CHORDIAL NOTES November 2011
"It's easy to play any musical instrument all you have to do is touch the right key at the right time and the instrument will play itself."
— J.S. Bach
REMEMBERING…
November 11 is our day to remember how wonderful it is to live in this great country and to give thanks to those who have given their lives for freedom and peace. The Conservatory office will be closed on Friday November 11, 2011. Please check with your instructor regarding your regularly scheduled classes that day.
¡SACABUCHE! IN CONCERT November 27 @ 2:00PM
LOCAL MUSICIAN COMES HOME
Trombonist Linda Pearse grew up in Yellowpoint and developed a love of the trombone while playing in the North Oyster Elementary school band. She is now the director of ¡Sacabuche! North America’s rising ensemble for 17th Century music. After performances of ‘The Glories of Venice’ in Vancouver and Victoria, Linda will bring this group of talented musicians and singers, based in Indiana, to Nanaimo for a special afternoon concert as a benefit for the Nanaimo Conservatory of Music. She also wants to share her love of Vancouver Island with her fellow musicians! The concert takes place at 2pm, Sunday November 27th, at St. Paul’s Anglican Church in Nanaimo.
¡Sacabuche! Is a sackbut and cornetto ensemble that began as a collegiums group based at Indiana University Jacobs School of Music’s Early Music Institute. ¡Sacabuche! won the 2009 Early Music America Collegiums Musicum grant competition, resulting in a well-reviewed performance at the Boston Early Music Festival fringe festival. The next year, by invitation, ¡Sacabuche! was the opening night headline ensemble at the June 2010 Berkeley Early Music Festival and recently toured China including performances at China’s National Centre for the Performing Arts. They were voted No.1 Critic’s Choice for December by ‘Time Out Beijing’ and drew the largest audiences for the entire year for the Beijing 2010 concert series. In their program for this West Coast Tour, the rich sonorities of Venetian composers will come alive with virtuosic voices, period instruments: brass, strings and chamber organ. This is an event not to be missed.
Linda completed a master’s degree in Early Music Performance at the Schola Cantorum in Basel, Switzerland and worked in Europe for over ten years before returning to North America, where she earned her PhD at Indiana University Jacobs School of Music’s Early Music Institute. She is now a professor at Mount Allison University in New Brunswick.
Tickets are $20 and $17. For more information and tickets please call the Nanaimo Conservatory of Music office 250 754 4611. Contact person: Kathleen Darby, Executive Director.
NCM ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING – NOVEMBER 15, 2011
The Nanaimo Conservatory of Music Annual General Meeting which will take place at 7:30PM November 15, 2011 in the NCM Ensemble Room. Please consider attending this meeting as we go over the business of the past year and elect our new Board Members! RSVP to Kathleen 250 754 4611 or ncmusic@island.net.
FIDDLE WORKSHOP SERIES CONTINUES WITH DAVID KAYNOR – DECEMBER 3, 2011
The Nanaimo Conservatory of Music Workshop Series – We’re not just classical music folks
First time in Nanaimo! Join master fiddler, caller, and raconteur David Kaynor at the Nanaimo Conservatory of Music on December 3rd for a memorable day of music and dance. David Kaynor’s infectious fiddling and generous teaching are renowned across North America. David‘s career began in New England with two significant events. The first was when he attended his first contra dance in Maine in Grade five. The second is when he got hold of an 1800s Fairbanks Vega banjo-mandolin a neighbour literally threw out a window while cleaning house. He has been making music ever since. Having learned and taught New England fiddling and dancing in the heart of New England his whole life, David is a recognized master of this form. David has taught, called, and played at many music and dance camps and festivals including Northern Week at Ashokan, Northeast Heritage Music Camp in Johnson, Vermont, the Festival of American Fiddle Tunes in Port Townsend, Washington, Folklife Festival in Seattle, Washington, and in several European countries. David is also skilled at Swedish fiddling, including the art of seconding, a style of rhythmic harmony accompaniment. Of his teaching, David says “I'm persistently watchful for ways to create the conditions of opportunity for transformative growth through music and dancing.”
Fiddle workshop 10:30am -12:30pm | Caller’s workshop 1:30 --3:30pm (fiddlers are welcome to stay and play) | Dance workshop 3:30-5:30pm (fiddlers and callers welcome to stay and play and call for the dancers) | Concert 7:30 with Contra Dance after the break.
First workshop: $20 | Additional workshops plus concert & dance: $10 | Evening only for the concert & dance $15
Sounds like tons of fun!! No dance experience necessary!
NEW FEDERAL ARTS TAX CREDIT
A new federal arts tax credit of up to $500 is available for music lessons. Please let us know if you will be making use of this credit for your child’s music education. For more information please see: http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/gncy/bdgt/2011/qa01-eng.html
ANNOUNCEMENTS and EVENTS
· Suzuki Piano Workshop – At the end of October our Suzuki piano students along with Suzuki parents and teachers from all instruments had a wonderful opportunity to meet and study with Merlin Thompson, a Suzuki piano teacher trainer based in Alberta who actually spent three years in Japan working with Dr. Suzuki. He inspired us all with his demonstrations of intuitive learning and thinking/teaching/playing in so many different ways. There was an awful lot of laughing going on in the student mini-lessons and loads of enthusiasm for his "Minute to Win It" game. Many thanks to Kathy and Carly Grabher for organizing coffee/tea/juice for the parent session and to Cindy Speelman and Roni Wagner for so generously changing their schedules to accommodate the workshop
· Adult Semester End Recital featuring the students of Marilyn Rummel, Roni Wagner and Cindy Speelman will be held on Thursday Dec. 1 at 7 p.m. in the Ensemble Room
· Semester end Suzuki Flute/ Flute and Recorder Recital featuring the students of Cindy Speelman - Saturday Dec. 3 at 12 Noon in the Ensemble Room
· Suzuki Flute Book 1 Graduation Recital featuring Jocelyn Maguire and assisted by Justin Hu on piano on Sat. Nov.19 at 2:30 p.m. in the Ensemble Room
· Patrick Olmsted has recently launched his Web site www.gabriolaguitars.com. He would like to invite everyone to visit his new website please let him know what you think!
· Nanaimo Youth Concert Choir and Chapters/Starbucks are having a great fundraiser – YOU are invited! Fine music and good books are like a match made in heaven! Throw in a good cup of coffee while you shop…what more could you ask for? As a guest of the choir browse and make any purchases you’d like – Chapters will donate 10% of each guest’s purchase to the Nanaimo Youth Choir. Coffee by donation provided by Starbucks. Create a Christmas List of books this year, for all your friends, family and colleagues. Santa has given his stamp of approval! Monday November 21, 2011, 5 – 7pm, CHAPTERS/Starbucks (Woodgrove). To support the NYC fundraising campaign, the goal being to attend an International Youth Choir Festival in July 2012.
· Marjorie Cullerne has a number of events coming up in the next few weeks – Friday Nov. 11, 2:00 pm, Remembrance Day performance (solo violin) Stanford Place Care Campus, Parksville; Sat. November 12th, 2:00 pm, solo violin music during the resident's afternoon tea: Arrowsmith Lodge, 266 Moilliet Street, Parksville; Wed. Nov. 23rd, 1:30-2:30. strolling violinist at Cokely Manor's Christmas Bazaar - 266 Moilliet Street, Parksville.
· MUSIC AT MIDDAY - St. Paul’s Anglican Church, 29 Church Street, Nanaimo; Organist: Peter Orme (Director of Music, St. Paul’s Church) - Wednesday, 9th November - “The 400th Anniversary of the King James Bible (1611)” Music by Orlando Gibbons (1583-1625) with readings from the King James Bible 12.15 p.m. – 12.45 p.m.Admission free – donations to St. Paul’s organ fund.
· It’s spine-tingling music that rings with hope and glory as the Vancouver Island Symphony presents Last Night of the Proms at the Port Theatre on Saturday, November 19, at 7:30 p.m. Based on the final night of the Proms Concerts, the world’s largest and most democratic music festival, the VI Symphony presents a program of favourite light classics along with the traditional Land of Hope and Glory, Rule Britannia and Jerusalem. Conservatory faculty performing with the VI Symphony include: Calvin Dyck (guest artist and concertmaster), Nicole Arendt, Marjorie Cullerne, Karen Hough, James Mark and Pippa Williams. Tix: 250-754-8550.
· Lux Aeterna: Island Consort, November 26th /27th 2011 – Now in its 5th season, and with an ensemble of 19 voices under the direction of Bruce Farquharson, the choir presents “Lux Aeterna” (Eternal Light) with works by Byrd, Palestrina, Bach, Elgar, Holst, Gorecki, Whitacre and others. Juxtaposed with the Bach motet for double choir, “Komm Jesu, Komm” is guest artist, cellist Hannah Wilson, to play the Bach Cello Suite #1. November 26th, 7:30 pm at the Ladysmith Waterfront Art Gallery (tickets $15 at Salamander Books, or $17 at the door) and November 27th, 7:30 pm at Brechin United Church ($15 at the door). For information call 729-8910.
STUDENT ACHIEVEMENTS
· Congratulations to Marion Drage, flute student of Cindy Speelman who completed her Grade 2 RCM exam with Honours.
COMMUNITY EVENTS
· Inspiring young people and families to love music - that’s the incentive behind the Vancouver Island Symphony’s increasingly popular Symphony Community Day of FREE EVENTS being held at the Port Theatre on Saturday, November 19. Kids (6+) and families can come and meet musicians (many are instructors with the Nanaimo Conservatory), try out instruments at the Musical Instrument Zoo (11 a.m. to 12 noon), ask questions at the NoteworthyKids Music Club Family Event (11:45-12:15) and even sit in on an Open Rehearsal (12:30-1:30 p.m.) as the orchestra prepares for the evening concert. (Complimentary tickets for the rehearsal must be reserved through the Port Theatre Ticket Centre 250-754-8550.)
· Nanaimo Chamber Orchestra presents: SWEET CELLO, SWEET MUSIC – Sat Nov 12 - Brechin United Church, Nanaimo 7:30 PM; Sun Nov 13 - St. Edmunds Church, Parksville 2:30 PM; Guest Artist - cellist, Helena Jung; Program: Penderecki – 3 Pieces in baroque Style; William Walton – 2 pieces from Henry V; Haydn – Cello Concerto no 1 in C; John Ireland – A Downland Suite; Handel – Concerto Grosso op6 no1.
THANK YOU!
· to Donna Laing for all her work in preparing for the ¡Sacabuche! Concert on November 27 and to the entire Concert Committee for working with Donna in preparing for this exciting event!
CALENDAR
Please update your calendars, new dates have been added.
Nov 15 Suzuki Violin Recital 4PM Ensemble Room
Nov 15 NCM Annual General Meeting 7:30PM
Nov 24 Suzuki Piano Recital – St. Paul’s
Nov 25 Faculty Concert – Karl Rainer
Nov 27 2 PM ¡Sacabuche! NCM Benefit Concert
Dec 1 Adult Recital – Ensemble Room 7PM
Dec 3 Flute/Recorder Recital 12 Noon
Dec 3 Fiddle/Calling/Dance Workshops
with David Kaynor
Dec 7 NYC Community Carol Festival
Dec 16 NYC Christmas Concert
Dec 23 – Jan 2 Winter Break (office closed)
Jan 7 Prelude Orchestra begins again
Jan 28 Winter Recital
Feb 24-26 TBC VI Chamber Music Festival
May 6 Showcase Concert
June 2 NYC Year- end Concert
June 9 Spring Recital and Awards Ceremony
