This weekend the Niagara Symphony season continues Sunday afternoon at the Sean O'Sullivan Theatre at the Centre for the Arts, Brock University, with the third Masterworks concert titled, appropriately enough, Afternoon Delights. The conductor will be Music Director Designate Bradley Thachuk and the soloist will be Austin Hitchcock, Principal Horn for the Niagara Symphony.
It seems like it has been forever since we last attended a Niagara Symphony concert; in reality the Christmas concert was only about 6 weeks ago, but with Christmas and New Year's and all the business over the holidays, it seems much longer. All the more reason to get down there and enjoy some great music and support the Niagara Symphony over the winter months when many head south for the winter.
Maestro Thachuk leads the orchestra in a performance of the much-loved Beethoven Symphony No. 6, the Pastorale, subtitled "Recollections of a Country Life." Anyone who has seen and loved the Disney film Fantasia will know this music well; however, that truncated version of the work doesn't really begin to to the work justice, lovely though the adaptation may be. The fully-fledged symphony is one of the most evocative works in the symphonic repertoire, and I am very much looking forward to hearing the Niagara Symphony perform the work tomorrow afternoon.
Also on the programme will be the Horn Concerto in E-flat major by Richard Strauss. This heroic work features Principal Horn player Austin Hitchcock, recently returned from an extensive tour with the Canadian Brass to Venezuela, working with that country's extraordinary outreach programme, El Sisterna. This is a difficult work to perform and not many recordings are currently available of it, so this will be a golden opportunity to finally hear the work live.
As always, I will be in the lobby before, after and during intermission with lots of great music for you to purchase, or to take your special orders. Be sure to stop by and say hello!
Tickets are still available through the Brock box office at 905-688-5550, ext. 3257, or in person tomorrow afternoon before the concert.
See you there!
January 29th, 2011.
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Saturday, January 22, 2011
Writing about events at the Centre for the Arts, Brock University
You never know, sometimes, where life can lead you; nor can you possibly know when a new opportunity may present itself, usually when you least expect it. For the last few years I have been writing on local events in the arts community in this space, and I am constantly amazed the number of people who read it and take the time to comment on it. I always look forward to people's feedback, no matter what form it may take. That leads me to this week's blog entry.
I received an email last fall from Michael Chess, the Marketing Production Coordinator at the Centre for the Arts at Brock, asking if I would be interested in writing the program notes for an upcoming concert. After some initial hesitation, I agreed, and shortly afterwards found myself on the phone making arrangements to interview the people appearing at the Sean O'Sullivan Theatre Sunday afternoon of this weekend: Voices of Showtime and guest artist Peter Appleyard. I had to do the interviews separately, and with Peter I was able to record the interview in the studio at CKTB Radio, so I was able to listen back to the interview for writing the article and also to air the edited interview on the morning show, which I produce. We aired the interview, in fact, this past Monday morning.
Voices of Showtime is a vocal group that loves the great music of the 30s, 40s and 50s, and they perform it in a somewhat jazzy style I find reminiscent of the Singers Unlimited. They swing just that little bit, and truly love the music they sing. The group goes back a number of years now and primarily perform in the Toronto area, where the group is based, although individual members come from far and wide to perform with the group. This is a rare tour date for Voices of Showtime, and I am looking forward to hearing what they have to offer tomorrow afternoon. Peter Appleyard I have spoken to a few times over the years, and in fact I emceed the first jazz fundraising concert down at Willowbank in Queenston a number of years ago, where Peter was the headliner. He is still very much a going concern, and he told me in the interview he has absolutely no plans to retire from making the music he loves. That's great news for us, as he is every bit as vibrant and dynamic now as he was when I first met him many years ago.
Tickets are still available for the show Sunday afternoon by calling the box office at Brock: 905-688-5550, ext. 3257, or you could likely pick them up at the door before the concert, which begins at 2:30 pm.
This week, I was asked to write program notes for a second concert, so the first one I wrote must have been well received, I suppose. Canadian singer Louise Pitre will bring her musical tribute to Edith Piaf and all things French to the Centre for the Arts at Brock on March 27th, as she performs with her trio at the Sean O'Sullivan Theatre. I emailed Louise this week and talked to her on the phone today from her farmhouse near Alliston, Ontario. I will again be writing the notes based on that interview, and ultimately editing the interview for broadcast on CKTB Radio at a later date.
Louise has become a tour-de-force in her own right, and the concert of French chansons promises to be a great concert, even if you are, like me, largely unilingual. Somehow, I suspect the language barrier will be a problem while listening to Louise any more than it would have been years ago while listening to Edith Piaf.
Who knows? This might become another sideline for me: writing program notes for concerts. I never would have thought about that years ago, although I have had a lot of experience interviewing entertainers over the years, ranging from Peggy Lee to the infamous cross-dresser Divine. It is a part of my career I think I am ready to resurrect, so we'll see how things go in the future. In the meantime, if you go to the Voices of Showtime performance Sunday afternoon at Brock, I hope you enjoy the program notes!
January 22nd, 2011.
I received an email last fall from Michael Chess, the Marketing Production Coordinator at the Centre for the Arts at Brock, asking if I would be interested in writing the program notes for an upcoming concert. After some initial hesitation, I agreed, and shortly afterwards found myself on the phone making arrangements to interview the people appearing at the Sean O'Sullivan Theatre Sunday afternoon of this weekend: Voices of Showtime and guest artist Peter Appleyard. I had to do the interviews separately, and with Peter I was able to record the interview in the studio at CKTB Radio, so I was able to listen back to the interview for writing the article and also to air the edited interview on the morning show, which I produce. We aired the interview, in fact, this past Monday morning.
Voices of Showtime is a vocal group that loves the great music of the 30s, 40s and 50s, and they perform it in a somewhat jazzy style I find reminiscent of the Singers Unlimited. They swing just that little bit, and truly love the music they sing. The group goes back a number of years now and primarily perform in the Toronto area, where the group is based, although individual members come from far and wide to perform with the group. This is a rare tour date for Voices of Showtime, and I am looking forward to hearing what they have to offer tomorrow afternoon. Peter Appleyard I have spoken to a few times over the years, and in fact I emceed the first jazz fundraising concert down at Willowbank in Queenston a number of years ago, where Peter was the headliner. He is still very much a going concern, and he told me in the interview he has absolutely no plans to retire from making the music he loves. That's great news for us, as he is every bit as vibrant and dynamic now as he was when I first met him many years ago.
Tickets are still available for the show Sunday afternoon by calling the box office at Brock: 905-688-5550, ext. 3257, or you could likely pick them up at the door before the concert, which begins at 2:30 pm.
This week, I was asked to write program notes for a second concert, so the first one I wrote must have been well received, I suppose. Canadian singer Louise Pitre will bring her musical tribute to Edith Piaf and all things French to the Centre for the Arts at Brock on March 27th, as she performs with her trio at the Sean O'Sullivan Theatre. I emailed Louise this week and talked to her on the phone today from her farmhouse near Alliston, Ontario. I will again be writing the notes based on that interview, and ultimately editing the interview for broadcast on CKTB Radio at a later date.
Louise has become a tour-de-force in her own right, and the concert of French chansons promises to be a great concert, even if you are, like me, largely unilingual. Somehow, I suspect the language barrier will be a problem while listening to Louise any more than it would have been years ago while listening to Edith Piaf.
Who knows? This might become another sideline for me: writing program notes for concerts. I never would have thought about that years ago, although I have had a lot of experience interviewing entertainers over the years, ranging from Peggy Lee to the infamous cross-dresser Divine. It is a part of my career I think I am ready to resurrect, so we'll see how things go in the future. In the meantime, if you go to the Voices of Showtime performance Sunday afternoon at Brock, I hope you enjoy the program notes!
January 22nd, 2011.
Saturday, January 15, 2011
The best of times and the worst of times for the Shaw Festival
There has been lots of attention paid towards the upcoming season for the Shaw Festival in Niagara-on-the-Lake, especially since this will be Shaw's 50th season and plans are in place to truly celebrate the achievement.
Ticket sales are reported to be strong for the 2011 season, and the box office is now open to process orders from the general public as of today. Members and sponser cardholders ticket sales began in November and December, respectively, and Shaw reports the results so far are encouraging, with Member ticket sales ahead of last year's pace by 5%, and group sales reaching the $ 1 million mark, 15% ahead of the same time last year. There is also a remarkable 143% increase in family package sales so far this season, due largely to the anticipation surrounding two key productions this coming season: the musical My Fair Lady and J.M. Barrie's comedy The Admirable Crichton, both appearing on the Festival stage.
Also on the playbill this year are Shaw's most celebrated play, Heartbreak House, as well as Candida, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, On the Rocks, Drama at Inish - A Comedy, and the world premiere of the newly-developed musical Maria Severa at the Court House Theatre. The popular Lunchtime show this year is a remount of The President, which was done a couple of seasons back to rave reviews. On the smaller Studio Theatre stage, we'll see the Canadian premieres of Topdog/Underdog and When the Rain Stops Falling.
But all the news is not good at Shaw early in this landmark year: we have had two significant players at Shaw pass away in the last month alone. On December 30th, we lost director Gina Wilkinson, who was scheduled to direct Shaw's Candida, to cervical cancer. Stepping in to take over directorial duties will be Tadeusz Bradecki, who last directed the spectacular 2009 production of Shaw's The Devil's Disciple.
Just this past week, news spread of the passing of veteran actor Al Kozlik, who suffered a stroke and died at the GNGH on Tuesday. Oddly, Al had just retired from the Company at the end of last season, having played the role of "Firs" in The Cherry Orchard, a part he had always wanted to play. Al came to the Shaw Festival in 1980, the same year Artistic Director Emeritus Christopher Newton arrived at Shaw. They had both been at the Vancouver Playhouse before Newton accepted the position to head up the Shaw Festival, and the two had worked together on countless productions over a period of 45 years. Christopher said in a statement from the Shaw Festival this week: "He was a great trooper, he was a great company member and he was one of those people who simply loved to be on the stage. Whether playing a small or large part, they were always alive, vibrant and fully realized - Al Kozlik was a consummate company member."
Indeed he was; I remember his performances in such productions as The Cassilis Engagement, Detective Story, Getting Married and countless others. Al was one of those important cogs in the theatrical wheel you would notice when he wasn't there; when he was, he added another dimension to the production.
Last year, of course, the Shaw Festival lost beloved actress Goldie Semple to cancer, and in 2009 director Neil Munro, whom I had known casually for many years, passed away suddenly while preparing the production of Born Yesterday, one of the runaway hits of the 2009 season. Oddly enough, Gina Wilkinson came in to replace Munro on that production in 2009, and now she is gone too.
It is funny in a way, but we tend to take some of these great talents for granted as we expect them to be there year after year, entertaining us again and again. They are human, after all, and are susceptible to the same problems we all face in life. But we often seem surprised to find one of our personal favourites is no longer there to entertain us. Such is life as an actor; we let them into our lives year after year, and yet we don't know about their own lives until it is too late.
The Shaw Festival will recover from these two recent losses and I have no doubt the 50th anniversary season will be spectacular. Fortunately for Shaw, the talent pool they can draw from is huge, and every time a new face appears we haven't seen before, they often become "one of the family" too, which is as it should be. We'll mourn the passing of Gina and Al, as we mourned the passing of Neil and Goldie, but as they say in the theatre, "the show must go on!", so on with the shows for the 50th anniversary season at Shaw, and thanks to those who have helped to bring the company this far.
January 15th, 2011.
Ticket sales are reported to be strong for the 2011 season, and the box office is now open to process orders from the general public as of today. Members and sponser cardholders ticket sales began in November and December, respectively, and Shaw reports the results so far are encouraging, with Member ticket sales ahead of last year's pace by 5%, and group sales reaching the $ 1 million mark, 15% ahead of the same time last year. There is also a remarkable 143% increase in family package sales so far this season, due largely to the anticipation surrounding two key productions this coming season: the musical My Fair Lady and J.M. Barrie's comedy The Admirable Crichton, both appearing on the Festival stage.
Also on the playbill this year are Shaw's most celebrated play, Heartbreak House, as well as Candida, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, On the Rocks, Drama at Inish - A Comedy, and the world premiere of the newly-developed musical Maria Severa at the Court House Theatre. The popular Lunchtime show this year is a remount of The President, which was done a couple of seasons back to rave reviews. On the smaller Studio Theatre stage, we'll see the Canadian premieres of Topdog/Underdog and When the Rain Stops Falling.
But all the news is not good at Shaw early in this landmark year: we have had two significant players at Shaw pass away in the last month alone. On December 30th, we lost director Gina Wilkinson, who was scheduled to direct Shaw's Candida, to cervical cancer. Stepping in to take over directorial duties will be Tadeusz Bradecki, who last directed the spectacular 2009 production of Shaw's The Devil's Disciple.
Just this past week, news spread of the passing of veteran actor Al Kozlik, who suffered a stroke and died at the GNGH on Tuesday. Oddly, Al had just retired from the Company at the end of last season, having played the role of "Firs" in The Cherry Orchard, a part he had always wanted to play. Al came to the Shaw Festival in 1980, the same year Artistic Director Emeritus Christopher Newton arrived at Shaw. They had both been at the Vancouver Playhouse before Newton accepted the position to head up the Shaw Festival, and the two had worked together on countless productions over a period of 45 years. Christopher said in a statement from the Shaw Festival this week: "He was a great trooper, he was a great company member and he was one of those people who simply loved to be on the stage. Whether playing a small or large part, they were always alive, vibrant and fully realized - Al Kozlik was a consummate company member."
Indeed he was; I remember his performances in such productions as The Cassilis Engagement, Detective Story, Getting Married and countless others. Al was one of those important cogs in the theatrical wheel you would notice when he wasn't there; when he was, he added another dimension to the production.
Last year, of course, the Shaw Festival lost beloved actress Goldie Semple to cancer, and in 2009 director Neil Munro, whom I had known casually for many years, passed away suddenly while preparing the production of Born Yesterday, one of the runaway hits of the 2009 season. Oddly enough, Gina Wilkinson came in to replace Munro on that production in 2009, and now she is gone too.
It is funny in a way, but we tend to take some of these great talents for granted as we expect them to be there year after year, entertaining us again and again. They are human, after all, and are susceptible to the same problems we all face in life. But we often seem surprised to find one of our personal favourites is no longer there to entertain us. Such is life as an actor; we let them into our lives year after year, and yet we don't know about their own lives until it is too late.
The Shaw Festival will recover from these two recent losses and I have no doubt the 50th anniversary season will be spectacular. Fortunately for Shaw, the talent pool they can draw from is huge, and every time a new face appears we haven't seen before, they often become "one of the family" too, which is as it should be. We'll mourn the passing of Gina and Al, as we mourned the passing of Neil and Goldie, but as they say in the theatre, "the show must go on!", so on with the shows for the 50th anniversary season at Shaw, and thanks to those who have helped to bring the company this far.
January 15th, 2011.
Saturday, January 8, 2011
Happy New Year with friends old and new
Here we are, into a New Year, as we are now officially a week into 2011, and the Christmas rush is but a distant memory again until next year. While I was taking some time over the holidays to rest and recover from the hectic pace of December, I started to think of some of the people I've gotten to know over the past year that have added such a nice musical dimension to my life.
Over Christmas I had a couple of brief visits from our local renaissance woman of music, Laura Thomas, who was busy buying some great music for the holidays from A Web of Fine Music. I have known Laura almost since I moved to Niagara almost 30 years ago, and we've been good friends ever since. If ever there was someone with connections to the local musical establishment here, she is the one. Unfortunately I missed her annual Open House this year, but hopefully next year I'll be better organized. Happy New Year, Laura, and best wishes for a musical New Year! By the way, Laura is conducting the next Pops! concert in February with the Niagara Symphony, titled "Hey Niagara, You've Got Talent!", at the Sean O'Sullivan Theatre at the Centre for the Arts, Brock University, February 26th and 27th. The concert will be featuring talent from across the Niagara Region, so it promises to be an interesting mix of musical entertainment.
Laura is also Artistic Director of the local choir Choralis Camerata, and for several years now they have staged a concert to coincide with Black History Month in February, and each year I am honoured to join the choir for the performance as narrator, as the music explores the history of the so-called Underground Railroad that began in the deep south and ended around Fort Erie. The featured soloist for the concert each year is Teresa Holierhoek, who sings spirituals with such passion she often brings the house down at these concerts. She is a rare talent who sings jazz the rest of the year under the name of TiannaH with her group Jazz with a Twist. The group expands and contracts in size depending on the size of the venue and of course, the budget they are working with. I finally got a chance to hear TiannaH and her band at the weekly summer concert series at Charles Daley Park in Lincoln this past summer, and she is a treat to listen to.
Upcoming performances by TiannaH and co., by the way, include next Friday evening at the Niagara Icewine Gala at the Fallsview Casino Resort in Niagara Falls, and then Saturday and Sunday the 15th and 16th at the Winter WineFest on Main Street in Jordan all afternoon long. Teresa lives with her family in the Vineland area and is steadily making a name for herself in jazz circles locally for her full, rich voice and stage presence. She also happens to be a pretty neat person, too, and I count her among the great musical finds for me over the past year.
The third person I have gotten to know over the past year, who in fact performed with the Niagara Symphony just last spring, is Juliet Dunn. Juliet, along with her husband Peter Shea, perform throughout the Region and elsewhere on a regular basis, and they make their home right here in St. Catharines. For the Niagara Symphony performances last spring, Juliet was delayed getting back to Niagara due to the closure of the airports in parts of Europe due to that volcanic ash problem that developed, but she made it just in time and wowed the audiences at both performances.
I only really got to know Juliet when, out of the blue, she stopped by our CKTB Radio studios one morning after we were finished the show, and dropped off a couple of her CDs for us to listen to. Seizing the opportunity, I immediately booked her for a spot on the show that week to promote her Christmas CD, titled, not surprisingly, "Christmas in Niagara." The next day, I had the pleasure of hearing Juliet and Peter perform at Chapters at the Fairview Mall for December 24th last-minute shoppers, and she became a client of my website, www.finemusic.ca for some last-minute Christmas shopping of her own.
Just this past week, I ran into Juliet again as we were both leaving the Y; me after a workout and her after teaching a gentle Zumba class. That's Juliet: always moving and always on the go. But her voice is wonderfully expressive and she herself possesses a genuine good nature that is simply infectious. If you ever get a chance to catch a performance by Juliet and husband Peter, make a point of doing so. And if you want one of her CDs, I currently have their first release, "C'est si bon", featuring Juliet with Le Trio Parisien, on my website on the Mike's Picks page. You can order through the website or by emailing me directly at music@vaxxine.com. I can also supply the Christmas disc as well, but don't have it featured on the site now that Christmas is over. You can also go to Juliet's own website, www.julietdunn.ca.
Finally, on New Year's Eve we were out to dinner at one of our favourite local hotspots, Paris Crepes on Queen Street in downtown Niagara Falls, and providing the musical entertainment all evening long were Beth Bartley and Mark Crawford, otherwise known to local music fans as Vox Violins. Beth and Mark perform regularly around the Region, and on this night it was great to hear them in a relaxed, joyful setting on New Year's Eve at a great venue. They are also active in the local musical scene in the teaching end as well: Beth is a music instructor at Ryson's Music on Court Street in downtown St. Catharines, for instance. I have known both for a number of years now, and their association with Paris Crepes is a relatively new one, as the restaurant is part of the current renaissance of downtown Niagara Falls. They've been open for well over a year now, and are fast becoming one of the real dining jewels in Niagara.
So, to begin the year, a musical tip of the hat to some local talent I have known either for a long or a short period of time, but in all cases, glad to know them all, as they contribute so much to the local fabric in Niagara on a regular basis.
Happy New Year!
January 8th, 2011.
Over Christmas I had a couple of brief visits from our local renaissance woman of music, Laura Thomas, who was busy buying some great music for the holidays from A Web of Fine Music. I have known Laura almost since I moved to Niagara almost 30 years ago, and we've been good friends ever since. If ever there was someone with connections to the local musical establishment here, she is the one. Unfortunately I missed her annual Open House this year, but hopefully next year I'll be better organized. Happy New Year, Laura, and best wishes for a musical New Year! By the way, Laura is conducting the next Pops! concert in February with the Niagara Symphony, titled "Hey Niagara, You've Got Talent!", at the Sean O'Sullivan Theatre at the Centre for the Arts, Brock University, February 26th and 27th. The concert will be featuring talent from across the Niagara Region, so it promises to be an interesting mix of musical entertainment.
Laura is also Artistic Director of the local choir Choralis Camerata, and for several years now they have staged a concert to coincide with Black History Month in February, and each year I am honoured to join the choir for the performance as narrator, as the music explores the history of the so-called Underground Railroad that began in the deep south and ended around Fort Erie. The featured soloist for the concert each year is Teresa Holierhoek, who sings spirituals with such passion she often brings the house down at these concerts. She is a rare talent who sings jazz the rest of the year under the name of TiannaH with her group Jazz with a Twist. The group expands and contracts in size depending on the size of the venue and of course, the budget they are working with. I finally got a chance to hear TiannaH and her band at the weekly summer concert series at Charles Daley Park in Lincoln this past summer, and she is a treat to listen to.
Upcoming performances by TiannaH and co., by the way, include next Friday evening at the Niagara Icewine Gala at the Fallsview Casino Resort in Niagara Falls, and then Saturday and Sunday the 15th and 16th at the Winter WineFest on Main Street in Jordan all afternoon long. Teresa lives with her family in the Vineland area and is steadily making a name for herself in jazz circles locally for her full, rich voice and stage presence. She also happens to be a pretty neat person, too, and I count her among the great musical finds for me over the past year.
The third person I have gotten to know over the past year, who in fact performed with the Niagara Symphony just last spring, is Juliet Dunn. Juliet, along with her husband Peter Shea, perform throughout the Region and elsewhere on a regular basis, and they make their home right here in St. Catharines. For the Niagara Symphony performances last spring, Juliet was delayed getting back to Niagara due to the closure of the airports in parts of Europe due to that volcanic ash problem that developed, but she made it just in time and wowed the audiences at both performances.
I only really got to know Juliet when, out of the blue, she stopped by our CKTB Radio studios one morning after we were finished the show, and dropped off a couple of her CDs for us to listen to. Seizing the opportunity, I immediately booked her for a spot on the show that week to promote her Christmas CD, titled, not surprisingly, "Christmas in Niagara." The next day, I had the pleasure of hearing Juliet and Peter perform at Chapters at the Fairview Mall for December 24th last-minute shoppers, and she became a client of my website, www.finemusic.ca for some last-minute Christmas shopping of her own.
Just this past week, I ran into Juliet again as we were both leaving the Y; me after a workout and her after teaching a gentle Zumba class. That's Juliet: always moving and always on the go. But her voice is wonderfully expressive and she herself possesses a genuine good nature that is simply infectious. If you ever get a chance to catch a performance by Juliet and husband Peter, make a point of doing so. And if you want one of her CDs, I currently have their first release, "C'est si bon", featuring Juliet with Le Trio Parisien, on my website on the Mike's Picks page. You can order through the website or by emailing me directly at music@vaxxine.com. I can also supply the Christmas disc as well, but don't have it featured on the site now that Christmas is over. You can also go to Juliet's own website, www.julietdunn.ca.
Finally, on New Year's Eve we were out to dinner at one of our favourite local hotspots, Paris Crepes on Queen Street in downtown Niagara Falls, and providing the musical entertainment all evening long were Beth Bartley and Mark Crawford, otherwise known to local music fans as Vox Violins. Beth and Mark perform regularly around the Region, and on this night it was great to hear them in a relaxed, joyful setting on New Year's Eve at a great venue. They are also active in the local musical scene in the teaching end as well: Beth is a music instructor at Ryson's Music on Court Street in downtown St. Catharines, for instance. I have known both for a number of years now, and their association with Paris Crepes is a relatively new one, as the restaurant is part of the current renaissance of downtown Niagara Falls. They've been open for well over a year now, and are fast becoming one of the real dining jewels in Niagara.
So, to begin the year, a musical tip of the hat to some local talent I have known either for a long or a short period of time, but in all cases, glad to know them all, as they contribute so much to the local fabric in Niagara on a regular basis.
Happy New Year!
January 8th, 2011.
Thursday, December 30, 2010
My Top Five noteworthy arts events of 2010
Tomorrow evening is New Year's Eve, so the week leading up to same we tend to collate a number of lists of 'best of' and 'worst of' for the year, along with Top Ten lists of everything from news events to most popular food trends for the year. Not to be outdone, I humbly present this week my Top Five noteworthy events in the arts during the past year in Niagara and beyond. I could have done a Top Ten, I suppose, but these are the real noteworthy events as I see them, and anything else would have been just padding out the list. So, let's get to it...
NUMBER FIVE
The return of actor extraordinaire Christopher Plummer to the thrust stage at the Stratford Shakespearean Festival in Stratford, Ontario, in a breathtaking production of Shakespeare's The Tempest. As I wrote at the time, this production had it all: amazing special effects that didn't detract from the play but rather augmented it; a stellar supporting cast; great design and direction; and of course, Christopher Plummer, who presented a beautifully crafted Prospero. This was a production for the ages, and one we'll likely not see again. Hope you got tickets this season...
NUMBER FOUR
Staying with live theatre, the continuing evolution of first-quality, exciting and vibrant live theatre in downtown St. Catharines courtesy Lyndesfarne Theatre Projects and their Artistic Director, Kelly Daniels. Yes, Virginia, there is great theatre in the heart of downtown St. Catharines in the dead of winter when the Shaw Festival is hibernating. The last three productions for Lyndesfarne, going back to the fall of 2009, have shown the quality of theatre we're capable of producing in our own backyard: Ric Reid's delightfully manic and funny take on Steven Berkoff's hilarious one-man show, "Shakespeare's Villains" this past fall; Kelly Daniels and Ric Reid romping through Michelle Riml's comedy "Sexy Laundry" in the spring; and in the fall of 2009, Irish playwright Martin McDonagh's gritty play "The Beauty Queen of Leenane", starring Daniels and featuring a great performance by Shaw actor Jennifer Phipps. Yes, there is great theatre to be had in downtown St. Catharines; the challenge now is to get that word out and fill more seats in the new year.
NUMBER THREE
The announcement this past May of the new Music Director Designate for the Niagara Symphony, Toronto-born Bradley Thachuk. After a season-long search for a new Music Director and an audition process that saw four eminently-qualified candidates for the position show what they could do as each conducted a Pops and Masterworks concert, the audience was asked to vote for their favourite following each concert. How much influence the audience had on the final selection process is open to speculation, I suspect, but the final outcome, announced at a press conference at the Centre for the Arts at Brock University in May, seemed to please most people, and Brad said all the right things that day as he accepted the position. This season, we don't get to see Maestro Thachuk every time out, since he has to fulfill his final committments in Fort Wayne, Indiana this season, but he is conducting about half the season. Next season we get all Bradley all the time, and then we truly get to experience what this energetic young conductor has to offer. A sidelight to the entire selection process for me personally was a lovely email from candidate Diane Whittry thanking me for my comments in this space following her two outings with the Symphony last season. A classy touch, I found.
NUMBER TWO
The second most noteworthy event in the arts has to be the November 'Flash Mob' unfolding amongst unsuspecting food court patrons at the Seaway Mall in Welland on November 13th. The people at Alphabet Photography, who devised the idea as a sort of video 'thank-you' for their clients, never imagined the thing would go viral within days, with about 30-million hits the last time I checked on YouTube. What a thank-you! What great promotion for Alphabet Photography and especially for Robert Cooper and Chorus Niagara. Cooper arranged the music for that specific location, and the photographers and chorus members executed the game-plan flawlessly. The result, singing the "Hallelujah Chorus" from Handel's oratorio "Messiah", is four minutes of sheer pleasure: watching the faces of the stunned food court patrons; the quick appearance of digital cameras to record the event; and the sheer exhuberance of a skilled choir who simply knows this music backwards and forewards. The downside to this whole story? The numerous copycat versions now out there, with each of them apparently claiming the idea was theirs. Go figure. But we were first here in Niagara. Bravo to everyone involved for creating some Christmas magic in the most unusual place: a shopping mall food court. What can they do for an encore!?
NUMBER ONE
The summer announcement by all four levels of governement: federal, provincial, regional and municipal, to work together and bring significant funding to the table to help make the dream of a downtown performing arts centre a reality in St. Catharines. The announcement, though not totally surprising, was still significant considering the scope of the funding and the determination from all levels of government to see this thing through to its conclusion. There was some tension as we waited, on the edge of our collective seats, no less, for the funding to come from the provincial government for the Brock portion of the project, which will see the construction of a centre for their arts programs and students in the heart of downtown St. Catharines. We are still a few years away from seeing this project reach completion, but significant strides have already been made, giving downtown merchants the incentive to improve their own premises as we work collectively to make the downtown a destination place once again. This project has the potential to totally transform not only our own downtown, but the entire peninsula. Handled properly, we can bring more performances to Niagara from outside the area, as well as showcasing our own homegrown talents such as Chorus Niagara, the Niagara Symphony, and a host of smaller arts organizations. The trick will be making it affordable both for the tenants and the patrons. We have time to do this right, and we had better, for we have all waited so long for this project to move forward at a pace not seen before. Let's show everyone how good a job we can do on this!
So there you have it, my Top Five for the year 2010. I hope your 2011 is just as interesting, and I wish you all a Happy and prosperous New Year. I have lots more to write about in the New Year, including some announcements I will be making in due time, so please keep reading this space, and please always send your comments in; I love the feedback!
December 30th, 2010.
NUMBER FIVE
The return of actor extraordinaire Christopher Plummer to the thrust stage at the Stratford Shakespearean Festival in Stratford, Ontario, in a breathtaking production of Shakespeare's The Tempest. As I wrote at the time, this production had it all: amazing special effects that didn't detract from the play but rather augmented it; a stellar supporting cast; great design and direction; and of course, Christopher Plummer, who presented a beautifully crafted Prospero. This was a production for the ages, and one we'll likely not see again. Hope you got tickets this season...
NUMBER FOUR
Staying with live theatre, the continuing evolution of first-quality, exciting and vibrant live theatre in downtown St. Catharines courtesy Lyndesfarne Theatre Projects and their Artistic Director, Kelly Daniels. Yes, Virginia, there is great theatre in the heart of downtown St. Catharines in the dead of winter when the Shaw Festival is hibernating. The last three productions for Lyndesfarne, going back to the fall of 2009, have shown the quality of theatre we're capable of producing in our own backyard: Ric Reid's delightfully manic and funny take on Steven Berkoff's hilarious one-man show, "Shakespeare's Villains" this past fall; Kelly Daniels and Ric Reid romping through Michelle Riml's comedy "Sexy Laundry" in the spring; and in the fall of 2009, Irish playwright Martin McDonagh's gritty play "The Beauty Queen of Leenane", starring Daniels and featuring a great performance by Shaw actor Jennifer Phipps. Yes, there is great theatre to be had in downtown St. Catharines; the challenge now is to get that word out and fill more seats in the new year.
NUMBER THREE
The announcement this past May of the new Music Director Designate for the Niagara Symphony, Toronto-born Bradley Thachuk. After a season-long search for a new Music Director and an audition process that saw four eminently-qualified candidates for the position show what they could do as each conducted a Pops and Masterworks concert, the audience was asked to vote for their favourite following each concert. How much influence the audience had on the final selection process is open to speculation, I suspect, but the final outcome, announced at a press conference at the Centre for the Arts at Brock University in May, seemed to please most people, and Brad said all the right things that day as he accepted the position. This season, we don't get to see Maestro Thachuk every time out, since he has to fulfill his final committments in Fort Wayne, Indiana this season, but he is conducting about half the season. Next season we get all Bradley all the time, and then we truly get to experience what this energetic young conductor has to offer. A sidelight to the entire selection process for me personally was a lovely email from candidate Diane Whittry thanking me for my comments in this space following her two outings with the Symphony last season. A classy touch, I found.
NUMBER TWO
The second most noteworthy event in the arts has to be the November 'Flash Mob' unfolding amongst unsuspecting food court patrons at the Seaway Mall in Welland on November 13th. The people at Alphabet Photography, who devised the idea as a sort of video 'thank-you' for their clients, never imagined the thing would go viral within days, with about 30-million hits the last time I checked on YouTube. What a thank-you! What great promotion for Alphabet Photography and especially for Robert Cooper and Chorus Niagara. Cooper arranged the music for that specific location, and the photographers and chorus members executed the game-plan flawlessly. The result, singing the "Hallelujah Chorus" from Handel's oratorio "Messiah", is four minutes of sheer pleasure: watching the faces of the stunned food court patrons; the quick appearance of digital cameras to record the event; and the sheer exhuberance of a skilled choir who simply knows this music backwards and forewards. The downside to this whole story? The numerous copycat versions now out there, with each of them apparently claiming the idea was theirs. Go figure. But we were first here in Niagara. Bravo to everyone involved for creating some Christmas magic in the most unusual place: a shopping mall food court. What can they do for an encore!?
NUMBER ONE
The summer announcement by all four levels of governement: federal, provincial, regional and municipal, to work together and bring significant funding to the table to help make the dream of a downtown performing arts centre a reality in St. Catharines. The announcement, though not totally surprising, was still significant considering the scope of the funding and the determination from all levels of government to see this thing through to its conclusion. There was some tension as we waited, on the edge of our collective seats, no less, for the funding to come from the provincial government for the Brock portion of the project, which will see the construction of a centre for their arts programs and students in the heart of downtown St. Catharines. We are still a few years away from seeing this project reach completion, but significant strides have already been made, giving downtown merchants the incentive to improve their own premises as we work collectively to make the downtown a destination place once again. This project has the potential to totally transform not only our own downtown, but the entire peninsula. Handled properly, we can bring more performances to Niagara from outside the area, as well as showcasing our own homegrown talents such as Chorus Niagara, the Niagara Symphony, and a host of smaller arts organizations. The trick will be making it affordable both for the tenants and the patrons. We have time to do this right, and we had better, for we have all waited so long for this project to move forward at a pace not seen before. Let's show everyone how good a job we can do on this!
So there you have it, my Top Five for the year 2010. I hope your 2011 is just as interesting, and I wish you all a Happy and prosperous New Year. I have lots more to write about in the New Year, including some announcements I will be making in due time, so please keep reading this space, and please always send your comments in; I love the feedback!
December 30th, 2010.
Thursday, December 23, 2010
Down to the wire for Christmas 2010!
As always, Christmas is closer than you think, and believe me, I have been running hard the last several weeks trying to catch up! I fear the day will overtake me in the passing lane any moment now; I haven't even got my Christmas cards written and in the mail yet - now that is bad! But most people know not to expect them until the new year anyway, so...
I don't know yet if A Web of Fine Music will be setting any sales records this month, but I will do my end-of-month calculations late next week and see where we stand. Based on that, we'll chart the course for the next year and see where life leads us. In the meantime, if you have any last-minute music-buying needs, I can certainly do my best to fulfil them if you go to my website at www.finemusic.ca or email me directly at music@vaxxine.com.
For many people, Christmas is a time to be close to family, but for me my family is now quite far away for the most part. My sister and her family live in Kenora and my brother and his family live in Aurora, so it is basically Sophie and I with the two cats here at home base at Christmas, making for a quiet day. Frankly, I like it that way now, since I run so hard for most of the month I enjoy the fact I can just stop and rest for a change on Christmas Day. The week between Christmas and New Year's is traditionally very quiet in the music business, so I am able to catch up on paperwork in the office, pay some bills and catch up on sleep and reading. That sounds so inviting at this point!
If Christmas means more to you than the simple commercialization of the day, and I certainly hope it does, you likely will be attending a church service either Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. If that is the case, you will be bathed in some glorious music of the season that helps to re-establish the meaning of the season. For me, personally, my Christmas begins about 11 pm on Christmas Eve, when all the important preparations are done.
It is then I, having donned my tux and walked to the Cathedral of St. Catherine of Alexandria in downtown St. Catharines, I prepare for the annual radio broadcast of the Midnight Mass, which begins with a live carol service at 11:30, both broadcast on radio station 610/CKTB here in St. Catharines, where I have been employed for almost 30 years now. This is a great tradition that goes back 78 years, making it the longest-running radio broadcast of its kind in North America and perhaps the world. I have been the host for the broadcast for 21 years now, which is amazing to me; I hardly imagined when I took the reigns from the late Johnny Morrison in 1989 I would still be doing this on Christmas Eve. In fact, in the 78 years of the broadcast, I am only the third voice of the broadcast, and that is something to think about.
I still have to write the script, which hopefully will be later this evening if I am lucky, but I have a knack for getting it done under pressure if it has to wait until tomorrow evening. The difference now is I keep the script saved on my computer, which means I don't have to completely re-write it every time out. The first decade or so I had to pull out my trusty old Underwood manual typewriter (which I still have, by the way) and write it from scratch each and every year. I don't miss those days...
After the broadcast, about 2 in the morning, comes my all-time favourite Christmas moment: walking home in the cold night air, stars overhead, peaceful thoughts as I see the remainder of the Christmas light displays still on in home windows in my neighbourhood. At that moment, all alone and at one with the season, Christmas has arrived for me.
Anyway, it would be wonderful to know you were listening on the radio if not attending in person; just dial 610 on your AM band by 11:30 tomorrow night and you won't miss the broadcast. Let me know if you do; I would love to hear from you!
Merry Christmas, and I will be back at my usual post before the end of the year.
December 23rd, 2010.
I don't know yet if A Web of Fine Music will be setting any sales records this month, but I will do my end-of-month calculations late next week and see where we stand. Based on that, we'll chart the course for the next year and see where life leads us. In the meantime, if you have any last-minute music-buying needs, I can certainly do my best to fulfil them if you go to my website at www.finemusic.ca or email me directly at music@vaxxine.com.
For many people, Christmas is a time to be close to family, but for me my family is now quite far away for the most part. My sister and her family live in Kenora and my brother and his family live in Aurora, so it is basically Sophie and I with the two cats here at home base at Christmas, making for a quiet day. Frankly, I like it that way now, since I run so hard for most of the month I enjoy the fact I can just stop and rest for a change on Christmas Day. The week between Christmas and New Year's is traditionally very quiet in the music business, so I am able to catch up on paperwork in the office, pay some bills and catch up on sleep and reading. That sounds so inviting at this point!
If Christmas means more to you than the simple commercialization of the day, and I certainly hope it does, you likely will be attending a church service either Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. If that is the case, you will be bathed in some glorious music of the season that helps to re-establish the meaning of the season. For me, personally, my Christmas begins about 11 pm on Christmas Eve, when all the important preparations are done.
It is then I, having donned my tux and walked to the Cathedral of St. Catherine of Alexandria in downtown St. Catharines, I prepare for the annual radio broadcast of the Midnight Mass, which begins with a live carol service at 11:30, both broadcast on radio station 610/CKTB here in St. Catharines, where I have been employed for almost 30 years now. This is a great tradition that goes back 78 years, making it the longest-running radio broadcast of its kind in North America and perhaps the world. I have been the host for the broadcast for 21 years now, which is amazing to me; I hardly imagined when I took the reigns from the late Johnny Morrison in 1989 I would still be doing this on Christmas Eve. In fact, in the 78 years of the broadcast, I am only the third voice of the broadcast, and that is something to think about.
I still have to write the script, which hopefully will be later this evening if I am lucky, but I have a knack for getting it done under pressure if it has to wait until tomorrow evening. The difference now is I keep the script saved on my computer, which means I don't have to completely re-write it every time out. The first decade or so I had to pull out my trusty old Underwood manual typewriter (which I still have, by the way) and write it from scratch each and every year. I don't miss those days...
After the broadcast, about 2 in the morning, comes my all-time favourite Christmas moment: walking home in the cold night air, stars overhead, peaceful thoughts as I see the remainder of the Christmas light displays still on in home windows in my neighbourhood. At that moment, all alone and at one with the season, Christmas has arrived for me.
Anyway, it would be wonderful to know you were listening on the radio if not attending in person; just dial 610 on your AM band by 11:30 tomorrow night and you won't miss the broadcast. Let me know if you do; I would love to hear from you!
Merry Christmas, and I will be back at my usual post before the end of the year.
December 23rd, 2010.
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Last minute Christmas gift ideas from A Web of Fine Music
Hard to believe, but we're less than a week away from Christmas Day, and judging by the lines of cars entering mall parking lots in Niagara this weekend, lots of people are still out there looking for the perfect gift for that special someone. I wouldn't be doing my job if I didn't recommend a few good holiday recordings available through my website, A Web of Fine Music (www.finemusic.ca) in time for Christmas gift-giving. As of this writing, all these are currently in stock and ready to go; all you have to do is email me either through the website or directly at music@vaxxine.com.
JOY TO THE WORLD - PINK MARTINI (HEINZ MUSIC)
This is turning into the must-have Christmas disc of the season. Anyone who knows the group Pink Martini will not be the least bit surprised this disc is a hot item: they are wonderfully creative and inventive, with every track getting a thorough re-working and coming out sounding almost brand-new. The music is largely standard Christmas fare: White Christmas, Santa Baby, Little Drummer Boy, Do You Hear What I Hear? and We Three Kings are some of the more familiar tracks. Reflecting the international flavour of the disc, we also hear Shchedryk (Ukrainian Bell Carol), La Vergine Degli Angeli and Ocho Kandelikas. A nice touch, the lyrics are reprinted in the accompanying booklet in several different languages. The album graphics are first rate, as is the production of the disc itself, and this collection rates a strong 4 out of 4 stars.
HOLIDAY CLASSICS - SEATTLE SYMPHONY; GERARD SCHWARZ, COND. (NAXOS)
The retro graphics set the tone for this new recording with the Seattle Symphony, sounding just fine, thank you very much, on the popular Naxos label. The collection features some pretty standard fare, including several selections from Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker ( Miniature Overture; March; Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy; Russian Dance and the Waltz of the Flowers), plus several pieces from the Water Music Suites by Handel, which is a nice addition. Also heard are the ubiquitous Canon in D by Johann Pachelbel, and the Christmas carols Gesu Bambino and Coventry Carol. The production values are first-rate, which is typical of the Naxos engineering team, and the orchestra sounds in fine form. Granted, they break no new ground here, but the programming is varied enough you'll enjoy listening to this disc time and time again. Holiday Classics rates a respectable 3 out of 4 stars.
LULLABIES AND CAROLS FOR CHRISTMAS - MONICA WHICHER, SOPRANO; JUDY LOMAN, HARP (NAXOS)
A brand-new disc out just in time for the holidays, this collection of carols both old and new features the soprano voice of Monica Whicher, described by The Guardian as"poignantly expressive" teamed with acclaimed harpist Judy Loman, former Principal Harpist with the Toronto Symphony. Loman also did many of the arrangements on this disc, incidentally, and her music-making is always a joy to hear. Some of the familiar carols given lovely treatments here are The Garden of Jesus; In the Bleak Mid-Winter; Noel Nouvelet; Six Noels Pour la Harpe; and In Dulci Jubilo. The recording, made in Newmarket, Ontario's St. John Chrysostom Church earlier this year, has a lovely warm sound to it, and the performances are both first-rate. This is the disc for after Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve, as you're setting the milk and cookies out for a special visitor overnight. I really like this disc, and it rates a strong 4 out of 4 stars.
J.S. BACH: CHRISTMAS ORATORIO - THE KING'S SINGERS; WDR BIG BAND, ARRANGED AND CONDUCTED BY BILL DOBBINS (2CD)(SIGNUM CLASSICS)
I don't quite know what it is about the music of Bach, but it lends itself to so many different interpretations, both classical and otherwise, it is hard to find a bad recording of Bach's music at all. He was such a prolific writer of music for Christmas, too, you have a perfect opportunity to take liberties with his original music and make something uniquely different and special, which is what arranger Bill Dobbins has done on this brand-new recording of Bach's Christmas Oratorio. The King's Singers are totally in control here, keeping the meaning of the music in focus throughout, in spite of the decidedly jazzy arrangements provided by Dobbins. This may not be a disc for the purists, but rather, those open-minded individuals who also happened to enjoy the big-band Christmas presentation offered by Chorus Niagara last year at this time. This set is an adventure! It rates a positive 4 out of 4 stars.
CHRISTMAS DANCING - JAMES LAST ORCHESTRA (POLYDOR)
I think everyone grew up listening to this disc, coming out as it did in the 60s when James Last was at the peak of his popularity. I took a long time to make it to disc, however, but the wait was worth it. The sound is quite amazing given the age of the recording, and the arrangements, although showing their age just a bit, still are fun to listen to today. I can't imagine many actually 'dancing' to this music, but listening will be easy: Last just knows how to handle a good tune and make it fun. Most of the medleys are made up of German carols, although some familiar international carols can be heard, including Silent Night and I Wonder as I Wander. Go ahead, listen to this disc again and relive those heady days of the 60s when people thought we could do just about anything! Christmas Dancing rates a respectable 3 out of 4 stars.
Just a few items of interest this week; remember, all of these are currently in stock as of this writing, but don't delay. If you're interested in more information, go to my website at www.finemusic.ca or email me at music@vaxxine.com and I will take care of the rest.
The countdown is on - let's enjoy the ride!
December 19th, 2010.
JOY TO THE WORLD - PINK MARTINI (HEINZ MUSIC)
This is turning into the must-have Christmas disc of the season. Anyone who knows the group Pink Martini will not be the least bit surprised this disc is a hot item: they are wonderfully creative and inventive, with every track getting a thorough re-working and coming out sounding almost brand-new. The music is largely standard Christmas fare: White Christmas, Santa Baby, Little Drummer Boy, Do You Hear What I Hear? and We Three Kings are some of the more familiar tracks. Reflecting the international flavour of the disc, we also hear Shchedryk (Ukrainian Bell Carol), La Vergine Degli Angeli and Ocho Kandelikas. A nice touch, the lyrics are reprinted in the accompanying booklet in several different languages. The album graphics are first rate, as is the production of the disc itself, and this collection rates a strong 4 out of 4 stars.
HOLIDAY CLASSICS - SEATTLE SYMPHONY; GERARD SCHWARZ, COND. (NAXOS)
The retro graphics set the tone for this new recording with the Seattle Symphony, sounding just fine, thank you very much, on the popular Naxos label. The collection features some pretty standard fare, including several selections from Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker ( Miniature Overture; March; Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy; Russian Dance and the Waltz of the Flowers), plus several pieces from the Water Music Suites by Handel, which is a nice addition. Also heard are the ubiquitous Canon in D by Johann Pachelbel, and the Christmas carols Gesu Bambino and Coventry Carol. The production values are first-rate, which is typical of the Naxos engineering team, and the orchestra sounds in fine form. Granted, they break no new ground here, but the programming is varied enough you'll enjoy listening to this disc time and time again. Holiday Classics rates a respectable 3 out of 4 stars.
LULLABIES AND CAROLS FOR CHRISTMAS - MONICA WHICHER, SOPRANO; JUDY LOMAN, HARP (NAXOS)
A brand-new disc out just in time for the holidays, this collection of carols both old and new features the soprano voice of Monica Whicher, described by The Guardian as"poignantly expressive" teamed with acclaimed harpist Judy Loman, former Principal Harpist with the Toronto Symphony. Loman also did many of the arrangements on this disc, incidentally, and her music-making is always a joy to hear. Some of the familiar carols given lovely treatments here are The Garden of Jesus; In the Bleak Mid-Winter; Noel Nouvelet; Six Noels Pour la Harpe; and In Dulci Jubilo. The recording, made in Newmarket, Ontario's St. John Chrysostom Church earlier this year, has a lovely warm sound to it, and the performances are both first-rate. This is the disc for after Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve, as you're setting the milk and cookies out for a special visitor overnight. I really like this disc, and it rates a strong 4 out of 4 stars.
J.S. BACH: CHRISTMAS ORATORIO - THE KING'S SINGERS; WDR BIG BAND, ARRANGED AND CONDUCTED BY BILL DOBBINS (2CD)(SIGNUM CLASSICS)
I don't quite know what it is about the music of Bach, but it lends itself to so many different interpretations, both classical and otherwise, it is hard to find a bad recording of Bach's music at all. He was such a prolific writer of music for Christmas, too, you have a perfect opportunity to take liberties with his original music and make something uniquely different and special, which is what arranger Bill Dobbins has done on this brand-new recording of Bach's Christmas Oratorio. The King's Singers are totally in control here, keeping the meaning of the music in focus throughout, in spite of the decidedly jazzy arrangements provided by Dobbins. This may not be a disc for the purists, but rather, those open-minded individuals who also happened to enjoy the big-band Christmas presentation offered by Chorus Niagara last year at this time. This set is an adventure! It rates a positive 4 out of 4 stars.
CHRISTMAS DANCING - JAMES LAST ORCHESTRA (POLYDOR)
I think everyone grew up listening to this disc, coming out as it did in the 60s when James Last was at the peak of his popularity. I took a long time to make it to disc, however, but the wait was worth it. The sound is quite amazing given the age of the recording, and the arrangements, although showing their age just a bit, still are fun to listen to today. I can't imagine many actually 'dancing' to this music, but listening will be easy: Last just knows how to handle a good tune and make it fun. Most of the medleys are made up of German carols, although some familiar international carols can be heard, including Silent Night and I Wonder as I Wander. Go ahead, listen to this disc again and relive those heady days of the 60s when people thought we could do just about anything! Christmas Dancing rates a respectable 3 out of 4 stars.
Just a few items of interest this week; remember, all of these are currently in stock as of this writing, but don't delay. If you're interested in more information, go to my website at www.finemusic.ca or email me at music@vaxxine.com and I will take care of the rest.
The countdown is on - let's enjoy the ride!
December 19th, 2010.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
