Friday, June 24, 2011

Niagara Symphony set to rock Niagara this week!

It's not too often we find a lot of material to write about the Niagara Symphony in the off season, as musicians, like teachers, tend to take a break for at least part of the summer.  Many will perform in summer festivals around the area, but even then, the pace likely is somewhat slower than during the winter months.  That being said, the Niagara Symphony is hard at work with a couple of big events over the next few days.

It was announced a few days ago the Niagara Symphony has accepted an invitation to perform with singer Chantal Kreviazuk Saturday night this weekend at the sold-out Jackson-Triggs Amphitheatre in Niagara-on-the-Lake.  The conductor will be none other than the new Music Director for the Symphony, Bradley Thachuk.  In addition, the concert will be video-taped as part of a documentary produced by Corkscrew Media for HBO Canada and Country Music Television for future broadcast.  And that's not all:  the concert will also be recorded by Corkscrew Media for a live audio CD to be released later.

This is not the first time the Winnipeg-born Kreviazuk has performed with a live symphony orchestra.  During an interview this morning, she said many western-Canadian orchestras have backed her up in the past and even now, the sound of a full orchestra behind her is simply magical.  I can imagine that; just compare the sound of the strings swelling in the background, for example, rather than just a keyboard or small group backing you up.  Sure, it is not as nimble as a small backup group, but the big sound makes a big difference in many performances I find.

This is great news for the symphony, coming off a successful 63rd season that saw Music Director Designate Bradley Thachuk share the podium with several guest conductors.  In the fall, Maestro Thachuk takes the helm officially, and will conduct most but not all the season's performances.  These are, comparatively speaking, heady days for the Niagara Symphony; it was not too many seasons back the organization was wallowing in debt, looking for an Executive Director and then, a new Music Director.  It was not easy being enthusiastic over the orchestra in those days, but I am glad to say most of the dedicated patrons stuck by their orchestra and now, as the new season approaches, new bums appear to be filling the seats.  Not only that, we're seeing many more younger bums, too!

All is not perfect, of course.  But it never is with an arts organization in this day and age.  But considering what the Niagara Symphony has been through the past several seasons, the problems they face now seem almost trivial in comparison to recent history.  Building the audience base and lowering the demographic, while not impossible, will prove difficult for the symphony, but with a young conductor and motivated musicians, good things can and will come in the near future.

Unfortunately, as I understand it the concert with Chantal Kreviazuk is sold out, but the good news is lots more concerts at the Jackson-Triggs Amphitheatre are to come, and you can check out the listings on my website, http://www.finemusic.ca/, by going to the Calendar page.

Even though you might not be able to catch the weekend performance unless you already have your tickets, the Niagara Symphony will be performing their annual Canada Day concert at Market Square in downtown St. Catharines next Friday afternoon beginning at 4 pm.  Associate Conductor Laura Thomas will lead members of the orchestra in a free concert, part of the city's day-long party celebrating Canada's 144th birthday.  The theme of the day, incidentally, will be Cowboys and the Wild, Wild West, which should prove interesting.

Guesting with the Niagara Symphony on Canada Day will be Elton Lammie of the Ridgeway-Fort Erie area; he is well-known to Niagara audiences now for his operatic voice that was showcased in a musical competition a few seasons back.  In addition to singing opera, Mr. Lammie adds some down-home renditions of classic country and western tunes, so that should make for a varied musical menu on Canada Day.

The best part of all?  It's all free at Market Square in downtown St. Catharines, so make a point of joining in for the fun and support our Niagara Symphony as well as the city's celebration of Canada's 144th birthday.

It's never too early to get your subscriptions to the Niagara Symphony's 64th season, of course.  Just call the Brock Centre for the Arts box office at 905-688-5550, ext. 3257 or log on to the orchestra's website at http://www.niagarasymphony.org/ for more information on the season.  It's also never too early to add music to your collection, either tied in with the symphony season or just something you're looking for.  That's where my website comes in:  http://www.finemusic.ca/.  At A Web of Fine Music, we pride ourselves on supporting the Niagara Symphony as well as providing you with the music you want!

Enjoy the Canada Day holiday weekend.

June 24th, 2011.

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