Volume 25 Issue 4 - December 2019 / January 2020

December can be daunting, full of parties, planning, shopping, and
decorating, so make some time for yourself and take in a concert amid
the seasonal hustle and bustle. I encourage you to explore the vibrant
musical offerings that are on display this December and January,
whether hearing Schütz’s take on a classic biblical story, discovering
the unknown masterworks of Corelli and Rossi, or any of the other
listings in this double issue of The WholeNote.
Happy Christmas, Hanu kkah, Kwanzaa, Festivus and New Year –
see you in February! Until then, keep in touch at
earlymusic@thewholenote.com.
EARLY MUSIC QUICK PICKS
!!
DEC 9, 7:30PM: University of St. Michael’s College. Palestrina’s Missa Gabriel
Archangelus. St. Basil’s Church, University of St. Michael’s College, 50 St. Joseph St.
Not only did he save polyphonic church music from the clutches of a Vatican ban, but
Palestrina also wrote some of the
most stunning and beautiful choral
music in the history of the genre. This
less-known work celebrating the
Archangel Gabriel is sure to please
the ears of all who favour the sound of
Renaissance polyphony.
!!
JAN 24, 7:30PM: University of
Toronto Faculty of Music. “Early
Music Concerts: Music in the Castle
of Heaven.” Trinity College Chapel, 6
Hoskin Ave. This stunning concert will
not only feature cantatas by Johann
Sebastian Bach, the Master himself,
but also the extraordinary Bach
singers Charles Daniels and Peter
Harvey. Led by Daniel Taylor in the
scenic and acoustically sublime Trinity
College Chapel, this performance will
surely be a reason to forge out into a
cold winter’s night.
!!
JAN 25, 8PM: Tafelmusik. “More
Bach Motets.” Trinity-St. Paul’s Centre,
Charles Daniels
427 Bloor St. West. One of Canada’s
finest interpreters of Bach’s choral works, Ivars Taurins and the Tafelmusik Chamber
Choir present a selection of Bach’s motets interwoven with movements from his
suites for solo cello, played by Keiran Campbell. Much like the concert above, this
performance is well worth braving the elements for, as there is perhaps no other
music on earth that warms the soul as thoroughly as Bach’s.
Matthew Whitfield is a Toronto-based harpsichordist and organist.
Beat by Beat | Choral Scene
Handel’s Messiah
and the Glee
Effect
MENAKA SWAMINATHAN
Along with gift exchanges and eggnog giggles with loved ones,
listening to Handel’s Messiah has become a Christmas staple
for me. Especially in recent years, I repeatedly listen to this
masterpiece of a work, my interest for it never wavering. Even after
singing it several times and watching a number of performances, I
have yet to tire of the soaring harmonies and elegant solos.
Grand River Philharmonic: This year, I’m looking forward to Messiah
as performed, in an annual tradition going back decades, by the Grand
Philharmonic Choir in Kitchener. With orchestral accompaniment
by the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony, the concert will be conducted
by Mark Vuorinen and will feature soloists, soprano Mireille Asselin,
mezzo-soprano Maude Brunet, tenor Asitha Tennekoon and baritone
Samuel Chan. Choosing to see this particular version is part of my quest
to broaden my knowledge of the choirs around me, and attend concerts
outside of the Greater Toronto Area. Their Messiah will be held at the
Centre in the Square in Kitchener, Ontario on December 7. Ever the one
to want to introduce the Messiah to new ears, I have gifted a ticket to a
friend of mine who (aside from knowing the “Hallelujah” chorus) has
never listened to the work in its entirety.
Whether like me you make Messiah attendance a Christmas staple,
or feel that listening to it once was fantastic but also enough, you
may be tempted to rethink things, based on the range of Messiah
performances among the Christmas concert listings provided by The
WholeNote this season. Especially if you are willing to open yourself
up to different interpretations of this beloved work, Messiah is kept
alive, and constantly renewed, by composers and directors making it
their own.
Wayne Gilpin Singers: Snap along if you will, as the Wayne Gilpin
Singers hold an annual Christmas concert where they deliver a jazzy
rendition of the work at the Evangelist Anglican Church in Kitchener
‘TIS WINTER NOW
Tuesday, December 17, 2019 @ 7:30pm
Grace Church on-the-Hill
300 Lonsdale Road, Toronto, ON M4V 1X4
Indulge in the sweet nostalgia of the season! Enjoy a
memorable evening of festive carols and tales, narrated by
Stratford and Shaw Festival’s Benedict Campbell.
Robert Cooper, Artistic Director
Elise Naccarato, Apprentice Conductor
Christopher Dawes, Accompanist
Tickets $20-$45. For information call 416-530-4428
or visit OrpheusChoirToronto.com
VERN & ELFRIEDA
HEINRICHS
SANDRA
PARSONS
ROBERT
SHERRIN
PETER
SIDGWICK
32 | December 2019 – January 2020 thewholenote.com