It's been a couple of weeks since I wrote much about the arts in Niagara, and my apologies for that; I do tend to wander off the beaten path from time to time, and hopefully you don't mind the diversions I take.
This week, however, we see the arts scene heat up again after a bit of a January lull with a busy week ahead for concerts in the area. So let's get right to it and try to entice you out of the cabin-fever-induced coma you might be in right now after the holidays.
This Sunday afternoon, the Niagara Symphony Orchestra (nso) presents their first Masterworks concert of 2015, and this one looks particularly interesting. Entitled Apotheosis, the concert commemorates the 100th anniversary of the First World War with the Niagara premiere of "The World Remembers: Song of the Poets" a short composition by Abigail Richardson. The work, originally commissioned by the National Arts Centre Orchestra, Thunder Bay Symphony Orchestra and the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra, uses excerpts from five poems written by soldiers on the front lines from four different countries. In addition to Canada, the other countries represented are England, France and Germany.
Niagara-based choir Choralis Camerata joins the Niagara Symphony for this work, sung in each country's native language of English, French and German. The choir will also accompany the orchestra and viola soloist Derek Reeves on Ralph Vaughan Williams' Flos Campi.
Also on the programme tomorrow afternoon will be my all-time favourite work by Vaughan-Williams, The Lark Ascending, featuring violinist and Music Niagara Artistic Director Atis Bankas, and both Bankas and Reeves pair up for Mozart's Sinfonia Concertante as an uplifting conclusion to the concert.
The performance begins at 2:30 at the Sean O'Sullivan Theatre at the Centre for the Arts at Brock University, and tickets should be available at the box office prior to the concert. You can also call ahead at 905-688-5550, ext. 3257.
Staying with the Centre for the Arts, this coming week sees two concerts at the Sean O'Sullivan Theatre worth catching: Alan Doyle on Wednesday evening, January 28th and French-Canadian supergroup La Bottine Souriante on Thursday evening, January 29th. I last saw La Bottine Souriante at Brock back around 1997 and they brought the house down with their infectious music. If you have never heard this group, do yourself a favour and book your tickets now. You will not be disappointed!
Tickets for both those shows and indeed the entire Centre for the Arts schedule are available through the Brock box office at 905-688-5550, ext. 3257, or by going to Arts.Brock.ca.
The following evening, Friday January 30th, the Music Department at the Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine & Performing Arts at Brock presents their next concert in the Encore! Professional Concert Series: Toronto-based Quartetto Gelato. This promises to be another exceptional performance by a group of musicians who have made their mark on the classical and crossover music scene in Canada and beyond. Their many recordings always sell well, and they never fail to entertain either in the studio or on stage.
I last saw Quartetto Gelato a few summers back when they performed at St. Mark's Church in Niagara-on-the-Lake as part of the Music Niagara concert series. You can't help but admire what this group does, so if you can make it Friday night, do go.
For tickets, once again call the Brock box office at 905-688-5550, ext. 3257 or go to Arts.Brocku.ca.
Geez, two Canadian supergroups on back-to-back nights at Brock - you can't do much better than that in January, can you?
Well, maybe you can.
If that were not enough, next weekend on Sunday afternoon, Primavera Concerts presents their next concert, A Soft and Golden Fire. Starting at 3 pm, the performance takes place at St. Thomas Anglican Church on Ontario Street. Featuring mezzo-soprano Patricia Green, harpist Judy Loman and Lisa Cella on flute, the concert will feature music by contemporary Canadian composers Harry Freedman, Timothy Sullivan and George Crumb, as well as works by Benjamin Britten and Maurice Ravel.
Primavera Concerts is celebrating their 10 anniversary season this year, and they continue to provide quality, affordable music concerts for Niagara residents at a host of downtown St. Catharines churches.
For tickets, call 289-990-3630, or go online to www.primaveraconcerts.ca. You should also be able to pick them up at the door if they are not sold out by Sunday afternoon.
So there you go: four quality concerts in the space of a week right here in your own backyard.
It may be January, but the music will keep you warm and cozy and cure you of the winter blues if they are already getting you down.
See you at a concert this week, perhaps?
January 24th, 2015.
Saturday, January 24, 2015
Saturday, January 17, 2015
Welcome to downtown St. Catharines, Beechwood Doughnuts!
It was only in last week's posting I began my series on downtown establishments worthy of mention in this space, and initially I wanted to do that on a once monthly basis. However, after a pretty impressive opening week for a new business downtown, I wanted to write a few congratulatory words for the newest members of the downtown St. Catharines retail fraternity, Beechwood Doughnuts on James Street.
Beechwood is an outgrowth of Rise Above vegan restaurant on St. Paul Street I understand, where the desserts would almost make you want to have your dinner in reverse order. It seemed a natural progression to sort of spin off the doughnut-making end of it as a self-sustaining enterprise in its own right.
I first noticed the sign up on the former New Deli location at 5 James Street in early December and immediately liked the fact they spell doughnuts the way it should be spelled, rather than the more common "donuts". These people know their stuff, I thought at the time.
It's unfortunate they couldn't time the opening better to catch some of the pre-Christmas crowd downtown, but as I understand it the time line just wouldn't allow it if they were to get things right from the get-go. As we know all too well from other retail enterprises as of late, getting it right from the start is no easy matter and takes a lot of planning and careful execution.
Still and all, the January opening was anticipated moreso than just about any other downtown business I can recall, and I suspect a lot of that has to do with the power of social media. These young entrepreneurs know the reach of social media and also know their clientele quite well. Almost from the start of the month, regular Facebook updates were coming out about the pending opening this month, with just enough sizzle to make things interesting.
I noted at the beginning of this week they were planning a so-called "soft opening" at 11 am on Tuesday, prior to the full-fledged grand opening today. Great I thought. I had Tuesday off, so I ventured downtown around 1 pm to do some errands and thought I would pay a visit. They were already sold out! Such was the case very day this week, with a new batch ready to sell at the 11 am opening and again about 5 pm each afternoon.
Since I worked today until about 1, I knew I likely wouldn't make the morning opening, and sure enough they were again sold out when I visited the shop about 1:30. But they assured me they would be reopening with a fresh batch at 5, so I duly noted the time and promised myself I would make my way down for the 5 pm batch today.
It is a testament to Canadian will and the desire to try a free doughnut (yes, today you got a free one) that we would line up outside at 5 pm on a January Saturday for the next batch to arrive. But there I was with a host of others, young and old alike, all waiting somewhat patiently for the doors to open promptly at 5.
Like many others before me, I opted for the four doughnut maximum per person, paying for three and getting the fourth free. Others simply grabbed the free doughnut and headed for the exit. I figured if they went to this much trouble to get up and running, just grabbing a free one and leaving would not be the Canadian thing to do, and gladly I found most in the line-up agreed with me. Or maybe it was the desire to have more than one on the first day.
Now, the first thing you have to do is try to put the "vegan" aspect of the doughnuts out of your mind, at least for now. The reason I say this is for some, the notion of a "vegan" doughnut sounds rather, well, unappetizing. Nothing could be further from the truth, so just think of it as a world-class doughnut, period, end of description. The fact it is also "vegan" is icing on the, uh, doughnut.
My choices were somewhat safe and somewhat adventuresome: I chose the apple fritter, walnut chocolate crunch, Earl Grey and a blueberry something-or-other. The Earl Grey and apple fritter were our choices for this evening after dinner, and both were well sized, very fresh, and exceptionally delicious.
If you are one of those that rails about our national doughnut chain constantly downsizing their offerings, these bad boys will bring you back to the good old days and then some. The selection is not as complete as the big chain, but you have some really interesting choices here such as peanut butter and jam, salted caramel toffee and a banana-granola number that really tempted me today.
True, the prices are higher than we are used to, but hey, they are vegan, this is a new independent operator, and I think most people will allow themselves to spend a little more for a nice little indulgence once in a while.
Over time the lineups will dwindle and they will not be sold out right away as they are now, but rest assured Beechwood Doughnuts is here for the long haul, and they appear to have the business smarts to make this operation grow and prosper. So don't be deterred by the long lineups today; just be patient and give it some time, and before you know it you'll be able to pop in and grab one without waiting much time at all.
You won't see a drive-through here, and that is part of what makes this doughnut shop unlike the others. You savour these beauties; no rushing allowed. And yes, you can grab a Balzacs coffee while you're there along with a host of other liquid refreshments.
In addition, you can visit the cozy little artists shop located just next door, also new, and see what some of our local artisans are doing these days. The two enterprises appear to be on very friendly terms with one another, and I think they will complement each other rather well as they will both be serving a more discriminating clientele, I suspect.
Welcome to downtown St. Catharines, Beechwood Doughnuts. It's about time!
January 17th, 2015.
Beechwood is an outgrowth of Rise Above vegan restaurant on St. Paul Street I understand, where the desserts would almost make you want to have your dinner in reverse order. It seemed a natural progression to sort of spin off the doughnut-making end of it as a self-sustaining enterprise in its own right.
I first noticed the sign up on the former New Deli location at 5 James Street in early December and immediately liked the fact they spell doughnuts the way it should be spelled, rather than the more common "donuts". These people know their stuff, I thought at the time.
It's unfortunate they couldn't time the opening better to catch some of the pre-Christmas crowd downtown, but as I understand it the time line just wouldn't allow it if they were to get things right from the get-go. As we know all too well from other retail enterprises as of late, getting it right from the start is no easy matter and takes a lot of planning and careful execution.
Still and all, the January opening was anticipated moreso than just about any other downtown business I can recall, and I suspect a lot of that has to do with the power of social media. These young entrepreneurs know the reach of social media and also know their clientele quite well. Almost from the start of the month, regular Facebook updates were coming out about the pending opening this month, with just enough sizzle to make things interesting.
I noted at the beginning of this week they were planning a so-called "soft opening" at 11 am on Tuesday, prior to the full-fledged grand opening today. Great I thought. I had Tuesday off, so I ventured downtown around 1 pm to do some errands and thought I would pay a visit. They were already sold out! Such was the case very day this week, with a new batch ready to sell at the 11 am opening and again about 5 pm each afternoon.
Since I worked today until about 1, I knew I likely wouldn't make the morning opening, and sure enough they were again sold out when I visited the shop about 1:30. But they assured me they would be reopening with a fresh batch at 5, so I duly noted the time and promised myself I would make my way down for the 5 pm batch today.
It is a testament to Canadian will and the desire to try a free doughnut (yes, today you got a free one) that we would line up outside at 5 pm on a January Saturday for the next batch to arrive. But there I was with a host of others, young and old alike, all waiting somewhat patiently for the doors to open promptly at 5.
Like many others before me, I opted for the four doughnut maximum per person, paying for three and getting the fourth free. Others simply grabbed the free doughnut and headed for the exit. I figured if they went to this much trouble to get up and running, just grabbing a free one and leaving would not be the Canadian thing to do, and gladly I found most in the line-up agreed with me. Or maybe it was the desire to have more than one on the first day.
Now, the first thing you have to do is try to put the "vegan" aspect of the doughnuts out of your mind, at least for now. The reason I say this is for some, the notion of a "vegan" doughnut sounds rather, well, unappetizing. Nothing could be further from the truth, so just think of it as a world-class doughnut, period, end of description. The fact it is also "vegan" is icing on the, uh, doughnut.
My choices were somewhat safe and somewhat adventuresome: I chose the apple fritter, walnut chocolate crunch, Earl Grey and a blueberry something-or-other. The Earl Grey and apple fritter were our choices for this evening after dinner, and both were well sized, very fresh, and exceptionally delicious.
If you are one of those that rails about our national doughnut chain constantly downsizing their offerings, these bad boys will bring you back to the good old days and then some. The selection is not as complete as the big chain, but you have some really interesting choices here such as peanut butter and jam, salted caramel toffee and a banana-granola number that really tempted me today.
True, the prices are higher than we are used to, but hey, they are vegan, this is a new independent operator, and I think most people will allow themselves to spend a little more for a nice little indulgence once in a while.
Over time the lineups will dwindle and they will not be sold out right away as they are now, but rest assured Beechwood Doughnuts is here for the long haul, and they appear to have the business smarts to make this operation grow and prosper. So don't be deterred by the long lineups today; just be patient and give it some time, and before you know it you'll be able to pop in and grab one without waiting much time at all.
You won't see a drive-through here, and that is part of what makes this doughnut shop unlike the others. You savour these beauties; no rushing allowed. And yes, you can grab a Balzacs coffee while you're there along with a host of other liquid refreshments.
In addition, you can visit the cozy little artists shop located just next door, also new, and see what some of our local artisans are doing these days. The two enterprises appear to be on very friendly terms with one another, and I think they will complement each other rather well as they will both be serving a more discriminating clientele, I suspect.
Welcome to downtown St. Catharines, Beechwood Doughnuts. It's about time!
January 17th, 2015.
Saturday, January 10, 2015
Some of my favourite downtown things...Part One
Regular readers of this space know I often veer off the arts beat with great regularity to cover topics that strike me one way or another, and this week will be no exception.
I wrote a couple of weeks ago about the importance of shopping local, and especially shopping in downtown St. Catharines, where I have made my home for many years. While a lot of favourite merchants and dining establishments downtown have come and gone over the years - Coy Brothers, The New Deli; Downtown Fine Music and Diana Sweets among them - new businesses come along and we start a new love affair all over again.
This thought struck me while I spent a pleasant Saturday afternoon Christmas shopping downtown last month, and I resolved to highlight some of my favourite downtown merchants and dining establishments in this space about once a month over the course of this year. I'm calling the series "Some of my favourite downtown things" and we'll begin this week with one of my all-time favourite downtown things that predates just about every other business in our city core.
The St. Catharines Farmer's Market began in the 19th-century when roads were nothing more than muddy paths and sidewalks - if there were any at all - were wood planks lined up in the mud. Over time it has grown to become one of the oldest and largest markets in the Region, if not the province, and is easily one of the friendliest places in all of St. Catharines.
Much has changed over the years, including sharing space with St. Catharines Transit as part of a rudimentary downtown bus terminal many years ago to an open-air affair with little protection from the elements from a canopy back in the 80s to the modern-day, enclosed and heated market area we enjoy today. Through it all, the location hasn't changed much, nor has the mix of vendors from all over the Region who would converge three days a week to sell their wares to an appreciative public.
While most of the products are locally gown or made, you should be careful as is the case at most markets, to be sure the produce you are buying is indeed locally sourced. The best way to do this is to get to know your vendor and ask questions. All the vendors I have known over the years are very approachable and proud of what they do, and are more than happy to talk about what they are selling.
A common argument from those who rarely or perhaps never visit our downtown market is that prices are higher there than at the supermarket, so why spend the extra money? It's a mindset really, and I am of the opinion I would rather support our local farmers and producers rather than those located in another country or even another continent even if it means I pay a little more to do so.
Think of it this way: by supporting our local producers you help support the local economy and that means we all win. Why buy strawberries from South America in June for example, when Niagara produces an abundance of fabulous berries right here that are simply far superior in taste to what is trucked in from afar?
There will always be those who don't understand the importance of shopping local, and I get that. But if we can change some minds and alter the perception that not buying local doesn't really matter, I'm happy with that. You have to start somewhere, after all.
So, when you visit the St. Catharines Farmer's Market, what will you find? Depending on the season the produce changes of course, but the vendors are usually there week in and week out with something interesting to sell no matter what the season.
In addition, you'll find baked goods, honey, flowers, prepared foods you can either eat there or take away with you, and of course, locally-produced arts and crafts. New this past season has been the addition of many of our local wineries selling bottles of wine at the market, and I think this is a natural progression for a region such as Niagara, where both produce and wine are produced and consumed.
At the risk of offending some, I'll list a few of my favourite market vendors I have come to rely on week in and week out, especially on Saturdays when the market is always busier. This is by no means a definitive list even for me, and you will of course have your favourite vendors as well. That's the joy of visiting our downtown market: visit as many or as few as you want, and go as often as you want. If your favourite vendor is not there one week for some reason, there is always another great discovery around the next aisle.
My current faves at the St. Catharines Market include the following:
Andrzejewsi Perogies of Welland - you have not tasted perogies until you've tasted these!
Theresa's baked goods, specializing in gluten-free - the best corn bread around!
DeVries Fruit Farm - go for the hot apple cider, and lots of other produce in season.
Sam's Delights - I'm nuts about the trail mix and candied pecans.
Niagara Honey - the creamed is my honey of choice, but every variety is great.
Sweet Street - really nice vegan baked goods to please my far better half.
Eh Jose - great Mexican dishes you can eat there or take with you.
If you have a favourite vendor not listed here, by all means send me a message and let me know why you like them so much. As I say, my list is by no means definitive.
There have been attempts to broaden the appeal of the market over the years, most notably with the addition of the Tuesday evening market featuring a number of food vendors throughout the summer months. While the weather this past year hindered the popularity of the Tuesday evening market, I am hopeful it will return again next season and continue to grow in the years to come. It is a great concept more people should embrace in the nicer weather.
There are few pleasures greater than meeting your friends at the downtown market, and making new friends with the vendors while you're there. That's why the St. Catharines Farmer's Market leads off my parade of some of my favourite downtown things for 2015.
Have a great weekend!
January 10th, 2015.
I wrote a couple of weeks ago about the importance of shopping local, and especially shopping in downtown St. Catharines, where I have made my home for many years. While a lot of favourite merchants and dining establishments downtown have come and gone over the years - Coy Brothers, The New Deli; Downtown Fine Music and Diana Sweets among them - new businesses come along and we start a new love affair all over again.
This thought struck me while I spent a pleasant Saturday afternoon Christmas shopping downtown last month, and I resolved to highlight some of my favourite downtown merchants and dining establishments in this space about once a month over the course of this year. I'm calling the series "Some of my favourite downtown things" and we'll begin this week with one of my all-time favourite downtown things that predates just about every other business in our city core.
The St. Catharines Farmer's Market began in the 19th-century when roads were nothing more than muddy paths and sidewalks - if there were any at all - were wood planks lined up in the mud. Over time it has grown to become one of the oldest and largest markets in the Region, if not the province, and is easily one of the friendliest places in all of St. Catharines.
Much has changed over the years, including sharing space with St. Catharines Transit as part of a rudimentary downtown bus terminal many years ago to an open-air affair with little protection from the elements from a canopy back in the 80s to the modern-day, enclosed and heated market area we enjoy today. Through it all, the location hasn't changed much, nor has the mix of vendors from all over the Region who would converge three days a week to sell their wares to an appreciative public.
While most of the products are locally gown or made, you should be careful as is the case at most markets, to be sure the produce you are buying is indeed locally sourced. The best way to do this is to get to know your vendor and ask questions. All the vendors I have known over the years are very approachable and proud of what they do, and are more than happy to talk about what they are selling.
A common argument from those who rarely or perhaps never visit our downtown market is that prices are higher there than at the supermarket, so why spend the extra money? It's a mindset really, and I am of the opinion I would rather support our local farmers and producers rather than those located in another country or even another continent even if it means I pay a little more to do so.
Think of it this way: by supporting our local producers you help support the local economy and that means we all win. Why buy strawberries from South America in June for example, when Niagara produces an abundance of fabulous berries right here that are simply far superior in taste to what is trucked in from afar?
There will always be those who don't understand the importance of shopping local, and I get that. But if we can change some minds and alter the perception that not buying local doesn't really matter, I'm happy with that. You have to start somewhere, after all.
So, when you visit the St. Catharines Farmer's Market, what will you find? Depending on the season the produce changes of course, but the vendors are usually there week in and week out with something interesting to sell no matter what the season.
In addition, you'll find baked goods, honey, flowers, prepared foods you can either eat there or take away with you, and of course, locally-produced arts and crafts. New this past season has been the addition of many of our local wineries selling bottles of wine at the market, and I think this is a natural progression for a region such as Niagara, where both produce and wine are produced and consumed.
At the risk of offending some, I'll list a few of my favourite market vendors I have come to rely on week in and week out, especially on Saturdays when the market is always busier. This is by no means a definitive list even for me, and you will of course have your favourite vendors as well. That's the joy of visiting our downtown market: visit as many or as few as you want, and go as often as you want. If your favourite vendor is not there one week for some reason, there is always another great discovery around the next aisle.
My current faves at the St. Catharines Market include the following:
Andrzejewsi Perogies of Welland - you have not tasted perogies until you've tasted these!
Theresa's baked goods, specializing in gluten-free - the best corn bread around!
DeVries Fruit Farm - go for the hot apple cider, and lots of other produce in season.
Sam's Delights - I'm nuts about the trail mix and candied pecans.
Niagara Honey - the creamed is my honey of choice, but every variety is great.
Sweet Street - really nice vegan baked goods to please my far better half.
Eh Jose - great Mexican dishes you can eat there or take with you.
If you have a favourite vendor not listed here, by all means send me a message and let me know why you like them so much. As I say, my list is by no means definitive.
There have been attempts to broaden the appeal of the market over the years, most notably with the addition of the Tuesday evening market featuring a number of food vendors throughout the summer months. While the weather this past year hindered the popularity of the Tuesday evening market, I am hopeful it will return again next season and continue to grow in the years to come. It is a great concept more people should embrace in the nicer weather.
There are few pleasures greater than meeting your friends at the downtown market, and making new friends with the vendors while you're there. That's why the St. Catharines Farmer's Market leads off my parade of some of my favourite downtown things for 2015.
Have a great weekend!
January 10th, 2015.
Saturday, January 3, 2015
Revisiting the Niagara Ice Dogs at their new home at the Meridian Centre
A couple of years ago in this space I wrote of my first-ever visit to a Niagara Ice Dogs game over at the old Jack Gatecliff Arena, their home until this year when the 'Dogs moved into their snazzy new home at the Meridian Centre.
Back then I was invited (okay, cajoled is more like it) by colleague and Ice Dogs arena announcer Rod Mawhood. I crawled through the labyrinth up to the announcer's booth, a rather, uh, quaint space overlook the ice surface at The Jack for the duration of the game, watching as the home team won a hard-fought battle that night. I commented afterwards - only half jokingly - they won on account of my being there for the game that night.
Fast-forward to this week and an opportunity arose to spend New Year's Eve at the new Meridian Centre helping out my esteemed colleagues at Meridian Credit Union as we worked the crowd for a very worthwhile cause. The game was an early one, starting at 6 pm, so we all gathered in the lobby area at about 4:45 to prepare for the evening's events.
The past couple of months, all the Meridian branches in Niagara have been selling tickets on a couple of stress-free office chairs worth about $3200 apiece, donated by Critelli's in downtown St. Catharines. The money raised - every penny of it, in fact - would go to Community Care of St. Catharines & Thorold and the Alzheimer's Society of Niagara Region. The draw would be held during the second intermission of the game against the Peterborough Petes on New Year's Eve at the Meridian Centre.
Ticket sales were very good, and a final push was made at the game as we were all stationed around the facility and fanned out during the first intermission in order to gather ticket orders from hockey fans. I was lucky enough to be able to work the suites on the upper level, which meant more people with money might be inclined to buy tickets, and that certainly proved to be the case.
I finally had a chance to sit in one of the chairs at the game, and it was nothing short of heavenly. Oh, to be able to buy a ticket on one of these babies myself! Alas, it was not to be...
Since we were at the game, I had a chance to see part of the action from my upper-level perch and draw some comparisons between the new facility and the old. Without question, the Meridian Centre is light-years ahead of anything we've had in Niagara before, and the parties involved with the approval, design and construction of the Meridian Centre are to be commended for their efforts.
The fact we finished this thing on time and on budget, while still maintaining a significant wow factor for the fans, is nothing short of miraculous in this day and age.
I like the design overall and the little touches such as cup holders in some of the seats, and the wonderful smell of food available for purchase throughout the facility. I also appreciated nice clean washrooms, compared to what we had at The Jack for so many years.
What didn't I like? Well, the noise for one thing. I appreciate this is a spectator facility and that involves a lot of fan interaction in this day and age of digital everything. But after awhile, I found the whole affair to be aural overload for this old guy. Remember, this is from someone who has been to literally hundreds of public events of every description over a very long career.
Noise aside, I like the way Rod and his audio/visual team keep things moving and keep fans involved in the action. It's all very professional and never over the top. Just a bit too noisy for my liking...
The Niagara Ice Dogs are here to stay and know how to put on a good show for the fans. I am certain the team along with owners Bill & Denise Burke will provide fans with quality sports entertainment for a long time as the City of St. Catharines and taxpayers put their money where their collective mouths were a couple of years ago and invested in the future.
It's also nice to see the downtown core come alive on game nights with fans heading to the game, perhaps spending money at some of the downtown eating and drinking establishments either before or after the game. Parking is always going to be an issue with some not wanting to pay for parking in the two parking garages downtown, but hey, you can't have everything, right?
So my first impressions are very positive indeed. We have a great facility here in the Meridian Centre, and this is just a taste of what's to come when the new Performing Arts Centre and Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine & Performing Arts open up later this year. Fasten your seat belts, St. Catharines, we're about to embark on a fun ride downtown in the very near future.
Oh, about the game score? Niagara Ice Dogs lost 3-2 on New Year's Eve. I'll take the blame for that, I guess, as we packed up and left after the draw prior to the final period. Should have stuck around and maintained my good karma for the good of the team, I guess.
Sorry about that, Rod...
Happy New Year!
January 3rd, 2015.
Back then I was invited (okay, cajoled is more like it) by colleague and Ice Dogs arena announcer Rod Mawhood. I crawled through the labyrinth up to the announcer's booth, a rather, uh, quaint space overlook the ice surface at The Jack for the duration of the game, watching as the home team won a hard-fought battle that night. I commented afterwards - only half jokingly - they won on account of my being there for the game that night.
Fast-forward to this week and an opportunity arose to spend New Year's Eve at the new Meridian Centre helping out my esteemed colleagues at Meridian Credit Union as we worked the crowd for a very worthwhile cause. The game was an early one, starting at 6 pm, so we all gathered in the lobby area at about 4:45 to prepare for the evening's events.
The past couple of months, all the Meridian branches in Niagara have been selling tickets on a couple of stress-free office chairs worth about $3200 apiece, donated by Critelli's in downtown St. Catharines. The money raised - every penny of it, in fact - would go to Community Care of St. Catharines & Thorold and the Alzheimer's Society of Niagara Region. The draw would be held during the second intermission of the game against the Peterborough Petes on New Year's Eve at the Meridian Centre.
Ticket sales were very good, and a final push was made at the game as we were all stationed around the facility and fanned out during the first intermission in order to gather ticket orders from hockey fans. I was lucky enough to be able to work the suites on the upper level, which meant more people with money might be inclined to buy tickets, and that certainly proved to be the case.
I finally had a chance to sit in one of the chairs at the game, and it was nothing short of heavenly. Oh, to be able to buy a ticket on one of these babies myself! Alas, it was not to be...
Since we were at the game, I had a chance to see part of the action from my upper-level perch and draw some comparisons between the new facility and the old. Without question, the Meridian Centre is light-years ahead of anything we've had in Niagara before, and the parties involved with the approval, design and construction of the Meridian Centre are to be commended for their efforts.
The fact we finished this thing on time and on budget, while still maintaining a significant wow factor for the fans, is nothing short of miraculous in this day and age.
I like the design overall and the little touches such as cup holders in some of the seats, and the wonderful smell of food available for purchase throughout the facility. I also appreciated nice clean washrooms, compared to what we had at The Jack for so many years.
What didn't I like? Well, the noise for one thing. I appreciate this is a spectator facility and that involves a lot of fan interaction in this day and age of digital everything. But after awhile, I found the whole affair to be aural overload for this old guy. Remember, this is from someone who has been to literally hundreds of public events of every description over a very long career.
Noise aside, I like the way Rod and his audio/visual team keep things moving and keep fans involved in the action. It's all very professional and never over the top. Just a bit too noisy for my liking...
The Niagara Ice Dogs are here to stay and know how to put on a good show for the fans. I am certain the team along with owners Bill & Denise Burke will provide fans with quality sports entertainment for a long time as the City of St. Catharines and taxpayers put their money where their collective mouths were a couple of years ago and invested in the future.
It's also nice to see the downtown core come alive on game nights with fans heading to the game, perhaps spending money at some of the downtown eating and drinking establishments either before or after the game. Parking is always going to be an issue with some not wanting to pay for parking in the two parking garages downtown, but hey, you can't have everything, right?
So my first impressions are very positive indeed. We have a great facility here in the Meridian Centre, and this is just a taste of what's to come when the new Performing Arts Centre and Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine & Performing Arts open up later this year. Fasten your seat belts, St. Catharines, we're about to embark on a fun ride downtown in the very near future.
Oh, about the game score? Niagara Ice Dogs lost 3-2 on New Year's Eve. I'll take the blame for that, I guess, as we packed up and left after the draw prior to the final period. Should have stuck around and maintained my good karma for the good of the team, I guess.
Sorry about that, Rod...
Happy New Year!
January 3rd, 2015.
Saturday, December 27, 2014
The importance of shopping local
Now that Christmas has come and gone for another year, we are faced now with the ever-popular Boxing Day or more accurately, Boxing Week sales. From what I have seen so far, people are out there looking for the best deals on things they often don't really need to begin with.
I admit I did partake of a little Boxing Day shopping myself today, as I had some time to spare in the afternoon, and yes, I came away with a couple of things, although what I really went shopping for had nothing to do with an after-Christmas sale at all.
One year ago today, we lost our dear cat Pia, who had not been well for some months, and she bravely made it through Christmas, succumbing to her illness on the 27th. It was a tragic loss, yet it was tempered almost immediately afterwards by the return of our little black cat, Shalom, who had gone missing 17 days previously, surviving somehow out in the winter weather last December before returning home.
So today, I wanted to find a nice photo frame for a special picture of Pia in order to commemorate the anniversary, and I found just what I was looking for. It wasn't on sale, and that was not the point. I wanted that for today and I had the time to go out and find it; it just happened to be on Boxing Day.
The Christmas shopping season has been by all accounts a good one for most merchants I have spoken to; not spectacular, but certainly respectable. It is tough here in Niagara as we are so close to the border and even with a weaker Canadian dollar, many in Niagara still cross the border to shop stateside, especially for the holidays.
So how about you? Did you cross the border once, twice or maybe more? Did you stay here in Niagara and visit one of our major malls or newer outlet malls for your Christmas shopping?
This year, I decided to buck the trend and follow a different path. I avoided every mall and outlet mall for my Christmas shopping in order to concentrate my purchases at smaller, locally-owned and operated businesses I tend to count on the rest of the year.
The reason for this is quite simple. Over time, you develop relationships with these merchants, and that means they will often go that extra mile to make sure you are completely satisfied with your purchases not only at Christmas but any time of the year.
A couple of Saturdays ago, for example, I spent most of my afternoon after I finished work strolling the shops in downtown St. Catharines and came away with some really unique and clever gifts for the holidays. Oh sure, I bought a pair of shoes at The Boot Shop for me, but that's okay. That particular day they were reducing prices by 25%, with savings from those sales being donated to the YWCA in Niagara. I didn't need the shoes quite yet, but knew I would eventually, so why not do it when I can get a better deal and the money I save goes to help others who really need it in the community?
This is what I love about shopping local: you see the results right here in the community. I help to support a local business, and they in turn do their part to help others in the community. You don't always get that with a national chain no matter where it is located.
Another stop on my downtown shopping excursion was at a Pop-Up store on St. Paul Street operated by a local Artisan Collective, showing many one-of-a-kind gift ideas at very fair prices. The shop, located next to Rise Above, was only in operation for about 10 days in December but the crowds when I was there that weekend suggested to me this sort of a collective mindset could actually gain widespread support in the area if it is marketed properly.
The following Saturday I visited several businesses around St. Catharines and Thorold where I knew I would find some interesting things, and I was not disappointed. Not one of them was a national chain. For the record, here is a partial list of businesses I visited on that excursion: Henderson's Pharmacy in Thorold; Your Deli and St. Joseph's Deli on Facer Street; Della Terra on Martingale Road; Bamboo Natural Food Market on Martingale Road; The St. Catharines Farmer's Market; and The Guilty Burger on St. Paul Street.
Sure, I could have just parked the car at the mall and walked indoors from store to store, and I admit I do that when the mood strikes me. But this year, I wanted to do something different. I wanted to shop local and support smaller local businesses so they'll still be there for me in the New Year.
It has been said if everyone just spent $10 dollars locally the local economy would benefit immeasurably. It is not that difficult to do, so if you have not tried it yet, what is holding you back?
I am quite frankly tired of hearing people brag about their super deals from over the border, for example, including most of their groceries on a regular basis, yet these same people will complain there is not the selection of stores here at home to interest them. Or they say prices are way lower over there.
Okay, I agree, prices are often lower over there, though not always. But have you considered why? The minimum wage is lower in the States for one thing, and worker's benefits are usually better in Canada, which is a cost the business owners here have to shoulder moreso than over the river.
A funny thing happens when you don't support local businesses: they eventually close and often are not replaced by new businesses. You can't have it both ways; you have to support local businesses so they will be there when you need them. Otherwise, a community suffers through lack of tax revenue and that affects services you and I really count on.
I don't want to get preachy here, but even if you diverted a small amount of your out-of-market shopping to shopping local, we would all benefit. A pipe dream? Let's hope not.
I want our local businesses to not only survive but to prosper. To do that, I have to show them I support them not only at Christmas time but throughout the year. It just makes good economic sense.
If you are looking for a New Year's resolution worth making and keeping this week, this would be a good place to start.
Happy New Year!
December 27th, 2014.
I admit I did partake of a little Boxing Day shopping myself today, as I had some time to spare in the afternoon, and yes, I came away with a couple of things, although what I really went shopping for had nothing to do with an after-Christmas sale at all.
One year ago today, we lost our dear cat Pia, who had not been well for some months, and she bravely made it through Christmas, succumbing to her illness on the 27th. It was a tragic loss, yet it was tempered almost immediately afterwards by the return of our little black cat, Shalom, who had gone missing 17 days previously, surviving somehow out in the winter weather last December before returning home.
So today, I wanted to find a nice photo frame for a special picture of Pia in order to commemorate the anniversary, and I found just what I was looking for. It wasn't on sale, and that was not the point. I wanted that for today and I had the time to go out and find it; it just happened to be on Boxing Day.
The Christmas shopping season has been by all accounts a good one for most merchants I have spoken to; not spectacular, but certainly respectable. It is tough here in Niagara as we are so close to the border and even with a weaker Canadian dollar, many in Niagara still cross the border to shop stateside, especially for the holidays.
So how about you? Did you cross the border once, twice or maybe more? Did you stay here in Niagara and visit one of our major malls or newer outlet malls for your Christmas shopping?
This year, I decided to buck the trend and follow a different path. I avoided every mall and outlet mall for my Christmas shopping in order to concentrate my purchases at smaller, locally-owned and operated businesses I tend to count on the rest of the year.
The reason for this is quite simple. Over time, you develop relationships with these merchants, and that means they will often go that extra mile to make sure you are completely satisfied with your purchases not only at Christmas but any time of the year.
A couple of Saturdays ago, for example, I spent most of my afternoon after I finished work strolling the shops in downtown St. Catharines and came away with some really unique and clever gifts for the holidays. Oh sure, I bought a pair of shoes at The Boot Shop for me, but that's okay. That particular day they were reducing prices by 25%, with savings from those sales being donated to the YWCA in Niagara. I didn't need the shoes quite yet, but knew I would eventually, so why not do it when I can get a better deal and the money I save goes to help others who really need it in the community?
This is what I love about shopping local: you see the results right here in the community. I help to support a local business, and they in turn do their part to help others in the community. You don't always get that with a national chain no matter where it is located.
Another stop on my downtown shopping excursion was at a Pop-Up store on St. Paul Street operated by a local Artisan Collective, showing many one-of-a-kind gift ideas at very fair prices. The shop, located next to Rise Above, was only in operation for about 10 days in December but the crowds when I was there that weekend suggested to me this sort of a collective mindset could actually gain widespread support in the area if it is marketed properly.
The following Saturday I visited several businesses around St. Catharines and Thorold where I knew I would find some interesting things, and I was not disappointed. Not one of them was a national chain. For the record, here is a partial list of businesses I visited on that excursion: Henderson's Pharmacy in Thorold; Your Deli and St. Joseph's Deli on Facer Street; Della Terra on Martingale Road; Bamboo Natural Food Market on Martingale Road; The St. Catharines Farmer's Market; and The Guilty Burger on St. Paul Street.
Sure, I could have just parked the car at the mall and walked indoors from store to store, and I admit I do that when the mood strikes me. But this year, I wanted to do something different. I wanted to shop local and support smaller local businesses so they'll still be there for me in the New Year.
It has been said if everyone just spent $10 dollars locally the local economy would benefit immeasurably. It is not that difficult to do, so if you have not tried it yet, what is holding you back?
I am quite frankly tired of hearing people brag about their super deals from over the border, for example, including most of their groceries on a regular basis, yet these same people will complain there is not the selection of stores here at home to interest them. Or they say prices are way lower over there.
Okay, I agree, prices are often lower over there, though not always. But have you considered why? The minimum wage is lower in the States for one thing, and worker's benefits are usually better in Canada, which is a cost the business owners here have to shoulder moreso than over the river.
A funny thing happens when you don't support local businesses: they eventually close and often are not replaced by new businesses. You can't have it both ways; you have to support local businesses so they will be there when you need them. Otherwise, a community suffers through lack of tax revenue and that affects services you and I really count on.
I don't want to get preachy here, but even if you diverted a small amount of your out-of-market shopping to shopping local, we would all benefit. A pipe dream? Let's hope not.
I want our local businesses to not only survive but to prosper. To do that, I have to show them I support them not only at Christmas time but throughout the year. It just makes good economic sense.
If you are looking for a New Year's resolution worth making and keeping this week, this would be a good place to start.
Happy New Year!
December 27th, 2014.
Tuesday, December 23, 2014
Christmas music - my love/hate relationship with the genre.
With Christmas Eve less than 24 hours away as I write this, I gather you, like me, have had more than your fill of Christmas music by now. Perhaps you are thrilled with wall-to-wall Christmas music on your favourite radio station about the end of November; or perhaps you are a little tired of it all by now, as I am.
Time was, radio stations eased you into the Christmas music a little at a time, starting with about one an hour or so at the start of December. It would gradually build to a grand Christmas crescendo about the 24th of December and continue that way until midnight on December 25th before magically disappearing again for another 11 months. I know; I spent 40 years of my radio life listening to the sounds of the season in various iterations at several different stations.
But the current all-Christmas all the time format starting in late November is a bit too much too soon for my tastes, unfortunately, and I am about to explain why. Consider this a holiday rant from a certified curmudgeon.
The problem I have with the "new era" of presenting Christmas music is it wears thin far too soon, for a couple of reasons. Firstly, the music "universe" (radio-speak for how much music they actually play in the musical rotation) is far too limited. Secondly, radio people often don't actually listen to what they are playing and how often it plays.
This second fact came to light in a big way for me this year as I now work in an environment - as many do - where the radio station of choice is a local "lite-rock" format that plays day in and day out. While I am enjoying the break from hearing Taylor Swift shaking things up several times a day for almost a month, what replaces it is just as repetitive.
And that brings us back to my first point. The music selected is far too confining and leaves out many great recordings by many great artists you might just like to hear at Christmastime. Why? A consultant in a far-way city has determined this is what the audience likes to hear, and so that is what the station plays...and plays...and plays.
Now don't get me wrong on this. I love a wide variety of Christmas music and my eclectic musical tastes are reflected in a very large library of Christmas discs by a wide variety of artists, so I am not confining myself to just one era in my musical preferences.
Having said that, I am pretty tired right now of hearing these titles, my so-called Top 5 of Christmas songs I would dearly love not to hear as much as I do. In no particular order, may I have the envelope please...
Feliz Navidad - Jose Feliciano
Mary's Boy Child/Oh My Lord - Boney M
Rockin' Round the Christmas Tree - Brenda Lee
Jingle Bell Rock - any version
Wonderful Christmas Time - Paul McCartney
Any of these sound familiar to you? Of course they do; we hear them several times a day, seven days a week for about a month. No wonder we get tired of them. But more than the repeat factor, in some cases they are just not great songs. Everyone seems to agree some of the worst offenders were probably mailing it in to make a quick buck for the holiday season, but we keep hearing them over and over again because said radio consultant has deemed these so-called contemporary classics are what we want to hear.
Okay, I get that. But what of the ones they leave out? While it is nice to hear Burl Ives sing "Holly, Jolly Christmas" and Bing Crosby's classic "White Christmas" every year, they did not corner the market on classic holiday fare. I hear far too little Dean Martin, Andy Williams and even Perry Como these days, and if I do, it is maybe one song by each of them. Yet each artist has a wide selection of great recordings from which to choose.
Can't we get a little more creative next year?
I got to thinking about all this about a month ago when I saw a release of a very old Christmas disc I grew up with and loved very much, yet it had remained stubbornly out of print for decades. The record label Real Gone Music, which specializes in bringing back classic albums from the past by mostly middle-of-the-road artists our parents grew up with, released on disc this year the old Columbia LP from 1960 entitled The Old Sweet Songs of Christmas by Frank De Vol and the Rainbow Strings. It is about 40 minutes worth of very simple, sweet-sounding musical medleys of popular and more traditional holiday fare, arranged primarily for string orchestra.
In spite of the age of the recording, it still sounds good today, and I am glad to have it back in my collection after all these years being out of print.
The liner notes for the reissue are written by Lawrence "Chip" Arcuri, Owner & Webmaster of The Yule Long.com, which many people will be familiar with over the years. Chip has also compiled his list of the Top 500 Christmas albums of all time, and he lists the De Vol disc at number 14 on that list. If you go to www.theyulelog.com, you can see the entire list for yourself.
What you'll find is a purely arbitrary listing of just about every Christmas album ever recorded in the past 60 years ranked in several categories from 1 to 500. It is firmly rooted in traditional "apple pie" territory, and doesn't stray too far into more contemporary, even "classic rock" holiday hits from the past.
While I agree with many on the list, including the 2013 release of Percy Faith's Music of Christmas/Hallelujah! albums on a double-disc set from Real Gone Music in the coveted Number 1 spot, some others are curiously way down the list or not on the list at all. For example, I would rank The Glorious Sound of Christmas with Eugene Ormandy and the Philadelphia Orchestra far higher on the list than Chip does. It remains for me one of the quintessential "big-orchestra" recordings from Columbia's glory days, recorded as it was back in 1963.
But that is the thing about music in general and Christmas music in particular: the sentimental value can never be underestimated, and one man's potion is another man's poison. So I understand not everyone will agree with Chip's rankings - or mine for that matter. Everyone has their favourites, and that's as it should be.
For me, my dirty little secret is an album of Christmas music by the all-girl group The Golddiggers, who appeared on the Dean Martin TV show back in the late 60s and early 70s. Yes, this leggy collection of singers did a Christmas album I remember from my early days in radio in Toronto, yet has never made it to CD, and certainly is not on Chip's list of the Top 500, or even his list of honourable mentions.
When that comes out on CD, I will be the first in line to buy a copy. I might be the only one in line, but no matter. We all have our favourites, right?
If you have a favourite Christmas disc from your past you would like to hear again, drop me a line at music@vaxxine.com and I will see if I can find a copy of it for you in the New Year.
Enjoy your Christmas music, and above all, have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Time was, radio stations eased you into the Christmas music a little at a time, starting with about one an hour or so at the start of December. It would gradually build to a grand Christmas crescendo about the 24th of December and continue that way until midnight on December 25th before magically disappearing again for another 11 months. I know; I spent 40 years of my radio life listening to the sounds of the season in various iterations at several different stations.
But the current all-Christmas all the time format starting in late November is a bit too much too soon for my tastes, unfortunately, and I am about to explain why. Consider this a holiday rant from a certified curmudgeon.
The problem I have with the "new era" of presenting Christmas music is it wears thin far too soon, for a couple of reasons. Firstly, the music "universe" (radio-speak for how much music they actually play in the musical rotation) is far too limited. Secondly, radio people often don't actually listen to what they are playing and how often it plays.
This second fact came to light in a big way for me this year as I now work in an environment - as many do - where the radio station of choice is a local "lite-rock" format that plays day in and day out. While I am enjoying the break from hearing Taylor Swift shaking things up several times a day for almost a month, what replaces it is just as repetitive.
And that brings us back to my first point. The music selected is far too confining and leaves out many great recordings by many great artists you might just like to hear at Christmastime. Why? A consultant in a far-way city has determined this is what the audience likes to hear, and so that is what the station plays...and plays...and plays.
Now don't get me wrong on this. I love a wide variety of Christmas music and my eclectic musical tastes are reflected in a very large library of Christmas discs by a wide variety of artists, so I am not confining myself to just one era in my musical preferences.
Having said that, I am pretty tired right now of hearing these titles, my so-called Top 5 of Christmas songs I would dearly love not to hear as much as I do. In no particular order, may I have the envelope please...
Feliz Navidad - Jose Feliciano
Mary's Boy Child/Oh My Lord - Boney M
Rockin' Round the Christmas Tree - Brenda Lee
Jingle Bell Rock - any version
Wonderful Christmas Time - Paul McCartney
Any of these sound familiar to you? Of course they do; we hear them several times a day, seven days a week for about a month. No wonder we get tired of them. But more than the repeat factor, in some cases they are just not great songs. Everyone seems to agree some of the worst offenders were probably mailing it in to make a quick buck for the holiday season, but we keep hearing them over and over again because said radio consultant has deemed these so-called contemporary classics are what we want to hear.
Okay, I get that. But what of the ones they leave out? While it is nice to hear Burl Ives sing "Holly, Jolly Christmas" and Bing Crosby's classic "White Christmas" every year, they did not corner the market on classic holiday fare. I hear far too little Dean Martin, Andy Williams and even Perry Como these days, and if I do, it is maybe one song by each of them. Yet each artist has a wide selection of great recordings from which to choose.
Can't we get a little more creative next year?
I got to thinking about all this about a month ago when I saw a release of a very old Christmas disc I grew up with and loved very much, yet it had remained stubbornly out of print for decades. The record label Real Gone Music, which specializes in bringing back classic albums from the past by mostly middle-of-the-road artists our parents grew up with, released on disc this year the old Columbia LP from 1960 entitled The Old Sweet Songs of Christmas by Frank De Vol and the Rainbow Strings. It is about 40 minutes worth of very simple, sweet-sounding musical medleys of popular and more traditional holiday fare, arranged primarily for string orchestra.
In spite of the age of the recording, it still sounds good today, and I am glad to have it back in my collection after all these years being out of print.
The liner notes for the reissue are written by Lawrence "Chip" Arcuri, Owner & Webmaster of The Yule Long.com, which many people will be familiar with over the years. Chip has also compiled his list of the Top 500 Christmas albums of all time, and he lists the De Vol disc at number 14 on that list. If you go to www.theyulelog.com, you can see the entire list for yourself.
What you'll find is a purely arbitrary listing of just about every Christmas album ever recorded in the past 60 years ranked in several categories from 1 to 500. It is firmly rooted in traditional "apple pie" territory, and doesn't stray too far into more contemporary, even "classic rock" holiday hits from the past.
While I agree with many on the list, including the 2013 release of Percy Faith's Music of Christmas/Hallelujah! albums on a double-disc set from Real Gone Music in the coveted Number 1 spot, some others are curiously way down the list or not on the list at all. For example, I would rank The Glorious Sound of Christmas with Eugene Ormandy and the Philadelphia Orchestra far higher on the list than Chip does. It remains for me one of the quintessential "big-orchestra" recordings from Columbia's glory days, recorded as it was back in 1963.
But that is the thing about music in general and Christmas music in particular: the sentimental value can never be underestimated, and one man's potion is another man's poison. So I understand not everyone will agree with Chip's rankings - or mine for that matter. Everyone has their favourites, and that's as it should be.
For me, my dirty little secret is an album of Christmas music by the all-girl group The Golddiggers, who appeared on the Dean Martin TV show back in the late 60s and early 70s. Yes, this leggy collection of singers did a Christmas album I remember from my early days in radio in Toronto, yet has never made it to CD, and certainly is not on Chip's list of the Top 500, or even his list of honourable mentions.
When that comes out on CD, I will be the first in line to buy a copy. I might be the only one in line, but no matter. We all have our favourites, right?
If you have a favourite Christmas disc from your past you would like to hear again, drop me a line at music@vaxxine.com and I will see if I can find a copy of it for you in the New Year.
Enjoy your Christmas music, and above all, have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Sunday, December 21, 2014
Looking for some new music this holiday season?
If you, like me, have had more than enough of holiday music on the radio, of which I will be writing more about in this space later this week, I have a couple of Canadian discs available that might just cure you of that sugar-coated musical overload. One is Christmas-themed and the other is not; both are by groups of Ontario musicians who know their market niche and do a nice job of filling it every now and then with new recordings.
The Elora Festival Singers scored a major Christmas hit a number of years ago when they recorded The Mystery of Christmas for the Naxos label. It proved to be a popular disc, combining superb artistry and sound with a collection of carols both familiar and not quite so familiar. When it was first introduced, it was marketed as their "Disc of the Month", which meant it sold for a limited time for about $5 a disc. The price-point won many listeners over, of course, but the disc was worth far more than that and is still a best-seller in the Naxos catalogue each holiday season, albeit at regular price.
Those heady days of $5 Naxos discs are long-gone, of course, but the Elora Festival Singers are back again this season with a new collection of Christmas music every bit as appealing as the first. Entitled The Wonder of Christmas, the music ranges from much-loved settings to new works, from polyphony to more straightforward melodies; the timeframe covers the Middle Ages to modern day.
The track listing begins with the very familiar Once in Royal David's City and continues on through My Dancing Day, What Child is This? The Holly and the Ivy and ending with the ever-popular The First Nowell. Composers range from Britten and Adolphe Adam to more contemporary composers such as Paul Halley and John Tavener.
Once again the choir is directed by Noel Edison and accompanied on several tracks by organist Michael Bloss. The sound is full with a nice acoustic, and the choir is simply one of the best anywhere.
The Elora Festival Singers are not just known as a Christmas choir, of course. In fact, their highly-acclaimed Naxos disc of Eric Whitacre's music was nominated for a major recording award in 2010. But once again this season, they bring their special warmth and style to the music of the season with outstanding results.
The second disc I want to highlight this season is even more local than Elora; The Gallery Players of Niagara are back with a brand-new disc entitled Transformation to celebrate their 20th anniversary. The group performs regularly in Niagara and beyond, and in fact their Glissandi Christmas concerts were held this past Friday and Saturday evenings in Niagara-on-the-Lake and St. Catharines.
The Gallery Players comprises several musicians on this new recording including Artistic Director Margaret Gay on cello; Douglas Miller on flute; Carol Lynn Fujino on violin and Patrick Jordan on viola. Added on some tracks are James Mason on oboe; Peter Shackleton on clarinet; Julie Baumgartel on violin; and Leslie De'Ath on piano. On Robert Schumann's Dichterliebe, Op. 48 which concludes the disc, the Eybler Quartet and Brett Polegato are featured.
In addition to Dichterliebe, the disc also features Beethoven's Sonata Op. 24 "Spring Sonata" and Ravel's ravishing Le tombeau de Couperin. If you're thinking these must be transcriptions, you are absolutely right. Patrick Jordan transcribed the Beethoven for flute, violin, viola and cello; Trevor Wagler transcribed the Ravel for oboe, clarinet, violin, cello and piano; and Patrick Jordan transcribed the Dichterliebe for baritone, string quartet, classical guitar and double bass.
What I love about this disc is the luminous sound and clarity of the transcriptions, bringing an entirely new focus to these time-honoured classical works. While the Beethoven works beautifully, I loved the joie de vivre inherent in the Ravel transcription, capturing all the gallic charm of the original in a small chamber setting. With the Robert Schumann Dichterliebe, the work just sparkles with the wonderful baritone of Brett Polegato and the Eybler Quartet.
Gallery Players patrons might recall Polegato and Co. performed the Dichterliebe at a concert last January at Rodman Hall Arts Centre in St. Catharines. Now that performance has been preserved on this new disc for those who were there or wish they had been.
Polegato has never been a stranger to his native Niagara, having returned as recently as this past fall for a recital for the Department of Music at the Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine & Performing Arts at Brock University. He brings added cachet to this new disc, and the lightness of his baritone works especially well on the Dichterliebe.
The recording, made at Humbercrest United Church in Toronto earlier this year, has a nicely balanced sound with a beautiful acoustic.
If you want more information on either disc or want a copy for yourself, you can go to www.elorafestival.com for The Elora Festival Singers disc, or www.galleryplayers.ca for The Gallery Players of Niagara disc. Alternatively, you can order either disc through my website at www.finemusic.ca or by emailing me directly at music@vaxxine.com.
Enjoy the gift of music this Christmas!
December 21st, 2014.
The Elora Festival Singers scored a major Christmas hit a number of years ago when they recorded The Mystery of Christmas for the Naxos label. It proved to be a popular disc, combining superb artistry and sound with a collection of carols both familiar and not quite so familiar. When it was first introduced, it was marketed as their "Disc of the Month", which meant it sold for a limited time for about $5 a disc. The price-point won many listeners over, of course, but the disc was worth far more than that and is still a best-seller in the Naxos catalogue each holiday season, albeit at regular price.
Those heady days of $5 Naxos discs are long-gone, of course, but the Elora Festival Singers are back again this season with a new collection of Christmas music every bit as appealing as the first. Entitled The Wonder of Christmas, the music ranges from much-loved settings to new works, from polyphony to more straightforward melodies; the timeframe covers the Middle Ages to modern day.
The track listing begins with the very familiar Once in Royal David's City and continues on through My Dancing Day, What Child is This? The Holly and the Ivy and ending with the ever-popular The First Nowell. Composers range from Britten and Adolphe Adam to more contemporary composers such as Paul Halley and John Tavener.
Once again the choir is directed by Noel Edison and accompanied on several tracks by organist Michael Bloss. The sound is full with a nice acoustic, and the choir is simply one of the best anywhere.
The Elora Festival Singers are not just known as a Christmas choir, of course. In fact, their highly-acclaimed Naxos disc of Eric Whitacre's music was nominated for a major recording award in 2010. But once again this season, they bring their special warmth and style to the music of the season with outstanding results.
The second disc I want to highlight this season is even more local than Elora; The Gallery Players of Niagara are back with a brand-new disc entitled Transformation to celebrate their 20th anniversary. The group performs regularly in Niagara and beyond, and in fact their Glissandi Christmas concerts were held this past Friday and Saturday evenings in Niagara-on-the-Lake and St. Catharines.
The Gallery Players comprises several musicians on this new recording including Artistic Director Margaret Gay on cello; Douglas Miller on flute; Carol Lynn Fujino on violin and Patrick Jordan on viola. Added on some tracks are James Mason on oboe; Peter Shackleton on clarinet; Julie Baumgartel on violin; and Leslie De'Ath on piano. On Robert Schumann's Dichterliebe, Op. 48 which concludes the disc, the Eybler Quartet and Brett Polegato are featured.
In addition to Dichterliebe, the disc also features Beethoven's Sonata Op. 24 "Spring Sonata" and Ravel's ravishing Le tombeau de Couperin. If you're thinking these must be transcriptions, you are absolutely right. Patrick Jordan transcribed the Beethoven for flute, violin, viola and cello; Trevor Wagler transcribed the Ravel for oboe, clarinet, violin, cello and piano; and Patrick Jordan transcribed the Dichterliebe for baritone, string quartet, classical guitar and double bass.
What I love about this disc is the luminous sound and clarity of the transcriptions, bringing an entirely new focus to these time-honoured classical works. While the Beethoven works beautifully, I loved the joie de vivre inherent in the Ravel transcription, capturing all the gallic charm of the original in a small chamber setting. With the Robert Schumann Dichterliebe, the work just sparkles with the wonderful baritone of Brett Polegato and the Eybler Quartet.
Gallery Players patrons might recall Polegato and Co. performed the Dichterliebe at a concert last January at Rodman Hall Arts Centre in St. Catharines. Now that performance has been preserved on this new disc for those who were there or wish they had been.
Polegato has never been a stranger to his native Niagara, having returned as recently as this past fall for a recital for the Department of Music at the Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine & Performing Arts at Brock University. He brings added cachet to this new disc, and the lightness of his baritone works especially well on the Dichterliebe.
The recording, made at Humbercrest United Church in Toronto earlier this year, has a nicely balanced sound with a beautiful acoustic.
If you want more information on either disc or want a copy for yourself, you can go to www.elorafestival.com for The Elora Festival Singers disc, or www.galleryplayers.ca for The Gallery Players of Niagara disc. Alternatively, you can order either disc through my website at www.finemusic.ca or by emailing me directly at music@vaxxine.com.
Enjoy the gift of music this Christmas!
December 21st, 2014.
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