Volume 30 Issue 1 | September 2024

VOLUME 30 NO 1 / SEPTEMBER 2024
Turning points en route
PRICELESS
Vol 26 No 1
VOLUME 29 NO 6
JUNE, JULY & AUGUST 2024
THE
BEAT
GOES
ON
MUSIC! LISTINGS
live and livestreamed
STORIES
profiles, previews
and interviews
RECORD REVIEWS
and Listening Room
THE GREEN PAGES
20th Annual Summer
Music Guide
9 TH Annual TIFF Tips
MUSIC THEATRE Loose Tea on the boil
Once COVID’s in the rearview mirror …
Jazz Studies: the struggle for equity
ON THE FLY
18th annual choral
Canary Pages
SEPTEMBER 2020
Concerts, live & livestreamed
Listening Room & record reviews
Stories & interviews
Gregory Oh
2601_Sept20_Cover.indd 1
2020-08-25 1:07 PM
2906_Summer24_cover.indd 1
2024-05-27 3:09 PM

“The British
goddess of the
gut-stringed
violin” — The Times
Directed by Rachel Podger
MOZART
JUPITER
2024/25 SEASON OPENER
Be among the first to welcome Tafelmusik’s
new Principal Guest Director, violinist Rachel
Podger, in our all-Mozart season opener.
Experience the brilliance of Mozart, with
entractes from Thamos, King of Egypt, the
charming Violin Concerto no. 2 in D Major, and
the revolutionary Symphony no. 41, “Jupiter.”
September 27–29, 2024
Koerner Hall, TELUS Centre
tafelmusik.org/mozart

An agency of the Government of Ontario
Un organisme du gouvernement de l’Ontario
FEAST
FOR THE
SENSES:
Lalande & Rameau
Directed by Amandine Beyer
Savour the multi-layered subtleties of French
baroque music with Amandine Beyer. Her highly
anticipated return features Lalande’s Symphonie
pour le souper du roi, Muffat’s musical bouquets,
chamber music by Élisabeth Jacquet de la Guerre,
and a vibrant suite of dances by Rameau, evoking
the elegance and grandeur of Versailles and Paris.
October 18–20, 2024
Jeanne Lamon Hall, Trinity-St. Paul’s Centre
tafelmusik.org/feast
Images by Betty Shin Binon / Rachel Podger by Broadway Studios / Amandine Beyer by Óscar Vázquez
“majestic,
gossamer,
hypnotic”
— Le Monde

2601_Sept20_Cover.indd 1
3001_Sept24_cover final.indd 1
9 TH Annual TIFF Tips
MUSIC THEATRE Loose Tea on the boil
Once COVID’s in the rearview mirror …
Jazz Studies: the struggle for equity
ON THE FLY
18th annual choral
Canary Pages
SEPTEMBER 2020
Concerts, live & livestreamed
Listening Room & record reviews
Stories & interviews
PRICELESS
Vol 26 No 1
2020-08-25 1:07 PM
VOLUME 29 NO 6
JUNE, JULY & AUGUST 2024
MUSIC! LISTINGS
live and livestreamed
STORIES
profiles, previews
and interviews
RECORD REVIEWS
and Listening Room
2906_Summer24_cover.indd 1
THE GREEN PAGES
20th Annual Summer
Music Guide
Gregory Oh
2024-05-27 3:09 PM
2024-08-22 11:11 AM
The WholeNote
VOLUME 30 NO 1
SEPTEMBER 2024
EDITORIAL
Publisher/Editor in Chief | David Perlman
publisher@thewholenote.com
editorial@thewholenote.com
Recordings Editor | David Olds
discoveries@thewholenote.com
Listings Editor | John Sharpe
listings@thewholenote.com
SOCIAL MEDIA
Danial Jazaeri, Colin Story
social@thewholenote.com
SALES, MARKETING & MEMBERSHIP
Advertising & Memberships
Ori Dagan & Kevin Harris
advertising@thewholenote.com
members@thewholenote.com
Production & Operations | Jack Buell
jack@thewholenote.com
Advertising Art
adart@thewholenote.com
WEBSITE / SYSTEMS
Kevin King
systems@thewholenote.com
CIRCULATION
Sheila McCoy
circulation@thewholenote.com
SUBSCRIPTIONS
subscriptions@thewholenote.com
$48 + HST (6 issues)
single copies and back issues $8
*international - additional postage applies
WholeNote Media Inc.
Centre for Social Innovation
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Toronto ON M5S 2R4
Phone 416-323-2232 | Fax 416-603-4791
Instagram: @the_wholenote
Facebook & X: @theWholenote
thewholenote.com
ON OUR COVER
THE
BEAT
GOES
ON
Turning points en route
VOLUME 30 NO 1 / SEPTEMBER 2024
6 FOR OPENERS | Turning points
en route | DAVID PERLMAN
STORIES & INTERVIEWS
8 EARLY MUSIC | Tafelmusik
Welcomes Rachel Podger |
LARRY BECKWITH
11 CHORAL SCENE | Community
through song: Elaine Choi’s
journey | ANGUS M AC CAULL
Volume 30 No 1 | September 2024
The first turning point in The WholeNote’s 29-year-plus
journey en route to whatever the next turning point is
going to be, was when a column called Classical Heaven
on $100 a month, in a scrappy downtown west
neighbourhood newspaper, The Kensington Market DRUM,
outgrew its host by the sheer volume of information it was
attracting. For the survival of both the newspaper and the
column, we decided to spin it off as a separate publication
in September 1995. We called it Pulse. …
See page 6
14 FROM UP HERE | Artists on
board with VIA’s
announcement |
SOPHIA PERLMAN
18 MAINLY CLUBS, MOSTLY JAZZ |
Playing for real | COLIN STORY
17
Circulation Statement - June 3, 2024
7000 printed & distributed
Canadian Publication Product
Sales Agreement 1263846
ISSN 14888-8785 WHOLENOTE
Publications Mail Agreement #40026682
WholeNote Media Inc. accepts no responsibility or
liability for claims made for any product or service
reported on or advertised in this issue.
COPYRIGHT © 2024 WHOLENOTE MEDIA INC
WN
WHOLENOTE
MEDIA INC.
4 | September 2024 thewholenote.com

STORIES & INTERVIEWS
20 MUSIC THEATRE | Sizzling
summer musicals flourish |
JENNNIFER PARR
22 OPERA SPOTLIGHT | COC
opera light and Dvořák rare |
DAVID PERLMAN
24 CLASSICAL & BEYOND |
Familiar music
recontextualized |
WENDALYN BARTLEY
28 25 TH ANNUAL BLUE PAGES
“Early Bird” index
LISTINGS
30 EVENTS BY DATE
Live and/or online
34 MAINLY CLUBS
35 UNDATED EVENTS &
ETCETERAS
DISCOVERIES:
RECORDINGS REVIEWED
36 Editor’s Corner | DAVID OLDS
38 Strings Attached |
TERRY ROBBINS
40 Vocal
42 Classical and Beyond
44 Modern and Contemporary
48 Jazz and Improvised Music
52 Pot Pourri
53 Something in the Air |
KEN WAXMAN
54 What we’re listening to
this month
Alain Trudel and the Orchestre
symphonique de Laval present a
new album with work by Kodály,
Prévost and Bartók as well as the
beautiful Symphonie gaspésienne
by Claude Champagne.
The pianist Élisabeth Pion, named
Radio-Canada’s Revelation 2024-
2025, joins Arion Baroque Orchestra
to explore works by Montgeroult
and Mozart.
20
Cameron Crozman and Les Violons
du Roy present Joseph Haydn’s Cello
Concertos and Jacques Hétu’s Rondo
for Cello and String Orchestra, Op. 9.
ALL ALBUMS ARE AVAILABLE,
DISCOVER THEM NOW
VISIT OUR
WEBSITE
thewholenote.com September 2024 | 5

The WholeNote
VOLUME 30 NO 1
SEPTEMBER 2024
IN THIS EDITION
STORIES AND INTERVIEWS
Wendalyn Bartley, Larry Beckwith,
Angus MacCaull, Jennifer Parr, David Perlman,
Sophia Perlman, Colin Story
CD Reviewers
Stephanie Conn, Sam Dickenson, Raul da Gama,
Janos Gardonyi, Richard Haskell, Fraser Jackson,
Tiina Kiik, Kati Kiilaspea, Lesley Mitchell-Clarke,
David Olds, Ted Parkinson, Cathy Riches,
Terry Robbins, Michael Schulman Andrew Scott,
Melissa Scott, Andrew Timar, Yoshi Maclear Wall,
Ken Waxman, Matthew Whitfield
Proofreading
David Olds, Ted Parkinson, John Sharpe
Listings Team
John Sharpe, Gary Heard, Sophia Perlman,
Colin Story
Design Team
Kevin King, Susan Sinclair
Circulation Team
Dave Bell, John Bentley, Jack Buell, Peter Chisholm,
Jane Dalziel, Bruno Difilippo, Carl Finkle,
Vito Gallucci, James Harris, Bob Jerome,
Marianela Lopez, Miguel Brito-Lopez,
Chris Malcolm, Sheila McCoy, Lorna Nevison,
Janet O’Brien, Kathryn Sabo, Tom Sepp,
Angie Todesco, Mark Zayachkowski
DEADLINES
Weekly Online Listings Updates
6pm every Tuesday for weekend posting
for Volume 30 No. 2, OCTOBER & NOVEMBER 2024
Print listings deadline:
6pm Tuesday, September 17, 2024
Print advertising, reservation deadline:
6pm Friday September 13, 2024
Web advertising can be booked at any time
PUBLICATION DATES
OUR 30th ANNIVERSARY SEASON
includes six print editions:
September 2024 (Aug 27);
October & November (Oct 1);
December & January 2025 (Nov 26);
February & March (Jan 28);
April & May (Apr 1);
Summer (June 3)
Printed in Canada
Couto Printing & Publishing Services
an Ontario government agency
un organisme du gouvernement de l’Ontario
The magazine formerly
known as PULSE
FOR OPENERS
April 2020 The month
that would have been
Turning points
en route
The first turning point in The WholeNote’s 29-year-plus journey was
when a column originally called Classical Heaven on $100 a month,
in a scrappy neighbourhood newspaper called The Kensington
Market DRUM, outgrew its host, So we took the plunge and spun it off as a
separate publication in September 1995. We called it Pulse.
“We” were Allan Pulker, who had come up with the idea of the Classical column in
the DRUM in the first place. I had helped start the Kensington Market DRUM eight years
earlier and was its editor. Allan, a classical flute player himself, knew his way around
the classical music community. I had been in the DRUM editorial trenches since it was
founded, so I had a bit of an idea about mistakes to avoid.
The way “Classical Heaven” worked in the DRUM, Allan would gather together all
the relevant listings he could lay hands on, for events within a “reasonable distance” of
Kensington Market. (I think we defined “reasonable” as a ten-minute bike ride.) All those
listings would get published and he would then make his “picks” (within the $100 budget)
and write about why he had chosen them. Even within our “ten minute bike-ride” radius
we were getting way too many listings for the amount of space the DRUM could afford.
We modelled Pulse physically on the first issue of the DRUM, eight years earlier – a
forward-fold four-page newsprint tabloid, for the print nerds among you. We also adopted
the DRUM’s distribution model – controlled circulation (i.e. free to the reader), with
no more than 20 copies to any distribution point. And we agreed that we would never
T'KARONTO
Beyond the shadow ...
live music ahead!
For thousands of years before European settlement, T’karonto (The Meeting Place)
was part of the traditional territory of many Nations, including the Mississaugas
of the Credit River, the Anishinaabe, the Chippewa, the Haudenosaunee, and the
Wendat peoples, and remains their home to this day, as it now is for many diverse First
Nations, Inuit and Metis peoples.
This Meeting Place lies within the territory governed by the Sewatokwa’tshera’t (Dish
with One Spoon) treaty between the Anishinaabe, Mississaugas and Haudenosaunee
– a Treaty which bound them to share the territory and protect the land. Subsequent
Indigenous Nations and Peoples, and all newcomers are invited into this treaty in the
spirit of peace, friendship, respect and reconciliation. We are grateful to live and work
here, helping spread the word about the healing power of music in this place.
6 | September 2024 thewholenote.com

charge musicians and concert presenters to be in the listings because
spreading the word about their work was the whole reason for the
magazine to exist.
Our first print bill (4,000 copies) was $150, and we more than
covered it on ad sales!
Turning point number two was the kind of sideways thing you
think is a disaster, but thank your stars for later on. It was early 1997
and Pulse was sailing along quite nicely. Circulation was up to 12,000
copies and the magazine (still black and white but no longer tabloid)
was up to 24 pages. Then the letter from the big law firm: Tower
Records, a big US chain had just arrived in town and was flexing its
muscles. “Pulse” we were informed by Big Law, was Tower Records’
trademark for their inhouse music magazine. We were forthwith to
cease and desist.
First instinct was to fight. Good publicity, big US bully picking on
the little guy, and all that. A very wise lawyer friend explained: “if
you have a trademark you have to defend it or lose it. Just tell them
you need time to change the name and they will be only too happy
to oblige.”
So we did, with our TMFKAP cover getting a bunch of smiles while
we asked readers to help find a new name. Why “WholeNote”? Some
obvious reasons, content-wise. But one reason that really helped
cement the change. The name, WholeNote, is very hard to hear the
first time round. “HomeNotes?” So you get to repeat it, and even spell
it. And then people get it. And don’t forget it.
Next defining moment, I’d have to say, came in the summer of 2001,
when we launched DISCoveries. “CD Reviews with a difference” the
tagline said. Remember CDs? 11,183 reviews later, despite being told
that CDs, like print, are dead, we are still receiving around 160 every
print cycle, by mail no less, for consideration for review. Remember
mail? And the artists reviewed don’t ask for links to online reviews,
even though we are online. They want pdfs to show that the review
was in print. Go figure.
More to the point, our DISCoveries section brought dozens of new
writers, and dear friends, into play for us – and a tranche of readers
as passionate about recorded music as our most fervent concertgoing
readers are about the editorial coverage we give to the live
events we list.
April 2020 needs no explanation as to why it was a turning
point. Maybe just an explanation as to why we decided to keep
going through those terrible two and a half years, when live listings
dried up entirely, and we went through one false start after another,
conjuring phantom turning points as we went. “We’re all in the same
boat together” was a favourite rallying cry back then, remember?
More often than not from people whose livelihoods were relatively
unimpaired. “More like ‘we’re all in the same storm’” one arts worker
colleague dourly said.
And so here we are at another turning point. Entering our 30th
year of operations, with hopes as high as in the euphoric early years
when we shipped our classical music listings out of the DRUM to set
sail on their own, creating and publishing information that over the
years has helped float a lot of artistic boats – craft of all sizes. And
here’s the funny thing. Right now, The WholeNote is in the position
the DRUM was in 29 years ago.
The world of music we need to continue to document, as a
community good, is far more diverse and extensive than can be
accommodated within the confines of the space The WholeNote
can afford.
STRINGS
Quartetto di Cremona
Thursday, October 24, 2024
Miró Quartet
Thursday, November 14, 2024
Gryphon Trio with Lara St. John, violin;
Aviva Chernick, vocalist
Thursday, December 5, 2024
JACK Quartet
Thursday, January 30, 2025
Isidore Quartet
Thursday, March 27, 2025
PIANO
www.music-toronto.com
NAE FUND
Roman Borys,
Artistic & Executive Director
CREATING COMMUNITY THROUGH
CHAMBER MUSIC
2024-25 SEASON
Marc-André Hamelin
Tuesday, November 19, 2024 (new date)
Rachel Fenlon soprano & piano
Tuesday, February 11, 2025
Illia Ovcharenko
Tuesday, March 4, 2025
Janina Fialkowska
Tuesday, March 18, 2025
WHAT MAKES
IT GREAT? ®
Rob Kapilow explores the Beethoven
A Major Sonata with Cheng 2 Duo
Sunday, November 10, 2024
Rob Kapilow explores the Beethoven
Archduke Trio with Gryphon Trio
Sunday, April 13, 2025
Strings and Piano series concerts take place at
Jane Mallett Theatre, 7:30 pm ( NEW Start time!)
What Makes It Great? ® series concerts take place at
George Weston Recital Hall, 3:00 pm
Subscriptions available at :
Riki Turofsky and
Charles Petersen
SAVE UP TO
30%
So, here we are, just about ready to take the plunge!
David Perlman can be reached at publisher@thewholenote.com
thewholenote.com September 2024 | 7

EARLY MUSIC
THE MORE IT
CHANGES …
TAFELMUSIK
WELCOMES
RACHEL PODGER
LARRY BECKWITH
DAHLIA KATZ
Rachel Podger and Tafelmusik Artistic Co-Directors (L-R)
Dominic Teresi, Rachel Podger, Brandon Chui and Cristina Zacharias
It has always been fascinating to observe the processes
that Tafelmusik engages in to keep up with the times,
while remaining consistent to the principles that
have marked the organization since its inception: highly
successful concert series with innovative programming;
decades of international touring; award-winning recordings;
annual education programs, a deep commitment to
historically-informed performance practice and scholarship;
and inspired and inspiring leadership.
The opening weekend of their 46th season of concerts in Toronto,
September 27-29, marks the start of yet another chapter in the life of
an organization whose legacy is already legendary. It features an all-
Mozart program, led by their new Principal Guest Director, violinist
Rachel Podger, who accepted the position in early 2023 at the invitation
of Tafelmusik’s Artistic Co-Directors violist Brandon Chui,
bassoonist Dominic Teresi and violinist Cristina Zacharias.
Passing the torch: From 1981-2014, Tafelmusik’s Music Director was
the remarkable violinist Jeanne Lamon, who oversaw programming
and project development and effectively and collaboratively led the
orchestra on stage. After Lamon’s retirement (and untimely death in
2021) and a period of transition, Italian violinist Elisa Citterio became
Tafelmusik’s Music Director for an all-too-short time, complicated by
the COVID-19 pandemic and other insurmountable challenges. The
current Co-Directorship of Chui, Teresi and Zacharias began in 2022,
as the organization emerged from the pandemic years – a positive new
approach which is already yielding great results, both in terms of a
focus on exciting music-making and in terms of organizational health.
In response to a series of written questions from me, the Artistic
Co-Directors pooled ideas and wrote back collectively. My very first
question had to do with how a collaborative model of programming
was working out, given the organization’s decades of strong individual
leadership.
“As a conductorless orchestra, led by a playing leader, we’ve always
operated collaboratively,” they pointed out. “Our current artistic
leadership model is a natural outgrowth of that. Since 2022, our model
has allowed us to work creatively with the leading artists of our day,
without imposing more responsibility on them, [because] the Artistic
Co-Directors are responsible for overall season planning, developing
seasons that are well-balanced, exciting and nourishing. And that
includes work with a wide variety of extraordinary artists. We consult
with Choir Director Ivars Taurins on choral programs, work closely
with each guest director, and now have Rachel [Podger] in the mix as
well. We invited her to join us in a Principal Guest Director role to be
able to work with her multiple times in a season. The sheer vitality
and energy she brings to the stage is palpable.”
Enter Rachel Podger: I can attest to Podger’s vitality and energy:
a few minutes after meeting her for the first time, last May, I felt I’d
known her for years. We got together for a cup of tea on a beautiful
spring afternoon in midtown Toronto. She had blown into town to
meet the Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra and Chamber Choir staff and
donors prior to taking up the Principal Guest Director position at the
start of the 24/25 season. She is clearly as excited about the collaboration
as Chui, Teresi and Zacharias are.
The relationship with the Tafelmusik musicians seems to have
fallen into place almost immediately. “I was here last year,” Podger
recalls. “February of 2023; they’d asked me to put a program together.
We did a couple of Haydn symphonies and a Mozart concerto. And
I remember, we started off rehearsing the Haydn Symphony, and it
was a little bit like playing in a string quartet, but just extended. And I
8 | September 2024 thewholenote.com

was trying to work out what was going on. Why is this so easy? It was
really amazing.”
Her respect for the entire ensemble is tangible. “I don’t know how
else to describe it. It’s an understanding with all of them. They’ve been
in the leader’s position. They know what it takes. They know what
you’re having to do. They know the vision that you need and they play
with you. It’s quite extraordinary and supportive and I fell in love with
it right away.”
A MIRACLE
Challenges of collective leadership: Chui, Teresi and Zacharias
talked about the ensemble’s supportiveness in much the same way
when I inquired about the challenges of leading the organization
while also playing in the ensemble. Doesn’t it split your focus? I asked.
“It’s more of a benefit than a challenge,” was the response. “We’re
very connected to our colleagues in the ensemble and that helps us to
always keep the music first and foremost in our artistic decisions.” With
the core orchestra composed of highly skilled and specialized players,
the ensemble can bring extraordinary music to life in uniquely compelling
ways, “and this is why we all fell in love with period performance in
the first place – to be able to create at this level.”
Podger’s path: Podger’s love for the violin and her path to historical
performance at the highest level seems also to have come quite naturally.
“I had a musical family and an early love of singing,” she says.
“My father was a choral scholar at King’s College (Cambridge) as
a boy and my mother was a wonderful singer and my brother sings
as well. He’s a tenor, based in Vienna. And there were lots of instruments,
too. We all played recorder, string instruments, flute, piano. So
there was lots of chamber music and singing and I think that’s a really
wonderful way to start.”
Her interest in early music came naturally, as well. She was part
of a choir in Germany, “singing quite a bit of Bach” and the director
was interested in performance practice and passed that interest on to
his choristers. “He would teach us to sing in a certain way that highlighted
the harmonies, in which he allowed us to lean into the dissonances,
encouraging us to think vertically rather than just sing our line,
you know?”
Podger’s most recent performing encounter with Tafel in
February 2023 showcased her abilities as violinist and director in
equal part, with Mozart’s Violin Concerto in B-flat K.208 and Rondo
in C for violin & orchestra sharing the spotlight with two Haydn
symphonies – No.43 in E-flat (“Mercury”), and No.49 in f (“La
Passione”). By contrast, this September’s concert, as mentioned
earlier, is an all-Mozart affair, with his Violin Concerto No.2 in D K211
sandwiched between Entr’actes from Thamos, King of Egypt (the
only time he ever wrote incidental music for a stage play) and his
Symphony No.41 in C “Jupiter”.
Tafelmusik patrons won’t have
to wait long for their Haydn fix
though, Chiu, Teresi and Zacharias
advise: “Keep an eye out for our first
CD release since pre pandemic! In
October, we are proud to release
Haydn Symphony 43 “Mercury”
and Symphony 49 “La Passione”
with Rachel Podger.” They are
the same two symphonies Toronto
audiences were treated to in
February 2023, but don’t expect
Haydn Symphonies 43 & 49:
identical performances. Flexibility
Mercury & La Passione is
and spontaneity have always been Tafelmusik’s inaugural recording
an important ingredient and aspiration
of Tafelmusik’s music-making,
release on October 11, 2024.
with Rachel Podger slated for
and Podger’s philosophy is the same.
“Every night it’s going to be slightly different”, she says. “You’re
going to have a different timing or a different sound or you have
different ideas. It’s a constantly changing thing and it also really
depends on the audience. You know, it’s a unique thing: you’re
performing with that collection of people. Maybe a few times, but only
ever once with that constellation. Of those people in the audience.”
ACIS AND GALATEA
G.F. HANDEL
Oct 24–27, 2024 | Elgin Theatre
Full of sensuality, vivacity and humour,
Handel’s Acis and Galatea is one of the
composer’s most beloved operas.
DAVID AND JONATHAN
M.A. CHARPENTIER
Apr 9–13, 2025 | Koerner Hall
THE OPERA EVENT OF THE YEAR!
Charpentier’s greatest masterpiece,
never before staged in Canada.
SUBSCRIPTIONS ON SALE NOW!
operaatelier.com
thewholenote.com September 2024 | 9

EARLY MUSIC QUICK PICKS
Podger and Tafelmusik during the 2023 “La Passione”
concerts- a portion of which were captured live for Tafelmusik’s
upcoming Haydn Symphonies 43 & 49 recording.
2024/5 and beyond: Audiences in Toronto can look forward to
Podger leading Tafelmusik three times in this first season of her, so far,
two-year principal directorship. Beyond that, the artistic triumvirate
of Chui, Teresi and Zacharias are brimming with enthusiasm for what
else Tafel has in store this season: “A Korean tour with Rachel; collaborating
with the exquisite French violinist Amandine Beyer; superstar
soprano Samuel Mariño; and the incredible Italian oboist Alfredo
Bernardini, all orchestra and audience favourites.” The list goes on.
And how far does the planning go beyond the current season, I
ask. Any teasers? “Well into the future,” is the reply. “We already
have several wonderful guests in place for 2025-26 – we can tease for
you that the fabulous violinist Lina Tur Bonet will return then! We
also look forward to the choir’s 45th anniversary in 2026-27 and the
orchestra’s 50th anniversary in 2028-29. Exciting dreams.”
Podger is looking forward to being part of those dreams. She first
came to Toronto as a guest director for a program with Tafelmusik
about 13 years ago and says: “What struck me was that it was just very,
very alive. They were so incredibly responsive, up for anything…very
easy. It felt like I’d already played with them.”
This last point brings me back to my own initial feeling about
Podger in meeting her; like I’d known her all my life. She seems so
genuinely delighted and surprised at how naturally relationships
develop, seemingly unaware of how her own special personality
contributes to this reality.
She continues to enjoy the life of the traveling musician, performing
and teaching in equal measure. She lives in Wales and teaches at the
Royal Welsh College there, as well as the Royal College of Music in
London and Juilliard in New York. She has recorded close to three
dozen discs with Channel Classics and is a regular soloist and guest
director with many organizations “though I’ll be doing a little less of
that, with this new situation with Tafelmusik”.
So, what are you most looking forward to in this new situation, I
ask, as we conclude. She has no hesitation and laughs delightedly. “I
think just really, deep, beautiful musical experiences, collaborations
on the stage, risk-taking, moving the audience and changing people’s
lives!”
As we say good-bye, warmly, I have the strong feeling of having met a
new friend, and a happy intuition that this is going to be a great new
chapter in the evolving life of Tafelmusik.
Larry Beckwith is a familiar figure on the Toronto musical scene,
contributing where he can as a conductor, singer, violinist, educator,
writer and impresario. He is in his seventh season as the Artistic
Producer of Confluence Concerts. Previously he was the Artistic
Director of Toronto Masque Theatre (2003-2018) and co-Artistic
Director of Arbor Oak Trio (1988-2002). He sang in the Tafelmusik
Chamber Choir’s tenor section from 1989-1996 and 2002-2010.
DAHLIA KATZ
Daniel Adam Malz
Sep 17 7:00: Campbell House Museum. Daniel Adam Maltz,
Fortepiano. “Have piano will travel” sounds implausible if one
thinks of hauling around a 1,000 pound, 88-key typical concert
grand. Not so if the instrument is a 200-pound 61-key 1792
Viennese fortepiano, like the one Vienna-based Daniel Adam Malz
will play at Campbell House Museum Sept 17, part-way through a
70-concert North American tour. It’s a chance to hear the instrument
Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven composed for, played by a
master of the instrument in an intimate venue. “The fortepiano’s
touch is ten times lighter than the modern piano,” Malz explains,
“which opens up more expressive capabilities. 2,000-person
concert halls didn’t exist back in the 18th century.” 160 Queen
St. W. www.universe.com/events/daniel-adam-maltz-fortepianoconcert-tickets-RMB4GH.
$30.
Sep 20 5:15: Kingston Baroque Consort. French Brocade.
Music by Lully, Charpentier, Rameau, and Marais. Now in their
fourth year, the Consort promises “an exquisite blend of timeless
Baroque masterpieces and innovative interpretations that
celebrate the rich heritage of this unique genre.” This first of four
concerts this season takes place at St. James Anglican Church
(Kingston), 10 Union St. W., as will their January 17 and March 28
concerts, featuring Vivaldi, and Bach and Handel respectively. The
second concert in the series, October 21, moves from St. James
to the beautiful acoustic of Kingston’s Isabel Bader Theatre,
and promises to be more rambunctious, featuring a retelling of
the 1685 comic broadside ballad The Dragon of Wantley, which
recounts the slaying of said dragon by a kick to its “arse-gut”
delivered by the intrepid knight, Moore of Moore Hall. Single
concert tickets (Adults $25, Students $10, Under 17 free) are available
by emailing/calling legerek@queensu.ca, 613-217-5099, or in
person at Novel Idea, 156 Princess St.
Sep 21 7:30: North Wind Concerts. Acquiescent: The French
Baroque in China. Works by Rameau and Blavet. Louise Hung,
harpsichord & direction; Jin Cho, traverso; Margaret Jordan-Gay,
cello, Matt Antal, viola. Founded in 2018, and anchored by
veterans of of the Toronto early and baroque music scene, North
Wind Concerts “celebrates and encourages the enjoyment of
chamber music of many kinds, with a soft focus on music
for wind instruments,” presenting performances and educational
events including concerts of early, Classical and contemporary
chamber music and a series, Encircling the World, which
“brings together musicians of different backgrounds who play
similar instruments for an afternoon or evening of musical
discovery, performance, Q&A with the audience, and improvisation.”
Heliconian Hall, 35 Hazelton Ave. 416-588-4301 or www.
bemusednetwork.com/events/detail/1022. Pay-What-You-Can.
10 | September 2024 thewholenote.com

CHORAL SCENE
Community
through song:
Elaine Choi’s
choral journey
ANGUS M AC CAULL
Babεl Chorus- founded in 2018 by Elaine Choi - performing Cultural
Landscapes at the PODIUM National choral conference, Montreal 2024,
singing in Arabic, Seriac, Japanese, Cantonese, Mandarin and Malaysian.
One day in the golden late ’80s in Hong Kong, almost
past the reaches of Elaine Choi’s memory, she
balanced on her mother’s piano bench. She was
about three years old. Her mother helped one of her
small fingers find middle C. The note resonated through
the black upright Yamaha, as it did for the many piano
students who filled Choi’s childhood home. Choi’s own
lessons with her mother turned out to be the beginning
of an impressive international music career bridging East
and West. But not as a performance soloist. Instead, Choi
found success in one of music’s most collaborative genres
– as a conductor for choral music.
“I’ve always known that I love to play collaboratively,” Choi says.
“What I love about choral music is really the community sense.”
Her first fully formed childhood musical memory is singing in a group.
As a kindergartener at about five years old, she sang Christmas carols in a
mall in Hong Kong. Later, in high school, her favourite school event was
the yearly carolling program at a local hotel. In her early years, Choi also
enjoyed making music with others as a pianist. She played duets with her
mother and many of her mother’s students, then later with her younger
sister. She wanted to join the school choir but was recruited instead to
accompany them. In order to join other music groups, she kept learning
new instruments. Violin to play in a string orchestra. Erhu to play in a
Chinese orchestra. Then, after her mother and father brought their family
to Canada in the early 2000s, Choi learned clarinet just so she could play
in the school band at St. Aloysius Gonzaga in Mississauga.
U of T: Choi entered the University of Toronto’s music program in
2004, already intending to teach music. Despite her technical proficiency
from a young age, she never wanted to be a solo artist. To her,
making music always meant finding joy and friendship. She wanted
to become a music educator to share these things with others. Three
years into her degree, she took up yet another instrument to play in
yet another ensemble: bassoon for the U. of T. Wind Symphony. But
that year she also took a class in choral conducting, and that was a
turning point. “When I found choral conducting, which really cannot
survive without collaborative music making, I realized I found the
vocation that I care so much and so deeply about,” Choi says.
Prior to attending university, the picture that came to mind for
Choi when she pictured the word “conductor” was an old, authoritative,
white man – in effect someone who felt like a solo artist. At U. of
T. it was female choral conductors from the previous generation who
became key role models for Choi. Her first choral conducting class was
group-taught by sessional instructors including Lydia Adams, Zimfira
Poloz and Doreen Rao, who became mentors, showing Choi how
to stand at the podium for the purpose of bringing people together;
showing her how conducting for singers was a way to create both
beautiful music and community.
Adams modelled respect for everyone in a choir, listening closely
to all singers’ feedback. Poloz modelled a commitment to life-long
thewholenote.com September 2024 | 11

Elaine Choi (centre) receiving the Ontario Arts Council’s 2023 Leslie Bell
Prize for Choral Conducting . At left are her parents, David and May;
at right, her husband, Noel.
learning, always showing up to choral events with a notebook. And Rao
modelled creative courage, believing in people’s ability to do hard things.
Post-grad: In the years that followed university, Choi put these principles
into practice. She began conducting many choirs throughout
Toronto, including one she conducts to this day, as the Director of
Music at Timothy Eaton Memorial Church. Her passion became
showing people how choral music is an accessible art form most
people can take up as a hobby even if they haven’t had a lot of
training: building lifelong skills in connecting with others, and something
you can always come back to, at any age. “I breathe and think
about and dream about choral music really because of the community
and the joy of socializing,” Choi says.
Then, in 2014, Choi took on a Doctor of Musical Arts in Choral
Conducting at U. of T., in the process gaining a new mentor, Hilary
Apfelstadt, who also had a collaborative mindset.
Apfelstadt brought doctoral conducting students together in a studio
setting. She taught Choi and the cohort that they cannot live in the
world alone, and they cannot thrive in a music career as individualists.
Indeed, as conductors, they would always be collaborating with a
group. Apfelstadt demonstrated that everyone needs a support system
around them and you shouldn’t be afraid to lean on your colleagues
and your friends. Some of Choi’s closest friends now are fellow choral
conductors she met in Apfelstadt’s studio.
Lifetime benefit: The benefits of any life with rich relationships
are well documented. So too are the specific benefits of a life spent
singing with others. Choi likes to cite a survey by Choral Canada from
2017. The survey found that more people sing together in Canada than
play hockey. Alongside the survey, Choral Canada reviewed scientific
evidence for the ways singing together contributes to our lives,
grouping the evidence into categories.
Singing has physical benefits: it improves heart health, boosts the
immune system and relieves pain. Singing has educational benefits: it
develops language, sharpens focus and obviously teaches musicianship.
Singing even has psychological benefits: it improves memory,
helps brain function and lowers stress.
Choral Canada’s scientific review included one more category,
which is Choi’s favourite. Singing together also has social and
emotional benefits: it builds identity, fosters connectedness and
increases cooperation. “Group music-making has always been something
that helped me find my identity,” Choi says.
In 2018, as she was completing her DMA, Choi founded a new musical
group with her international identity in mind. Toronto-based Babεl is
an innovative choir that focuses on Eastern repertoire. Its mission is to
create cultural understanding through choral music. Through Babεl and
other freelance jobs, Choi began working to familiarize Canadian singers
and audiences with songs from Asia, expanding their language skills and
appreciation beyond Latin or German to Arabic or Mandarin, along the
way gaining a reputation as a groundbreaking choral conductor.
Pax: In 2021, Choi learned that Pax Christi Chorale was seeking a
new conductor. She had known about Pax for many years, ever since
she was mentored in the 2000s by its longest-serving conductor,
Stephanie Martin. Choi felt she had to apply. After a rigorous process
that showed her just how serious the Board was, Choi was appointed
interim conductor. But it was the middle of the pandemic, and Pax
was not performing live. Morale in the choir, as it was for so many at
that time, was low. Choi rallied the choristers, practising with masks
and social distancing.
On April 9, 2022, Choi stood on the podium before Pax at the
George Weston Recital Hall in the Meridian Arts Centre. She took
a breath to calm her nerves. The opening arpeggios of the Toronto
premiere of Considering Matthew Shepard floated through the room.
It was Pax’s first live performance in over two years (just months
earlier, a wave of the pandemic had forced them to cancel a concert
of Christmas choral gems). The piece was not an easy one for a
community choir with multiple generations to tackle: an hour-anda-half
long social justice oratorio composed by Craig Hella Johnson
about a young gay man murdered because of his sexuality. But when
the final opening arpeggio in the piece faded, Choi lifted her arms and
voices filled the air together.
At that concert, Pax announced Choi’s appointment as their Artistic
Director. The next year, Choi received the Leslie Bell Prize for Choral
Conducting. The biennial prize recognizes excellence in an emerging
Ontario conductor with an award of $10,000. Choi joined mentors
Poloz (06) and Martin (98) as recipients of this prestigious award.
Next: Choi is excited for the next phase of her career and all the
various ways she’s able to foster people’s love of singing together. She’s
grateful that she gets to work with children or adults who have never
sung before, as well as the large groups of high-calibre amateurs and
professionals who make up choirs like Pax. In the upcoming season,
she will be a guest conductor in Beijing and Poland, in addition to her
many on-going commitments in Toronto.
Pax takes the stage next on October 5, 2024 at the P.C. Ho Theatre in
the Chinese Cultural Centre of Greater Toronto. They will be joined by
Cathedral Bluffs Symphony Orchestra and Voices Chamber Choir for a
community celebration marking the 200th anniversary of Beethoven’s
Ninth Symphony, Ode to Joy – a fitting example of fostered connection
within the music community.
Angus MacCaull is a Toronto-based journalist and poet published
in Maclean’s, CV2 and forthcoming for The Walrus. He is currently
at work on a memoir about coming to terms with tinnitus as a
promising young clarinetist.
About the Leslie Bell Prize
The $10,000 Leslie Bell Prize celebrates and supports emerging
professional choral conductors in Ontario. It was established in 1973
by friends of the late choir conductor Leslie Bell and the Leslie Bell
Singers, who were at one point arguably the most popular choir
in Canada with programs on the CBC. Their repertoire was usually
unaccompanied. It ranged from Renaissance polyphony to pop
music, often arranged by Bell.
The Prize is awarded every two years and is administered by the
Ontario Arts Council. The jury that chose Elaine Choi as the 2023
laureate noted that her “commitment to intercultural repertoire and
commissioning of new composers is groundbreaking.”
The Prize was interrupted by the pandemic. The three winners
preceding Elaine Choi were Charlene Pauls (18), Mark Vuorinen
(16), and Rachel Rensink-Hoff (14). Pauls is currently Artistic
Director of the Guelph Chamber Choir, Associate Artistic Director
of the Oakville Choir for Children and Youth, and Music Director of
Anglican Church of the Incarnation in Oakville. Vuorinen is currently
Associate Professor and Chair of Music at Conrad Grebel University
College at University of Waterloo, as well as Artistic Director of The
Elora Singers. Rensink-Hoff is currently Associate Professor and
Department Chair of Music at the Brock University Marilyn I. Walker
School of Fine & Performing Arts, as well as Artistic Director of the
Avanti Chamber Singers.
12 | September 2024 thewholenote.com

CHORAL ROUNDUP (see daily listings for details)
FACEBOOK
Manitou Mkwa Singers, (Spirit Bear
Singers) are from the Mississaugas
of the Credit: a mother, six daughters
and a son, pictured here as 2022
Juno award nominees for their album
Manitou Mkwa Singers Volume 2. It
was the first year that an award was
made for Traditional Indigenous Artist
of the Year. A family hand drum group
that sings pow-wow and round dance
songs, their music is meant to uplift
the spirits of people and bring good
positive energy to those in need.
Singing together as a
community art
Not chronologically the first
concert of choral interest this
issue, Singing for Truth and
Reconciliation, October 1, is
nonetheless a good place to
start this roundup of early
seasonal choral activity, not
because the Manitou Mkwa
Family Singers are the headliner
but because their presence
grounds the event in
the most fundamental of
all collective musical acts –
singing together.
Powerful Indigenous voices
will gather at Koerner Hall
October 1, to honour our
National Day of Truth and
Reconciliation, none more
powerful than internationally
celebrated, Nunavut-born
Inuk throat singer, songwriter,
novelist, actor, and visual
artist Tanya Tagaq. Hosted by self-described “pissed-off Mohawk
playwright” and CBC host Falen Johnson, this avant garde and classical
concert also brings to the stage two-spirit activist, advocate,
artist and opera performer Emma Pennell who is Mi’kmaq from
Ktaqmkuk (Newfoundland), along with Manitou Mkwa Family Singers,
from the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation. David Eliakis on piano
and Jennifer Tung conducting the Royal Conservatory Orchestra
round out the evening’s participants. Oct 01 8:00: Commemorate
the National Day of Truth and Reconciliation. Royal Conservatory of
Music, Koerner Hall.
Choral Recollectiv
Memory Fundraiser
In its present form,
Recollectiv offers a
free music session for
people with memory
challenges at 2pm each
Saturday afternoon, via
Zoom. But it didn’t start
out that way.
As the story goes, in
the summer of 2017,
the initiative’s founder, singer Ilana Waldston heard a radio show about
The 5th Dementia, a California-based band for musicians with cognitive
deficits and their companions, and decided to spearhead a similar
ensemble in Toronto. Recollectiv – which combines “recollect” and
“collective” – debuted in March 2018, but not on Zoom, rather live,
at the barrier-free Tranzac Club in Toronto’s
Annex neighbourhood, “giving Recollectiv’s
musicians with brain injuries and their care
partners a regular hour-long sanctuary from
stress” as writer Vivian Fellegi described it in a
November 2018 WholeNote story easily accessible
on the Recollectiv website.
As was the case with just about all collective
live musical activity the pandemic put paid
Ilana Waldston
A Bouquet of Voices!
Elmer Iseler Singers 46th Toronto Concert Season
Lydia Adams, C.M., Conductor and Artistic Director
Fall Mysticism Nov 8, 2024
premiere by Peter-Anthony Togni,
special guests The Elora Singers
December Splendour Dec 13, 2024
Handel’s Messiah, special guests
VIVA Chamber Singers & Amadeus Choir
Springburst Mar 22, 2025
premiere by Norbert Palej,
special guests the MacMillan Singers
Elmer
Iseler
Singers
416-217-0537 elmeriselersingers.com
thewholenote.com September 2024 | 13

CHORAL ROUNDUP continued
FROM UP HERE
to those monthly Saturday Tranzac afternoons, but from the
ashes of that initiative, the weekly Saturday ZOOM gatherings
were born, free to all participants, thanks to the generosity of
volunteers and donors, and capable of reaching a much wider
audience.
Saturday Sep 15 1:30-3:30pm, Recollectiv goes back to its
roots with A Little Help from Our Friends: a Recollectiv Benefit
at the Tranzac Club, 292 Brunswick Ave, hosted by Sharon
Hampson (formerly of Sharon, Lois & Bram) and featuring
singer Heather Bambrick with Peter Hill on piano and Jordan
O’Connor on bass. Come out in person to help raise money for
this active group.
Choir!Choir!Choir!
Epic Anthems
If somehow you haven’t
yet heard about the
Choir!Choir!Choir! phenomenon,
head over to Youtube
to check it out. And then
join Choir!Choir!Choir! for
Hallelujah: An Epic Anthem
Sing-Along at one of their
three stops in Ontario this
September: Sep 21, 2 and 8pm
at the National Arts Centre in
Ottawa; Sep 26, 8pm at the
Burlington Performing Arts
Centre; and, Sep 27, 8pm
at Centre in the Square in
Kitchener.
The Wholenote May 2019 cover
featuring Choir!Choir!Choir!
Singing with Shapes: An ethnomusicologist friend recommended
I try this unique opportunity to sing in the city. At the
Toronto Shape Note Singers, you don’t have to be able to read
music in the conventional way, instead relying on a simple
legend of shapes. Everyone is welcome. Music is from the Sacred
Harp tunebook and the focus is on participation—not performance.
I hope to make it out this fall.
Sep 18 7:30: Friends House, 60 Lowther Ave. 647-838-8764.
Pay what you can. Also Oct 16, Nov 20 & Dec 18.
Compiled by Angus MacCaull
Toronto Shape Note Singers
ARTISTS ON BOARD!
VIA’S GOOD-NEWS
ANNOUNCEMENT
SOPHIA PERLMAN
The Canadian, for the uninitiated, is the train that travels twice
weekly from Vancouver to Toronto. While it’s largely marketed
as a “cross country” experience, its route also acts as an essential
inter-community link for people who live north of the Trans-
Canada highway.
I was boarding for one of these shorter trips (only an hour, freight
trains notwithstanding) when my service manager let me know the
good news: After much uncertainty, VIA Rail has re-started its Artist
on Board program, which allows musicians in solo or duo acoustic
formats to travel in exchange for musical performances on board (and
at some acoustically beautiful train stations during longer rest stops).
Orit Shimoni sings “Winnipeg” aboard Via Rail Train “The Canadian”
ORIT SHIMONI
14 | September 2024 thewholenote.com

Braden Phelan and Liv Cazzola
TRAGEDY ANN
Life is a train
I immediately reached out to singer, songwriter and musician
Orit Shimoni who is more intimately familiar with the Artist on
Board program than anyone else I know. She generously shared her
thoughts – many of them even more fully expressed online in her
essay Life is A Train.
“Unlike the majority of musicians who have a home-base somewhere
and head out on tour, being on the road was a full-time existence
for me for over a decade of my life,” she writes. “I had no home
base. I was an ACTUAL hobo, (by choice) – nomadic, and transient in
my way of living, and I was living that way entirely for the purposes of
sharing my observations about life and this world through song.
… The first time I performed on The Canadian, (for which one needs
strong legs and a strong voice), it hit me in monumental levels that I
was singing a train song on a moving train. I teared up and as I talked
about it with the group of passengers who had gathered, everyone else
teared up too. We were living a musical tradition in the here and now.”
On one such trip, in 2020, she found herself in the Winnipeg train
VIARAIL.CA
station for longer than usual: “I had sat at that very station at least
50 times during the station break on my way across Canada, but it
was the first time I was getting off there for a whole week, to play my
shows in town. It just happened to be the week that the entire world
suddenly closed down and the lock-downs were declared. When they
said “Shelter at home,” I was beside myself, because I didn’t have one.
The train and the road had been my home. Taken in by strangersturned-friends,
distraught, shocked and scared, I went out to smoke a
cigarette in the middle of the night, and I heard a freight train whistle.
It brought me to my knees. I AM THAT TRAIN SONG, I thought to
myself – the kind of train song where the singer is in prison and hears
the train go by but can’t get on.”
Nearly five years later, VIA announced the program was coming
back. Shimoni was in Holland on tour at the time. “You could have
probably heard my whoops and hollers all the way to the moon. I
don’t think I’ve ever felt a jolt of joy like that. I sat down immediately
to record an impromptu album of train song covers! Next thing you
know, I was Via Rail’s first performer back.”
Win-Win
Not only do the creative relationships between music and the railroad
run deep, the news is much-needed good news for independent
musicians looking to tour Canada in smaller formats or to create
collaborations with their peers.
24
25
THE ISABEL AT 10!
SCAN ME!
queensu.ca/theisabel
Box Office 613-533-2424
Mon-Fri 12:30-4:30PM
thewholenote.com September 2024 | 15

WADE MUIR
Jennarie, a Toronto-based
pop artist who traveled with
her friend and collaborator
Hannah Barstow observes:
“Traveling and touring as a
musician can be expensive
and inaccessible for most.
VIA’s reinstatement of the
Artists on Board program
offers struggling musicians a
chance to travel to Vancouver
or Halifax for free while
performing their original
music for hundreds of travelers.
While the grant system
Jennarie in Canada is fantastic, the
touring division can be highly
competitive. Having VIA as a travel option for performances across
the country is a great opportunity, and I believe it will significantly
benefit our community.”
Regular contributor and advisor to this column, and past Artist on
Board, Liv Cazzola calls the news a win-win. “[It makes] touring to the
far reaches of this wide land more feasible, and making the experience
on board so much more exciting for passengers. It also helps facilitate
Slow Touring goals (sustainability, accessibility and deep relationships
between: our bodies, planet, and communities) Taking the train
across Canada not only literally slows it down, it is also more ecologically
viable, promotes these values to our fanbase, makes it more cost
effective to connect with rural communities, and is far less taxing on
our bodies than driving long distances.”
.
Slow Touring
Cazzola and her touring partner Braden Phelan are currently part
of a Slow Touring pilot project through Ontario Presents, which is
bringing together presenters, agents and artists who are interested in
integrating this into their practice. “It’s particularly important in the
face of the climate crisis, and as we confront the lack of infrastructural
support for young families on the road. (i.e. childcare, time between
activities etc),” Cazzola says.
It was precisely these reasons that Toronto-based singer and musician
Maryem Tollar and her partner Ernie were drawn to the program
for a trip from Montreal to Halifax on The Canadian’s east coast sisterroute
The Ocean.
“Train travel is THE BEST” Tollar says. “I prefer it over flying any
day because of the environmental factors, my fear of flying, meeting
people, and I love sleeping on a train. It’s also an awesome way to
see the landscapes of our country. Being the musicians on the train
gave us even more ways to connect with other passengers – entertaining
them on the train to help them pass the time, and entertaining
ourselves because we, of course, love making music – as well
as performing at the train station in Halifax on our way home. We
brought our kids with us and as soon as we stepped on the train, our
youngest asked if we could live on the train, and set about exploring
all of the cars. And I thought the food was amazing.”
Our Bodies, Our Instruments.
My own experience as an Artist on Board echoes all this. My first
trip was with my creative partner Terra Hazelton in 2014. A generously
donated car waited for us just south of Edmonton, which was
going to take us on a seven-week, entirely self-funded tour of Alberta
and BC. Us and all of our musical instruments. Even if we could have
afforded the airplane tickets (which we couldn’t), or the extra baggage
fees (which we couldn’t), we were both worried about the physical
and mental wear and tear of flying – as people and as singers, and our
capacity to physically complete the tour.
And if we were worried about the instruments that, as singers, we
carried in our bodies, we were even more so about the ones we were
putting in cases, given the general track record of airlines in terms of
handling instruments with care. When you are self-funding the tour,
you can’t afford to lose an instrument. VIA acknowledges that if you
are playing music on the train, then your instruments are your tools
not your baggage. The instruments in cases remained in our possession
the entire time, and (with a bit of creativity) safely stowed in our
cabin, and our “bodily instruments” got to sleep lying down, eat good
food, get off social media and just engage with the people and places
we were encountering – which is why we had booked a tour in the
first place.
16 | September 2024 thewholenote.com

Musical “Families”
Along with meeting passengers, VIA, and their service crew was
my first introduction to the extended family that is the “railroad
community”. It was striking to me on that first trip, that our crew not
only respected our instruments, but treated them with the same kind
of care that they would treat a living passenger - or, perhaps, the way
a musician would take care of their own? Talking to the crew, I discovered
that a lot of them are musicians themselves. Now that I live in a
community where the majority of people work for CN or VIA I have
realized it is more than a theory: there are an awful lot of musicians
working on and alongside the trains, in all kinds of capacities!
I asked a couple of community Facebook groups for reasons that
this might be, and the responses all seemed to agree that it was true –
and the range of theories as to why were fascinating. Some very practical
– long periods of work followed by long periods of rest; living in
smaller more isolated places; the kinds of close-knit community that
form; and the better probability, when you live on a rail line, that a
musician would come through town to play live.
Some theories were downright poetic. Marjorie Miconi’s father was
an engineer and she “learned to walk on trains.” She mused that “the
rhythm of the rails is in our blood, bound to bring out our hidden
talent.” Despite the often rough-and-tumble mythology of the railroad
and the solitary characters riding it, it seems that trains, like music,
very often run in families.
Maryem and Ernie Tollar, performing on the eastbound train to Halifax.
SHERLEY KENNY
Last word goes to Orit. I haven’t seen her in close to a decade and it
was only through writing this column that I found out that she’s the
scheduled Artist on Board for my next train ride, in a couple of weeks.
I’m going all the way to the end of the line this time, so I”m looking
forward to time connecting with her and her music, face to face.
As she says, “there is no better way to connect stories, songs,
and human beings, than when they are all sharing a literal journey
together, and especially through the medium of song. The train ride
is just that, and as far as I’m concerned, it’s a metaphor for everything
else.”
Sophia Perlman grew up bouncing around the jazz, opera,
theatre and community arts scene in Toronto, joined the creative
exodus to Hamilton in 2014, and is now centered in Hornepayne,
Ontario, where she eagerly awaits the arrival of her regular
WholeNote in order to armchair-travel and inform her Internet
video consumption.
2024 GALA
CONCERT
Monday October 28 – 7:30 pm
Maison symphonique de Montréal / Livestreamed globally on Medici TV
Orchestre symphonique de Montréal Chorus
Musicians of the OSM
Andrew Megill, Chorusmaster
Featuring Premieres by AMP Laureates
Josef Bardanashvili, Yair Klartag,
Jordan Nobles and Juan Trigos
azrielifoundation.org/gala
thewholenote.com September 2024 | 17

MAINLY CLUBS, MOSTLY JAZZ
PLAYING
FOR REAL
COLIN STORY
SOUNDCLOUD
When I was first contemplating applying to the
University of Toronto’s Jazz Studies program,
there were many factors that made the prospect
appealing: the downtown location, the stellar faculty, the
impressive (and at times intimidating) skill level of the
student body. Nothing, however, quite captured the allure
of the program as much as the promise of the weekly
small-ensemble performances at The Rex.
In (probably) every postsecondary performance program, classical,
jazz or otherwise, small and large ensembles are set up as courses,
with weekly rehearsals, a faculty leader, and graded performances. At
U of T, these performances happen both on campus and at The Rex.
The experience of playing in an actual jazz club – especially, for
someone who grew up in a west-coast suburb – was thrilling and validating.
It is also a wonderful community experience for students, the
performances functioning as regular de facto social events, at which you
can listen to your peers, have a drink, and feel part of something real.
For audience members – including, invariably, friends and family of
the performers – it’s an opportunity to hear new musicians and interesting
original music, and to support the next generation of musical
performers. (From experience, it can also be somewhat anxiety-inducing:
there’s nothing quite so destabilizing as being mid-song and
suddenly wondering what grade you might get.) www.therex.ca
Jon Maharaj
U of T small ensemble
performances happen at The
Rex on Monday nights, from
5:30pm to 7:30pm, starting
in September and running
throughout the school year.
To mark their return, I had a
chance to chat with the JUNOaward-winning
bassist Jon
Maharaj, U of T faculty member
and ensemble coach.
CS: What has the experience
of leading a small ensemble
been like for you?
JM: At U of T there has been
a shortage of bass players, so not only have I gotten to lead ensembles
but thus far I have been leading from the bass chair. By being in
the thick of it with students I get a greater sense of not only how they
sound out front, but what it feels like to play with them. This allows
me to get a clearer sense of how they function in a band setting, and
it also gives me the opportunity to lead more by example than by
comments. I have a very high standard for all my students, and this
past year my U of T ensemble really rose to the occasion in a way that I
had not previously seen.
The Jazz Room, at the Huether Hotel - 59 King St. N, in uptown Waterloo.
How did your own experiences playing in ensembles in undergrad
affect your approach to leading ensembles as a faculty member?
One thing I experienced as a student from some ensemble leaders that
I didn’t want to perpetuate was the approach of bringing in a chart with
no aural reference and having the students bash through it, whether they
actually liked the music or not. The longer I play and teach the more I
realize that there are many non-genre specific truths to music (time, tone,
phrasing) that, as a student who could already play somewhat convincingly
over chord changes at a young age, I glazed over. I would rather
spend two hours (or months) working through a very “basic” tune with
students (in various keys, feels and tempos) until they can really start to
hear their way through it, rather than presenting them with something
that poses more of an intellectual challenge based on theoretical concepts
that may not have many applications outside of the specific piece.
In your observations, how are off-campus performances different
from on-campus performances?
In my experience public performance outside of the school is
incredibly valuable for all students. In music school we can often find
ourselves in a bubble that is not necessarily representative of reality. I
think it’s crucial to play in places outside of the institution, for people
who are not music students or professors.
How do you think that the educational experience of ensembles
could be made better?
I think the educational aspects of ensemble could be improved upon
by emphasizing a more aural approach to learning music. That could
mean insisting on no charts on stage, or just learning all the music by
ear in the first place. While I admit there is a learning curve with doing
things this way and it involves a lot of patience on the front end, it is my
experience that having a strong aural foundation will serve musicians
on any gig they find themselves on in the future regardless of genre.
Outside of Toronto, other performance series are also making a return
this September. The Jazz Room in Waterloo opens its 14th season this year
with a number of excellent shows, starting with tenor saxophonist Dave
Wiffen on September 6, appearing with trumpeter Paul Mitchell, guitarist
Dave Thompson, bassist Matt Lima, and drummer Jimmy Boudreau.
The night after, on September 7, the Nimmons Tribute takes the stage.
The band, as the name suggests, performs the music of late Canadian
jazz musician Phil Nimmons, led by Nimmons’ grandson, pianist Sean
Nimmons-Paterson, joined by trumpeter Kevin Turcotte, alto saxophonist
Tara Davidson, tenor saxophonists Mike Murley and Alex Dean, trombonist
Will Carn, drummer Ethan Ardelli, and bassist Jon Marahaj.
Later in the month, on September 13, the Ostara Project – co-led by
Vancouver-based bassist Jodi Proznick and Vancouver-expat pianist
18 | September 2024 thewholenote.com

JAZZ PLUS, QUICK PICKS
Cécile McLorin Salvant
NOV
30
Meridian Arts Centre
George Weston Recital Hall
North York
Buy tickets now at tolive.com
Lead partners
The Ostara Project’s Jodi Proznick and Amanda Tosoff
Amanda Tosoff – plays the Jazz Room, with a fantastic band that
includes Proznick, Tosoff, trumpeter Rachel Therrien, alto saxophonist
Allison Au, vocalist Kim Zombik, and drummer Valérie Lacombe.
www.kwjazzroom.com
Personal note: Though I am far removed from my undergraduate
days, I am also playing at The Rex this month. On September 1 and
2, I’ll be there at 8:30pm with my own project, featuring keyboardist
Ewen Farncombe, bassist Kurt Nielsen and drummer Jon Catanus,
playing my original compositions. Come down, enjoy some tunes and
welcome the start of September with us. Just, please, don’t try to give
us a grade.
Colin Story is a jazz guitarist, writer and teacher based in
Toronto. He can be reached at www.colinstory.com, and on
Instagram and X (formerly Twitter).
Supported by
THE OSTARA PROJECT
“Mainly, mostly”
Frequenters of this niche know that though jazz and clubs are
primary focuses, “mainly” and “mostly” are the modifiers we use to
hedge our bets. First two events here are a case in point.
Now in its tenth year, the Toronto Undergraduate Jazz Festival
(TUJF) takes place outdoors at Mel Lastman Square in North York,
over the Labour Day holiday weekend, commencing 6pm, Friday
August 30, and wrapping up Monday September 2 at 8pm. Between
those times, TUJF will offer up 24 shows, spread over two stages: two
on Friday, eight each on Saturday and Sunday, and six on Monday.
There are a few headliners, but if, scrolling their informative
website you run into more names you don’t know than you do, well,
that’s the point. The festival is now under the auspices of nonprofit
Emerging Artists Association (EAA) whose mission is to be “a platform
for dreamers,” creating opportunities for equity-deserving
artists and “facilitating the experience of Jazz in the Now (the jazz
music of today). Check it out at tujazz.com/tujazzfest2024.
Flow Fest
And over in Brampton, on September 21, co-curators, and
consummate musicians, Larnell Lewis and Joy Lapps offer up their
third annual FLOW FEST, Brampton’s International Drumming
Festival, on the Rose Theatre mainstage and throughout its
surrounds: everything from DJs and roaming musical ensembles to
visual art and food. “Be immersed in a percussive party celebrating
culture, music, and drums from around the world as you dance
and play the night away” the Brampton Onstage website says. With
its fusion of jazz, Afro-Caribbean and world beats, it should be,
once again, a night to remember. https://tickets.brampton.ca/
Soft seat beat is our affectionate short-hand name for concertstyle
venues where the music doesn’t compete with the clinks of
china and glass and there are three or four such events this issue
worth noting:
Alliance Française de Toronto, on Spadina Rd, has two of them.
Sep 14 at 8pm The Ostara Project is Kim Zombik, singer; Jodi
Proznick, bass; Amanda Tosoff, piano; Allison Au, saxophone;
Rachel Therrien, trumpet; and Valérie Lacombe, drums (with
complimentary drinks outside the auditorium at 6:30pm to celebrate
the launch of the AFT 2024-2025 cultural season.
And Sep 27 at 8pm it’s the Amir Amiri Ensemble offering Persian
music on oud, percussion, viola, santur and ghaychak.
Over at Heliconian Hall, Sep 25 and 26, Confluence Concerts
offers American Icons: Strayhorn, Ellington, and Williams, curated
by bassist Andrew Downing, with a pre-concert chat at 6:45pm.
A celebration of three jazz greats: Billy Strayhorn, his mentor
Duke Ellington, and his contemporary Mary Lou Williams. And
at Burdock Music Hall, 7pm on Sep 21, The Terry Cade Quartet
offers up original jazz compositions with Terry Cade, vocalist; Tom
Reynolds, piano; George Koller, bass; and Lorne Nehring, drums.
As for the clubs … we’ve done some significant tweaking to our
club directory (see p.34): more than 40 venues, and instagram as
well as website links, so you can be as up-to-date with the info as
the clubs themselves! Check it out.
CHRISTINA DE MELO
thewholenote.com September 2024 | 19

MUSIC THEATRE
Sizzling summer
musicals flourish
through the fall
JENNIFER PARR
Gabriella Sundar Singh as Mary and Tama Martin as Robin in
The Secret Garden (Shaw Festival, 2024).
Three remarkably dissimilar music theatre
productions, all in one place and performed by
one company, have been thrilling audiences
since previews in the spring – at the Shaw Festival in
Niagara-on-the-Lake.
Only one of the three is a traditional Broadway-type show, the
beloved musical adaptation of George Bernard Shaw’s Pygmalion
by Lerner and Loewe, My Fair Lady – a perfect choice for a festival
named after the playwright (more about that later). The other two
shows could not be more different — from My Fair Lady or from
each other – and yet, like MFL, have music at the heart of their
creation and in the way they connect with audiences.
The Secret Garden, at the intimate Royal George Theatre, is clearly
created for children but is equally enchanting for adults. This world
premiere adaptation of Francis Hodgson Burnett’s beloved children’s
novel, by Shaw veterans director Jay Turvey and music director Paul
Sportelli, is full of imagination and whimsy fuelled by a curated
score of folk songs from the period.
The songs are mainly sung for the creation of context, but
sometimes for effective character revelation, as when the old
gardener Ben Weatherstaff is singing alone in the garden when
met by Mary. Mary, as you may remember, is an orphan sent
home from India to live with her uncle Mr Craven in his spooky
old mansion in Yorkshire. Mary is bad-tempered and spoiled, and
in a delightful performance by Gabriella Sundar Singh, completely
identifiable as a real girl, unhappy to be uprooted from everything
she has known, not knowing how to behave or deal with the new
world into which she has been thrust.
Within a tapestry of songs such as Scarborough Fair, Oh
Rowan Tree and Mistress Mary, Quite Contrary, Mary finds
solace in helping the house’s locked secret garden come back to
life, transforming not only the garden into a place of magic but
transforming herself into a much nicer and happier person. She
shares that magic with her invalid cousin Colin with the help of
another boy, Dickon, who introduces them to the animals that
live in the garden; all three grow in friendship and kindness as the
garden begins to flourish.
The staging is full of whimsy and a sense of fun, from the train
and coach at the beginning created by the actors with suitcases and
umbrellas, to the evocation of the mansion through atmospheric
lighting and the clever use of a doorframe on wheels that is moved
around the stage to be stepped through by the characters on their
way from one room to another. In one brilliant sequence Mary’s
traversing of the halls at night is made dramatically exciting by
actors creating the impression of forbidding ancestral portraits lining
the halls through a clever use of picture frames which they inhabit
and move as necessary, changing character as they go – even leaning
out of the frames at one point.
This wonderful use of movement never stops, enhanced by the
animals that appear in the garden (particularly the Robin played
by Tama Martin), and kept the 50 children in the audience with me
when I saw the show thoroughly enchanted.
One Man, Two Guvnors at the larger Festival Theatre depicts
a completely different world. This show is definitely for adults,
although teenagers would probably get a big kick out of it. An
adaptation by British playwright Richard Bean of 18th century
Italian playwright Carol Goldoni’s most famous play, The Servant
of Two Masters, the show transports the audience to early 1960s
England – to the slightly seedy seaside resort of Brighton, seemingly
inhabited mostly by the criminal element.
Where Goldoni featured characters based on the stock figures of
Italian improvisatory commedia dell’arte, Bean features stock British
comedy figures: crooks, molls, a very dim daughter with a dim
fiancé, and, most entertaining of all, an English version of the bestknown
commedia figure, the clever servant Arlequino. In Bean’s
adaptation though, Bean’s harlequin, the servant Francis Henshall,
thinks he is clever but really is not, and gets himself into one scrape
after another as he hires himself out to two different masters at the
same time.
One Man, Two Guvnors made a star of English comedian and
talk show host James Corden. Peter Fernandez, a Shaw regular
who recently made such a splash at Crow’s Theatre in The Master
Plan and Fifteen Dogs here makes the role of Henshall his own. His
energy and phenomenal ability to improvise and work with the
audience had us all in stitches throughout the show.
The other highlight of the production, and the crucial ingredient
in the unbelievably high energy which catapults the audience into
the1960s and happily keeps us there, is the music. Before the show
starts, at the intermission, and at every scene change a “Skiffle
band” plays, fronted by ultra-talented singer, actor and guitarist
Lawrence Libor (who was also a stand out, as Dolokhov, in Crow’s
Theatre’s Natasha Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812 earlier this year).
Skiffle music was hugely popular in the late 1950s. Drawing
on jazz, folk, blues and country music, it was often played on
homemade or improvised instruments., Young musicians all around
Great Britain all seemed to be playing it. Soon-to-be Beatles John
Lennon, Paul McCartney and George Harrison, for instance, played
“skiffle songs” as the Quarrymen. Taking a cue from this bit of
history, frontman Libor looks and sounds like a slightly rougher
20 | September 2024 thewholenote.com

SHAW FESTIVAL PHOTOS BY DAVID COOPER
The cast of One Man, Two Guvnors as the Skiffle Band (Shaw Festival, 2024).
Kristi Frank as Eliza Doolittle andTom Rooney as Henry Higgins in
Lerner and Loewe’s My Fair Lady (Shaw Festival, 2024).
version of McCartney, and one of the other members is costumed
to look like Ringo Starr.
Unlike previous English productions where the band was separate
from the cast, here the cast also plays the band, cleverly disguised to
keep the audience guessing as to who is who. The band plays original
songs written for the show by Grant Olding, with some additional
instrumental transitions written by sound designer Thomas Ryder
Payne in arrangements designed to accommodate the music to
fit the instruments that the cast members could play. The music
enlivens the plot throughout and keeps the atmosphere full of devilmay-care
fun.
My Fair Lady tops many people’s lists of the perfect musical, so it is
intriguing to remember that George Bernard Shaw famously refused
to let anyone turn Pygmalion into a musical during his lifetime, and
it is still his play that is the beating heart of this 1956 hit musical,
making it one of the richest in the repertoire.
Somehow (once the rights were available) Lerner and Loewe found
a way to keep most of the play intact, while opening up the action –
in scenes such as the Ascot races, in Tottenham Court Road, and at
the embassy ball. Throughout, their songs and score enhance and
deepen the play’s content, adding a layer of joy to the more stringent
quality of the original.
To be the best it can be, My Fair Lady needs a director who can
help their actors get the most out of both dialogue and song, to
find all the nuances in both. Here, AD Tim Carroll – directing his
first musical – does exactly that, with the assistance of co-director
Kimberley Rampersad who also choreographs.
The cast are also first rate. Tom Rooney as Henry Higgins brings
his trademark authenticity to the role, rendering the songs more
musically than Rex Harrison did, and finding many of his own specific
moments of meaning and emotion throughout, making us empathize
with him while not shying away at all from Higgins’ less attractive
qualities. As Higgins and Eliza face each other at the end it isn’t clear
whether they are going to embrace or fight — probably a combination
of the two, which feels just right. Kristi Frank makes the role of Eliza
her own as well, not copying anybody, singing the songs with a
gloriously free, full voice and finding every moment of transformation.
The Shaw has always had a music theatre component, but in
recent years it has expanded to the point where there are many more
“triple threat” performers in the company, equally at home singing,
dancing and capturing the period speech and movement of the
19th and early 20th centuries. These three productions are exciting
proof of this.
Allan Louis taking over the role of Henry Higgins on October 17.
www.shawfest.com
Coming Back from Away
Irene Sankoff and David Hein’s runaway international hit Come
From Away is coming back to the Royal Alexandra Theatre under
the Mirvish banner after restarting with a short run at the National
Arts Centre in Ottawa, in which co-creator Irene Sankoff is playing
the role of Bonnie! In the Mirvish Toronto production the role will be
played by Kristen Peace.
The Secret Garden and One Man, Two Guvnors play through
October 13. My Fair Lady plays through December 22 but with
thewholenote.com September 2024 | 21

OPERA SPOTLIGHT
COC Opera
light and
Dvořák rare
The Mars Project comes to the Fall for Dance North festival
L-R Thomas Moon, Travis Knights, Greg ‘Krypto’ Selinger.
This exuberantly Canadian tale of how the population of Gander
Newfoundland took in the thousands of travellers stranded when
their airplanes were forced to land following the 9/11 attacks on
the World Trade Center in New York, captures the heart of almost
everyone who sees the show.
Music, story, performances and brilliant direction combine to
create a world so positive it is hard to leave the theatre when the
performance ends. The run begins on Sept 22 and is at this point
open-ended. www.mirvish.com
Fall for Dance North
September 26 to October 6 will see the tenth anniversary return
of the Fall for Dance Festival bringing individual dancers and
companies from across the country and around the world to share
their best works with Toronto audiences in everything from large
scale presentations in big halls to smaller scale free workshops in
smaller venues around the city. This festival year will also be the last
programmed by founding artistic director Ilter Ibrahimof.
Highlights include the return of the Edmonton Ballet Company
and the premiere of The Mars Project from innovative tap dancer/
choreographer Travis Knights with Lisa LaTouche.
www.ffdnorth.com
Jennifer Parr is a Toronto-based director, dramaturge, fight
director and acting coach, brought up from a young age on a rich
mix of musicals, Shakespeare and new Canadian plays.
DAVID PERLMAN
Musical Flights takes the COC on the road
In a canny move, the Canadian Opera Company takes their
orchestra, music director Johannes Debus and four soloists on the
road for five concerts previewing the COC’s upcoming fall and winter
productions: Nabucco, Faust, Madama Butterfly and Eugene Onegin.
Gripping stuff, but not exactly light summer fare, so the performances
also include a generous sprinkling of Broadway, from shows such as
Oklahoma!, My Fair Lady, West Side Story and The Sound of Music.
As interesting as the idea of the mini-tour, and the music that will
be performed, is taking a look at the soloists who will be performing,
in their own right as musicians, and because collectively they exemplify
the extraordinary impact the COC Ensemble Studio has had since
its founding in 1980 – not only on the lives of individual career-edge
musicians, but on the COC’s own evolution as an ensemble.
Midori Marsh, soprano, took first prize in the COC Ensemble Studio
Competition in 2019, and has remained thoroughly engaged in the
local opera and vocal scene. With the COC she has played Nella in
Gianni Schicchi, Annina in La traviata, Papagena in Magic Flute,
and was in the cast of Ian Cusson’s Fantasma. Beyond the COC in the
wider local operatic and vocal scene, she was in the 2020 recording
and the 2023 cast of Tapestry Opera’s award-winning Rocking Horse
Winner, and has appeared in Soundstreams Electric Messiah, to give
just two examples.She also participates actively in the musical life of
orchestras and choirs, large and small across the region.
One particularly memorable example comes to mind: a concert
Marsh co-curated with flutist Laura Chambers, for Marsh as soloist
SANKOFA:THE
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22 | September 2024 thewholenote.com

Clockwise from top left: Midori Marsh, Charlotte
Siegel, Korin Thomas-Smith, Matthew Cairns
and the newly reconstituted London Symphonia. Titled Under The
Moon repertoire included the Mad Scene in Lucia di Lammermoor
and Song to the Moon from Rusalka, and a range of songs by Stephen
Sondheim. So the “musical flights” required for this particular COC
roadshow should come easy.
Charlotte Siegel, soprano, self-describes herself on instagram as
a “controlled screamer (a.k.a. opera singer)”, got her early start at
Regent Park School of Music and is deeply committed to “paying
things forward” musically, within the community, hand in hand with
her own operatic career – something she addressed in a story in The
WholeNote in February 2022. Third Ensemble Studio prize winner in
2019, she maintains strong COC ties and was a regular throughout the
recently concluded 2023/24 season: Musetta in La Bohème, Donna
Elvira in Don Giovanni, Lead Hen/Innkeeper’s Wife in The Cunning
Little Vixen and Handmaiden 1 in Medea. Up next: Anna in Nabucco.
Tenor Matthew Cairns was the Ensemble Studio first prize winner
in 2018. Last seen at the COC as Macduff in Macbeth in spring 2023,
this year he hits the ground running as Ismaele in the COC’s seasonopening
Nabucco, then returns as the Drum Major in Wozzeck, in
what is described as “a breathtaking new production from renowned
South African multidisciplinary artist William Kentridge …featuring
animations and projections, painting, archival footage, film, and
puppetry.” Oh and, by the way, dense and dazzling music.
Baritone Korin Thomas-Smith rounds out Musical Flights’ versatile
foursome of singers. Born and raised in Toronto, his resume also
reflects work with other core Toronto companies such as Tapestry
Opera, Citadel+Compagnie and Against the Grain Theatre. He joined
the COC Ensemble Studio in 2023/24, then stayed for a second year
in 2024/25. In 2023/24 he appeared memorably as Harašto (The
Poacher) in The Cunning Little Vixen and Malatesta in Don Pasquale.
He returns as Wagner in Faust, Second Apprentice in Wozzeck, and
Captain in Eugene Onegin.
So, heads up! You have five opportunities to hear a gifted musical
foursome take musical flight prior to the start of the mainstage season
(and do some aural homework on what the season’s mainstage shows
have on offer). You also get a glimpse into the underlying philosophy
behind the Ensemble Studio which since 1980 has recognized and
nurtured the solo and ensemble talents of hundreds of operatic artists:
Emily D’Angelo, Gordon Bintner, Ambur Braid, Isabel Bayrakdarian,
John Fanning, Joseph Kaiser and Allyson McHardy, to name just a few.
Drag someone along who thinks they don’t like opera. After all, even
A timeless tale of a pact with the devil,
Charles Gounod’s Faust offers a truly
lavish spectacle in the world premiere
of this brand-new Canadian Opera
Company production!
From October 11 to November 2, 2024,
experience the finest in French grand
opera at Toronto’s Four Seasons
Centre for the Performing Arts.
Enjoy 20% off tickets with
promo-code FOREVERYOUNG
Buy online today at coc.ca/Faust
Offer expires October 11, 2024. Offer excludes
Opera Under 30, Grand Ring, Ring 5 Middle, and
$35 tickets, and is not applicable to previously
made purchases or other mainstage operas.
thewholenote.com September 2024 | 23
Date: Aug 14, 2024
Filename_ Version#
COC240577_SRC_WN_Faust_FNL
Client: COC Don Pasquale Creative: JF

CLASSICAL AND BEYOND
FAMILIAR MUSIC
RECONTEXTUALIZED
WENDALYN BARTLEY
FACEBOOK
John Holland with his new book, The Lost Tradition of Dvorák’s Operas
if you are worried that the mainstage show excerpts might take some
digesting, you can offer them a bunch of Broadway for dessert.
Correction: Following the publication of this article, we learned that
the COC’s community concerts planned for Picton, North York, and
Harbourfront had been cancelled. However, the company’s annual
Centre Stage: Ensemble Studio Competition will proceed as expected
on October 30, with finalists from a nation-wide audition showcasing
their voices at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing
Arts, accompanied by the full COC Orchestra.
Ten years between Jakobins? Worth the wait.
John Holland, bass-baritone, is a professional opera singer and
musicologist in Toronto. He also has a particular driving passion:
founding the Canadian Institute for Czech Music in 2013; and arranging
and performing in the Canadian premiere of Antonín Dvořák’s
little-known opera, Jakobin, in 2014. Since then (among many other
things),he has written and published a book on Dvořák’s operas, The
Lost Tradition of Dvorák’s Operas: Myth, Music, and Nationalism.
Concurrently he produced a Year of Czech Music Opera Festival in
Toronto, consisting of three operas running over the course of 2024.
The remount of Jakobin, ten years after its Canadian premiere, is the
last of the three. Presented by the Canadian Institute of Czech Music
in partnership with William Shookhoff’s Opera By Request, it will be
performed, in concert with a chamber orchestra, on September 13, in ​
Jeanne Lamon Hall, Trinity St. Paul’s Centre.
The Jacobins: The date of the first performance of Jakobin, in Prague
on February 9 1889, perhaps offers a few clues to the nationalistic and
political underpinnings of what is, at face value a sweetly melodious
pastoral comedy, with tangled love interests, a suitably villainous villain
and a happy ending. The Prague premiere was, after all, 100 years after
the immediate course of events leading to the storming of the Bastille
on July 14 1789, the start of the French Revolution. And the Jacobins,
depending on what side one takes, were the ferocious defenders of the
revolution or the bloodthirsty fanatics who undermined it, so much so
that the rise of Napoleon was an inevitable backlash.
The Dvořák opera’s Jakobins are strangers who arrive on the
pastoral scene, fresh from France where the revolution has been
taking place, and xenophobia-fuelled word has spread that the strangers
are Jacobins coming to upset the pastoral applecart. In fact Bohuš
and his wife Julie, to give them their names, are no strangers, … as will
be revealed after many twists and turns.
The cast has nine named characters, a chorus and a children’s choir,
so expect to hear the rafters ring in one of our finer mid-size concert
halls, in this rare opportunity to hear an almost unknown work by the
composer of some of the best-known works of the late 19th century.
David Perlman can be reached at publisher@thewholenote.com
Such is the nature of usually writing about shows
ahead of time that I don’t often enough get to go to
the shows I write about. On August 3, however, I
travelled to Stratford Summer Music to take in Gregory
Oh’s performance of Lessons in Failure. I had interviewed
him back in May for the summer issue of The WholeNote
and was quite taken by his stories of making mistakes
during key moments of his performance career.
Over dinner in one of Stratford’s fine
dining restaurants before the concert, I
found myself telling my companion my
own stories of performance disasters,
not always an easy thing to admit. And
at the end of Oh’s concert/play/performance
I found myself blurting out, again to
my companion, “That was one of the best
concerts I’ve ever been to.”
While rating performances against each
other may very well be part of the perfectionistic
standards that Oh is trying to
Gregory Oh disengage from, on further reflection I realized
that what had moved me so much was
his inclusion of life stories, right in the midst of listening to music
generally intended to be heard as isolated, uninterruptible objects in
a concert repertoire. Somehow the music seemed more alive, more
vital, more personal and connected when set in the context of life’s
struggles. As for example when, to my great delight he included a
performance of Johannes Brahms’ Intermezzo Op.118, No.2, a piece
I had learned in my late teens. Every note had meaning as I listened,
recalling my own body memories.
A few other particularly memorable moments in the performance
included Battle of Manassas by Thomas Wiggins and Franz Liszt’s
Piano Sonata in B Minor. The Wiggins work was like a very early piece
in soundscape composition for piano, written in 1861 before such
ideas were thought about, and well before any recording technologies
existed. It conjured the sounds and environs of the Civil War era
battle, with piano clusters to replicate the marching feet of soldiers,
interjections of spoken text to announce the action, and the sound of a
train whistle, all of which Oh delivered seemingly with ease.
The Liszt performance was framed by his story of how he felt he had
failed miserably with the piece during his graduation recital. Despite
that difficult experience, he persevered with hours upon hours of
practising, all of which is clearly evident in the depth of emotion he
brought to every high and low in Liszt’s tumultuous work.
I’m eager for the day Oh brings the full performance to a theatre
run in Toronto, as he hinted in our previous interview he was
intending to do.
Wendalyn Bartley is a Toronto-based composer and
electro-vocal sound artist. sounddreaming@gmail.com
24 | September 2024 thewholenote.com

ROUNDUP: CLASSICAL AND BEYOND
Not every effort to recontextualize familiar works or reimagine
the classical concert form is as adventurous as the approach
Wendalyn Bartley describes in her report on Gregory Oh’s Lessons
in Failure. But putting a concert together is always an opportunity
to turn juxtaposition into an art, creating fresh perspectives,
by congruity or incongruity, for the listener – taking that listener
beyond their known expectations (the music they know they like
and don’t like; the kinds of venues they like to listen in).
In turn, over a period of time, each listener creates their own
crafty juxtapositions every time they decide what concert to go to.
Most of you know what you have already decided to go hear
next. So here from the wide range of performances coming up in
September and early October are some clusters of suggestions for
what you might want to go hear after that. Fortune favours the
brave. Details, as always, are in the daily listings.
SIMON FRYER, ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
OCTOBER 3, 2024 | 1.30 PM
CAMPBELL FAGAN
PARK TRIO
James Campbell, clarinet
Leslie Fagan, soprano; Angela Park, piano
NOVEMBER 14, 2024 | 1.30 PM
JULIAN RACHLIN
& FRIENDS
Julian Rachlin, violin; Sarah McElravy, viola
Karen Ouzounian, cello; Sheng Cai, piano
2024
2025
Hear the carillon at Yorkminster Park Baptist
Church, September 22 in Toronto
CARILLON
Almost by definition, carillon music comes to find you whether
you like it or not. Why not make your listening intentional? The
U of T carillon in Soldiers Tower next to Hart House has been a
fixture since 1927. Its 51 bells range in weight from 4 tons (low Bb,
an octave below middle C) to 23 pounds (high D, three octaves
above middle C). Yorkminster Park Baptist Church’s 37-bell carillon
– the 12th in Canada – is the new kid on the block, installed in the
summer of 2023.
Sep 02 2:00: University of Toronto. Labour Day Carillon Recital.
Lachrimae Pavan, Haru no Umi, Day-O, and The Old Brigade.
Naoko Tsujita, carillonneur.
Sep 22 12:20: Yorkminster Park Baptist Church. First
Anniversary of the Carillon: Carillon Recital. Dr. Andrea McCrady,
Dominion Carillonneur from the Peace Tower in Ottawa.
MUSIC TO STUMBLE ACROSS
Speaking of music that finds you, the Bloor/Borden Farmer’s
Market – every Wednesday – has long been a fixture in the Green
P parking lot south of Bloor and east of Bathurst. This year they’ve
hit on the idea of adding live music to the mix. You might just find
yourself standing listening to someone you never heard of but
would go hear again. And it beats the musical dreck piped into the
supermarket produce aisles. Sep through Oct 2-7pm: Bloor/Borden
Farmers’ Market. Music in the Market. Rain or shine.
THE MORE IT STAYS THE SAME, THE MORE IT CHANGES?
Sep 5 8:30: Lula Lounge. The Patsy Cline Birthday Show. The
fact that this is the 18th year that singer Heather Morgan has put
this show together speaks volumes – to Morgan’s deep-seated
conviction that Virginia-born Patsy Cline’s music transcended the
“country music icon” pigeonhole that Cline herself managed to
bust out of but that many listeners still consign her to. Proof is in
the eclectic range of performers and styles Morgan always manages
MARCH 13, 2025 | 1.30 PM
MARMEN QUARTET
Johannes Marmen, violin
Laia Valentin Braun, violin
Bryony Gibson-Cornish, viola
Sinéad O’Halloran, cello
APRIL 3, 2025 | 1.30 PM
MIDORI MARSH
Midori Marsh, soprano
WITH
Frances Armstrong, piano
Laura Chambers, flute
Alex Hetherington, mezzo soprano
2024 WMCT CAREER DEVELOPMENT AWARD WINNER
MAY 8, 2025 | 1.30 PM
ASITHA TENNEKOON
Asitha Tennekoon, tenor
Steven Philcox, piano
WITH
Aysel Taghi-Zada, violin; Terri Croft, violin
Laurence Schaufele, viola
Amahl Arulanandam, cello
Ticket Orders
By phone: 416-923-7052
Online: www.wmct.on.ca
Subscriptions: $200 | Single tickets: $50
Students Free with ID
Walter Hall, University of Toronto, Faculty of Music
80 Queen's Park (Museum Subway)
Joyce
wmct@wmct.on.ca
www.wmct.on.ca
416-923-7052
thewholenote.com September 2024 | 25

ROUNDUP: CLASSICAL AND BEYOND continued
PRINCESS PRODUCTION.CA
to muster for this annual event, which this year supports Artscan
Circle helping youth in remote Indigenous communities, using the
power of the arts.
Yvonne Ng, artistic director of
Tiger Princess Dance Projects,
September 12-14 in Toronto.
NEW
Sep 12,13,14: Tiger Princess
Dance Projects. All That Is
Between is a contemporary
dance piece by Yvonne Ng
with music by Nick Storring
“exploring the intricate
dynamics of collective identity
and the experience of isolation.”
Ng describes herself
as “one of the archetypes of
a Canadian immigrant from
South East Asia, fluent in
English and conversant in
four Chinese dialects, a little
Malay and a little French [but]
in my childhood, we were
taught not to raise our heads or voices [and] schooled to emulate
western culture and ways of behaviour. The central proposition of
the work is the exploration of the tensions, strengths and paradoxes
between disorder (wordless story in bodies) and connections
(power of collective identity) … collective identity and collective
isolation. – what lies under or within our container”.
Toronto-based composer/curator Nick Storring’s body of
musical work ranges from chamber compositions to meticulously
constructed recordings consisting solely of Storring’s own
overdubbed instrumental performances. It’s an output that he
describes as “reflecting my eclecticism as a listener – juxtaposing
the familiar and the abstract to conjure moments of hallucinatory
reminiscence.” Aki Studio, 585 Dundas St. E.
where the concerts will take place, and a Sessional Lecturer in organ
at the University of Toronto. September 14’s concert is titled Bach
the Young Virtuoso; October 5 is Bach goes to school. The fifth box?
Daytime aficionados will have to bend their rules a little: concerts
start at 7:30.
Elsewhere there’s no shortage of daytime organ music:
Sep 29 2:30, St. Michael’s Cathedral Basilica (Toronto) presents An
Organ Extravaganza featuring works by Saint-Saëns, Bach, Angela
Kraft-Cross, ournemire, and Howells; and four organists: Philip J.
Fillion, John Paul Farahat, Paul Jenkins and Christopher Ku.
Also, Sep 10 St. James Cathedral resumes its regular Tuesday
Organ Recitals. First up, Joshua Duncan Lee, then Jan Noordzij,
David Alexander Simon, and Andre Knevel.
SWEETWATER
Sweetwater Music Festival in Leith, Ontario is a reminder that
summer isn’t over just because the interminable back-to-school ad
campaigns have ended. And it remains true to the ethos of other
summer festivals, building on the ensemble principle that you figure
out who the musicians are going to be, then build concerts around
Zombie Blizzard was the final concert at Stratford Summer Music in August,
with Measha Brueggergosman-Lee and David Pell on bass trombone;
Denis Jiron, trombone; Jessie Brooks, horn; Mike Feyshyn, trumpet; Brian
O’Kane, trumpet, composer Aaron Davis, piano; George Koller, bass; and
Mark Mariash, drums. Coming to Sweetwater Music Festival, Sept 14.
AT THE CMC
Two upcoming shows at the Canadian Music Centre on
St. Joseph Street, reflect the broadening of musical reach that the
creation of the Chalmers Performance Space has given the CMC,
both for its core constituency – living Canadian composers – and
for others seeking an intimate performing space in a conducive
environment.
Oct 5, at 3pm pianist Luke Welch holds an event to release his
recording, Northern Magnolias – works by Robert Nathaniel Dett,
Canadian-American composer, organist, pianist, choral director,
and music professor, born and raised in Canada until the age of
11, and long celebrated in Toronto through the work of Brainerd
Blyden-Taylor’s Nathaniel Dett Chorale.
And the week prior, September 25, in a concert titled From
Sea to Sky violin/piano duo Gillian Smith/Jennifer King perform
works by a coterie of composers (Amy Brandon, Derek Charke,
Emily Doolittle, Adam V. Clarke, John Plant, and others) who share,
perhaps among other characteristics, the distinction of being Nova
Scotia-born and/or raised.
SUBSCRIBE
& SAVE UP
TO 40%!
TERRY MANZO
ORGAN
For people needing to get their fix of live music during the day,
the city’s numerous regular organ concerts are a haven. Even
more when there is a sense of continuity from one to the next – a
regular day of the week, a particular venue, a favourite organist or
instrument, or a sense of curated continuity from one concert to
the next.
Starting September 14 and continuing October 5 and beyond,
organist Aaron James dives into a project that could check off four
of these five boxes! – the complete organ works of J.S. Bach. James
is the Director of Music at the Toronto Oratory of St Philip Neri,
24/25
26 | September 2024 thewholenote.com

the chemistry that can be generated within that assemblage of
talent. This year, for example, the presence of vocalist Measha
Brueggergosman-Lee is the catalyst for three or four of the festival’s
regular 7pm concerts.
But it’s her late night show (9:30 is defined as late in Leith) that
will, we predict, take Sweetwater’s regular audience to places they
are not accustomed to going – Zombie Blizzard which sets poems
by Margaret Atwood to remarkable music by composer Aaron
Davis. Commissioned by Hannaford Street Silver Band for a full
ten-horn brass ensemble, backed by Davis’s own jazz quartet, the
road-show version boils the ten horns down to five, all still drawn
from the core of the Hannaford ensemble.
ORCHESTRAS
Orchestras, like large choirs, are notorious late starters in the fall,
but from mid-September through early October, the full spectrum
of orchestral music-making will be on display.
Sep 15, Niagara Symphony Orchestra has a concert titled Parker
Plays Grieg. Sep 20, the unquenchable Mandle Philharmonic
brings Mahler No.4 & Beethoven No.5 to Koerner Hall. Sep 21,
Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra offers up Kahane Conducts
Grieg & Sibelius. Starting Sep 25 Toronto Symphony Orchestra has
Pictures at an Exhibition (but not the way you’re used to hearing
it), followed Oct 04,5,6 by Spirited Overtures.
And finally, rounding things out, Sep 28 Stratford Symphony
Orchestra titles their concert Beethoven’s 5th (that’ll get them
through the door) but also offers Stravinsky’s Pulcinella Suite and
Weber’s Bassoon Concerto in F.
Two, check out the Isabel Bader Centre for the Performing Arts
proposed season on their website. Just a taste: Sep 8 has Deantha
Edwards With The New Orford String Quartet with selections
from Pillorikput Inuit: Inuktitut Arias for All Seasons, performed
by Edwards, the Orfords and Sylvia Cloutier & Nancy Nike, throat
singers. It doesn’t hurt that Kingston has the mid-sized concert hall
with the best acoustic in Canada to offer visiting musicians.
Three, if chamber music is your “thing” please check out the
following, chamber music stalwarts all, in the daily listings, either
here or on our website where you can use the “Just Ask” tab to type
in the presenters names to find out, and keep up with, what they
are doing.
Sep 28 Sinfonia Toronto. Mozart & Masquerade/The Stars Align;
Sep 22 The Jeffery Concerts (London). Timothy Chooi, Violin and
Arthur Rowe, piano; and Oct 03: Women’s Musical Club of Toronto.
Music in the Afternoon: Campbell Fagan Park Trio.
AND FINALLY
Returning to the subject of artful juxtaposition, take a look at
the program Emanuel Ax has put together for his Oct 6 recital at
Koerner Hall. Enough said.
Emanuel Ax
DEANTHA.CA
Deantha Edwards,
September 8 in Kingston.
CHAMBER PLUS
Too much to do justice to
in this perennially inventive
niche, so just a few thoughts
and highlights.
One, we’re delighted to
see that Kitchener-Waterloo
Chamber Music Society is
back, even though the question
of venue remains unsettled.
They’ve announced concerts for
Sep 7,15,29 and Oct 5 already.
AMIR AMIRI ENSEMBLE
A R T
SEPTEMBER 27, 8 PM
THÉÂTRE SPADINA
thewholenote.com September 2024 | 27

COMING SOON!
Our 25th annual Blue Pages
directory of music presenters
will be published in print
in our upcoming October/
November issue (Volume 30 No
2), and will remain online at
thewholenote.com/whoswho
for the whole season.
Meanwhile, enjoy the
following “teasers” from
the presenters who have
already joined, or rejoined.
Deadline to appear in print in
the October/November Blue
Pages is Monday September 9.
For information on the benefits
of Blue Pages membership
and how to join, contact us
at the email address below.
To all concertgoers, performers
and presenters alike, our best
wishes for a resoundingly
musical 2024/25 season!
Ori Dagan and Kevin Harris,
members@thewholenote.com
Aga Khan Museum
Celebrating a decade of connecting cultures,
the Aga Khan Museum fosters intercultural
understanding through the arts.
agakhanmuseum.org
Alliance Française de Toronto
Alliance Française Toronto provides a culturally
immersive experience through over 70
events every year. alliance-francaise.ca/en
Apocryphonia
“Illuminating Musical Revelations”
Specializing in affordable, accessible concerts
of rare and underperformed classical music in
the GTA. apocryphonia.com
Brampton On Stage
Brampton On Stage presents enriching
artistic programming for all ages at exceptional
venues: The Rose, LBP, Cyril Clark, and
Garden Square. bramptononstage.ca
Canadian Opera Company
The Canadian Opera Company is the largest
opera company in the country and one of
the largest in North America. The company
performs with its own acclaimed COC
Orchestra and COC Chorus. coc.ca
Cathedral Bluffs Symphony Orchestra
Join us on Saturday, October 5, 2024, at 8pm,
for a special season-opening community celebration
commemorating the 200th anniversary
of Beethoven’s renowned Ninth
Symphony with “Ode to Joy.”
cathedralbluffs.com
Church Of St. Mary Magdalene Gallery Choir
An all-volunteer choir singing Renaissance
polyphony and Canadian composers every
Sunday. stmarymagdalene.ca
The Edison Singers
A vast array of beautiful choral expressions
awaits in our 2024/25 season. As always, our
concerts strive to transport listeners in a way
that only the sonorities of choral music can
achieve. theedisonsingers.com
Elmer Iseler Singers
Join the Elmer Iseler Singers for their 46th
season, “A Bouquet of Voices!” featuring
world premieres, Handel’s Messiah, and
special guest choirs. Season subscriptions/
tickets available now! elmeriselersingers.com
Etobicoke Centennial Choir
Etobicoke Centennial Choir (ECC) is a
community choir dedicated to celebrating the
art and joy of choral singing. We offer vibrant
and diverse musical performances, guided by
professional artists.
etobcokecentennialchoir.ca
Etobicoke Philharmonic Orchestra
Join us on a curated tour of great music from
masterworks all the way to powerful new
compositions. SUBSCRIBE for our best prices
and put “Philharmonic Fridays” on your
calendar. eporchestra.ca
Flute Street
Flute Street, a homogeneous, seven-octave
chamber ensemble with Canada’s only double
contrabass and contr’alto flutes, is entering its
second decade of varied, original, and novel
concert offerings. flutestreet.ca
Isabel Bader Centre for the Performing Arts
The Isabel Bader Centre for the Performing
Arts is home to the performing arts at
Queen’s University and a hub for vibrant
artistic study, creation, and exhibition in
Kingston, Ontario. queensu.ca/theisabel
Jubilate Singers
Experience the Jubilate Singers as we
sing with the Wychwood Clarinet Choir
in November or partner with dancers
performing to world music and songs next
March. Come choir with us! jubilatesingers.ca
Grace Church on-the-Hill
Our adult and children’s choirs are accepting
new members. Rooted in strong choral tradition,
we value a community focus, friendship,
inclusivity, and challenging, engaging
repertoire. gracechurchonthehill.ca/music
Metropolitan United Church
Accepting, affirming and welcoming to
everyone, Metropolitan United Church at
Queen and Church Streets has a 200-year
history of presenting great sacred music in
the heart of Toronto. metunited.org
Mississauga Chamber Singers
The Mississauga Chamber Singers is indeed
a treasure to Mississauga and the Greater
Toronto Area! mcsingers.ca
Mooredale Concerts
Great Classical Music for All
mooredaleconcerts.com
Music in the Afternoon
127 years without skipping a beat! Through its
“Music in the Afternoon” concert series, the
Women’s Musical Club of Toronto (WMCT)
presents world-class chamber music concerts
on Thursday afternoons. wmct.on.ca
North Wind Concerts
‘Music produces a kind of pleasure which
human nature cannot do without.’
(Confucius). Join us on September 21 and
22 for “Acquiescent: The French Baroque In
China”. northwindconcerts.com
Opera Atelier
Opera Atelier is an opera company creating
historically-informed productions with equal
attention given to music, dancing, acting, and
design. Our productions are performed on
period instruments. operaatelier.com
Pax Christi Chorale
Pax Christi Chorale: Singing together,
inspiring joy. paxchristichorale.org
28 | September 2024 thewholenote.com

The Rose Orchestra
Experience the magic of The Rose Orchestra—
bringing diverse, high-quality live performances
to Brampton. Join us for a season of
enchanting performances, with timeless classics
and exciting new music.
theroseorchestra.org
The Royal Conservatory of Music
The Royal Conservatory’s Koerner Hall is “the
greatest venue in this city” and “magnificent
in its acoustics, as much as in its design”
(Toronto Star). rcmusic.com/concerts
SoundCrowd
SoundCrowd, Toronto’s first large-scale
contemporary a cappella ensemble, begins
it’s 9th year in September with rehearsals
for “Spice Girls vs Backstreet Boys” at the
Paradise Theatre in January! soundcrowd.ca
Soundstreams
Transformative New Music for Chamber
Ensemble, Choir and Opera: This is a season
for all seasons. Please join us in our search for
regeneration! soundstreams.ca
St. James Cathedral
Singing in the sumptuous surroundings of
St. James Cathedral, the semi-professional
choir sings for the morning Eucharist and
afternoon Evensong services each week.
stjamescathedral.ca
Toronto Classical Singers
With its exuberant approach, TCS celebrates
the complex sonority of large choir with
professional orchestra and soloists. TCS has
been upholding the great choral tradition for
32 seasons. torontoclassicalsingers.ca
TO Live
This fall TO Live will be bringing family
programming, film & orchestra, music, and
the best Indigenous talent to St. Lawrence
Centre for the Arts, Meridian Hall, and
Meridian Arts Centre. tolive.com
Toronto Operetta Theatre
TOT will return to the St. Lawrence Centre
stage for the 40th Anniversary season with
wonderful music, comedy, and romance—the
best of Operetta and Music Theatre!
torontooperetta.com
Toronto Symphony Orchestra
One of Canada’s most respected arts organizations,
the Toronto Symphony Orchestra
(TSO) plays a vital role in the city’s dynamic
cultural life. tso.ca
Vesnivka Choir
Vesnivka is a friendly inclusive community
choir. We are planning an exciting 2024/25
concert season of Ukrainian classical, sacred
and traditional music. Join us for a unique
listening experience. vesnivka.com
VIVA Singers Toronto
VIVA is a family of seven choirs for all ages
with a mandate to give singers the opportunity
to achieve artistic excellence in an
inclusive, creative choral community. Every
Voice Matters! vivasingerstoronto.com
VOICEBOX: Opera In Concert
...Three contrasting operas that reflect
diversity through the ages in our new venue!
operainconcert.com
Westben
In 2024, Westben celebrates 25 years of
bringing people together through music in
nature. Year-round programs include the
summer festival June - August, international
residencies & community programs.
westben.ca
Wychwood Clarinet Choir
Choir vs Choir in November. Look for it.
wychwoodclarinetchoir.ca
Yorkminster Park Baptist Church
Yorkminster Park is synonymous with
magnificent music. Vocal and instrumental
expressions of faith are integral to the
Yorkminster Park experience.
yorkminsterpark.com
Tafelmusik
For over four decades, Tafelmusik has been
synonymous worldwide with dynamic,
engaging, and soulful performances informed
by scholarship, passion, and artistic excellence.
tafelmusik.org
Tapestry Opera
We make new opera in Toronto. Tapestry was
founded in 1979, and we’re the only Canadian
company solely dedicated to creating and
performing original Canadian opera.
tapestryopera.com
Toronto Beach Chorale
A vital musical presence in the Beach, Toronto
Beach Chorale, conducted by Mervin W
Fick, continues to enhance its reputation for
artistic excellence performing a growing and
rich repertoire. torontobeachchorale.com
Toronto Chamber Choir
The Toronto Chamber Choir has enriched
Canada’s early music scene since 1968, led
by Lucas Harris since 2014. It specializes in
Renaissance/Baroque, with forays into other
time periods and cultures.
torontochamberchoir.ca
Toronto Choral Society
“Singing is the one thing in my life that never
fails to take me to where disenchantment is
almost nonexistent and feeling good is pretty
much guaranteed.” torontochoralsociety.org
THUMBS UP TO THE SURVIVORS!
The upcoming Blue Pages will be our 25th. But our
first member directory came four seasons earlier,
in the final issue of our very first season. Here is an
honour roll of the first 38 presenters to support our
then-quixotic quest to create free and comprehensive
live musical listings at the heart of our magazine.
With a special “thumbs up” (asterisks,
actually) to the 24 who are still around!
Aldeburgh Connection
Amadeus Choir*
Amadeus Ensemble
Aradia Baroque Ensemble
Arbor Oak Trio
Artword Theatre
Bach Children’s Choir*
Canadian Children’s Opera Chorus*
Canadian Music Centre*
Canadian Music Competitions*
Concentus Arts
East York Symphony Orchestra*
(now Orchestra Toronto)
Elmer Iseler Singers*
Elora Festival*
Ensemble Unterwegs
Esprit Orchestra*
Ford Centre for the Performing Arts
Mooredale Concerts*
Music at Metropolitan*
Music Gallery*
Music Toronto*
Music Umbrella
New School of Classical Vocal Studies
Opera Atelier*
Opera Division, U of T*
Organ Alternatives
Orpheus Choir of Toronto*
Scarborough Philharmonic*
Sine Nomine Ensemble for Medieval Music
Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra*
Tallis Choir of Toronto*
Toronto Consort*
Toronto Early Music Centre*
Toronto Mendelssohn Choir*
Toronto Operetta Theatre*
Toronto Senior Strings
Toronto Sinfonietta
Women’s Musical Club of Toronto*
thewholenote.com September 2024 | 29

LIVE OR ONLINE | Sep 1 to Oct 7, 2024
Sunday September 1
● 1:00: Emerging Artists Association. Tenth
Annual T.U. Jazz Fest. 1pm-10pm. Mel Lastman
Square, 5100 Yonge St., North York.
info@tujazz.com. Free. Also Sep 2(1-8pm).
● 1:00: TU Jazz Festival. Robert Lee Group.
Long & McQuade Stage. Mel Lastman Square,
5100 Yonge St., North York. tujazz.com. Free.
● 2:00: TU Jazz Festival. Eunice Keitan.
Main Stage. Mel Lastman Square, 5100 Yonge
St., North York. tujazz.com. Free.
● 3:00: TU Jazz Festival. Marigold. Long
& McQuade Stage. Mel Lastman Square,
5100 Yonge St., North York. tujazz.com. Free.
● 4:00: TU Jazz Festival. Andrew Wilcox
Trio. Main Stage. Mel Lastman Square,
5100 Yonge St., North York. tujazz.com. Free.
● 5:00: TU Jazz Festival. Shanty Sweets Quintet.
Long & McQuade Stage. Mel Lastman Square,
5100 Yonge St., North York. tujazz.com. Free.
● 6:00: TU Jazz Festival. Sound Spaghetti.
Main Stage. Mel Lastman Square, 5100 Yonge
St., North York. tujazz.com. Free.
● 7:00: TU Jazz Festival. Groovy Turtles Band.
Long & McQuade Stage. Mel Lastman Square,
5100 Yonge St., North York. tujazz.com. Free.
● 8:00: TU Jazz Festival. Rodrigo Simões.
Main Stage. Mel Lastman Square, 5100 Yonge
St., North York. tujazz.com. Free.
Monday September 2
● 12:15: Music Mondays. Of Premier Importance.
Works by Ronald Royer and David Jaeger
and Rebecca Clarke: Sonata for Viola and Piano.
The Ezra Duo: Sasha Bult-Ito & Jacob Clewell.
Special guest: Kaye Royer, clarinet. Church of
the Holy Trinity, 19 Trinity Sq. 416-598-4521 X223
or www.musicmondays.ca or musicmondayscs@gmail.com.
PWYC ($10 suggested).
● 1:00: Emerging Artists Association. Tenth
Annual T.U. Jazz Fest. See Sep 1.
● 1:00: TU Jazz Festival. Funk10Tet. Long
& McQuade Stage. Mel Lastman Square,
5100 Yonge St., North York. tujazz.com. Free.
● 2:00: TU Jazz Festival. The Simon Williams
Sextet. Main Stage. Mel Lastman Square,
5100 Yonge St., North York. tujazz.com. Free.
● 2:00: University of Toronto. Labour Day
Carillon Recital. Lachrimae Pavan, Haru
no Umi, Day-O, and The Old Brigade. Naoko
Tsujita, carilloneuse. Soldiers’ Tower War
Memorial, 7 Hart House Cir. 416-978-3485.
Free. Outdoor recitall. Seating is provided.
● 3:00: TU Jazz Festival. Victoria Malenfant
Quintet. Long & McQuade Stage. Mel
Lastman Square, 5100 Yonge St., North
York. tujazz.com. Free.
● 4:00: TU Jazz Festival. Reach Quartet.
Main Stage. Mel Lastman Square, 5100 Yonge
St., North York. tujazz.com. Free.
● 5:00: TU Jazz Festival. Japs Cunanan
Quartet. Long & McQuade Stage. Mel Lastman
Square, 5100 Yonge St., North York.
tujazz.com. Free.
● 6:00: TU Jazz Festival. Matthew O’Halloran
Quintet. Main Stage. Mel Lastman Square,
5100 Yonge St., North York. tujazz.com. Free.
Wednesday September 4
● 2:00: Bloor/Borden Farmer’s Market.
Music in the Market - Hobo Soles. 300 Borden
St. 613-475-4769. Free. 2pm-7pm. Rain or shine.
Thursday September 5
● 8:30: Lula Lounge. The Patsy Cline Birthday
Show. Candombe, samba, tango. Heather Morgan,
host; Steve “Bebop Cowboys” Briggs, band leader;
Burke Carroll, pedal steel; Denis Keldie, keyboards;
Russ Boswell, upright bass; Teddy Hawkins, drums
& harmony vocals; and others. 1585 Dundas St. W.
416-588-0307. $35/$30(adv). Dinner reservations
guarantee seating. In support of Artscan Circle
helping youth in remote Indigenous communities,
using the power of the arts.
Saturday September 7
● 2:00: SweetWater Music Festival. Special
Pre-Festival Event: Arts in the Garden. An
event in support of local artists and charities.
Wander the garden with a beverage, bid at the
Silent Auction, watch visual srtist Sheila Greenland
paint, browse a mini Craig Gallery, and
enjoy a range of works from regional artists.
Fire & Grace Duo; Drew McIvor, guitar; Richard-
Yves Sitoski, poet; Olivier Lafleur, violin. Private
Residence, 39 Old Mill Road. www.eventbrite.
ca/e/arts-in-the-garden-for-sweetwater-tickets-925269645417.
$35. Rain date: Sep 8(2pm).
● 3:00: Canadian Opera Company. Musical
Flights. Previewing the COC’s upcoming productions
of Nabucco, Faust, Madama Butterfly,
and Eugene Onegin, as well as a range of
Broadway hits including selections from Oklahoma!,
My Fair Lady, West Side Story, and The
Sound of Music. Midori Marsh, soprano; Charlotte
Siegel, soprano; Matthew Cairns, tenor;
Korin Thomas-Smith, baritone; COC Orchestra;
Johannes Debus, conductor. Base31, 26-343,
County Rd 22 Building 26, Picton. www.base31.
ca and by phone at 613-695-2851. From $79.
● 7:00: Kitchener-Waterloo Chamber Music
Society. Chamber Music Concert. Program to
be announced. Adam Didderich, violin; Lisa Tahara,
piano; Dobrochna Zubek, cello. Venue TBA, .
Visit www.ticketscene.ca/kwcms. $30; $10(st).
● 9:00: Fallsview Casino Resort. Don
Felder. OLG Stage at Fallsview Casino,
6366 Stanley Ave., Niagara Falls. www.ticketmaster.ca.
From $71.
Sunday September 8
● 2:30: Isabel Bader Centre for the Performing
Arts. Deantha Edwards With The
New Orford String Quartet. Selections from
Pillorikput Inuit: Inuktitut Arias for All Seasons.
Deantha Edwards, vocalist; New Orford
String Quartet; Sylvia Cloutier & Nancy Nike,
throat singers. Queen’s University - Isabel
Bader Centre for the Performing Arts -
Jennifer Velva Bernstein Performance Hall,
390 King St. W., Kingston. 613-533-2424 or
IsabelBoxOffice@queensu.ca. From $15.
● 7:00: Fallsview Casino Resort. Crowded
House: Gravity Stairs Tour. OLG Stage at Fallsview
Casino, 6366 Stanley Ave., Niagara Falls.
www.ticketmaster.ca. From $76.
● 7:00: Opera Revue. A Very Weill Evening of
Verdi. Works by Weill and Verdi. Danie Friesen,
soprano; Hillary Tufford, mezzo; Ryan Downey,
tenor; Alexander Hajek, baritone; Michael
Louis Johnson, vocals & trumpet; Claire
Elise Harris, piano. Redwood Theatre, The,
1300 Gerrard Ave. E. 647-637-7491. From $20.
Tuesday September 10
● 1:00: St. James Cathedral. Tuesday Organ
Recital. Joshua Duncan Lee, organ. Cathedral
Church of St. James, 106 King St. E. 416-364-
7865 or www.stjamescathedral.ca/recitals.
Free. Donations encouraged.
Wednesday September 11
● 2:00: Bloor/Borden Farmer’s Market. Music
in the Market - J. Patrick O’Neal. 300 Borden St.
613-475-4769. Free. 2pm-7pm. Rain or shine.
● 6:30: SweetWater Music Festival. Gala
Event. Hors d’oeuvres and drinks and an
opportunity to socialize with the artists and
celebrate their arrival to town and our wonderful
community. Works by Haydn, Rossini,
and Mozart. Measha Brueggergosman-Lee,
soprano; Matthias McIntire, violin/violaécomposer-in-residence.
Grey Roots Museum
and Archives, 102599 Grey County Rd, Owen
Sound. tickets.roxytheatre.ca/TheatreManager/1/online?performance=3890.
$102.
Thursday September 12
● 7:00: Fallsview Casino Resort. Rival Sons
& Clutch: The Two-Headed Beast Tour. OLG
Stage at Fallsview Casino, 6366 Stanley Ave.,
Niagara Falls. www.ticketmaster.ca. From $71.
● 8:00: Brampton On Stage. Monsoon
Sound. Mrii, TheOriginalGurv, Lioness Kaur,
and RZN (headliner). Rose Theatre, The
(Brampton) - Rose Studio, 1 Theatre Ln.,
Brampton. 905-874-2800. $10.
● 8:00: Tiger Princess Dance Projects.
All That Is Between. A contemporary dance
piece with music by Nick Storring exploring
the intricate dynamics of collective identity
and the experience of isolation. Aki Studio,
585 Dundas St. E., Suite 250. 416-531-
1402 or boxoffice@nativeearth.ca. $15. Also
Sep 13(8pm), 14(2pm & 8pm).
Friday September 13
● 7:00: NPT Music. Chào, Thanh Xuân 2024:
Hello Youth, Hello Wonderful Emotions.
Youngplace, 180 Shaw St. Also Sep 14.
● 7:00: SweetWater Music Festival. Chamber
Music Soiree. Haydn: String Quartet Op
33. No.6; Hindemith: Des Todes Tod; Lembit
Beecher: Duo for Violin & Cello from A
Year to the Day; Schumann: String Quartet
No.5. Measha Brueggergosman-Lee,
soprano; Michael Gurevich, violin; Edwin
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30 | September 2024 thewholenote.com

Huizinga, violin; Keith Hamm, viola; Julie Herish,
cello; Karen Ouzounian, cello; Jordan
Frazier, narrator; and others. Historic Leith
Church, 419498 Tom Thomson Ln., Leith.
tickets.roxytheatre.ca/TheatreManager/1/
online?performance=3844. From $40. Postconcert
reception.
● 7:30: Canadian Institute for Czech
Music/Opera by Request. Jakobín - In Concert.
Music by Antonin Dvořák. Opera in concert
with piano and chamber orchestra.
Alexander Cappellazzo (Benda); Grace Quinsey
(Terinka); David Walsh (Jiří), John Holland
(The Burgrave), Michael Robert-Broder
(Bohuš), Paulina Swierczek (Julie), Dylan Wirght
(The Count), Alasdair Campbell (Adolf)
and other soloists; William Shookhoff, music
director. Trinity St. Paul's United Church.
Jeanne Lamon Hall, 427 Bloor St. W. 416-455-
2365 or visit www.myevent.com/jakobin. $35.
● 7:30: Canadian Opera Company. Musical
Flights. Previewing the COC’s upcoming productions
of Nabucco, Faust, Madama Butterfly,
and Eugene Onegin, as well as a range of
Broadway hits including selections from Oklahoma!,
My Fair Lady, West Side Story, and The
Sound of Music. Midori Marsh, soprano; Charlotte
Siegel, soprano; Matthew Cairns, tenor;
Korin Thomas-Smith, baritone; COC Orchestra;
Johannes Debus, conductor. Meridian
Arts Centre - George Weston Recital Hall,
5040 Yonge St. www.tolive.com and by phone
at 416-366-7723 and 1-800-708-6754. From
$25.
● 8:00: Tiger Princess Dance Projects. All
That Is Between. See Sep 12. Also Sep 14(2pm
& 8pm).
Saturday September 14
● 7:00: SweetWater Music Festival. Sun on
Water. Sheryl Sewepagaham: Niply (Water
Song); Hussein Janmohamed: Sun on Water;
Lembit Beecher: Listening to Eghin Havasi in
Van Cortland Park (World Premiere); Neumann:
Grieg: Holberg Suite; Imant Raminsh:
In the Night We Shall Go In; Sheryl Sewenpagaham
& Andrea Neumann: Papiyahtik
(Peace Chant). Canadian Chamber Choir;
Karen Ouzounian, cello; Sweetwater Festival
Orchestra. Georgian Shores United Church
(Owen Sound), 997 4th Ave. E., Owen Sound.
tickets.roxytheatre.ca/TheatreManager/1/
online. From $23.
● 7:30: Canadian Opera Company. Musical
Flights. Previewing the COC’s upcoming productions
of Nabucco, Faust, Madama Butterfly,
and Eugene Onegin, as well as a range
of Broadway hits including selections from
Oklahoma!, My Fair Lady, West Side Story,
and The Sound of Music. Midori Marsh, soprano;
Charlotte Siegel, soprano; Matthew
Cairns, tenor; Korin Thomas-Smith, baritone;
COC Orchestra; Johannes Debus, conductor.
Harbourfront Centre, 235 Queens Quay W.
www.harbourfrontcentre.com. Free with
registration at website.
● 7:30: Fallsview Casino Resort. Judas
Priest: Invincible Shield Tour. OLG Stage at
Fallsview Casino, 6366 Stanley Ave., Niagara
Falls. www.ticketmaster.ca. From $167.
● 7:30: Music at the Toronto Oratory.
Complete Organ Works of J. S. Bach, Part
I: Bach the Young Virtuoso. Includes Toccata
and Fugue in d, Praeludium in E, and
early preludes and chorale fantasias. Aaron
James, organ. Holy Family Roman Catholic
Church (Toronto) - Oratory, 1372 King St. W.
416-532-2879. Free admission. Donations
accepted.
● 8:00: Alliance Française de Toronto. The
Ostara Project. Join us for a complimentary
drink at 6:30pm before the concert to celebrate
the launch of our 2024-2025 cultural
season. Jazz music. Kim Zombik, singer; Jodi
Proznick, bass; Amanda Tosoff, piano; Allison
Au, saxophone; Rachel Therrien, trumpet;
Valérie Lacombe, drums. Alliance Français
de Toronto - Spadina Theatre, 24 Spadina Rd.
www.alliance-francaise.ca. $18.
● 8:00: Fallsview Casino Resort. Cat Power
Sings Dylan: The 1966 Royal Albert Hall Concert.
Avalon Theatre, 6380 Fallsview Blvd,
Niagara Falls. www.ticketmaster.ca. From
$65.
● 8:00: Tiger Princess Dance Projects. All
That Is Between. See Sep 12.
● 9:30: SweetWater Music Festival. Late
Night Jazz With Measha Bruegergosman-
Lee. Aaron Davis: Zombie Blizzard. Measha
Bruegergosman-Lee, vocals; Aaron
Davis, piano; George Koller, bass; Mark
Mariash, drums; David Pell, bass trombone;
and others. Heartwood Concert Hall,
939 2nd Ave. E., Owen Sound. www.tickets.roxytheatre.ca/TheatreManager/1/
online?performance=3846. From $23.
Sunday September 15
● 1:00: Canadian Opera Company. Musical
Flights. Previewing the COC’s upcoming productions
of Nabucco, Faust, Madama Butterfly,
and Eugene Onegin, as well as a range
of Broadway hits including selections from
Oklahoma!, My Fair Lady, West Side Story,
and The Sound of Music. Midori Marsh, soprano;
Charlotte Siegel, soprano; Matthew
Cairns, tenor; Korin Thomas-Smith, baritone;
COC Orchestra; Johannes Debus, conductor.
Harbourfront Centre, 235 Queens Quay W.
www.harbourfrontcentre.com. Free with
registration at website. Also 3pm.
● 1:30: Recollectiv. “A Little Help from Our
Friends” Recollectiv Benefit. Heather Bambrick
& Sharon Hampson, vocalists; Peter
Hill, piano; Jordan O’Connor, bass. Tranzac
Club, 292 Brunswick Ave. www.recollectiv.
ca or www.tinyurl.com/RecollectivTickets.
$40/$25(adv).
● 2:30: Niagara Symphony Orchestra.
Parker Plays Grieg. Kevin Lau: Dark Angels;
Grieg: Piano Concerto in a Op.16; Tchaikovsky:
Symphony No.5 in e Op.64. Jon Kimura
Parker, piano. FirstOntario Performing Arts
Centre - Partridge Hall, 250 St. Paul St., St.
Catharines. 905-688-0722 or boxoffice@
firstontariopac.ca. From $39; $52(arts workers);
$46(under 35); $29(st); $24(18 and
under).
● 3:00: Canadian Opera Company. Musical
Flights. See 1pm.
● 3:00: SweetWater Music Festival. Sweetwater
Jamboree. Peter Togni: Antiphon;
Tchaikovsky: Serenade for Strings; Marie
Alice Conrad: Journey; Justin Lapierre:
Auprès de la baie; Matthias McIntire: Keep
Me by the Fire; Joni Mitchell (arr. Joel Tranquilla):
River; Anna Clyne: Shorthand other
works. Canadian Chamber Choir; Measha
Brueggergosman-Lee, soprano; Karen
Ouzounian, cello; Sweetwater Festival
Orchestra. Meaford Hall, 12 Nelson St. E.,
Meaford. meafordhall.ca. $20-$75. Seating is
first come, first served.
● 7:00: Kitchener-Waterloo Chamber
Music Society. Tong / Sheppard Duo. Lera
Auerbach: Postlude; Prokofiev: Violin Sonata
No.1; Chaminade: Trois morceaux Op.31;
Saint-Saëns: Violin Sonata No.1 in d. Venue
TBA. Visit www.ticketscene.ca/kwcms. $35;
$10(st).
● 8:00: Fallsview Casino Resort. Rod Stewart
Live in Concert. OLG Stage at Fallsview
Casino, 6366 Stanley Ave., Niagara Falls.
ticketmaster.ca. $158.50-$331.00.
Tuesday September 17
● 1:00: St. James Cathedral. Tuesday Organ
Recital. Jan Noordzij, organ. Cathedral
Church of St. James (Toronto), 106 King St. E.
416-364-7865 or www.stjamescathedral.ca/
recitals. Free. Donations encouraged.
● 7:00: Campbell House Museum. Daniel
Adam Maltz, Fortepiano. 160 Queen St.
W. www.universe.com/events/daniel-adammaltz-fortepiano-concert-tickets-RMB4GH.
$30.
Wednesday September 18
● 2:00: Bloor/Borden Farmer’s Market.
Music in the Market - Tak Bui & Guests. 300
Borden St. 613-475-4769. Free. 2pm-7pm.
Rain or shine.
● 8:30: Drew Jurecka’s Django Quartet.
An evening of virtuosic swing inspired by the
stylings of the great Django Reinhardt. Drew
Jurecka – violin, bandoneon; Justin Duhaime
– guitar; Tak Arikushi – guitar; Chris Banks –
bass. vocals. Jazz Bistro, 251 Victoria St. 416-
363-5299. $20.
Friday September 20
● 5:15: Kingston Baroque Consort.
French Brocade. Music by Lully, Charpentier,
Rameau, and Marais. St. James Anglican
Church, 10 Union St. W., Kingston.
www.eventbrite.com/e/baroque-tapestry-
kingston-baroque-consort-season-
2024-2025-tickets-981833619787 or
legerek@queensu.ca or 613-217-5099. $25;
$10(st); Free(under 17).
● 7:00: Jazz at Durbar. The Matt Pines Trio
with Singer Rebecca Enkin. Durbar Indian
Restaurant, 2469 Bloor St. W. 416-762-4441.
No cover. Reserve a table for dinner or come
by for a drink at the bar.
● 7:30: Mandle Philharmonic. Mahler No.4
& Beethoven No.5. Mahler: Symphony No.4
in G; Beethoven: Symphony No.5 in c Op.67.
Royal Conservatory of Music - TELUS Centre -
Koerner Hall, 273 Bloor St. W. www.rcmusic.
com/tickets/seats/355401. From $50.
Saturday September 21
● 2:00: National Arts Centre. CHOIR!
CHOIR! CHOIR! Hallelujah: An Epic Anthem
Sing-Along. National Arts Centre - Southam
Hall, 53 Elgin St., Ottawa. www.nac-cna.ca/
en/event/36254. From $15. Also 8pm.
● 7:00: Burdock Music Hall. The Terry Cade
Quartet. Original jazz compositions. Terry
Cade, vocalist; Tom Reynolds, piano; George
Koller, bass; Lorne Nehring, drums. Burdock
- Music Hall, 1184 Bloor St. W. 416-546-4033.
From $20.
● 7:30: Brampton On Stage. Flow Fest. Joy
Lapps and Larnell Lewis. Rose Theatre, The
(Brampton), 1 Theatre Ln., Brampton. 905-
874-2800. $20-$34.
● 7:30: Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra.
Kahane Conducts Grieg & Sibelius. Abigail
Richardson-Schulte: New Work (world
premiere); Grieg: Piano Concerto in a Op.16;
Sibelius: Symphony No.2 in D Op.43. Philip
Chiu, piano; Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra;
James Kahane, conductor. FirstOntario
Concert Hall (Hamilton) - Boris Brott Great
Hall, 1 Summers Ln., Hamilton. www.hpo.org/
kahane-conducts-grieg-and-sibelius. From
$20. 6:30pm: Pre-concert talk.
● 7:30: North Wind Concerts. Acquiescent:
The French Baroque in China. Works
by Rameau and Blavet. Louise Hung, harpsichord
& direction; Jin Cho, traverso; Margaret
Jordan-Gay, cello, Matt Antal, viola.
Heliconian Hall, 35 Hazelton Ave. 416-588-
4301 or www.bemusednetwork.com/events/
detail/1022. Pay-What-You-Can.
● 8:00: Acoustic Harvest. The Friends of
Fiddler’s Green. Grit Laskin, Ian Robb, Ian
Bell, Alistair Brown, James Stephens and
Jeff McClintock. St. Paul’s United Church
(Scarborough), 200 McIntosh St., Scarborough.
www.acousticharvest.ca or 416-729-
7564. $35.
● 8:00: National Arts Centre. CHOIR!
CHOIR! CHOIR! Hallelujah: An Epic Anthem
Sing-Along. See 2pm.
Sunday September 22
● 12:20: Yorkminster Park Baptist Church.
First Anniversary of the Carillon: Carillon
Recital. Dr. Andrea McCrady, Dominion Carillonneur
from the Peace Tower in Ottawa.
Yorkminster Park Baptist Church, 1585 Yonge
St. www.yorkminsterpark.com. Free. Donations
welcome.
● 3:00: The Jeffery Concerts. Timothy
Chooi, Violin and Arthur Rowe, Piano. Chen
Gang: Sunshine on Tashkurgan; Prokofiev:
Sonata No.2 in D Op.94a; Amy Beach:
Romance Op.23; Beethoven: Violin Sonata
No.9 in A Op.47 “Kreutzer”. London Public
Library - Wolf Performance Hall, 251 Dundas
St., London. www.grandtheatre.com or 519-
673-8102. $40; Free(st).
● 7:00: Fallsview Casino Resort. Ringo
Starr and His All Starr Band. OLG Stage at
thewholenote.com September 2024 | 31

LIVE OR ONLINE | Sep 1 to Oct 7, 2024
Fallsview Casino, 6366 Stanley Ave., Niagara
Falls. www.ticketmaster.ca. From $76.
● 7:00: Kitchener-Waterloo Chamber Music
Society. Michael Arnowitt, Piano. Program
to be announced. Venue TBA. Visit www.ticketscene.ca/kwcms.
$35; $10(st). THIS CON-
CERT IS TO BE RE-SCHEDULED FROM SEP 22
TO ANOTHER DATE.
Monday September 23
● 7:00: Royal Conservatory of Music.
Tanya Talaga: The Knowing. Royal Conservatory
of Music - TELUS Centre - Koerner Hall,
273 Bloor St. W. www.rcmusic.com/tickets.
From $80.
Tuesday September 24
● 1:00: St. James Cathedral. Tuesday Choral
& Organ Recital. MOSAIC Canadian Vocal
Ensemble (Gordon Mansell, director of
music); David Alexander Simon, organ. Cathedral
Church of St. James, 106 King St. E.
416-364-7865 or www.stjamescathedral.ca/
recitals. Free. Donations encouraged.
● 8:00: Hugh’s Room Live. Jeffery Straker:
“Great Big Sky”. 296 Broadview Ave. www.
showpass.com/jeffery-straker-2. $30.
Wednesday September 25
● 12:00 noon: Canadian Opera Company.
Vocal Series: Meet the Ensemble Studio. A
triumphant return with the artists of the
COC Ensemble Studio. Each artist introduces
themselves by singing one of their favourite
arias. Richard Bradshaw Amphitheatre,
Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts,
145 Queen St. W. www.coc.ca/free-concertseries.
Free. Tickets required.
● 2:00: Bloor/Borden Farmer’s Market.
Music in the Market: Joseph Landau. 300
Borden St. 613-475-4769. Free. 2pm-7pm.
Rain or shine.
● 7:30: Canadian Music Centre. From Sea to
Sky. Works by Amy Brandon, Derek Charke,
Emily Doolittle, Adam V. Clarke, John Plant,
and others. Smith / King Duo (Gillian Smith,
violin; Jennifer King, piano). Canadian Music
Centre, Chalmers Performance Space, 20 St.
Joseph St. www.on.cmccanada.org. .
● 7:30: Confluence Concerts. American
Icons: Strayhorn, Ellington, and Williams.
Curated by Andrew Downing.
Pre-concert chat at 6:45pm. A celebration
of three jazz greats: Billy Strayhorn,
his mentor Duke Ellington, and his contemporary
Mary Lou Williams. Heliconian Hall,
35 Hazelton Ave. www.confluenceconcerts.
ca/store/american-icons-strayhorn-ellington-and-williams?mc_cid=531a97518c&mc_
eid=755eaf6962. $30. Also Sep 26.
● 8:00: Sonic Peach Music. Howard Gladstone
“Crazy Talk” Concert Performance.
The artists will perform songs from the
new album “Crazy Talk” and celebrate the
release of Howard Gladstone’s book “Timepieces
- Selected Lyrics”. Howard Gladstone,
vocals & guitar; Tony Quarrington, guitar;
Laura Fernandez, vocals; Bob Cohen, bass;
Jacob Gorzhaltsan, sax/clarinet/flute. Dakota
Tavern, 249 Ossington Ave. 416-850-4579.
$22/$15(adv).
● 8:00: Toronto Symphony Orchestra. Pictures
at an Exhibition. Carlos Simon: Wake
Up! Concerto for Orchestra (Canadian première);
Beethoven: Triple Concerto; Mussorgsky
(orch. Gorchakov): Pictures at an
Exhibition. Jan Lisiecki, piano; Jonathan
Crow, violin; Joseph Johnson, cello; Gustavo
Gimeno, conductor. Roy Thomson Hall,
60 Simcoe St. 416-598-3375 or www.tso.ca.
Single tickets on sale in July starting from
$30. Also Sep 26 & 28.
Thursday September 26
● 7:30: Confluence Concerts. American
Icons: Strayhorn, Ellington, and Williams.
Curated by Andrew Downing.
Pre-concert chat at 6:45pm. A celebration
of three jazz greats: Billy Strayhorn,
his mentor Duke Ellington, and his contemporary
Mary Lou Williams. Heliconian Hall,
35 Hazelton Ave. www.confluenceconcerts.
ca/store/american-icons-strayhorn-ellington-and-williams?mc_cid=531a97518c&mc_
eid=755eaf6962. $30. Also Sep 25.
● 8:00: Burlington Performing Arts Centre.
CHOIR! CHOIR! CHOIR! Hallelujah: An Epic
Anthem Sing-Along. Burlington Performing
Arts Centre - Main Theatre, 440 Locust St.,
Burlington. 905-681-6000. $49.50($44.50
member) - $69.50($64.50 member).
● 8:00: OutShout Entertainment. Bowie
Fest Canada 2024: Tributes to David Bowie
- Launch Party and Bowie Karaoke. Bowie
Bazaar, prizes, celebrities & more. Ground
Control, 1279 Queen St. W. www.bowiefest.ca
or 705-868-6616. Visit website for info.
● 8:00: Toronto Symphony Orchestra.
Pictures at an Exhibition. See Sep 25. Also
Sep 28.
Friday September 27
● 8:00: Alliance Française de Toronto. Amir
Amiri Ensemble. Join us for a complimentary
drink at 6:30pm before the concert to celebrate
the launch of our 2024-2025 cultural season.
Persian music. Abdul-Wahab Kayyali, oud;
Hamin Honari, percussion; Omar Abu Afech,
viola; Amir Amiri, santur; Reza Abaee, ghaychak.
Alliance Français de Toronto - Spadina Theatre,
24 Spadina Rd. www.alliance-francaise.ca. $18.
● 8:00: Centre in the Square. CHOIR!
CHOIR! CHOIR! Hallelujah: An Epic Anthem
Sing-Along. 101 Queen St. N., Kitchener.
www.centreinthesquare.com/event/choirchoir-choir-2.
From $34.50.
MOZART
JUPITER
SEASON OPENER
Directed by
Rachel Podger
Sept 27–29
Koerner Hall, TELUS Centre
tafelmusik.org
● 8:00: Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra.
Mozart Jupiter. Mozart: Entractes from
Thamos, King of Egypt; Mozart: Violin Concerto
No.2 in D; Mozart: Symphony No.41
in C “Jupiter”. Rachel Podger, violin & principal
guest director; Tafelmusik Baroque
Orchestra. Royal Conservatory of Music -
TELUS Centre - Koerner Hall, 273 Bloor St. W.
www.rcmusic.com/tickets. From $47. Also
Sep 28(8pm), 29(3pm).
● 9:00: OutShout Entertainment. Bowie
Fest Canada 2024: Tributes to David Bowie - I
Will Be King. Linsmore Tavern, 1298 Danforth
Ave. www.bowiefest.ca or 705-868-6616
or www.eventbrite.com/e/i-will-be-kingtickets-908998628367?aff=oddtdtcreator.
$15/$12(adv). Admission included with festival
pass.
Saturday September 28
● 10:00am: Aga Khan Museum & Small
World Music. EnlighTEN x Global Toronto
Music Festival. Celebrate the Museum’s
10th anniversary and enjoy performances
by local musicians showcasing global traditions,
workshops and family activities, and
a special cake-cutting ceremony. No ticket
required. $15 fee for some workshops. Aga
Khan Museum, 77 Wynford Dr, North York.
Visit agakhanmuseum.org/enlighten to plan
your visit! Also Sept 29.
● 2:00: OutShout Entertainment. Bowie
Fest Canada 2024: Tributes to David Bowie
- Lady Grinning Soul. Duke Live, The,
1225 Queen St. E. www.bowiefest.ca. Free
admission included with festival pass.
● 5:30: The Edison Singers. Missa Pax: Choral
works by Timothy Corlis. Missa Pax; Servant Song;
Loveliest of Trees the Cherry Now Hung with
Snow; Immortality; In Paradisum; Noel Edison,
conductor; Timothy Corlis, commentator; James
Campbell, clarinet; Michael Bloss, piano. St. Barnabas
Anglican Church (Toronto), 361 Danforth Ave.
boxoffice@ theedisonsingers.com or www.theedisonsingers.com/performances
or 226-384-9300.
Pay-What-You-Can, $15 suggested.. Also Sep 29 at
4pm (Basilica of Our Lady Immaculate, Guelph).
● 7:30: Stratford Symphony Orchestra.
Beethoven’s 5th. Stravinsky: Pulcinella
Suite; Weber: Bassoon Concerto in F Op.75;
Beethoven: Symphony No.5 in c Op.67. Alexandre
von Wartburg, bassoon; William Rowson,
conductor. Avondale United Church
(Stratford), 194 Avondale Ave., Stratford. 519-
271-0990 or www.stratfordsymphony.ca/
Beethovens_5th. $50; $15(st); Free(under 12).
● 8:00: OutShout Entertainment. Bowie
Fest Canada 2024: Tributes to David Bowie -
The Bowie Lives. With special guests. Ground
Control, 1279 Queen St. W. www.bowiefest.ca
or www.eventbrite.com/e/the-bowie-livestickets-902461525717.
$50/$35(adv).
● 8:00: Sinfonia Toronto. Mozart & Masquerade
/ The Stars Align. Mozart: Piano Concert
No.12 in A K.414; Mozart: Piano Concerto
No.20 in d K.466; Bach: Violin Concerto No.2 in
E BWV 1042; Khachaturian: Masquerade Suite.
Anissa She, Victoria Zeng, and Jonathan Wang,
piano; Conrad Chow, violin; Sinfonia Toronto;
Nurhan Arman, conductor. Meridian Arts Centre
- George Weston Recital Hall, 5040 Yonge
St. 416-499-0403 or www.sinfoniatoronto.
com. $52; $40(sr); $20(st).
● 8:00: Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra.
Mozart Jupiter. See Sep 27. Also
Sep 29(3pm).
● 8:00: Toronto Symphony Orchestra. Pictures
at an Exhibition. See Sep 25.
1 ST ANNIVERSARY OF THE YORKMINSTER PARK CARILLON
CARILLON RECITAL
SEPTEMBER 22, 12:20 p.m. | Yorkminster Park Baptist Church, 1585 Yonge Street
Special Guest: Andrea McCrady
Dominion Carillonneur | Peace Tower, Ottawa
32 | September 2024 thewholenote.com

Sunday September 29
● 10:00am: Aga Khan Museum & Small
World Music. EnlighTEN x Global Toronto
Music Festival. See Sept 28.
● 2:30: St. Michael’s Cathedral Basilica
(Toronto). An Organ Extravaganza. Saint-
Saëns: Prelude & Fugue in E-flat Op.99 No.3;
Bach: Passacaglia in c BWV 582; Angela Kraft-
Cross: Archangel Fantasie; Tournemire:
Fresque Symphonique Sacrée No.2 Op.76;
Howells: Rhapsody in c-sharp Op.17 No.3.
Philip J. Fillion, organ; John Paul Farahat,
organ; Paul Jenkins, organ; Christopher Ku,
organ; David Simon, organ. 65 Bond St. 416-
397-6367 or www.smcs.on.ca. By donation.
● 3:00: Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra.
Mozart Jupiter. See Sep 27.
● 4:00: The Edison Singers. Missa Pax:
Choral works by Timothy Corlis. See Sep 28.
● 7:00: Kitchener-Waterloo Chamber
Music Society. Andromeda Trio. Program
to be announced. Marcus Scholtes, violin;
Miriam Stewart-Kroeker, cello; Ben Smith,
piano. Venue TBA. Visit www.ticketscene.ca/
kwcms. $35; $10(st).
● 7:30: Apocryphonia/Syrinx Concerts
Toronto. Sing To Me Again: Eastern European
Lyric Treasures. Works by Haas, Glick, Amirov,
Silvestrov, Chebotarian, Kapralova, Glinka, and
Zlatev-Cherkin. Fierbois Ensemble: Caitlin Broms-
Jacobs, oboe; Madeline Hildebrand, piano; John
Holland, bass-baritone; Alexander Cappellazzo,
tenor. Heliconian Hall, 35 Hazelton Ave. 514-378-
2558. Pay What You Can: suggested $20 or $30.
Free refreshments at intermission.
Tuesday October 1
● 1:00: St. James Cathedral. Tuesday Organ
Recital. Andre Knevel, organ. Cathedral
Church of St. James, 106 King St. E. 416-364-
7865 or www.stjamescathedral.ca/recitals.
Free. Donations encouraged.
● 8:00: Royal Conservatory of Music. Commemorate
the National Day of Truth and Reconciliation.
Falen Johnson, host; Tanya Tagaq,
vocalist; Manitou Mkwa Singers; Emma Pennell,
soprano; David Eliakis, piano; Royal
Conservatory Orchestra; Jennifer Tung, conductor;
and others. Royal Conservatory of
Music - TELUS Centre - Koerner Hall, 273 Bloor
St. W. www.rcmusic.com/tickets. $45.
Wednesday October 2
● 2:00: Bloor/Borden Farmer’s Market.
Music in the Market: Days of Grace. 300 Borden
St. 613-475-4769. Free. 2pm-7pm. Rain
or shine.
Thursday October 3
WOMEN’S MUSICAL CLUB OF TORONTO
OCTOBER 3, 2024 | 1.30 PM
CAMPBELL
FAGAN PARK
TRIO
James Campbell, clarinet
Leslie Fagan, soprano
Angela Park, piano
416-923-7052 | wmct.on.ca
● 1:30: Women’s Musical Club of Toronto.
Music in the Afternoon: Campbell Fagan
Park Trio. Schubert: Der Hirt auf dem Felsen
D.965 (Shepherd on the Rock); Glick: Images
at Nightfall, Georgian Bay. James Campbell,
clarinet; Leslie Fagan, soprano; Angela Park,
piano. University of Toronto - Edward Johnson
Building - Walter Hall, 80 Queen’s Park.
416-923-7052 X1 or www.wmct.on.ca. $50;
free(st with ID at door).
Friday October 4
● 7:30: Canadian Opera Company. Nabucco.
Music by Giuseppe Verdi. Roland Wood
(Nabucco); Tamara Wilson (Abigaille); Rihab
Chaieb (Fenena); Matthew Cairns (Ismaele);
and other soloists. Canadian Opera Company
Chorus & Orchestra; Paolo Carignani, conductor;
Katherine M. Carter, director. Four
Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts,
145 Queen St. W. 416-363-8231 or 1-800-
250-4653 or tickets@coc.ca. From $45. Also
Oct 6(2pm), 12, 17, 19(4:30pm), 23, 25. At
7:30pm unless otherwise noted.
● 7:30: Toronto Symphony Orchestra.
Spirited Overtures. Rossini: Overture to The
Barber of Seville; Stravinsky: Jeu de cartes;
Mozart: Violin Concerto No.5 K.216; J. Strauss
II: Overture to Die Fledermaus. Renaud Capuçon,
violin; Gustavo Gimeno, conductor. Roy
Thomson Hall, 60 Simcoe St. 416-598-3375
or www.tso.ca. Single tickets on sale in July
starting from $30. Also Oct 5(RTH @ 8pm) &
Oct 6(George Weston Recital Hall @ 3pm).
● 8:00: Burlington Performing Arts Centre.
The Box. Burlington Performing Arts
Centre - Main Theatre, 440 Locust St., Burlington.
905-681-6000. $49.50($44.50
member) - $69.50($64.50 member).
● 8:00: Fallsview Casino Resort. Nick
Carter Who I Am World Tour. Avalon Theatre,
6380 Fallsview Blvd, Niagara Falls. ticketmaster.ca.
$59.15-$88.44. Also Oct 5.
Saturday October 5
● 3:00: Canadian Music Centre. Robert
Nathaniel Dett Album Release Concert:
Northern Magnolias. Works by Robert
Nathaniel Dett. Luke Welch, piano. Canadian
Music Centre, Chalmers Performance Space,
20 St. Joseph St. www.on.cmccanada.org.
Free. Limited seating on a first-come/firstserved
basis. Post-concert reception and
meet-and-greet.
● 7:30: Greenbank Folk Music Society.
Jenie Thai. Jenie Thai Trio plus special guest
Rory Thaillon. Greenbank Hall, 19965 Highway
#12, Greenbank. 905-985-8351. $35.
● 8:00: Burlington Performing Arts Centre.
Black Gold. Disco, Soul, Rock’n’Roll,
Rhythm and Blues. Burlington Performing
Arts Centre - Main Theatre, 440 Locust St.,
Burlington. 905-681-6000. $49.50($44.50
member) - $69.50($64.50 member).
● 8:00: Cathedral Bluffs Symphony
Orchestra. Ode to Joy. Pax Christi Chorale;
Martin MacDonald, music director & conductor.
P.C. Ho Theatre, Chinese Cultural Centre
of Greater Toronto, 5183 Sheppard Ave.
E., Scarborough. 416-879-5566 or www.
cathedralbluffs.com. From $25.
● 8:00: Fallsview Casino Resort. Nick
Carter Who I Am World Tour. Avalon Theatre,
6380 Fallsview Blvd, Niagara Falls. ticketmaster.ca.
$59.15-$88.44. Also Oct 4.
● 8:00: Toronto Symphony Orchestra.
Spirited Overtures. See Oct 4. Also
Oct 6(George Weston Recital Hall @ 3pm).
Sunday October 6
● 2:00: Avenue Road Music & Performance
Academy. Marbin Matinees Concert
Series: “Musical Mosaics” - Catalin Dima.
Liszt: Elegie No.2; Ravel: Ondine from Gaspard
de la nuit; Enescu: Pièces impromptues;
Paul Constantinescu: Three Pieces for
Piano; Carmen Petra-Basacopol: Suite; and
music by Sergei Bortkiewicz. Catalin Dima,
piano. Avenue Road Music and Performance
Academy - Gordon Lightfoot Concert
Hall, 460 Avenue Rd. www.avenueroadmusic.
com/events/2024/10/06/musical-mosaicscatalin-dima-marbin-matinees-concertseries
or info@avenueroadmusic.com or
416-922-0855. Pay what you can or donation.
● 2:00: Canadian Opera Company. Nabucco.
SeeOct 4. Also Oct 12, 17, 19(4:30pm), 23, 25.
At 7:30pm unless otherwise noted.
● 3:00: Royal Conservatory of Music.
Emanuel Ax, Piano. Beethoven: Piano Sonata
No.8 in c Op.13 “Pathétique”; Schoenberg:
Drei Klavierstücke Op.11; Beethoven: Piano
Sonata No.2 in A Op.2 No.2; Schoenberg: Drei
Klavierstücke (1894); Schoenberg: Sechs
kleine Klavierstücke Op.19; Beethoven: Piano
Sonata No.23 in f Op.57 “Appassionata”.
Royal Conservatory of Music - TELUS Centre
- Koerner Hall, 273 Bloor St. W. 416-408-
0208 or www.rcmusic.com/performance.
From $75.
● 3:00: Toronto Symphony Orchestra.
Spirited Overtures. Rossini: Overture to The
Barber of Seville; Stravinsky: Jeu de cartes;
Mozart: Violin Concerto No.5 K.216; J. Strauss
II: Overture to Die Fledermaus. Renaud
Capuçon, violin; Gustavo Gimeno, conductor.
Meridian Arts Centre - George Weston
Recital Hall, 5040 Yonge St. 416-598-3375
or www.tso.ca. Single tickets on sale in July
starting from $30. Also Oct 5(RTH @ 8pm).
thewholenote.com September 2024 | 33

ORI DAGAN, @JAZZINTORONTO
BSMT 254
254 Lansdowne Ave. 416-801-6325
bsmt254.com @bsmt254toronto
A cozy music venue with an underground
vibe, BSMT 254 has a wide variety of shows,
from jazz to hip-hop to DJ nights.
Bluebird Bar, The
2072 Dundas St. W. 416-535-0777
bluebirdbarto.com @thebluebirdto
A friendly spot for drinks and local beers, featuring
live music every Thursday including
jazz, folk, blues and country.
Burdock
1184 Bloor St. W. 416-546-4033
burdockto.com @burdockbrewery
A sleek music hall with exceptional sound
and ambience, featuring a draft list of housemade
brews.
Cameron House, The
408 Queen St. W. 416-703-0811
thecameron.com @the.cameronhouse
An intimate, bohemian bar with ceiling
murals & nightly performances from local
roots acts on 2 stages.
Castro’s Lounge
2116 Queen St. E. 416-699-8272
castroslounge.com @castroslounge
Featuring an ever-changing selection of specialty
beers, Castro’s hosts a variety of local
live music acts, including bluegrass, jazz,
rockabilly, and alt-country.
C’est What
67 Front St. E. 416-867-9499
cestwhat.com @cestwhatto
A haven for those who appreciate real cask
ale, draught beer from local Ontario breweries,
and live music.
Communist’s Daughter, The
1149 Dundas Street W.
@thecommunistsdaughtertoronto
Beloved intimate dive bar with live music on
Saturday and Sunday afternoons
MAINLY CLUBS
Few spaces in the city are as community-oriented as The Tranzac - an art
hub dedicated to artistry, diversity, inclusion and accessibility. One of the
venue's spaces, the Southern Cross Lounge, is home to a variety of monthly
residencies, enabling Toronto artists to explore curation, presentation
and collaboration. Pictured here: bassist Jonathan Meyer and guitarists
Roberto Rosenman (l.) and Chris Bezant (r.); Bezant currently hosts a
Django Reinhart-inspired evening, the third Thursday of each month
starting at 9:30pm. Admission is PWYC, and the music is priceless.
Drom Taberna
458 Queen St. W. 647-748-2099
dromtaberna.com @dromtaberna
A heartfelt homage to the lands that stretch
from the Baltic to the Balkans to the Black
Sea, with a wide variety of music 7 nights a
week.
Duke Live, The
1225 Queen Street East. 416-466-2624
theduketoronto.com @theduketoronto.
com_
An assuming destination with casual pub fare
with live music including a big band series on
Sundays.
Emmet Ray, The
924 College St. 416-792-4497
theemmetray.com @theemmetray
A whisky bar with a great food menu, an everchanging
draft list, and live jazz, funk, folk and
more in the back room; live music 7 nights
a week.
Free Times Cafe, The
320 College St. 416-967-1078
freetimescafe.com @freetimescafeofficial
Home of the world’s longest-running weekly
Klezmer series, every Sunday afternoon with
brunch.
Function Bar + Kitchen
2291 Yonge St. 416-440-4007
functionbar.ca @functionbarto
Friendly atmosphere with open mic Tuesdays
& Sundays and mostly Soul and R&B on Fridays
and Saturdays.
Golden Pigeon Beer Hall, The
424 Parliament St. 416-392-1039
goldenpigeonbar.com @
goldenpigeonbeerhall
A classic beer hall with sophisticated food
offerings, Golden Pigeon features a weekly
Tuesday jazz night, as well as other special
events.
Grossman’s Tavern
379 Spadina Ave. 416-977-7000
grossmanstavern.com @grossmanstavern
One of the city’s longest-running live music
venues, and Toronto’s self-described “Home
of the Blues.”
Handlebar
159 Augusta Ave. 647-748-7433
thehandlebar.ca @handlebar_to
Ahip night spot with a variety of entertainment
including open mic Tuesdays and a
monthly jazz jam.
Hirut Cafe and Restaurant
2050 Danforth Ave. 416-551-7560
hirutjazz.ca @hirutcafe
A major destination for delicious and nutritious
Ethiopian cuisine, with monthly jazz
residencies and jam sessions.
Hugh’s Room Live
296 Broadview Ave. 647-960-2593
hughsroomlive.com @hughsroomlive
A dedicated listening room with an intimate
performing space, great acoustics, and
an attentive audience, Hugh’s Room recently
made the move to their new permanent home
on Broadview Avenue.
Jazz Bistro, The
251 Victoria St. 416-363-5299
jazzbistro.ca @jazzbistroto
In an historic location, Jazz Bistro features
great food, a stellar wine list, and world-class
jazz musicians in airy club environs.
Jazz Lounge – See Old Mill, The
Jazz Room, The
Located in the Huether Hotel, 59 King St. N.,
Waterloo. 226-476-1565
kwjazzroom.com @thejazzroom
A welcoming music venue dedicated to the
best in jazz music presentations, and home to
the Grand River Jazz Society, which presents
regular series throughout the year.
Jean Darlene Piano Room, The
1203 Dundas Street West.
jeandarlene.ca @jeandarlenepianoroom
An intoxicating atmosphere, cool cocktails
and great talent including “karaoke with a live
band” on Thursday, Fridays and Saturdays.
Linsmore Tavern, The
1298 Danforth Ave. 416-466-5130
linsmoretavern.com @linsmoretavern
An old-school tavern with rock, cover bands
and a weekly Sunday blues night.
Local, The
396 Roncesvalles Ave 416-535-6225
@thelocaltoronto
Neighbourhood bar with pub fare, local beers
and live music
Lula Lounge
1585 Dundas St. W. 416-588-0307
lula.ca @lulalounge
Toronto’s mecca for salsa, jazz, afro-Cuban,
and world music, with Latin dance classes
and excellent food and drinks.
Manhattans Pizza Bistro & Music Club
951 Gordon St., Guelph 519-767-2440
manhattans.ca @manhattans_guelph
An independently owned neighbourhood restaurant
boasting a unique dining experience
that features live music almost every night
of the week.
Mekan Toronto
817 Queen St. W. 647-901-6280
mekantoronto.com @mekantoronto
A new Queen St. spot with an emphasis on
lively music, good times, and Turkish culture,
Mekan features world music, jazz, swing,
and more.
Monarch Tavern
12 Clinton St. 416-531-5833
themonarchtavern.com @monarchtavern
With a café/cocktail bar on the main floor and
a pub with microbrews upstairs, Monarch
Tavern regularly hosts indie, rock, and other
musical genres on its stage.
Motel Bar
1235 Queen Street W. 416-399-4108
@motelparkdale
Casual spot for drinks, laid back atmosphere
and up-close live music
My House in the Junction
2882 Dundas Street W. 416-604-4555
myhouseinthejunction.com @
myhouseinthejunction
Unique bar, lounge, restaurant, event space
and live music venue, including jazz every
Friday.
Noonan’s Pub
141 Danforth Ave. 416-778-1804
noonanspub.ca @noonansirishpub
Traditional Irish pub with casual atmosphere
and live music including swing, blues, rock
and country.
Old Mill, The
21 Old Mill Rd. 416-236-2641
oldmilltoronto.com @oldmilltoronto
Jazz Lounge:
An updated space in the Old Mill’s main dining
room, the Jazz Lounge features an updated
sound system, a new shareable menu, and listenable
straight ahead jazz.
Only Cafe, The
962 Danforth Ave. 416-463-3249
theonlycafe.com @theonlycafe
A casual backroom of a friendly bar with a
wide variety of music programmed including
weekly jam sessions and young artist
showcases..
Pamenar
307 Augusta Ave.
cafepamenar.com @pamenar_km
One of the city’s best third-wave coffee shops
by day and bar by night, Pamenar hosts live
music, DJs, comedy, and more.
Pilot Tavern, The
22 Cumberland Ave. 416-923-5716
thepilot.ca @thepilot_to
With over 75 years around Yonge and Bloor,
the Pilot is a multi-level bar that hosts live jazz
on Saturday afternoons.
34 | September 2024 thewholenote.com

Poetry Jazz Café
1078 Queen St W. 416-599-5299
poetryjazzcafe.com @poetryjazzcafe
A sexy, clubby space, Poetry hosts live jazz,
hip-hop, and DJs nightly on Queen St. West.
Redwood Theatre, The
1300 Gerrard Street East. 647-547-4410
theredwoodtheatre.com @
theredwoodtheatre
A multi-disciplinary space for music, dance,
circus, comedy, theatre and more.
Reposado Bar & Lounge
136 Ossington Ave. 416-532-6474
reposadobar.com @reposadobar
A chic, low-light bar with top-shelf tequila,
Mexican tapas, and live music.
Reservoir Lounge, The
52 Wellington St. E. 416-955-0887
reservoirlounge.com @reservoirlounge
Toronto’s self-professed original swingjazz
bar and restaurant, located in a historic
speakeasy near St. Lawrence Market, with
live music four nights a week.
Rev, La
2848 Dundas St. W. 416-766-0746
larev.ca @la.rev.toronto
La Rev offers their guests and authentic taste
of comida casera (Mexican homestyle cooking),
and a welcoming performance space
featuring some of Toronto’s most talented
musicians.
Rex Hotel Jazz & Blues Bar, The
194 Queen St. W. 416-598-2475
therex.ca @therextoronto
With over 60 shows per month of Canadian
and international groups, The Rex is Toronto’s
longest-running jazz club, with full bar and
kitchen menu.
Sauce on Danforth
1376 Danforth Ave. 647-748-1376
sauceondanforth.com @sauceondanforth
With Victorian lighting, cocktails, and an
extensive tap and bottle list, Sauce on Danforth
has live music Tuesday through Saturday
(and sometimes Sunday).
Smokeshow BBQ and Brew
744 Mt. Pleasant Rd 416-901-7469
smokeshowbbqandbrew.com @
smokeshowjohn
A laid-back venue with an emphasis on barbecue
and beer, Smokeshow hosts cover artists
and original music Thursday through Sunday,
with Bachata lessons on Tuesdays and Karaoke
on Wednesdays.
Tapestry
224 Augusta Ave.
@tapestry_to
In the space formerly occupied by Poetry,
Tapestry features jazz, electronic music, soul,
and more.
Tranzac
292 Brunswick Ave. 416-923-8137
tranzac.org @tranzac292
A community arts venue dedicated to supporting,
presenting, and promoting creative
and cultural activity in Toronto, with
live shows in multiple rooms every day of
the week.
UNDATED EVENTS & ETCETERAS
LIVE REHEARSAL &
PERFORMANCE OPPORTUNITIES
● A New Quartet is an emerging Toronto
area ensemble that rehearses traditional
repertoire and writes new music. The quartet
is currently seeking saxophone players
and composers. For details please visit anewquartet.net
.
● The Choralairs is a non-audition, adult
choir that welcomes new members in September
and January. Rehearsals are on Tuesday
6:45-8-45pm at Edithvale C.C. 131 Finch
Ave. W, Toronto. Please contact Elaine at
choralairs.delighted.720@silomails.com to
RSVP. Check out our new website at www.
Choralairs.com.
● Etobicoke Community Concert Band. Full
rehearsals every Wednesday night at 7:30pm.
309 Horner Ave. Open to all who are looking
for a great band to join. Text Rob Hunter at
416-878-1730.
● Harmony Singers of Etobicoke. The
women of The Harmony Singers survived
COVID and are regrouping for 2024! If you’d
like to sing an exciting repertoire of pop, jazz,
folk and light classics, the group will give you
a warm welcome! Rehearsals start in January
on Wednesday nights from 7:15 to 9:30
p.m. at Richview United Church in Etobicoke.
Contact Conductor Harvey Patterson
at: theharmonysingers@ca.com or call
416-239-5821.
● New Horizons Band of Toronto. All levels
from beginners to advanced for brass, woodwind,
and percussion instruments. Weekly
classes led by professional music teachers.
Loaner instrument provided to each new
registrant in the beginners’ program. Visit
www.newhorizonsbandtoronto.ca.
● North Toronto Community Band. Openings
for drums, clarinets, trumpets, trombones,
French horns. Rehearsals held at Willowdale
Presbyterian Church 38 Ellerslie Ave.
(just north of Mel Lastman Square). Monday
evenings 7:30-9:30 pm. Contact ntcband@
gmail.com.
FREE LISTINGS
listings@thewholenote.com
A vacation
for your dog!
Barker Avenue Boarding
in East York
call or text 416-574-5250
● Serenata Singers. Are you free Wednesday
mornings? Join the Serenata Singers,
a 55-voice adult SATB community choir,
ranging in age from 55 to 97, under accomplished
choral director Michael Morgan.
Performances will include a “Winter Cabaret”
on November 30, 2024, and two annual
spring concerts on May 8 & 9, 2025 along
with other performances during the year at
seniors’ residences. Meets at Scarborough
Bluffs United Church, 3739 Kingston Rd, every
Wednesday from 10:30am to 12:30pm. www.
serenatasingers.ca or call Charlotte at 416-
449-4053! Come join us!
● String Orchestra TO is a new string
orchestra in Toronto for amateur intermediate
and advanced string players. No auditions.
Our season runs from Sep 11, 2024 to
May 28, 2025. Wed rehearsals: 7:15-9:15 pm at
St. Barnabas Church, 361 Danforth Ave.. Visit
www.sites.google.com/view/stringorchestrato/home
or email us at StringOrchestraTO@gmail.com.
● Strings Attached Orchestra, North York.
All string players (especially viola, cello,
bass) are welcome. Mondays 7 to 9 p.m.
from Sep to Jun. Email us first at info.stringsattached@gmail.com
to receive music and
other details or visit our website at www.
stringsattachedorchestra.com for more
information.
● Toronto Shape Note Singers. Sacred
Harp Singing. Shape note selections from
the Sacred Harp tunebook.Singing is participatory,
not a performance. No experience
necessary. All are welcome and there are
books to borrow. Monthly on the third Wednesday
from Feb 21 to Dec 8, 2024. Friends
House, 60 Lowther Ave. 647-838-8764. Pay
what you can. Aug 21, Sep 18, Oct 16, Nov 20
& Dec 18.
● Aug 26 7:00: Array/ECCG Gamelan. Evergreen
Club Contemporary Gamelan Monthly
Meetup. Array Space, 155 Walnut Ave. 416-
532-3019. Free.
DO YOU DRIVE?
Do you love The WholeNote?
Share the love and earn a little money!
Join our circulation team, and deliver
6 times a year. Currently
seeking circulation associates
for the GTA.
Interested?
Contact:
circulation@thewholenote.com
ONGOING EVENTS
● Trinity College, University of Toronto.
Evensong. Traditional Anglican choral music.
Trinity College Chapel Choir; Thomas Bell, director
of music; Peter Bayer, organ scholar.
Trinity College Chapel, University of Toronto,
6 Hoskin Ave. 416-978-2522 or Trinity College.
Free. Evensong is sung every Wednesday at
5:15pm in the beautiful Trinity College chapel
during term time.
● Encore Symphonic Concert Band.
Monthly Concert Band Concert. The first
Thursday of every month at 11am. 35-piece
concert band performing band concert
music, pop tunes, jazz standards (2 singers)
and the occasional march. Trinity Presbyterian
Church York Mills, 2737 Bayview Ave.
www.encoreband.ca. $10.
ONLINE EVENTS
● Arts@Home. A vibrant hub connecting
Torontonians to arts and culture. Designed to
strengthen personal and societal resilience
through the arts. www.artsathome.ca.
● North Toronto Community Band. Openings
for clarinet, trumpet, trombone, tuba
and auxiliary percussion. Rehearsals held at
Willowdale Presbyterian Church 38 Ellerslie
Ave. (just north of Mel Lastman Square).
Monday evenings 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. Contact
ntcband@gmail.com.
● Recollectiv. For anyone living with cognitive
challenges from Alzheimer’s, dementia,
traumatic brain injury, stroke or PTSD.
The group meets weekly to rediscover the
joy of making music. Community members
and music students are welcome to this fun,
rewarding and inter-generational experience.
Sessions take place from 2 to 3pm (with
sound checks and socializing at 1:30pm). No
summer sessions after Jun 22. Weekly sessions
resume on Sep 7. Please contact recollectiv@gmail.com
for more information.
BUSINESS
CLASSIFIEDS
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in print and on-line.
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thank a music teacher.
MosePianoForAll.com
thewholenote.com September 2024 | 35

DISCOVERIES | RECORDINGS REVIEWED
DAVID OLDS
Spending time at the family cottage in the
Haliburton Highlands this summer with my
mother I was reminded of her favourite
adage “You can’t have too many mushrooms.”
This came to mind as I was listening
to the CD Ravel | Jurecka by the Venuti
String Quartet (venutistringquartet.com)
when I realized you also “can’t have too
many recordings of the Ravel String
Quartet,” especially when it’s played with such joie de vivre as it is by
this Toronto-based ensemble. Dating from 1903, the quartet is a relatively
early work written when the composer was 28 years old. A
forward-looking piece, especially in the assez vif – très rhythmé
second movement with its extensive use of pizzicato, Ravel’s quartet is
rooted in turn of the century late romantic sensibilities. Two decades
later, Ravel was exposed to the St. Louis style of blues and jazz music
as performed by W.C. Handy, who was based in Paris at the time, and
incorporated this influence into the Sonata for Violin and Piano
(1923-1927). In a similar way, Toronto multi-instrumentalist, polystylist,
composer and arranger Drew Jurecka, founding member of the
Venuti String Quartet, draws upon jazz in his String Quartet in D that
opens the disc. The initial Allegro moderato begins with pizzicato in
the lower strings, perhaps in homage to Ravel, with a lovely lilting
unison melody in the violins, followed by a rollicking Scherzo that
features some string-scraping percussion effects. The third movement,
Indigo, brings to mind Porgy and Bess, and the Fast Swing finale is
reminiscent of the quartet’s namesake, iconic jazz violinist Joe Venuti.
Jurecka is joined by Rebekah Wolkstein (who takes first desk in the
Ravel), violist Shannon Knights and cellist Lydia Munchinsky in a
captivating performance of a welcome addition to the quartet repertoire.
The disc ends with a breath-taking tour de force called The
Spider, a tribute to Carl Stalling of Looney Toons and Merry Melodies
fame, co-written by Jurecka and long-time associate, guitarist Jay
Danley. Hold on to your hat!
The latest release by the Miró Quartet, aptly
titled Home (pentatonemusic.com/product/
home) explores various aspects of feelings
associated with their (our) sense of
belonging and place. It represents the
group’s artistic home, firmly rooted in the
American soundscape and musical tradition,
and the commissioned works also investigate
the composers’ understanding of the
word. Kevin Puts’ 2017 three movement work that gives the CD its
title, is a response to the civil war which displaced more than 13
million Syrian Nationals and sparked the European Migrant Crisis,
and to subsequent events including the US border crisis and Russia’s
war on Ukraine. It’s an expressive three movement work that
“confronts the idea of what being forcibly driven from your home by
violence might mean and feel like.” Caroline Shaw wrote Microfictions
[Volume 1] during COVID restrictions while confined to her apartment
in NYC. Inspired by science fiction writer T.R. Darling’s Twitter-based
short stories, Shaw took those same character limit restrictions and
created her own brief vignettes as introductions to six movements for
string quartet. We hear her reciting these to accompany the Miró
performance. The longest work on the programme is Samuel Barber’s
gorgeous String Quartet in B Minor (1936, rev.1943). Violist John
Largess’ program note tells us this work is “a dramatic, powerful and
intense piece, uniquely American, but also universal in its message”
and the Miró’s performance reinforces his perspective. Of course, it is
the third movement of Barber’s string quartet that is most familiar as
the standalone Adagio for Strings. In a review some years ago I chastised
a young Canadian string quartet for only including this excerpt
on a disc that had room for the whole quartet, so I’m pleased that the
Miró have presented the complete work here. However, Home also
includes a similarly iconic excerpt known as “Lyric for Strings,” the
Molto adagio movement from George Walker’s 1946 String Quartet
No.1. Fortunately a recent recording by the Catalyst Quartet –
Uncovered Vol.3 – includes the quartet in its entirety and I was happy
to seek it out. Home ends gently with William Ryden’s arrangement of
Harold Arlen’s Over the Rainbow. You can find a wonderful video
performance on YouTube entitled Miro Quartet’s “Over the Rainbow”
Celebrates Hometown of Austin, TX. There’s no place like home!
Since its founding in 2006, Quatuor Béla
have been touted as the enfants terrible
of French string quartets. In addition to a
commitment to traditional quartet repertoire
they specialize in the most significant
quartets of the 20th century and have been
instrumental in the continuing development
of the genre commissioning and
performing works by Saariaho, Drouet,
Stroppa, Mochizuki, Leroux and Platz to name just a few. Benjamin
Britten (lepalaisdesdegustateurs.com) is their latest release, two CDs
including Britten’s three numbered string quartets and a strikingly
effective bare bones transcription by first violinist Frédéric Aurier of
Les Illuminations with soprano Julia Wischniewski. Aurier also wrote
the detailed and insightful liner notes which provide context and
analysis of the works presented. I particularly like the way he relates
the string quartets to Britten’s operas. The first two were written while
the world was in the throes of the Second World War; String Quartet
No.1 in 1941 while Britten and his partner Peter Pears were sheltering
in the USA (they returned to Britain in 1942) and String Quartet No.2
in 1945. Although ostensibly written to commemorate the 250th anniversary
of Henry Purcell’s death, the second quartet also incorporates
the feelings of devastation Britten experienced while visiting Germany
with Yehudi Menuhin after the armistice to perform for liberated prisoners
and emaciated survivors from German camps, including the
notorious Bergen-Belsen. The three-movement work concludes with
what Aurier calls a “bewildering” Chaconne with its theme and variations,
a theme “which has its operatic twin in Britten’s The Turn of
the Screw.” Aurier goes on to say that “Though the tribute to Purcell is
real, it is a Beethovenian force that drives the piece” and the repeated
final chords are indeed reminiscent of that master. Three decades
would elapse before Britten returned to the form, and the String
Quartet No.3 (1975) was his final completed instrumental work. It is
closely linked to the opera Death in Venice written shortly beforehand
and it ends peacefully, the work of a composer facing his own
imminent death. Here, as elsewhere in these impeccable performances,
Quatuor Béla captures every subtle nuance and dramatic
cadence with aplomb.
Les Illuminations was begun in England in March 1939 and
completed a few months later in the United States. It was originally
scored for soprano and string orchestra, but within two years of its
premiere Britten conducted Pears in the tenor version which has
become more often performed. But as Britten’s biographer David
Matthews wrote, the work is “so much more sensuous when sung by
the soprano voice for which the songs were conceived.” Wischniewski
certainly brings sensuousness and passion to fore here in a spectacular
performance. The texts are selected passages from poems abandoned
36 | September 2024 thewholenote.com

y Arthur Rimbaud at the age of 20, later published under the same
name as the song cycle. Although the poems are not included in the
booklet, the notes give a synopsis of each of the nine movements. As
for the “de-orchestration,” Aurier tells us that “as in any reduction,
something is lost… a smoothness, a density, a quiet force. And something
is gained… a sharpness, details, the quintessence of the speech,
the articulation and the urgency of the music perhaps. We wanted this
version to be faithful, dynamic and expressive, more raw perhaps, but
connected with the Rimbaldian delirium.” Mission accomplished.
I find myself wondering if recordings of Bach’s cello suites are like
mushrooms, because they seem to keep popping up, and also because
it seems that I “can’t have too many” of them. The suites are so ubiquitous
that virtually every cellist plays them, throughout their life, and
most professionals record them at least once. Two new recordings
came my way recently.
Henrik Dam Thomsen, principal cellist of
the Danish National Symphony Orchestra
since 2000, has just released his well
considered version of J. S. Bach – Six Suites
for Cello Solo (ourrecordings.com) with an
excellent introductory essay by Jens
Cornelius which incorporates historical
information about Bach and the suites and
includes extensive quotes from the
performer and a description of the recording venue (Garnisons Kirke,
Copenhagen). Thomsen says of his own personal journey to this point,
“I have just turned 50, and for 40 of those years I have studied the
suites. So a long musical journey underlies the way in which I play
them today. As a cellist one goes through various phases with regard
to the suites. When young, one is strongly influenced by one’s
teachers. This is followed by a phase where one makes the music one’s
own and attempts to discover what means something special for
oneself. And in my case this has already been a very long period. I
have played Bach at numerous concerts over the years, and at the
same time the suites have been my daily practising therapy.” He goes
on to talk about the choices one has to make today in considering
historical instruments and performance practices and how this has
influenced him. His ultimate decision was to use his usual instrument
– a 1680 Francesco Ruggieri built five years before Bach was born –
while eschewing gut strings for modern ones and using a conventional
bow. He also chooses to play the final suite on this instrument, despite
it having been conceived for a five-string cello. The result is a warm,
confident, at times exuberant and a very welcome addition to the
discography. I’ll leave the last words to Thomsen: “Today, Bach is like
some huge tree, and the interpretations of his music are like a million
leaves on that tree. To record Bach’s music is a profoundly personal
thing, but when I come with an attempt at an interpretation, all I do is
add just one more leaf to that huge tree which is Bach.”
In 2002 Montreal-born French cellist Jean-
Guihen Queyras (jeanguihenqueyras.
com) was awarded the City of Toronto
Glenn Gould Protégé Prize as selected by
that year’s laureate Pierre Boulez. In 2007
Harmonia Mundi released Queyras’ first
recording of Bach’s cello suites. Later this
month HM will release JS Bach – Complete
Cello Suites (The 2023 Sessions), Queyras’
36th recording for the prestigious label. This latest version follows
a dance collaboration with Belgian choreographer Anne Teresa De
Keersmaeker, Mitten wir im Leben sind / Bach6Cellosuiten (2017).
After nearly a hundred performances of the dance work, Queyras
returned to the studio to record his current interpretation of these
masterworks. Obviously influenced by his experiences with the
dancers – each of the suites is comprised of a prelude and five dance
movements after all – these performances are flowing and fluid. In
the booklet Queyras discusses his approach and influences. Like
Thomsen, Queyras speaks about how the suites are a lifelong project:
“Bach’s Cello Suites do indeed accompany us, cellists, throughout
our lives. We encounter them while still very young, by tackling the
less technically challenging movements. For me, it started with the
Bourree from the third suite. I was 10 years old. My connection to
the Bach Suites began there, and this music has never left me since.
When you are quite young, you play it spontaneously, you celebrate
life. Then in adolescence, you start to question yourself, to go through
moments of genuine doubt. At the age of 17 or 18, you turn to the great
masters of the past, to their countless recordings that have set the
standard, and you ask yourself: How should I do it? What could I add
to all this? When I was in my twenties, I had a tendency to sink into
deep thought and serious questioning... And in Bach, I found a source
of support. [...] When I went into the studio to make this second
recording, my idea was to say, I am letting the passage of time do its
work. The recording I am making today will be what it is because it
is nourished by everything I have experienced during the 17 years
that separate the two sessions, especially by the experience of Mitten.
[…] I wanted to open up new avenues and to focus even more on the
harmonic movement. Harmony is the framework that allows the
melody to soar. That is also how jazz musicians approach their charts.
In this new recording, I tried to go further in these flights of imagination…”
Queyras goes on to say that he was also influenced by a viola da
gamba recording by Paolo Pandolfo and wanted to incorporate some
of the gestures specific to the gamba. I find that particularly noticeable
in the haunting melancholy of the fifth suite and in the sixth with his
use of ornamentation and the way he manages to create the impression
of a hurdy-gurdy. Like Thomsen he chooses to use his “usual”
four-string instrument for this suite, a Gioffredo Cappa cello dating
from 1696.
We invite submissions. CDs, DVDs and comments should
be sent to: DISCoveries, The WholeNote c/o Music Alive,
The Centre for Social Innovation, 720 Bathurst St. Toronto
ON M5S 2R4 or to discoveries@thewholenote.com.
www.acisproductions.com
thewholenote.com September 2024 | 37
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STRINGS
ATTACHED
TERRY ROBBINS
Fabio Biondi is the violinist on the naïve
release Roman: Assaggi per Violino Solo,
the unaccompanied works of the Swedish
composer Johan Helmich Roman (presto-
music.com/classical/products/9614673--
roman-assaggi-per-violino-solo).
Composed mainly in the 1730s, the
works have a complicated source situation.
Proofs of two movements of the G Minor
Assaggio BeRI 314 from an aborted 1740 publication project exist,
with a comprehensive but incompletely preserved manuscript collection
by Roman’s colleague Per Brant containing about 20 compositions
– some only fragmentary – supplemented with several Roman
autographs.
The CD booklet doesn’t identify which performing source or edition
Bondi uses. Although he adds bass and harmony notes and occasionally
embellishes repeats, he essentially follows the 1958 Stockholm
edition published by Almqvist & Wiksell, its exhaustive Introduction
detailing source notational differences and their implications for
performance. All six Assaggi from that edition are here, along with the
D Minor Assaggio BeRI 311 in beautifully animated and effortless
performances of works that, like the Telemann Fantasies they
resemble, often look deceptively easy on the printed page.
The contemporary German composer
Sophia Jani wrote her Six Pieces for Solo
Violin between 2020 and 2023; they are
performed on a new Squama Recordings
CD by Jani’s long-time collaborator violinist
Teresa Allgaier (sophiajani.bandcamp.com).
There are actually seven tracks on the
disc, the slow, quiet Prelude acting as a
separate introduction displaying elements –
double stops, tremolo, arpeggios, etc. – that
feature in the six diverse movements: Scordatura; Arpeggio; Triads;
Capriccio; Grandezza; and Ricochet. The booklet notes describe the
music as employing a mostly consonant language, unfolding gently
and with great delicacy and leisure. The intensely effective build-up
throughout the Arpeggio movement, the longest at eight minutes,
might belie that, but only the Grandezza hints at any extended
technique.
Allgaier is outstanding in what must be regarded as a definitive
performance of a work that is a significant addition to the solo violin
repertoire.
Violinist Elizabeth Chang describes the
early 20th-century works on the new Bridge
CD Sonatas & Myths as being by composers
at the end of the Romantic period
attempting to integrate their Germanicbased
schooling with the emergence of new
influences and styles. Steven Beck is the
excellent accompanist (bridgerecords.com/
products/9590).
Karol Szymanowski’s French-influenced Mythes: Trois Poèmes,
Op.30 from 1915 opens the disc, with Chang’s bright, clear tone
soaring through the mostly very high register writing. Ernst von
Dohnányi, on the other hand, for the most part remained in the
Romantic style of Brahms and Richard Strauss, his impressive Violin
Sonata in C-sharp Minor, Op.21 from 1912 mostly looking backwards
rather than forwards, although clearly showing the influence of
Hungarian folk music in the second movement.
That folk music influence was even greater for Béla Bartók, who
collected and studied Eastern-European folk music while also
being influenced by contemporary composers like Schoenberg and
Stravinsky. His Violin Sonata No.1 from 1921, though, is a complex
work with less folk influence than you might expect.
Chang and Beck are in great form throughout an impressive recital.
On the PAN CLASSICS disc Arcadia
baroque violinist and artistic director
Leonor de Lera is joined by Nacho Laguna
on theorbo and baroque guitar and Pablo
FitzGerald on archlute and baroque guitar
in a quite superb recital of predominantly
16th-century music inspired by the pastoral
poetry of the Arcadian world (leonordelera.com).
Composers represented are Claudio Monteverdi, Andrea Falconieri,
Philippe Verdelot, Bartolomeo Tromboncino, Adrian Willaert,
Vincenzo Ruffo, Giammatteo Asola, Giaches de Wert, Giuseppino
del Biado, Riccardo Rognoni, Giulio Caccini, Francesco Rognoni and
Sigismondo d’India.
Lera’s use of diminutions – the ornamentation style and practice of
Renaissance and Early Baroque Italian music in which long-value
notes are broken down into shorter and more rapid notes that move
around the melody – results in dazzling performances that simply
burst with life, superbly supported by the lutes and guitars and
beautifully recorded.
Cantabile: Anthems for Viola, the first
album on the Delphian label by the
Jamaican-American violist Jordan Bak
is a recital built around two substantial
20th-century English works. Richard Uttley
is the accompanist (delphianrecords.com/
products/cantabile-anthems-for-viola).
The brief and somewhat discordant
Chant by English composer Jonathan
Harvey provides a subdued opening before Vaughan Williams’ lovely
Romance, only discovered after the composer’s death in 1958, and
Bright Sheng’s solo viola work The Stream Flows.
The two major works, separated by the premiere recording of
Augusta Read Thomas’ Song without Words are the Bax Sonata for
Viola and Piano, GP251, written in 1922 for Lionel Tertis and the
Britten Lachrymae: Reflections on a Song of Dowland, Op.48, written
for William Primrose in 1950. The Bax in particular is a gorgeous
work, given a superb performance that is worth the price of this
outstanding CD on its own.
In his excellent booklet essay for the new Le
Palais des Dégustateurs recording Chopin
Brahms CD featuring violist Ettore Causa
and pianist Boris Berman (lepalaisdesdegustateurs.com)
Paul Berry suggests that
by ignoring arrangements and transcriptions
in favour of precisely executed original
works modern practice inadvertently eliminates
an essential element of reimagination.
Successful transcriptions need no justification, though, and that’s
clearly the case here with the performers’ own beautiful transcriptions
of Chopin’s Cello Sonata in G Minor, Op.65 and Brahms’
Violin Sonata in G Major, Op.78. The keyboard parts remain virtually
unchanged, with the viola’s adjustments up or down an octave
38 | September 2024 thewholenote.com

to compensate for the cello’s lowest compass and the violin’s highest
register respectively resulting in both pieces being imbued with what
Berry calls “an unfamiliar delicacy.”
While some strength and depth are consequently lost in the Chopin,
the opposite is true in the Brahms, the viola’s broader and warmer
tone seemingly adding to the emotional effect.
ATMA Classique’s Images Retrouvées is the
second issue in the Images Oubliées project
by cellist Stéphane Tétrault and pianist
Olivier Hébert-Bouchard that focuses on
the genius of Claude Debussy (atmaclassique.com/en).
The performers cite Debussy’s interest in
transcription – creating piano reductions
of his own orchestral works and entrusting
the orchestration of his piano works to
colleagues – as the spur for their desire to create and reinvent; their
arrangements for cello and piano of pieces predominantly for piano
solo, give the music a new range of tone colours.
The 15 tracks are arranged chronologically, and include Deux
arabesques, D’un cahier d’esquisses, L’isle joyeuse and Golliwog’s
Cakewalk. Tétrault plays with a warm, even tone across the cello’s
entire range, sensitively accompanied by Hébert-Bouchard in a recital
of few dynamic peaks. In truth, it’s much of a muchness, but when
the “muchness” is presented so beautifully, who can object?
Works involving violin, cello and piano are
presented on the new First Hand Records
CD Ravel featuring violinist Klara Flieder,
cellist Christophe Pantillon and pianist
Massimo Giuseppe Bianchi (firsthandrecords.com).
Ravel’s Violin Sonata No.2 in G Major,
M77 was written between 1923 and 1927,
and has a second movement with a decidedly
bluesy nature. His Sonata in A Minor
for Violin and Cello, M73 from 1920-22 was dedicated to Debussy, who
had died in 1918, and references his music along with a Hungarian
influence which may well have been provided by Kodály’s 1914 sonata
for the same instruments. The Piano Trio in A Minor, M67 from 1914
completes the disc.
There’s plenty of fine playing here, although the violin seems to be
set back a bit in the two works with piano, with the latter particularly
prominent in the Trio.
Any CD by the superb Takács Quartet is always guaranteed to
provide performances of the highest quality, and this is proven
again with their new Hyperion CD of quartets from each end of the
composer’s life on Schubert String Quartets
D112 & D887 (hyperion-records.co.uk/
dc.asp?dc=D_CDA68423).
The String Quartet No.15 in G Major,
D887 from June of 1826 was the last quartet
Schubert wrote, not being published until
1851, 23 years after his death. Described
here as being one of the composer’s most
ambitious and far-reaching chamber works,
its extremely challenging technical difficulties
and emotional turbulence have tended to restrict its performances.
Not that you would guess that for a moment, given the deep
and richly-nuanced performance here.
The String Quartet No.8 in B-flat Major, D112 was written in 1814
when Schubert was only 17 and clearly shows the influence of Haydn
and Mozart. Again, the Takács players are outstanding on another
terrific CD to add to their already impressive discography.
Mendelssohn String Quartets Nos. 4, 5 & 6
is the second volume in the series by Brazil’s
Quarteto Carlos Gomes on the Azul label
(azulmusic.com.br/en).
The works are the last three quartets
that Mendelssohn wrote: No.4 in E Minor,
Op.44 No.2 from 1837, revised in 1839; No.5
in E-flat, Op.44 No.3 from 1837-38; and
No.6 in F Minor, Op.80 from 1847, the last
major work that he completed. The latter
in particular is an intensely personal work, written in a period of
mourning following the death of his sister Fannie in May, and only
two months before his own death in November.
Strong performances, full-bodied, warm, full of feeling and resonantly
recorded, more than hold their own in a highly competitive
field.
There’s yet another terrific recording of
the Four Seasons on Antonio Vivaldi: Le
Quattro Stagioni, a 2CD issue priced as
a single disc with Jordi Savall directing
soloist Alfia Bakieva and the all-female
Les Musiciennes du Concert des Nations,
which takes its inspiration from Vivaldi’s
girls’ orchestra at the Ospedale della Pietá
in Venice (alia-vox.com/en/producte/
antonio-vivaldi-le-quattro-stagion).
There are in fact two recordings of the work here, with and without
the sonnets that are written in the score: CD1 opens with the sonnets
read in Italian (full translations in the booklet) and CD2 closes with
What we're listening to this month:
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Benjamin Britten
Quatuor BELA
After an unforgettable recording
of the Debussy and Magnard
quartets, the Béla Quartet
confirms its status of excellence
with this reference interpretation
of the Britten quartets.
Sonatas & Myths
Elizabeth Chang, Steven Beck
This recording presents beautifully
detailed performances of three
important pieces, performed by
two leading virtuosi.
Claude Debussy: Images retrouvées
Olivier Hébert-Bouchard et
Stéphane Tétreault
The album takes us back to
Debussy's immense contribution
to the piano repertoire, and delves
deeper into the composer's
patriotic, amorous and curious
identity.
thewholenote.com September 2024 | 39

the music-only performance.
The other works on CD1 are the Concerto in F Major, Il Proteo o sia
il mondo al rovescio, RV544 and the Concerto in E-flat Major, La
Tempesta di mare, RV253. CD2 opens with the L’Estro armonico,
Op.3, Concerto No.10 in B Minor, RV580, and the second movement
Andante from the Concerto in B-flat Major, RV583. All performances
are beautifully judged throughout this outstanding release.
On PIAZZOLLA: Buenos Aires violinist
Tomás Cotik pays homage to his birth
city with his third Piazzolla CD for Naxos,
accompanied by the Martingale Ensemble
under Ken Seldon (tomascotik.com).
The central work on the CD is the now
familiar Leonid Desyatnikov concerto
arrangement of Las cuatro estaciones
porteñas (“The Four Seasons of Buenos
Aires”), the four movements of which were written in 1961 and 1969
and originally conceived as individual compositions rather than a
single suite. Desyatnikov’s arrangement incorporates quotes from the
Vivaldi work. The remaining seven pieces are all 2021 arrangements
by Ken Seldon of pieces that Piazzolla wrote for his Quinteto Nuevo
Tango: Chin, Chin; Ressurreción del Ángel; Mumuki; Soledad; Zita;
Celos; and Fugata. Transcribed from printed sources but incorporating
improvisations from original Piazzolla recordings, they work
brilliantly.
Cotik, as usual, is in his element here on a CD of just over an hour of
gorgeous playing of captivating music.
Yuri Zhislin is the outstanding violin and
viola soloist on BARTÓK, an Orchid Classics
CD featuring one early and one late concerto
that were both premiered after the composer’s
death. Valery Poliansky conducts the
State Symphony Capella of Russia (orchidclassics.com/releases/orc100304-bartok).
Bartók had moved to the USA in 1940,
and by late1944 was in failing health and
poor financial straits. William Primrose
commissioned a viola work from him, and by early September 1945
Bartók reported that a concerto was “ready in draft . . . only the score
has to be written.” He died on September 26 with the work unorchestrated,
leaving piles of un-numbered pages and scraps of paper with
corrections and revisions. Tibor Serly undertook the enormous task
of shaping and orchestrating the concerto, which was premiered by
Primrose in December 1949, Primrose feeling that the finished work
was “very, very close” to what Bartók intended. The work was revised
by the composer’s son Peter and violist Paul Neubauer in 1995, with
that edition now foremost.
The Violin Concerto No.1 was written in 1907-08 for the young
violinist Stefi Geyer, with whom Bartók was in love; his feelings
were not reciprocated, however, and she rejected the concerto. He
presented Geyer with the manuscript, but it was not published until
1958 after both principals had died. The first of the two movements is
rhapsodic and simply gorgeous.
Zhislin’s own arrangement for violin and string orchestra of the Six
Romanian Folk Dances from 1915 completes a disc full of superb
playing by all concerned.
On the ECM New Series release Songs
of Fate violinist Gidon Kremer, along
with his Kremerata Baltica and
soprano Vida Miknevičiūtė, presents
works by three contemporary Baltic
composers and by Mieczysław Weinberg.
Many of them are premiere recordings
in a programme that has its roots
in Kremer’s Jewish heritage and his
personal ties to the Baltic states (ecmrecords.com/product/
songs-of-fate-gidon-kremer-kremerata-baltica-vida-mikneviciute).
This too shall pass, a recent work for violin, cello, vibraphone
and strings by Raminta Šerkšnytė (b.1975) opens the disc. Giedrius
Kuprevičius (b.1944) is represented by David’s Lamentation for
soprano and orchestra and Postlude: The Luminous Lament for
soprano and violin, both from 2018’s Chamber Symphony “The Star
of David” and by Kaddish-Prelude for violin and percussion and
Penultimate Kaddish for soprano and orchestra.
The Weinberg pieces – Nocturne for violin and strings (1948/49),
Aria, Op.9 for string quartet (1942), Kujawiak for violin and orchestra
(1952) and three excerpts from Jewish Songs, Op.13 for soprano and
strings (1943) – are strongly tonal and quite lovely.
Lignum (2017) for string orchestra and wind chimes by Jēkabs
Jančevskis (b.1992) provides a gentle ending to an immensely
satisfying CD.
Haydn: Cello Concertos and Hétu: Rondo
is the latest ATMA Classique CD from
Canadian cellist Cameron Crozman, with
Nicolas Ellis leading Les Violons du Roy
(atmaclassique.com/en).
Haydn’s Cello Concerto No.1 in C
Major was written in the early 1760s and
presumed lost for 200 years before a copy
of the score was discovered in the National
Museum in Prague in 1961. The Cello
Concerto No.2 in D Major, conversely, was not lost but believed to
have been written by Anton Kraft before the 1951 discovery of a Haydn
autograph manuscript. The warmth and grace of Crozman’s playing
make for delightful performances, with idiomatic support from Les
Violons du Roy that features some particularly nice continuo touches.
Jacques Hétu’s brief but animated Rondo for Cello and String
Orchestra Op.9 was written in 1965, when the composer was 27 years
old; this is its world premiere recording.
With this impressive and highly enjoyable release Crozman
continues to establish himself as simply one of the finest young
cellists around.
VOCAL
Marie Hubert: Fille du Roy
Karina Gauvin; Pierre McLean; Valerie Milot; Etienne Lafrance;
Quatuor Molinari; Pentaedre; Clauce Lapalme
ATMA ACD2 2827 (atmaclassique.com/en)
! In 1889, Oscar Wilde asserted: “Life
imitates art far more than art imitates life,”
arguing that rather than merely copy, life
imitates art because life craves the expression
found in great art. Karina Gauvin has
turned this maxim on its head playing one
of the most fascinating dramatic roles.
Indeed, in Gauvin’s case, “art imitates life” –
the life of Marie Hubert.
Gauvin traced her lineage to Hubert, one of the 46 (of 327) “Filles
du roi” that Monsieur de Bretonvilliers priest of the parish of Saint-
Sulpice, selected to sail from Dieppe to New France, by royal decree
of King Louis XIV. This is an enthralling story, and Gauvin tells it
eloquently – before a single note, or phrase is sung – with charming
booklet notes based on her great-ancestor’s diary entries. Gauvin
then employs her fabled lyric soprano to turn the diary entries – 21
in all – into songs, the lyrics and music of which propel them into a
rarefied realm.
Gauvin is a priceless gift to music, an artist of the first order, broadening
out from the Baroque repertory for which she is celebrated
across the world. Her instrument is gorgeous: lustrous, precise and
feather-light. Her musicianship is fierce as she digs into the expression
of each word, brings ceaseless variety to soft dynamics and gives every
phrase grace.
40 | September 2024 thewholenote.com

She is accompanied by pianist Pierre
McLean, harpist Valérie Milot, contrabassist
Étienne LaFrance, Quatuor Molinari and the
wind quintet Pentaédre. Claude LaPalme
conducts and arranged the music.
Raul da Gama
Concert note: Karina Gauvin and Marie-
Nicole Lemieux are featured with Les Violons
du Roy at Koerner Hall on October 27.
R. Murray Schafer – You Are Illuminated
Coro Volante; Brett Scott; Krista Cornish
Scott
Centrediscs CMCCD 31523
(cmccanada.org/shop/cmccd-31523)
! This terrific new
album of choral
music by the late
R. Murray Schafer
stands simultaneously
in both the
past and present. I
suppose this blurring
of old and new
is one reason why Schafer is often referred
to as a postmodernist (in addition to being
called an avant-gardist who coined the term
schizophonia, a soundscapist or an acoustic
ecologist). But with You Are Illuminated, a
beautifully captured 2024 recording by the
Cincinnati-based choir Coro Volante under
the keen direction of conductor Brett Scott,
the music not only defies classification, but
requires little explanation or illumination
beyond what a simple listen can provide.
Although eminently enjoyable, Schafer’s
music often challenges listeners to expand
beyond their comfort zones and to confront
his above-mentioned musical theories and
concepts. But with Scott at the helm, who,
in 2019 penned an authorized biography of
Schafer and who enjoyed a two-decade long
friendship and musical relationship with the
Canadian composer, listeners are in expert
hands. As such, Scott, along with an impressive
roster of soloists, ensemble choral singers
and an excellent percussionist, has put
together a stylistically divergent, but always
musical program of Schafer’s choral works
that span 45 years of compositional creativity.
A self-described “labour of love,” this valuable
new addition to the Canadian Music Centre’s
already impressive discographic output
focuses primarily on works of Schafer’s that
have never before been recorded (or in some
cases even performed), adding much to both
the legacy of Schafer’s contributions to the
choral canon, and to Canadian music more
generally.
Andrew Scott
Messiaen
Barbara Hannigan; Bertrand Chamayou;
Vilde Frang; Charles Sy
Alpha Classics ALPHA 1033 (outheremusic.com/en/albums/messiaen)
! Sensuality and
– yes – spirituality
don’t so much
ripple as burst
in the waves of
ecstatic, convulsive
melisma from
Barbara Hannigan
and Bertrand
Chamayou’s magical, mystical Messiaen
recording. It is in the imagination of the
programming and the bold, almost cheeky
intelligence that guides the choice and juxtaposition
of repertoire, and the duo’s homage
to the greatest 20th-century French composer
after Debussy and Ravel.
Terms of endearment and hallelujahs
tumble, rise and fall from Hannigan’s pliant
lips through the sparkling song cycles. Chants
de Terre et de Ciel is aglow, particularly in
Bail avec Mi, Danse du bébé-Pilule, Antienne
du silence and the ecstatic Résurrection.
The music Is incandescent right out of the
gate. And it only gets better with Poèmes Pour
Mi before reaching the tidal crescendos of La
Mort du Nombre with the eloquent sonorities
of Vilde Frang’s violin and Charles Sy’s
magnificent tenor.
The scintillating elegance of Olivier
Messiaen’s music is incandescent as it comes
from an explosion at the heart of the nuclear
corona of the sun. The luminescence of
Hannigan’s voice gives these works an operatic
freedom and scope that makes sense
of these fragrant texts and their amplified
emotions. It seems unimaginable that anyone
but Hannigan, with her lustrous lyric soprano
and unbridled dramatic abilities, could give
the song cycles by Messiaen such life. She is
marvellously served by Chamayou’s shimmering
pianism throughout.
Raul da Gama
Concert note: Barbara Hannigan and
Bertrand Chamayou perform at Koerner Hall
on November 28.
Lainie Fefferman – Here I Am
Vocal Soloists; Transit New Music
New Focus Recordings FCR403
(newfocusrecordings.com/catalogue/
lainie-fefferman-here-i-am)
! Who do you
report to when
you wake up in
the morning? We
have had anywhere
between two thousand
and seven
thousand or so years
to think about it.
Lainie Fefferman, the composer of this
deeply meditative big ensemble piece didn’t
always punch in the “right name” when she
woke up until the political climate in the
USA (and far and wide) began to take its
toll on her state of mind. Her short introduction
describes the rude awakening of
American Jews.
There are six people in ancient scripture
who uttered the words: “Here I Am (Lord).”
The patriarchs Abraham and Jacob, the
prophets Moses, Samuel, Isaih and Ananias,
who was called to minister to Saul. However,
What we're listening to this month:
thewholenote.com/listening
Haydn: Cello Concertos
Hétu: Rondo
Cameron Crozman
Crozman plays the long thought
lost, Cello Concerto in C by Haydn
and Hétu’s Rondo for Cello and
String Orchestra, Op. 9.
Marie Hubert - Fille du Roy
Karina Gauvin
This album brings Quebec
and French folklore to life by
recounting the life of one of the
King's daughters recruited to
populate New France
Here I Am
Lainie Fefferman
The album embodies the
culmination of the composer’s
15-year journey with Hebrew Bible
texts, writing music in response to
her immersive creative process.
Canadian Suite Celebrations
Duo Majoya
Canadian Suite Celebrations
showcases three outstanding
Canadian composers, Edmonton’s
world-class concert hall and Davis
organ, and the charisma and
musicianship of Duo Majoya.
thewholenote.com September 2024 | 41

Fefferman has expertly woven the miniatures
that make up Here I Am with episodes from
Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and
Deuteronomy. The cantors, led by Fefferman,
nestle cheek-by-jowl with an accomplished
improvising septet and the powerful neopsalmody
of a vocal trio to tell the story.
The words, “Here I Am” are pivotal to that
story, and the unification of the tribes of
Israel. This is Fefferman’s operatic “Here I
am Lord.” A story of faith, expertly told from
the brimstone and fire of Lot’s Daughters,
And their Bloodguilt Shall Be Upon Them to
the ultimate test of that faith in the story of
Abrahan and Issac in Take Thy Son.
Raul da Gama
CLASSICAL AND BEYOND
Bravura – Works for Natural Horn and
Piano
Louis-Pierre Bergeron; Meagan Milatz
ATMA ACD2 2864 (atmaclassique.com/en)
! The natural horn,
like its successor the
French horn, has,
in the right hands,
a buttery, full and
round timbre and
tone that makes one
wonder why you
would ever again
listen to the more
strident trumpet. And on ATMA Classique’s
terrific 2024 recording, Bravura: Works for
Natural Horn and Piano, that question is
indeed put to the test.
Making his recording debut as a leader,
the virtuosic Canadian hornist Louis-Pierre
Bergeron demonstrates just how beautiful and
expressive this pre-19th century brass instrument
can be. Ably accompanied by Meagan
Milatz on the Classical-era Fortepiano, this
sympatico duo mines a set of repertoire that
includes impressive works, largely new to
me, by Franz Xaver Süssmayr, Ludwig van
Beethoven, Nikolaus Freiherr von Krufft
and Vincenzo Righini in order to feature
this unique instrumental pairing. Take, for
example, Cipriani Potter’s Sonata di bravura
for Horn and Piano in E-flat Major that
captures Bergeron and Milatz at their most
expressive and playful. Over 20 minutes in
length, this multi-themed piece affords both
principals space to showcase their renowned
musical abilities, while offering room for the
antiquated instruments to interact within a
decidedly modern recording context.
As a studio musician, hornist with
the National Arts Centre Orchestra and a
frequent collaborator with Tafelmusik and
various pop ensembles, Bergeron is clearly
used to this blending of the old with the
new. But for listeners new to the instrumental
pairing here, Bravura is unexpectedly
refreshing, exciting and musically satisfying.
Andrew Scott
Mozart – Piano Concertos 9 & 24
Lars Vogt; Orchestre de chamber de Paris
Ondine ODE 1414-2 (naxos.com/Search/Key
wordSearchResults/?q=ODE1414-2)
! In a sad loss to
the music world, in
September 2021 at
age 51 a remarkable
German pianist,
conductor and
wonderful human
being, Lars Vogt
passed away leaving
behind an impressive career and a worldwide
reputation. He appeared as soloist with
many major orchestras (including Berlin and
Vienna), created his own Music Festival, won
numerous awards and had a distinguished
discography. Unfortunately, this is his last
recording. It has already acquired numerous
awards (e.g. Critic’s Choice, Gramophone)
and I just couldn’t stop listening. I would
include it among my “desert island” discs.
Vogt had such love for these two Mozart
concertos that he felt compelled to record
them even in the midst of medical treatments.
The two are as different as can be. The first
piece, the bold and youthful No.9 in E-flat,
Mozart’s first major statement in the genre,
has a well-fitting nickname Jeunehomme. It
is a concerto of contrasts. After the elegant
and optimistic major key first movement, the
second is in the relative C minor key and has
a tragic, somber atmosphere while the final
Rondo is joyful and exuberant.
Out of Mozart’s 27 piano concertos nine are
undisputed masterpieces, all of them written
in the last two years of his tragically short life.
Among these, only two were in a minor key and
No.24 is arguably his greatest. The dark C minor
chords dominate the first movement which is
in a very unusual 3/4 measure, obviously meant
to be close to the composer’s heartbeat. (The
long virtuoso cadenza at the very end of the first
movement was composed by Vogt). The heavenly
second movement brings some happiness,
but the last one is again in a minor key. Its set of
variations on a simple theme brings a virtuoso,
brilliant ending.
My feeling concurs with Vogt that “this
idea that despite everything things aren’t so
horrible in this world… It always plays a role
in Mozart.”
Janos Gardonyi
Schumann – Dichterliebe
Kristjan Randalu
Berlin Classics 0303295BC (prestomusic.
com/classical/products/9609352--
dichterliebe)
! This recording of
Robert Schumann’s
Dichterliebe by
Kristjan Randalu
is one of the most
ingenious piano
recordings not only
of anything Schumann that I have heard but
possibly any recent solo piano recording. And
there have been many recordings by classical
pianists far more celebrated than Randalu. All
is explained in the final paragraphs below.
Dichterliebe (Poet’s Love), a cycle of 16
songs, takes its text from Henrich Heine. It
introduces to German song a mingling of
sentiment and irony, much as Heine’s poems
had done for German verse. This is a world
of disillusionment in which nature acts as
an adjunct and reflection to a bittersweet
love story.
Perhaps the most immortal interpretation
of this song-cycle is baritone Dietrich Fischer-
Dieskau and pianist Alfred Brendel’s (Philips,
1986). In this (and every other version) the
piano becomes an equal partner with the
singer, appearing sometimes as a combatant,
sometimes as commentator, and given the long
preludes and postludes, the instrument adds an
extra dimension to the possibilities of the lieder
genre. Randalu makes all of the above happen
by masterfully employing his insolent virtuosity
and febrile imagination to Dichterliebe.
Randalu’s right hand cadenzas are “the
singer” adding “vocalastics” through improvisation,
a second layer of colour, liberating
the lyrical element of Dichterliebe,
and defining the emotional element more
precisely. His left-hand acts as combatant
and commentator. Together they offer
Dichterliebe as Schumann dreamed: “a
deeper insight into my inner musical
workings.”
Raul da Gama
Breaking Glass Ceilings – Music by Unruly
Women
Rose Wollman; Dror Baitel
SBOVMusic (sbovmusic.com)
! Expansions of
the classical canon
are always welcome.
Offering much
needed opportunities
to infuse new
and diverse voices
into the ongoing
history of this
music not only provides revitalized repertoire
for potentially warhorse weary ears, but such
fresh compositional contributions underscore
just how relevant, vibrant and still meaningful
an art form classical music remains. All
of the above is most certainly the case with
violist Rose Wollman and pianist Dror Baitel’s
excellent 2024 duo recording, Breaking Glass
Ceilings, a collection of fine music from the
pens of four women composers: Florence
Price, Libby Larsen, Rebecca Clarke and
Amy Beach.
Released on Sounds Better on Viola (SBOV)
records, Breaking Glass Ceilings showcases
not only an exciting program of lesser-known
pieces by three deceased and one still-living
composer, but traverses style (from the lush
Romantic-era inspired sounds of Beach to the
42 | September 2024 thewholenote.com

contemporary and decidedly American influenced
compositions of Larsen), and, perhaps
most of all, offers up an exciting new duo set
of viola and piano performances with impressive
results.
While described as a musical celebration
of “women who were told ‘no’ and did it
anyway,” the recording may have an agenda
to correct long standing historical omissions
but there is nothing didactic here. Instead,
what we have is an effervescent contemporary
recording featuring excellent interplay
and blue-chip musicianship from two
accomplished soloists and performers. An
excellent addition to the collection for fans of
the genre.
Andrew Scott
Tchaikovsky – Symphonies 4, 5 & 6
Park Avenue Chamber Orchestra; David
Bernard
Recursive Classics RC4789671
(chambersymphony.com/recordings)
! Conductor David
Bernard has organized
and conducted
orchestras such
as this Park
Avenue Chamber
Symphony, bringing
them up to excellence
in concerts
and recordings recognized by audiences
worldwide and to critical acclaim by the likes
of the New York Times and Gramophone
magazine. There is a photo of Bernard as a
young kid getting a conducting lesson from
the great Serghiu Chelibidache and I consider
this his highest recommendation. By the way,
chamber symphony is a misnomer. They are
full size and have all the instruments of a
complete symphony orchestra.
Tchaikovsky’s late symphonies, the Mighty
Three, are cornerstones of musical literature.
These are divinely inspired and among
the most important and beautiful works
of the master (and perhaps of all Russian
composers). I have been in love with the
passionate Fourth Symphony in F Minor
since seeing Rudolf Kempe doing it so beautifully
at Massey Hall back in the 60s with the
Royal Philharmonic. In the entire symphonic
literature there are few other works that test
all sections of an orchestra and its individual
instruments in technical brilliance: just
think of the virtuoso pizzicato third movement
that requires the entire string section
to be in perfect unison and coordinated like a
giant balalaika. These Park Avenue Chamber
players are having a lot of fun with it and can
be congratulated on passing the test very well.
The sunny, optimistic, heroic and arguably
the most beautiful of the three, Symphony
No.5 in E Minor and the soul-searching
gut wrenching but noble and magnificent
Symphony No.6 in B Minor, the “Pathetique”
are given equally fine performances.
As a distinguishing feature I noticed the
conductor’s obvious effort to bring out
all that’s written down in the score thus
exposing internal voices I’ve not heard before.
But what impressed me most is Bernard and
his orchestra’s tremendous enthusiasm and
love of this music that one can feel. It shows
as if it were a live performance which is not
easy to achieve. All in all, not a Mravinsky, nor
a Karajan, but lovingly played and a sincere
noble effort and that could be the most
important element.
Janos Gardonyi
Prokofiev – Piano Sonatas Vol.II
David Jalbert
ATMA ACD2 2462 (atmaclassique.com/en)
! One of the
20th century’s
most significant
composers, Sergei
Prokofiev’s music
continues to challenge
performers
and listeners
alike with its thrilling rhythms, complex
harmonies and technically demanding scores.
An expert pianist himself, Prokofiev’s piano
music is notoriously challenging, notably
demonstrated in his first two piano concertos.
A prolific writer, Prokofiev composed
nine piano sonatas in addition to seven
completed operas, seven symphonies, eight
ballets, five piano concertos and a number
of other large-scale works. Featuring Piano
Sonatas 5-7, Canadian pianist David Jalbert
gives a commanding survey of Prokofiev’s
powerhouse writing for piano in this, his
second installment in a series of the complete
piano sonatas.
Piano Sonata No.5 in C Major is the leastperformed
of all Prokofiev’s sonatas, largely
due to its cumbersome history. Accused of
“formalism” by the Stalin regime in 1948,
Prokofiev re-composed the third movement,
simplifying his music in accordance with
Stalin’s dictates. These unwanted, detrimental
changes weakened the structure of the sonata,
so much so that Prokofiev issued it a new
opus number. Despite these political-compositional
accommodations, Jalbert injects great
energy and conviction into his interpretation,
overcoming any weakness in the score with a
strong and captivating performance.
Sonatas six and seven, written in 1940
and 1942 respectively, are known as the War
Sonatas (along with Sonata No.8, composed
in 1944). These works are at once thrilling,
expressive and devastating, effectively distilling
the angst and anguish of the time into
one piano and two hands. This music needs
to be attacked and thrust upon the audience,
and Jalbert achieves this with gripping
success, making this recording essential
listening for pianophiles everywhere.
Matthew Whitfield
What we're listening to this month:
thewholenote.com/listening
Traces
Will Régnier
Will Régnier's debut album, Traces,
is a genre-blending journey
through jazz, folk, and prog rock,
offering a captivating musical
experience
Tidal Currents: East Meets West
Winnipeg Jazz Orchestra
A unique commission from two
of Canada's leading big band
composers, capturing the essence
of the bodies of water that shaped
them since childhood.
Horns of Hope
Aimee-Jo Benoit
A deeply personal and heartfelt
vocal jazz record that explores the
duality of Hope, and its coexistence
with struggle, pain and loss.
Accidentals
Don Fiorino/Andy Haas
"But this is odd and interesting
enough, and it delights me."
Tom Hull - on the Web The Best
Jazz Albums of 2023
thewholenote.com September 2024 | 43

The Lost Generation
The Orchestra Now; Leon Botstein
Avie Records AV2684 (avie-records.com/
releases/the-lost-generation-hugo-kauder-
•-hans-erich-apostel-•-adolph-busch)
! Leon Botstein
(founder-conductor
of Orchestra Now,
a graduate-level,
multi-year program
at Bard College in
Red Hook, New
York) enjoys rediscovering
and
performing unfairly neglected works. Here,
works by three composers of “the lost generation”
– those born between 1888 and 1901 –
receive their first available recordings.
Hans Erich Apostel’s Variations on a Theme
by Haydn (1940) utilizes a graceful theme
from Haydn’s Symphony No.103. Apostel’s
variations, while not completely atonal,
reflect his studies with Schoenberg and Berg.
Despite their melodic aridity and astringent
harmonies, listener engagement is maintained
by Apostel’s imaginative changes of
tempo, rhythm and orchestration.
Renowned violinist Adolf Busch composed
his sentimental, cheerful Variations on an
Original Theme for piano four-hands (1944)
as a Christmas gift for his wife. Often played
by his son-in-law Rudolf Serkin and grandson
Peter, they’re heard here in Peter Serkin’s
orchestration.
The CD’s major offering, Hugo Kauder’s
40-minute Symphony No.1 (1920-1921),
opens with Bewegt. As per its title, it’s
emotionally agitated, Brucknerian in sonority
and drama. The following scherzo is a wryly
rustic Mahlerian dance (Kauder dedicated the
symphony to Alma Mahler), interrupted by
a lyrically nostalgic trio. The gorgeous slow
movement is very much in the Bruckner-
Mahler mould, featuring long-lined, yearning
melodies and noble, hymn-like crescendos.
The finale, a passacaglia, begins skulkingly,
with alternating playful and solemn variations
before ending abruptly. Amazingly, it
took 100 years since its creation for Botstein
to conduct this fine symphony’s U.S. premiere
at Carnegie Hall in 2022.
Michael Schulman
Cuando el Fuego Abrasa
Ensemble Bayona; Eros Jaca
Eudora Records EUD-SACD-2403
(eudorarecords.com)
! At first glance,
the cultural connection
between Spain
and Switzerland
may seem a tenuous
one. Nevertheless,
the two countries
work closely
together on political,
economic and cultural levels and this
premier recording by the Spanish-based
quintet Ensemble Bayona is an intriguing
demonstration of this close alignment.
Titled Cuando el Fuego Abras (When the
Fire Burns), it features works by both Swiss
and Spanish composers, all of them first
recordings.
Focusing on music from the first half of the
20th century, the ensemble made its debut
in Berlin in 2021 having won the Dwight and
Ursula Mamlok Prize the previous year.
The disc opens with the Piano Quintet
in F Major Op.6 by Swiss composer Joseph
Lauber, music very much in the German late
romantic style. What a fine sound these musicians
produce, the warm tone of the strings –
particularly from cellist and artistic director
Eros Jaca – perfectly blending with the solid
and assured playing by pianist Camile Sublet.
In contrast are two contemporary compositions,
the Variations on a Swiss Theme for
string trio by Swiss-born Christoph Blum and
the Cantos for string quartet by Valencian
composer Francisco Coll. The variations are
a true study in contrasts with alternating
pizzicati and glissandi and the use of vocal
parts throughout, while the Cantos is quietly
introspective.
The program returns to 20th century Spain
with a 12-movement suite from Manual de
Falla’s 1915 ballet El Amor Brujo specifically
arranged for the ensemble by the Spanish
composer José Luis Turina. The ensemble
approaches the music with much bravado
with vocalist Maria José Pérez further enhancing
this fine performance of De Falla’s
colourful and sensuous score.
With outstanding playing and a melding of
two musical cultures, this disc is well worth
investigating.
Richard Haskell
Solace
Kormaz Can Saglam
Sono Luminus DSL-92272 (sonoluminus.
com/store/solace)
! The name
Korkmaz Can
Sağlam may not be
an overly familiar
one, but this up and
coming Turkish
pianist already has
much to his credit.
Born in Ankara
in 1999, he was the Grand Prize winner of
the 2022 Alexis Gregory Vendome Prize,
having received his bachelor’s degree from
the Juilliard School. While there, he was also
recipient of the Ahmet Ertegün Memorial
Scholarship and the Susan W. Rose Piano
Fellowship. Sağlam is currently pursuing his
master’s degree at the Cleveland Institute and
this premiere recording, featuring works by
Handel, Rachmaninoff and Turkish composer
Ilayda Deniz Oguz, is worthy proof of his
stature.
Handel’s six-movement Suite in D Minor
(c.1720) is a set of stylized dance movements,
each a musical miniature. Sağlam delivers
a polished and elegant performance, from
the expansive opening Prelude to the virtuosic
presto finale, easily demonstrating that
baroque keyboard repertoire can sound as
convincing on a concert grand as it does on a
harpsichord.
History has never been too kind to the
Rachmaninoff Piano Sonata No.1 Op.28.
Very much in the grand late romantic tradition;
it was written for the composer’s tour
to the U.S. in 1909, yet he never performed
it in public again. Nevertheless, Sağlam
approaches the score with a particular vitality,
always clearly focused throughout the myriad
technical complexities.
In contrast is Rachmaninoff’s lyrical In the
Silence of the Secret Night, the third of his
Six Romances Op.4. Of even greater dissimilarity
is Bozluk, a contemporary composition
by Sağlam’s friend Ilayda Deniz Oguz, where
the use of prepared piano demonstrates yet
another facet of Sağlam’s musical capabilities.
Richard Haskell
MODERN AND CONTEMPORARY
Canadian Suite Celebrations
Duo Majoya
Centrediscs CMCCD 32423 (cmccanada.
org/shop/cmccd-32423)
! The talents of five
veteran Canadian
keyboardists
combine in listenerfriendly
music for
the unusual pairing
of piano and organ,
championed by
Edmonton-based
Duo Majoya – pianist Joachim Segger and
organist Marnie Giesbrecht, both now retired
from university posts in Edmonton.
From 1969 to 2021, Denis Bédard (b.Quebec
City 1950) served as a church organist in
Quebec and Vancouver. His charming fiveminute
Capriccio (2007) made me smile. The
four brief movements of his Duet Suite (1999)
are, in turn, dramatic, playful, stately-ceremonial
and celebratory. Bédard’s 27-minute
Grande Suite (2016) is, by far, the CD’s
longest work. Overture moves from solemnity
to cheerfulness. Evocation (Des prairies
canadiennes) is a haunting soundscape of
hushed repeated piano arpeggios over moody
organ chords. Ritournelle is a piquant folk
dance, Dialogue an echoing children’s song,
Intermezzo a hesitant waltz, followed by the
mock-courtly Menuet and jubilant Marche.
Pianist-organist Ruth Watson Henderson
(b.Toronto 1932) was, for many years, accompanist
for the Festival Singers and Toronto
Children’s Chorus, composing over 200
choral pieces. Her Suite (2011) is in four
brief movements – a portentous Prelude,
gentle Intermezzo, a searching, ambulating
44 | September 2024 thewholenote.com

Romance and rollicking Dance.
In 1976, Jacobus Kloppers (b.1937) left his
native South Africa, settling in Edmonton
where he chaired Kings College’s music
department (1979-2005), also teaching organ
at the University of Alberta. In The Last Rose
of Summer – Reminiscences in Autumn
(2011), he quotes the title song in music
surging with sentiment, ending in an aura of
quiet nostalgia.
Michael Schulman
Games of the Night Wind – 12 Nocturnes by
David Jaeger
Christina Petrowska Quilico
Navona Records nv6630 (navonarecords.
com/catalog/nv6630)
! The celebrated
Canadian
pianist Christina
Petrowska Quilico
has collaborated
with composer
and producer
David Jaeger on a
number of recordings
over many
decades. Games of the Night Wind is their
third on the Navona Records imprint alone.
The devotion of the pianist to the composer’s
music is, predictably, personal. It speaks of
long acquaintance with these works on offer,
the 12 Nocturnes by Jaeger, and you need
only sample the first set of four to hear how
lovingly the pianist caresses the music that
gives it a unique raptness.
While the 12 Nocturnes may be the centrepiece
of the recording, particularly the tenth
which lends the album its name, and the
other nocturnes are spectacular as well. For
example, the enormously uplifting second,
A Blessing, the sixth, Forget the Day and
the ninth Lament for the People of Ukraine,
are all especially impactful. With Jaeger’s
nocturnes we are treated to the composer’s
sublime grasp of the form, and enthralled by
Petrowska Quilico’s performance.
Her treatment of the other pieces is absolutely
scintillating too. Toru Takemitsu’s
Les Yeux Clos is other-worldly-ethereal,
and Henryk Górecki’s Intermezzo is longlimbed
and beautiful. Meanwhile Górecki’s
superb, crepuscular Lullaby is evocative (as
an angular contrafact) of Mozart’s Twelve
Variations on Ah vous dirai-je, Maman,
albeit darker in colour.
Jaeger also gets high marks as session
producer of this recording.
Raul da Gama
A Walk to Meryton
Made by Musicbots and Arne Eigenfeldt
Redshift Records TK533
(redshiftmusicsociety.bandcamp.com)
! North
Vancouverbased
composer
Arne Eigenfeldt
has worked
with Artificial
Intelligence
since the1980s.
His musical tool
creation Musebots is a modular, interactive
system which generates countless musical
environments like washes, percussive sounds,
held notes, intervals and low to high pitches.
Ten pieces with video co-written and generated
by Musebots feature genres like contemporary
music, jazz, spoken word and
electronics. Live human performers John
Korsrud (trumpet, flugelhorn), Meredith
Bates (violin), Jon Bentley (soprano & tenor
saxophones) and Barbara Adler (text/reading)
were recorded then overlaid to the Musebots
tracks. Each musician was given a generated
score with melodies, harmonic progressions
and suggestions where to improvise. Adler
wrote her spoken texts based on her conversations
with Eigenfeldt about walking, Jane
Austin, musebots and internal dialogs.
Room for a Moment features tonal,
accessible lyricism like electronic clicks,
held notes and ringing bell sounds between
phrases. Background spoken words and violin
mix well to closing comforting sound. Fit
As You Are opens with a repeated walking
and exercising drum beat. Then a bit slower
with intervals and held notes. Spoken word
articulation at times matches the generated
rhythms. Trumpet and sax fit well but are too
soft. In Pleasure to Suffer grim low held notes
support higher lines of spoken word, alternating
bell like sounds and held notes. Abrupt
saxophone trills add interest.
I am SO surprised and excited by this
Musebots generated music. Yes, it still has
that “familiar TV/film computer sound”
yet Musebot’s lush harmonic tonal to
atonal melodies, washes and percussive
rhythms combine perfectly with the human
performers.
Tiina Kiik
Vanessa Marcoux – Cendres
Vanessa Marcoux; Marie-Christine Poirier;
Strings
Independent (youtube.com/
playlist?list=OLAK5uy_
m8IULQX12yWqxLhPwlHI63QGXkhcnHpQ)
! This CD comes
without any information
about
Vanessa Marcoux
other than that
she’s the violin
soloist in her own
compositions,
performing with
pianist Marie-Christine Poirier, also heard
here, as Duo Cordelia. Also lacking, other
than the movement titles, are any descriptions
of the music. Searching online, I learned
that she’s Québecoise, was born in 1986,
studied composition with Ana Sokolović, was
a member of the Juno-nominated klezmer
band Oktopus and scored the film adaptation
What we're listening to this month:
thewholenote.com/listening
Time Again
Koppel Blade Koppel
An absolutely diverse, constantly
captivating album. Father and
son, the Koppels, join forces with
master drummer Brian Blade -
Three hearts with the same beat.
Evolver
Bruno Råberg Tentet
"..all the heft and color of a
big band, with imaginative
arrangements that exploit the
timbral range from bottom to top.”
J. Garelick - ArtsFuse
That Place, Darling
Heather Macdonald
Unbound by genre, this
“wonderfully evocative and
spirited” (Textura) debut
reimagines the landscape for oboe
recordings.
Gift
Marteau Rouge & Evan Parker
They build a coherent collective
structure before making it
implode. So, a lava of sound
sweeps away all barriers. We,
the witnesses, float like slag...
fumaroles, shadows...
thewholenote.com September 2024 | 45

of Gabrielle Roy’s novel La riviėre sans repos.
At 28 minutes, Marcoux’s arrangement
for violin, piano and string ensemble of her
Violin Sonata dominates the disc. In Lento,
the violin wails in desperation. The discordant
tango of La porte entrebâillėe grows steadily
faster and wilder. Improvisation – Le déroute
is an extended, vehement solo cadenza.
Tempo rubato’s lyricism is tinged with regret;
the concluding Molto Aggressivo defines itself.
Petite Suite Aquatique is in two movements.
Aquarium features long-lined, plaintive
violin melodies over abrupt piano
rhythms. In Deep Blue Saloon, a Romanyflavoured
dance is followed by honky-tonk
ragtime, ending raucously. According to the
only description by Marcoux I could find
online, it represents “a bar frequented by
the motley fauna of the deep sea who have
come to witness the burlesque stripping of a
wanton octopus.” (!)
The densely-scored Cendres for string
quintet begins with agitated propulsion
before subsiding to restless songfulness.
Although the CD lasts only 48 minutes,
Marcoux’s intensely gripping, tempestuous
music left me completely satisfied.
Michael Schulman
Cartografia del Mar
Andre Cabráin; Pedro Mateo Ganzález
Eudora Records EUD-SAC-2307
(eudorarecords.com)
! The sea, like
amniotic fluid,
has the power to
join us all, as creatures
of consciousness,
through the
power of music.
Cartografia Del Mar
(A Map of the Sea) is
a deeply stirring international and intergenerational
program presented here by accomplished
flutist (and Scotsman) Andre Cebrián
and eminent classical guitarist (and Spaniard)
Pedro Mateo González. The album’s, suites
and stand-alone compositions are from Astor
Piazzolla, Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco, Toru
Takemitsu, Robert Beaser, Leo Brouwer and
Feliu Gasull.
Up first is Piazzolla’s Histoire du Tango.
Lyrical and pungent, heavy with the aroma
of Argentinian night life through the past
century, this magnificent suite has been brilliantly
re-imagined by Cebrián and González.
In the first movement, Bordel 1900, the duo
explores the bordello as the instigator of the
20th century roots of tango. Light, airy, joyous
are all descriptive of this movement. Coy,
jejune passages are interspersed with waves
of intimacy and pungent secrets as Cambrián
and González traverse intrigues of the Buenos
Aires night like a single-celled organism.
Italian icon Castelnuovo-Tedesco’s Sonatina
Op.205 is rendered here with exquisite care
and skill by both artists, and captures every
nuance of this gorgeous, rhythmically varied
suite, rife with nearly unbearable beauty.
Japanese composer Takemitsu contributes
his masterful work, Toward the Sea. In the
first movement, The Night, the listener’s skin
tingles… all senses are open and awash with
an eerie feeling of unseen presences, swathed
in mystery… lower flute tones evoke a feeling
of isolation, while the guitar is the veritable
vapor on which the flute floats. Also of note is
the “Mountain Songs” suite by New Englandborn
Beaser. It is a work of pure Americana,
stunningly rendered with authenticity by the
duo. A magnificent work!
Lesley Mitchell-Clarke
Nancy Galbraith – Everything Flows
Boston Modern Orchestra Project; Gil Rose
BMOP Sound 1096 (bmopsound.bandcamp.
com/album/nancy-galbraith-everythingflows-concerto-for-solo-percussion-andorchestra)
! I’ve previously
written reviews
in The WholeNote
praising five
different CDs by
the Boston Modern
Orchestra Project
and conductor
Gil Rose. Here’s
another. These three very entertaining
concertos by Nancy Galbraith, chair of
composition at Carnegie Mellon University
in her native Pittsburgh, were written for,
premiered by and now recorded by three
“friends and/or colleagues” – violinistconductor-composer
Alyssa Wang, newmusic-championing
flutist Lindsey Goodman
and virtuoso percussionist Abby Langhorst.
Galbraith’s Violin Concerto No.1 (2016)
begins with perky percussion and the violin
playing buoyant Chinese-sounding melodies.
In the elegiac second movement, Eggshell
White Night, Galbraith’s tribute to a late
friend, the violin laments amid gentle harp
and piano arpeggios over solemn, sustained
orchestral chords. The finale begins as a
perpetuum mobile with headlong violin
figurations and ends with grandiose orchestral
perorations accompanying the violin’s
rapid passagework.
The Flute Concerto (2019) is similarly structured.
Two cheerful movements featuring
percussion-enlivened Latin American dance
rhythms bracket the Nocturne, in which the
flute plays plaintive phrases and melodies,
electronically echoed and amplified, over
gloomy orchestral chords.
A wild barrage of syncopated Latin
American rhythms launches the one-movement
Everything Flows: Concerto for Solo
Percussion and Orchestra (2019), gradually
subsiding to a slower, quieter central section
that evokes, for me, African drumming and
the thumb-played mbira. The concerto ends
with a raucous, jazzy jam session. It would be
great fun to watch as the soloist becomes a
one-person percussion section, playing nearly
non-stop on at least 12 different instruments!
Michael Schulman
Virgil Thomson – A Gallery of Portraits for
Piano and Other Piano Works
Craig Rutenberg
Everbest Music 1003 (virgilthomson.org)
! Virgil Thomson
(1896-1989) is
chiefly remembered
for his operas
Four Saints in
Three Acts and The
Mother of Us All,
both set to librettos
by Gertrude Stein,
and the orchestral suites he derived from
his film scores – the one he arranged from
Louisiana Story won the Pulitzer Prize in
1949. Writers about music also continue
to cite Thomson’s acerbic reviews from his
tenure as music critic of New York’s Herald
Tribune (1940-1954).
This two-CD set contains 81 piano miniatures,
most under two minutes, including 70
of the approximately 160 Portraits Thomson
composed portraying friends and acquaintances,
each present during the music’s
creation. There are sentimental melodies,
often hinting at familiar hymns and folk
tunes, military fanfares and marches, merrygo-round
music and playful dances, many
spiced with puckish “wrong notes.”
I recognized only seven names among those
depicted: composers Paul Bowles (a quirky,
mildly-dissonant waltz), Lou Harrison (melodically
and rhythmically ambiguous) and Aaron
Copland (emphatically folksy); Pablo Picasso
(Prokofiev-like percussiveness) and Picasso’s
mistress Dora Maar (restlessly meandering);
actor-producer John Houseman (meditative)
and this recording’s pianist, Craig Rutenberg
(gently rocking). Rutenberg, a good friend of
Thomson, has enjoyed a distinguished career
as teacher, vocal coach and accompanist for
such stars as Diana Damrau, Frederica von
Stade and Ben Heppner.
Five selections from Thomson’s ballet
Filling Station evoke vigorous work-songs,
while the four-piece Suite from the film The
Plow that Broke the Plains features Cowboy
Songs and Blues, adding to this collection’s
significance.
Michael Schulman
Souvenirs
Carlos Manuel Vargas
Navona Records nv6615 (navonarecords.
com/catalog/nv6615)
! Multiaward
winning,
Dominican
Republic-born,
Boston-based
pianist Carlos
Manuel Vargas
performs a
46 | September 2024 thewholenote.com

compilation of 13 technically and stylistically
wide-ranging eclectic international solo
compositions chosen with “[persons of influence
on] my career in mind, hence the title
of “Souvenirs” … a small gesture for all the
support I have received over the years.”
The opening Impressões Seresteiras by
Heitor Villa-Lobos is an attention-grabbing
virtuosic and dramatic piece. From soft
sparkling beginning, to louder clear runs,
trills and lower notes, Vargas plays with well
thought-out precision. Earl Wild’s arrangements
of two George Gershwin compositions
for solo piano – Virtuosic Etudes after
Gershwin: The man I love, and Embraceable
You – are each more classical/romantic takes
of the famous jazz tunes, performed here
with unique colourful sounds. The highlight
of the three Rafael Bullumba Landestoy
compositions is the short danceable jazz/
Latin sounding Estudio en Zamba which
drives Vargas’ energetic performance. Vargas
plays the original first two movements of
Alexander Scriabin’s Sonata Fantasy: Piano
Sonata No. 2 in G Sharp Minor Op.19. A soft
reflective straightforwardly intelligent rendition
of I. Andante I is contrasted by the superfast
II. Presto. Three famous Edith Piaf songs
are included and the highlight is Varga’s
interpretation of La vie en rose, arranged
by Roberto Piana. Vargas’ slightly rubato
emotional playing gives the sense of a sung
melody as it alternates between left and right
hand to a soft high-pitched closing. Inspired
performances of Poulenc, Vitier and Golijov
compositions complete the release.
Tiina Kiik
Kinetic
Kinetic Ensemble
Bright Shiny Things BSTC-0189
(brightshiny.ninja/kinetic)
! Houston-based
Kinetic ensemble
was formed in 2015.
The 16 professional
younger generation
string players
perform without a
conductor in flexible
classical chamber and orchestral formations.
This debut release consists of four
works Kinetic commissioned and premiered
which explore the connection between
musical sounds and the natural world.
The Wilderness Anthology by Patrick
Harlin is an intriguing seven-movement,
beautifully scored work for string orchestra
and pre-recorded audio soundscapes from
remote and imperiled ecosystems on the
Amazon. I. Reverence/Dusk opens with very
quiet prerecorded wildlife sounds like bird
whistling. Instrumentals begin with melodic,
contrapuntal string parts and repeated
rhythmic low strings groove. VII. Dawn/
Reverence features held notes alternating
with recorded wave sounds.
Avian themes reappear in Paul Novak’s A
String Quartet is like a Flock of Birds, with
very tight playing of accessible contemporary
music. The held notes, plucks, high
pitches and melodies are played alone or all
at once in fast to slow tempi. To me it sounds
like a sunny day with birds in the backyard!
Next is Nicky Sohn’s What Happens if Pipes
Burst? The softer slower string interludes are
very musical and reflective. A faster ending
with virtuosic super fast playing adds excitement.
Daniel Temkin’s Ocean’s Call for String
Orchestra is a three-movement composition
for full orchestra. The extended cello solos in
I. Hanging Cliffs, Rising Mist are dramatic.
III. Lullaby Waves is sparse with passionate
solos and an intense closing that slows down
to bring this enjoyable album to an exquisite
conclusion.
Tiina Kiik
Gundaris Pone – Portraits
Liepaja Symphony Orchestra; Guntis
Kuzma; Normunds Sne
SKANI LMIC SKANI 161 (lmic.lv/lv/skani/
catalogue?id=244)
! In 1950, Latviaborn
Gundaris Pone
(1932-1994) moved
to the U.S., studied
composition and,
from 1963 until
his death, taught
composition at the
State University of
New York at New Paltz, also serving as artistic
director and conductor of New Paltz’s annual
Music in the Mountains Festival.
Pone’s single-movement, 24-minute
Avanti! (1975) features violent dissonances,
funereal solemnity and bitter irony, with
quotations from the 1905 Latvian revolutionary
anthem, With Battle Cries on Our
Lips, Berg’s Wozzeck, a lamenting Bach
chorale and repeated cuckoo calls. Helping
to coordinate the score’s polyrhythms,
conductor Guntis Kuzma is assisted by
Normunds Šnē.
Filled with exaggerated, off-kilter cinematic
tropes, American Portraits (1983-
1984) depicts stereotypical representations of
five professions: inventor (eerie woodwinds,
jagged bursts of heavy percussion); film star
(jaunty, cliché cowboy sauntering); powerful
financier (film-noir dramatics with pounding
brass and percussion); gangster (train whistles
and boisterous jazzy riffs – Pone specified
“1920s style,” so conductor Kuzma
added a washboard to the mix); military
genius (furious fanfares and a wild, Ivesian
victory-march).
Pone enjoyed extended stays in Venice, and
his brilliantly orchestrated La Serenissima,
Seven Venetian Portraits (1979-1981) presents
kaleidoscopic imagery of a day in the city,
from morning shadows to afternoon waters,
evening chatter and night fog: spectral
Venice, in addition to the Arch of Paradise,
the mouth of the lion and a meeting with the
messenger of death. I found La Serenissima’s
discordant impressionism – a vividly expressive
amalgam of Debussy and Alban Berg –
riveting listening throughout.
Michael Schulman
Serenade: I Miss You
Nicolas Hurt
Independent (nicolashurt.bandcamp.com)
! Texas guitarist/
educator/composer
Nicolas Hurt showcases
his creativity
in this “short
but sweet” under
25-minute release.
During the 2021
COVID isolation
Hurt commissioned three of his Austin musician
friends for a solo guitar piece. Hurt
was so inspired that these, along with his
own composition, became the soundtrack
to the 2023 film he directed, produced and
performed on screen, with each tune introduced
by composer commentaries. His EP
liner notes encourage listeners to “find the
film online and give it a watch”.
Zeke Jarmon’s Lemonade is not classical
per se, though tonal with contrasting
detached repeated notes and melodic
sections, calm lower pitches and slower brief
rock, pop, folk and jazz quenching one’s
musical thirst. Justice Philips’ Serenade, I
Miss You is more contemporary. Love the
romantic feel with subtle atonality, short
melodic fast to slow sections, chords,
plucks, strums and higher soft melodies.
Hurt’s three part The Springs is inspired by
his beloved swimming locale. Minimalistic
repeated descending lines and gentle brief
high-pitched notes with occasional atonality
emulate rippling water in 1. Hillside. The
guitar becomes a percussion instrument with
Hurt’s soft guitar taps to loud hits with resonating
strings in 2. Ubiquitous Drum Circle.
Slow meditative sounds in 3. Under Deep
Water (after Satie). Claire Puckett’s Lantern
is intense yet calming. Short soft single note
sections alternate with melody, silences and
colourful chords.
These four stylistically diverse works are
just as stellar without the visuals. Performed
with inspirational musicality and technique
by Hurt, the musical charm increases with
each subsequent listen.
Tiina Kiik
thewholenote.com September 2024 | 47

JAZZ AND IMPROVISED
Farahser
John Kameel Farah; Nick Fraser
Elastic Recordings ER010
(elasticrecordings.com/farahser)
! In this collection
of musical
dialogues between
two virtuosic and
creative musicians,
Nick Fraser
and John Kameel
Farah provide some
answers to Fraser’s
question: “Where does improvisation end
and composition start?” The opening track’s
ambiguous opening sequence is like a musical
voicing of the question; Fraser and Farah
answer it with inventive exchanges that explore
their shared, diverse musical influences.
Based in Toronto, Fraser is a Juno-winning
drummer known for stylistic breadth and
progressive playing, earning him respect
in the international improvised music
community and a key role in Canada’s new
jazz scene. Farah is a Canadian composer
and pianist living in Berlin whose adventurous
improvisatory performances include
keyboards and electronics, incorporating
aspects of baroque and early music, contemporary
classical, jazz and modal melodies
evoking his Palestinian heritage.
Fraser suggested the collaboration when
the pair reconnected 20 years after their first
meeting. They started in the studio with 26
improvised duets; from this raw material,
they selected some ideas or approaches which
became the eight tracks on the album. The
ambient mood of the opening track, Flatland,
gives way to different energies such as a
sequence featuring Farah’s trademark sinewy
melodies in Insect Mountain. Dirge featuresa
hypnotic walking bass over which unfolds
beguiling melodies, all interrupted by a flurry
of activity from drums and synths. The closing
track, Elevator, showcases Farah’s pianistic
prowess with rippling upward motifs, while
Fraser gives us a masterclass in brushwork.
Even listeners who might be hesitant about
experimental improvisation will find things to
delight them on this album. Recommended!
Stephanie Conn
Traces
Will Régnier
Independent (willregnier.com)
! Will Régnier is a
Montreal drummer,
composer and
producer who has
played in progressive
rock and jazz
bands over the
past 15 years while
finishing bachelor’s
and master’s degrees in jazz performance and
composition. Traces is his first album and
reveals a calm sophistication, infused with
catchy riffs and melodies, with some edgy
fusion thrown in for spice.
The title track demonstrates Regnier’s
diverse influences, beginning with a folkrock
arpeggiated guitar intro which then
moves into a solid piano melody (doubled
with guitar), then some counterpoint
between drums and bass; midway through
Marcus Lowry performs a beautiful guitar
solo with classical undertones. Lights
Out opens with a delicately funky bass line
and then a subtly distorted and complex
guitar melody. Throughout the album there
are multiple examples of sophisticated interplay
between piano and guitar. The pieces
in Traces move effortlessly across styles aided
by the accomplished and inspired playing
of Régnier, Lowry, Yannick Anctil (piano)
and Alex Le Blanc (double bass). Each song
mixes composed and improvised sections
which showcase evolving narratives. Traces is
an excellent debut album and is always
compelling.
Ted Parkinson
Bien ensemble
Mimosa
Cellar Music CMF060623 (mimosamusic.
bandcamp.com/album/bien-ensemble)
! French/English
Vancouver-based
jazz quintet Mimosa
is celebrating its
25th anniversary
as a band in 2024.
Their fourth release,
Bien ensemble
(Good Together) is
self-described as being “about connection
through friendship and music.” Mimosa’s
members’ different backgrounds, personalities
and languages inspire unique music from
each other, along with jazz, Brazilian sambas,
French 60s pop and Cabaret music influences.
Mimosa is Rebecca Shoichet (vocals,
accordion), Anna Lumière (piano, accordion,
Fender Rhodes, organ, Moog, vocals), Karen
Graves (sax, flute, vocals), Conrad Good (bass)
and Bernie Arai (drums). Special guests here
are Heather Anderson (trumpet, flugelhorn)
and Susana Williams (percussion).
Lumière composes most of Mimosa’s
music. She also collaborates with band
members like title track Bien ensemble
with Shoichet. Calm opening jazz piano and
French vocals develop into faster colourful
instrumental solos above a snappy drum
backdrop. English vocals return to slower
closing. Lumière’s High in the Sky is classic
instrumental jazz with quasi backdrop
English vocals. Tight ensemble supports many
instrumental solos, especially the outstanding
trumpet solo. Mimosa’s Graves sings Birds at
4 am, her English composition co-written
with B. Murphy. Slow depressing lack of sleep
storytelling with piano/drums backdrops
to hopeful decrescendo cymbals and piano
ending. Guests Anderson and Williams join
Mimosa in the closing Lumière track Trouble.
The sax solo followed by a subtle accordion
solo adds colour and then loud piano chords.
Love everyone singing at the ending!
This release achieves its celebratory purpose
as musicians, vocalists, composers along with
excellent production, create perfect music!
Tiina Kiik
Accolades of Time
Ruth Saphir
Orchard of Pomegranates
(ruthsaphir.com)
! With lyrics that
poignantly reflect
on identity and
relationships as
they transcend the
passage of time, an
expressive band
that fits this elegant
thematic tapestry
and a consistently goosebump-inducing vocal
performance from Ruth Saphir, Ancestral
Shadows is a musical odyssey that feels
immensely rewarding with each listen.
Revolving around the central quartet
consisting of Ruth Saphir (voice, flute), Kate
Wyatt (piano), Adrian Vedady (bass) and Mili
Hong (drums), it truly feels like each musician’s
contributions are valued and paced
perfectly throughout the album. The incredible
one-two punch of Where Do Dreams
Go? and Hand-Me-Down-Clothes feature
Vedady’s bass as the most prominent instrument
in the mix, with the warm breadth
of his tone and tasteful nature of his bass
lines making every pause in the melody feel
full of vitality. This careful, concerted dance
between ensemble and songwriter continues
in magical moments such as the gradual foray
into double time following the effortlessly
graceful way Saphir stretches the phrase “I
know you wanted to” during Lost at Sea, a
swinging number if there ever was one. When
we’re in the flow I feel the undertow intrude
feels directly addressed to a rhythm section
that sits so on top of every beat it practically
anticipates it, yet invokes feeling in a very
unsuppressed manner.
Autobiographical in one instant and
familiar in the next, this music makes for a
truly ecstatic listening experience.
Yoshi Maclear Wall
48 | September 2024 thewholenote.com

Moon Over Lake
Roddy Ellias
KWIMU Music KW-007 (roddyellias.
bandcamp.com/album/moon-over-lake)
! When inevitably
transfixed
and immersed in
the sheer lushness
that emanates from
Roddy Ellias’ guitar,
it is easy to forget
you’re listening
to a collection of
songs, rather than one self-contained piece.
When faced with such a dizzying array of odd
pulses, phrases without clean endings, and
several texturally rich sections where Ellias
sounds like he has cloned himself, there can
arise a temptation to overanalyze, attempting
to grasp a firm hold of all that feels increasingly
less tangible. To give into these urges
keeps the listener at a distance, which stands
at odds to the vulnerability of Ellias’ creative
endeavour.
Short, imagery-laden track titles complement
the spacious, meditative feeling of
listening to multiple voices interacting within
one instrument, punctuated by the occasional
audible breath (such as the one in
Flower) and chord that reverberates through
a physical space. Hope deals in resonances,
finding hidden melodies within its chordal
elements while allowing the inner voices to
color much of the mood, each sustained tone
lingering as if to convey a sense of yearning.
Chant rides an intricate groove through its
entire runtime without belabouring it, but
always implying it through blissful syncopated
runs and occasionally reintroducing
its titular refrain in fragments before the
triumphant outro.
Nary a composition here overstays its
welcome – the overall listen is quite brisk –
but they are all intricate parts of a fulfilling,
harmonious whole.
Yoshi Maclear Wall
Wintertides
Sam Wilson
Studio 204
(samwilsonmusiq.bandcamp.com)
! The state of the
Canadian guitar in
the key of jazz has
never been in such
good shape as it
is today. You only
have to consider
the contributions to
jazz literature made
by such masters as Ray Norris,Diz Disley, Ed
Bickert,Lorne Lofsky, Nelson Symonds, Lenny
Breau, Oliver Gannon, Sonny Greenwich, and
from Bill Coon to Reg Schwager and Jocelyn
Gould. You could fill an entire library of jazz
music with those names alone.
To that roster you would have to add
the name of Sam Wilson. The young east
coast composer and virtuoso instrumentalist
displays skill and mature judgement in
the performance of her original works. She
puts on an exquisite musical display on her
fourth recording Wintertides, a homage to
the landscapes of the two disparate coastlines
of Canada.
Weaving ornate tapestries featuring
wonderfully colour-laden notes and phrases
Wilson – together with bassist Gordie Hart
and drummer Jen Yakamovich – offer subtle,
often striking, interpretations of Wilson’s
superbly-crafted and affecting miniatures.
Despite meditating on the single theme of
relocating “bi-coastal” landscapes to a canvas
of soundscapes the settings of each of the ten
works couldn’t be more different. Melodic
lines are eloquently ornamented. Slowly
unfolding harmonies are stimulating, heightening
the impressive, sweeping canvases from
earth to sky. Dancing urgency of rhythms
dapple the music as if adding curved brushstrokes
to these musical canvases. The Moon
Song and Wintertides are masterpieces.
Raul da Gama
Tidal Currents: East Meets West
Winnipeg Jazz Orchestra
Chronograph Records CR-109
(winnipegjazzorchestra.com/cd-details---
tidal-currents--east-meets-west)
! Tidal Currents:
East Meets West is
the latest offering
from the Winnipeg
Jazz Orchestra. It’s
the seventh release
by this ensemble,
and fits beautifully
into their catalogue
without sounding derivative or too similar
to their previous recordings. Composers
Jill Townsend and Christine Jensen provide
the repertoire, based on themes from their
respective upbringings on the East and West
coasts of Canada. United in the landlocked
geographical center of the country, the WJO
gives a slick and polished performance of
pieces by both composers, featuring soloists
from the group as well as Jensen on soprano
saxophone.
“Short but sweet” is the best way to
describe Tidal Currents, at a runtime of just
under 30 minutes. If the group had decided
to add an additional track or two, they would
not be unwelcomed, but after several listens
through the album in its entirety, I’m not
left feeling owed anything either. We have
gone from an era of 70-plus minute CDs to
one focused more around singles and EPs.
Whether this programming choice was deliberate
or not, Tidal Currents might just be the
perfect length to satiate the modern attention
span.
It is an impressive feat that the album’s four
tracks alternate composers while still functioning
together as a suite. This is a testament
to both the ensemble playing, and visions
of the composers. There is unity throughout
an organic set of music, but ample contrast
to keep listeners engaged. Albums may be
getting shorter, but this means us listeners
have no excuse not to digest statements like
Tidal Currents in their entirety as intended.
Sam Dickinson
Horns of Hope
Aimee-Jo Benoit; The New Assembly
Chronograph Records
(chronographrecords.com/releases/
horns-of-hope)
! Calgary-based
jazz vocalist/
composer, Aimee-Jo
Benoit has just
released her sophomore
recording – a
compelling, highly
creative collection
of music that
is a joyous celebration
of some of her most seminal influences
including songs from Canadian luminaries
kd lang, Joni Mitchell, Leonard Cohen, Daniel
Lanois and Sarah Harmer. Benoit’s voice is
a warm, rich, sonorous instrument – and
like a fine violin, and through her masterful
communication skills, she is capable of transporting
the listener to any emotional plateau
desired. Joining Benoit on this exceptional
recording are a fine Calgary-based ensemble,
including arranger Carsten Rubeling on trombone,
Mark De Jong on tenor saxophone and
trombone, Andre Wickenheiser on trumpet
and a tight rhythm section comprised of
bassist Jon Wielebknowski, keyboardist
Augustine Yates and drummer Dan Gaucher.
The eight-track programme (including one
original from Benoit) kicks off with Barefoot,
filled with powerful horn lines, dynamic
rhythms and a pitch-pure, velvet-like vocal,
which wraps itself around every part of lang’s
lyrical poetry, and Rubeling’s innovative and
stirring horn-infused arrangement is nothing
short of magnificent. A dynamic solo from
Wickenheiser is a highlight, as well as the
stripped-down coda.
Other delights include a refreshing take on
Mitchell’s Little Green, infusing the tune with
jazz elements that would delight Mitchell.
Goucher’s gorgeous bass work holds this
beautiful tune lovingly in his hands. Harmer’s
notable You Were Here is presented in the
stark resonance of De Jong on baritone, eventually
joined by the full ensemble. Benoit sails
through and above everything – gracing all
with a brush of the wings of her magnificent
voice, her skills and her taste.
Lesley Mitchell-Clarke
thewholenote.com September 2024 | 49

Fatrasies
François Houle; Kate Gentile; Alexander
Hawkins
Victo cd 137 (victo.qc.ca)
! Three masters
of the improv craft
from three different
countries confirm
not only creative
music’s universality
but also how
so-called abstract
music can be
as definitive as any other. Each of the five
instant compositions blend American Kate
Gentile’s restrained drum pops and rumbles,
the UK’s Alexander Hawkins’ refractive
pianism ranging from meditative to mauling
and Canadian François Houle’s output from
two clarinets and electronics that encompasses
textures ranging from hissing trills to
bagpipe-like drones.
Used sparingly to amplify tones, electronics
underline Houle’s versatility since by
playing both clarinets at once or dismantling
them for extra timbres he produces
distinctive sounds from the near opaque to
free-flowing. Not to be outdone, Hawkins
creates immediate responses to either player’s
musical thrusts. For instance on La petite
bête he doubles his speed to intersect with
the clarinetist’s rappelling up the scale. On
Tart ara mon cueur, as blowsy basset clarinet
tones widen and intensify, the pianist moves
from gentle clinks to splayed percussive pedal
action. Gentile responds quickly as well and
hard thumps plus cymbal colours join the
piano patterns to properly frame Houle’s dual
clarinet output so that it becomes moderate
and linear.
There are numerous instances of the interaction
flowing the other way such as electronic
whizzes meeting piledriver piano runs
or hollow-sounding reed flutters extending
an a capella piano introduction. The (so-far)
shared democratic heritage of these countries
could serve as a metaphor for how well these
three interact.
Ken Waxman
Crayonnage
Brûlez les meubles
Tour de bras/Cicrum Disc 900070cd/
microcidi 035 (tourdebras.com/album/
crayonnage)
! Proof that quiet
improvising can be
as compelling as
faster, louder music
comes from this
Québecois quartet.
Based around
the harmonies
and broken-chord narratives of guitarist
Louis Beaudoin-de la Sablonnière and electric
bassist Éric Normand, Jonathan Huard’s
vibraphone pings further embellish the 12
tunes while drummer Tom Jacques’ whaps
and slaps keep the pieces fluidly linear.
Reflective and relaxed are the adjectives
applied to most tracks as guitar strings
soar, echo and frail, matched in lockstep by
bass strokes. Nonetheless calm shouldn’t
be confused with casualness. Tunes like
sous les assauts du soleil reveal the drama
and emotion that goes into such systematic
strategy. Ringing guitar/bass chords showcase
and then relax the pressure that initially
creates this mixture of light and dark tones.
Regardless, it’s the brief empattement which
fully defines the entire band’s sympathetic
connection. While initial guitar twangs and
thumping bass responses suggest the group is
heading towards Metal, Jacques’ use of midrange
clips not backbeats confirms the quartet’s
creative non rock music stance.
The concluding extended group improv
estompes substantiates this. Atmospheric
and expressive, Normand’s use of electronics
for backing rustles and a looped pulse allows
Beaudoin-de la Sablonnière to add a sitarlike
echo and ratcheting frails to his tone variations,
as the vibist and drummer speed up
the backing with temperate textures that are
decorative without being delicate.
The moderation expressed on Crayonnage
may draw in and be a pleasant surprise for
those who eschew improv.
Ken Waxman
Accidentals
Don Fiorino; Andrew Haas
Independent (american-nocturne.
bandcamp.com/album/accidentals)
! Don Fiorino
(guitar, glissentar,
lap steel,
bass, banjo, lotar,
mandolin and
more) has collaborated
for over
two decades with
Andrew Haas
(saxophone)
and Accidentals is their third album. Each of
the relatively short pieces is a freeform investigation
of experimental sound collaborations.
Talismanic has percussion (could be
a pot banging) with a stringed instrument
(could be a bass or low tuned guitar) and the
saxophone uses mostly the altisimo range. But
it really grooves and its trance-like determination
drags you along. Phat Flutter contains
a lot of fluttering saxophone sounds with a
few multiphonics thrown in over percussive
strings.
All the pieces successfully create unique
universes in their short durations and also
include humour. They seem to be implying:
life is short so push the envelope. Obscure
fact: Haas, who spends most of the album
using only extended techniques, is the same
saxophone player who can be heard on the
80s hit Echo Beach (by Toronto’s Martha and
the Muffins). He has expanded his playing
in amazing ways over those decades. Fiorino
comes up with a truckload of sounds from a
wide assortment of stringed instruments and
constantly provides esoteric but infectious
grooves. Accidentals is inventive, fascinating
and very deliberate.
Ted Parkinson
Concert note: Andrew Haas performs with
bass player Mike Milligan at Sellers and Newel
Second-Hand Books on November 24.
Heart Trio
William Parker; Cooper-Moore; Hamid
Drake
Aum Fidelity AUM118-2 (aumfidelity.com)
Cereal Music
William Parker; Ellen Christi
Aum Fidelity AUM119-2 (aumfidelity.com)
! The words
“ancient to the
future” may sound
like a Zen Koan
to those befuddled
by their
meaning. However,
it describes William
Parker perfectly
because of all the musicians alive today –
and many no longer with us – no one but
Parker seems to travel back and forth through
the music continuum; an earthling making
music in a glorious arc between earth and sky
traversing back and forth between Mother
Africa and the Americas, Europe and the near
and far east. Indeed, Parker is a musician
unlike any other, cut from an artistic cloth,
both ancient and modern.
I have listened to these two recordings –
Heart Trio and Cereal Music – intermittently
for several weeks, and the capacity of Parker’s
music to linger – to evolve inside the inner ear
once the sounds themselves have breathed
their last – leaves a nourishing post-listening
afterglow.
As a card-carrying, dyed-in-the-wool
member of the William Parker (the composer)
fan club I confess to also being a longtime
subscriber to his belief in Universal Tonality
(also a two-disc recording dedicated to this
concept, released on Centering Records in
2023). In notes to that recording that are
characteristically enigmatic and mystical,
Parker writes that “When a feather falls and
touches the ground music begins. Nothing
is said. There are no keys, no chord changes,
modes, or notations… we speak different
languages, but we feel each other. The music
guides us. All we have to do is listen. All we
have to do is feel. The sky, mountains, and
trees all understand Universal Tonality and
they always have.” He also sees “…many musicians
carrying all kinds of musical instruments.
From all over the world.” And so on,
as he lures you into his musical manifesto.
Parker also “plays” – as he puts it – “inside
the rainbow.” This is far from delirium. It is
50 | September 2024 thewholenote.com

the voice of a griot and a shaman rolled into
one. His music poses existentialist musical
questions such as those raised by John
Cage’s 4’33”, Parker’s music privileges active
listening over hearing.
As multi-instrumentalist and poet who
often recites his verses, Parker’s recording
Heart Trio includes two like-minded musicians.
One is the percussion colourist Cooper-
Moore (playing ashimba and hoe-handle
harp), and the other is the frame drummer
Hamid Drake, who also sits in on a drum set.
The resulting music is the epitome of Parker’s
conception of Universal Tonality.
Employing the West African doson ngoni (a
stringed instrument made of wood or calabash)
that stands in for the bass, a bevy of
flutes and the double-reed bass dudek, Parker
weaves often amorphous melodic, harmonic
and rhythmic lines into the colourful percussive
sounds issued by Cooper-Moore and
Drake. Thus, we meet Five Angels by the
Stream, wraith-like and ephemeral. The
blaring cityscape in Serbia co-exists with the
glacial quietude from its countryside. We also
meet personalities such as Japanese trumpeter
Toshinoro Kondo and legendary
drummer Rafael Garrett in portrait pieces.
The celebratory Afri-centric Processional
brings this remarkable recording to a close,
but not before we might feel the music
pulsating from inside the heart itself.
The recording
Cereal Music is a
metonymic feature
for Parker and
Ellen Christi, both
of whom recite –
Parker also chants
bringing his velvet
tenor to bear on
his idiomatic poetry – and both serve up
the music as if on an edible table of plenty.
Parker also returns to playing the contrabass,
and an array of flutes. The portraits of the
late tenor saxophone player Kidd Jordan and
Sonny (for the retired tenor saxophone titan,
Sonny Rollins) are timeless. Parker’s recitation
and instrumental connective tissue melts
into Christi’s atmospheric sound design.
Elsewhere on this 15-track set, on Birth and
Death chromatic notes sigh, but the harmonic
cushioning rarely falls where you anticipate.
The pinnacle – to my mind – is We Are
Very Civilised with his Afri-centric rhythms,
propelled by the shimmering chimes of the
Moroccan qraqeb – a large iron castanet-like
musical instrument primarily used as the
rhythmic aspect of Gnawa music into which
the musicians expertly gravitate. By now, we
realise that Parker is also immersed in the
gnawa tradition of Morocco, drawing a very
willing Christi in his wake.
Raul da Gama
7th Avenue South
Jon Gordon
ArtistShare ASO229 (artistshare.com/
projects/experience/?artistID=64&project
Id=533)
! There are
precious few first
call jazz artists who
have not only paid
their professional
dues, but who have
also developed their
own unique sound,
compositional skill
and a style that is informed by (but not derivative
of) the giants of jazz that have influenced
them. Jon Gordon is one of those
amazing individuals and is one of the leading
lights of the alto and soprano sax. Gordon’s
latest offering is a love letter to the vibrant
Greenwich Village jazz scene of the early 80’s,
a time where you could saunter down the
street to the Village Vanguard, Sweet Basil,
Bradley’s, the Knickerbocker and, of course,
the Brecker Brothers’ 7th Avenue South.
This fertile area was ground zero for the
jazz world. Young Gordon was a witness to
this seminal scene, and it shaped and molded
the skilled saxophonist that he was then and
is now. Additionally, the personnel on this
recording has been well selected, and every
track is exquisite. Aside from two tunes, all
compositions here were written and arranged
by Gordon – who now influences young jazz
musicians as a professor at The University
of Manitoba.
The opener, Witness, draws the listener
in with a contrapuntal vocal section, which
turns into an almost melancholy motif, rife
with emotion. Will Bonness on piano and
the thrilling work of percussionist Fabio
Ragnelli and bassist Julian Bradford complete
the haunting intro, which segues into the
title tune, a complex, swinging arrangement
involving the entire complement.
Also outstanding are Ed’s Groove and the
thought-provoking Visit. Gordon’s alto solo
here is luscious and complex, as is the work
of exquisite trumpeter John Challoner. The
boppish Spark is also a treat, as is the brilliantly
written and executed reprise of the
title tune. A triumph!
Lesley Mitchell-Clarke
Hendrik Meurkens – The Jazz
Meurkengers
w/Ed Cherry; Nick Hempton; Steve Ash;
Chris Berger; Andy Watson
Cellar Music CMR080824
(hendrikmeurkens.bandcamp.com)
! There’s just
something
charming and
captivating in the
mellow, reedy
timbre of the
harmonica that
instantly reels in the attention of the listener.
Renowned harmonicist Hendrik Meurkens
shows his incredible skills once again on his
latest release. Not only does his very apparent
love for the instrument shine through clearly,
but his compositional talent is also showcased
on several of the tracks. This record
is also special because it is the debut of
his new project “The Jazz Meurkengers,”
featuring longtime musician friends such as
Ed Cherry on guitar, Steve Ash on piano and
Chris Berger on bass. Supported by a stellar
band, the album is full of refreshing energy
and creativity where each musician has the
opportunity to show their talents.
What really makes this record unique and
interesting is the mellow, sultry tone within
the tunes. Achieving a completely smooth,
connected sound from the harmonica is
a truly tough endeavour; legendary Toots
Thielmans and Meurkens are among a small
group of jazz harmonicists that have ever
been able to achieve that feat. Adding to the
quiet energy and allure of the album are the
pleasant riffs of Cherry and soaring saxophone
melodies of Nick Hempton overlaying
Andy Watson’s driving rhythms.
The record also features a touching, bluesy
tribute to Thielmans in A Tear for Toots,
where the sadness felt for the loss of the celebrated
musician is thoroughly expressed in
Meurkens’ sorrowful harmonica line.
Kati Kiilaspea
Time Again
Benjamin Koppel; Brian Blade; Anders
Koppel
Cowbell Music 89 (cowbellmusic.dk/
products/koppel-blade-koppel-time-againcd)
! Sunny midsummer
days
call for scorching
rhythms and
sizzling melodies
to get your feet
moving. This latest
release by famed
group Koppel-
Blade-Koppel brings just that to the table,
a perfect musical accompaniment to vacations
and parties alike. Featuring the all-star
musical father-son duo of organist Anders
Koppel and alto saxophonist Benjamin Koppel
with the addition of renowned drummer
Brian Blade, each piece is elevated to new
musical heights. With the exception of one,
all tracks are penned by the Koppels, making
this a delightful compilation of new tracks.
If you’re on the hunt for fresh music that
gets you grooving and also delves into your
emotions, this is the album for you.
The record is incredibly multi-faceted,
with both thoughtful pieces interspersed
with rhythmic tunes and a certain contagious
energy running throughout. Right away,
the first song Puerto Rican Rumble starts
with an infectious bass groove that doesn’t
thewholenote.com September 2024 | 51

let up during the duration of the piece and
combined with Blade’s continuous rhythms
and riveting saxophone melodies, makes for
a positively bopping piece. In contrast, If You
Forget Me takes it down a notch, with Koppel
Jr.’s bluesy, soulful sax line just tugging at the
heart strings and creating a beautiful, melancholy
soundscape. What makes the record
such an incredible musical journey is that it
manages to both feel new and like a nostalgic
throwback simultaneously. A hark back to
different times, bringing that complexity and
emotion into today’s world.
Kati Kiilaspea
Being Human
Lynne Arriale; Alon Near; Lukasz Zyta
Challenge Records CR 73572 (lynnearriale.
com/shop/being-human-1)
! Luminous
pianist, composer
and arranger
Lynne Arriale has
graced the stages
of the most prestigious
temples of
jazz throughout the
world and with the
release of her 17th recording, Arriale is joined
by internationally renowned musicians,
bassist Alon Near and drummer Lukasz Zyta.
Ten moving and insightful original compositions
are included in this jazz suite, with
Arriale having taken inspiration from remarkable
individuals such as environmental
activist Greta Thunberg and Nobel Peace
Prize Laureate Malala Yousafzai, as well as
from positive human qualities and the variety
of emotions and needs that we all share –
musically and etherically eclipsing the “great
lie” of human separatism.
First up is Passion dedicated to Thurnberg.
This arrangement is rife with youthful
enthusiasm, tinged by the melancholy of the
high emotional price that young people can
pay for their dedicated, nascent mono-vision,
having connected with their pure, focusdriven
path early on. Written by Arialle for
the Human Race, Love is stunningly beautiful,
and a reminder of how unique every soul is
and that the potential for illumination resides
in each one of us. Arriale’s playing here
embraces both the contrapuntal aspects of a
classical composition, as well as a refreshing
purity and simplicity. Near and Zyta are in a
rarefied communicative state with Arriale, at
once supportive and creative, imbuing each
nuance with their individual sound and skill.
Highlights include the free Curiosity, dedicated
to autistic mathematician/physicist
Jacob Barnett, where universal mysteries and
chaos are plumbed. The swinging Soul (dedicated
to Amanda Gorman, National Youth
Poet Laureate) is a groovy, rhythmic trip
that not only features a hard-driving four
from the rhythm section, but Arriale’s dynamism
and encyclopedic knowledge of the bop
canon. The suite closes with a reprise of Love
utilizing “voices” on the Yamaha Clavinova,
which underscore faith in humanity and a
mutual commitment to unity and a brighter,
inclusive future.
Lesley Mitchell-Clarke
Evolver
Bruno Raberg Tentet
OrbisMusic OM1323 (brunoraberg.com)
! Music – especially
the music
called jazz – is
always an evolutionary
process.
So having workshopped
this music
for a considerable
period, its shepherd,
Bruno Råberg rightfully, albeit whimsically,
called its recorded iteration Evolver.
Listening to it being played by the ace alliance
he calls the Tentet you will be beckoned
seductively by the dramatic twists and turns
of each piece on this record.
Plunge in then as if you intended to
discover the secrets of the source of the
music, as if it were the water of life to its
composer. The technical aspects of this music
– arranged for ten performers who read
exceedingly well – is one way to regard the
music of Evolver with its six individual pieces
and the final four-part work, The Echos Suite.
However, penetrating the skin of the music to
mine its secrets is more spiritual, shamanic
and ephemeral.
In ephemeral terms the wellspring for
Råberg’s compositions are perceived as
shamanic affirmations translated into musical
synchronicities. The melodies, harmonies and
rhythms are signs he is doing precisely the
right thing at the right time. This is how his
labyrinthine melodies flow into harmonious
tributaries and eloquent and complex
rhythmic variations.
Thus, Råberg marshals his musicians
through a masterful expansive musical
odyssey; Greek myths (Peripeteia, Erbus
and The Echos Suite), the Swedish countryside
(Stilytje) and with Mode Natakapriya,
through the diabolical complexities of the
South Indian music tradition.
Raul da Gama
Live at Smalls
Jack Walrath; Abraham Burton; George
Burton; Boris Kozlov; Donald Edwards
Cellar Music CMSLF008 (jackwalrath.
bandcamp.com/album/live-at-smalls)
! Devotees of the
titan of music and
musical successor
to Duke Ellington,
Charles Mingus, will
remember trumpeter
Jack Walrath
from Me Myself an
Eye (Atlantic, 1979),
from the final era of Mingus’ epic oeuvre. That
album began with Three Worlds of Drums,
the bassist’s composition for large ensemble
with two bassists and three drummers.
Why remember Walrath? It was the trumpeter
who gave wings to Mingus’ idea for the
work, which the bassist “…noodled into a tape
recorder,” said Walrath.
Many years after that epic recording, a
wizened Walrath made what I believed to be
his finest recording. Invasion of the Booty
Shakers (Savant, 2002), with the brilliant
vocal gymnast, Miles Griffith. That recording
began with Walrath’s iconic piece, Black Bats
and Poles, a work that graced Mingus’ album
Changes Vol. Two (Atlantic, 1974). Having his
song immortalised on a Mingus album says
a lot about Walrath, the trumpeter. Mingus
didn’t simply “pick” trumpeters, he bonded
with the best. (Remember Johnny Coles, and
the great Clarence Shaw?)
Like those men, Walrath is an artist of the
first order, a master of his instrument. He
shows us just that on this brilliant recording
Live at Smalls. He is a player of remarkable
virtuosity and expressive élan. He announces
his compositional provenance especially on
the erudite Grandpa Moses, and the brooding
Moods for Muhal. Saxophonist Abraham
Burton, pianist George Burton, bassist Boris
Kozlov and drummer Donald Edwards interpret
Walrath’s compositions with idiomatic
brilliance.
Raul da Gama
POT POURI
Peni Candra Rini – Wulansih
Peni Candra Rini
New Amsterdam NWAM185
(newamrecords.org/albums/wulansih)
! Indonesian
vocalist and
composer Peni
Candra Rini is a
specialist in the art
of sindhenan, a
style of solo female
Javanese gamelan
singing most often
performed with gamelan ensembles. She was
mentored by renowned Javanese composer
Rahayu Supanggah (1949-2020), a pioneer of
experimental gamelan music whom I had the
pleasure of meeting years ago at his Surakarta
home studio.
Looking beyond the conventional role of
the sindhen, Rini has developed a practice
which embraces experimental vocalise, dance
and video – along with a unique approach
to composition. I recently heard her work
performed by Kronos Quartet in Toronto.
Rini’s eight-song album Wulansih effectively
layers traditional Javanese and experimental
music in several ways.
With lyrics by Javanese musical innovator
Andjar Any, the love song Jenang Gula
52 | September 2024 thewholenote.com

is arranged in a gamelan-influenced hybrid
“string band” genre called Langgam Jawa. Rini
renders the song with warmth, effectively
accompanied by guitars, percussive cello, bass
– and a supportive Moog synthesizer.
Prominent on several tracks is the pinjo, a
plucked chest resonated stick zither which
produces subtle acoustic overtones and
phasing effects. Uncommon on records, it’s
eloquently played by American ethnomusicologist
Andy McGraw. On Esamu it pairs
superbly with background synth bass drones
and washes. This acoustic-electronic texture
serves as background for Rini’s intimate voice,
counterpointed by I Gusti Putu Sudarta’s
reverb-bathed distant vocals.
I don’t want to give the impression that
Wulansih is only about unusual instrumentation
and novel music hybrids. Rini’s professed
goal for her music is “to give love through
sound with sincerity.” Mission accomplished.
Andrew Timar
The Thunder and the Bay
Lori Cullen
(loricullen.com)
! Fun fact: last
year, Lori Cullen
was hired to
perform at Drake’s
Christmas party,
along with piano
player Aaron Davis,
and Drake posted a
brief video clip of
them performing to his Instagram account
with its gazillion followers. I’m not sure if that
experience had an influence on the direction
Cullen has gone on this new album (I suspect
not), but it is decidedly more “poppy” than
the singer/songwriter’s usual blend of folk
and jazz on her previous eight releases.
Not that that’s a bad thing, especially when
it’s as artful as The Thunder and the Bay
is. For this project, Cullen has teamed with
James de Pinho, an EDM-style producer and
songwriter. Filled with electronica, the ten
tracks that make up this latest album take us
on a chill trip through sounds that evoke the
dramatic Northern Ontario landscape that
inspired the project. Despite the departure
from her usual style, this is still very much a
Cullen album, with her pretty and emotive
vocals at the centre of the tracks.
A few favourite “sophisti-pop” bands came
to mind while listening, such as Everything
But the Girl and Zero 7, especially on Feel You
First with its acoustic guitar (samples?) and
actual cello courtesy of Kevin Fox and Into the
Wood which features trumpet player extraordinaire
William Sperandei. Other musicians
who add to the dreamy soundscape are
Rich Brown on bass and Thom Gill and Kurt
Swinghammer on guitars. Swinghammer,
who is also a noted visual artist, provided the
stunning artwork for the cover and videos.
Cathy Riches
That Place, Darling
Heather Macdonald; various artists
Independent (heathermacdonald.
bandcamp.com/album/that-place-darling)
! Heather
MacDonald’s debut
album, That Place,
Darling, is a captivating
musical
journey that skillfully
blends the
delicate tones of the
oboe with vocals,
guitar, ukulele and piano. Thematically
employing the emotions of autumn, the
album explores the poignant sensations of
holding on and letting go.
Heather MacDonald demonstrates
her versatility and technical proficiency
throughout the album. Her oboe performances
showcase both lyrical beauty and
adventurous exploration with techniques like
gentle glissandos and multiphonics. Beyond
the oboe, MacDonald’s talents extend to
Something in the Air
KEN WAXMAN
vocals and ukulele, adding layers of richness
and diversity to the musical landscape. The
collaboration with guitarist Nathan Corr and
pianist Asher Farber enhances the album’s
dynamic range, contributing to its engaging
and whimsical atmosphere. Together, they
craft a unique musical experience that is both
intimate and evocative.
The repertoire of the album is eclectic
and thoughtfully curated, featuring works
by Louis Jordan, Reena Esmail, Alyssa
Morris, Chelsea McBride, Johnny Green,
James Pecore, Jean Coulthard and an
original composition by MacDonald herself.
This diverse selection not only highlights
MacDonald’s interpretative skills but also
underscores her commitment to exploring a
wide range of musical styles and influences.
Overall, That Place, Darling is more than a
debut album; it is a testament to MacDonald’s
artistry and creativity. It invites listeners into
a world where emotions are vividly expressed
through music, making it a memorable and
enriching musical experience.
Melissa Scott
Age is just a number
when it comes to Creative Music
Earlier this year, Canada’s newspaper of record, the Globe & Mail, took a full two weeks to
publish a story on the death at 100 of Phil Nimmons, arguably Canada’s dean of modern
jazz. Media priorities differ, although reporting on the demise of pop music performers
seems to happen almost immediately, but in a way this reflects the perception of jazz as a
young person’s art. That’s about as bogus as any other musical cliché, and right now there are
numerous improvising musicians creating memorable sounds in their late 70s and 80s.
Take Argentinian-American clarinetist Guillermo Gregorio, 82 for
instance. An academic dealing with architecture and art history, he played
improvised music at the same time and has intensified his musical interests
since he stopped teaching. Two Trios (ESP 5047 espdisk.com/5047)
involves live sessions featuring the clarinetist with either cellist Fred
Lonberg-Holm and vibraphonist Carrie Biolo or contralto clarinetist Iván
Barenboim and cellist Nicholas Jozwiak. In sync chamber improv in
both cases, the first finds the vibist alternating between front line shimmers
and rhythmic thumps as Lonberg-Holm sharpens the program with
string slices and stops while Gregorio elaborates themes with reed glissandi, flutters and chalumeau
register lowing. Although most tracks are almost lyrical, with an emphasis on harmony, others like
Degrees of Iconicity and Improvisation toughen the program with the equivalent of bell-ringing
motifs from Biolo, sul ponticello emphasis from the cellist and Gregorio’s timbres fluctuating from
andante to presto as he squeals split tones upwards. Even more energized, the second trio set uses
contralto clarinet tones as a huffing ostinato mixed with string strums for bouncing expositions as
Gregorio distills aggressive or pastoral trills from his horn, interjecting vibrations at many speeds. Still
like the session with the other trio, a track like Out of the Other Notes is an interlude confirming that
intense free music can also be well-balanced, moderated and linear.
Full time musicians and early members of Chicago’s AACM, trumpeter Wadada Leo Smith and
pianist/organist Amina Claudine Myers, both 82, combine to celebrate the grandeur of New York’s
Central Park’s Mosaics of Reservoir, Lake, Paths and Gardens (Red Hook Records RH 1005
thewholenote.com September 2024 | 53

edhookrecords.com/rh1005). A seven-part
suite, with six tracks composed by Smith and
one by Myers, the mood throughout is
moderate, unhurried and precise as well as
discriminating in its depiction. With the pianist
usually concentrating on quiet plinking and
expressive cadenzas, the park’s spaciousness is
reflected in Smith’s sophisticated storytelling.
Squeezing out a tapestry of perfectly rounded
notes, his portamento is pensive and passionate in equal measure.
Jubilation is most obvious on a track like Central Park at Sunset when he
spreads grace notes all over the exposition, with the subsequent descending
tones cushioned by darkened soundboard rumbles and a hint of gospel
piano. Myers’ composition When Was is initially recital-like formal, but
loosens up with a profusion of curvaceous tones at elevated pitches and by
the end is the closest to unmetered free music on the disc. Smith’s
mournful didacticism isn’t just obvious on a brief track matching his
Harmon-muted flutters with organ burbles attached to faint ecclesiastical
suggestions, but at greater length on Albert Ayler, a meditation in light.
Named for the late saxophonist who lived near Central Park’s northern
boundary, Smith’s half-valve smears and slurs in this threnody turn to
defiant yet graceful trills at the end. Beside him Myers’ thick chording likewise
slides into gentleness by the conclusion.
There was nothing gentle or melancholy about
the live meeting between British saxophonist
Evan Parker, 80, and members of the French
Marteau Rouge trio on Gift (FOU Records
FR-CD 51 fourecords.com/FR-CD51). A selfcontained
unit that boomerangs among tough
improv, rock and electronics, guitarist Jean-
François Pauvros, drummer Makoto Sato and
synthesizer player Jean-Marc Foussat bring a
furious energy to their playing. Finding a prominent place for himself
among Pavros’ twangs, frail and arco string bowing expressions, Sato’s
steady beat and Foussat’s processed drones and field recorded samples
doesn’t faze the saxophonist who has faced down big bands and electricacoustic
ensembles with the same aplomb. He outputs what could be
termed anthracite lyricism at points, his usual strategy, especially on Into
The Deep, the more than 34-minute centrepiece. Building on earlier
synthesized, organ-like thrusts, constant string strums and drum
rumbles, Parker alternately soars over the interface with whistling
timbral variations or snorts and snarls that whir as much as programmed
voltage, as vibrating reed pressure finds a place beside the guitarist’s
intense flanges and twangs. In contrast though, while the saxist fragments
textures into slurps and split tones – the better to challenge Sato’s
drum clunks and clips and Foussat’s yodels and yells produced by both
his voice and machine programming – Parker’s straight-ahead tone
touches on melody. Going his own way slowly and logically, reed timbres
are partially affirmed by the others so that there’s a song-like as well as a
sinewy essence to the final improvisation.
Another venerable musician, whose most
recent CD is almost completely lyrical is
upstate New York’s Joe McPhee, 83. He is
someone who has proven his prowess on the
soprano and tenor saxophones and pocket
trumpet over the years in settings ranging
from large ensembles to solo. Sometimes he
also raps or recites poetry and on Musings of a
Bahamian Son (Corbett vs Dempsey CvD CD
109 corbettvsdempsey.com/records) he verbalizes 28 of these lyrics as
well as playing soprano saxophone on nine instrumental interludes
backed by Ken Vandermark’s clarinet or bass clarinet. The disc ends with
a profound free-form duet between McPhee and Vandermark and each
interlude is distinctive, expressing moods ranging from a tough march
tempo to poetic harmonies with Vandermark’s spiky snorts and caustic
slurs nicely contrasting with McPhee’s vibrating trills and horizontal
connections. Although a vocalized piece like The Grand Marquis with its
couplet about “wearing the blues like a Mona Lisa smile” sets up the
subsequent bluesy improvisation, most tracks focus on the prose and
poetry. The recitations mix absurdist humor (The Last Of The Late Great
Finger-Wigglers); Edward Lear-like imagery (The Ship With Marigold
Sails); sardonic couplets that harangue divisive politicians and fret about
climate change; and even attack AI (“music comes from people not tape
machines,” he states on Party Lights). McPhee’s musical experience
means that his verses about jazz greats also go way beyond name
checking. Tell Me How Long Has Trane Been Gone (for James Baldwin
and John Coltrane) for instance cannily blends song titles and book titles
to make its point, while The Loneliest Woman (for Ornette Coleman) is
turned into a plaint for lost love with Lady Marmalade’s choruses sung
pointedly among the melody. Musings of a Bahamian Son is no introduction
for those who have never experienced McPhee’s music – there are
literally about 100 discs on which to hear that – but it will fascinate both
those who have followed his career so far as well as poetry fans.
Oldest of these improv masters is American
bassist Reggie Workman, 87, best-known for
his 1960s tenures in John Coltrane’s quartet
and the Jazz Messengers. But like the others
cited here he’s still accepting new challenges
more than a half century later. Heat/
Between Reflections (Clean Feed CF 642
CD cleanfeed-records.com/product/heat-
1998-99-between-reflections-2019-2cd-set)
is a two-CD set of the Brew trio, consisting of the bassist, percussionist
Gerry Hemingway and koto player Miya Masaoka, both of whom are two
decades younger than Workman. Although the admixture may seem
odd, there’s no fissure. As a matter of fact, when the others add implements
like a monochord, vibes and electronics to their playing, Workman
expands the textures on From Above and Below for example by using
his expertise playing musical saw to answer the koto’s reflective patterns
and drum rattles before reverting to a powerful bass line. Although it’s
his responsive, but understated pulse that keeps the tunes horizontal,
his strings can also create high-pitched violin-like sounds to top off
Masaoka’s multi-string strums (on Morning) or complement with midrange
pops and scrapes from high-register koto twangs to harp like glissandi
(on Between Reflections). Additionally Hemingway’s vibraphone
sustain on One for Walt Dickerson is given more of a ripened sound when
the bassist surrounds it with low-pitched arco swells. Overall, Workman’s
positioned throbs are so forceful that the pace and direction of tracks
never deviate even on those featuring jagged koto-string stabs, lug-loosening
and cymbal rubbing beats and additional whistles and hisses from
electronic programming.
Like politicians, not all musicians ripen and mature with advancing
age. However, the musicians here, in their late seventies and eighties
certainly make the case for lifetime inspiration and performance.
36 Benjamin Britten
Quatuor BELA
38 Sonatas & Myths
Elizabeth Chang, Steven
Beck
39 Claude Debussy :
Images retrouvées
Olivier Hébert-Bouchard
et Stéphane
Tétreault
40 Haydn: Cello
Concertos
Hétu: Rondo
Cameron Crozman
thewholenote.com/listening
40 Marie Hubert - Fille
du Roy
Karina Gauvin
41 Here I Am
Lainie Fefferman
44 Canadian Suite Celebrations
Duo Majoya
48 Traces
Will Régnier
49 Tidal Currents: East
Meets West
Winnipeg Jazz
Orchestra
49 Horns of Hope
Aimee-Jo Benoit
50 Accidentals
Don Fiorino/Andy Haas
51 Time Again
Koppel Blade Koppel
52 Evolver
Bruno Råberg Tentet
53 That Place, Darling
Heather Macdonald
54 Gift
Marteau Rouge & Evan
Parker
54 | September 2024 thewholenote.com

KOERNER HALL 2024.25 CONCERT SEASON
Classical & Jazz
Concerts
Complete concert programs are at
rcmusic.com/performance
Sheku Kanneh-Mason
with
Isata Kanneh-Mason
Yuja Wang
Randall
Goosby
Branford Marsalis
TICKETS ON SALE NOW! 416.408.0208 rcmusic.com/performance
273 BLOOR ST. WEST
(BLOOR ST. & AVENUE ROAD)
TORONTO

EnlighTEN x
Global Toronto Music Festival
You’re invited to celebrate the Museum’s 10th anniversary!
Performances by local musicians showcasing
global traditions, workshops and family activities,
and a special cake-cutting ceremony.
Visit agakhanmuseum.org/enlighten to plan your visit!
SEPT
28–29
Presented in partnership with
Produced by