North Okanagan Community Concert Association – Page 16 – North Okanagan Community Concert Association

Concert review: tenor-pianist delight with musical medley

March 2, 2017 by SillyGilly, posted in Review

By Natalia Polchenko
For The Morning Star

If I were to write a Twitter review of Sunday’s North Okanagan Community Concert Association concert by Benjamin Butterfield and Sarah Hagen, it would go something like this: “Lyrical. Whimsical. Intimate. Multicultural. Excellent!”

Thankfully, I have a little bit more space to share my impressions.

There were a couple of coughs heard before opening act Shae Fraser, a young local harpist, touched the strings of her beautiful instrument. The quiet sound of the harp – gentle and meditative – immediately put the audience into enchanted calm. All the worries and bustle left the Vernon Performing Arts Centre and the music took everyone on a delightful journey.

The headliners, tenor Benjamin Butterfield and pianist Sarah Hagen, both internationally acclaimed musicians, put together a fantastic program that gave the audience a taste of music from many cultures. There were only two people on the large stage, an unamplified voice and piano, but they were able to create the very intimate and warm atmosphere of a cozy house concert.

Traditional Songs from five Canadian Regions, arranged by Canadian composer John Beckwith, reflected the eclectic nature of Canadian culture. Five distinctly different musical traditions wrapped in four different languages (Gaelic, English, French, and Hungarian) created a festive mood, representative of the Canadian cultural mosaic.

Next, Butterfield and Hagen exposed the audience to German lieder. If you ever wondered whether lieder, a traditional setting of German poems to music, could be appreciated fully by non-German speakers, Butterfield and Hagen were a perfect team to make a believer out of you. The singing, playing, and body language of the musicians were so expressive that you could not help but feel the poetry.

The selection of pieces was very interesting. They featured composers from different musical eras — Mozart, Wolf, Reger, Mahler, and Schönberg – yet, the lyricism shared a distinct common thread. The lyrical and precise voice of Butterfield and the emotional but delicate playing of Hagen suited the music perfectly. My personal favourites were the exquisite Mozart’s Abendempfindung (Evening Sensations) and atonal, but oh-so expressive and flowy Waldsonne (Sun in the Forest) by Arnold Schönberg.

After intermission, the multicultural musical kaleidoscope kept turning. Hagen, who was instrumental in helping choose the NOCCA’s new grand piano (pun intended), played a Rachmaninoff Prelude with great sensitivity and heart. Russian romantic music seamlessly transitioned to a cycle of Five Greek Songs by French musical impressionist Maurice Ravel. Ravel wrote this song cycle in a mere 36 hours in French rather than Greek, which made for another charming touch of cultural variety in the program.

Butterfield and Hagen then switched gears from lyrical to whimsical. Two songs by Harry Nilsson, Puppy Song and Nobody Cares About the Railroads Anymore, and a four-song selection by M. Flanders and D. Swann, showcased the duo’s comedic talent. The images Butterfield painted with words, sounds, whistling, facial expressions and gestures were palpable. The piano was there every step of the way. Even the pauses were expressive.

The audience was thoroughly entertained even when the tenor forgot a few words. However, Butterfield was able to make comedy out of his mistake.

In the finale, we joyfully joined the musicians in one of the Queen’s favourite songs, The Hippopotamus, with “mud, mud, glorious mud…” Joy was a very distinct aftertaste of this delightful matinée and the audience carried it away with them.

The North Okanagan Community Concert Association presents as its last concert of the 2016-17 season “Duo Rendezvous” featuring violinist Jasper Wood and guitarist Daniel Bolshoy, 7:30 pm on March 18th at the Performing Arts Centre. Tickets are available at the Ticket Seller box office, 250-549-7469 or ticketseller.ca.

Pianist Sarah Hagen & Tenor Benjamin Butterfield

Benjamin Butterfield & Sarah Hagen – Sunday Feb 26, 2017

February 10, 2017February 10, 2017 by SillyGilly, posted in Concert

Benjamin Butterfield & Sarah Hagen
Sunday February 26, 2017 2:00 pm
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Tenor Benjamin Butterfield and pianist Sarah Hagen unite in a magical offering from the voice and piano repertoire, giving a musical expression of artistry and human emotion.

Praised by The New York Times as “clarion-voiced and vibrant”, Benjamin Butterfield is known for his performances throughout North America, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. Born in Halifax NS and raised in Victoria BC, Benjamin began singing in school choirs and at his local church (Christ Church Cathedral). After graduating from McGill University he received grants from the Canada Council to work with David Gordon in Philadelphia, Diane Forlano in London and Leopold Simoneau in Victoria. In a career spanning thirty years, highlights have included tours with Trevor Pinnock and the English Concert as well as with Marc Minkowski and Les Musiciens du Louvre. On the operatic stage he has toured with the Welsh National Opera, New York City Opera, Canterbury Opera in New Zealand and with Canada’s Opera Atelier. He has performed at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, the Kennedy Center, with the Chicago Symphony at the Ravinia Festival, the Hollywood Bowl with the LA Philharmonic, Le Capitole in Toulouse, the Carmel Bach Festival in California as well as participating in the St. Matthew Passion at the Saito Kinen Festival in Japan under Seiji Ozawa. A prolific recording artist, he has recorded for Analekta, Dorian, CBC Records, Koch International and Timpani (France). He has been featured in Messiah on ZDF at the Handel-Festspiele Halle with Trevor Pinnock and the English Concert and on CBC Radio as a guest host twice for “This is my Music”. Recently Benjamin recorded the St. John Passion with the Bach Choir of Bethlehem (Analekta), the Rhien transcription of Mahler’s Das Lied von der Erde for Yellow Barn, and a sixth CD of Ukrainian Art Song for the Ukrainian Art Song Project in Toronto. He is currently Associate Professor, head of voice and co-head of performance for the School of Music at the University of Victoria, and is the 2015 recipient of the UVic. Craigdarroch Award for Excellence in Artistic Expression. He has served as guest faculty for Opera Nuova, the Amalfi Coast Music Festival in Italy, The Victoria Conservatory Summer Vocal Academy, Vancouver International Song Institute, Yellow Barn, and Opera on the Avalon.

BC Touring Council’s 2015 Touring Artist of the Year, pianist Sarah Hagen has been heard in concert halls and on the airwaves throughout North America and Europe. As a First Prize Winner in the 2013 Bradshaw & Buono International Piano Competition, she was awarded the opportunity to perform solo at New York City’s Carnegie Hall. An avid collaborator, Sarah has performed with cellist Ariel Barnes, violinist Robert Uchida, Trio Accord, Ballet Victoria, the Emily Carr String Quartet, among many others, and has appeared as soloist with the Victoria Symphony, the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony, the West Coast Symphony Orchestra, and the Symphony Orchestra of the Pacific. She is Artistic Director for Pro’ject Sound, a performance project involving live piano with large-scale projected images. Sarah’s debut solo album, Glass House Dancing, was nominated for Classical Recording of the Year at the 2009 Western Canadian Music Awards. Her second album, Devoted: Music of Robert & Clara Schumann, features solo piano works and Clara Schumann’s Romances, Opus 22 with violinist Martin Chalifour, concertmaster of the Los Angeles Philharmonic. She currently resides in Toronto where she is putting the finishing touches on her one-woman musical comedy act, “Perk up, pianist!”. sarahhagen.com

This concert will be opened by another of our wonderful North Okanagan “Rising Stars” – harpist, Shae Fraser. Following a successful opening for the 2016 George Elliot Secondary School’s year end music recital, Shae was featured at a local open air concert in Lake Country. Shae has been playing for just 4 years, studying with local harpist Kate Oswald. She finds inspiration in Celtic folk songs and fantasy soundtracks, along with harpists from the internet that share a similar musical taste.

Concert Program:

John Beckwith (1927- )	Young Man From Canada
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)	Abendempfindung (“Evening sensations”)
Hugo Wolf (1860-1903)	Fußreise (“Journey on foot”)
Max Reger (1873-1916)	Schwalbenmütterlein (“Little Mother Swallow”)
Gustav Mahler (1860-1911)	Ablösung im Sommer (“Change in Summer”)
Arnold Schönberg (1874-1951)	Waldsonne (“Sun in the forest”)
Intermission
Maurice Ravel (1875-1937)	Five Greek Songs
Harry Nilsson (1941-1994)	Puppy Song Nobody Cares About The Railroads Anymore
Michael Flanders (1922-1975) & Donald Swann (1923-1994)	The gas man cometh A G–nu The Warthog The Hippopotamus

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.

Concert review: cool jazz at its finest

February 2, 2017 by SillyGilly, posted in Review

By Jim Leonard
For The Morning Star

The volunteers of the North Okanagan Community Concert Association’s music committee must be thanked for their hard work in bringing first-class entertainment to Vernon.

Saturday’s performance of the Rémi Bolduc Jazz Ensemble was certainly up to the committee’s high standards. But if that wasn’t enough, we were treated to an up-and-coming jazz quartet led by W.L. Seaton Secondary’s jazz phenom Jacob Soucy to start the wonderful evening.

The members, Soucy (trumpet), Craig Matterson (piano), Isley Owens (upright bass), and pinch-hitter drummer Jason Martin, wowed the audience with their take on jazz standards and an original composition by Soucy called Chocolate Milk.

Soucy then joined Bolduc’s group to play There Will Never Be Another You and held his own quite nicely.

We were informed by an earlier article in The Morning Star that Bolduc’s ensemble would not be creating a carbon copy of Brubeck’s albums. The only similarity I noticed was Bolduc’s alto sax tone. It was very close to Paul Desmond’s lighter cool jazz tone.

Many of the arrangements featured long cadenzas at the end or exploratory and wistful piano intros. I was impressed by the group’s ensemble and by the intonation of Bolduc’s sax and the upright bass played by Fraser Hollins. As I am a gigging keyboardist, I know it is a challenge for such players to adjust to the intonation of the piano.

Two arrangements stood out: Take 5 had a unique intro by pianist extraordinaire François Bourassa. He reached into the piano and created a “prepared piano” sound with his left hand resulting in a muted percussive effect. Normally this effect is accomplished by placing various small objects on strategic parts of the piano’s strings, which produce harmonics and other effects. The piece was then played as Brubeck and his quartet would have done. It was there that all similarities ended. The harmony changed and so did the 5/4 meter. The quartet began to develop the familiar opening melody in a symphonic style, teasing the audience with little snippets of the theme passed around instrument to instrument while changing its characteristics ever so slightly. To top it all off was a brilliant drum solo by Dave Laing.

The other outstanding arrangement was the group’s take on Bluette, which started with Bourassa offering an intro not unlike the music of Russian composer/pianist Alexander Scriabin (1872-1915). The arrangement had many different tonal colours, complete with a soul-searching bass solo and frisky duet between the sax and piano to finish the piece.

Other honourable mentions offered were Blue Rondo a la Turk, where the group ignored the irregular note groupings outlined in Brubeck’s piece written in 9/8 time (2+2+2+3), to create a galloping infectious groove by using the usual 3+3+3 note groupings imposed on the melody.

The other piece was Charles Matthew Hallelujah in which many short Hallelujahs à la George Frederick Handel passed between the instruments.These were interrupted by a fast 4/4 swing that jazz players call a “burner.” Within this piece were altissimo sax notes (beyond normal range) and fast scales. This all settled down, prompted by a nice bass solo, to an excellent drum solo using brushes.

The standing ovation given by the audience was rewarded with a version of The Duke, featuring duets between sax and the other quartet members. I hope for this group’s return to Vernon in the near future.

The next NOCCA concert Feb. 26 will feature pianist Sarah Hagen with tenor Benjamin Butterfield. Tickets are still available at ticketseller.ca

– Jim Leonard is a Vernon-based musician who reviews the North Okanagan Community Concert Association series.

remi buldoc jazz ensemble tribute to brubeck

Rémi Bolduc Jazz Ensemble – Saturday Jan 28, 2017

January 15, 2017February 2, 2017 by SillyGilly, posted in Concert

Rémi Bolduc Jazz Ensemble
Saturday January 28, 2017 7:30 pm
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Dave Brubeck Quartet fans take note – we are in for a treat with this Remi Bolduc Ensemble tribute to Brubeck, including the great classics “Take Five”, “Three To Get Ready” and “Blue Rondo a la Turk”. The jazz ensemble features Rémi Bolduc, on saxophone, special guest pianist François Bourassa, Fraser Hollins on double bass and Dave Laing, drums.

Teacher and head of McGill University’s jazz department, Rémi Bolduc is considered one of the best jazz alto saxophonists in Canada. He has recorded with double bassist Marc Johnson, who himself performed with Bill Evans, Ben Monder, Jerry Bergonzi, Kenny Werner and many others. Bolduc’s album, Tribute to Charlie Parker won the Félix award for Best Jazz Album of 2011. In January 2013 he was awarded the Opus prize for Jazz Concert of the Year. His charismatic playing style and dynamic stage presence create a lasting impression on audiences. On Tribute to Dave Brubeck, his latest album recorded in collaboration with the pianist François Bourassa and released to wide public acclaim, the joy these musicians share in playing together is clearly perceptible. Acclaimed at the greatest venues of New York, Paris, Geneva, Tokyo and Beijing, Rémi Bolduc captivates audiences with the dazzling virtuosity and stunning maturity of a highly accomplished musician. Rémi is working on a new project: Swingin’ with Oscar!, a programme dedicated to the music of the great Canadian jazz pianist Oscar Peterson. Rémi Bolduc plays on a Selmer saxophone and Rico reeds.

Pianist and composer François Bourassa, 2007 recipient of the prestigious Oscar Peterson Award at the Festival International de Jazz de Montréal, leads one of the most active bands on the Canadian jazz scene. Band members include André Leroux (saxophones, flute), Guy Boisvert (bass) and tandem Greg Ritchie or Philippe Melanson (drums), plus Ivorian-Canadian percussionist Aboulaye Koné, a special guest who adds a world-polyrythmical flavour to several tunes. The latest recording, Rasstones, (Effendi/ Fusion3) is the seventh in a widely acclaimed discography. The quartet has toured on three continents, including recent concerts in Beijing, in major jazz festivals around the world, and in legendary locations such as Dizzy’s Club (Jazz at Lincoln Center, New York) during the memorable Québec Jazz series.

Fraser Hollins began his musical studies at Ottawa University and went on to hone his craft in Montreal at Concordia University. Fraser then found himself participating in musical groups with national and international artists, including musicians Dave Liebman, Mark Turner, Chris Potter, Donny McCaslin and Kurt Rosenwinkel. He currently lives in Montreal, where he teaches at McGill University.

David Laing was born in Kitchener and grew up in a musical family. He studied at McGill University in Montreal and began his professional career shortly thereafter. In the past 15 years he has recorded, toured, and performed with such national and international stars as Jimmy Heath, Junior Cook, Ed Bickert, Denzal Sinclaire and Ranee Lee. He currently resides in Montreal where he also teaches at McGill University.

The Rémi Bolduc Jazz Ensemble

Local trumpet player and singer Jacob Soucy will open tonight’s concert. After receiving an Outstanding Soloist Award at the 2016 BC Interior Jazz Festival and winning a scholarship from the Vernon Jazz Society, Jacob looks to further his music career by playing throughout the Okanagan with various ensembles. He is inspired by live performances and favourite trumpet players Miles Davis and Wynton Marsalis…and his musical peers. He is in Grade 12 at W.L. Seaton Secondary and is part of the school’s award-winning Senior Jazz Band.

Tribute To Dave Brubeck Concert Program:

	In Your Own Sweet Way
	Everybody’s Jumpin
	Take Five
	Bluette
	Three to Get Ready
Intermission
	Blue Rondo a la Turk
	All the Things You Are
	Far More Blue
	Charles Matthew Hallelujah

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.

Concert Review: Piano makes a stunning debut

November 7, 2016November 7, 2016 by SillyGilly, posted in Review

ian parker and jaeden izik-dzurko nocca concert — International renowned pianist Ian Parker and his student Jaeden Izik-Dzurko of Salmon Arm, relax after performing in a piano duo on the North Okanagan Community Concert Association’s new and retiring Hamburg Steinway pianos at the Vernon Performing Arts Centre, Oct. 29. — image credit: Jay Schappert

By Jim Leonard – a special review for The Vernon Morning Star

Brilliant pianist Ian Parker delighted the audience as he performed on the North Okanagan Community Concert Association’s new Hamburg Steinway piano Saturday, Oct. 29th at the Vernon Performing Arts Centre.

The soloist for the evening, Ian Parker, was also a charming host, sharing interesting tidbits about the composers and their music throughout the evening. He came with his own theme for the concert, “Variations on Inspirations.” His program featured a number of theme and variations compositions, starting with Joseph Haydn’s Variations in F minor.

From the moment I heard the first few notes, I knew NOCCA had acquired a beautiful instrument. Parker’s playing brought out the sparkle in the many trills and runs found in Haydn’s music.

Next on the program were arrangements of two Franz Schubert songs by Franz Liszt. The first one, Gretchen at the Spinning Wheel, incorporated some of Schubert’s descriptive accompaniment, an urgent, incessant whirling of notes depicting the spinning wheel’s movement, while adding thickness to the texture. In the midst of this was the actual melody, normally sung, but skillfully emphasized by Parker’s playing.

The second piece Singing Over the Water, was challenging and complicated, but no problem for Parker. He maintained poise and clarity throughout the piece.

Beethoven’s Sonata Opus 26 allowed us to hear the clarity and richness of the bass range of the piano. It all just seemed to make sense. Every note rang true under Parker’s fingers.

The sonata itself breaks away from strict sonata form and begins with a theme and variations. More and more of the piano’s range is explored in this sonata, from deep dark bass chords to sparkling high notes.

Movement two had a sprightly scherzo and trio, which provided contrast to the more academic sounding variations. The funeral march in movement three brought out the dark colouring available on such a splendid instrument. Parker managed some wonderful sotto voce (shadow or distance sound) in the quieter parts of this movement, giving it a hushed reverence. In contrast there were regal fanfare figures played crisply by Parker as if the dead were rising up.

The fourth movement, Escape from the Body, was a toccata in a classical style. It employed a technique involving rolling the wrists outwards while playing a series of fast notes. Again, no problem for Parker.

At this point in the program, contrast was provided by Three Preludes by George Gershwin. Number one was a type of tone poem that depicted daily life in New York City with all its business and traffic noise. Number two was a cool bluesy piece, which Parker swung by making the eighth notes uneven. It was perfect with many colours of tone coming from the piano.

Number three was in the style of a Spanish rhapsody with intoxicating rhythms and exotic melodies at the end of which Parker jumped up off the piano bench during the last note as if to shout “Ole!” The already charmed crowd loved it.

After intermission, Parker played Johannes Brahms’ Variations and Fugue on a Theme by Handel. He commented on the fact that Brahms loved the structures found in baroque music. A case in point is the fugue, a form perfected by J.S. Bach, which finishes the variations. Brahms infuses romantic force into the variations and the fugue, setting the piece apart from the baroque style.

This piece was an excellent choice by Parker. It was very complex and dense in texture and showed how well the piano and performer could hold up under intense pressure from so many notes.

For the finale, Parker brought his student, Jaeden Izik-Dzurko, a Grade 12 student from Salmon Arm, out to join him in Lutoslawski’s Variations on Paganini for Two Pianos.

When you see this young man’s credentials –– associate of the Royal Conservatory of Music, grand prize winner of the Canadian Music Festival National Competition, soloist with the Kamloops and Okanagan Symphony Orchestras –– you have to be impressed. His talent is a credit to Parker’s great teaching skills.

On stage were both the new and retiring Steinways. The piece required the utmost in virtuosity from both pianists. They met the challenge with ease.

Congratulations to all who had a part in bringing the new piano to our stage, especially Parker, who introduced the instrument to us in a most stunning way.

– Guest reviewer Jim Leonard is a Vernon-based pianist, organist and composer.

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