Wednesday, June 25, 2014

News and notes on the arts in Niagara

Just a few things crossed my desk this week I thought I would share with you in my mid-week arts blog, covering music and a new book launch this weekend.

One of the more anticipated musical events of the summer season in St. Catharines is the annual SCENE Music Festival, coming up this weekend at Montebello Park.  This is a new venue this year, as clearly the event had outgrown their previous home at Market Square in downtown St. Catharines.

I think Montebello Park will turn out to be a wise choice for the festival, as the central location and larger open-air expanse is ideal for venues such as this.  I know people living in the immediate vicinity might think otherwise, and in fact I count myself as one who does live just a few blocks away from the park, but it is summer, the event is hugely popular, and with just about every other musical event happening now at the park over the summer months, why not SCENE as well?

Anyway, the event runs Saturday and Sunday with single day and weekend passes available at www.scenemusicfestival.com.  There are too many musical acts to list here, but some of the bigger names this year include Matthew Good, The Sheepdogs, Marianas Trench, Arkells and Lights.

We can usually hear most of the musical events from our sun room each summer evening, so this weekend will be no different I suspect!

I also received a note from my friends at Primavera Concerts this week about their 10th anniversary season coming up, which in itself I find rather hard to believe.  They have an early-bird special on at the moment through to June 30th, with special pricing for either 4 or 5 concerts next season.

The upcoming season looks quite interesting too, by the way, with a Strauss party with trumpeter Guy Few and pianist Stephanie Mara planned for November 23rd; Patricia Green and harpist Judy Loman January 25th; the group Sonic Escape on February 15th; Quartet Molinari of Montreal on March 15th and the Cecilia String Quartet with cellist Shauna Rolston on May 17th.

Primavera Concerts has proven to be one of the more creative local musical institutions the last decade and they are looking to build on that in the coming years.  I have attended some of their concerts in the past and they consistently deliver an exceptional concert experience.

For more information on the deals being offered until June 30th, go to www.primaveraconcerts.ca.

Finally, there is a book launch of note this weekend I wanted to mention as well in this space, as it involves a gentleman I have known casually over the years as he and his wife lived just down the street from me for many years.

Author and speaker Jack Veffer will launch his new book, "Science and Religion Is a Match Made in Heaven" this coming Friday evening from 6 to 9 pm at the store his wife operates on James Street in downtown St. Catharines, Design by Catherine.

There will also be a "Meet the Author" session this Saturday from 10 until 2, also at the James Street location.

This is the second book for Mr. Veffer; the first was an autobiographical tome entitled "Through the Eyes of the Child:  Survival of the Holocaust", which told his story as a child-survivor of the holocaust.  That book became a best-seller, which is especially gratifying considering Jack took to writing rather late in life.  But he seems to be a born author, so the second book will be much anticipated, I'm sure.

The new book is rather lighthearted in nature, I'm told, and is based on questions he posed to his learned friends about existence and energy and the work that needs to be done in this existence to reach the soul's ultimate destination, he says.  Should be an interesting read.

So there you go - never a dull moment in Niagara!

June 25th, 2014

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