Now that Easter is past I want to update you on some musical adventures in April. It’s a busy month, so if you’re interested in keeping in touch, here are some highlights for you.
I’m always pleased to know when people are performing my music. I was particularly pleased to learn that St. Michael’s Choir school will be singing my little devotional anthem “Tantum Ergo” in Rome, and maybe even for the Pope if he isn’t too busy to hear the boys sing a concert for him in the Sistine chapel. My friend Teri Dunn conducts the choir and she’ll be taking along several Canadian pieces for the tour. Closer at hand Marta McCarthy performs my Kontakion in Guelph on April 6th with the Guelph University choir and guests.
I’ll be holding court at the Quail pub on April 7, joining with friends who want to talk through the historical and musical background of Handel’s oratorio Solomon. Pax Christi Chorale will be performing this on April 20 and 21 here in Toronto. Our performance will be enhanced with theatre direction by my colleague Gwen Dobie from York University’s Fine Arts Faculty. The choir is polished and ready to go, but maybe slightly nervous about their new role – they not only have to sing all that double choir music, but Gwen also has them entering into the dramatic action with some group gestures. This is certainly going to be a memorable performance!
My string quartet “From a distant island” will get its second performance on April 28 here in Toronto. I’m looking forward to hearing Windermere String Quartet give it another go. I just watched the movie “Late Quartets” last night and found myself wondering if every string quartet goes through the dramatic struggles depicted in the movie. My string quartet is being played alongside Haydn and Beethoven, but mine is the only one with a “programme” or a narrative story behind it. The common element is that each of these pieces ends with a fugue.
Beside these performances, the school term is wrapping up and I wish all my students good luck on their final exams, recitals, auditions and performance juries. When all the nerve-wracking stuff is over I hope they can relax and enjoy new musical adventures this summer.
You can read more about the concerts I’ve mentioned above if you click on “upcoming events” page on this website. Hope to see you out there!