Mother's Day and the Niagara Symphony

Mother's Day is this weekend, so most will be out picking up flowers or something else to show appreciation and love for Mom, and more than a few will take Mom out for brunch, lunch or dinner on Sunday as well.

For me, Mother's Day has become a bittersweet day, as I lost my Mom 12 years ago, much too soon I feel, and if possible on this day I travel to Toronto where my parents are both buried just to honour them on both Mother's Day and Father's Day.  I have lots of great memories of Mother's Day in the past, growing up in Toronto when money was tight and we didn't have a lot of disposable income kicking around.

Back then, we often took Mom out for a nice Sunday drive and on the way home, picked up a bucket of KFC for dinner.  Not the fanciest feast, but everyone enjoyed it and Mom appreciated the thought.  Life was good then, as we discovered much later in life.

I was thinking of all this while thinking of some Mother's Day music that has been popular over the years, and there is no shortage.  From the traditional Songs My Mother Taught Me to Al Jolson's My Mammy to today with Amy Sky's new recording, Alive and Awake, featuring the new single, A Mother's Love, Mom has been serenaded in song for many years now.

I came across a three-disc set of classic tunes for the day titled Mum's The Word, just issued by Proper Music from the U.K., and featured in my April newsletter.  It will also be on the website for the next little while in the Mike's Picks selections at www.finemusic.ca.  The 60 songs run the gamut of artists from Bing Crosby, Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Nat King Cole and many others from the golden age of popular music in North America.  Lots of fun for Mom, and for you, too!  If you're interested you can email me directly at music@vaxxine.com or simply order it through the website.

Now, all these recommendations are not going to arrive in time for Mother's Day, but if there is another special day for Mom coming up like a birthday or something like that, well, there you go!  I'll be happy to help out to make a special day even more so for your Mom any day of the year!

In the meantime, something you CAN do this weekend is take Mom to the final concert of the season with the Niagara Symphony, happening Sunday afternoon at 2:30 at the Sean O'Sullivan Theatre at Centre for the Arts, Brock University.  This is the last Masterworks concert of the season, and features Maestro Bradley Thachuk conducting the orchestra in Spring's Promise by Canadian composer John Estacio, the Brahms Symphony No. 1 and the Bruch Violin Concerto No. 1 in G Minor, featuring acclaimed violinist Erika Raum.

Needless to say, I will be in the lobby before the concert and at intermission with lots of great music you and your Mom will love, all at very attractive prices.  This will be a great opportunity to show Mom how much you love and appreciate her, and show the Symphony the support they so richly deserve.  It's a win-win for everyone!

Tickets should still be available in advance by calling the Brock box office at 905-688-5550, ext. 3257, or  simply pick them up at the door prior to the performance.

Celebrate Mom and the Niagara Symphony with great music this week, and Happy Mother's Day!

May 12th, 2012.