm. University of Toronto<br />
Faculty of Music. Composition Master Classes<br />
with Nicole Lizée. Walter Hall, 80 Queen’s Park<br />
Cr. 416-408-0208. Free. Also Jan 26.<br />
Screenings<br />
●●Dec 10 4:00: Toronto Jewish Film Society/Royal<br />
Conservatory of Music. The Concert.<br />
Film about Bolshoi conductor Andrei<br />
Simoniovich Filipov’s journey from disaster<br />
to triumph. Guest speaker: Jordan Klapman,<br />
musicologist. Al Green Theatre, 750 Spadina<br />
Ave. 416-924-6211 x606. $15; $10(18-35). In<br />
French and Russian with English subtitles.<br />
Also 7:30.<br />
●●Jan 30 6:30: Royal Conservatory. Strad<br />
Style. Self-described “nobody” Danny Houck<br />
pours all his time and energy into his obsession:<br />
violins. When Danny befriends violin virtuoso<br />
Razvan Stoica on Facebook, he makes a<br />
rash fanboy promise to create a perfect replica<br />
E. The ETCeteras<br />
of a world-famous violin – Guarneri’s Il Cannone<br />
– for Stoica’s next concert. Jonathan<br />
Crow, concertmaster of the Toronto Symphony<br />
Orchestra, will bring along his own Guarneri<br />
and participate in a post-show Q&A. Hot Docs<br />
Ted Rogers Cinema, 506 Bloor St. W. Tickets at<br />
the door or at hotdocscinema.ca. $17.<br />
Singalongs, Jams, Circles<br />
●●Dec 3 2:30-5:00 Choral Bonanza Team.<br />
Messiah Sing-along. Handel: Messiah (Christmas<br />
Portion). Dr. Richard Heinzle, conductor;<br />
Sapphire Navaratnarajah, accompanist. Richmond<br />
Hill Presbyterian Church, 10066 Yonge<br />
St., Richmond Hill. 416-568-9838. Choral<br />
singers participation fee: $25. Suggested<br />
donation for concert: $10. Concert is at<br />
7:00. Choral singers are asked to pre-register<br />
at ChoralBonanza@gmail.com if possible<br />
(required if you need a score: Watkins Shaw<br />
ed.). Soloists and orchestra musicians: no fee,<br />
please email a short resume to ChoralBonanza@gmail.com.<br />
●●Dec 20 7:30: Toronto Shape Note Singing<br />
Community. Monthly Sacred Harp Singing.<br />
Everyone is welcome, no experience necessary.<br />
There are songbooks to borrow. Music<br />
room, Bloor Street United Church, 300 Bloor<br />
St. W. 647-838-8764. PWYC donation. 7:00:<br />
Short introductory workshop.<br />
●●Jan 19 7:30-10:00: Toronto Recorder Players<br />
Society. Mount Pleasant Road Baptist<br />
Church, 527 Mt. Pleasant Rd. Bring your<br />
recorders and music stand. 416-779-5750.<br />
Non-members $15.<br />
●●Jan 21 2:00-4:30: CAMMAC Toronto Region.<br />
Reading for Singers and Instrumentalists.<br />
Kodály’s Budávari Te Deum. Eszter Horvath,<br />
conductor. Christ Church Deer Park, 1570 Yonge<br />
St. 416-781-4745. $10; $6(members).<br />
Spoken Word, Performance Art<br />
●●Dec 3 7:00: Runnymede United Church.<br />
Annual Reading of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas<br />
Carol. Performed by Ben Heppner, Gill Deacon,<br />
Susan Ormiston, RH Thomson, Nancy Palk,<br />
Lisa Horner, and Jeff Douglas. 432 Runnymede<br />
Rd. runnymedeunited.org. $25.<br />
Tours<br />
●●Jan 14 10:30am: Canadian Opera Company.<br />
90-Minute Tour of the Four Seasons<br />
Centre. Led by a trained docent. Includes<br />
information and access to the Isadore and<br />
Rosalie Sharp City Room, the Richard Bradshaw<br />
Amphitheatre and R. Fraser Elliott Hall,<br />
as well as backstage areas such as the wig<br />
rooms and dressing rooms, the orchestra<br />
pit, and other spaces that only a stage door<br />
pass could unlock. Four Seasons Centre for<br />
the Performing Arts, 145 Queen St. W. 416-<br />
363-8<strong>23</strong>1. coc.ca. $20(adults); $15(sr/st). Also<br />
Jan 21 & 28.<br />
Workshops<br />
●●Dec 2 10am-5pm: International Resource<br />
Centre for Performing Artists. From Rags<br />
to Reasonable! Financial Management /<br />
Planning for Artists with Chris Enns. Operatic<br />
tenor and certified financial planner<br />
Chris Enns discusses the basics of financial<br />
management, with such topics as budgeting<br />
with variable incomes (morning); and speaks<br />
about financial planning (afternoon). Canadian<br />
Music Centre, 20 St. Joseph St. 416-<br />
362-1422. $75.<br />
●●Dec 3 1:30-4:00: Toronto Early Music Players<br />
Organization. Workshop coached by<br />
recorder player Vincent Lauzer. Armour<br />
Heights Community Centre, 2140 Avenue Rd.<br />
Bring your early instruments and a music<br />
stand. $20. 416-779-5750. tempotoronto.net.<br />
●●Dec 3 2:30-5:00: International Resource<br />
Centre for Performing Artists. Artists New<br />
to Canada. Performer/composer Shahriyar<br />
Jamshidi, a recent newcomer to Canada;<br />
and musician, writer and teacher Marcelo<br />
Puente, who came to Toronto from Chile in<br />
1974, share their experiences of establishing<br />
music careers in this country, providing guidance<br />
and suggestions for newcomer artists<br />
facing the same challenges. 918 Bathurst St.<br />
416-362-1422. Free.<br />
●●Jan 14 1:30-4:00: Toronto Early Music Players<br />
Organization. Workshop coached by viol<br />
player Joelle Morton. Armour Heights Community<br />
Centre, 2140 Avenue Rd. Bring your<br />
early instruments and a music stand. 416-779-<br />
5750. tempotoronto.net. $20.<br />
●●Feb 4 1:30-4:00: Toronto Early Music<br />
Players Organization. Workshop coached<br />
by recorder player Colin Savage. Armour<br />
Heights Community Centre, 2140 Avenue Rd.<br />
Bring your early instruments and a music<br />
stand. 416-779-5750. tempotoronto.net. $20.<br />
TORONTO SUMMER MUSIC<br />
COMMUNITY<br />
ACADEMY<br />
July 30-August 4<br />
Attention adult amateur musicians! Join<br />
the artists of the Toronto Summer Music<br />
Festival for a week of music making and fun.<br />
Choose from three programs:<br />
Chamber Music<br />
Piano Masterclass with Angela Cheng<br />
Chamber Choir<br />
For application information, visit<br />
torontosummermusic.com<br />
68 | <strong>December</strong> 1, <strong>2017</strong> - February 7, <strong>2018</strong> thewholenote.com
WholeNote CLASSIFIEDS can help<br />
you recruit new members for your<br />
choir or band/ orchestra or find a new<br />
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starting at only $24/issue. INQUIRE<br />
BY JAN 26 for the FEB <strong>2018</strong> issue.<br />
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AUDITIONS & EMPLOYMENT<br />
OPPORTUNITIES<br />
AUDITION for VIVA! Youth Singers of<br />
Toronto. Five choirs from age 4 through<br />
adults. Inclusion program for special<br />
needs. Also, NON-AUDITIONED - VIVA!<br />
Community Choir. For info: Kathryn at<br />
info@vivayouthsingers.com or www.<br />
vivayouthsingers.com. Audition Date:<br />
Saturday, <strong>January</strong> 6. Audition Fee $25.<br />
Available pro bono positions with<br />
the KINDRED SPIRITS ORCHESTRA: Oboe,<br />
Horn, Trumpet, Bass Trombone, sectional<br />
Violins, Violas, Violoncellos and Contrabasses.<br />
The KSO is an auditioned-based civic orchestra<br />
in residence at Flato Markham Theatre.<br />
For information, visit KSOchestra.ca or<br />
e-mail GM@KSOrchestra.ca.<br />
COUNTERPOINT COMMUNITY ORCHESTRA<br />
– now in our 33 rd season. We invite volunteer<br />
musicians in all sections to play with us at Monday<br />
evening rehearsals. Our next concerts are on<br />
<strong>December</strong> 9, March 24, and June 9. Contact<br />
info@ccorchestra.org. www.ccorchestra.org.<br />
PIANO ACCOMPANIST REQUIRED: The<br />
Grace Notes is an established 13 member SSA<br />
singing group that performs in retirement<br />
homes and long-term care facilities. We all<br />
donate our time and gifts to the group. The<br />
group plays a wide variety of music - gospel,<br />
jazz, fiddling, show tunes, folk, etc. The piano<br />
parts are interesting and challenging. We<br />
practice twice a month on Friday mornings<br />
and perform once a month on Wednesday<br />
afternoons. We carry two accompanists; the<br />
duties are split. It’s fun! Contact Steve Prime<br />
at primestephen@gmail.com or 647-524-7331<br />
PLAYERS NEEDED for children’s concert<br />
band program at St. Albans Boys and<br />
Girls Club. Age 9+. All levels welcome.<br />
Wednesdays from 6-7:30. $180 for 12 week<br />
session. Please contact Michelle Clarke for<br />
more info 416-534-8461. stalbansclub.ca/<br />
st-albans-band<br />
THE EAST YORK CONCERT BAND has<br />
openings for trumpets, flutes, clarinets,<br />
french horns, euphoniums and tubas. No<br />
auditions necessary. For more information,<br />
contact president@eastyorkconcertband.ca.<br />
or check out www.eastyorkconcertband.ca<br />
Classified Advertising | classad@thewholenote.com<br />
BUY & SELL<br />
ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS IS …<br />
an affordable used instrument in good<br />
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CLASSICAL RECORD AND CD COLLECTIONS<br />
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DIGITAL ORGAN FOR SALE Superb<br />
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WOMEN’S WRINKLE-RESISTANT CONCERT<br />
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INSTRUCTION & COURSES<br />
ART OF SINGING – He, who knows how to<br />
breathe and pronounce well, knows how<br />
to sing well! Voice teacher 416-894-0809,<br />
yourvoiceteacher@gmail.com.<br />
FLUTE, PIANO, THEORY LESSONS. RCM<br />
exam preparation. RCM certified advanced<br />
specialist. Samantha Chang, FTCL,<br />
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ARCT. Toronto, Scarborough 416-801-9196,<br />
samantha.studio@gmail.com.<br />
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JAMMING WITH A COACH - a 10 week Adult<br />
Band Workshop seeks singers, piano, guitar,<br />
bass, drums and horns etc for a weekly<br />
workshop. For those who want to reconnect<br />
with music, play in a band, make friends and<br />
most of all have fun. Like School of Rock but<br />
for adults. Marc Enkin Music 647 522-4213.<br />
marcenkin@gmail.com.<br />
LESSONS FOR ALL! Friendly and firm - I’m<br />
an experienced musician and mom teaching<br />
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heart) in my Toronto home (East Leslieville). To<br />
discuss your child’s need for music-making<br />
please contact kskwhite@gmail.com.<br />
PIANO, VOCAL, THEORY LESSONS in<br />
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THERAPY SERVICES and ADAPTED LESSONS.<br />
www.lmmtstudio.com larissa@lmmtstudio.<br />
com 416-574-0018.<br />
VOICE LESSONS - Develop a technique<br />
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RusqueVoiceStudio@gmail.com.<br />
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Cabbagetown teaching studio welcomes<br />
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Uncommonly encouraging piano teacher<br />
with loyal following and buckets of patience.<br />
RCM washouts a specialty. Peter Kristian<br />
Mose, 416/9<strong>23</strong>-3060. “Sure beats studying<br />
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SERVICES<br />
ACCOUNTING AND INCOME TAX SERVICE<br />
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needs. Norm Pulker, B. Math. CMA. 905-251-<br />
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AUDIOLOGY SERVICES FOR MUSICIANS.<br />
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Short walk from Stouffville GO train/<br />
bus station. www.auditorypathways.ca<br />
647-527-7107.<br />
CD LINER NOTES, PROMO MATERIAL,<br />
CONCERT PROGRAMS, LIBRETTI, WEB SITE<br />
CONTENT AND MEMOIRS need proofreading<br />
and editing for correct spelling and grammar,<br />
clarity and consistency. Contact Vanessa<br />
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with a music background. Quick turnaround<br />
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HOLIDAY PARTY FUN - KARAOKE! We offer<br />
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RESTORE PRECIOUS MEMORIES lost on<br />
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VENUES AVAILABLE / WANTED<br />
ARE YOU PLANNING A CONCERT OR<br />
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SPACE AVAILABLE: great acoustics,<br />
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thewholenote.com <strong>December</strong> 1, <strong>2017</strong> - February 7, <strong>2018</strong> | 69
REMEMBERING<br />
Celebrating<br />
Cathy<br />
Elliott<br />
Composer, Writer, Director, Performer, Teacher<br />
June 5, 1957 to October 15, <strong>2017</strong><br />
I<br />
first met Cathy Elliott back in the early summer of<br />
2004 when I stage managed her in an experimental<br />
musical production at the Toronto Fringe Festival.<br />
The days were long and intense, yet Cathy’s spirit shone<br />
through all of the stress with her laughter-infused<br />
genuine warmth and caring for everyone in the company.<br />
More recently, when I started to adapt and direct Shakespeare plays<br />
for the DAREArts Foundation’s summer camps our paths crossed<br />
again, as Cathy wore many hats for DA in marketing and publicity as<br />
well as her now almost legendary work with the foundation in First<br />
Nations communities in Northern Ontario. One memorable summer<br />
she came to our rescue when the artist in charge of teaching our<br />
campers about set design was called away at the last minute. Cathy<br />
was there, ideas and plans ready to implement, energy to burn and to<br />
spare, to make everything work out well.<br />
In mid-October of this year I heard with delight that she had<br />
just completed a very successful first workshop of the new musical<br />
Starlight Tours at Sheridan College, and Facebook was full of glowing<br />
posts from the participants about the inspiration of working with<br />
her. Created by Cathy with Leslie Arden, this musical, like a lot of her<br />
most recent work, combined two central themes in her life – her brilliant<br />
talent as a musical theatre creator and her desire to honour and<br />
share her heritage as an Indigenous artist and proud member of the<br />
Mi’kmaq nation.<br />
The next day, October 16, I was shocked to hear that she was gone,<br />
killed the night before by a car while walking near her home in<br />
Alliston, Ontario. This was even more of a shock since her career was<br />
just beginning to soar, with her acclaimed performance this year in<br />
Corey Payette’s new musical about the residential schools, Children<br />
of God, at Urban Ink in Vancouver and at the National Arts Centre<br />
in Ottawa. There was also the successful workshopping of Starlight<br />
Tours, her recent one-woman musical Moving Day, and another<br />
new musical very close to her heart, Lonecloud, about to begin its<br />
public journey at Native Earth Performing Arts’ Weesageechak Festival<br />
this week.<br />
This past Sunday, November 19, there was a beautiful celebration<br />
of Cathy organized by her partner, Leslie Arden, and Native Earth,<br />
at their performance space at Daniel’s Spectrum in Regent Park. It<br />
was an amazing evening, not only moving but joyous, full of love and<br />
laughter, many stories from her friends and family, and performances<br />
from her musicals.<br />
It was also a showcase of her work over the years: several songs from<br />
The Talking Stick commissioned by the Charlottetown Festival in 2011,<br />
the first all-Indigenous musical performed there; a sweet and moving<br />
solo from Silas Marner sung by the ageless Glynis Ranney; scenes from<br />
Lonecloud featuring Herbie Barnes in the title role of the Mi’kmaq<br />
medicine man who performed in Wild West shows; and excerpts from<br />
Fireweeds: Women of the Yukon from 1993, the musical she researched<br />
while performing as Diamond Tooth Gertie in the Yukon. The songs<br />
from this musical were feminist and galvanizing – why isn’t this a<br />
more widely known classic of Canadian musical theatre? The evening<br />
wrapped up with a magical rendition of “Stories Have Souls” from<br />
the in-progress Lonecloud sung by Arden, and then Cathy herself in a<br />
recorded version of From the Heart from The Talking Stick, to a final<br />
video photo montage (created by Michael Morey).<br />
These last two songs can be seen as theme songs for Cathy,<br />
combining as they do the use of music to tell stories, the content of<br />
those stories being rooted in her Indigenous heritage and her desire<br />
to explore and share that heritage with the world – and, even if those<br />
stories begin in darkness like Starlight Tours, always looking for<br />
messages of love and hope.<br />
These goals seem to have really begun when Cathy was the first<br />
Indigenous artist invited to join the charitable foundation DAREarts,<br />
as they headed up north to Webequie for their first time working with<br />
Indigenous youth, using arts, story and song to give confidence and<br />
inspire leadership. This was a partnership with Cathy that continued<br />
for ten years, only stopped by her passing, and would include her<br />
directing a documentary film about the experience, Fill My Hollow<br />
Bones, narrated by Graham Greene.<br />
Marilyn Field, founder and director of DAREArts, has spoken about<br />
how that first trip for Cathy “was the beginning of her embracing<br />
and finding her Indigenous self,” that she seemed to find “her voice<br />
coming from deep inside herself.” Laura Mackinnon, lead teacher for<br />
DAREArts, who worked with Cathy for five years travelling all over<br />
the remote areas of the North (even to Tuktoyaktuk in the Arctic),<br />
put into words what many are feeling: “She taught me so much about<br />
Indigenous culture, about artistic generosity, storytelling and the<br />
power of a limitless imagination.”<br />
Cathy leaves an immense legacy that we are lucky to have.<br />
Sheridan College has established a Cathy Elliott Memorial<br />
Scholarship for Indigenous students: Sheridancollege.ca/giving-tosheridan/ways-to-give/memorial-or-tribute-giving/cathy-elliottmemorial-scholarship.aspx;<br />
and DAREArts has created the Cathy<br />
Elliott Fund to Empower Indigenous Youth – darearts.com.<br />
–Jennifer Parr<br />
70 | <strong>December</strong> <strong>2017</strong> / <strong>January</strong> <strong>2018</strong> thewholenote.com
<strong>December</strong>'s Child<br />
Jane Archibald<br />
MJ BUELL<br />
WE ARE ALL MUSIC’S CHILDREN<br />
Born in Truro, Nova Scotia, soprano Jane Archibald’s <strong>2017</strong>/18 season<br />
includes three productions with the Canadian Opera Company, as<br />
well as Carmina Burana with the Joven Orquesta Nacional d’Espana<br />
in Madrid and Rinaldo with the English Concert. Recent engagements<br />
have taken her to major opera houses in Zurich, Paris, Milan, Berlin,<br />
London and the Metropolitan Opera.<br />
What’s your earliest memory of music? I imagine it must have been<br />
hearing singing, as all parents sing to their babies, but I don’t recall<br />
a specific moment. My father played the piano daily, and I imagine I<br />
heard that even in utero!<br />
What did your parents do? My father was a physician (GP). My<br />
mother worked for the government before and after we were born,<br />
and was a homemaker for 15 years during our childhood.<br />
Musicians in your family? My father probably should have been<br />
a musician – he was a talented amateur jazz pianist and it gave him<br />
great joy to play. My younger brother and sister both played in the<br />
school band. My mother doesn’t consider herself musical, but she is<br />
very artistic and creative.<br />
Your first recollection of yourself making music? Singing to myself!<br />
I took piano lessons and group cello lessons for a few years and played<br />
trumpet in the school band. I never progressed beyond a beginner<br />
level of playing in any of those instruments. My favourite of the three<br />
was trumpet!<br />
Jane Archibald lives in Halifax, Nova Scotia, with her husband<br />
(tenor Kurt Streit), her children and multiple dust-bunnies.<br />
Beyond music, some of her other hobbies include reading,<br />
bargain hunting, baking, sleeping-in and DIY projects.<br />
A first music teacher? My first music teacher was my school music<br />
teacher, Mary Shephard. She was intense and I adored her classes.<br />
Every spring, when the local music festival took place, all other classes<br />
took a decidedly second seat to preparing to compete in the local<br />
festival – it was a point of pride to win first place.<br />
Early experiences of making music with other people? I started<br />
taking solo voice lessons at age 11 and I loved that (obviously!!). But<br />
most of my time was actually spent making music in groups, which<br />
was very fulfilling. I played in the school band in elementary school<br />
and junior high (trumpet) and I sang in every choir around; I was in<br />
a nationally recognized girls’ choir called the First Baptist Girls’ Choir<br />
which exposed me to lots of choral works, Bach being a particular<br />
favourite. I also performed in school musicals in junior high and<br />
high school. All that kept me very busy and mostly very happy and<br />
engaged. It taught me so many life lessons and prepared me extremely<br />
well for my future career.<br />
What would you say to parents hoping their young children will<br />
grow up to love and make music? Encourage it, however it comes!<br />
First off, turn on the radio and sing around the house. Buy tickets to<br />
live events instead of – or in addition to – another toy. Then help them<br />
find an outlet to make music, especially in a group (choir/orchestra/<br />
band.) It’s such a thrilling experience and truly teaches so many<br />
important life skills, in addition to the sheer joy they will feel when<br />
they play/sing. If they continue to want to pursue it on a serious level<br />
as a soloist, they will let you know. You can use those community<br />
contacts you’ve made to help you navigate finding teachers and<br />
opportunities.<br />
Don’t miss our full-length interview<br />
with Jane Archibald at thewholenote.com<br />
Jane Archibald at Diane’s Clams<br />
in Five Islands, Nova Scotia.<br />
the gift<br />
of music<br />
We grow up with an appetite for<br />
music when it’s a natural part of childhood.<br />
And while a music career is not<br />
for everyone, we all need music to enrich<br />
our lives.<br />
This season please give the gift of music to a young person:<br />
maybe tickets for a live performance; music classes; a good<br />
recording or a music store gift certificate. But you don’t have to<br />
spend money: play music and share the listening, make music<br />
and invite participation.<br />
Maybe most importantly, get them singing, or singing along<br />
– even if you think you cannot. Smile, take a deep breath, and<br />
sing together like there’s no tomorrow. And then, probably,<br />
there will be one.<br />
“My mother would sing to me after each bath (I still love<br />
baths); my eldest brother had a blues band and my father<br />
attempted to sing in church. It wasn’t amazing. But music was<br />
always playing in the house!” — Ambur Braid<br />
“There was never a time when I did not hear music. Hearing my<br />
parents sing every week in church, it was just a part of our life …”<br />
— Peter Mahon<br />
“ … playing in a rhythm band in our living room, organized<br />
as a neighbourhood project by my mother; singing and dancing<br />
with my young sister to the accompaniment of a wind-up Edison<br />
phonograph …” — John Beckwith<br />
“ … my dad playing some tunes on his violin – he would take out<br />
his violin and play from a book with old folk songs like Amazing<br />
Grace and Jeannie with the Light Brown Hair.” — Julia Wedman<br />
A new contest will appear in our February edition.<br />
CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR WINNERS!<br />
Jane Archibald will sing the role of Konstanze in The Abduction from the Seraglio<br />
(Die Entführung aus dem Serail) in the Canadian Opera Company’s brand new<br />
production (February 7 to 24, <strong>2018</strong>). Violence on the high seas, and human trafficking?<br />
Death threats? Xenophobia? No, not the news of the day: it’s Mozart.<br />
Konstanze and her maid Blonde are kidnapped by pirates and sold into slavery in<br />
Turkey, and the rest of this singspiel’s twists and turns might just be about how<br />
much we stand to learn when our cultural assumptions, and the things we think<br />
we know about ourselves and others, get shaken or stirred. Directed by Wajdi<br />
Mouawad and conducted by Johannes Debus, the cast includes Mauro Peter,<br />
Claire de Sévigné, Owen McCausland, Goran Jurić and Peter Lohmeyer.<br />
A pair of tickets each has been won by:<br />
RAHILA FAZILUDDIN, DORIS GRANT,<br />
DEBRA CHANDLER, JOAN MCGORMAN<br />
thewholenote.com <strong>December</strong> <strong>2017</strong> / <strong>January</strong> <strong>2018</strong> | 71
DISCOVERIES | RECORDINGS REVIEWED<br />
DAVID OLDS<br />
Last month a CD of late works by Elliott<br />
Carter gave me occasion to muse about the<br />
brushes with greatness I have been privileged<br />
with, thanks to my relationship with<br />
New Music Concerts. A new CD – Complete<br />
George Crumb Edition <strong>Volume</strong> 18 (BRIDGE<br />
9476 bridgerecords.com) – gives me that<br />
opportunity once again. Although it seems<br />
more recent, I realize it has been more than<br />
a dozen years since George Crumb was<br />
last in Toronto as the guest of NMC. For several decades after NMC’s<br />
founding in 1971, a tradition developed that Crumb’s new works<br />
would receive their second performances in Toronto; in the case of<br />
the celebrated Idyll for the Misbegotten for amplified flute and three<br />
percussionists, dedicated to Robert Aitken, this city was the location<br />
of its world premiere. That tradition continued in 2003 when the<br />
composer’s daughter Ann Crumb sang the Canadian premiere of the<br />
recently composed …Unto the Hills, Songs of Sadness, Yearning and<br />
Innocence, with the New Music Concerts ensemble.<br />
On that occasion it was my great pleasure to spend several days<br />
in the company of the 74-year-old composer and his family. In the<br />
intervening years Crumb has not slowed down much, as this disc<br />
attests, with a new work from 2012 – The Yellow Moon of Andalusia,<br />
Spanish Songbook III for Mezzo-Soprano and Amplified Piano –<br />
and recently revised versions of 1979’s Celestial Mechanics, Cosmic<br />
Dances for Amplified Piano, Four Hands and Yesteryear, A Vocalise<br />
for Mezzo-Soprano, Amplified Piano and Percussion originally<br />
written in 2005. Central to the disc is a 2001 composition, Eine Kleine<br />
Mitternachtmusik, A Little Midnight Music, Ruminations on ‘Round<br />
Midnight by Thelonious Monk for Amplified Piano, a nine-movement<br />
tribute to both Monk and Mozart performed by Marcantonio Barone.<br />
Amplification is one of the key elements of Crumb’s music, not to<br />
make it louder per se, but to make audible some of the subtle effects<br />
that the performers are called upon to execute, be it whistle tones on<br />
a flute or plucked notes or pedalled washes of harmonics inside the<br />
piano. This is very much a part of the Mitternachtmusik, along with<br />
other Crumb signature sounds and techniques, from dramatic knocks<br />
on the piano’s frame to shimmering glissandi on the strings, gentle<br />
melodies juxtaposed with brash interjections – veritable explosions<br />
of sound – and vocalizations from the pianist. Crumb’s characteristically<br />
descriptive movement titles include Cobweb and Peaseblossom;<br />
Incantation; Golliwog Revisited (with a nod to Debussy) and Cadenza<br />
with Tolling Bells.<br />
There is another personal connection for me on this recording. The<br />
soprano in the two vocal works is Tony Arnold, who performed a<br />
stunning rendition of György Kurtág’s Kafka Fragments with violinist<br />
Movses Pogossian for New Music Concerts at Gallery 345 last season.<br />
Arnold is no stranger to Crumb’s music – she received a Grammy<br />
nomination for her performance of Ancient Voices of Children – and<br />
is in fact the dedicatee of Yesteryear. That title was inspired by a line<br />
from François Villon, “Mais où sont les neiges d’antan,” rendered most<br />
famously into English by Dante Gabriel Rosetti as “But where are the<br />
snows of yesteryear?,” a line declaimed and later whispered in the<br />
original archaic French toward the end of the 11-minute work. As the<br />
composer’s preface tells us, “the singer is vainly searching for her lost<br />
youth and beauty and laments their inevitable erosion by the relentless<br />
passage of time.” There is some ritual involved in the performance,<br />
as is often the case in Crumb’s music. In this instance, over the<br />
duration of the piece the singer moves between nine stations – spread<br />
around the concert hall in the original version but restricted to the<br />
stage in the 2013 revision.<br />
Both Yesteryear and The Yellow Moon of Andalusia are first recordings.<br />
In the latter, Crumb returns to the poetry of Federico García<br />
Lorca, which has been the inspiration for many of his works since the<br />
1960s, including the above-mentioned Ancient Voices of Children.<br />
While the earlier works used the original Spanish, here Crumb<br />
sets English translations of the poems. The comprehensive booklet<br />
includes both the originals and the translations. We have to thank<br />
Bridge Records for their thoroughness, not only in the preparation of<br />
this recording, which also includes the piano duo Quattro Mani and<br />
percussionists David Nelson and William Kerrigan, but for undertaking<br />
such an exhaustive catalogue of works by one of the unique<br />
voices of our time.<br />
I am pleased to note that this month we<br />
have reviews of four Analekta discs, and that<br />
they all feature contemporary (or at least<br />
20th-century in the case of André Mathieu)<br />
composers. I point this out because although<br />
this Quebec label is highly respected for its<br />
releases, for the most part they stick to more<br />
conventionally classical repertoire, even<br />
though some of their artists are renowned<br />
for their commitment to contemporary<br />
music. The Gryphon Trio has been a major “exception to this rule.”<br />
The Gryphon’s 19-title discography includes half a dozen Analekta<br />
releases of contemporary music, so kudos to them. The most recent<br />
of these is Into the Wonder (AN 2 9521 analekta.com), on which<br />
they join the Thunder Bay Symphony Orchestra under the direction<br />
of Arthur Post to perform the music of Jordan Pal. Described by<br />
Ludwig van Toronto as “the country’s current it-boy composer,” at 34,<br />
Pal is currently the RBC affiliate composer of the Toronto Symphony<br />
and his music has been performed by every significant orchestra<br />
across Canada.<br />
Starling – Triple concerto for violin, cello, piano and orchestra was<br />
commissioned by the Gryphon Trio and the Thunder Bay Symphony<br />
in 2013. It is a scintillating work in three movements, opening with an<br />
orchestral flourish that develops into a 15-minute flight, a “murmuration”<br />
with only brief moments of respite, mostly in the form of lyrical<br />
cadenzas from the solo trio. It is exhilarating how Pal sustains the<br />
momentum throughout. The Largo second movement begins in dark<br />
brass timbres that once again give way to gorgeously lyrical passages<br />
from the soloists, especially in the cello lines. But one word of caution,<br />
or at least a cautionary tale for me. Many years ago I discovered how<br />
close the sound of a cello can be to that of a saxophone when I first<br />
heard Kabalevsky’s Cello Concerto No.2. About midway through, the<br />
solo cello gives way to an alto saxophone cadenza so seamlessly that<br />
it takes several seconds for the ear to recognize what has just gone on.<br />
I had a similar experience when I first listened to Starling, which I<br />
did on small computer speakers. I was convinced I was hearing saxophone<br />
at several points in the recording and emailed Pal to ask if this<br />
was the case because I did not see any saxophonists credited in the list<br />
of orchestra members. He assured me that he had not included saxophone<br />
in the instrumentation and subsequent listening on proper<br />
speakers has confirmed this. That’s why I make a point of listening on<br />
my stereo system before passing judgement on discs – basic computer<br />
72 | <strong>December</strong> <strong>2017</strong> / <strong>January</strong> <strong>2018</strong> thewholenote.com
systems simply don’t provide accurate sound. The finale, Presto –<br />
Electric and Wild is simply that, a moto perpetuo once again reminiscent<br />
of a thousand starlings soaring and swirling together in the sky.<br />
I think I will let the composer speak for himself about the title<br />
piece, also commissioned by the TBSO, which at half an hour<br />
comprises just under half of the disc. “Into the Wonder celebrates the<br />
creative will of our universe. Evoking birth and death, creation and<br />
destruction, universal interconnectedness and the rapture of love, this<br />
piece seeks to capture the mystery, awe and wonder of life. Nature’s<br />
own great works of art are reminders that we are a part of this<br />
magnificent range of possibilities, that we are part of something much<br />
greater. This symphony celebrates all that is beautiful.” Is this simply<br />
the naïve vision of a young man couched in slick orchestral finery?<br />
This is certainly not “new music” in the sense of Carter or Crumb, but<br />
it is genuinely attractive, well-crafted and brilliantly executed. Does it<br />
succeed in its aspirations? I welcome you to judge for yourselves.<br />
Concert note: The Gryphon Trio joins the Kingston Symphony in<br />
a performance of Jeffrey Ryan’s triple concerto Equilateral (which<br />
they recorded with the Vancouver Symphony, Naxos 8.572765) on<br />
<strong>December</strong> 3 at the Isabel Bader Centre for Performing Arts, Kingston.<br />
On <strong>December</strong> 7 they return to Music Toronto to perform works by<br />
Haydn, Brahms and Marjan Mozetich. In the new year the trio heads<br />
to Western Canada for a number of concerts around British Columbia<br />
(<strong>January</strong> 19 through February 3), with a side trip to the Edmonton<br />
Chamber Music Society on <strong>January</strong> 26.<br />
I’m not normally drawn to so-called new<br />
age music, and I think that’s the category<br />
cellist Margaret Maria’s Carried by an Angel<br />
would most naturally fall into, yet I find<br />
myself drawn to it. In 2011 Margaret Maria<br />
Tobolowska left the position she held with<br />
the National Arts Centre Orchestra for a<br />
dozen years to pursue a solo career as cellist<br />
and chamber musician, composer and<br />
producer. I must confess that I was a little<br />
off-put by the statement on the cover of the promotional copy of the<br />
disc I received: “The beauty of the Archangel Raffaele, the bringer of<br />
healing, comfort and compassion has been brought to me. The music<br />
is full of energy that heals, sings, dances on the edge of winged spirits<br />
and brings such indescribable beauty in colours that shimmer and<br />
are full of love.” I am not a believer in angels, nor spiritual healing<br />
and at first did not think I should be the one to comment on the<br />
disc. But as a cellist, and lover of many diverse sorts of music, I gave<br />
it a try, and then another. It is ostensibly a solo cello disc, but more<br />
accurately, a solo cellist disc. There are many layerings of lines that<br />
together produce dense and lush melodic textures, a lovely wash of<br />
sound that is warm and immersive. The overall effect is orchestral,<br />
but in a unique way since all of the sounds are made by cello, with<br />
some computer processing, so there is a welcoming homophony. To<br />
me it is reminiscent of the music of Arvo Pärt if you imagine a piece<br />
like Spiegel im Spiegel on an orchestral scale. If you are curious, you<br />
can check our Margaret Maria’s website (enchanten.com) and her<br />
Enchanten channel on YouTube.<br />
Liszt’s Consolation No.3 and Hungarian Rhapsody No.2. I am a little<br />
surprised that the CD booklet, which includes an extended article<br />
about the repertoire by Jed Distler in three languages, contains not a<br />
word about this fabulous young performer. There is lots of information<br />
available on his own website however – georgelipianist.com –<br />
including such tidbits as he made his first public performance at the<br />
age of ten (2005) at Boston’s Steinway Hall, and in 2011 performed<br />
for president Obama at the White House in an evening honouring<br />
Chancellor Angela Merkel. If the disc is any indication, the concert<br />
will be a barnburner not to be missed by the cognoscenti. Now, if he<br />
could just find time to learn some new repertoire!<br />
Concert note: George Li’s recital takes place at Koerner Hall on<br />
February 4.<br />
We welcome your feedback and invite submissions. CDs and<br />
comments should be sent to: DISCoveries, WholeNote Media<br />
Inc., The Centre for Social Innovation, 503 – 720 Bathurst St.<br />
Toronto ON M5S 2R4. We also encourage you to visit our website<br />
thewholenote.com where you can find enhanced reviews in the<br />
Listening Room with audio samples, upcoming performance details<br />
and direct links to performers, composers and record labels.<br />
David Olds, DISCoveries Editor<br />
discoveries@thewholenote.com<br />
TAFELMUSIK MEDIA NEW RELEASE<br />
NOW AVAILABLE!<br />
TALES OF TWO CITIES:<br />
THE LEIPZIG-DAMASCUS<br />
COFFEE HOUSE<br />
CD & DVD<br />
tafelmusik.org<br />
“A phenomenon that was<br />
unexpected and powerful”<br />
– The Globe and Mail<br />
And a quick final note. 2015 Silver<br />
Medalist in the International Tchaikovsky<br />
Competition George Li has just released his<br />
inaugural CD, Live at the Mariinsky (Warner<br />
Classics 0190295812942). It was recorded in<br />
St. Petersburg one year ago and it features<br />
exactly the same repertoire the young superstar<br />
performed in Vancouver in October and<br />
will perform again in Toronto in February:<br />
piano sonatas by Haydn (Hob.XVI:32) and<br />
Chopin (Op.35), Rachmaninov’s Variations on a theme of Corelli, and<br />
thewholenote.com <strong>December</strong> <strong>2017</strong> / <strong>January</strong> <strong>2018</strong> | 73
STRINGS<br />
ATTACHED<br />
TERRY ROBBINS<br />
Les Tendres Plaintes: Works by Jean-<br />
Philippe Rameau (Centaur CRC 3603) is<br />
the second solo CD from Canadian guitarist<br />
Sylvie Proulx; it’s a collection of transcriptions,<br />
mostly of dance movements, from<br />
harpsichord suites by the leading French<br />
Baroque composer.<br />
Three of the transcriptions, including the<br />
title track, are by Proulx, with the remaining<br />
12 being by other guitarists including John Duarte and Andrés Segovia.<br />
Given the inherent difficulties in transcribing harpsichord music for<br />
guitar – the reduced range, the unavoidability of playing fewer notes,<br />
and in particular the handling of ornamentation – everything here<br />
works extremely well, helped no doubt by the guitar’s greater capabilities<br />
for expressive playing.<br />
Proulx’s performances are clean and clearly defined, with a<br />
complete absence of extraneous noise and a lovely range of colour,<br />
tone and contrast. It’s terrific playing.<br />
There’s more excellent – and fascinating<br />
– guitar playing on François Campion<br />
Music for Baroque Guitar (Brilliant<br />
Classics 95276), with Bernhard Hofstötter<br />
playing a Baroque guitar attributed to<br />
Matteo Sellas of Venice, from about 1640.<br />
The colour booklet photos show an astonishingly<br />
beautiful instrument. It’s a fivecourse<br />
guitar, tuned the same as the top<br />
five strings of the modern guitar, with the top E a single string and<br />
the other four doubled, either in unison (A, G and B strings) or at the<br />
lower octave (D string).<br />
In 1705 Campion published one of the last five-course guitar<br />
books, and continued to add handwritten pieces to his own personal<br />
copy throughout his life. These manuscript pieces often exceeded<br />
the published works in size and difficulty, and form the basis of<br />
this recital.<br />
In the excellent booklet Hofstötter remarks on the instrument’s<br />
“…full-bodied and velvety dark sound which radically differs from<br />
comparable modern instruments” and is “round, fully resonating and<br />
at the same time subtle and fragile.” It’s exactly that. Hofstötter is a<br />
lutenist, and it shows; the sound here seems like a bridge between<br />
the lute and the classical guitar. It’s meticulously clean playing of<br />
some very intricate and technically demanding music – the Bach-like<br />
fugues and dance forms in particular – and a simply fascinating CD.<br />
Whenever you see a 2CD box set from the<br />
wonderful cello and piano duo of Matt<br />
Haimovitz and Christopher O’Riley you<br />
know you’re in for something special, and<br />
so it proves with Troika, their latest release<br />
of Russian music by Shostakovich, Prokofiev<br />
and Rachmaninoff on the Pentatone<br />
Oxingale Series label (PTC 5186 608).<br />
CD1 is devoted to Shostakovich and<br />
Prokofiev, with the former’s Waltz No.2 and Cello Sonata in D Minor<br />
Op.40 and the latter’s Troika from Lieutenant Kijé and Cello Sonata<br />
in C Major Op.119.<br />
CD2 has Rachmaninoff’s Cello Sonata in G Minor Op.19 and<br />
his famous Vocalise before the duo takes a customary left turn<br />
into contemporary Russian music with two of their own arrangements:<br />
Kukushka, by the singer-songwriter Victor Tsoi; and Pussy<br />
Riot’s Punk Prayer – Virgin Mary, Put Putin Away, complete with<br />
Haimovitz’s use of a glass slide on the strings and a crushed Styrofoam<br />
cup behind the bridge to achieve some grunge punk bass distortion!<br />
The duo’s arrangement of Lennon & McCartney’s Back in the<br />
U.S.S.R. completes a terrific set.<br />
Angèle Dubeau and La Pietà are back with<br />
another CD in their Portrait series, this time<br />
featuring music by Max Richter, who has<br />
been particularly active in film, theatre and<br />
television (Analekta AN 2 8745).<br />
Previous Portrait CDs featured Philip<br />
Glass, Arvo Pärt, John Adams and Ludovico<br />
Einaudi, and Dubeau says that the more she<br />
listens to composers gravitating around the<br />
minimalist movement the more she wants to interpret their music: “I<br />
enjoy the moments of introspection that these works bring.”<br />
Those moments are possibly the result of the lack of any real<br />
development: each of the 16 short pieces here (15 are less than five<br />
minutes) essentially sets a mood and keeps it, with little opportunity<br />
for anything other than “Here’s an idea…”<br />
Apart from the really lovely Mercy for solo violin and piano, and<br />
Winter II, recomposed by Richter from Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons, all<br />
tracks are arrangements by François Vallières and Dubeau of pieces<br />
from Richter’s solo albums Memoryhouse, The Blue Notebooks –<br />
Disconnect, Songs From Before and From Sleep, the films Waltz with<br />
Bashir and Perfect Sense, and the television scores for The Leftovers<br />
and Black Mirror-Nosedive.<br />
As always, playing and recording standards are absolutely topnotch.<br />
It’s essentially easy, pleasant – and, yes, introspective – listening<br />
that will be warmly welcomed by Dubeau’s many regular admirers.<br />
Violinist Nuné Melik makes an impressive<br />
recording debut with the CD Hidden<br />
Treasure: Rediscovered Music from<br />
Armenia with pianist Michel-Alexandres<br />
Broekaert (DOM Forlane FOR 16886<br />
domdisques.com).<br />
Born in Siberia of Armenian/Georgian/<br />
Jewish heritage, Melik moved to Montreal<br />
in 2009 and began to explore the music of<br />
composers from her upbringing; this recital<br />
program grew out of the resulting Hidden Treasure project. Judging by<br />
her playing here, it’s clearly been an emotional and rewarding journey.<br />
The central work on the disc is the Violin Sonata in B-flat Minor<br />
by Arno Babadjanian, written in Russia in 1959 and criticized as<br />
“formalist” by the Soviet authorities. Babadjanian’s close friend Dmitri<br />
Shostakovich thought highly of it, and his influence is clearly felt;<br />
there are hints of Prokofiev in the slow movement, too.<br />
Lovely short pieces by Komitas Vardapet, Aram Khachaturian and<br />
Alexander Spendiarian complete the disc. There’s passionate, rhapsodic<br />
playing from Melik and sympathetic support from Broekaert,<br />
who also has a short solo.<br />
Concert note: Nuné Melik and Michel-Alexandres Broekaert perform<br />
in Toronto on <strong>December</strong> 7 at the Yamaha Recital Space at Atelier<br />
Rosemarie Umetsu.<br />
J.S. Bach: Sonatas for Violin and<br />
Harpsichord BWV 1014-1019 with violinist<br />
Mark Fewer and Hank Knox (Leaf Music<br />
LM 216) is the third set of these works I’ve<br />
received in recent years, following the<br />
outstanding releases from Catherine Manson<br />
and Ton Koopman (harpsichord) and the<br />
Duo Concertante pairing of Nancy Dahn and<br />
Timothy Steeves (piano).<br />
74 | <strong>December</strong> <strong>2017</strong> / <strong>January</strong> <strong>2018</strong> thewholenote.com
Although there is accomplished playing here the harpsichord is<br />
prominent and rather heavy, and its lack of dynamic range tends<br />
to give the performances a somewhat mechanical feel, with the<br />
violin sounding more like a separate voice than an integrated<br />
partner. Koopman’s sound is much softer and much more attuned to<br />
Manson’s playing.<br />
There are occasional significant differences in interpretation too,<br />
notably in the Adagio of the F minor sonata, where Fewer – unlike<br />
Manson and Dahn – opts to separate and shorten the eighth note<br />
double-stops.<br />
As always, it comes down to personal taste. If you prefer these works<br />
strong and bright and with harpsichord there is much here you will<br />
enjoy, although Manson and Koopman and Duo Concertante both<br />
offer more sensitive readings.<br />
Concert notes (out of province): Hank Knox performs solo recitals<br />
at Salle Georges-Codling in Sorel-Tracy, QC on <strong>December</strong> 3 and at<br />
Redpath Hall in Montreal, QC on <strong>January</strong> 31.<br />
Fantasia is the 35th studio album from<br />
violin superstar Anne Akiko Meyers, this<br />
time with the Philharmonia Orchestra<br />
conducted by Kristjan Järvi (Avie Records<br />
AV<strong>23</strong>85). The title track is by the Finnish<br />
composer Einojuhani Rautavaara, written in<br />
2015 at the request of Meyers, who worked<br />
on it with the composer in Helsinki only<br />
months before his death in July 2016. Meyers<br />
describes it as “transcendent” and having “the feeling of an elegy with<br />
a very personal reflective mood.” It’s a lovely work that clearly has<br />
great emotional significance for her.<br />
The Violin Concerto No.1 Op.35 by Karol Szymanowski dates from<br />
1916, and was one of the first works to reflect the life-changing influence<br />
of his 1914 trips to North Africa and to Paris, where he met<br />
Debussy and Ravel. It’s a simply glorious single-movement work full<br />
of sensuous and exotic melody and lush orchestration, and with an<br />
extremely demanding solo part that rarely leaves the stratosphere.<br />
Ravel’s dazzling Tzigane, in the orchestral version, completes a<br />
simply outstanding CD.<br />
In the old LP days the Bruch and<br />
Mendelssohn Violin Concertos were<br />
frequent companions, and the tradition<br />
continues on a new CD from the Polishborn<br />
violinist Kinga Augustyn, with the<br />
Janáček Philharmonia Orchestra under<br />
Jakub Klecker (Centaur CRC 3585).<br />
The Bruch Concerto No.1 in G Minor has<br />
a lovely opening, with Augustyn displaying a big, bright tone. Tempos<br />
are never rushed, and there is beautiful orchestral support.<br />
The performance of the Mendelssohn Concerto in E Minor follows<br />
the same pattern, with unhurried tempos, accuracy in the details and<br />
some lovely orchestral moments. There’s sweetness and warmth in<br />
the playing, but never a hint of superficiality: these are thoughtful<br />
performances that bring delightful playing from all concerned.<br />
Massenet’s Meditation from Thaïs is the final track, and again it’s a<br />
performance that leans toward the understated – a sensitive, simple<br />
reading with great depth that makes for a very effective ending to an<br />
impressive CD.<br />
The outstanding German cellist Gabriel<br />
Schwabe is the soloist in the complete Saint-<br />
Saëns Works for Cello and Orchestra with<br />
the Malmö Symphony Orchestra under<br />
Marc Soustrot (Naxos 8.573737).<br />
The two Cello Concertos – No.1 in A Minor,<br />
Op.33 and No.2 in D Minor, Op.119 – are<br />
the major works here, although the lesserknown<br />
five-movement Suite in D Minor,<br />
Op.16bis from 1919 has much to recommend it. It was written for<br />
cello and piano and later orchestrated by the composer, as were the<br />
two other short works here: the Romance in F Major, Op.36 and the<br />
Allegro appassionato in B Minor, Op.43. Paul Vidal’s orchestration of<br />
The Swan from Carnival of the Animals completes the CD.<br />
With his great tone and terrific technique Schwabe easily negotiates<br />
the difficult challenges of the second concerto, with some particularly<br />
lovely playing in the simply beautiful central Andante sostenuto.<br />
There is fine orchestral support from Soustrot and the Malmö<br />
orchestra. All in all, an outstanding disc.<br />
There’s cello playing at the complete<br />
opposite end of the spectrum on Sweet<br />
Anxiety, the first solo CD from the<br />
American cellist Ashley Walters featuring<br />
new works for cello from 2002-2013 (populist<br />
records PR014 populistrecords.com).<br />
Walters says that she seeks “to challenge<br />
your perception of what the cello… is capable<br />
of,” and she certainly succeeds.<br />
Nicholas Deyoe provides two tracks: For Stephanie (on our wedding<br />
day) and the title track another anxiety, the latter drawing some<br />
astonishing playing from Walters. Luciano Berio’s Sequenza XIV is<br />
predominantly percussive; it’s heard here in a performing edition<br />
created by Walters.<br />
Wolfgang von Schweinitz’s Plainsound-Litany is a hypnotic<br />
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André Mathieu: Concerto No. 3<br />
Alain Lefèvre, JoAnn Falletta,<br />
Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra<br />
An inspired restoration of André<br />
Mathieu’s famous Concerto No. 3.<br />
with JoAnn Falletta and the Buffalo<br />
Philharmonic Orchestra. Spectacular!<br />
Crazy<br />
T. Patrick Carrabré<br />
T. Patrick Carrabré explores<br />
the edges of beauty - that place<br />
where darkness meets light and<br />
inspiration can lead to obsession.<br />
thewholenote.com <strong>December</strong> <strong>2017</strong> / <strong>January</strong> <strong>2018</strong> | 75
sequence of precisely tuned double stops; Wadada Leo Smith’s<br />
Sweet Bay Magnolia with Berry Clusters includes improvisational<br />
sequences. Andrew McIntosh’s Another Secular Calvinist Creed<br />
provides a serene, contemplative end to the recital.<br />
Walters is simply brilliant throughout the disc, and the short<br />
printed examples of the scores (other than the Berio) give some idea of<br />
the challenges she faced.<br />
On Violin Muse the British violinist Madeleine Mitchell presents a<br />
program of world premiere recordings of works by British composers<br />
(Divine Art dda 25160).<br />
The major work here is the two-movement Violin Concerto “Soft<br />
Stillness” by Welsh composer Guto Pryderi Puw, commissioned by<br />
Mitchell and heard in a live BBC Radio recording from 2016. It’s an<br />
effective piece, with Mitchell accompanied by the BBC National<br />
Orchestra of Wales under Edwin Outwater.<br />
Mitchell is joined by Cerys Jones in Judith<br />
Weir’s delightful Atlantic Drift – Three<br />
pieces for two violins, based on Gaelic<br />
folk tunes.<br />
Pianist Nigel Clayton is the accompanist<br />
in the remaining works: Geoffrey Poole’s<br />
Rhapsody; David Matthews’ Romanza<br />
Op.119a; Sadie Harrison’s lovely Aurea Luce;<br />
Michael Berkeley’s Veilleuse; and Michael<br />
Nyman’s Taking it as Read.<br />
There’s excellent playing throughout by all concerned.<br />
Concert notes (out of province): Madeleine Mitchell performs<br />
Schoenberg's Phantasie with pianist Ian Pace in a free concert at the<br />
Performance Space, College Building, City University of London (UK)<br />
on <strong>December</strong> 8 and is featured in live performance and talk on BBC<br />
Essex on <strong>December</strong> 13.<br />
Keyed In<br />
ALEX BARAN<br />
David Jalbert already has five recordings<br />
in the ATMA catalogue. His newest is<br />
Stravinski – Prokofiev Pétrouchka, L’oiseau<br />
de feu, Roméo et Juliette – Transcriptions<br />
pour piano (ATMA Classique ACD2<br />
2684). It shows why he’s considered one<br />
of the younger generation’s finest pianists.<br />
His performance of Danse russe from<br />
Pétrouchka explodes into being with astonishing<br />
speed and alacrity. Jalbert possesses a<br />
sweeping technique that exudes ease and persuasive conviction.<br />
The three extracts from L’Oiseau de feu require, and Jalbert<br />
obviously has it, complete command of the keyboard for the Danse<br />
that begins the set. Equally demanding is the introspection necessary<br />
for the following Berceuse. The Finale builds to a colossal orchestral<br />
finish that loses nothing in this transcription for piano.<br />
According to the disc’s informative liner notes, the ten pieces<br />
from Prokofiev’s ballet Romeo and Juliet Op.75 are from Prokofiev’s<br />
original piano score, and owing to the composer’s facility with the<br />
instrument, are highly idiomatic. One of the set’s most engaging<br />
pieces is The Montagues and the Capulets, driven rhythmically by<br />
its relentless bassline. Jalbert has a complete understanding of these<br />
three stage works and the contemporary language their composers<br />
used to tell their stories.<br />
Concert note: Pianists David Jalbert and Wonny Song perform music<br />
inspired by dance, theatre and visual art on <strong>January</strong> 14 for Mooredale<br />
Concerts and Music & Truffles at Walter Hall.<br />
Alain Lefèvre has recorded an intriguing<br />
work with the Buffalo Philharmonic<br />
Orchestra under Joann Falletta: André<br />
Mathieu – Concerto No.3 (Analekta AN 2<br />
9299). Written at age 13 while marooned<br />
with his family in North America by the<br />
outbreak of WWII, unable to return to<br />
France where he had been studying on a<br />
scholarship from the Quebec government,<br />
the work was intended to launch Mathieu’s<br />
career with the influential decision makers of the New York music<br />
scene. Unfortunately, not much came of it until 1946, when a newly<br />
created Quebec production company approached Mathieu for the<br />
rights to use his Concerto No.3 in a film (La Forteresse/Whispering<br />
City) to be shot entirely in Quebec. As things turned out, only major<br />
portions of the second movement were used in the film score.<br />
Until recently, this had been the only record of the work. Mathieu<br />
himself recorded it in 1947, and this same version, revised by Marc<br />
Bélanger, was recorded by Philippe Entremont in 1977 and made<br />
famous by Alain Lefèvre in 2003. Eventually renamed the Concerto de<br />
Québec, the recording by Jean-Philippe Sylvestre with the Orchestre<br />
Métropolitain and conductor Alain Trudel was reviewed here<br />
in October.<br />
In 2008 the original autograph score for two pianos was discovered<br />
in Ottawa. Since then, composer and conductor Jacques Marchand<br />
has prepared a critical edition that is faithful to the original manuscript.<br />
This is its first full recording. It has all the sweeping gestures of<br />
its period and a devilishly difficult piano part. Lefèvre’s performance<br />
at the keyboard is masterful. He and the BPO perform the work with<br />
astonishing authenticity, restoring a fascinating chapter to Canadian<br />
music history of that period.<br />
American pianist David Glen Hatch exploits<br />
his pianistic link to Brahms in Brahms<br />
& Rubinstein (Centaur CRC 3565/3566).<br />
Brahms’ student Carl Friedberg taught at<br />
Juilliard in the late 1940s; Hatch’s own<br />
teacher Joanne Baker won an audition to<br />
study there with Friedberg. Hatch recalls<br />
numerous instructions from Baker, handed<br />
down by Friedberg from Brahms, about<br />
his intentions for various passages in the Piano Concerto No.1 in D<br />
Minor Op.15. It’s fascinating to consider the extent to which Hatch’s<br />
performance is connected to the composer in this way. Hatch’s<br />
approach overall is quite deliberate in his slightly slower tempi. The<br />
second movement in particular reveals numerous opportunities to<br />
dwell on phrases and Brahms’ characteristic harmonic shifts.<br />
As substantial as the Brahms concerto is, the Rubinstein Concerto<br />
for Piano and Orchestra No.4 in D Minor Op.70 seems an even<br />
grander conception. It may have to do with Rubenstein’s orchestrations,<br />
but somehow Hatch seems truly in his element with the<br />
composer’s great pianistic gestures. The concertos are an excellent<br />
pairing for this two-disc recording.<br />
Robert and Linda Ang Stoodley style themselves<br />
as Piano à Deux. Their new disc,<br />
France Revisited – Music by Onslow,<br />
Debussy and Poulenc (Divine Art dda<br />
25132) is an example of piano four hands<br />
performance at its very best. One of the<br />
disc’s many treats is the appearance of<br />
music by George Onslow. Because his<br />
oeuvre is largely for chamber strings, his<br />
76 | <strong>December</strong> <strong>2017</strong> / <strong>January</strong> <strong>2018</strong> thewholenote.com
very few piano works tend to be overlooked. The unique voice of this<br />
19th-century composer is deeply intriguing as heard in the Sonata<br />
for Piano Four Hands No.1 in E Minor Op.7. It’s surprisingly forward<br />
looking despite its early catalogue entry.<br />
Petite Suite delivers all the rich impressionistic orchestrations with<br />
which we associate Claude Debussy, and Piano à Deux are consistently<br />
excellent in how they portray the composer’s lightly programmatic<br />
intent.<br />
The duo has also transcribed the Poulenc Chansons de l’amour et<br />
de la guerre, and done so with a gifted ear that preserves the wistful<br />
nostalgia that Poulenc infused into each song.<br />
Concert notes (out of province): Details of upcoming performances<br />
can be found at pianoadeux.com/events.<br />
José Menor is an extraordinary pianist with<br />
a fearsome technique and unrivalled fluidity<br />
of touch. His new recording Goyescas –<br />
Enrique Granados (IBS Classical IBS-8<strong>2017</strong>)<br />
demonstrates how he brings these gifts<br />
to his exploration of this major composition<br />
of Spanish piano music. Menor goes<br />
to considerable effort in his liner notes to<br />
explain how this music captured his imagination<br />
and compelled him to study it from a composer’s perspective<br />
rather than just a pianist’s. His study of the original manuscripts<br />
recommended by the Granados family helped him profoundly in<br />
discerning the composer’s intent in writing the suite, which deals<br />
with the course of love and death.<br />
Menor admits being attracted by the work’s many, deep contrasts<br />
and its expressive intensity. This is most powerfully evident in El amor<br />
y la muerte. It’s astonishing to imagine that this century-old work<br />
contains such modern tone clusters and rhythmic freedom. Under<br />
the hands of Menor it becomes a revealing expression, ahead of its<br />
time, and potently magical. The suite is slightly abridged for lack of<br />
recording space but the disc does include a rare performance of a<br />
single short manuscript, Crepúsculo, that may have been Granados’<br />
first draft of some of the suite.<br />
Harpsichordist Gilbert Rowland has<br />
completed a substantial project with his<br />
recording Johann Mattheson 12 Suites for<br />
Harpsichord (Athene ath <strong>23</strong>301.1 divineartrecords.com).<br />
The three-disc set is a valuable<br />
document shedding some light on<br />
the music of a hitherto obscure composer.<br />
Mattheson was a contemporary of Handel<br />
and came to know him well as a friend<br />
and colleague. He is said to have written numerous operas, oratorios,<br />
What we're listening to this month:<br />
sacred works and music for organ. Most of these manuscripts were<br />
kept in Hamburg, where Mattheson lived and worked for much of<br />
his life. Allied bombing of the city during WWII destroyed most of<br />
the Mattheson documents, leaving little for modern scholars to study.<br />
Fortunately, the 12 Suites for Harpsichord, dating from 1714, have<br />
survived. They are well-conceived mature works written in the French<br />
dance suite style. Rowland plays a 2005 copy of a French instrument<br />
from 1750 by Goermans.<br />
Andrew Wright has recorded a second disc<br />
in his series of operatic transcriptions, The<br />
Operatic Pianist II (Divine Art dda 25153<br />
divineartrecords.com). Opera transcriptions<br />
were, in their day, the equivalent of<br />
pop song covers. They also provided travelling<br />
pianists with ample popular repertoire<br />
for performance. Liszt may be the bestknown<br />
contributor to the form, although a<br />
great many composers dabbled in the genre.<br />
Wright clearly has a wonderful working grasp of this repertoire and<br />
knows how to bring forward the vocal line as well as how to portray<br />
the orchestral colour that any given emotional moment requires. His<br />
playing is consistently fabulous, whether he’s pounding out Liszt’s<br />
Rienzi Fantasy or Saint-Saëns’ Concert Paraphrase on Thaïs. It’s easy<br />
to understand how these transcriptions achieved “hit” status in the<br />
time before the gramophone and digital access to opera performances.<br />
Misuzu Tanaka has, at first blush, twinned<br />
a pair of unlikely composers in her<br />
new release, Janáček, Bach - In concert<br />
(Concertant Classics CD PR201601 concertantclassics.com).<br />
She admits, however, that<br />
in the process of the recording she discovered<br />
that both were having the same effect<br />
on her. Tanaka’s performance of the Bach<br />
Partita No.6 in E Minor BWV 830 reveals her<br />
strict adherence to the perfection of Bach’s structure. It also uncovers<br />
the emotional richness of the minor key. This last consideration is<br />
where she makes the link to Janáček. His Moravian heritage and his<br />
links to Czech folk music are reflected in the emotional content of<br />
On an Overgrown Path, Books 1 and 2. Minor keys are prevalent.<br />
Melancholy is pervasive. In its own way, this shared feature is, for<br />
Tanaka, the point of connection.<br />
Tanaka approaches Janáček with an intent to uncover the inspired<br />
simplicity of his music. She moves through the numerous parts of<br />
Books 1 and 2 with thoughtful deliberation, capturing the essence<br />
of the composer’s evocative titles: Words Fail, Unutterable Anguish,<br />
In Tears, for example. Her playing is as perfect for Janáček as it is for<br />
thewholenote.com/listening<br />
Dog's Breakfast<br />
Barry Elmes Quintet<br />
Cornerstone Records Inc. presents<br />
Dog's Breakfast, the long-awaited<br />
6th CD by the award-winning Barry<br />
Elmes Quintet showcasing new<br />
compositions and jazz standards.<br />
Encount3rs<br />
Canada's National Arts Centre<br />
Orchestra, Alexander Shelley<br />
The National Arts Centre Orchestra<br />
conducted by Alexander Shelley<br />
perform original orchestral scores<br />
for new ballets by three of Canada's<br />
most exciting composers.<br />
Entangled Pathways<br />
Gilliam, Milmine, Pottie<br />
Entangled Pathways by Gilliam,<br />
Milmine & Pottie is a unique<br />
combination of free floating melodies,<br />
jazz idioms, modal-chromatic<br />
tonalities and improvised creations.<br />
France Revisited<br />
Piano-à-Deux<br />
Robert Stoodley and Linda Ang<br />
Stoodley present a suitably Gallic<br />
program of Debussy, Poulenc and<br />
George Onslow – music both very<br />
familiar and refreshingly new.<br />
thewholenote.com <strong>December</strong> <strong>2017</strong> / <strong>January</strong> <strong>2018</strong> | 77
Bach. What a wonderfully unlikely pair.<br />
Concert notes (out of province): Misuzu Tanaka performs a duo<br />
concert with Maksim Shtrykov, clarinet at the Fairmont Chamber<br />
Music Society in Fairmont, WV on <strong>December</strong> 10, at the Highlands<br />
Chapel Concert Series in Seattle, WA on <strong>January</strong> 14 and the Third<br />
Sunday Concert Series in Albany, CA on <strong>January</strong> 21. Tanaka also<br />
gives a solo recital for Sunset Music and Arts in San Francisco, CA on<br />
<strong>January</strong> 20.<br />
Martin Perry’s third recording Martin Perry<br />
Piano – Hugo Weisgall, Piano Sonata & Paul<br />
Hindemith, Ludus Tonalis (Bridge 9467)<br />
continues his artistic focus on contemporary<br />
piano music, and specifically on substantial<br />
forms. The disc opens with a three-movement<br />
Sonata for Piano by Hugo Weisgall,<br />
a Moravian immigrant to the US in 1920<br />
whose serious pursuit of music study at<br />
Peabody and Curtis, and privately with composers like Roger Sessions,<br />
helped form the rigorous approach he developed in his own writing.<br />
His language tends towards a 12-tone, relaxed serialism where the<br />
musical ideas are rather long. There’s a good deal of highly contrasted<br />
emotional content that Perry handles beautifully, giving the sonata<br />
what the liner notes call an “operatic” quality.<br />
In the same vein, the Hindemith Ludus Tonalis has an illuminating<br />
subtitle: Studies in Counterpoint, Tonal Organization and Piano<br />
Playing. Hindemith writes a fugue in each of the 12 major keys, joined<br />
by interludes that help establish the new key. The opening Praeludium<br />
is played inverted and in reverse as the Postludium. It’s all rather cerebral,<br />
but Perry uses the distinct character of each fugue and interlude<br />
to colour the work in the most creative way. It’s a very engaging<br />
performance.<br />
Andree-Ann Deschenes describes herself<br />
as a “French-Canadian pianist specializing<br />
in the passionate music of Latin and<br />
South America.” Currently doing doctoral<br />
work at California State University in<br />
LA, her latest recording Villa-Lobos /<br />
Castro (191061746096 aadpiano.com)<br />
is a rich program revealing the skill and<br />
artistic mastery of this very gifted pianist.<br />
Opening with the Villa-Lobos four-part Ciclo Brasileiro W374,<br />
Deschenes establishes her credentials as a serious student of these<br />
Latin composers. With an unerring sense of rhythm for every turn of<br />
phrase and ornament, she navigates through the Villa-Lobos and the<br />
five Tangos para Piano by Juan José Castro, finishing with a brilliant<br />
performance of Festiva by José Maria Vitler. It’s a terrific recording<br />
with a tremendous amount of energy, humour and astonishing talent.<br />
Norman Krieger puts two wonderful standard<br />
repertoire items on his newest CD:<br />
Beethoven Piano Concertos No.3 Op.37 &<br />
No.5 Op.73 (Decca DD41154 / 4815583).<br />
The Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra under<br />
Joann Falletta performs beautifully with<br />
Krieger. They appear to have an agreement<br />
that the Concerto No.3 will not be<br />
overly furious and that the “Emperor”<br />
will similarly not be too imperiously grand. The outer movements<br />
of the concertos are sufficiently strong and emphatic where they<br />
need be, and the middle, slow movements are given ample space<br />
to breathe. The Concerto No.5 is especially effective in this way. The<br />
playing throughout is excellent. To top things off, the recordings are<br />
live concert performances that bring their own unique energy to the<br />
music. It’s a successful collaboration that shows promise.<br />
VOCAL<br />
Luigi Boccherini - Arie da Concerto<br />
Amaryllis Dieltiens; Capriola di Gioia; Bart<br />
Naessens<br />
Evil Penguin Records Classic EPRC 00<strong>23</strong><br />
(eprclassic.eu)<br />
!!<br />
This is an<br />
ensemble on a<br />
mission – what<br />
it calls rehabilitating<br />
Boccherini.<br />
Overshadowed by<br />
Mozart and Haydn<br />
and receiving<br />
mixed comments<br />
in Grove’s Dictionary, Boccherini’s few vocal<br />
compositions – few because Boccherini’s<br />
patrons overwhelmingly demanded instrumental<br />
music – convey, according to Capriola<br />
di Gioia, a rare insight into the potential of<br />
the human voice. And so to the seven pieces<br />
selected by the Capriola di Gioia. Caro padre,<br />
a me non dei is a worthy introductory piece<br />
with an almost jaunty interpretation by<br />
Dieltiens – an approach repeated in Se non ti<br />
moro allato.<br />
And yet, the heart of this CD is its intense<br />
concentration on classical themes. As perhaps<br />
might be expected from a piece with an<br />
inspiration of this nature, Caro luci, che<br />
regnate begins with a more stately character,<br />
a tone taken up by Dieltiens as she sings of<br />
Jason’s predicament in Issipile. Misera, dove<br />
soni is a worthy combination of a classical<br />
theme with a text and instrumental scoring<br />
for strings which could have been written<br />
by any of the great Baroque composers who<br />
preceded Boccherini.<br />
Capriola di Gioia’s varied choice of<br />
Boccherini’s Arie da concerto allows the<br />
listener to make up his or her mind as to<br />
whether the composer has actually been<br />
rehabilitated. This CD from Dieltiens and<br />
Naessens means Boccherini does deserve to<br />
be listened to. Indeed, the final track Se d’un<br />
amor tiranno with its sprightly string playing,<br />
deep continuo and pleading voice encapsulates<br />
all the reasons for doing just that.<br />
Michael Schwartz<br />
Lux<br />
Choeur de l’eglise St. Andrew and St. Paul;<br />
Jean-Sébastian Vallée<br />
ATMA ACD2 2771<br />
!!<br />
While this CD<br />
obviously represents<br />
a Christmas disc, it<br />
is rather more than<br />
that. The program<br />
is anchored by<br />
modern arrangements<br />
of traditional<br />
carols such<br />
as Once in Royal David’s City and O Come<br />
All Ye Faithful. But much of the material is<br />
more adventurous and many pieces were<br />
composed only recently. Of particular interest<br />
is In the Bleak Midwinter, a setting of a poem<br />
by Christina Rossetti. Singers and their audiences<br />
will be familiar with this piece either in<br />
the setting of Harold Darke or in the much<br />
finer one by Gustav Holst. But this CD gives<br />
us a contemporary alternative by the Welsh<br />
composer Paul Mealor. That anthem is very<br />
fine, as are a number of others. An older kind<br />
of music is represented in the songs of<br />
Mendelssohn and Herbert Howells.<br />
The Choir of the Church of St. Andrew and<br />
St. Paul, a Montreal church, is an impressive<br />
body of 45 singers, in part professional, in<br />
part amateur. I recognized two names: that of<br />
the lead baritone Nathaniel Watson, whom<br />
we have often heard in Toronto, and that of<br />
the alto Duncan Campbell, who is the son of<br />
the soprano Kathryn Domoney and the baritone<br />
David Campbell. The choice of material<br />
is adventurous. It achieves the rare feat of<br />
presenting traditional Christmas music but<br />
also so much more than that.<br />
Hans de Groot<br />
’Twas But Pure Love<br />
Ottawa Bach Choir; Lisette Canton<br />
Canto 2016 (ottawabachchoir.ca)<br />
!!<br />
The splendid choral offerings on this<br />
recording range from Renaissance to<br />
78 | <strong>December</strong> <strong>2017</strong> / <strong>January</strong> <strong>2018</strong> thewholenote.com
contemporary<br />
works and it was<br />
recorded just in<br />
time for the holiday<br />
season last year in<br />
celebration of the<br />
Ottawa Bach Choir’s<br />
15th anniversary. It<br />
includes recording<br />
premieres for two<br />
Canadian works. The first, Sailor’s Carol by<br />
Matthew Larkin (director of music, Christ<br />
Church Cathedral, Ottawa), is based on a<br />
text by Cornish poet Charles Causley. With a<br />
lovely harp intro and simple chordal accompaniment,<br />
three descriptive verses lead to the<br />
chant Ave maris stella, creating a sense of<br />
great awe at the everlasting guidance of a star.<br />
The Darkest Midnight in <strong>December</strong> by Kelly-<br />
Marie Murphy again features lovely passages<br />
by harpist Caroline Léonardelli, while the<br />
women of the choir present a gentle, yet<br />
sublimely shimmering interpretation of a<br />
1728 text by Irish priest, Fr. William Devereux.<br />
Early works performed beautifully by the<br />
full choir include Tomás Luis de Victoria’s<br />
O magnum mysterium, an unaccompanied<br />
motet realized in all its haunting splendour.<br />
Bach’s Lobet den Herrn, alle Heiden, BWV<br />
<strong>23</strong>0 provides a lively contrast with its doublefugue<br />
passages, showcasing each of the<br />
choirs’ sections and their superb tonal and<br />
rhythmic agility, as well as deftness of hand<br />
(and foot) by organist Jonathan Oldengarm.<br />
Dianne Wells<br />
Wagner – Siegfried<br />
O’Neill; Goerne; Cangelosi; van Mechelen;<br />
Melton; Hong Kong Philharmonic<br />
Orchestra; Jaap van Zweden<br />
Naxos 8.660413-16<br />
!!<br />
Siegfried is the real McCoy of the Ring<br />
Cycle, the epicentre packed with scenes of<br />
high drama, superhuman achievement and<br />
much of the Ring’s<br />
most beautiful<br />
music. And it’s also<br />
the most optimistic<br />
part of the Cycle;<br />
each act ends on a<br />
high note, reserving<br />
the best to the<br />
end with the most<br />
unusual love duet ever written. There is a<br />
fairy-tale atmosphere, a happy ending as well<br />
as unforgettable musical and dramatic highlights<br />
that usually translate into a glorious<br />
night at the opera.<br />
This dramatic new Ring is the brainchild<br />
of Dutch conductor Jaap van Zweden, former<br />
concertmaster of the Royal Concertgebouw<br />
Orchestra. Discovered by Leonard Bernstein,<br />
he is now music director of four major<br />
orchestras, fulfilling a dream to record his<br />
own Ring Cycle with an orchestra he would<br />
whip into a Wagnerian superpower and pick<br />
the best possible singers available today. Each<br />
opera was recorded as a live concert performance,<br />
one per year beginning in 2015, so this<br />
is the third installment.<br />
The title role, Siegfried, is the biggest<br />
casting problem of any Ring attempt, but<br />
fortunately New Zealand heldentenor Simon<br />
O’Neill, a young, athletic fellow who could<br />
look good even on a rugby field, solves this<br />
problem wonderfully. He is a natural, not<br />
only powerful, enthusiastic and tireless, but<br />
also sensitive and tender. Wotan, here called<br />
the Wanderer (as he is no longer in charge of<br />
things), is Matthias Goerne, another excellent<br />
choice, one of the greatest baritones in<br />
the world today. David Cangelosi became<br />
the audience favourite with his characterful,<br />
incisive singing as Mime, the evil dwarf. In<br />
closing, it’s worth buying this set for the<br />
famous Forging Song alone. There were<br />
sounds coming out of the Hong Kong Cultural<br />
Centre never heard before!<br />
Janos Gardonyi<br />
James MacMillan - Stabat Mater<br />
The Sixteen; Britten Sinfonia; Harry<br />
Christophers<br />
CORO COR16150<br />
!!<br />
James MacMillan<br />
gained his early<br />
prominence with<br />
the orchestral piece<br />
The Confession of<br />
Isobel Gowdy. Since<br />
then he has generally<br />
been recognized<br />
as the leading<br />
Scottish composer<br />
of his generation. He is a Roman Catholic in<br />
a largely Protestant country. Sacred music<br />
has always been central to his creative work.<br />
In the last half decade he has developed<br />
a close relationship with the outstanding<br />
chamber choir The Sixteen (conducted by<br />
Harry Christophers). This CD gives us a sense<br />
of that collaboration. The Stabat Mater is<br />
an anonymous 13th-century Latin poem<br />
that depicts the Virgin Mary at the foot of<br />
the Cross and proceeds to meditate on her<br />
sorrow and appeals to her as an intercessor<br />
with her son.<br />
There have been a number of previous<br />
attempts to give musical shape to the text. The<br />
versions by Josquin and Pergolesi are especially<br />
notable. On this CD the hymn is given<br />
in the form of the Medieval plainsong. The<br />
following four tracks give us MacMillan’s<br />
elaboration. It is a brilliant work, dazzlingly<br />
performed by the full choir, the soloists<br />
(all of them members of the choir) and<br />
the accompanying chamber orchestra, the<br />
Britten Sinfonia. In a prefatory note in the<br />
CD booklet, Christophers ranks MacMillan as<br />
one of the three great composers of religious<br />
music, along with Victoria and Poulenc. If one<br />
is only looking at the Catholic world, it is hard<br />
to disagree with that.<br />
Hans de Groot<br />
What we're listening to this month:<br />
thewholenote.com/listening<br />
George Crumb Edition, Vol. 18<br />
George Crumb<br />
Grammy Award-winning composer<br />
George Crumb, now in his 88th<br />
year, continues to compose highly<br />
expressive, colorful and dramatic<br />
music.<br />
The Greatest Invention<br />
Harley Card<br />
Captivating instrumental compositions<br />
performed by; Harley Card on guitar,<br />
David French on saxophone, Matt<br />
Newton on piano, Jon Maharaj on<br />
bass, and Ethan Ardelli on drums.<br />
Hidden Treasure - Rediscovered<br />
Music from Armenia<br />
Violinist Nuné Melik presents<br />
Hidden Treasure, a Personal<br />
Exploration of Music from Armenia<br />
With Michel-Alexandre Broekaert,<br />
piano<br />
Into the Wonder<br />
Jordan Pal, Gryphon Trio, Thunder Bay<br />
Symphony Orchestra, Arthur Post<br />
Into the Wonder features wonderful<br />
recordings of works by composer<br />
Jordan Pal and performed by the<br />
Gryphon Trio and the Thunder Bay<br />
Symphony Orchestra.<br />
thewholenote.com <strong>December</strong> <strong>2017</strong> / <strong>January</strong> <strong>2018</strong> | 79
James Rolfe – Breathe<br />
Suzie LeBlanc; Alexander Dobson; Monica<br />
Whicher; Toronto Consort; David Fallis;<br />
Toronto Masque Theatre; Larry Beckwith<br />
Centrediscs CMCCD 24517<br />
(musiccentre.ca)<br />
!!<br />
The title track,<br />
Breathe, in its<br />
performance here,<br />
is by far one of the<br />
most extraordinarily<br />
beautiful recordings<br />
experienced in<br />
recent memory. The<br />
blending of texts,<br />
ancient (Hildegard<br />
von Bingen, Antonio Scandello) and modern<br />
(Anna Chatterton), is mirrored by the<br />
use of period instruments for new music.<br />
Composer James Rolfe infuses the work with<br />
connections between human emotion and<br />
the natural world represented by the four<br />
elements – water, earth, air and fire – so<br />
exquisitely. For example, we enjoy the sensation<br />
of love overflowing (as water does) with<br />
undulating chordal textures and an abundance<br />
of cascading note sequences as Suzie<br />
LeBlanc, Katherine Hill and Laura Pudwell<br />
magically intertwine their voices.<br />
The two masques on the recording further<br />
demonstrate this Toronto composer’s exceptional<br />
gift for intermingling qualities of early<br />
music with contemporary techniques whilst<br />
coaxing subconscious elements to seep<br />
through in performance. In Europa, the roles<br />
of the title character (Suzie LeBlanc) and<br />
her long-searching fiancé Hiram (Alexander<br />
Dobson) are both composed and sung with<br />
an extraordinary measure of pathos as they<br />
submit themselves to the will of the gods.<br />
And a refreshing new interpretation of the<br />
mythical Aeneas and Dido provides a much<br />
more intimate view of the doomed romance.<br />
As Dido, Monica Whicher is both stately and<br />
vulnerable, Alexander Dobson both bold and<br />
conflicted as Aeneas, while characters such as<br />
the spritely Mercury (Teri Dunn) and the Goat<br />
(Vicki St. Pierre) provide comic relief, if somewhat<br />
malevolent. Kudos to Larry Beckwith<br />
and David Fallis for their direction of these<br />
performances.<br />
Dianne Wells<br />
Sing Me at Midnight - Songs by John Greer<br />
Tracy Dahl; Kevin McMillan; Delores<br />
Ziegler; John Greer<br />
Centrediscs CMCCD 24717 (musiccentre.ca)<br />
!!<br />
This Canadian<br />
Art Song Project<br />
CD features works<br />
for voice and<br />
piano by noted<br />
Canadian accompanist,<br />
conductor<br />
and pedagogue John<br />
Greer. Spanning the<br />
past 30 years, the four song cycles comprise<br />
20 songs with a variety of genres, voice types<br />
and moods. I am particularly partial to the<br />
cycle Sing Me at Midnight (1993) sung by lyric<br />
baritone Kevin McMillan, whose rich sound<br />
and ringing top suits these dramatic settings<br />
of sonnets by Wilfred Owen. Adept chromatic<br />
harmony conveys the pain of How Do I Love<br />
Thee, while percussive clusters accentuate<br />
the Anthem for Doomed Youth’s white-hot<br />
anger. Greer offers effective settings of evocative,<br />
religiously based poetry by Marianne<br />
Bindig in the cycle The Red Red Heart (1995).<br />
Tracy Dahl’s agile soprano handles the high<br />
tessitura well and is also attractive at the<br />
lower end in the opening, dancing song The<br />
Beginning.<br />
The late Romantic style of The House of<br />
Tomorrow (1986) raised my eyebrows, till<br />
I tuned in to the evocation of childhood<br />
in these songs. The centrepiece, Midnight<br />
Prayer, a setting of the pensive poem by<br />
Aleksey Khomyakov in translation, is given<br />
a rich, expressive performance by American<br />
mezzo-soprano Dolores Zeigler. Finally, A<br />
Sarah Binks Songbook (1988) brings us<br />
mock-serious ditties wittily set by Greer, with<br />
allusions to various vocal genres. Tracy Dahl<br />
becomes the Canadian “prairie songstress,”<br />
her operatic persona elevating the work with<br />
perfect diction and much humour. John<br />
Greer’s collaborative pianism is exemplary<br />
throughout.<br />
Roger Knox<br />
Crazy - Songs by T. Patrick Carrabré<br />
Naomi Forman; Mary Jo Carrabré<br />
Winter Wind Records WWR <strong>2017</strong>-01<br />
(tpatrickcarrabre.com)<br />
!!<br />
In his song<br />
cycle Crazy, T.<br />
Patrick Carrabré,<br />
dean of music at<br />
Brandon University,<br />
explores “border<br />
territory… mental<br />
illness or other<br />
demons” afflicting<br />
“composers who have lost their grounding in<br />
the ecstasy and anguish that is creativity.”<br />
The first three songs – Death, Murder and<br />
Lust – reveal Carrabré having something<br />
powerful to say and not at all timid about<br />
saying it. His wife, pianist Mary Jo Carrabré,<br />
inhabits the keyboard’s left half, reinforcing<br />
the songs’ darkness while supporting<br />
the passionate vocalism of soprano Naomi<br />
Forman. Composer Carrabré adds what I<br />
consider unnecessarily intrusive electronics<br />
and percussion; the bass-heavy piano alone<br />
would have been more appropriate for the<br />
songs’ stark beauty.<br />
The sombre mood changes with the fourth<br />
song, Burnt, evoking Spanish guitar music.<br />
Things go much further afield in the final<br />
song, Pain, a wailing rock song over the<br />
relentless loud thump of electronic dance<br />
music. An additional, speakers-bursting<br />
EDM “Audiation Remix” of Pain ends the CD,<br />
which also includes a stand-alone song, The<br />
Garden, for soprano and piano, thankfully<br />
sans electronics.<br />
I’m mystified by Carrabré’s jolting venture<br />
into rock; the other songs display a genuine<br />
expressive talent that belongs in the concert<br />
hall, not the rock-concert arena.<br />
At only 32 minutes, this CD left me wanting<br />
to hear more of Carrabré’s “classical” works<br />
(I’d previously heard only one), but glad to<br />
have heard the five non-rock songs. The texts,<br />
by Rilke, Tasso, Goethe, García Lorca and<br />
Marvell, are available, with translations, on<br />
the composer’s website.<br />
Michael Schulman<br />
CLASSICAL AND BEYOND<br />
Altri canti d’amor - 17th Century<br />
Instrumental Works<br />
L’Estro d’Orfeo; Leonor de Lera<br />
Challenge Classics CC72760<br />
(lestrodorfeo.com)<br />
! ! This is a CD<br />
with two pleasant<br />
surprises. One is a<br />
track from undervalued<br />
Renaissance<br />
composer, Barbara<br />
Strozzi. The other<br />
is a contemporary<br />
set of divisions on a<br />
Renaissance theme composed by the presentday<br />
artistic director of the CD, Leonor de<br />
Lera. Instrumental this collection may be, but<br />
the traditional description of the cornetto as<br />
being the closest instrument to the human<br />
voice is borne out by Josué Meléndez’s playing<br />
of Monteverdi’s Sinfonia; it is as if an ethereal<br />
choir is in attendance. Meléndez’s cornetto<br />
returns in L’Eraclito Amoroso by Strozzi, here<br />
as an example of diminuzioni, or extemporixed<br />
ornamentations.<br />
The contribution from de Lera is her own<br />
diminuzioni on Apollo’s Lament, originally<br />
by Francesco Cavalli. De Lera’s playing probes<br />
the qualities of her Taningard violin built<br />
in Rome in 1739. She is admirably complemented<br />
by the plucked instrument playing of<br />
Josep Maria Martí.<br />
The selection on this CD is enhanced by<br />
the inclusion of variations on popular tunes<br />
from the Renaissance. Fuggi dolente core is<br />
one such set, again played on Baroque violin;<br />
while this piece is often scored for voice,<br />
listeners to this particular variation will not<br />
miss that human aspect.<br />
L’Estro d’Orfeo’s choices are centred on<br />
Venice’s prolific output and yet there is<br />
still room for pieces by Marco Uccellini of<br />
Modena. Listen once again to the brilliance<br />
in every sense of the word of the Baroque<br />
violin and basso continuo in Uccellini’s Ninth<br />
Sonata. And in his Aria Quarta sopra la<br />
“Ciaccona.”<br />
Michael Schwartz<br />
80 | <strong>December</strong> <strong>2017</strong> / <strong>January</strong> <strong>2018</strong> thewholenote.com
Tales of Two Cities<br />
Trio Arabica; Alon Nashman; Jeanne<br />
Lamon; Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra<br />
Tafelmusik Media TMK 1035 DVDCD<br />
(tafelmusik.org)<br />
!!<br />
Tales of Two<br />
Cities is an<br />
enchanting musical<br />
journey through<br />
the palatial worlds<br />
of two prominent<br />
18th-century<br />
cities – Leipzig<br />
and Damascus.<br />
Although separated<br />
by 3,000 kilometres,<br />
these<br />
cities shared a<br />
surprising number of common threads;<br />
both were located at the intersections of<br />
major trade and travelling routes, both were<br />
known as cultural and learning centres, and<br />
both nurtured a tradition of coffee houses<br />
in which music performances were flowing.<br />
Cleverly conceived, programmed and scripted<br />
by the creative mind of Tafelmusik’s own<br />
Alison Mackay, and narrated by the charming<br />
Alon Nashman, Tales of Two Cities comes<br />
as a DVD/CD combo, featuring the music<br />
portion of the concert on CD. The DVD<br />
includes a filmed live performance at the<br />
Aga Khan Museum, a video on restoration of<br />
the Dresden Damascus Room, behind-thescenes<br />
footage from rehearsals and a splitscreen<br />
video of the orchestra performing<br />
Bach’s Sinfonia.<br />
I absolutely loved Tales of Two Cities. The<br />
inventive combination of music and literary<br />
selections coupled with stunning images and<br />
historically informed narration was only transcended<br />
by the excellence of all the musicians<br />
involved. Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra<br />
presents a fresh, vibrant, theatrical interpretation<br />
of music by Telemann, Handel<br />
and Bach (all onetime residents of the city<br />
of Leipzig). The virtuosity of Dominic Teresi<br />
(bassoon), Patrick Jordan (viola) and Aisslinn<br />
Nosky (violin) is just as entertaining as it is<br />
admirable. Trio Arabica, featuring Maryem<br />
Tollar (voice, quanun), Naghmeh Farahmand<br />
(percussion) and Demetri Petsalakis (oud),<br />
evokes the longing, beauty and delicacy<br />
of Damascus of the past with gorgeous<br />
performances of the traditional melodies.<br />
The final number, an intriguing combination<br />
of Telemann and traditional Arabic<br />
music, unites all the performers and brings<br />
the narrative to a conclusion by telling the<br />
story of young, present-day Syrian scholars<br />
working alongside German mentors on<br />
restoring the Damascus Room in Dresden.<br />
Highly recommended.<br />
Ivana Popovic<br />
Concert note: A free screening of Tales of<br />
Two Cities will be presented at the Aga Khan<br />
Museum on <strong>December</strong> 10 at 2pm.<br />
Brahms - The Piano Trios<br />
Emanuel Ax; Leonidas Kavakos; Yo-Yo Ma<br />
Sony Classical 88985 40729 2<br />
!!<br />
The Piano Trios<br />
form a critical, if<br />
less well-known<br />
feature of Brahms’<br />
creativity within the<br />
world of chamber<br />
music. To an extent,<br />
Brahms picked up<br />
the torch at the<br />
point at which Beethoven had laid it down,<br />
but although he used Beethoven’s music,<br />
along with that of Schubert, as a point of<br />
departure, these trios are highly singular<br />
creations, with a sound world that is altogether<br />
unique. Each of the three instruments<br />
is stretched to its limits as if Brahms wanted<br />
to create orchestral depth and colour using<br />
just three players.<br />
Another fascinating aspect of The Piano<br />
Trios – particularly in Piano Trio No. 3 in<br />
C Minor Op.101 – is Brahms’ treatment of<br />
the string players as soloists, giving both<br />
the violin and cello some sonorous passages<br />
that are ideally suited to their respective<br />
characteristics. Also noteworthy is the fact<br />
that Brahms’ wealth of powerfully sculpted<br />
ideas amply rewards attentive listening.<br />
These performances of The Piano Trios by<br />
Emanuel Ax, Leonidas Kavakos and Yo-Yo<br />
Ma are without question the most authoritative<br />
and distinguished accounts of the<br />
works. Ax, Kavakos and Ma play with unique<br />
breadth of insight and a feeling of spontaneous<br />
inspiration, a quality that comes all too<br />
infrequently to studio recordings like these.<br />
The Sony recorded sound is at once brilliant<br />
and truthful, but it also has exceptional<br />
spaciousness.<br />
Raul da Gama<br />
Vaughan Williams – Fantasia on Sussex Folk<br />
Tunes and other works<br />
Martin Rummel; Deutsche<br />
Staatsphilharmonie Rheinland-Pfalz;<br />
Karl-Heinz Steffens<br />
Capriccio CD C5314<br />
!!<br />
This collection<br />
of shorter delights,<br />
lollipops so to say,<br />
opens with the<br />
jaunty overture to<br />
the comic opera,<br />
The Poisoned Kiss, a<br />
“romantic extravaganza.”<br />
The most<br />
interesting work is the Fantasia on Sussex<br />
Folk Tunes for cello and orchestra. Vaughan<br />
Williams was a collector of folk music and as<br />
Bartók did with Hungarian tunes, he incorporated<br />
them into his compositions. Vaughan<br />
Williams was quite familiar with Sussex<br />
County and had been collecting material<br />
there since his school days in the village of<br />
Rottingdean in East Sussex. His Fantasia, a<br />
work new to me, was premiered in 1930 with<br />
Pablo Casals as soloist. Instantly recognizable<br />
as Vaughan Williams, there are five folk<br />
tunes incorporated in a conversation between<br />
soloist and orchestra, making this a compelling<br />
and interesting workout for cellist and<br />
orchestra. It deserves to be popular.<br />
What we're listening to this month:<br />
thewholenote.com/listening<br />
J.S. Bach: Sonatas for Violin and<br />
Harpsichord<br />
Mark Fewer & Hank Knox<br />
Internationally acclaimed violinist<br />
Mark Fewer and harpsichordist<br />
Hank Knox perform six treasured<br />
violin Sonatas by J.S. Bach<br />
Johann Mattheson - 12 Suites for<br />
Harpsichord (1714)<br />
Gilbert Rowland<br />
Following the successful three-volume<br />
series of Handel’s harpsichord suites,<br />
Rowland turns to the lesser known but<br />
very skilled German composer.<br />
Katana of Choice: Music for<br />
Drumset Soloist<br />
Ben Reimer<br />
Called a “virtuosic, genre-bending<br />
wiz”, Reimer plays composed works<br />
for drumset, ranging in influence<br />
from electronica, jazz fusion, film<br />
noir and martial arts.<br />
Lux<br />
The Choir of the Church of St.<br />
Andrew and St. Paul<br />
The Choir of the Church of St.<br />
Andrew and St. Paul presents<br />
Lux, a collection of sacred songs<br />
associated with the Nativity.<br />
thewholenote.com <strong>December</strong> <strong>2017</strong> / <strong>January</strong> <strong>2018</strong> | 81
The earliest work, the Bucolic Suite of 1900,<br />
also known as the Pastoral Suite, is just that,<br />
euphoric thoughts of countryside life. In the<br />
Fen Country is no stranger to the catalogues<br />
and paints a picture of the lonely and desolate<br />
Fen country in the east of England. There<br />
are three movements – Explorer, Poet and<br />
Queen – arranged from the 1957 inspiring<br />
film, The England of Elizabeth. The five works<br />
add up to a novel and interesting collection,<br />
brilliantly played and recorded. The Elizabeth<br />
of Three Portraits from “The England of<br />
Elizabeth” refers to the Elizabeth of the 16th<br />
century. The Armada and all that.<br />
Bruce Surtees<br />
MODERN AND CONTEMPORARY<br />
ConNotations<br />
Mei Yi Foo; Philipp Hutter; Bartosz Woroch;<br />
Ashley Wass; Britten Sinfonia<br />
Orchid Classics ORCH100065<br />
(orchidclassics.com)<br />
!!<br />
ConNotations<br />
is a very impressive<br />
disc. It features<br />
pianist Mei Yi<br />
Foo with a trumpeter<br />
(Philipp<br />
Hutter), a violinist<br />
(Bartosz Woroch)<br />
and another pianist<br />
(Ashley Wass) together with the Britten<br />
Sinfonia conducted by Clement Power. The<br />
superlative recording owes much, first, to the<br />
choice of repertoire. The Shostakovich Piano<br />
Concerto in C Minor Op. 35 for strings, piano<br />
and solo trumpet is a combination as unusual<br />
as the concerto’s form, which consists of four<br />
through-flowing movements which sound<br />
like just one. Foo’s playing makes the music<br />
rise up like a ferocious beast and both Foo<br />
and Hutter are brilliant throughout.<br />
On Alban Berg’s Chamber Concerto for<br />
piano and violin with 13 wind instruments<br />
there’s a fruitful tension between the soloist’s<br />
expansive Romanticism and the no-nonsense<br />
rigour of Power, a tension that matches<br />
the composer’s ideals. Berg restricts the<br />
concerto’s accompaniment to 13 wind instruments,<br />
yet he ingeniously produced some<br />
marvellously unusual colourings. Foo’s piano<br />
is given the solo duties in the first movement,<br />
Woroch’s violin in the second and then they<br />
finally combine together in a show of rousing,<br />
immediate expressiveness in the finale.<br />
While Camille Saint-Saëns may have<br />
written The Carnival of the Animals mainly<br />
for the amusement of his friends in 1886, its<br />
serious beauty should never be underestimated.<br />
In the hands of Foo and Wass there<br />
are moments of great magic, with the most<br />
beautiful and spectacular of all heard during<br />
the rippling arpeggios of the mysterious<br />
Aquarium (VII).<br />
Raul da Gama<br />
Concert note: New Music Concerts presents<br />
Berg’s Chamber Concerto and a new work<br />
by Michael Oesterle inspired by it, with<br />
soloists MingHuan Xu, violin and Winston<br />
Choi, piano (Duo Diorama) at Betty Oliphant<br />
Theatre on <strong>January</strong> 14.<br />
Encount3rs<br />
National Arts Centre Orchestra; Alexander<br />
Shelley<br />
Analekta AN 2 8871-2 (analekta.com)<br />
!!<br />
This past April,<br />
three new abstract<br />
ballets (lacking<br />
storylines), each<br />
lasting about half<br />
an hour, premiered<br />
at Ottawa’s<br />
National Arts<br />
Centre. This 2CD<br />
set presents their scores, created by three<br />
Canadian composers already-prominent in<br />
their 30s and 40s.<br />
According to Phi, Caelestis choreographer<br />
Jean Grand-Maître, “Ten seemingly<br />
nude dancers” perform “a whirlwind of raw,<br />
emotional, primal and often erotic gestures<br />
before a backdrop of contrasting aesthetics.”<br />
The first movement of Andrew Staniland’s<br />
atmospheric score is steadily motoric; the<br />
next two are slow and solemn, creating<br />
the intended striking contrast between the<br />
dancing and the music.<br />
Nicole Lizée’s colourful orchestral score for<br />
Keep Driving, I’m Dreaming utilizes “archaic”<br />
electronic devices, including turntables and<br />
reel-to-reel machines. It’s a collage of many<br />
stylistically unrelated episodes, with bits of<br />
pop music and science-fiction sound effects.<br />
The audience members, if not the dancers,<br />
were probably kept on their toes, wondering<br />
what they would hear next.<br />
Dark Angels, writes choreographer<br />
Guillaume Coté, reflects “the resistance and<br />
struggle that one can experience living in new<br />
territory.” Kevin Lau says his score “resembles<br />
a symphony in scope and form,” beginning<br />
and ending with a “hammer” of six<br />
repeated notes. It’s surely more symphonic<br />
than balletic, in three connected sections – a<br />
powerful Allegro, a slow middle highlighting<br />
a heartfelt cello solo and a propulsive, percussion-heavy<br />
finale.<br />
Alexander Shelley and the NAC Orchestra<br />
give these disparate, attention-grabbing-andholding<br />
scores the committed, high-energy<br />
performances they richly deserve.<br />
Michael Schulman<br />
Katana of Choice<br />
Ben Reimer<br />
Redshift Records TK456<br />
(redshiftrecords.org)<br />
!!<br />
Virtuoso Montreal percussionist Ben<br />
Reimer has made a name for himself as a<br />
leading drum soloist, shredding works by<br />
elder statesmen of the jazz drumset (Baby<br />
Dodds, Tony<br />
Williams), as well as<br />
works by leading art<br />
music composers<br />
such as Nicole Lizée<br />
and Lukas Ligeti.<br />
Reimer reinforces<br />
that reputation in<br />
Katana of Choice<br />
his inaugural album<br />
(available on vinyl and digital download).<br />
Reimer puts his cards on the table in Drum<br />
Dances by New Zealand composer John<br />
Psathas (b. 1966), the first four tracks on<br />
the album. Arranged by Ben Duinker, these<br />
sleekly crafted pieces, framed by the brilliant<br />
keyboard percussionism of Montreal’s<br />
Architek Percussion Quartet, are an apt<br />
frame for Reimer’s abundant technique and<br />
musicality.<br />
The intense Ringer by Nicole Lizée – found<br />
only on the digital version of the album – is a<br />
tour de force for drumset soloist. Vernacular<br />
drum references are handled with sensitivity<br />
by both composer and performer, notwithstanding<br />
the aggressive pairing of high-octave<br />
glockenspiel melodies and high-frequency,<br />
high-hat rhythms.<br />
The lengthy Katana of Choice, also by<br />
Lizée and featuring the accomplished TorQ<br />
Percussion Quartet, is perhaps the most<br />
ambitious work on the recording. Reimer’s<br />
drumming here is fully incorporated into<br />
the ensemble texture. The work is inspired<br />
by duel-based narrative video games and<br />
wuxia martial arts films, as the composer’s<br />
notes state. The music moves unrelentingly<br />
from one imaginary scene to another “with<br />
unexpected twists in which [musicians] trade<br />
off, pushing one another technically and<br />
sonically.” Katana of Choice is an exhilarating<br />
musical ride – as is the entire album.<br />
Andrew Timar<br />
Concert note: Ben Reimer and Architek<br />
Percussion perform the music of Nicole Lizée<br />
and Eliot Britton at Walter Hall on <strong>January</strong> 25<br />
as part of the University of Toronto New<br />
Music Festival. (out of province) Ben Reimer<br />
and Vicky Chow perform music of Nicole<br />
Lizée including Katana of Choice with video<br />
accompaniment at Roulette in Brooklyn, NY<br />
on <strong>December</strong> 16.<br />
Poems and Dreams<br />
Rebecca Jeffreys; Alexander Timofeev<br />
Independent (rebeccajeffreys.com)<br />
! ! Flutist Rebecca<br />
Jeffreys, though<br />
not well known<br />
in this part of the<br />
world, has accomplished<br />
a great deal<br />
as a performer,<br />
teacher and music<br />
director. She was a<br />
founding director and member of Virginia’s<br />
Woodbridge Flute Choir, teaches privately in<br />
Peperell, Massachusetts near Boston and at<br />
82 | <strong>December</strong> <strong>2017</strong> / <strong>January</strong> <strong>2018</strong> thewholenote.com
St. Anselm College in New Hampshire, and<br />
performs with guitarist, Mike Loce. On this<br />
CD she premieres the work of five contemporary<br />
composers, ably accompanied by<br />
pianist, Alexander Timofeev. The notes make<br />
it clear that Jeffreys has a personal connection<br />
with most if not all of the composers.<br />
For example, composer Kevin Walker is the<br />
owner of the recording studio where the<br />
recording was made, and was co-executive<br />
producer of the CD with Jeffreys. The CD also<br />
makes it apparent that Jeffreys is part of a<br />
lively and creative musical circle, from which,<br />
I hope, there will be more to come.<br />
Of the five, the works which stood out for<br />
me were the second movement of Jeffrey<br />
Hoover’s Romantic Sonata – Poems of Light,<br />
with its lyrical writing for both instruments,<br />
and Walker’s Flute Suite in D Major,<br />
a very accomplished piece of work. Adrienne<br />
Albert’s Acadian Dreams utilized Cajun<br />
music and was a tribute to Jeffreys’ father’s<br />
Acadian ancestry. It is encouraging to see<br />
evidence like this of a vibrant music culture<br />
hidden from view in the United States. May it<br />
continue to prosper.<br />
Allan Pulker<br />
JAZZ AND IMPROVISED<br />
Dog’s Breakfast<br />
Barry Elmes Quintet<br />
Cornerstone Records CRST CD 147<br />
(cornerstonerecords.com)<br />
!!<br />
Drummer<br />
Barry Elmes first<br />
formed his quintet<br />
in 1991, and<br />
through the years<br />
it’s been a showcase<br />
for Canada’s<br />
finest proponents<br />
of mainstream<br />
modern jazz as well as the leader’s engaging<br />
compositions. Through the years, the group<br />
has had few personnel changes, adding to its<br />
sense of a collective personality.<br />
The latest incarnation establishes its<br />
authority immediately with a performance of<br />
Freddie Hubbard’s Little Sunflower, a modal<br />
anthem of the 60s imbued here with new<br />
vigour, from bassist Steve Wallace’s pulsing<br />
ostinato through a string of sharply focused<br />
solos from trumpeter Brian O’Kane, guitarist<br />
Lorne Lofsky and tenor saxophonist Mike<br />
Murley, all of it carried along by Elmes’ secure<br />
and lively drumming which comes to the fore<br />
at the conclusion.<br />
The material is divided between Elmes’<br />
recent compositions and jazz standards. The<br />
former includes the witty title track, a subtle<br />
cool jazz episode that could readily substitute<br />
for a Mancini movie theme, while the floating<br />
Terminal 2 and the funky Pierre Berton’s<br />
Pig bring distinctly Toronto inspirations to<br />
the proceedings. The absolute highlights,<br />
though, are two standards. Murley brings a<br />
fine balance of silk, grit and lyricism to Spring<br />
Can Really Hang You Up the Most, while<br />
Lofsky’s touch is unerring, compounding a<br />
glassy electric guitar sound with a striking<br />
melodic conception on Beautiful Love, a<br />
sustained trio performance with Wallace and<br />
Elmes that makes one hope for a CD devoted<br />
to the three.<br />
Stuart Broomer<br />
Conert note: The Barry Elmes Quintet<br />
performs at the Home Smith Bar in The Old<br />
Mill on <strong>December</strong> 16.<br />
solstice/equinox<br />
Diana Panton<br />
Independent (dianapanton.com)<br />
!!<br />
solstice/equinox<br />
by Diana Panton is<br />
another gorgeously<br />
perfect recording<br />
that the Hamilton<br />
jazz singer makes<br />
a nearly annual<br />
habit of releasing<br />
with ease. Multiple<br />
albums into her discographic career at this<br />
point – and in the exceptional company of<br />
multi-instrumentalist Don Thompson and<br />
guitarist Reg Schwager – the trio (fleshed<br />
out here with Guido Basso and Phil Dwyer)<br />
sounds not like a collection of hired musicians,<br />
but rather like a working jazz group<br />
that exhibits simpatico and a shared investment<br />
in the music heard here. Panton sings<br />
effortlessly throughout and swings with a<br />
bubbly buoyancy that reminds this listener<br />
of not only Blossom Dearie, but trumpeter<br />
Art Farmer, who also prefigured a relaxed<br />
and swinging time feel. Further, Thompson’s<br />
always beautiful musical arrangements and<br />
the thoughtful repertoire choice create the<br />
perfect casting for Panton’s voice and delivery<br />
to shine. With the theme of seasonal change<br />
threading through the recording and tying<br />
the repertoire together, Panton and band offer<br />
up a true jazz vocal recording that captures all<br />
involved at their musical finest. The recording<br />
quality is also of note, and helps to create a<br />
sonic space that is intimate and revealing.<br />
Nearly a decade into this group’s affiliation,<br />
here’s hoping that theirs is a musical relationship<br />
that continues for many more.<br />
Andrew Scott<br />
REV<br />
Ernesto Cervini’s Turboprop<br />
Anzic Records ANZ-0089-2<br />
(ernestocervini.com)<br />
!!<br />
In 2015, entrepreneur,<br />
composer<br />
and drummer<br />
Ernesto Cervini<br />
introduced his<br />
North American<br />
Sextet, Turboprop,<br />
featuring a crosssection<br />
of noted<br />
contemporary jazz musicians, including Tara<br />
Davidson on alto and soprano sax, Joel Frahm<br />
on tenor, William Carn on trombone, Adrean<br />
Farrugia on piano and Dan Loomis on bass.<br />
Their debut self-titled CD was a huge success.<br />
What we're listening to this month:<br />
thewholenote.com/listening<br />
Meter<br />
Autorickshaw<br />
Autorickshaw's 5th studio album 'Meter'<br />
is a journey through cultural cuttingedge<br />
Indo-fusion: mixing traditional<br />
south and north Indian music with other<br />
contemporary art forms.<br />
Misuzu Tanaka in Concert. Music<br />
of Janácek and Bach<br />
Misuzu Tanaka<br />
Debut live album. Structural<br />
perfection and the display of raw<br />
uninhibited emotions from the two<br />
masters create an unexpected yet<br />
perfect pairing.<br />
Moderne Frau<br />
Adi Braun<br />
Adi Braun - Moderne Frau!<br />
Women of Weimar Berlin were the<br />
first pantsuit nation. Experience<br />
the music of Weill, Spoliansky,<br />
Grothe and Braun!<br />
Nathaniel: A Tribute to Nat King Cole<br />
Ori Dagan<br />
Visit Ori Dagan's YouTube channel<br />
to see "Nathaniel: A Tribute to Nat<br />
King Cole," the first visual album in<br />
the jazz genre!<br />
thewholenote.com <strong>December</strong> <strong>2017</strong> / <strong>January</strong> <strong>2018</strong> | 83
Cervini and company’s brand-new offering<br />
includes five original pieces (two composed<br />
by Cervini – who also acts as producer here),<br />
two pop covers and one vintage Tin-Pan-<br />
Alley-era jazz standard. The project is also<br />
masterfully recorded by John “Beetle” Bailey,<br />
capturing all of the dynamism and excitement<br />
of a live performance, and mixed on the hot<br />
side, with a definite New York City sensibility.<br />
Farrugia is without question one of the<br />
most extraordinarily talented young jazz<br />
pianist/composers on the scene today, and his<br />
composition The Libertine is a perfect opener<br />
for REV. The tune kicks things off with a tasty<br />
drum intro from Cervini, followed by seamless<br />
section work and non-Euclidean penetrating<br />
lines, rife with dynamics and sonic<br />
colours, as well as a complex and percussive<br />
piano solo by Farrugia and burning<br />
tenor work from Frahm. Another standout<br />
is Cervini’s Granada Bus, which strives to<br />
capture the essence of Spain, and shines with<br />
a stirring solo on soprano from Davidson.<br />
Other strong contributions include the fullthrottle,<br />
post-bop title track, Radiohead’s The<br />
Daily Mail, featuring a stellar bass solo from<br />
Loomis, and the swinging and soulful Med<br />
Flory-ish Pennies From Heaven. Truly something<br />
for everyone!<br />
Lesley Mitchell-Clarke<br />
Concert note: Turboprop celebrates the<br />
release of REV with two performance at The<br />
Rex, <strong>January</strong> 11 and 12.<br />
The Greatest Invention<br />
Harley Card<br />
Independent DYM003 (harleycard.ca)<br />
Hypnagogia Polis<br />
Simon Legault; Jules Payette; Andrew<br />
Boudreau; Adrian Vedady; Louis-Vincent<br />
Hamel<br />
Effendi Records FND146<br />
(effendirecords.com)<br />
!!<br />
Two new and<br />
strikingly different<br />
albums by Canadian<br />
jazz guitarists<br />
demonstrate the<br />
health and diversity<br />
of that instrument<br />
in this country.<br />
Harley Card has<br />
been active in the Toronto music scene since<br />
2003 as a sideman, composer, teacher and<br />
bandleader. The Greatest Invention is the<br />
third album under his own name and features<br />
Card on guitar with Jon Maharaj (bass), Matt<br />
Newton (piano), David French (saxophone)<br />
and Ethan Ardelli (drums). The “invention” is<br />
the bicycle and the album opens with the title<br />
tune, containing a repeating riff reminiscent<br />
of spinning gears or wheels. The orchestration<br />
is sophisticated, with Card’s guitar and<br />
French’s resonant tenor saxophone weaving<br />
throughout most of the piece, sometimes in<br />
harmony, other times with alternating melodies<br />
while the drums and piano punctuate<br />
the piece with<br />
their own counterpoint.<br />
This initial<br />
song sets the tone<br />
for the album,<br />
which highlights<br />
Card’s compositional<br />
skills. The<br />
song is four and<br />
a half minutes but the only solo (guitar)<br />
lasts 90 seconds; the rest is intricate<br />
ensemble playing.<br />
Card’s liner notes add insight to our<br />
listening and he mentions studying with<br />
Phil Nimmons, an influence that is heard<br />
throughout. It is a treat to listen to a jazz<br />
album that develops compositional and<br />
ensemble ideas at length rather than the<br />
more typical head/solo(s)/head structure.<br />
The most ambitious piece is The Shadows of<br />
Shea Pines, which is almost nine minutes<br />
with three movements. It begins with a slow<br />
saxophone and acoustic guitar ballad (with a<br />
touch of Epistrophy) then moves into smooth<br />
jazz and finishes with a melodic bossa novainspired<br />
section.<br />
Hypnagogia Polis is Montreal guitarist<br />
Simon Legault’s third album and the first<br />
with a quintet. Hypnogogia is the transitional<br />
state from wakefulness to sleep and<br />
many of the songs have a hypnotic, luminescent<br />
quality. The opening Aethereal Spheres<br />
begins with a wickedly tight ostinato pattern<br />
set up by the piano (Andrew Boudreau)<br />
and bass (Adrian Vedady). Then the saxophone<br />
(Jules Payette) and guitar enter with<br />
a contrapuntal unison melody while Louis-<br />
Vincent Hamel’s drums underpin the action.<br />
This sophisticated playfulness permeates the<br />
album. Euphemized Blues has a groovy lilting<br />
melody which loops around several times<br />
before Legault takes off on one of his lyrical<br />
and swirling solos.<br />
Legault’s album benefits from the virtuosity<br />
of the soloists. The tunes are inventive<br />
and reminiscent of Metheny or Scofield, but<br />
the highlights are the freewheeling improvisations,<br />
particularly with Legault’s fleet<br />
lines and Payette’s wailing and lyrical sax.<br />
Boudreau adds some fine piano work as well<br />
and it all makes for a clever and sophisticated<br />
disc.<br />
Ted Parkinson<br />
Concert note: The Alex Samaras Trio (with<br />
Harley Card and Jon Maharaj) performs at<br />
The Old Mill on <strong>December</strong> 21.<br />
Alleviation<br />
Mikkel Ploug<br />
Songlines SGL 16<strong>23</strong>-2 (songlines.com)<br />
!!<br />
Mikkel Ploug is<br />
a Danish guitarist<br />
who works regularly<br />
with his own<br />
jazz groups as well<br />
as Equilibrium, a<br />
trio with singer<br />
Sissel Vera Pettersen<br />
and clarinetist Joachim Badenhorst, a fascinating<br />
improvising chamber group that has<br />
found a home with Vancouver’s Songlines<br />
label. This solo acoustic guitar disc continues<br />
Ploug’s association with the label.<br />
Both the solo and acoustic aspects are<br />
departures for Ploug, who recounts his<br />
discovery and acquisition of a particularly<br />
apt mid-40s Gibson Bannerhead guitar, a<br />
steel-string, mahogany-bodied, flat top more<br />
apt to supply chorded accompaniments to a<br />
folk singer. Instead it’s inspired some of the<br />
most beautiful and unexpected solo guitar<br />
music one might wish to hear. On one level<br />
it’s distinguished by Ploug’s investment in<br />
its special sound store, its fret clatter and<br />
squeaks, the kind of string noise some seek to<br />
surmount and that others love. Its resonance<br />
is even more appealing, with Ploug using<br />
finger picking on most pieces, exploring the<br />
instrument’s warm account of triads and<br />
seventh chords then extending the spectrum<br />
to create dense weaves of contrasting<br />
harmonic languages, sometimes beginning a<br />
phrase in one world and ending in another.<br />
One of the most lustrous is Couleurs<br />
d’Olivier, a Messiaen inspiration in which<br />
diatonic scales ascend into dense chromaticism;<br />
another is Circle Wind, a cycling<br />
piece inspired by Steve Reich that creates an<br />
added dimension with metallic fret noise.<br />
This is consistently engaging music, bridging<br />
many genres.<br />
Stuart Broomer<br />
Inroads<br />
Gordon Grdina Quartet<br />
Songlines SGL 16<strong>23</strong>-2 (songlines.com)<br />
! ! Since his 2006<br />
debut, Think Like<br />
the Waves with jazz<br />
greats Gary Peacock<br />
and Paul Motian,<br />
Vancouver guitarist<br />
Gordon Grdina has<br />
pursued multiple<br />
musical paths, setting his guitar amidst his<br />
jazz-based ensembles, the classically influenced<br />
third stream music of the East Van<br />
Strings or Dan Mangan’s rock band, while<br />
concurrently exploring the oud, a Middle<br />
Eastern lute, in both traditional and contemporary<br />
applications. Inroads summarizes and<br />
synthesizes that decade of exploration, while<br />
presenting Grdina in a stellar group of New<br />
York-based musicians: Oscar Noriega on alto<br />
saxophone, clarinet and bass clarinet; Russ<br />
Lossing on piano and electric piano; and<br />
Satoshi Takeishi on drums.<br />
Grdina’s disparate influences here<br />
range through Béla Bartók, the rock band<br />
Soundgarden and free jazz, while his compositions<br />
pass through divergent moods, densities<br />
and methodologies. The opening Giggles<br />
is limpidly beautiful unaccompanied piano,<br />
while Not Sure is chameleon-like, moving<br />
from rapid-fire guitar aggression through<br />
lyrical piano and alto saxophone passages<br />
84 | <strong>December</strong> <strong>2017</strong> / <strong>January</strong> <strong>2018</strong> thewholenote.com
and then on to thrashing drums and howling<br />
saxophone, presenting many of Grdina’s<br />
elements in a single piece.<br />
Some of the most affecting pieces are also<br />
models of brevity. Kite Flight is a tantalizing<br />
explosion of lower register guitar, raucous<br />
bass clarinet and elemental percussion, while<br />
Semantics, a guitar/clarinet duet, is subtly<br />
evanescent. That same delicacy informs<br />
the longer Fragments in its blend of piano<br />
and oud, while contrasting Middle Eastern<br />
elements energize Apocalympics. It’s a fascinating<br />
program in which Grdina takes his<br />
materials in very different directions.<br />
Stuart Broomer<br />
Intersections<br />
Emie R Roussel Trio<br />
Effendi Records FND148<br />
(effendirecords.com)<br />
!!<br />
It is quite impossible<br />
not to be<br />
seduced by the<br />
cultivated and<br />
masterful pianism<br />
of Emie R Roussel,<br />
whose music on<br />
Intersections is<br />
patently expansive<br />
and at times a veritable masterclass in how to<br />
build assiduous climaxes, how to intelligently<br />
scale one’s dynamics and how to balance the<br />
music’s massive textures in sonorously judicious<br />
proportions. Her music is vivid. Each<br />
piece is a unique narrative. Musical character<br />
is well rounded and each piece is always<br />
fully developed before its natural denouement<br />
announces a natural demise.<br />
On three occasions the trio is expanded<br />
into a quartet and on each resulting work<br />
the addition of another musician – whether<br />
the vocalist on Away, the trumpeter on De<br />
Tadoussac à Auckland or the bassist on<br />
Tout le monde ensemble – is timely and<br />
perfectly placed. It’s surely an indication that<br />
the ideas and the material dictate the direction<br />
that the music should take. Rhythm is<br />
also an essential tool throughout and Roussel<br />
depends greatly on her left hand bass lines,<br />
together with the flights of fancy by her<br />
drummer, Dominic Cloutier and bassist,<br />
Nicolas Bédard, as a means of communicating<br />
ideas as well as shaping the structure<br />
of each piece.<br />
Each piece also has its own unique charisma,<br />
and flowing from this each gathers<br />
momentum, swinging to its climax with<br />
the wind of melody and harmony under its<br />
proverbial wings. All of this yields a magical<br />
and quite unforgettable album from a pianist<br />
of whom much is expected in the future.<br />
Raul da Gama<br />
The Vancouver Concert<br />
John Stetch & Vulneraville<br />
Independent (johnstetch.com)<br />
!!<br />
Splitting his<br />
time between<br />
New York and<br />
British Columbia,<br />
Edmonton-born<br />
pianist John Stetch’s<br />
recent Vancouver<br />
concert was a rare<br />
opportunity to<br />
display locally the contiguous rapport he’s<br />
developed with his Big Apple cohort of tenor<br />
saxophonist Steve Kortyka, bassist Ben Tiberio<br />
and drummer Philippe Lemm, collectively<br />
called Vulneraville. Four-fifths of the disc<br />
is made up of Stetch’s compositions, which<br />
mix the rigour of notated pieces with jazz’s<br />
dramatic timbral fluctuations.<br />
This is particularly apparent on Rondeau,<br />
related to a two-part Renaissance form with<br />
one part of the structure set to one musical<br />
line and the second to another. Stetch’s<br />
extravagant keyboard technique easily adapts<br />
the mode, especially in the second section<br />
when his emphasis on the piano’s higherpitched<br />
dynamics is furthered by Kortyka’s<br />
thickened obbligatos and increasingly<br />
powerful crunches from Lemm. It’s these<br />
sorts of high-quality themes and variations<br />
that inform the pianist’s other tunes, with<br />
Oscar’s Blue-Green Algebra, another<br />
example. Mixing church-like processional<br />
motifs with chunks of pure keyboard swing,<br />
he suggests Oscar Peterson’s hefty approach<br />
to the piano.<br />
Oddly enough though, Stetch ends the<br />
concert with a straight-ahead version of the<br />
standard Things Ain’t What They Used to<br />
Be. While the performance exudes romping<br />
excitement, with ample space for scorching<br />
breaks from each quartet member – even<br />
Tiberio, who is buried in the mix elsewhere<br />
– the choice is unfortunate. Things<br />
have changed as Stretch’s compositions and<br />
Vulneraville’s playing demonstrate. A less<br />
straight-ahead treatment would have been a<br />
better choice to affirm the title of the track.<br />
Ken Waxman<br />
Contumbao<br />
Hilario Durán<br />
Alma Records ACD92272<br />
(almarecords.com)<br />
!!<br />
Passionate,<br />
innovative, expressive,<br />
dynamic, evocative,<br />
sophisticated,<br />
genius – superlatives<br />
consistently<br />
used to describe the<br />
towering musicality<br />
and virtuosity that<br />
is pianist, composer, arranger and bandleader,<br />
Hilario Durán. Born in Havana, Cuba and<br />
based in Toronto for the past 20 years, Durán<br />
has been wowing the world with his creative<br />
approach to Afro-Cuban and Latin jazz, one<br />
breathtaking concert after another.<br />
Contumbao is a project that literally has<br />
brought Durán back to his Cuban roots.<br />
Recorded at Havana’s legendary EGREM<br />
studios (whose storied roster includes<br />
Orquesta Aragón, Arturo Sandoval, Chucho<br />
Valdés and the Buena Vista Social Club, and<br />
where Durán had recorded hundreds of<br />
sessions), it was Durán’s dream to get back<br />
What we're listening to this month:<br />
thewholenote.com/listening<br />
The Operatic Pianist, volume II<br />
Andrew Wright<br />
A rich collection of transcriptions<br />
of themes and fantasies from the<br />
opera, following the highly praised<br />
first album.<br />
Poems and Dreams<br />
Rebecca Jeffreys<br />
Rebecca Jeffreys and Alexander<br />
Timofeev present a collection of<br />
original works for flute and piano,<br />
exploring the new sounds of living<br />
composers.<br />
Portrait: Max Richter<br />
Angèle Dubeau & La Pietà<br />
One of Canada's greatest violinists<br />
performs works by influential<br />
post-minimalist composer Max<br />
Richter with her wonderful string<br />
orchestra La Pietà. Sublime!<br />
Rev<br />
Ernesto Cervini's Turboprop<br />
Featuring Tara Davidson, Joel Frahm,<br />
William Carn, Adrean Farrugia, Dan<br />
Loomis and Ernesto Cervini<br />
"A shoot-the-lights-out blast of a<br />
listen" Downbeat Magazine<br />
thewholenote.com <strong>December</strong> <strong>2017</strong> / <strong>January</strong> <strong>2018</strong> | 85
there and play with some of his favourite<br />
musical collaborators, including two original<br />
bandmates from his 1990s band, Perspectiva:<br />
guitarist Jorge Luis Valdés (“Chicoy”) and<br />
bassist Jorge Reyes.<br />
Contumbao is a heartfelt homage to Cuba’s<br />
rich, musical history. Indeed, Durán dedicates<br />
his album of new compositions to<br />
Cuban music and its many musical styles<br />
“whose music and rhythms run through my<br />
veins.” This is apparent from the pulsating<br />
rhythms of the title track, and the spirited<br />
rumbas, El Tahonero and Rumba de Cajón,<br />
to the poignant Parque 527 – Durán’s former<br />
Havana address – and the exhilarating Duo<br />
Influenciado, performed with his friend and<br />
champion, the aforementioned Cuban piano<br />
great, Chucho Valdés.<br />
All the superlatives in the world can’t do<br />
justice to the experience of listening to Durán<br />
and his stellar cast of musical compatriots. In<br />
fact, Contumbao may leave you speechless!<br />
Sharna Searle<br />
Jondo<br />
Joshua Rager Nonet<br />
Bent River Records BRR-<strong>2017</strong>02<br />
(joshrager.com)<br />
!!<br />
With his highly<br />
alluring nonet<br />
recording entitled<br />
Jondo, pianist Josh<br />
Rager enters a<br />
field crowded with<br />
stellar performances<br />
by pianists.<br />
However, his<br />
multi-layered idiomatic compositions and<br />
their memorable execution set him somewhat<br />
apart from the rest of the tribe. The repertoire<br />
may be named after the rhythmically rich and<br />
mysterious Jondo, but the album derives most<br />
of its richness from the opening, extended<br />
work, the Prodigal Son Suite. It is a work that<br />
is by turns poised, polished, intimate and<br />
exuberant. Rager – with his lustrous pianism<br />
– leads an ensemble that works like a welloiled<br />
machine, playing his compositions with<br />
authority and élan and doing a remarkable<br />
job of getting under Rager’s sonic skin.<br />
For his part the pianist swings with palpable<br />
enjoyment and as in the way he makes<br />
his trills into mischievous flourishes – especially<br />
on songs such as Child’s Play and 3<br />
Legged Dog – as well as in the rich variety<br />
of articulation and dynamic gradation<br />
throughout the rest of the recording. The<br />
pacing of his Zen-like piece, The Master<br />
Waits, and the tricky movements of The<br />
Inside Track, reveal Rager to be both a writer<br />
and pianist of distinct personality, ever sensitive<br />
and careful never to become overbearing.<br />
In the end, how one will react to this<br />
recording will largely depend on one’s taste<br />
for music that emerges from a large tonal<br />
palette. To that end, everything that the Joshua<br />
Rager Nonet serves up on Jondo is brimful<br />
with infectious delight and enjoyment.<br />
Raul da Gama<br />
Thank You for Listening<br />
The Joe Bowden Project<br />
Independent (joebowden.bandcamp.com)<br />
!!<br />
As a young<br />
teenager, I was<br />
taught to repeat<br />
the phrase “thank<br />
you for listening”<br />
when taking a<br />
post-performance<br />
bow. Joe<br />
Bowden should feel<br />
free to repeat this phrase over and over as<br />
he deserves endless praise and respect for<br />
his brilliant work as composer, drummer,<br />
arranger and bandleader in his latest release.<br />
Originally from Halifax, Bowden moved to<br />
Toronto in the early 1980s where he studied at<br />
Humber College and was musically inspired<br />
by listening to and working with many jazz<br />
musicians. His music here is driven by a<br />
mature understanding of jazz style, rhythms,<br />
and awe-inspiring musicianship.<br />
Bowden’s ten musicians play with a deep<br />
respect for his music and artistry. Mingus is<br />
an upbeat toe-tapping tradition-flavoured<br />
tune with a locked-in groove between the<br />
drums and Rich Brown’s bass. I’m Here Again<br />
is a slower quasi-ballad, featuring Michael<br />
Occhipinti’s modernistic guitar solos and<br />
Manuel Valera’s chromatic runs and intervals<br />
on piano. Devil Five lives up to its title,<br />
featuring a wide interval, almost minimalistic<br />
repeating bass line, zippy piano runs and<br />
Bowden’s virtuosic drum solos. Nice change<br />
of pace with FSC (Funky Soul Calypso), a fun<br />
get-up-and-dance tune featuring Joy Lapps-<br />
Lewis’ steel pan artistry.<br />
Bowden writes on the CD jacket “Pursuit of<br />
Happiness, is it reality or a dream?” Like the<br />
track of the same name, the reflection, improvisations<br />
and grooves make this a dreamy<br />
musical reality!<br />
Tiina Kiik<br />
You’re Gonna Hear From Me<br />
Mary-Catherine Pazzano<br />
Glorious Feeling Records<br />
!!<br />
On her debut<br />
release, elegant<br />
chanteuse Mary-<br />
Catherine Pazzano<br />
has not only<br />
shown exceptional<br />
good taste in<br />
presenting 12 fine<br />
compositions from<br />
musical theatre, film and the Great American<br />
Songbook, but she has also conscripted<br />
a superb lineup of musical collaborators,<br />
including Don Buchanan on piano (also<br />
co-producer), Jason Hunter on saxophones,<br />
Pat Collins on bass and Steve James on drums.<br />
Arranged and produced by Pazzano, she<br />
has selectively dipped into the catalogues of<br />
venerable composers such as Jerome Kern,<br />
Oscar Hammerstein, Harry Warren, Cole<br />
Porter, Henry Mancini and Johnny Mercer as<br />
well as contemporary artists, Joni Mitchell<br />
and Billy Joel.<br />
First up is the stirring (and rarely<br />
performed) title track, written for the cult<br />
film Inside Daisy Clover starring Natalie<br />
Wood. Pazzano shines throughout with<br />
energy and luscious tone, as she soars with<br />
her quartet. Buchanan and Pazzano have<br />
included one well-written original composition,<br />
A Simple Conversation – which has<br />
the potential to become a contemporary<br />
jazz standard. Another standout is Mancini<br />
and Mercer’s Charade, from the hit movie<br />
of the same name starring Audrey Hepburn.<br />
Haunting and languid, this tune is set as<br />
perfectly as a Tiffany solitaire – with a manyfaceted<br />
voice/bass section in front, followed<br />
by an up-tempo sequence and fine bass solo<br />
from Collins.<br />
Pazzano possesses a gorgeous, classically<br />
trained contralto voice capable of projecting<br />
the full gamut of emotions, as well as an<br />
uncanny skill with rendering the lyrics of<br />
current music, jazz standards and show tunes.<br />
A fine opening salvo!<br />
Lesley Mitchell-Clarke<br />
Concert notes: Mary-Catherine Pazzano<br />
has a number of upcoming performances<br />
in the GTA: <strong>December</strong> 1 at the Jazz Room in<br />
Waterloo with the Penderecki String Quartet,<br />
Joni NehRita and the New Vibes Quintet;<br />
<strong>January</strong> 25 at Jazz Bistro in Toronto with Don<br />
Buchanan, piano, Pat Collins, bass, and Steve<br />
James, drums; and March 9 as part of Women<br />
Music Revolutionaries at the Registry Theatre,<br />
Kitchener.<br />
Nathaniel: A Tribute to Nat King Cole<br />
Ori Dagan<br />
Independent ODCD03 (oridagan.com)<br />
Nat “King” Cole & Me<br />
Gregory Porter<br />
Blue Note 5791468<br />
! ! Nat King Cole<br />
had an incredibly<br />
prolific recording<br />
career, producing<br />
an astounding 30<br />
albums, despite his<br />
early death at age<br />
45. He was a pop<br />
artist as much as<br />
a jazz singer and piano player, and he was<br />
much loved for his velvety voice and gentlemanly<br />
demeanour. So it’s no surprise that<br />
this month we have not one, but two tribute<br />
albums to the legendary musician.<br />
Toronto singer Ori Dagan, known for his<br />
scat-singing talents, inventiveness and lighthearted<br />
tune choices (check out his Super<br />
Mario medley on YouTube!), is true to form<br />
on Nathaniel: A Tribute to Nat King Cole.<br />
With Mark Kieswetter, Nathan Hiltz, Ross<br />
McIntyre and Mark Kelso accompanying,<br />
we’re treated to familiar Cole songs (Nature<br />
Boy) and a few lesser known (Lillette), as well<br />
86 | <strong>December</strong> <strong>2017</strong> / <strong>January</strong> <strong>2018</strong> thewholenote.com
as some original<br />
compositions<br />
inspired by Cole’s<br />
music and life.<br />
American souljazz<br />
singer Gregory<br />
Porter has come<br />
out with a tender<br />
tribute to his<br />
boyhood musical<br />
hero. With the 80-piece London Studio<br />
Orchestra – masterfully arranged by Vince<br />
Mendoza – featured on most of the tracks,<br />
Nat “King” Cole & Me is big, string-laden and<br />
lush. Porter’s warm voice is similar in tone to<br />
Cole’s but he doesn’t attempt to imitate. His<br />
straight, heartfelt delivery allows the lyrics to<br />
speak for themselves. Many of the big hits are<br />
covered including Mona Lisa and L-O-V-E,<br />
and all the emotional stops are pulled<br />
out on Smile.<br />
These two albums are so different in style<br />
that a Cole fan could do well by adding both<br />
to their collection.<br />
Cathy Riches<br />
Swinging on a Star<br />
Tardo Hammer Trio<br />
Cellar Live CL110717 (cellarlive.com)<br />
!!<br />
To play bebop,<br />
one needs to deal<br />
with two competing<br />
impulses: master<br />
the instrument –<br />
amass the fluency<br />
required to float at<br />
heightened tempi,<br />
navigate harmonic complexities and execute<br />
ornamented lines that are part of this music’s<br />
tradition – and utilize a relaxed phraseology<br />
that is anything but frenetic and that comes<br />
across as “not trying too hard.” No doubt, to<br />
play with the sort of authenticity that stellar<br />
musicians Tardo Hammer, Lee Hudson and<br />
Steve Williams bring to Hammer’s Swinging<br />
On A Star is difficult. But to listeners, the<br />
effort is hidden, the inventive spirit of musical<br />
collaboration and taste displayed.<br />
In the spirit of disclosure, I, as guitarist<br />
and occasional liner-note writer, am affiliated<br />
with Cellar Live, the label on which<br />
Hammer’s disc is released. Nonetheless, as an<br />
objective jazz fan, I am routinely impressed<br />
by their expanding catalogue of great releases<br />
of which Swinging On A Star is no exception.<br />
Drinking from the well of Bud Powell,<br />
Barry Harris and Thelonious Monk, Hammer<br />
and company offer an auditory snapshot of<br />
a blue-chip jazz trio on any given night. Yes,<br />
there are arrangements and unique repertoire;<br />
however, this recording fits comfortably<br />
within the tradition of blowing sessions,<br />
wherein beauty is revealed through improvisatory<br />
extrapolations that spin forward<br />
when three masters come together in<br />
a comfortable listening environment.<br />
Overall, a swinging recording that marries<br />
beautiful songs, improvisatory excellence<br />
and, as a bonus, insightful liner notes by<br />
Morgan Childs.<br />
Andrew Scott<br />
Metamorphosis<br />
LAMA + Joachim Badenhorst<br />
Clean Feed CF433 CD<br />
(cleanfeed-records.com)<br />
!!<br />
Metamorphosis<br />
is true to its title<br />
only if the term<br />
includes transmogrifying<br />
one way<br />
and subsequently<br />
taking a completely<br />
opposite form, as<br />
this Canadian/<br />
Belgian foursome does on this CD. Initially on<br />
Metamorphosis I, it appears that the brassy<br />
emphasis from Portuguese trumpeter Susana<br />
Santos Silva and pressurized flutters from<br />
Belgian bass clarinetist Joachim Badenhorst<br />
are going to be mere bagatelles to the polyrhythmic<br />
undulations from Portuguese<br />
keyboardist Gonçalo Almeida, which seem<br />
to subsume all other timbres into a crackling<br />
electronic wash. But not only is there soon<br />
space for brass and reed counterpoint, once<br />
the sounds flow into Metamorphosis II, the<br />
pulsating tick-tock of Canadian drummer<br />
Greg Smith kicks into gear and is joined<br />
by string plucks from Almeida, who has<br />
switched to double bass, an expansion<br />
creating a powerful acoustic jazz trope.<br />
This movement from electronic to acoustic<br />
continues throughout the CD, through faultless<br />
changes of pitch and tempo. Especially<br />
striking is how Badenhorst and Silva appear<br />
to be going their separate ways, examining<br />
extended techniques, involving, for instance,<br />
contralto hollow tones from the clarinetist<br />
and billowing plunger excursions from the<br />
trumpeter, only to interlock onto a series of<br />
connective riffs in the nick of time.<br />
Officially Badenhorst is still a guest of<br />
the LAMA trio, but it’s evident that the four<br />
have evolved a strategy that gives everyone<br />
a chance at textural exploration as a notable<br />
group sound is produced.<br />
Ken Waxman<br />
Somewhere Sacred<br />
Chris Wallace’s Many Names<br />
GB Records (chriswallacedrums.com)<br />
!!<br />
Jazz musician/<br />
drummer/composer<br />
Chris Wallace hails<br />
from Regina, but his<br />
varied career has<br />
seen him working<br />
in Europe, the<br />
United States and<br />
Canada, residing/<br />
working in Edinburgh, Scotland from 2002<br />
to 2013 when he moved to Toronto. So many<br />
locales and musical experiences, along with<br />
his compositional process he describes as<br />
“allowing myself to be open to something I<br />
don’t fully understand and that is where the<br />
music comes from – somewhere sacred,”<br />
must have influenced his smart contemporary<br />
jazz compositions here, featuring his<br />
outstanding band Many Names – Jeff King<br />
What we're listening to this month:<br />
thewholenote.com/listening<br />
Sideralis<br />
Roberto Ottaviano QuarkTet<br />
Roberto Ottaviano, saxophones;<br />
Alexander Hawkins, piano; Michael<br />
Formanek, bass; Gerry Hemingway,<br />
drums<br />
A sound exploration, a manifesto of<br />
gratitude to John Coltrane (1967-<strong>2017</strong>)<br />
Stravinski - Prokofiev<br />
David Jalbert<br />
Canadian pianist David Jalbert is<br />
featured on this recording of piano<br />
transcriptions of Russian ballet<br />
repertoire. He brilliantly performs<br />
music from Stravinsky and Prokofiev.<br />
Verdi's Guitar<br />
Alan Rinehart<br />
Guitarist Alan Rinehart presents<br />
solo guitar by 19th-century<br />
composer Josef Kaspar Mertz on<br />
his debut Ravello release.<br />
Violin Muse<br />
Madeleine Mitchell<br />
A fabulous collection of<br />
contemporary works by leading<br />
British composers – all world<br />
premieres. Works for violin/piano,<br />
two violins and violin/orchestra.<br />
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(tenor sax), Adrean Farrugia (piano) and<br />
Daniel Fortin (double bass).<br />
Wallace the composer and Wallace the<br />
drummer both listen astutely, have complex<br />
technical prowess and unique musical storytelling<br />
capabilities. Wallace’s drumming is<br />
dense and colourful yet never overwhelming,<br />
and fully supportive of his colleagues – as best<br />
heard in Chapter Zero where his backdrop<br />
supports King’s sax stylings, Farrugia’s florid<br />
piano, Fortin’s driving bass and the occasional<br />
band quasi-unison sections. More reflective is<br />
the opening of the title track, with a luscious<br />
sax melody, laid-back groove, superb bass<br />
solo and wide-pitch piano explorations.<br />
New-music sounds appear in the pitch leaps<br />
in the sax and the chromatic florid piano<br />
runs of Visitation. Nice musical conversations<br />
between the players flavour the more traditional<br />
jazz sounding A Memory of 10.<br />
With touches of many styles throughout<br />
performed by great multi-faceted musicians/improvisers,<br />
Wallace’s challenging jazz<br />
welcomes repeated listening.<br />
Tiina Kiik<br />
Entangled Pathways<br />
Gilliam, Milmine & Pottie<br />
Melos Productions MPCD 005<br />
(bill-gilliam.com)<br />
!!<br />
This challenging<br />
and enervating<br />
recording<br />
is a collection<br />
of original<br />
music created<br />
by the acoustic<br />
trio of pianist Bill<br />
Gilliam, soprano<br />
saxophonist Kayla Milmine and drummer<br />
Ambrose Pottie. The creative group originally<br />
met through the noted Toronto Improvisers<br />
Orchestra (TIO) and soon began writing<br />
and performing impressive free music<br />
together. According to Gilliam (the producer<br />
and primary composer), “Some pieces are<br />
composed using free-floating melodies, jazz<br />
idioms and modal-chromatic tonalities, while<br />
other pieces are freely improvised creations.”<br />
Although perhaps gestated by different<br />
processes, the 12 impressive tracks all seem<br />
to lead to a central concept of connectedness,<br />
alternate realities and divergent pathways<br />
that may yet resonate together like strands<br />
in a web; in other words, musical quantum<br />
entanglement.<br />
The Singularity is well-placed in the<br />
program, as it seems to portend the sonic<br />
and emotional musical journey ahead.<br />
Gilliam’s lush, powerful and insistent piano<br />
lines are both appealing and unnerving,<br />
and Milmine’s commitment to this extraordinary<br />
and technically challenging music is<br />
evident with every note that she plays – she<br />
bends that piece of cold metal to her will, and<br />
makes it sing.<br />
Mountain Dance is a standout. One of the<br />
most visual and rhythmically complex pieces<br />
on the CD, the action is propelled by Pottie,<br />
who remains completely musical while deftly<br />
driving the trio into the nether regions. Also,<br />
the groovy and exotic Porous Borders utilizes<br />
unison and descending lines as well as<br />
modal dissonance and stark piano statements<br />
to create a feeling of nervous isolation<br />
– all rendered with a sense of irony, as true<br />
isolation may be nothing more than a selfimposed<br />
construct.<br />
Lesley Mitchell-Clarke<br />
Concert Note: Gilliam, Milmine & Pottie<br />
perform at the Burdock on February 6.<br />
Aladdin’s Dream - The Firebirds Play Carl<br />
Nielsen<br />
The Firebirds<br />
ILK 269 CD (ilkmusic.com)<br />
!!<br />
Tweaking the<br />
compositions<br />
of Denmark’s<br />
most prominent<br />
composer to new<br />
ends, The Firebirds<br />
– tenor saxophonist/clarinetist<br />
Anders Banke, keyboardist Anders Filipsen<br />
and percussionist Stefan Pasborg – discover<br />
hitherto hidden grooves in Carl August<br />
Nielsen’s (1865-1931) work.<br />
Concentrating on extracts from Aladdin,<br />
the Helios Overture and Little Suite for<br />
Strings, the trio emphasizes eastern Eurasian<br />
dance-like motifs with pliable keyboard<br />
shakes and ney-like reed outbursts, while<br />
adding a pronounced, almost rock-like beat<br />
to the tunes. If a combination of tenor sax<br />
blasts and drum backbeats suggest heavy<br />
metal tropes on The Market Place in Ispahan,<br />
remember that rock style is now as prominent<br />
in Scandinavia as the buoyancy of Nielsen’s<br />
tunes, exemplified by Filipsen’s animated<br />
key chiming. The Helios Overture provides<br />
the most varied instance of the trio’s sound<br />
reconstitution. Evolving from sophisticated<br />
saxophone and ruffled keyboard timbres at<br />
the beginning, to a snaking, stop-time melody<br />
examination in the middle, to an intense<br />
display of agitated snare pops and splashing<br />
cymbal from Pasborg, the convivial theme<br />
returns as light swing by the finale, helped by<br />
the keyboardist’s walking bass line.<br />
The band’s name came about after the<br />
trio recorded a CD which transformed some<br />
Stravinsky compositions into semi-improvised<br />
theme and variations. The three<br />
have now proven they can perform similar<br />
alchemy on another composer’s work with<br />
this CD. There are plenty of other modern<br />
composers whose work could provide<br />
material for equal transformations.<br />
Ken Waxman<br />
POT POURRI<br />
Meter<br />
Autorickshaw<br />
Tala-Wallah Records TW006<br />
(autorickshaw.ca)<br />
!!<br />
Autorickshaw,<br />
the critically<br />
acclaimed, worldtouring<br />
Toronto<br />
group is reconnecting<br />
with its<br />
early band roots in<br />
its 15th anniversary<br />
season. Its previous<br />
album The Humours of Autorickshaw was<br />
enriched by more than a dozen musicians<br />
appearing in complex studio mixes. On<br />
Meter, Autorickshaw returns to its core: Suba<br />
Sankaran (voice, percussion), Ed Hanley<br />
(tabla, vocal and other percussion) and Dylan<br />
Bell (bass, voice, vocal drums, keyboards).<br />
Meter serves up new compositions by each<br />
member as well as works by other Toronto<br />
musicians. Covers are again a feature here:<br />
Peter Gabriel’s Mercy Street, Paul Simon’s<br />
Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard and<br />
perhaps most surprisingly, the traditional<br />
Francophone J’entends le Moulin, all get<br />
the Autorickshaw treatment. The short but<br />
delightful Thom Petti by Suba Sankaran begins<br />
with the phrase “ta-thom, thom-ta,” derived<br />
from Carnatic (South India) solkattu (onomatopoetic<br />
drum syllables) as vocalized by all three<br />
musicians. These phrases echo the percussive<br />
clickety-clack of a long train ride though India<br />
with its track gaps, curves and straightaways,<br />
heard as superimpositions of several rhythmic<br />
feels. The addition of a harmonically rich vocalized<br />
chord – imitating a passing train horn –<br />
adds sparkle to the onomatopoeic fun.<br />
Another musically outstanding moment<br />
comes halfway through the song The Trouble<br />
with Hari, composed by Toronto jazz veteran<br />
Gordon Sheard. Bell’s electric bass joins<br />
Sankaran’s jazz-inflected scatting, Carnatic<br />
solkattus and sargams (solfège recitation) in<br />
exact melodic coupling, call-response and<br />
harmonic comping. It’s a sterling example<br />
of the kind of inspired border-crisscrossing<br />
musical experience the album offers listeners<br />
up for adventure.<br />
Andrew Timar<br />
Moderne Frau<br />
Adi Braun<br />
Independent (adibraun.com)<br />
! ! Perhaps Adi<br />
Braun is playing to<br />
her strengths on<br />
Moderne Frau. But<br />
rarely is the seduction<br />
of Weimar<br />
Berlin cabaret been<br />
performed with a<br />
sassier va-va-voom<br />
88 | <strong>December</strong> <strong>2017</strong> / <strong>January</strong> <strong>2018</strong> thewholenote.com
and oomph than on the 13 songs of this<br />
recording. Now that could well be due in part<br />
to the outstanding musicians on the album,<br />
but there is nothing whatsoever that can<br />
outshine Braun’s luminously sung performance.<br />
Clearly Braun’s redemptive gods are<br />
Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weill and she makes<br />
every gesture count meaningfully on this disc,<br />
where biting satire and burlesque meet outrageously<br />
colourful art song.<br />
Certainly the music speaks in a special way<br />
to Braun. She reveals their secrets in seductive<br />
whispers; there is a burning lust for life<br />
played out in these lyrics, especially in the<br />
music of Brecht and Weill, but Moderne Frau,<br />
the title track (her own compositon), is also<br />
an outstanding example of her creativity,<br />
as is Speak Low from the pen of Weill and<br />
Ogden Nash.<br />
Braun clearly revels in the intensity of the<br />
songs’ drama and it is this aspect of the disc<br />
that spotlights her vocals throughout. The<br />
vocalist’s larger-than-life persona is also a<br />
perfect fit for this repertoire and she isn’t<br />
afraid to push it to its limits either. The results<br />
are often more beautiful and nuanced than<br />
expected. The edgiest moments come in<br />
Mackie Messer, perhaps the defining moment<br />
on the entire disc, closely followed by the<br />
bittersweet tenderness of It Never Was You.<br />
Raul da Gama<br />
Concert Note: Adi Braun celebrates the<br />
launch of Moderne Frau at the Jazz Bistro on<br />
<strong>December</strong> 10.<br />
Brass Fabulous<br />
Jason Rosenblatt & Orkestra Severni<br />
Independent (rachellemisch.com)<br />
!!<br />
Founded in 2009 by trombonist Rachel<br />
Lemisch, the Montreal-based Orkestra<br />
Severni (Northern Orchestra) performs brass<br />
band repertoire of Klezmer, Moldavian and<br />
Serbian traditions. Besides their great energetic<br />
performances here, what makes their<br />
debut release even more exciting is that all 11<br />
tracks are original<br />
works rooted in<br />
the new Eastern<br />
European music<br />
genre by composer/<br />
pianist/harmonica<br />
player Jason<br />
Rosenblatt.<br />
Rosenblatt’s<br />
compositions embody many styles. The<br />
opening Sirba from the three-movement Sirba<br />
a la Oscar is driven by fast upbeat rhythms<br />
that are always in control. A great effect is<br />
having its final cadence resolve into the introduction<br />
of the next movement, Hora, a work<br />
comprised of more traditional-sounding<br />
melodies, rhythms and exquisite dynamic<br />
shifts. The striking rhythmic bounces of the<br />
silences between the resounding brass shots<br />
in the third movement, Freylach, showcase<br />
the musicians’ tight ensemble technique.<br />
Rosenblatt Kid’s Contra features a descending<br />
chromatic line that makes for happy walking<br />
music with a carnival feel. Nice style contrast<br />
is Chassidic Love Tango, with its traditional<br />
tango groove interspersed with brief threequarter<br />
waltz sections. The closing Anshei<br />
Brzezan Nign has a lullaby-feel ending with<br />
sublime held-piano sounds.<br />
All the accomplished band musicians,<br />
along with special guest Ben Holmes<br />
(trumpet) play brilliantly. Sound quality is<br />
great too. Brass Fabulous lives up to its name.<br />
This a spectacular addition to the brass band<br />
repertoire, well deserving of lots of fans and<br />
of lots of listening hours.<br />
Tiina Kiik<br />
The Book of Transfigurations<br />
Dálava<br />
Songlines SGL 2408-2 (songlines.com)<br />
!!<br />
About the group Dálava, reviewer Mark<br />
Tucker wrote, “… I was both chilled and<br />
thrilled by the fusion of avant-garde, ancient,<br />
and progressive musics…” After listening<br />
to their second<br />
album The Book of<br />
Transfigurations,<br />
released on<br />
the Vancouver<br />
boundary-crashing<br />
Songlines label,<br />
I’d have to agree.<br />
Dálava’s project<br />
crosses and combines several genres, disciplines,<br />
generations and continents. At its<br />
core is the duo of American vocalist Julia<br />
Ulehla and guitarist Aram Bajakian (known<br />
for his work with John Zorn and with Lou<br />
Reed). Musical and life partners, they perform<br />
Moravian folk songs of the 19th and early-20th<br />
century transcribed over 100 years ago by<br />
Ulehla’s Czech musicologist great-grandfather.<br />
The songs are then transfigured through their<br />
21st-century sensibilities, informed by world<br />
music, creative jazz and post-rock.<br />
Ulehla is currently working on her PhD<br />
researching Moravian song with UBC ethnomusicologist<br />
Michael Tenzer. Her scholarship<br />
is amply illustrated in the lavish<br />
36-page booklet (including original lyrics<br />
with English translations and commentary)<br />
and it richly informs Dálava’s interpretations.<br />
As for Bajakian, he keeps busy<br />
gigging on guitar with other bands, including<br />
the American-Hungarian folk/art-rock band<br />
Glass House Ensemble.<br />
The duo’s music, while a profoundly<br />
personal statement, is also emotionally<br />
supported and amplified on the album by<br />
leading musicians on the Vancouver creative<br />
music scene: cellist Peggy Lee, Tyson Naylor<br />
on multi-keys, bassist Colin Cowan and Dylan<br />
van der Schyff on drums.<br />
Ulehla and Bajakian have reportedly<br />
already made a splash in the Czech Republic<br />
with their live interpretations of this material.<br />
I predict Dálava’s affective music will gain<br />
many more global fans with this release.<br />
Andrew Timar<br />
Something in the Air: Seven Musical Voices for the Future<br />
KEN WAXMAN<br />
The year just ending marked one important milestone in<br />
musical history. The first so-called jazz record was issued in<br />
1917 by the Original Dixieland Jass Band (ODJB). Obviously<br />
that musical designation, which in its century of existence has gone<br />
through as many permutations and retrenchments as so-called<br />
classical music has in many centuries, is far different then the<br />
ODJB’s primitive efforts. But jazz/improvised music continues<br />
to evolve, buttressed by new voices. Here is a group of youngish<br />
improvisers who will likely still be contributing to the shape of jazz<br />
during its 125th anniversary – and probably for years afterwards.<br />
First is Vancouver-born, Brooklyn-based pianist Kris Davis, 37,<br />
whose presence on advanced jazz sessions over the past half-decade<br />
or so has become almost as ubiquitous as Lennon-McCartney<br />
tunes at retro-60s parties. Sing Me Some Cry (Clean Feed CF 428<br />
CD cleanfeed-records.com) finds the Canadian pianist in a combo<br />
led by bassist Eric Revis, featuring tenor<br />
saxophonist/clarinetist Ken Vandermark<br />
and drummer Chad Taylor. Although each<br />
of the other players has extensive experience,<br />
there are points at which Davis<br />
dominates. Good Company, for instance,<br />
which begins with a J. Arthur Rank-like<br />
gong resonation from Taylor’s cymbals<br />
and reed asides in brief Morse Code-like<br />
dashes, retains its tension from the pianist’s kinetic pressure, with<br />
the saxophonist’s peek-a-boo contributions hardening into pressurized<br />
honks that unroll in tandem with keyboard tinkling. Obliogo<br />
features a middle section where high-frequency piano notes slice<br />
kinetically through saxophone snorts and string elaboration from<br />
Revis, but maintain the composition’s careful shape. Instructively<br />
Rye Eclipse, the one Davis composition, is multi-sequenced and<br />
thewholenote.com <strong>December</strong> <strong>2017</strong> / <strong>January</strong> <strong>2018</strong> | 89
more complex. Mixing Revis’ sliding bass notes with stopped piano<br />
keys, Vandermark’s sheets of sounds become staccato just as the piano<br />
playing becomes more percussive. The result shapes reed overblowing,<br />
string reverberations and complex drum beats into a groove of storytelling<br />
and solid forward motion.<br />
Another pianist who is equally valuable<br />
in international collaborations as leader<br />
and sideperson is the United Kingdom’s<br />
Alexander Hawkins, 36. On Sideralis<br />
(Dodicilune Dischi Ed 354 dodicilune.it),<br />
he joins veteran American heavy hitters,<br />
bassist Michael Formanek and drummer<br />
Gerry Hemingway as part of Italian saxophonist<br />
Roberto Ottaviano’s QuarkTet, to<br />
interpret ten of Ottaviano’s compositions that range from rhythm<br />
numbers to ballads. Checking off the saxophonist’s influences, Planet<br />
Nichols, Ottaviano’s stop-time salute to pianist Herbie Nichols, gets<br />
much of its rollicking shape from Hawkins’ high-frequency key splatters<br />
and crescendos, with a walking bass line and cymbal breaks also<br />
contributing. At the same time the power of Formanek’s accompaniment<br />
on Planet John Lee Hooker, coupled with singular soprano<br />
saxophone breaths, makes the tune appear more a salute to Charles<br />
Mingus than the Mississippi bluesman. Replete with shadowing of<br />
the composer’s every breath on Berenice’s Code, Hawkins’ keyboard<br />
caressing preserves the balladic mood while moving the piece linearly.<br />
Centaurus’ lilt is cemented by inner piano string plucks that confirm<br />
the composition’s jocular theme, with Hemingway’s bell pealing and<br />
the pianist’s key slaps and crunches deconstructing and extending<br />
the melody until the saxophonist’s tiny reed bites reel it into straightahead<br />
swing. This same freedom that never exceeds its parameters is<br />
displayed on the title tune. Stopped keys and scrubbing slides from<br />
the pianist plus the drummer’s rubs provide the perfect contrast to<br />
Ottaviano’s intense note puffing. Subsequent return to a rumbling<br />
pulse confirms the tune’s gentle motion and the collaborative skill of<br />
this ad-hoc quartet.<br />
Minimalist and experimental, Timeless<br />
(JACC Records 034 jacc-records.com) is a<br />
duet between Portuguese guitarist Marcelo<br />
dos Reis and French pianist Eve Risser,<br />
35, who made her reputation working in<br />
ensembles as different as France’s Orchestra<br />
National de Jazz and in a rock-oriented<br />
duo. With both instruments prepared with<br />
numerous objects, as well as played straight,<br />
the selections are compressed and cramped, inhabiting a narrow<br />
spectrum, but never abandoning rhythm or feelings. A piece such<br />
as Balance Spring, for instance, suggests computer-generated wave<br />
forms even though there is no electronic processing. Instead, as the<br />
guitarist creates a strummed continuum, the pianist emphasizes carefully<br />
thought out patterns, culminating in chiselled movements. In<br />
the same way, clanks and crunches from internal piano strings plus<br />
external ones on the guitar neck, produce timbres on Hourglass that<br />
could have come from a vibraphone. This sound, jolted along with<br />
bottleneck-guitar slashes, reaches a thematic crescendo that’s almost<br />
lyrical as Riser’s splayed and sharp tones amalgamate into melodic<br />
interface. With the tracks reflecting ambience as well as aggression, a<br />
piece like the extended Water Clock reflects this strategy in miniature.<br />
While dos Reis’ metallic string sawing and percussive strums narrow<br />
the interface to a single, almost static line, Risser’s sharp strokes<br />
move from aping the guitarist’s heft and power to become chromatic.<br />
Eventually, sweeping acoustic piano lines reveal an underlying melody<br />
that sets up an unconventional groove.<br />
Of course it’s not just pianists who will determine the future of<br />
21st-century improvised music. Horn players and drummers will make<br />
their own noises. Take for example two of the players in the Amok<br />
Amor (AA) quartet, American trumpeter Peter Evans, 36, and German<br />
drummer Christian Lillinger, 33. Their work<br />
with alto saxophonist Wanja Slavin and<br />
bassist Petter Eldh on We Know Not What<br />
We Do (Intakt CD 279intaktrec.ch), shows<br />
their interactive skills in one of the many<br />
bands in which they participate. It’s the same<br />
story with Chicago-based tenor saxophonist<br />
Dave Rempis, 42, and drummer Tim Daisy,<br />
41, featured on The Halfway There Suite<br />
(Relay Recordings 016 timdaisy.com) by the<br />
drummer`s Celebration Sextet. Different discs could find Rempis in the<br />
leadership role or both as sidefolk.<br />
Composers as well as players – Evans wrote two tunes on We Know<br />
Not What We Do and Lillinger three – the key to their talents is how<br />
carefully they work in an organized setting, as on Pulsar, the Evanspenned<br />
first track. It’s lavish and lovely, notched with contrapuntal<br />
slurs and staccato tremors from the horns as the drummer’s percussive<br />
bumps and focused rim shots keep the tune bouncy and relaxed.<br />
These ambulatory dynamics are also present on Trio Amok, a Lillinger<br />
composition, pushed along with percussion bumps and rumbles and<br />
resonating pumps from bassist Petter Eldh. While Evans’ spectacular<br />
brassiness adds to the tune’s tautness, a respite after he intertwines<br />
open-horn brays with staccato tongue flutters from Slavin dissipates<br />
the tension. A more striking instance of the drummer’s dexterity is on<br />
A Run through the Neoliberalism, another of his compositions, during<br />
which altissimo reed squalls and trumpet tattoos set up as a staccatissimo,<br />
near-bebop romp. The drummer’s accompaniment may crackle<br />
and churn, but as the horns’ work explodes the theme into atoms, his<br />
cymbal cascades and rim shots glue it back into a swinging whole.<br />
With some of the other tracks utilizing palindromes, balladic melancholy,<br />
fiery stomps and rhythmic stop-time sequences, AA keeps the<br />
session engaging and moving. The saxophonist and bassist get solo<br />
space as well, with the combination of power and bluster from the<br />
rhythm section and inventive flutters and echoes from the horns<br />
ensuring that while predicting what sounds will appear next is nearly<br />
impossible, the knowledge that they will be first-class is confirmed.<br />
Daisy and Rempis are other first-class<br />
sound explorers featured on The Halfway<br />
There Suite along with Chicago associates,<br />
clarinetist James Falzone, trumpeter<br />
Russ Johnson, cellist Fred Lonberg-Holm<br />
and visiting New Yorker, trombonist Steve<br />
Swell. Composed as a birthday present<br />
for himself and the featured musicians, it<br />
isn’t clear whether Daisy’s CD title refers<br />
to mortality or the length of the four-part<br />
suite that lasts only 33 minutes. But like brevity being the soul of wit,<br />
the arrangements and solo work are exceptional enough to not need<br />
more length. Rempis’ showcase is on Part 2, where his skyscraperhigh<br />
multiphonics and glossolalia bring energetic freedom to the<br />
piece which otherwise flows along with orchestral calm and a steady<br />
jazz groove. Falzone’s solo tone is closest to so-called legitimate as<br />
he negotiates linkages between the two genres. Swell, and to a lesser<br />
extend Johnson, are the disrupters. The trombonist sprays many of<br />
the arrangements with gutbucket-styled slurs and tailgate-like elaborations.<br />
With the cellist scratching out notes and Daisy replicating<br />
kettle-drum-like pressure, Part 3 rolls from crescendos to diminuendos<br />
without breaking the melodic continuum. These disparate<br />
currents climax in the concluding Part 4, with stop-time polyphony<br />
shattered by a clean trumpet blast that joins with cello pumps to herd<br />
the sequence into a finale that swings, and neatly refers back to the<br />
introduction on Part 1. Throughout, Daisy’s solos, whether involving<br />
press rolls and bass drum stomps or freer jumping and double time<br />
rhythms, don’t draw attention, but advance the suite.<br />
On the evidence here, the Celebration Sextet is a lot more than<br />
halfway along to reaching musical goals. It’s another confirmation of<br />
how from their ideas and those of the players on the other CDs, jazz<br />
innovation will thrive in the years to come.<br />
90 | <strong>December</strong> <strong>2017</strong> / <strong>January</strong> <strong>2018</strong> thewholenote.com
Old Wine, New Bottles<br />
Fine Old Recordings Re-Released<br />
Bernstein Remastered<br />
BRUCE SURTEES<br />
Leonard Bernstein - The Remastered Edition (100 CDs)<br />
Sony 541714<br />
In her 1998 DVD Reaching for the Note, Susan Lacey<br />
recalls the way the moment felt. “It is very rare that<br />
someone dies and the whole community seems to<br />
be part of that event. It’s as if everything else stopped<br />
and for that moment the world turned around<br />
that event.”<br />
Such was the case in New York City following<br />
the death of Leonard Bernstein on October 14,<br />
1990. When the funeral cortege left from the<br />
Dakota, his apartment on the Upper West<br />
Side, there was already a large gathering<br />
across 72nd Street to pay homage and see<br />
him off. “There was this phalanx of<br />
motorcycle cops and police cars<br />
leading this enormous cortege<br />
out to Brooklyn’s Greenwood<br />
cemetery… When we came<br />
out on the Brooklyn side of<br />
the East River there was a big<br />
construction project and in<br />
spite of all the cops and motorcycles<br />
and police cars and everything,<br />
we came to a dead halt.<br />
And on the side were all these hard<br />
hats and mothers of various sorts with<br />
baby carriages and Orthodox Jews who just<br />
happened to be passing by. A perfect crosssection<br />
of New York City. And finally the sirens began again as this<br />
slowly started to move out, all these people! I especially remember the<br />
hard hats all waved and took off their hats and said. ‘Goodbye Lenny,<br />
goodbye.’ I can’t think of anything, anything, in the world that would<br />
have pleased Lenny more than that.”<br />
Leonard Bernstein – The Remastered Edition does not pretend to<br />
be in any way encyclopedic, but it gives profound insight into every<br />
facet of his musical life. New York City claimed him but Bernstein,<br />
conductor, composer, pianist, educator, author and music lecturer<br />
was born in Lawrence, Massachusetts on August 25, 1918, the eldest<br />
of three children of Ukrainian-Jewish parents. Soon after, they moved<br />
to Boston where father Samuel built up a prosperous business in<br />
hairdressing supplies. Samuel expected, naturally, that his elder son<br />
would go to college, return and take over the business. However, when<br />
Leonard was only ten, cousin Lillian’s unwanted upright piano was<br />
moved into their parlour and the die was cast. From the first note he<br />
knew that music was his calling. He could play by ear the tunes he<br />
had heard and improvise freely. At 13, he composed a piano concerto<br />
with a program, “a war between the Russians and the Gypsies.” At 14,<br />
after a disastrous year with two really incompetent teachers, he went<br />
to Heinrich Gebhard, one of Boston’s most respected teachers who<br />
entrusted him to his assistant, Helen Coates. She completely understood<br />
her earnest pupil’s impatience with practise and studies but<br />
instilled in him self-discipline. Bernstein credited her with being<br />
a decisive influence in his training. When he became known and<br />
successful he sent for her to be his personal secretary. She became his<br />
close friend and lifelong personal assistant and representative. Their<br />
letters are part of the Bernstein Collection in the Library of Congress.<br />
At 16, he heard his first live concert when he went with his<br />
father to hear the Boston Symphony under Serge Koussevitzky who<br />
later became his teacher and close friend. He attended<br />
the Boston Latin School. In the summers at Sharon,<br />
Massachusetts, he produced and directed shows with the<br />
Boston Public School Orchestra with entertainments like<br />
Gilbert & Sullivan and Carmen. He graduated in 1935<br />
and thence to Harvard, where he met many of those<br />
who would become his lifelong friends. He studied<br />
with Walter Piston, Edward Burlingame Hill<br />
and Arthur Tillman Merritt. He met Aaron<br />
Copland who became a major influence.<br />
Also, Dimitri Mitropoulos<br />
asked him to play and was<br />
so exceedingly impressed<br />
that he invited Bernstein<br />
to rehearsals with the<br />
Boston Symphony.<br />
For Bernstein’s part,<br />
he was taken by the<br />
older conductor’s<br />
intellect, his unique<br />
conducting style<br />
and his personal<br />
dynamism. He graduated<br />
from Harvard in<br />
1939 and enrolled at the Curtis<br />
Institute of Music in Philadelphia<br />
where he studied conducting with<br />
Fritz Reiner, orchestration with Randall<br />
Thompson, counterpoint with Richard Stöhr<br />
and score reading with Renée Longy Miquelle. Reiner said later that<br />
Bernstein received the only “A Grade” he ever awarded. After Curtis he<br />
spent some time in NYC, then in Boston where Koussevitzky, who was<br />
sort of a father figure, was a major influence on Bernstein’s emotional<br />
interpretations.<br />
Shortly after he had been appointed (under Artur Rodziński)<br />
assistant conductor of the New York Philharmonic, Bernstein made<br />
his life-changing major conducting debut. Guest conductor Bruno<br />
Walter was unable to conduct the afternoon concert of November 14,<br />
1943. Bernstein was told early that morning that he was to conduct<br />
the concert. He had not rehearsed but stood before the orchestra and<br />
conducted the concert that was heard coast to coast on the CBS Radio<br />
Network. A star was born and Leonard Bernstein was well on his way.<br />
In 1958, after he guest conducted major orchestras around<br />
the world, he was appointed music director of the New York<br />
Philharmonic, a post he held until 1969. After that he was seen and<br />
heard around the world conducting and teaching, making recordings<br />
and videos and, when he could make time, composing. In truth<br />
he most solemnly desired to be remembered as a composer. Consider<br />
his works for the theatre that include Peter Pan (1950), On the Town<br />
(1944), Trouble in Tahiti (1952), West Side Story (1957) and Candide<br />
(1956 rev.1973 rev.1989); also all the ballets, Fancy Free (1944),<br />
Facsimile (1946) and Dybbuk (1974), all of which are included in this<br />
unique edition of the remastered original recordings. His own works<br />
for the concert hall chosen for inclusion are the three symphonies,<br />
Jeremiah (Symphony No.1, 1942), The Age of Anxiety (Symphony<br />
No.2, 1949 rev.1965) and Kaddish (Symphony No.3 1963 rev. 1977).<br />
Prelude, Fugue and Riffs (commissioned by Woody Herman in 1949)<br />
is here with Benny Goodman. Torontonians heard this work with<br />
thewholenote.com <strong>December</strong> <strong>2017</strong> / <strong>January</strong> <strong>2018</strong> | 91
DON HUNTSTEIN<br />
Leonard Bernstein at the dressing room, Lincoln Center, February 1970<br />
Bernstein conducting the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra in Roy<br />
Thomson Hall in the late 1980s.<br />
Mahler figured prominently in Bernstein’s programs, recording<br />
all the symphonies except the Eighth with the Philharmonic during<br />
his tenure there. His Mahler was something to hear and see, as his<br />
demeanour suggested an enraptured identification with the composer.<br />
Mahler’s symphonies Two, Three, Six and Nine are here together with<br />
Kindertotenlieder and excerpts from Rückert Lieder both with Jennie<br />
Tourel, and Des Knaben Wunderhorn and Lieder eines fahrenden<br />
Gesellen with Christa Ludwig, Walter Berry and Dietrich Fischer-<br />
Dieskau. In this unique collection are the works of 70 composers<br />
from A to Z in compositions ranging from marches, incidental music,<br />
ballets, encore-type pieces, chamber music, concertos, symphonies,<br />
operas, ballet music, lieder, film music, overtures, etc. Assisting<br />
artists include Isaac Stern, Lucas Foss, Adele Addison, Glenn Gould,<br />
Eileen Farrell, Andre Watts, Charles Bressler, Felicia Montealegre,<br />
Benny Goodman, Zino Francescatti, Regina Resnik, Erich Kunz,<br />
Yehudi Menuhin, Julius Baker, Judith Raskin, Judith Blegen, Robert<br />
Casadesus, Barbara Cook and others. Also heard are the Juilliard<br />
String Quartet, the Westminster Choir, the Vienna Philharmonic<br />
Orchestra, the Vienna State Opera Chorus and the Camerata<br />
Singers, among others.<br />
In summary: this edition is a collection of some significant<br />
recordings from 1945 to c.1976 issued by Columbia/Sony,<br />
either recently or newly remastered for the occasion. The opulent<br />
boxed set of 100 CDs in original covers includes a lavishly illustrated,<br />
196-page hardcover book of presentation quality outlining<br />
the often complex remastering of the process. Compared to the<br />
previous releases of all the recordings that I have sampled these<br />
new incarnations are a revelation. For instance, I was disappointed<br />
in the perfunctory performance on the original release of Liszt’s<br />
Faust Symphony, also with the version on The Royal Edition.<br />
However, in this new presentation the sound is immediate and<br />
dynamic, revealing playing that is most certainly alert.<br />
I wonder, out of the many hundreds of Bernstein performances of<br />
so many different works in the Sony archives, how particular recordings<br />
were chosen. It certainly wasn’t the choice of someone or other<br />
with little or no knowledge, nor was it a computer’s choice based on<br />
sales. For example, the performance of The Age of Anxiety decided<br />
upon is the original mono version recorded on February 27, 1950<br />
with soloist Lucas Foss, a recording that required a lot of time and<br />
dedication to restore the less-than-mint original elements. How<br />
much easier it would have been to utilize the 1965 performance with<br />
Philippe Entremont. Regardless, it is the earlier performance that we<br />
hear on this well-chosen collection. Well-chosen indeed; there are<br />
works one would never think of including, but there is not one that I<br />
would remove.<br />
There are complete details of every disc at arkivmusic.com and an<br />
interesting YouTube video about the project, titled Leonard Bernstein<br />
– The Art of Remastering.<br />
H A N N A F O R D S T R E E T S I L V E R B A N D P R E S E N T S<br />
Christmas Cheer<br />
Tuesday, <strong>December</strong> 12th, <strong>2017</strong><br />
7:30 PM<br />
Metropolitan United Church<br />
Ben Heppner,<br />
Host and Tenor Soloist<br />
Elmer Iseler Singers<br />
Lydia Adams, Artistic Director<br />
Tickets available online at www.hssb.ca By Phone: 416.366.77<strong>23</strong> or 1.800.708.6754<br />
92 | <strong>December</strong> <strong>2017</strong> / <strong>January</strong> <strong>2018</strong> thewholenote.com
TORONTO<br />
CHILDREN’S<br />
CHORUS<br />
The Fire Within<br />
Featuring opera stars Krisztina Szabó<br />
and Lesia Mackowycz<br />
SAT DEC 16 ◆ 2 PM<br />
Made possible by the generous support of Edwards Charitable Foundation<br />
21 ST ANNUAL FREE NOON HOUR<br />
CHOIR & ORGAN CONCERTS<br />
ELMER ISELER<br />
SINGERS<br />
Season of Joy<br />
Lydia Adams, conductor<br />
Shawn Grenke, organ<br />
TUE DEC 19 ◆ 12 PM<br />
THE BARRA<br />
MACNEILS<br />
An East Coast Christmas<br />
THU DEC 21 ◆ 8 PM<br />
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KOERNER HALL IS:<br />
“<br />
A beautiful space for music “<br />
THE GLOBE AND MAIL<br />
Francine Kay<br />
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2PM<br />
MAZZOLENI CONCERT HALL<br />
Free tickets can be reserved<br />
starting Monday, November 27.<br />
New York-based Canadian pianist<br />
Francine Kay plays “with such<br />
richness of sonority, [and] such<br />
refinement.” (Repertoire, France)<br />
She will perform Janácek’s Piano<br />
Sonata, Schumann’s Fantasiestücke,<br />
op.12, Chopin’s Barcarolle, op. 60,<br />
and Debussy’s Ondine and<br />
L’isle joyeuse.<br />
Generously supported by<br />
Dorothy Cohen Shoichet<br />
Janine Jansen, Martin Fröst,<br />
Torleif Thedéen, and Lucas Debargue<br />
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 5, 8PM / PRE-CONCERT TALK 7PM<br />
KOERNER HALL Tickets start at $30<br />
Violinist Janine Jansen, clarinetist Martin Fröst, Swedish cellist Torleif Thedéen,<br />
and French pianist Lucas Debargue will perform Béla Bartók: Contrasts, Karol<br />
Szymanowski: Myths, op. 30 and Olivier Messiaen: Quartet for the End of Time.<br />
Generously supported by David G. Broadhurst.<br />
Presented in association with Alliance Francaise de Toronto<br />
Taylor Academy Orchestra<br />
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 6, 7:30PM / MAZZOLENI CONCERT HALL<br />
Free tickets can be reserved starting Wednesday, November 29.<br />
Hear artists on the cusp of major careers. Solo and chamber works are<br />
performed by artists enrolled in the one-year Rebanks Family Fellowship and<br />
International Performance Residency Program at The Glenn Gould School.<br />
Generously supported by the Rebanks Family<br />
Khatia Buniatishvili<br />
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 10, <strong>2017</strong> 3PM<br />
PRE-CONCERT TALK 2PM<br />
MAZZOLENI CONCERT HALL<br />
Tickets start at only $35<br />
Recognized by London’s Evening<br />
Standard<br />
for her “jaw-dropping<br />
virtuoso technique,” The Financial<br />
Times of London has described her<br />
Liszt as “magisterial.” In this solo<br />
piano recital she will perform<br />
three works by Liszt alongside<br />
Mussorgsky’s Pictures at<br />
an Exhibition.<br />
The Glenn Gould<br />
School New Music<br />
Ensemble<br />
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 14, 7:30PM<br />
TEMERTY THEATRE<br />
Free tickets can be reserved starting<br />
Wednesday, <strong>December</strong> 6.<br />
The Glenn Gould School New Music<br />
Ensemble performs a program of<br />
cutting-edge contemporary music<br />
curated by Brian Current.<br />
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Taylor Academy<br />
Showcase Concert<br />
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 16, 7:30PM<br />
MAZZOLENI CONCERT HALL<br />
Free tickets can be reserved starting<br />
Friday, <strong>December</strong> 8.<br />
String students from The Phil and<br />
Eli Taylor Performance Academy<br />
for Young Artists come together as<br />
the Academy Chamber Orchestra<br />
to perform this special concert.
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GIUSEPPE VERDI JAN 20 – FEB <strong>23</strong>, <strong>2018</strong><br />
PRODUCTION ORIGINALLY MADE POSSIBLE IN PART BY<br />
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GAIL & BOB FARQUHARSON<br />
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Ekaterina Sadovnikova and Quinn Kelsey (COC, 2011), photo: Michael Cooper
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