This week, we’re highlighting a couple of imaginatively-programmed concerts from two very different orchestras, aimed at very different audiences!
This Saturday, the National Arts Centre Orchestra presents an hour-long, bilingual family program entitled Happy Mother’s Day: A Musical Tribute to Moms. The concert will be led by Boris Brott, and will feature popular Canadian cartoonist Lynn Johnston, her trumpeter brother Al Ridgeway, musical families within the NAC Orchestra, a performance of Robert Munsch‘s Love You Forever – and, as a special treat, three members of the astoundingly gifted Leong-Mach family. The mother-son trio includes 13-year old Ottawa violinist Kerson Q Xun Leong, who recently won the top prize in the under-16 category at the prestigious Menuhin Competition in Oslo, Norway – his very first international competition. He will perform with his cellist brother Stanley, and his mother, Tu Mach, an accomplished pianist and music teacher. As well, one lucky mother will be selected from the audience to conduct the NAC Orchestra! The fun begins in the lobby 45 minutes prior to each concert, and includes: a thematic book display by the Ottawa Public Library; musical activities by Music for Young Children; a display of “Chuckle Brothers” comic strip artwork by Brian Boychuk, violinist with the NAC Orchestra; activities by the Kanata Gymnastics Club; a brass and woodwind instrumental petting zoo organized by Canterbury High School; origami flower and finger puppet crafts; a special appearance by KAOS the Cat, official mascot of The Ottawa Academy of Martial Arts; and an information table by the Ottawa International Children’s Festival.
On May 15 in Toronto, the Aradia Ensemble (led by Kevin Mallon) presents Thunderbird: A First Nations/Baroque Collaboration. The program features mezzo soprano Marion Newman, a regular collaborator with Aradia, and a native Canadian – and it is built around the traditional legend of the Thunderbird. The program includes traditional first nations song and dance (including an elaborate Thunderbird mask, carved by Master Carver Victor Newman), weather- and storm-related music of the Baroque era by Locke and Clerambault, , and the world premiere of a work by composer Dustin Peters. Here’s what Marion Newman has to say about the program:
“The biggest thread that ties together Baroque and Aboriginal culture would be the beat that music provides. It starts with the heartbeat, it moves to the drum, the instruments strike up, people’s feet begin to twitch and dance is born. It may seem like a crazy thing to be combining such forces, but in my heart and mind it makes perfect sense that we are doing this concert. I’ve been involved in various projects that combined my two worlds of First Nations culture and classical music. The Magic Flute with Vancouver Opera was the biggest thus far. It was very successful and really made me want there to be more of that kind of good collaboration in my career. The kind of collaboration that helps people to understand that First Nations culture is still very much alive and that we are evolving and yet keeping our traditions close to our hearts. As part of the stage of healing from past wrongs, we need to share, discuss, make new art, create music that makes us happy and that opens the table for healthy discussion and understanding. My uncle, George Taylor, has been touring around the world, singing our traditional songs and sharing our dances with people in an open and respectful way for a long time. I have always been encouraged by my family to be a spokesperson for our culture. Someone who can show that we are not all stereotypical, in the movie and bad news way, but that we are open to questions and that we want people to understand that very many of us are healthy and happy, living productive lives”.
