It's Messiah Season

Greetings readers,

It's that wonderful time of year where there is a serious overload of holiday offerings and you're  debating which are tempting enough to lure you from the warmth of your home.

There is no shortage of Messiah offerings in Canada this season so I am calling it #MessiahNightinCanada on social media. This is a spin-off from #HockeyNightinCanada and #OperaNightinCanada I have seen used by Doug MacNaughton.

Pro Coro finishes up a consecutive week of rehearsal with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra and Da Camera singers under Maestro Ragnar Bohlin. It is always fun and challenging to approach a familiar piece with Bohlin's perspective. I found myself grappling with bad motor learning patterns from the past when taking on the "weighty coloratura" during "Great was the Company" movement. However, some other lines felt so much easier to sing like adding a slight pause for an short "h" during the opening line "For unto (h)us a child is born." The acoustic effect is one that creates space to hear a crisp word onset but it doesn't stop the airflow so it's easier to continue singing afterward! Genius! I have also been enjoying the rehearsal warm-ups by Bohlin to see the exercises he has picked up in Sweden or a voice coach in Vienna.




Whatever you choose to partake in during this Christmas season, whether it is your local Messiah offering or it's the Winter Concert at the local Elementary School - stay warm and enjoy it with good company. Hallelujah!

Other Messiah News:

Pro Coro's friends, the Vancouver Chamber Choir are opening at the Orpheum Theatre with the Pacifica Singers and Vancouver Chamber Orchestra tonight as well. Toronto's offerings by the Toronto Symphony Orchestra and Toronto Mendelssohn Choir (Dec 18-23) and Tafelmusik (Dec 14-17) as well as Victoria (Dec 16-18). I know I missed some so post the dates in the comments below or on social media with #MessiahNightinCanada

Lighting the Mood at Symphony Under the Sky

The Symphony Under the Sky Festival changes mood throughout an entire concert. It is due, in part, to the natural lighting cues at Hawrelak Park.

Mozart - Eine kleine Nachtmusik by Cristiano Ronaldo

Take, for example, the effervescent and joyous beginning of Mozart's Eine Kleine Natchmusik. It is paired perfectly with the warm glow of the late afternoon. Birds flying overhead cast shadows on the white tent canopy, a natural compliment to the music.

08 Hess Ladies In Lavender - Main Theme by Decca Records There is also that point where afternoon transitions into evening and the veil of night's intimacy emerges. New ESO concertmaster, Robert Uchida, played his soloistic lines with full lyrical extension, evident from the tip of his toes to his bow.

12 Blow, Gabriel, Blow by Tyler A. Boyle
As the evening completes it dark descent, it provides the perfect contrast for all the glitz and shine of Broadway. The Strathcona Theatre Company completed the show with mega-watt energy, tap dancing, and belted vocals with tunes from Cole Porter's Anything Goes.

Mother Nature serves as a skilled lighting technician when it comes to lighting the mood at Symphony Under the Sky.

Cross-posted on The Sound + Noise.

Symphony Under the Sky Returns

Labour Day will always have a special place in my heart as it is intrinsically linked to the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra's Symphony Under the Sky (SUTS) Festival. I was first introduced to the SUTS Festival by a fellow chorister who persuaded me to volunteer for their Teddy Bear Picnic. We would spend the Sunday afternoon together tending to the range of sicknesses impacting the Teddy Bears brought to us by the children. Pretend immunizations were delivered and a band-aid was adhered to serve as a visual reminder of the injection location.



One of the best part of the SUTS festival is the atmospheric accessibility. The outdoor venue creates an intimate but casual energy that just can't be recreated indoors at a concert hall. There is something wonderful about being able to get up from your lawn chair at intermission to mingle with your friends in the mini donut line or snuggle underneath a blanket for warmth with your neighbor.

The festival runs from Aug 30-Sept 2, 2013. Here are some of my festival highlights:  

Classics on Friday Night

The ESO will play iconic themes by Tchaikovsky's Romeo & Juilet and Mozart's Eine Kleine Nachtmusik. Denise Djokic returns to perform Dvorák's cell concerto.
 

Saturday

Celebrate love for the BBC Proms with soprano, Mela Dailey, singing in the afternoon and the popular Hollywood/Broadway in the evening. James Bond, Sound of Music, Wizard of Oz, Wicked, Phantom of the Opera are just some of the titles on the program for the evening.  

Sunday

The Sunday Family matinee is free (admission on a first-come, first-served basis). There will be performances of familiar classical tunes. Ellis Hall will sing tunes by Ray Charles in the evening. You can bet this title will be played:

  

Monday

The festival closes with works by Mozart, Tchaikovksy, ESO Composer in Residence, Robert Rival, and ESO's Young Composer, Taran Plamondon. Although there will be no cannons this year for the 1812 Overture, I'm interested to hear the "special sonic effects" that will take its place. See you out in the park!

This entry is cross-posted on Sound + Noise

Tickets*

Call the Winspear Box Office for tickets 780-428-1414  

Reserved Seating $40 Adult / $20 Child Grass Seating $25 Adult / Children Free  

 *Ticket fees apply to single ticket purchases. Free grass seating applies to children under 12 accompanied by an adult.

Listen Up! The ESO Announces its 2013-14 Season

Photo Credit: Michael Woolley

Edmontonians are fortunate to have a resident symphony striving to bring innovative programming as well as provide musical favorites to create a diverse season. The Edmonton Symphony Orchestra (ESO) has done exactly that with their 2013-14 season. Whether you're craving the Classical masters with season-selling names such as Mozart, Beethoven, Brahms or the nostalgic classics of Gershwin and Bernstein, the ESO's roster of artists and programming will be sure to satiate.  

Some of my Season Highlights:

Symphony Under the Sky (August 30 – September 2, 2013)

Ray Charles, Motown, BBC Proms, Mozart, Tchaikovsky & Dvořák. This labour day weekend in Hawrelak Park is like a compressed sampling of the ESO's season. It has become an annual Edmonton festival tradition to set up a lawn chair, cozy under a blanket with popcorn, and greet the Fall season as the ESO plays into the evening.  

See and Be Seen

Mad Men (Apr 25 & 26, 2014)

A Mad Men themed Symphony party? I can already imagine the amazing fashions audience members will be wearing as Broadway singer, Ryan Silverman, performs Top 40 hits from the early 60’s.

Late Night with Bill Eddins

Join the chill Arts crowd at ESO's Late Night series. All concerts begin at 9:30 PM and all tickets are priced at $29. That means ample time for dinner before heading to the Winspear Centre for some music. Ravel's French Impressionism and Leonard Bernstein's works will be the music showcased at each of these evenings. The vibe will be laid-back as drinks and live entertainment follow the show in the Winspear Lobby.  

New Media

Music of the Night Sky (Oct 26, 2013)

Images from Space + Intergalactic symphonic music = Beam me up!


Mark of Zorro (May 15, 2014)

Following suite with the successful performance of the classic Phantom of the Opera this season, a live cinema stream of the Mark of Zorro will be accompanied by the ESO and Dennis James on the Davis Concert Organ next year.  


Spread the Choral Love

Kokopelli + Òran (Choral Spectacular), Richard Eaton Singers (Messiah), Cantilon Chamber Choir (A Lightly Classical Christmas), Greenwood Singers (We Wish You a Merry Christmas) - are just a few of the names highlighting local choral talent in ESO's season.  

The ESO Hosts... 

 Chantal Kreviazuk (December 10, 2013)

Christmas at the Winspear is always festive and this December they have Canadian singer-songwriter, Chantal Kreviazuk, to serenade local audiences with her tunes in additional to holiday favorites.

Joshua Bell (September, 24, 2013)

Violinist, Joshua Bell, will join the ESO to perform Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto at their annual Gala concert. Bell has been hailed for his "breathtaking virtuosity, tone of sheer beauty and charismatic stage presence," however, the story of his violin, a Gibson Strad, has an equally famous history. His Strad has a history of being stolen from a backstage dressing room at Carnegie Hall, concealed with shoe polish for 50 years, and eventually being sold for $4 million to Bell. Bell sold his own violin for $2 million (which he played in the Oscar-winning soundtrack of the Red Violin) to go towards the Gibson Strad's $4 million price tag. The Strad's illustrious history is worth a read.



The ESO has ticket packages available including a 2-for-1 subscriber special, or if you value flexibility, sampler passes where you can purchase voucher packages for concerts. If you're between 18-29, you can join the Pulse8 Club for free and you can purchase advance tickets to shows for only $20. Depending on availability, rush tickets will also be available one hour prior to showtime. Take some time to explore the rest of the musical offerings the ESO has this season. It is well worth a look. -miss. sable

The Start of Christmas

I am certain that everybody has their own poignant memories associated with Handel’s “Messiah.” Perhaps it is the “Hallelujah” chorus from a childhood cartoon, or maybe one of the other well-known Air’s such as “How Beautiful Are the Feet of Them,” often heard on classical music stations. I am sure many of the performers and audience members either formed or reminisced about their own experiences on Friday night.

As a result, I could not suppress thoughts of my very first "Messiah" performance four years ago. I remember my first performance vividly. I had spent a whole afternoon studying in the library for final exams. It was a particularly emotional week since I was coping with the passing of a family member at the time. I showed up at the call time of the performance and when I went to the bathroom to change, I noticed that everybody was wearing concert black. I had brought my Madrigal Singers uniform, which was a black and white gown. There was clearly a breakdown in the chain of communication for me.

“Uh-oh,” I thought to myself.

I knew I couldn’t walk out on the stage with my two-toned uniform. What was I going to do? Did I have enough time to go to a store to buy black clothing? The downtown shopping center was not far. Perhaps my parents hadn’t left home yet and they could bring me black clothes. I phoned them. No answer. I left a voicemail. I was being summoned to get on stage for the warm-up. I quickly change back into my street clothes, to reinforce the illusion that everything was under control, and went to warm-up on stage with the rest of the singers… who were all dressed in their concert black. The conductor expressed verbal displeasure at a tenor for wearing white sneakers with his tux. The tenor quickly assured him that somebody from home was bringing black shoes to remedy the mistake. Meanwhile, I was quivering with fear on my riser.

As soon as the warm-up was done, I ran back to the dressing room to find my cellphone to call once again. My parents had already left home and were at supper. An emotion I don’t often feel began to rise: panic. I spoke to my mother about my uniform crisis. She relayed this information to my father. I heard him state that he just happened to be wearing two long-sleeved cashmere polo shirts that night… one of them happened to be black. My mother wears black as her daily uniform. She said I could wear her pants. I closed my eyes in silent horror. Between my sister and I, my mother’s black pants, to this day, are the creative inspiration for our loving mom criticism. These pants are somehow baggy, yet tapered, at the same time. The pants zip up on the side, the leg tapers downward with a baggy silhouette to the ankles, and there is ample rise to accommodate babies I haven’t birthed. In short, they are mom-pants.

This was no time to be picky. I heartily agreed to this makeshift concert black. My mother arrived at the Winspear and I rushed her backstage to do a clothing swap in the dressing room. The pants zipped up easily enough, but I had to hold the waist to keep them up, and my father’s long-sleeve polo draped over my shoulders. I was swimming in clothing. I handed my mother my low-rise skinny jeans. To this day, I’m still not sure what was worse: the fact that I had to walk out on stage, clutching my waist so that my pants wouldn’t fall off… or the fact that my mother was able to fit into my skinny jeans.

This moment is seared into my “Messiah” memory.

I was glad to see that there appeared to be no uniform crises on stage during the Friday "Messiah" performance. It was quite a sight to actually listen to the “Messiah” live for the first time and not be singing it. Furthermore, it was so lovely to see so many familiar faces in the chorus. It is quite amazing to see a wide array of community singers, joining together, and donating their time to collectively indulge in the sheer joy of singing. For being a recently assembled group of 80, they had a cohesive sound, especially the women sections. I felt that the chorus sound didn’t settle until the “For Unto Us a Child is Born” chorus in Part I and I could tell that diction was something they were working hard to convey throughout the performance. Some of the trilling subtlety that Leonard Ratzlaff described to me in the preview was only audible to me in “His Yoke is Easy.” Unfortunately, as soon as everybody was singing and playing, all the vocal detail work was lost.

Also noteworthy was the lyricism of tenor, Colin Balzer. There was such vibrant energy behind his words such as “laugh,” “scorn,” and “dash.” Female soloists, Noah and Giunta, approached their sections with more operatic flare. Bass-baritone, Bintner, had a lovely moment in “Why Do the Nations so Furiously Rage Together” when the chorus rose with such unison passion behind him that they looked like a mob gang as they broke out into “Let Us Break Their Bonds Asunder.”

It was a refreshing evening out to hear familiar music. While the baroque detail work was lost within the Winspear space, the performance still was successful in achieving its goal: it signaled the start of Christmas for many audience members. 

If you have a Messiah memory to share, feel free to post it in the comments section below!

Conductor: Stephen Stubbs

Musicians: Edmonton Symphony Orchestra
U of A Madrigal Singers (Leonard Ratzlaff, conductor), MAD’s alumni, volunteer Richard Eaton Singers
Yannick-Muriel Noah, soprano
Wallis Guinta, mezzo-soprano
Colin Balzer, tenor
Gordon Bintner, baritone

A Refreshing Take on Handel's "Messiah"

A Christmas Carol.

The Nutcracker.

Handel's "Messiah." 

These titles automatically cue a seasonal association. One of the aforementioned titles, Handel's "Messiah, is seasonal favorite at the Winspear Centre. This year the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra performs "Messiah" along with the University of Alberta Madrigal Singers, who will also be joined by past alumni and members of the Richard Eaton Singers to form a solid chorus of 80 singers. In a time where there are a limited amount of available singers and a plentiful amount of musical offerings, this collective approach to performance is mutually beneficial. Even though the Madrigal Singers performed "Messiah" last year, there are new singers learning it for the first time. As well, 35-40 RES singers, some of whom have sung Messiah 20-30 times, provide voices of experience that are united with youthful energy of the Madrigal Singers. 

Director of the University of Alberta Madrigal Singers, Dr. Leonard Ratzlaff, reveals the refreshing interpretation of conductor, Stephen Stubbs. Stubbs is a specialist in early music. He has been introducing different concepts of trilling and bowing during rehearsals and, as a result, he provides a new perspective to consider the much-beloved Messiah work. Stubbs has been working on a light and expressive baroque style in Handel's "Messiah," with a layer of subtlety that audience members will be sure to appreciate. Ratzlaff notes that this is possible because of the piece itself:

"[The Messiah] stands up so well to varying interpretations. It's such a strongly constructed work and every aspect of it is very compelling. It leaves a lot of opportunity for both musical imagination and Stubbs's historically informed approach."

The Messiah is composed of three sections. Part I of the Messiah focuses on the Christmas portion of the story, such as the birth of Christ. The second part documents the Passion story including the Crucifixion and ends with the "Hallelujah" chorus. The triumph of Part III can be heard in such choruses such as "Worthy is the Lamb." Ratzlaff feels it is interesting to note that even though the "Messiah" is associated with Christmas, the debut performance was in April 1742. Thus, the second and third parts actually have a closer association to Easter.

Ratzlaff also describes how four choruses in the "Messiah" are inspired from Handel's earlier Italian duets.

"It points to the fact that there is a musical integrity about Handel's writing and an inspiration behind it that not many people could have done, certainly not in the 24 days that, apparently, it took him to write," he states.

It is a season full of tradition and attending the "Messiah" is a wonderful way to participate. Who knows, the "Messiah" may very well become one of your own seasonal traditions it if isn't already. I hope to see some of you at the performance. I will be the one singing along... in my head.

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Tickets available online or by calling the Winspear Centre box office (780-428-1414)

Performances

Friday December 7, 2012 at 7:30 PM
Saturday December 8, 2012 at 7:30 PM

Artists

Stephen Stubbs, conductor
U of A Madrigal Singers (Leonard Ratzlaff, conductor)
Yannick-Muriel Noah, soprano
Wallis Guinta, mezzo-soprano
Colin Balzer, tenor
Gordon Bintner, baritone

Symphony Under the Sky Traditions

Monday afternoon at the Symphony Under the Sky Festival is always filled with traditions. There is always an opening performance of "God Save the Queen," a reprise of "O Canada," a young composer always premieres a new work with the ESO, and Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture is accompanied by canons from the 20th Field Regiment of the Royal Canadian Artillery. When these traditions originated, I am not sure, I just know that this is how the festival ends and audience members expect these traditions to be upheld each year. However, there was one difference... there were four canons this year instead of three.

The first part of the program focused on dance music, such as Marquez's "Conga del Fuego Nuevo," Abreu's arrangement of "Tico-Tico," and Ravel's "Boléro," which contains a 17-minute crescendo. I could see audience grooving in their seats and the rustle of the autumn leaves in the trees provided a atmospheric accompaniment throughout the dance music set. The Young Composer, Daniel Belland, premiered his piece, "Voyage" with the ESO. The performance left me with a feeling of wanting to hear more from this young composer. I take that as a very good sign.

The Tap Dance Concerto was the showstopping piece of the afternoon. Ryan VanDenBoom demonstrated the range of sounds that tap shoes can produce with each of the concerto movements. The Singing in the Rain encore he choose was also met with great approval from the audience. Equipped with an umbrella and top hat, he tapped and sang his way through the piece with Gene Kelly's choreography, clutching an onstage heat lamp to serve as a replacement for the street lamp. His performance had an old-fashioned charm and radiated vibrant athleticism. With the 1812 Overture signalling the end of the festival, the ESO acknowledged all traditions and left their audience looking forward to next Labour Day weekend.

This entry is cross-posted on The Sound and Noise

Symphony Under the Ceiling

 

Day #2 of the Symphony Under the Sky Festival was moved inside due a severe weather warning. Alas, it was only a warning since the afternoon weather was quite enjoyable. However, the continuous rain that greeted the patrons after the evening concert provided a good reason for moving the festival indoors.

The afternoon program was definitely designed to be performed in an outdoor setting. How magical it would have been to hear Mascagni's "Intermezzo" with a glimpse of the lake behind the stage and the sound of squirrels in the trees. All the works in the afternoon were accessible classical pieces that featured the solo work of many Edmonton Symphony instrumentalists: Virginie Gagné, a first violinist, Robin Doyon on coronet, and clarinetist Julianne Scott in addition to Kathleen de Caen, a cellist trained at the University of Alberta. While it is wonderful to hire internationally recognized soloists, it is nice to see the talent of local musicians highlighted as well. As well, a budding new local composer, Samantha Semler, had her work "Longing for Restoration" premiered by the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra. She has been working since April with the ESO's composer in residence, Robert Rival, to compose a symphonic work. There are two recipients this year and the other, by Daniel Belland, will be played at Monday's concert.



The Hollywood Classics evening started with a trio of tunes by John Williams. Williams's "Raiders March," "The Flag Parade," "JAWS theme," and "Viktor's Tale" from the Spielberg movie, The Terminal. They ESO also made an excellent choice to showcase the talents of Sara David Buechner once again by having her perform Étude No. 3 in E major “Tristesse” and the Spellbound Concerto. While it is easy to play iconic works composed only for film, the ESO chose to perform classical works which have become iconic in their own right because of their use in film. The best thing about Hollywood Night is that the ESO doesn't take itself too seriously. This was apparent when two cellists assumed the role of wearing accompanying headgear for each of the pieces: A Storm Trooper helmet and Princess Leia wig for Star Wars, Fez's for Casablanca, and Sweatbands for Rocky. The audience enjoyed this comedic visual treat.

There are still tickets available for the concerts this weekend including Broadway Showstoppers on Sunday evening and Concerto for a Tap Dancer and Orchestra and Tchaikovsky's Overture on Monday afternoon.    

Reserved Seating $40 Adult / $20 Child  
Grass Seating $25 Adult / Children Free
Winspear Box Office: 780-428-1414

This entry is cross-posted on The Sound and Noise

Classical Favourites with the Symphony

The start of the Symphony Under the Sky festival began this evening with many recognizable classical favourites. Those audience members unfamiliar with the realm of symphonic music would have recognized the musical themes of these iconic classical works. By the show of hands, it was apparent there were many first-time festival attendees.

The ESO began with the cheeky musical flourishes in Rossini's "The Barber of Seville" Overture which still cues images of Bugs Bunny for me. It's hard to detach this image from the music when cartoons were my first exposure to classical music.



Mozart's Symphony No. 40 provided musical contrast from the Rossini with more ominous tones. Upon hearing the opening movement, one could feel the audience take a sigh of contentment and settle back into the warmth of their seats. Mozart is always good for offering works that are pleasing to consume.



 The program was finished with Sara Davis Buechner at the piano. She dominated the keyboard of that piano with such blazing intensity. There was much vertical and horizontal movement across the piano bench as her fingers possessed the entire keyboard range with equal power. Her body's contact with the instrument looked like a shock response, especially during the opening ascending chords in Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto No.1.

Overall, the festival is off to a great start! The best part is that there is much more to come. Follow @soundnnoise for live updates from the festival.

There are still tickets available for the concerts this weekend.  

This entry is cross-posted on The Sound and Noise


Reserved Seating $40 Adult / $20 Child  
Grass Seating $25 Adult / Children Free
Winspear Box Office: 780-428-1414 

Symphony Under the Sky Returns

Greetings readers,


It's one of the most wonderful times of the year: the Symphony Under the Sky Festival returns this weekend! September has always held more weight to me than New Year's since my school and music cycles usually resume in this month. Preparation for the SUTS festival means hunting for my lawn chairs from the basement, packing blankets for the cool evenings, and downloading a jingle bells app to join in for the 1812 Overture percussion. These are all things to compliment the excellent musical line-up this season.

Friday Evening

The first night of the festival always has some listener-friendly classics. This year Rossini's iconic "The Barber of Seville" overture with signal the start of the festival and pianist, Sara Davis Buechner, will be performing Tchaikovsky's "Piano Concerto No.1." Mozart's Symphony No. 40 will also be on the program this evening. The classical program is palatable for a wide array of musical audiences.

Saturday Matinee

This afternoon concert will feature a large array of iconic orchestral pieces by composers such as Haydn, Mendelssohn, Mozart, Schubert, Tchaikovsky, and Brahms. The world premiere of "Longing for Restoration," composed by, Samantha Semler, will occur this afternoon as well.

Saturday Evening

The trademark Hollywood evening concert. It is my favorite evening of the festival. I get to sit back in my chair, look up at the evening sky, cradle a popcorn bag, and listen to themes from John Williams such as JAWS, Raiders of the Lost Ark, and Star Wars. Other well-known themes will include those from Back to the Future, The Untouchables, and Rocky. When I was young, while other young girls played with their My Little Ponies, I was definitely coveting Marty McFly's DeLorean. Who wouldn't want a time machine with a flux capacitor? After all, it is what makes time travel possible.

Sunday Evening

Louise Pitre will join the ESO for a Broadway Showstoppers evening. The ESO promises tunes from Mamma Mia! Les Miserables, Oliver!, Gypsy, Annie Get your Gun and Funny Girl.

Monday Matinee

The annual performance of Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture will be on the program in addition to the Great Symphonic Dances. Dancers will join the ESO on the stage for Ravel's "Bolero," Gould's "Tap Dance Concerto" and Marquez's "Congo del Fuego Nuevo.


There is no better way to spend the labour day weekend than out at the park with the symphony. There are still tickets available for the concerts but make sure to get them quickly since Friday is coming up! 

Until next time readers, take care!

Note: This entry is cross-posted on The Sound and Noise

Ticket Info:

Winspear Box Office: 780-428-1414

Individual Concerts*

Reserved Seating
$40 Adult / $20 Child
Grass Seating
$25 Adult / Children Free
Family Matinee (September 2nd at 2pm)
$10 All tickets

The ESO heads to NYC

Greetings readers,

Last night I had the opportunity catch the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra's Carnegie Hall performance before they leave for NYC. They assembled a program showcasing Canadian talent and delivered it in their most colourful ensemble to date: vibrant shades of spring coloured-shirts for the men and multi-coloured scarves for the women. It was like seeing the show choir uniform equivalent for orchestra. They are definitely ready to make an impact at Carnegie Hall for the Spring for Music Festival this coming Tuesday.

Only one of six orchestra invited to perform, the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra (ESO) is going to present US premieres by three Canadian composers: Robert Rival, John Estacio, and Allan Gilliland. Rival's "Lullaby" began with a pulsating string bass line while the other orchestral parts overlaid a dissonant tension, the musical soundscape eliciting feelings of childhood reminiscence rather than tune to lull a child to sleep. The Triple concerto for Violin, Cello and Piano, written by Estacio, was last performed at the inaugural opening of the Winspear Centre back in September 14, 1997. It has not been performed since that time. Estacio detailed that for its Carnegie Hall debut this May, he edited the piece into a more cohesive form. The three soloists, Angela Cheng, Juilette Kan, and Denise Djokic, were quite remarkable as they all introduced their own concerto themes throughout the piece before they merged into a solo voice and built up to a frenetic peak. While the Martinu Symphony No. 1 was an enjoyable programmed symphonic work, I think one of the showcase work was by Gilliland's "Dreaming of the Master III," with soloist, Jens Lindemann, on the trumpet, flugelhorn and coronet. Dripping charisma on stage, Lindemann unveiled his brassy blue trumpet and his initial showmanship definitely did not dissipate throughout the performance. Gilliland's piece showcased the range of Lindemann's brass color from New Orleans blues, big band Swing and Latin beats. Lindemann was successful in creating a grooving rhythm microcosm on stage and brought the trumpet section to their feet. Also, did I mention there were whirly tubes in Gilliand's piece? The tubes creating a haunting echo throughout the hall.




Furthermore, the ESO provided an encore fitting as a musical send-off to NYC: Leonard Bernstein's "Mambo" from West Side Story.

The ESO is embarking on an exciting journey east, as the NY Times already stated, "Edmonton stands as the prefestival favorite for strongest local support, with some 1,000 listeners said to be ready to make the long haul to New York." There is no time like the present to acknowledge the local orchestral talent within this city and no better time to support our ESO as Edmontonians. ESO: Break a leg in NYC!

Until next time readers, take care!

Symphony Night Out

Greetings readers!

Tonight I attended the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra's Masters concert which showcased the talents of the ESO in addition to Jens Lindemann and the Richard Eaton Singers. The concert was dedicated to the late Dr. Malcolm Forsyth. The ESO in conjunction with the National Arts Centre Orchestra co-commissioned "A Ballad of Canada" by Forsyth.

As much as I wanted to like, "A Ballad of Canada," since it was performed in memory of Forsyth tonight, it definitely wasn't my top pick for the evening. It just felt like the piece wasn't settled. It was a combination to Eddins' unaccommodating gestures to the choir and the choirs' vocal hesitation in trying to deliver what he wasn't cueing. I just felt like there was a breakdown in the conductor and choir relationship and it resulted in circumstances that didn't make for a stellar performance. As for the music itself, it had some cool percussion artillery sound effects, especially in the "Flanders Fields" movement.

The show-stopping piece for the evening was definitely the world premiere of Meechan's orchestral version of "Apophenia." The soloist for this piece was Jens Lindemann who had four types of trumpets which he used throughout the entire piece: a trumpet, a cornet, a flugelhorn, and a high E flat trumpet. It was stellar hearing the different brassy sound textures throughout the entire piece. Lindemann was definitely showcasing the sound extremes that could be created on each of these instruments, from the mellow sounding flugelhorn to the high E flat trumpet and its brassy belts that ripped through the concert hall. The piece had movements with laid-back jazzy vibes to a rock-and-roll section with a killer drum solo as well. I enjoy watching a classy tuxedo-wearing man tearing it up on a drum set. The ESO also performed Rachmaninoff's Symphony No. 2 in E minor. It is a gorgeous piece with a moving melodic third movement, however, I felt like I reached listening saturation about 20 minutes into the 54 minute piece. Clearly, I need to build up my listening stamina!

Overall, I had a great night out at the Symphony! I saw lots of familiar faces in the audience as well as on stage and got to hear some new music as well.

Until next time, take care readers!

P.S. I'll have Pro Coro updates soon as well.

Dedicated to Malcolm Forsyth

Greetings readers!

This will just be a short update with two segments of news:

1. I am starting a new block of Pro Coro rehearsals this evening with last artistic conductor candidate, Michael Zaugg. 

2. I will be attending the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra performance that is dedicated to the late Malcolm Forsyth tomorrow evening. Forsyth was a prominent Canadian composer who passed away this year in Edmonton and his work, "A Ballad of Canada," will have its premiere in Edmonton in recognition of his 75th birthday on December 11, 2011. For more information on Forsyth, check out the 3-part podcast interview with local composers Allan Gordon Bell and Allan Gilliand regarding their relationship with Forsyth on the ESO blog. Also on the program is Rachminoff's Symphony No. 2 in E minor and Meechan's "Apophenia." Other artists at this concert include Jens Lindemann on trumpet and the Richard Eaton Singers. There is a performance November 11, 2011 and Novebmer 12, 2011 so check out the website for more ticket information.

I will have more updates from these two events posted soon!

Until then, have a lovely long weekend if you are celebrating Remembrance Day weekend!

Symphony in the Afternoon

Greetings readers!

It was a hot summer day on the final day of the Edmonton Symphony Under the Sky Festival. Although I was sweltering in my jeans and long-sleeved t-shirt dress, I enjoyed the sizzling weather nonetheless and was happy to see so many familiar faces (some of whom also happen to be blog readers-thanks Kate and Leanne!).

The Monday afternoon concert began with a dual offering of Gershwin with "An American in Paris," which is so wonderfully cheeky and "Rhapsody in Blue" with its amazing reedy glissando at the start of the piece. Pianist, Sarah Ho, played with an elegant and agile energy in "Rhapsody in Blue" and was gorgeous in her white asymmetrical gown.

Marquez's "Danzon No. 2" was definitely a repertoire surprise for me since I had never heard it but I loved its saucy percussive beat and the use of different orchestral textures. Especially the musical banter between the strings and brass section. The "Brazilian Fanfare" by Clarice Assad was also a nice survey piece of Brazilian musical genres.

 

Every year there is a young composer who debuts a piece at the festival and this year it was highschool student, Andrew Reid, with his work "Echoes of Time." It was a lovely atmospheric piece that could easily serve as a score for an upcoming movie. Tchaikovsky's "1812 Overture" wrapped up the festival, as is tradition, with canons from the 20th Field Regiment of the Royal Canadian Artillery. Once the canons start going off, the orchestral chimes signal the victory bells that are ringing and the audience joins in with their own percussion instruments from ringing bells to jiggling car keys. Since I forgot my bells, I decided to download a last-minute "Jingle Bells" app to join in. I have to admit, it definitely was not as resonant as a real bell.

The festival was fantastic this year with a record breaking number of over 12 000 seats sold! I just want to say a thank-you to the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra for continuing to put on an amazing labour day weekend festival and for Phil for arranging my blogging tickets. Do check out the upcoming concerts for the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra since the Symphony Under the Sky Festival is only the start to their musical offerings this season.

Until next time, take care readers!

Hollywood Night

Arrival

Greetings readers!

Last night was the Hollywood Night at the Symphony Under the Sky Festival. As predicted, it was packed! There were barely any spots of unclaimed grass seating so it was a fantastic seeing so many people there.

The program began with Hollywood film music from "E.T's Flying Theme," "Beauty and the Beast Suite," "Pirates of the Caribbean," (which I think was my favorite due to it's boisterous nature),  and the suite from "Batman." It's been a while since I've heard the Danny Elfman "Batman" theme and I still got that creepy vibe when the joker's demented waltz came on. Other evening highlights included the "Unchained Melody" and "The Wizard of Oz Suite," which I could hear audience members humming along to, and the gorgeously moving "Godfather" movie theme. One of the best parts of the evening? Seeing the audience so quiet and still while listening to the Godfather Theme.

Audience

There were also some unprogrammed highlights during the evening which included an impromptu guest appearance by Al Simmons who, complete with a handheld set of audience captions, urged the audience to "sing along" in advertisement for his concert on Sunday afternoon. At the end of the evening, I had my fingers crossed for an encore, which is traditionally expected at the Hollywood night of the festival, but I wasn't sure if they were going to bust out the Star Wars costumes and theme song as they have done in past years. This year they mixed it up with some Harry Potter "Hedwig's Theme" instead. You can do no wrong starting and ending the evening with John Williams.

Evening Sky

In the meantime, do check out the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra website for more details (there is another concert this Sunday afternoon and evening) and I will report back here after the final festival concert on Monday afternoon.

Until then, take care readers!

Symphony Under the Sky Begins

 

Greetings readers!

Evening one of Symphony Under the Sky has officially wrapped up. The first evening of the festival is always composed of classical program that is similar to the Masters series during the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra's regular subscription season. Tonight's program began with the Canadian national anthem, which the audience sang with increasing confidence as they gauged the acoustic offerings from neighboring voices.

Handel's "Water Music Suite" was a dainty and effervescent start to the festival with a rousing Allegro section. The Andante espressivo section was, well... andante and expressive. The excerpts ended with the familiar melody in the Allegro deciso section that is iconic of the "Water Music Suite."  

  

Mozart's "Concerto for Flute and Harp in C Major" was a highlight of the evening with fantastic performances from soloists Elizabeth Faulkner on flute and Nora Bumanis on harp. After the initial balance of the microphones was established, the gentle and feminine instrumental voices from the soloists were clearly heard above the sound of the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra. Faulkner had a lovely open tone which was further enhanced by Bumanis' cascading melodic lines. It was a lovely performance with many moments of acoustic familiarity which, I think, was appreciated by audience members who aren't as well-versed with the world of symphonic music.

The evening ended with Brahm's Symphony No. 2 in D Major which was accompanied with some rain during the second and third movements. However, it was nothing that an umbrella and raingear couldn't handle. It was actually nice to hear the wet, moody, patter of raindrops within the middle symphonic movements. The rain cleared out by the spirited final movement so people were able to view the rest of the performance without the obstruction of umbrellas. I wish I could comment more on the piece itself but, unfortunately, in conjunction with staying dry and warm, I have to admit my full concentration wasn't on the musical offerings. 

One of my favorite moments? It was seeing the sun set over the crowd.

 

Overall, it was a beautiful start to the festival and I look forward to the remaining performances this weekend. I know that the Saturday evening and Monday matinee performances tickets are not available online but there will be some available at the on-site box office before the performance. Please refer to their website for more information on box office times and tickets for all performances. You can also follow twitter updates from the festival at #yegSUTS

Until next time, take care and stay dry!

Symphony Under the Sky!

Greetings readers!

It's that time of the year again... the Symphony Under the Sky festival on labour day weekend September 2-5, 2011!

More than anything else, this festival has become a mother-daughter tradition in my family now. However, it wasn't always this way. My friend, Nadia, actually introduced me to the festival and we started out by volunteering. We sold Häagen-Dazs icecream bars from the cart, ushered concerts, and helped run the Teddy Bear picnic hospital. I wasn't much help with the latter position since I didn't possess any sewing skills. Thus, I was unable to mend the teddy bears brought to me. I could only deal with imaginary teddy bear flesh wounds by applying a band-aid on the affected area. 

Since that time, my sister, Sarah, and I have managed to turn our mother into a Symphony Under the Sky convert. This was definitely an experiment because my mother is not the outdoorsy type. She always wondered why Sarah and I would willingly sit outside and feed the mosquitoes at summer festivals. The first year she went to Symphony Under the Sky we thought it would be better to get her a reserved seat, however, she quickly discovered that the reserved seats do not possess the hammock-like comfort of a lawn chair. After that realization, we went to Canadian Tire and purchased some Hawaiian fabric lawn chairs. Oh, so classy. We've never looked back since. Year after year you can see us on the grass seating area lounging with our Harry Potter fleece blanket and tea thermos. It's also the only time of year when my mother indulges in western festival luxuries like jalapeno cheddar smokies and mini donuts.

This year will not disappoint as the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra has brought back conductor, Bob Bernhardt (his 6th year leading the festival!), to conduct the weekend concerts. Here's an overview of the concerts:

Friday, September 2, 2011 @ 7pm

Mozart, Handel, and Brahms... what's not to love? After the traditional playing of "O Canada," which signals the start of the festival, the program items for the evening will include: Mozart's "Concerto for Flute and Harp" showcasing the talents of the ESO's very own Elizabeth Faulkner and Nora Bumanis, Handel's "Water Music," and Brahm's "Second Symphony." A lovely way to kick off the festival with some symphonic classics.

Saturday, September 3, 2011 @ 2pm

A concert filled with Broadway classics from Andrew Lloyd Webber to Sondheim. Definitely a must-see if you're a Broadway music lover! It will also be an interesting concert since Strathcona Highschool's Les Misérables cast will be performing pieces with Edmonton-born Broadway singer, Susan Gilmour. It will be a lovely afternoon filled with music from West Side Story, Carousel, Phantom of the Opera and others.

Saturday, September 3, 2011 @ 7pm

By far my favorite evening out at the festival is the Hollywood Classics evening. There's just something magical about hearing the music from Hollywood movies in the darkened park while holding a hot beverage. The audience can expect to hear music from old Hollywood classics such as E.T. and the Wizard of Oz to modern day releases such as Pirates of the Caribbean and Batman. The Saturday night concert is always packed and for good reason.

Sunday, September 4, 2011 @ 7pm

The Sunday night performance is definitely the "Canadiana" evening out of the festival. This year it showcases the talent and tunes of Ian Tyson. His songs will include "Four Strong Winds" which is an Edmonton Folk Music Festival anthem, "Somewhere in the Rubies", "Love without End" et al. His charming cowboy twang is sure to ensnare the hearts of audiences that evening. Plus, I'm sure he'll wear his cowboy hat on stage.

Monday, September 5, 2011 @ 2pm

The Monday afternoon concert always has three elements:

1. A killer soloist

2. A world premiere by a young composer

3. Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture complete with real canons from the Royal Canadian Artillery

This year those elements will include:
 

1. Sarah Ho playing Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue"

2. Andrew Reid premiering his debut piece "Echoes of Time"

3. Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture complete with real canons from the Royal Canadian Artillery (as per usual)

This year's Symphony Under the Sky holds the promise of great music and soloists. If you haven't already got your ticket(s), I'd advise you to purchase them now since the shows have a tendency to sell-out. This festival really is the best way to spend the last festival weekend in Edmonton. All ticket details for weekend passes as well as individual shows can be found on their website. Prices range from $20-$39 for individual adults and $82-$125 for adult passes (depending on performance and seat location).

I hope to see some of you there! If you won't be able to make it, you can also follow me on Twitter or search for festival tweets with the hastag: #yegSUTS

You can also check out what the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra has lined up for their upcoming 2011-2012 season:

Until next time, take care readers!

Diction Diction Diction

Greetings readers!

I've been busy with consecutive rehearsals and concerts lately so it's been hard to keep up. I suppose the first concert I should mention is the one that wrapped up last weekend with Pro Coro's Founder Concert. We achieved some really nice musical moments during some of the bigger pieces like Josquin's "Ave Maria", the rich-sounding Mendelsson pieces, and Shank's "Musica Animam Tangens". I feel like these are the pieces that Pro Coro should be singing all the time if we want to build up our full-voice body. Pieces with epic sound. Marc Michel Gervais by the end of our rehearsal period, after his initial verbose disgust at our tendency to sing at half voice, said that Pro Coro has a lot of potential and to think of where their next 30 years are going to go. Also, that Pro Coro needs to increase the choir by at least 10 singers to expand the realm of available repertoire.

Nystedt's "Immortal Bach" was our encore piece. I found it very self-indulgent to sing. It begins with a simple Bach chant and then the voice parts begin to deconstruct upon the second repetition, singing at their own pace, and by the third repetition each chorister gets to choose when to change notes. It was lovely since you can bask in the vocal dissonances for 10-15 beats if you'd like before moving notes. Also, there's an magical acoustic lock when everybody eventually settles on the same end vowel. The acoustic ambiance was also aided by the fact that we all stood in the balconies of the church and enveloped the audience in sound.



After Pro Coro's concert it was time to start a new rehearsal cycle for Durufle's "Requiem" with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra and Da Camera Singers. The big thing to remember from conductor Bill Eddins was "diction, diction, diction". Fair enough, diction is the acoustic cut the choir needed to use to be heard over the symphony but I felt like our musical sensitivity and phrasing was being lost. There is still a way to give those elements and provide crisp diction, however, I felt like the emphasis on diction prompted some choristers to oversing and be reduced to jolting entities that projected staccato word segments. From what I heard from reports from the audience, they were able to hear us quite well. My main fear-inducing moments during the performance were mostly for the men's parts. It took a while for the tenors and basses to consolidate and I still felt they were unsettled by the days of the performance. The soprano section was absolutely gorgeous. I always looked forward to their beginning solo line at the start of "In Paradisum". They had a soaring and gentle beauty to their sound which suited the transcendental line. The alto section I was a part of felt pretty solid too. It's hard to hear what we sounded like as a group, since all I could hear were the individual voices around me, but hopefully a cohesive blend resulted. There were gorgeous orchestra moments in the Durufle as well. I always loved hearing the lilting melodic bassoon line at the beginning of the "Lux Aeterna" movement.

On the Friday performance I could see that our clean cut-offs and diction was good enough for Eddins to give us a smile at two points during the piece, which I didn't see repeated for the Saturday performance. However, he lingered on the ending during Saturday night's performance when he refrained from putting his baton down at least for a good 10 seconds. A sign that he wanted to hold onto the musical magic in the air? I definitely had moments of "Man, I'm so lucky to sing with the ESO on stage at the Winspear!" during the two nights. I'm glad I signed up to sing the Durufle. It's another beautiful piece to add to the choral repertoire I've learned.

As I move into the next phase of my choral projects Pro Coro's St. John's Passion and Belle Canto's music festival preparation begins. Should be a busy few months!

Until next time, take care!

A Start to the Christmas Season

Wow, I had a fantastic time at Michael Kaeshammer's concert with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra (ESO) with opening artist, Jill Barber. It was like being transferred to another time. A time when singers sang into rectangular metallic microphones, where dresses were more crinoline than fabric, and getting dressed up to go to a dance was a ritualistic coming-of-age event. O.k, so I can't confess that I've lived those those golden times, but my stereotypical images are heavily influenced by the 1955 scenes from Back to the Future. And from what I can tell? It was one classy era.

I definitely felt classy listening to the warm and smoky tones of Barber's voice. Not only is she gorgeous to listen to and watch with her expressive face and arms, but her sweetheart halter dress did not disappoint my fashion expectations of her. She opened with a new song, "Mischevious Moon," which is the name of her new album to be due out in the Spring. She also made her way through audience favorites such as "Chances" and "Never Quit Loving You." During the performance, she detailed a heartwarming story about girl meets boy, girl meets another boy, girl meets man, girl becomes woman, and man and woman marry. Heart wrenching past histories and happy endings seem to inspire love songs. She introduced her final song, "Oh My My," with a story about how the tune came to be. She woke up singing it in a dream. Barber was also eager to receive audience participation to echo her choruses, and although the audience gave a good try, it wasn't anything compared to what I heard Folk Fest crowds belting out from the hillside. Her short opening set list was over to soon for my liking but hopefully I will have the chance to see her again soon. Maybe the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra will bring her back for another joint concert? A girl can hope.

Of course, the headliner of the evening was Kaeshammer and I can definitely see why. He is a pianist, vocalist, and conductor all-in-one that happens to have fantastic showmanship skills as well. He radiates energy on stage and, frankly, sometimes I don't know how he managed to stay seated on the piano bench. At any moment in the program he could be found simultaneously playing the grand piano with one hand, with another hand on the electric keyboard behind him, tapping his left foot to the beat and bending his right ear to his right shoulder to signal the downbeat to his band members.

Kaeshammer succeeded in making the expansive Winspear Centre feel like an intimate nightclub that happened to have excellent acoustics. He did some lovely orchestral arrangements of "Mary's Boy Child," "Merry Christmas Baby," "Marshmallow World," and "I'll be Home for Christmas" with the ESO in addition to his toe-tappingly catchy solo pieces such as "Lovelight." The ESO definitely was more of a back-up band since his own personal band was at the forefront, both physically and musically. However, it's not everyday I hear such orchestral richness backing up a boogie woogie musical act so it was quite a treat.

Another amazing point in the program? Definitely when Kaeshammer had a little musical face-off with his drummer where they tried to surpass each other in tempo and musical technicality.

Overall, a fantastic way to start December and the Christmas season!

Take care and stay warm readers!