I have been a Royal subscriber again this year, getting my fix of performances at Koerner Hall. It is such a spectacular venue that musicians regularly comment on its beauty and acoustics.
Adding some of the favourites to my playlist makes it easier to revisit the sounds and sensations. And by referencing the line-up I am able to check out some of the artists online even if I wasn't able to see them in person.
What times we live in, that we can conjure some of the world's best musicians to play at the touch of our fingertips. It is like living in a fairytale.
Hanna Dora Sturludottir accompanied by Snorri Sigfus Birgisson
My friend Irene snagged some free tickets to see this mezzo-soprano perform at Timonthy Eaton church, courtesy of the Icelandic Canadian Club of Toronto. Haunting, beautiful sounds. The program combined Icelandic, Finnish and Norwegian songs with famous arias. I floated away.
Piping Hot Rematch
'Satyagraha Act III' Phillip Glass; Trois Pieces, Petit Canon Nadia Boulanger; Liebestraum n 3 Franz Liszt
At Hot Docs we watched a film about competitors in the Canadian International Organ Competition. It followed the competitors as the story arc, with their quirks and dreams, and didn't focus much on the organ music itself. It was only in the doc talk afterward when the director spoke about how every organ is different, and every church is different, so organists really need to learn how to "play the church." Fascinating concept and instrument!
This concert we saw was at St. Paul's Cathedral on Bloor. The four contestants from the film each performed two to three selections. The very first piece took me right back to my teens: Liebestraum was something my Grama would play on our organ at home. It was just plain fun to hear the William Tell Orchestra and the Ride of the Valkyries blaring in the cathedral. The organ can also be tuned to play simple bells, so there was a full range of sound. The Cathedral itself was gorgeous. At intermission I wandered up for a closer view of the alter and organ - the organ seat was so heavily worn there was an actual dip in the wooden bench.
Anoushka Shankar
The Sun Won't Set Anoushka Shankar (Norah Jones vocals); Voice of the Moon
Truly mesmerizing concert. Anoushka sat in the centre with her sitar. There was also flute, tabla, mridangam, tanpura, piano and cello. There was a lot of eye contact and head motions which led me to believe there was a lot of improvisation happening. Anoushka herself was charming and unpretentious. Will definitely enjoy listening to these songs in the future.
Vienna Boys Choir
In addition to the two violins and piano, there was also a cimbalom (elaborate Eastern European instrument played with special mallets). I happened to bring my binoculars and was able to check out the carving of Budapest on the wooden cabinet... a truly beautiful instrument with such a unique sound.
Alex and Penny joined us at the concert - their first time at Koerner Hall! There was a bonus performance in the lobby afterward, with the Polki Village Band - young musicians playing traditional Polish instruments and spontaneous dancing from the crowd.
I also got Alex to take a photo of Roby and I together - he is not much taller than me. Watching him on stage he makes such a big impression I was oblivious of his size until I was standing right next to him.
Farruquito
Farruquito composed all the music and did all the choreography as a way to tell his life story. It was totally absorbing to watch the male flamenco dancers embody life story: growing up, falling in love, making friends and enemies.
The dancers' feet and clapping hands were percussion to the score.
From the program: "we will capture the pure Gypsy essence present in so many real-life moments with family, at weddings, and other celebrations."
Orchestra Toronto, Come Together: 50 Years of Abbey Road
Abbey Road
These days we listen to music playlists from various artists and hop over to another, sometimes not even bothering to let the current song finish before moving along to the next tune. To really listen, and hear the songs on the Abbey Road album performed by an orchestra was a treat; playing them in the order of the recording was a wonderful reminder about just how many fabulous hit songs there are on that last Beatles album.
This was at the North York Centre for the Arts and our friend Grace, who is a violinist with the orchestra, let us know about the event.
22nd Maple Blues Awards
Ice Queen, Sue Foley; Miles to Go, Colin James; Steve Marriner; Carlos del Junco
Spending an evening at the awards was a great way to learn more about current artists and the Canadian music scene. I got a better appreciation for what it means to try to earn a living as a musician in these times of instant download... not so easy. Many hold down two or three day jobs to afford them some kind of flexibility for gigs, and the income on residuals from downloads is based on fractions of pennies.
John Pizzarelli and Freddy Cole
The King Cole Trio album
Nat's brother Freddy is over 80 but can still rock the house!
Piping Hot Rematch
'Satyagraha Act III' Phillip Glass; Trois Pieces, Petit Canon Nadia Boulanger; Liebestraum n 3 Franz Liszt
At Hot Docs we watched a film about competitors in the Canadian International Organ Competition. It followed the competitors as the story arc, with their quirks and dreams, and didn't focus much on the organ music itself. It was only in the doc talk afterward when the director spoke about how every organ is different, and every church is different, so organists really need to learn how to "play the church." Fascinating concept and instrument!
This concert we saw was at St. Paul's Cathedral on Bloor. The four contestants from the film each performed two to three selections. The very first piece took me right back to my teens: Liebestraum was something my Grama would play on our organ at home. It was just plain fun to hear the William Tell Orchestra and the Ride of the Valkyries blaring in the cathedral. The organ can also be tuned to play simple bells, so there was a full range of sound. The Cathedral itself was gorgeous. At intermission I wandered up for a closer view of the alter and organ - the organ seat was so heavily worn there was an actual dip in the wooden bench.
Anoushka Shankar
The Sun Won't Set Anoushka Shankar (Norah Jones vocals); Voice of the Moon
Truly mesmerizing concert. Anoushka sat in the centre with her sitar. There was also flute, tabla, mridangam, tanpura, piano and cello. There was a lot of eye contact and head motions which led me to believe there was a lot of improvisation happening. Anoushka herself was charming and unpretentious. Will definitely enjoy listening to these songs in the future.
Vienna Boys Choir
"O Fortuna" from Carmina burana Carl Orff; Regina coeli, op 37 Johannes Brahms; Matrosenpolka Josef Strauss, The Seal Lullabye Eric Whitacre, Edelweiss from the Sound of Music Richard Rogers
There were 24 boys singing, accompanied by the conductor on piano. Such a pure, innocent sound, it is almost heartbreaking. And the boys really are so cute, some of the best voices in the world in training, trying not to fidget, keeping their hands at their sides and occasionally giving in to scratching their noses or rubbing their stomachs or patting their hair. As the boys introduced themselves, it was interesting to hear they came from countries around the world, including South Korea, Australia, England, and Japan.
From the program: Boys have been singing at Vienna's Imperial Chapel since 1296... Joseph Haydyn and Franz Shubert were themselves choir boys. Until 1918, the boys sand exclusively for the imperial court.
Roby Lakatos and Ensemble
The group played a mix of jazz, classical, and gypsy Roma music. Roby Lakatos is a true virtuoso.
Alex and Penny joined us at the concert - their first time at Koerner Hall! There was a bonus performance in the lobby afterward, with the Polki Village Band - young musicians playing traditional Polish instruments and spontaneous dancing from the crowd.
I also got Alex to take a photo of Roby and I together - he is not much taller than me. Watching him on stage he makes such a big impression I was oblivious of his size until I was standing right next to him.
Farruquito
Farruquito composed all the music and did all the choreography as a way to tell his life story. It was totally absorbing to watch the male flamenco dancers embody life story: growing up, falling in love, making friends and enemies.
The dancers' feet and clapping hands were percussion to the score.
From the program: "we will capture the pure Gypsy essence present in so many real-life moments with family, at weddings, and other celebrations."
Orchestra Toronto, Come Together: 50 Years of Abbey Road
Abbey Road
These days we listen to music playlists from various artists and hop over to another, sometimes not even bothering to let the current song finish before moving along to the next tune. To really listen, and hear the songs on the Abbey Road album performed by an orchestra was a treat; playing them in the order of the recording was a wonderful reminder about just how many fabulous hit songs there are on that last Beatles album.
This was at the North York Centre for the Arts and our friend Grace, who is a violinist with the orchestra, let us know about the event.
22nd Maple Blues Awards
Ice Queen, Sue Foley; Miles to Go, Colin James; Steve Marriner; Carlos del Junco
Spending an evening at the awards was a great way to learn more about current artists and the Canadian music scene. I got a better appreciation for what it means to try to earn a living as a musician in these times of instant download... not so easy. Many hold down two or three day jobs to afford them some kind of flexibility for gigs, and the income on residuals from downloads is based on fractions of pennies.
John Pizzarelli and Freddy Cole
The King Cole Trio album
John P. respectfully escorted Freddy on and off the stage, and whispered in the older man's ear to let him know about the standing ovation at the end of the night. It was a beautiful evening of music.
Terry Riley
A Rainbow in Curved Air, Persian Surgery Dervishes
I liked the pieces that mixed modern jazz with Indian sounds and chants the best.
Riley has an impressive body of work and has influenced modern music across the globe.
King's Singers
Born on a New Day John David; Gold Grammy nominated album; Christmas Stocking album of holiday music; Carol of the Bells
The group was founded by six choral scholars in 1968 and are named after King's College in Cambridge, England. The original members have come and gone but the group lives on.
Terry Riley
A Rainbow in Curved Air, Persian Surgery Dervishes
I liked the pieces that mixed modern jazz with Indian sounds and chants the best.
Riley has an impressive body of work and has influenced modern music across the globe.
King's Singers
Born on a New Day John David; Gold Grammy nominated album; Christmas Stocking album of holiday music; Carol of the Bells
We saw the a capella sextet near the end of their year-long Gold 50th Anniversary and tour, enjoying the performance from (almost) front row seats. The group twice emphasized that Koerner Hall is indeed one of its favourite venues within which to perform world-wide.
Chilly Gonzales, Solo Piano
White Keys, Solo Piano
Chilly played many tunes solo but was also joined by a guitar and cello at times. A very musically eclectic evening with a bit of classical, country and even a bit of rap.
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