Vox Humana Chamber Choir
CONCERT CANCELLED
Saturday April 27, 2019 7:30 pm
Unfortunately NOCCA’s concert this evening has been cancelled. Due to a severe storm ferry service off Vancouver Island has been disrupted and the choir is unable to travel to Vernon. Information regarding ticket refunds will be forthcoming. We apologize for any inconvenience caused.
Vox Humana Chamber Choir
Saturday April 27, 2019 7:30 pm
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Vox Humana Chamber Choir – Victoria’s premier chamber choir of 24 singers ranging from advanced students to professional musicians, directed by Brian Wismath, presents a versatile mix from Praetorius to Britten, from newly commissioned to established choral repertoire.
Since its founding in 2002, the mixed-voice ensemble Vox Humana has established itself as Victoria’s premier chamber choir. Under the direction of Brian Wismath, its core group of 24 singers ranges from advanced students to professional musicians. As part of its regular concert season from September to June, Vox Humana presents several different programmes of diverse repertoire. Their artistic mandate includes the presentation of new music; their repertoire history includes a number of commissions and Canadian premieres. In addition to their self-produced concerts, Vox Humana is a frequent artistic collaborator with other groups; since 2011 they have appeared annually with the Victoria Symphony in works as diverse as Bach’s Christmas Oratorio, Britten’s War Requiem and Handel’s Messiah. Two of Vox’s annual traditions have become sold-out favourites: Vox in the Stars, a performance in the dome housing the Plaskett Telescope at the Dominion Astrophysical Observatory in Saanich, BC, and A Child’s Christmas in Wales, a concert of seasonal music centered on a reading of the beloved Dylan Thomas story.
Vox released its first CD in September 2011, entitled Summer Rain. The title track is a composition by Estonian composer Toivo Tulev. The remainder of the CD features the music of Canadian composer Jeff Enns, and French composer César Geoffray. Vox released its second CD in December 2018, entitled A Child’s Christmas in Wales and features the quintessential Christmastime story by Dylan Thomas, accompanied by carols. voxhumanachoir.ca
The concert will be opened by Angela Zeng, a 14 year old, grade 9 student who attends Kalamalka Secondary School. She has been playing cello for 7 years and studies with Morna Howie at the Vernon Community Music School. Angela has been playing with the Okanagan Symphony Youth Orchestra since she was 9 years old and has been playing lots of chamber music with family members and friends at local senior centres. She goes to New Denver regularly to study cello performance with John Kadz and Johanne Perron. Angela earned runner-up in BC Provincial Festival String Junior A category in 2017, and first place in Junior B in 2018. Recently she was invited to audition for the prestigious Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia. She hopes to continue cello after high school and pursue it as a career. In her free time Angela likes to do competitive swimming and play soccer.
Concert Program:
| Leonard Enns (b. 1948) | Te Deum Brevis |
| David Archer (b. 1985) | The Heart of Night Compassio Fire and Ice *commissioned for this concert |
| Liova Bueno (b. 1979) | Canadian Triptych *commissioned for this concert |
| Kathleen Allan (b. 1989) | Mother o’ Mine |
| Jeff Enns (b. 1972) | Psalm 23 I Will Lift Mine Eyes I Lost My Talk |
| Intermission | |
| Kristopher Fulton (b. 1978) | Prometheus |
| Tobin Stokes (b. 1966) | Bush Chord |
| Rodney Sharman (b. 1958) | Requiescat |
| Jocelyn Morlock (b. 1969) | One Black Spike |
Click on the image/link below to view a short video of the choir performing:
SINGLE CONCERT TICKETS
Adults – $40 Under 18 – $20
Students on the 8to12 program – $5
Purchase tickets at:
TICKET SELLER
Phone: (250) 549-SHOW (7469)
E-mail: boxoffice@ticketseller.ca
– or –
Visit The Performing Arts Centre Foyer
3800-34th Street, Vernon
All concerts are held in the Vernon and District Performing Arts Centre.
Review by Jim Leonard
In spite of the concert being on a Monday night in April, spirits were not dampened! The recently formed quintet comprised of members from 13-20 years of age called “Appassionato,” owned the stage with their enthusiastic version of a Schumann piano quintet.The pianist Henry Baker provided a stable and virtuosic line throughout the composition. There was an effective dialogue between Anton Baker’s viola part and thirteen year old Adam Kunyk’s cello part. Emily Kunyk and Emily Baker provided rock solid solidity in the tempo on their respective violins. I would like to hear this group present a whole concert; their sound was rich and warm.
Marcel and Elizabeth Bergmann and Sarah Hagen showed both their versatility and virtuosity throughout this concert which featured music for left hand alone by Marcel Bergmann and music for two to six hands- all on one piano! The pieces for six hands required some very creative seating arrangements – needless to say!
The Prelude for one hand (2019) by Marcel Bergmann began with random bell tone chords. Then a constant ostinato (repeated rhythmic and melodic pattern) was added in the middle giving the effect of two hands playing! Sarah Hagen took the stage to represent two hands playing. She masterfully played three Rachmaninoff Preludes ( #6,7,8 ) from his Opus 32. Each had a varying character: #6 was “stormy” and restless; #7 was like a Russian “Sesame Street” (in Sarah’s words); #8 was effervescent. All were difficult but well played.
The avant garde “Hippocratic Oath” by Mauricio Kagel (1931-2008) – an Argentinian-German composer who developed a theatrical style in his music – was actually written for three hands. One of the hands slapped the bottom of the keyboard in an irregular rhythm at the beginning as if to be independent of the others. The piece ended, however, with all hands stacked together in the air as if to show unity.
After such a piece, the lightness and charm of some of Brahms Waltzes, played in duet form, gave the program a nice turn of events. This breath of fresh air continued with five hands playing Australian-U.S. composer Percy Grainger’s (1882-1961) Zanzibar Boat Song. The music was rich and tune filled; bringing up visions of a brisk sailing trip on a bright sunny day.
Chicago concert pianist-composer Andy Costello (b.1987) is a champion of the music of living composers. His piece “Balance” involved players leaving and returning to the piano to add their voice to the mix.At the climax of this piece, six hands were used (along with creative seating arrangements) to use most of the piano keyboard and create a dense blanket of sound. A rollicking arrangement of Rossini’s “Barber of Seville” by Henri Hausser ended the first half of the programme.
After the intermission,Sarah Hagen played a Piano Sonata in A major by Marianne von Martinez (1744-1812). She was an Austrian composer greatly influenced by the people she shared a house with. In the house (Michaelerplatz), which had four floors, lived a princess from the Esterhazy family; Nicola Porpora – a singing teacher; The Martines family; and in the cold leaky attic, Joseph Haydn. Their lives ultimately became connected through their involvement with Marianna (Porpora taught her voice; Haydn was the accompanist etc). Marianna was the only woman to have written a symphony during the Classic Period. Her Sonata #3 is very much in the style of Haydn and Mozart, with two fast movements divided by a beautiful melancholic Andante movement.
The programme continued with a duet version of three selections from Bernstein’s “West Side Story” with special attention to the haunting “One Hand, One Heart” being the favourite for this reviewer. “ Libertango” by Argentinian composer Astor Piazolla (1921-1992) with it’s infectious rhythms played by four hands; “Romance and Waltz” by Rachmaninoff (1873-1943) using six hands; and the “Radetzky March” by Strauss-also with six hands- were much appreciated by the audience. A hilarious encore which left Marcel Bergmann without a piano part; and resigned to sing like a dejected Cuckoo, with the ladies at the piano; topped off a wonderful evening.
The next NOCCA concert will feature Vox Humana Chamber Choir from Victoria, BC presenting a versatile mix from established to newly commissioned choral repertoire on Saturday April 27, 2019 at 7:30 pm. More info at nocca.ca.
Review by Jim Leonard for the Vernon Morning Star.
Bergmann Duo + Sarah Hagen
Monday April 8, 2019 7:30 pm
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Bergmann Duo with Sarah Hagen – known for their extraordinary keyboard skills, inspired and virtuosic performances, impeccable musicianship, and uniquely original voice, the Bergmann Duo combines forces with Sarah Hagen for an exceptional 1 piano, 6 hands acrobatic musical spectacle on the NOCCA Steinway piano!
A trio of long-time friends, Sarah Hagen of Morning Melodies and the Bergmann Duo of Elizabeth and Marcel, decided a few years ago to have a different kind of fun and see how one piano could manage their collective talents. With musical careers, teaching and domiciles not always coinciding, practice times as a trio were a challenge and performances were even rarer.
NOCCA presented the Bergmann Duo in April of 2015, and the audience was delighted and amazed with their unique combination of warmth, humour and virtuosity. They have performed and received accolades from around the globe and we will hear again how the musical world is their oyster. Not only have they won numerous international competitions, but they have continued to promote the musical talent of other artists through their teaching posts both past and present. The Duo serve as Directors of the Langley Community Music School and are Associate Music Directors of White Rock Concerts.
Sarah Hagen is one extremely talented young lady who many of us know from her “Morning Melodies” presentations in the Marie Fleming Hall at the Performing Arts Centre. She also performed with her friend, tenor Benjamin Butterfield, on NOCCA’s stage in February of 2017. In January 2018, she hosted NOCCA’s youth concert NOYSE and presented her solo production of “Perk Up, Pianist”. Sarah’s quest for inspiration has taken her around the world, and will continue to do so as her inspiration is “everything”. Her sensitive interpretations of the classics to experimentation in musical theatre are indicative of her multiple talents.
One interesting side note to the Bergmann Duo and Sarah playing here in Vernon is that they were all “instrumental” in the selection of NOCCA’s Steinway. Sarah played the piano in the workshop in White Rock before restoration began in order to give NOCCA a performer’s opinion as to its pedigree. Elizabeth and Marcel played the piano in White Rock after the restoration was complete to confirm that the instrument was up to standard, and as we who have heard it well know, the work was done to perfection.
With backgrounds as varied and as richly talented, trying to describe the upcoming concert comes to two words: “Fabulously eclectic”. To quote Marcel and Elizabeth, be prepared for “a full evening of brain work” and “an experience in the negotiation of keyboard gymnastics”. The program features composers such as Ravel, Rachmaninoff, Brahms, Grainger as well as avant-gardist Mauricio Kagel and, to keep things current, Marcel Bergmann. bergmannduo.com and sarahhagen.com
The concert will be opened by the quintet Appassionato. Ranging in ages 13-20, Appassionato is a new, vibrant, and energetic group rising up in the Okanagan. They began their quintet in October and have been rehearsing and sharing music everywhere they go, whether that be in a concert or a masterclass. The group’s desire is to share their love for classical music and have a lot of fun doing it! The members are Henry Baker (15) piano, Emily Kunyk (15) violin, Emily Baker (20) violin, Anton Baker (18) viola and Adam Kunyk (13) cello.
Click on the image/link below to view short videos of the artists performing:
Sarah Hagen – piano
Bergmann Duo – piano duet
SINGLE CONCERT TICKETS
Adults – $40 Under 18 – $20
Students on the 8to12 program – $5
Purchase tickets at:
TICKET SELLER
Phone: (250) 549-SHOW (7469)
E-mail: boxoffice@ticketseller.ca
– or –
Visit The Performing Arts Centre Foyer
3800-34th Street, Vernon
All concerts are held in the Vernon and District Performing Arts Centre.
Review by Jim Leonard
This Valentine Day’s concert began with an appropriate song by Salmon Arm singer Heather Harker; ably accompanied by Alex MacArthur, titled “Les Chemins de L’Amour” (The ways of love) by Francis Poulenc (1899-1963) Heather had a lovely lyrical tone while singing this song.
Heather, a french immersion kindergarten teacher, then showed her teacher’s personality with a dash of humour by performing “Hippo and Gnu” by Flanders and Swan. These selections were greatly enjoyed by the audience.
The performance of Duo Fortin-Poirier was enhanced by the video camera suspended over the piano keyboard; the image was projected on a large screen at the back of the stage. We could see the magic enfolding from the four hands of the duo. In some selections it seemed as though they were competing for keys!
Marie-Christine and Amélie created an intimate and warm atmosphere with their commentary on the pieces which were quite varied in style and texture. Having played together for fourteen years, they showed an extraordinary powerful partnership.
They designed a program which started casually with “Valses Caprice” by Edvard Grieg (1843-1907) and grew in intensity through the “Legends” of Antonin Dvorak(1841-1904) to the pivotal point of the program, “Souvenirs” by Samuel Barber (1910-1981) Here the virtuosity of the performers took flight and never looked back.
The selections after the intermission offered a passionate memorial selection (“Adios Nonino”) by A. Piazzolla (1921-1992), “Chroniques d’une Coupe a blanc” by Canadian composer Vanessa Marcoux (b.1986); Vocalise by Rachmaninoff (1873-1943) arranged by Greg Anderson; and a modern work complete with rhythmic knocking sounds and assaults on the strings in the piano, “Garden of Eden:The Serpents Kiss” by W. Bolcom (b. 1938)
The generous audience rose to their feet in appreciation of an excellent and varied program- brilliantly played. The duo then offered a short encore; a quiet arrangement of Gershwin’s “Summertime.” We almost forgot it was winter!
The next NOCCA concert will feature the Bergmann Duo with Sarah Hagen – an exceptional 6 hands on 1 piano acrobatic musical spectacle on Monday April 8, 2019 at 7:30 pm. More info at nocca.ca.
Review by Jim Leonard for the Vernon Morning Star.
North Okanagan Community Concert Association 