Accordion Day 08/11/2011
by Tony Griffiths
Last Saturday Vancouver MusicFest put on "Accordion Day," an afternoon series of three accordion concerts by different performers, all in the wonderful acoustic of Christ Church Cathedral. It was amazing. The accordion is an under-appreciated instrument, mostly beloved by a group of enthusiasts who feel the elemental tug of its unique reed system. But the expressive range of the instrument is vast, from a sound like a jet engine at one end to the beating of a hummingbird's wings at the other, and this range was well-displayed at this series. Add Comment Memorable performance by the medieval music group Sequentia
Review by Tony Griffiths Last night (July 31) in the UBC recital hall I saw the group Sequentia performing "Frankish Phantoms", music from the 8th century, as part of the Vancouver Early Music festival. The whole programme consisted of songs the group had carefully reconstructed from disparate fragments of text and music. They have done a very scholarly and interesting job of this and it was a rare and fascinating experience to hear the three musicians perform music and balladeers' stories very close to the way they must have sounded 13 centuries ago at the time of Charlemagne, sung in Latin, Frankish and what seemed like early Russian. West Coast Amateur Music Society Summer Camp 08/01/2011
by Anthony Morgan I’ve just returned from the annual WCAMS Music Camp July 17 – 24 at Trinity Western University and thought that Recorder Society people might be interested in my experience. A number of our members were there and others have done it in past. Being a glutton for recorder playing, my comments will focus on that. However the over-arching characteristic of camp is its “amateur” quality in the sense of that word’s origin in the Latin “to love”. Everyone from the many world-class faculty to the most tuning-challenged beginner is there because of their pleasure in making music and supporting others. All have the opportunity to perform in small groups and huge ensembles and magical things happen. .............. by Tony Griffiths
These workshops, put on by the Seattle Recorder Society, are held every two years, but this was the first one for me. In my opinion it was a great success. Just what is it that makes for a successful workshop? Read on.... SPRING SHOWCASE 5 May 2011 05/11/2011
11 groups and 28 people performed to an enthusiastic and knowledgeable audience of friends, relations and colleagues. The gamut of recorder playing was covered from the Medieval period through the Renaissance, Baroque and Classical eras to the 20th century and a Canadian composer. Harpsichord accompaniment was heard from three groups and for the first time at a Showcase, basso continuo was provided by a Viol
This retreat, sponsored and organized by the Portland Recorder Society, hosted 44 participants, mostly Americans from western states, but also three Canadians from BC.
The appeal of this retreat is in the diverse range of musical experiences. The early music sessions spanned the usual range of medieval and renaissance music, but, unlike any other workshop, included the earliest known music of all, dating back to the ancient Egyptians and Greeks, several millennia BCE.... Workshop: 16th Century Polyphony; Franco-Flemish Music in the Court of Henry the 8th, March 12, 2011 04/05/2011
This workshop was planned and directed by Alan Thrasher (UBC), assisted by a very able music graduate student, Vanamali Medina. There were 20 registrants (including 2 from Victoria), who were divided into more-experienced and less-experienced groups, housed in separate rooms for most of the day, and uniting for some final pieces....
Obituary: William G. Gardner 02/11/2011
One cannot do justice to such a special person in so few words. William G. Gardner of Birch Bay Wa. passed away on January 26 after suffering from ALS for four years. He was one of the founding members of the Bellingham Recorder Players over 30 years ago. At one of the workshops at UBC, Bill invited Sharon and Vreni to join the Bellingham players. Many of the long time Vancouver recorder players will remember him as he in the meantime also became an active member of the BCRS and took part in monthly meetings there. He also played recorder with the White Rock Sandpipers and participated in several of their performances. His passion for recorder music lasted until his last days: when he lost his ability to play the recorder, he played the drums. When he couldn't do that either, he just listened to the music as every Thursday and Friday friends came to his house to practice. Friends and family gathered to celebrate his life at the memorial service on February 5th. His was a life of inspiration, generosity, enthusiasm and resilience. Many people were touched by his role as family man, teacher, musician and a councillor. About 20 recorder friends felt honoured to play selections of his choosing during the celebrations. Vreni Edmonton Recorder Society Retreat 10/30/2010
Just before we were about to head out on a road trip through the Alberta Badlands and Saskatchewan prairie, we got the crazy idea of going to the Edmonton Recorder Society retreat in Nordegg, Alberta, which is in the eastern foothills of the Rockies near Rocky Mountain House. This turned out to be one of the highlights of our trip! We arrived in time for dinner on Friday the 17th of September, and departed after lunch on Sunday, September 19th. In between, we enjoyed ourselves hugely getting to know the 22 other participants, most of whom hailed from Edmonton, Calgary and Red Deer, and the majority of whom were much more experienced and skilled players than we are. Nevertheless, everyone, without exception, was very welcoming and supportive, which made for an especially relaxed and rich musical experience. For instance, in group sessions, we were consistently invited to sit beside a more experienced player on the same instrument who would often help us stay on track. In addition, there was an opportunity to play one-on-one with a couple of different guitar players at one point, which also was geared to our playing level. That experience was very gratifying, as were the opportunities to participate in several group sessions throughout the weekend, focusing on different kinds of music - from modern classical, to jazz/pop, and the music of the English composer and lutenist, John Dowland. What made it all even more fun was that there were other instruments besides recorders, such as cello, viola da gamba, a number of guitars and various human voices. Some of the most experienced players also jammed into the night on both Friday and Saturday, and even played together informally when the rest of us trekked off to circumnavigate Goldeye Lake! (The beauty of our surroundings was hard to resist, and the weather was co-operative until the last day). The whole weekend was organized and led by volunteers of the Edmonton Recorder Society, with the exception of the staff who ran the Centre for Outdoor Education, who mainly provided meals and accommodation. The ERS members are so capable that they don't need to pay someone to facilitate the retreat, and this fact, coupled with the dorm-style sleeping arrangements, combined to keep costs very reasonable. Besides all meals together, and the aforementioned outing, we also thoroughly enjoyed the wine and cheese reception Friday night, and the Scottish dancing with instruction on Saturday evening. Everyone was refreshingly open, friendly and interesting. We hope to be able to return in the next year or two, and can assure other BCRS members that it is definitely worth the scenic trip to make beautiful music with this lovely group of people. Karen Lewis Mary Sullivan |
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