My Inner Chorister

 It is less than two weeks until Toronto.


Firstly, I have to admit, that I am a bit disgusted at how lucky I am to be singing with Pro Coro and going to Toronto at all. Throw in terms like Soundstreams, Professional Choral Singing, Pro Coro Canada, Elmer Iseler Singers, The Vancouver Chamber Choir, Kaspars Putniņš, R. Murray Schafer, Vejlo Tormis, Koerner Hall, Uģis Prauliņs and my inner choir girl is fanning the static air around her face in a frenzy.

In case you have trouble visualizing my inner choir girl, I see her as a contemplative, bespectacled, chubby, preteen wearing a navy choir polo and frumpy denim while holding a miniature pumpkin that she received at her first choir camp for good posture. Internally, I am giving my inner choir girl a solid high five at this point in time. We did it you awkward but charming creature!

I have never toured as a professional chorister. In the past, when I have been on tour, it is for some kind of competition. After months of fundraising, memorization and rehearsals, we compete in hopes of getting some type of award that validates our collective hard work. This is not the mentality I am adopting for this Soundstreams tour. I do not view this tour as a competition against the other professional choirs in our country, but rather, as an opportunity to share the music from our local choir communities with a larger audience. It feels like a choral reunion in many ways, as if we are getting ready to head to the most awesome choir camp ever.

However, at the same time, I feel this pervasive sense of anxiety. It is frightening and motivating at the same time. I want to perform my very best. The music deserves it. For example, on this tour, we are singing not just one Prauliņs but TWO Prauliņs works: Laudibus In Sanctis from our Canadian Connection's concert with the Vancouver Chamber Choir and the North American premiere of O Lux Beatissima. When singing Prauliņs, you are not just singing a line, but living in the world of the piece. The music exists in that transient point in time, as real as anything you can see and touch. I don't know exactly how Prauliņs does it, but he manages to write pieces that I have always wanted to sing... even though I do not know it yet.

It is my first choir retreat. I can see my inner chorister sitting, cross-legged, on top a sleeping bag lining the crinkly plastic coated bed mattress nearest to the squeaky cabin door. She is overwhelmed by the amount of music covered. She is not used to reading music. There are so many unfamiliar faces. Most of these faces seem to know one another. I would go to reassure the pensive girl, mustering up the courage to go play soccer or partake in a nature walk, that this whole choir thing is going to work out. That she will actually be able to go places as a result of it. That she will be able to connect with others through performing and writing about choral music. But then again, what would be the fun in that? She is about to find out for herself.


More information about the Soundstreams concerts on Feb 1 and 2, 2014
:
3 Choral Recitals
Canadian Choral Celebration

Reader Challenge

Dear readers, I am issuing you a challenge: I think it's time that I meet as many of you as possible. Find me at a concert, rehearsal venue, reception... or anywhere I happen to be while in Toronto. Come take a pic with me, it could be a selfie or epic group picture, it is up to you, and post the picture on Twitter or Facebook with #thechoirgirl. If you don't like posting on social media, no worries, I will post it for you. Tweet or message me @misssable or via the Choir Girl Facebook page to find out where I am. I will compile all the photos of readers I meet in a summary blog post. Even if you are not in Toronto, tweet me a picture of you in your musical habitat and I will include you in my collage as well.

I'm serious about this. It is time that social media works its magic to connect blog readers and choral music lovers. Hashtag (#thechoirgirl) photos by Friday, February 7, 2014. See you all soon!

Behind Clara's Dream with Shumka

All photography by Nanc Price

The sibilant consonants of excited voices and the sock dampened jump landings echo down the hall of Shumka School of Dance on a chilly Tuesday evening. The school is brimming with energy from the collective presence of Ukraine’s Kyiv Ballet, and professional Folk Dance ensemble, Virsky, collaborating with Shumka for the opening of Clara’s Dream this weekend. Taking a stroll down the hallway, a peek inside one of the smaller studios shows male Shumka dancers warming up their high kicks.

Pass through another doorway in between tables laden with healthy snacks. Enter the large studio. Young Shumka girls sitting poised along the stage edge, students and parents sit along the walls the studio, while the dancers from Shumka, Virsky, and the Kyiv Ballet weave throughout the crowd with silent purpose to their starting positions.

There is a sense of history throughout the rehearsal. The Nutcracker Prince, Jeff Mortensen, is a Shumka aluminist, and now a professional dancer. Mortensen is remembered with fond memories by eight-year-old Nikolas Shewchuk when Mortensen was here playing the Fritz character in the last Nutcracker.  “I really like hanging out with Jeff Mortensen. The first time we met he was really fun and was one of my buddies,” recalls Shewchuk with admiration. Shewchuk loves everything about dance from the tricks and costumes to the collaboration with other companies. Dancing for at least half of his life, Shewchuk has no thoughts of slowing his pace: “Dance means everything to me,” states Shewchuk with maturity in his tone that contrasts with his youthful demeanor before heading off to take his place at the start of the run.



Peter Eeles plays many roles. In addition to being the Principal at The Shumka School of Dance and Shumka dance member, he is also a core dancer in Clara’s Dream playing the role of the Nutcracker. While he has been understudy for the production in the last two years, he assures me that it is no different this time approaching the role as a core dancer. “You have to work hard to perfect the roles you are given,” he states. There is also ample surrounding inspiration since Eeles feels he improves the most when he is dancing alongside Virsky: “They’re so pulled-up and they dance with such passion and heart…it’s infectious even just being in the same building” he says with a laugh, releasing a elation that only comes from working alongside your role models.

I am curious about the collaborative aspect between the dancers since Kyiv Ballet and Virsky only arrived on Sunday. During warm-up on Sunday, Eeles shares that there was the Shumka barre and a Virsky barre but by today the barre’s were more mixed even though it was only the third rehearsal. I imagined it in my mind to be like a junior high dance. The boys and girls line opposite sides of the school gymnasium, either unsure of who should make the first move. Before Eeles is pulled away to being the start of the run-through promptly at 7 PM, he confesses, “I don’t do it for money… I do it because I love it." That is his last parting thought.



The rehearsal run of Clara’s Dream begins.

The dancers all don their character faces, as if this run-through wasn’t in a studio, but on the stage of the Jubilee Auditorium itself. The dancers beam with warm smiles and act with such authenticity that you can sense their characters without even seeing their costumes. The actors flow through the different acts from the party to Clara meeting the Nutcracker Prince after the fight with the Mice. Enthralled by the physical stamina and energy of the run-through, I am jolted back to reality when a 20 minute break is called in Ukrainian.

Executive Director, Sandra Gajic, meets with me during the break. I inquire why Shumka appears to be a well-known organization, yet, unknown at the same time in the Edmonton’s Arts community. Gajic believes it comes down to awareness. ”People have not been aware of the level of the company. We are not a little recreational ethnic dance group. We are much more than that. We are a professional Arts organization. People still don’t see us that way,” she states with openness.

Shumka instructors have developed a technique and syllabus that is unique to the school. Somebody visiting the Ukraine would not see Shumka’s style of dance because there is a specific Ukrainian-Canadian gestural vocabulary that they use. Gajic describes it as being a hybrid mix of Contemporary, Ukrainian, Folk, and Classical dance forms. Shumka is also expanding as an organization by employing professional dancers and running Summer Intensives that have options for recreational and professional dancers.

It is all about stories. Gajic hopes for Shumka to continue commissioning new works that explore the multicultural identity of Canada through, not just Ukrainian dance, but Folk Dance in general.  This could include topics such as the Ukrainian immigrant experience or collaborating with other groups to share stories of their culture. The most important thing is to find stories that are relevant to and resonate with modern audiences.

“What is at the core of Folk Dance that makes it such a powerful form to convey these stories?” I wonder aloud.

“I think the expression of human emotion through movement. I spent all my life in the world of Opera and the human voice. I never thought I would hear myself think, nevermind, say aloud, that what probably came first is the movement. I’ve traveled extensively throughout the world. When you look at how people express their joy, fear, loss. It is much more through movement. “

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Cross-posted on Sound + Noise

Visit the following link to see more photos from this series by Nanc Price

Clara's Dream

January 10 and January 11

7:30pm

Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium

Tickets start at $25, and are available via Ticketmaster.

'Tis the Season

Christmas is one of the busiest times to be a musician.

It is an endless string of concerts, rehearsals, gigs, and receptions. Cars are packed at the start of the day with all the necessities: water bottle, food, uniform, music, tuning fork, mechanical pencil, black music folder, fancy performance shoes, comfy performance shoes to change into after intermission because of uncomfortable fancy performance shoes. On top of this add -30 degrees Celsius weather, windchill, and oatmeal snow on the slick roads to add more obstacles on the commute to your next engagement. And, you still have to find parking when you get there.

While the holiday season has its highs and lows, one of my favorite parts is how the music community is just buzzing with activity. Last weekend I saw the Messiah in addition to Pro Coro Canada's ConSept debut, where they sang David Lang's Little Match Girl Passion. It was lovely to see a familiar face, bass-baritone Stephen Hegedus, singing with the Richard Eaton Singers and Edmonton Symphony Orchestra. It was also a treat to hear the haunting vocal beauty of ConSept as they invited the chill inside the church for their performance; a perfect compliment to their storytelling of the Little Match Girl story. The singers' faces were lit with the flickering candlelight and a foggy mist formed around the hot flames.

My most recent rehearsals have been focused around the annual Pro Coro Christmas Concert. This year we are sharing the stage with the Edmonton Youth Choir. I'm always excited to collaborate with singers, especially youth singers because really, it was not that long ago that I was singing in a very similar group. Following rehearsal, I walked past a nearby church and saw a reception glowing with warmth and activity following a Joyful Noise choir concert. Many familiar faces walked past me on the way out of the venue and we were able to exchange a few words before they headed home for the evening. Even though it is hard for musicians to attend all the concerts of those in their communities, it is nice to know that each of us, in our own way, is contributing to the richness of our local culture.

It is always beneficial to take a moment, breathe, and be grateful for the frenzy of the season since it signals that our artistic community is alive and well.

If you're free today, Pro Coro Canada shares the Winspear stage with the Strathcona String Quartet, Edmonton Youth Choir, Jeremy Spurgeon, and Kerri-Lynn Zwicker at 230 PM.

A Laryngectomee Choir

This video came to my attention today:



I'm interested to see how unfamiliar listeners react to the sound of this choir.

Do they recoil in disgust or puzzle in interest over how these choristers voicing?

This choir is formed by laryngectomees (a.k.a those who have had their larynx removed). There are social stigmas against laryngectomees. As if they deserve the removal of their larynx (a.k.a. voice box) because they used to smoke. This is not always the case. In the hospital, I have seen some laryngectomees that have never smoked a cigarette a day in their life; however, they were exposed to second-hand smoke.

Laryngectomees produce voice by using a one-way valve that directs air from the trachea (a.k.a. wind pipe) into their esophagus (a.k.a food pipe). This one-way value is called a tracheoesophageal puncture (TEP). It's a plastic valve prosthesis that is inserted in the wall between the esophagus and trachea. It's a one way valve because air is only allowed to go from the trachea into the esophagus, not the other way around. If it was a two way valve, then any food or liquid going towards the stomach could be channeled through the valve and into the lungs. Food in your lungs? Never a good thing.

On the outside of your trachea is a stoma (aka. hole opening) so a laryngectomee can still breathe by essentially having an open channel to their lungs. When this hole is plugged with a finger from the outside, the air coming from the lungs is directed through the TEP valve and up through the esophagus to vibrate structures in the lower pharynx (a.k.a throat) and upper esophagus. Then using regular tongue, lips, and teeth articulatory patterns, users can then form speech.

In the video, you're probably able to hear a really rough voice source. Well, that's what it sounds like when you're vibrating the tissues in the lower back part of your throat. There is an impressive range of expression and pitch variation in the choir. This is coming from manipulating the resonance of the vocal tract (a.k.a the speaker moves their tongue, soft palate, lips and teeth to maximize resonance).

Regardless of the type of medical, social, or emotional barriers that can handicapp people, everyone has a voice that deserves to be heard. It's empowering to see choristers embrace this fact, even when they have no larynx.

A Sense of Play

Every group has their own energy. The exciting thing is discovering what is at the core of each group. I've deduced what it is about the Edmonton Opera Chorus that makes it such a unique group for me: the sense of play.

It was something I began to notice throughout the rehearsal process, and it was confirmed during the Salute to 50 years Chorus Concert on Saturday. For me, the play aspect is hard to fully embrace. I find it hard to ease off and simply enjoy.

I love a musical challenge. I enjoy the stress and satisfaction cycle of learning hard works.  But on Saturday night, the energy of those around me was infectious. Humorous glances cast towards the male chorus as they sang about being sober men in Sir Joseph's Barge from HMS Pinafore and the seductive sways and tambourine hits during Carmen's Gypsy Chorus from the ladies. It just felt comfortable and organic to play up the song within a chorus full of characters.

It is always good to take a step back and reevaluate why you are singing in a particular group. For some, it may be increasing musicianship skills, for others, it may be the paycheck. For me, singing with the Opera Chorus is a personal reminder to not take myself so gosh darn seriously. It's like taking a massive handful of colourful characters and loading them into a confetti launcher. One cannot predict where certain colours will fall or when it will go off. Instead of worrying about the clean-up, which I would normally do, I just learned to enjoy the show.

(All photos from Christina O)

Heads Roll At Edmonton Opera's Salome

Edmonton Opera opens its 50th season with a striking offering: Salome. It is a one-act, no intermission, Opera that runs less than two hours. The story centers around Salome's lunacy as she wants the one thing she cannot have which, in this case, happens to be the affections of prophet, St. John the Baptist. She stares into the fragmented moon and mirror, trying to piece herself together throughout the Opera. While there is an array of supporting characters: Herod, Narraboth, Priests, and Slaves... the story is truly about Salome.

The stage is striking. Chains are suspended from the ceiling, creating the walls of the cage on stage that surrounds the characters. The hollow metallic rustle introduces an eeriness to the entire stage feel, and depending on the lighting, the chains were able to look like rain in the moonlight or the dripping blood from a severed head. The set design is minimalist but effective for completing the story. One of my favorite moments was when the suspension of red fabric was severed from the ceiling and Salome cloaks herself in red.

Salome is not an easy Opera to stage. The erotic Dance of the 7 Veils has a controversial history. While some sopranos have gone entirely nude for the dance, others Salome's have been replaced with a dancer in order to perform this scene. Edmonton Opera decided to document the process from young girl to womanhood using 6 dancers, as her stepfather, Herod, lusts on as he watches her. However, it is hard to know who has the power.  Herod for treating her like entertainment and property or Salome for manipulating Herod with her sexuality in order to obtain St. John's head.

Regardless, Salome is a brave choice for the Edmonton Opera to launch its 50th season and it is perfectly timed for the arrival of Halloween.

Purchase Tickets Here

Saturday, October 26, 2013 » 8:00pm
Tuesday, October 29, 2013 » 7:30pm
Thursday, October 31, 2013 » 7:30pm

Photography by Nanc Price

The Canadian Chamber Choir Brings Their Voice To BC

Every year, 18 professional choristers unite from across the country to form the Canadian Chamber Choir, under the leadership of conductor, Dr. Julia Davids. Their mandate is to foster choral music performance, perform works by Canadian composers as well as provide education opportunities for apprentice conductors and community workshops. Even though the CCC only assembles for a short time, their temporary presence has the ability to unite individualized pockets of the choral community wherever they visit.

The upcoming New Waters progam by the CCC will take them to Vancouver Island and the lower BC mainland. A feature work on the program revolves around the merging of two Icarus works. When I asked Davids about her inspiration behind pairing these two entities, she likens the design of the program to an artistic process, “sometimes you bump into something at the right time," she states with intuitive clarity. Erik Ross's Icarus in the Sea was initially a blind commission, which meant that Ross could write any piece for any choir and he decided to set poetry by Lorna Crozier to music for the CCC. The story of Icarus is a famous one:

Trapped on the Isle of Crete, Icarus dons wings made of wax in an attempt to escape. Consumed with the grandeur of flight, he ignores his father’s warning not to fly too close to the sun. The wings melt and Icarus falls into the sea ... 

Ross' Icarus in the Sea encapsulates the descent of Icarus and describes the hazy underwater images he sees. The CCC has toured with this piece before but Davids notes “works may completely evolve as we perform them throughout the tour.” The constant evolution and editing process is due in part to the close collaboration between the choir and composers. Sensing the audience focus required in Icarus in the Sea, the choir has since paired their performance with visual movement, choreographed by Claire Leger. Dancer, Matthew Peach, plays Icarus who has wings made out of bamboo and the choir participates in the movement of the performance as well.

Most recently, Davids was referred to work by Vancouver-based composer, Kristopher Fulton. She took a listen to Fulton's Icarus on his website and found it was the perfect compliment to Ross' Icarus in the Sea. Fulton's piece encapsulates a rhythmic excitement and describes the ascension of Icarus into the sky, finishing in D major. Ross' piece, chronicling Icarus' decent, begins in D minor. "I feel like these pieces were meant to be together," Davids says while revealing she has goose bumps just reminiscing about this realization.

The role of music education plays an important role with the CCC. “It’s so much a part of who we are,” Davids states with honesty. Davids custom designs every workshop that the CCC holds. This may include vocal technique discussions or perhaps providing support to male singers in a highschool choir by having the CCC singers modeling different types of tones that can be produced with male voices. “It depends on what the organization needs," for example, “the CCC will function as a lab choir [at UBC] and instead of just conducting a class of their peers, conducting students get to work with a top-level choir and really see what the nuances of their gesture can do and what sort of effect they’ll have on their music when people are really sensitive to what they’re doing.”

Conductors, teachers, composers, pianists, and many other professional comprise the fabric of the CCC. The diversity of the CCC highlights the ability to unite the love of choral music we have across this country. Davids reveals that she wishes to visit communities of all sizes across Canada in the future, citing hopeful tours to Newfoundland, New Brunswick, and Manitoba. 

Until that time, I’d encourage BC audiences to take in performances by the CCC this week. It's always empowering to see local choral communities assemble to greet new voices in town. 

Upcoming Performances and Sessions:

Wednesday, October 16, 2013 

WORKSHOP
School workshops in the Victoria Area.
CONCERT
In Concert with Victoria’s Vox Humana
Date & Time: October 16th @ 8pm
Venue: St. John the Divine, 1611 Quadra St, Victoria, BC
For tickets and info, visit www.voxhumanachoir.ca

Thursday, October 17th, 2013

WORKSHOP
Workshop with the Douglas College Chamber Choir
Date and Time: October 17th, 2013. @ TBA
WORKSHOP
Church Choir Workshop
Date and Time: October 17th, 2013. @ 7pm
Venue: Holy Rosary Cathedral, 646 Richards St, Vancouver, BC
Click here for e-poster

Friday, October 18th, 2013

WORKSHOP
School workshops in the North Vancouver Area.
WORKSHOP
Workshop with Capilano University Cap Singers, North Vancouver

Saturday, October 19, 2013 

WORKSHOP

BC Choral Federation Community Workshop
Kerrisdale Presbyterian Church
2733 W 41st Ave, Vancouver, BC
10:00am – 12:00pm
Click here for e-poster
CONCERT
In Concert at St.Mary’s
Date & Time: October 19th @ 7:30pm
Venue: St. Mary’s Kerrisdale, 2490 West 37 Ave., Vancouver, BC
Cost: $25
Tickets can be purchased here
Sunday, October 20, 2013
Mass
Date & Time: October 20th, @ 11am
Venue: Holy Rosary Cathedral, 646 Richards St, Vancouver, BC

It's All in the Community

 

The first production of the season with Pro Coro Canada was a special one. Instead of just blogging my whole rehearsal process, I decided to immerse myself in the experience and see what thoughts surfaced as a result. The one that has been lingering in my mind is the concept of artistic collaboration.

Pro Coro Canada paired with Booming Tree Taiko in order to incorporate taiko drumming within choral pieces. Tormis' "Curse Upon the Iron," R Murray Schafer's "Magic Songs," and Eric Whitacre's "Cloudburst" was infused with an array of varying taiko drums. Two seemingly unrelated artistic forms: choir and taiko drumming paired perfectly together. It was as if the pieces should have been written to incorporate the dramatic forms of taiko drumming expression. The sheer showmanship of power and grace demonstrated by Booming Tree Taiko duo, Greg and Twilla, elevated the performance.

Booming Tree Taiko

Pro Coro also commissioned a piece from Vancouver-based composer, Kristopher Fulton. Pro Coro's Artistic Director, Michael Zaugg, met with Kris to discuss the inspiration for the commission, which led Michael to introduce Kris to the Belgian Graphic Novel, Twilight Cities or Les Cités obscures. The visual images from this series inspired the five part soundscape series for this world.

It is amazing how bringing together two elements eager for artistic collaboration can synthesize such a compelling musical compound. There is a trust within the relationship in addition to the flexibility for exploration and discovery. I loved watching Greg and Twilla try out different percussion sounds they could generate for each of the movements of Schafer's "Magic Songs," each creating a different tone until the desired mood was isolated. I can only imagine the excitement when a unified chord was struck between Michael and Kris to discover their joint passion for artwork and stories.



There is also a sense of discovery that comes from commissioning a Canadian composer. In the last season alone Pro Coro premiered works by Canadian composers, Cy Giacomin, Jason Noble, and Peter Togni. I hadn't even heard of some of these composers prior to singing in Pro Coro. The first time I heard one of Kris' works was at the end of the Cantata Singers' "Sh*t Choristers Say" video. When Kris arrived to rehearsed Twilight Cities, it was a huge luxury to be able to turn to him and ask in an inquisitive tone: "What were you thinking while writing this passage? Did you want the tonality to be in A?"

Kris Fulton with his gifts from the University of Augustana Choir

I vividly remember Michael mentioning how musical collaboration was something he was planning in his Artistic Director role. At the time, it seemed like an excellent thought to me; however, I don't think I truly grasped what it would look like upon execution. Pro Coro's opening concert this season solidified for me what successful collaboration can look like.



The music community is a small one... and the choral one is even smaller. Sometimes it feels like we are pitted against each other, as if only one type of choir with a certain demographic can exist or only one composer's work will be accepted for a commission. Can't we all agree that there are enough external forces making it difficult to thrive as Artists that the last thing we need is animosity between Artists? I know it is not easy when the structure of our system is not always conducive to this thinking. There are only so many pools of audience members and limited grant dollars.

However, I have seen positive things result when we recruit the talents of other artistic community members. We work alongside each other with trust and respect and we are a stronger community because of it. I am not saying that our musical community fails to function in this way. In fact, I am delighted with the sheer frequency of collaborative overlap between groups, but I am also aware of those moments when it isn't so easy to maintain "the more the merrier" philosophy and survival instinct sets in.

We are all looking for a medium to share our music, voice, and culture with the world; it is a great feeling when we are unified in that goal and are able to do it together.

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.