October - November 2011 In this issue:

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1 TORONTO REGION NEWSLETTER October - November 2011 In this issue: Web: Introducing Fado 1 Reading, Nov. 20 (Haydn) 6 Readings and Workshops 2 Chamber Music Workshop, Jan. 8 & 15 7 CAMMAC RPS 2 Playing opportunities / concert listings 8 Coming in January: Rodrigo Chavez 3 Superb Sudoku 9 Fado workshop, Oct Advertising Rates 10 Reading, Oct. 23 (Handel) 5 Regional Management Committee 10 Introducing Fado On October 16, CAMMAC members have a rare opportunity to explore fado, the deeply emotional singing tradition from Portugal. Its origins are widely debated and it defies easy definition, but its appeal is powerful. Fado refers loosely to fate or destiny, often key themes in fado lyrics. From a website devoted to fado ( ): A shawl, a guitar, a voice and heartfelt emotion. These are the ingredients of fado, the celebrated form of world music that captures what it is to be Portuguese. Inspiration for fado can come from almost any source. Although there are predominance of themes like: destiny, deep-seated feelings, disappointments in love, the sense of sadness and longing for someone who has gone away, misfortune, the ups and downs of life, the sea, the life of sailors and fishermen, and last but not least saudade (one of the main themes used in fado, that means a kind of longing). Fado is probably the oldest urban folk music in the world and represents the heart of the Portuguese soul, and for that matter fado performance is not successful if an audience is not moved to tears. Fado, it is said, cannot be explained; it must be experienced. So, find your way to and look up Amália Rodrigues, one of the greatest exponents of the style. When she died in 1999, the Portuguese government declared three days of national mourning. And get ready to be moved, not only by the great fadistas of the past, but by your highly experienced coaches for October 16: Jessica Lloyd and Louis Simão. For workshop details, please see page 4. Blair Mackenzie CAMMAC Toronto Region Newsletter October-November

2 SCHEDULE OF READINGS SEASON Once a month, CAMMAC singers and instrumentalists get together and read through a work for choir and orchestra under the direction of a professional conductor. Occasionally, readings feature pieces for singers only, or for instrumentalists only. Readings are not intended as rehearsals, and we do not perform for an audience, although listeners are welcome. All readings are in Elliott Hall, Christ Church Deer Park, 1570 Yonge St, Toronto, from 2 pm to 4:30 pm on Sunday afternoons. Admission is $6 for CAMMAC members and $10 for nonmembers. Please arrive 15 minutes early to set up so the reading can begin on time! October 23 Handel, Coronation Anthems with Richard Birney-Smith (coordinator: Tim Moody) November 20 Haydn, Mass in time of War with Mark Vuorinen (coordinator: Lynda Moon) January 22 J. S. Bach, Cantatas 65 and 79 with Mervin Fick (coordinator: Barbara Adams) February 12 Gustavino, Indianas : Argentinian songs with Isabel Bernaus (coordinator: Ricci Balogh) March 18 Elgar, The Kingdom with Stephanie Martin (coordinator: Tim Moody) April 22 Duruflé, Requiem with Brad Ratzlaff (coordinator: Gerald Martindale) June 10 Orff, Carmina Burana choruses with Colin Clarke (coordinator: Ellen Frei) NOTE TO ASPIRING VOCAL SOLOISTS Most of the pieces that we work on at our Sunday readings have vocal solo parts. Sometimes members of the choir sing these parts together. Sometimes the conductor invites his/her own soloists, and sometimes we find people to sing these parts at the readings. If you are an experienced singer and you d like to give it a try, please contact both Peter Solomon (peter.solomon@utoronto.ca.) and the reading coordinator (for contact information: page 10) at least a month ahead of the reading date so this possibility can be discussed. TORONTO REGION WORKSHOPS SEASON October 16, 2:30 pm: Fado Portuguese singing with Jessica Lloyd and Louis Simão at the Miles Nadal JCC (see page 4) January 8 and 15, 9:20 am: Chamber music workshop with various faculty at a private home in North York (see page 7) January 15, 2:30 pm: Latin American percussion with Rodrigo Chavez at the Miles Nadal JCC NEWSLETTER DEADLINES The deadline for content for the December January issue is November 15, and for the February-March issue is January 15. CAMMAC RECORDER PLAYERS SOCIETY The CAMMAC Recorder Players Society meets every third Friday evening from September to May at the Church of the Transfiguration, 111 Manor Road East, between Yonge Street and Mount Pleasant Road. We play from 7:30 pm until 10 pm, with a short break. Please bring your own music stand. Regular meetings are $10 for CAMMAC members and $12 for others, while coached sessions are $15 and $20 respectively. CAMMAC members may choose to pay an annual fee of $80. Remember to bring your CAMMAC membership card with you on your first visit, which is free for newcomers. For further information, call Anne-Marie Prendiville at CAMMAC Toronto Region Newsletter October-November

3 Dates for the season (all Friday evenings, except the Spring Workshop, which is on a Sunday): Oct. 21 (coached, Scott Paterson); Nov. 11; Dec. 2 (Xmas Workshop coached, Avery MacLean); Jan. 6; Jan. 27; Feb. 17 (coached, Colin Savage); Mar. 9; Mar. 30; Apr. 22 (Spring Workshop coached, Alison Melville); May 11; Jun. 1. Coming in January: Rodrigo Chavez teaches Latin American Percussion By Blair Mackenzie Mark the date now! On January 15, 2012 you will have the opportunity to participate in a Latin American percussion workshop led by Rodrigo Chavez. This is an event not to be missed for anyone interested in percussion and/or the rhythms of South America. Born in Chile, Rodrigo has performed extensively in South America, the United States and Canada. He has taught at CAMMAC both at Lake Macdonald (where he taught in Jazz Week this year) and at the Ontario Music Camp in Lakefield, now Lake Field Music. I well recall hearing him in the faculty concert at the Ontario Music Camp two years ago and being blown away by his musicianship. I was also struck by how much he was loved and respected by those who took his course. More to come on this in the next issue of this Newsletter. Does music training boost brain health? Music training may help keep an aging brain healthy, according to research published in the April 20, 2011 online issue of Neuropsychology. The study recruited 70 healthy adults age 60 to 83 who were divided into groups based on their levels of musical experience. Those with musical training performed better on several cognitive tests than individuals who had never studied an instrument or learned how to read music. Musical activity throughout life may serve as a challenging cognitive exercise, making your brain fitter and more capable of accommodating the challenges of aging, said lead researcher Brenda Hanna-Pladdy, PhD. Since studying an instrument requires years of practice and learning, it may create alternate connections in the brain that could compensate for cognitive declines as we get older. CAMMAC Toronto Region Newsletter October-November

4 A CAMMAC (Canadian Amateur Musicians /Musiciens Amateurs du Canada) Toronto Region Event. Please copy and post. CAMMAC WORKSHOP Fado Workshop with Jessica Lloyd and Louis Simão October 16, 2011, 2:30 pm 4:30 pm Miles Nadal JCC, 750 Spadina Ave. (at Bloor) (TTC: Spadina) Fado has gained increasing popularity worldwide. The music of fado is filled with intense emotion, and it appeals immediately to those who experience it. The music is ingrained in Portuguese history and culture. This workshop gives Canadian singers an opportunity to learn more about Portuguese culture through its history, language and music. Jessica Lloyd: From concert hall to opera stage, from studio sessions to dimly lit nightclubs, Jessica Lloyd s genre-crossing vocal abilities never fail to impress. Currently a member of the Canadian Opera Company Chorus, Jessica was formerly the lead singer with the Billy Ledbetter Orchestra, a big band from Houston, TX. She was also a founding member of the a cappella trio, wayward sister. For the last four years Jessica has collaborated with multi-instrumentalist and composer Louis Simão, exploring the musical traditions of the Spanish and Portuguese-speaking worlds. Louis Simão: A multi-instrumentalist working in a variety of genres, Louis Simão has performed and/or recorded with fado singers Fatima Ferreira and Armando Jorge as well as Nelly Furtado, Dominic Mancuso, Michael Occhipinti s Sicilian Jazz Project, Justin Rutledge, Guinga, Patricia Cano, Tapestry New Opera Works and Luanda Jones. Reflected in Simão s songwriting is his Portuguese heritage of folk songs and fado, as well as Brazilian, African and Jazz influences. To participate, complete and mail this form together with your payment (cheque or money order, payable to CAMMAC Toronto Region) to: CAMMAC Fado Workshop, 57 York Road, Toronto M2L 1H7. Name: Address: City: Postal Code: Tel: Amount: $25 (CAMMAC / MNjcc member) $30 (non-cammac / MNjcc member) For groups: $15 per member. Name of group: CAMMAC Toronto Region Newsletter October-November

5 A CAMMAC (Canadian Amateur Musicians /Musiciens Amateurs du Canada) Toronto Region Event. Please copy and post. CAMMAC READING Handel: Coronation Anthems Date SUNDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2011 Time 2 PM SHARP TO 4:30 PM (Please arrive 15 minutes early to set up.) Conductor Richard Birney-Smith Biography Music notes Richard Birney-Smith has played a prominent role in the Greater Hamilton and Toronto music scene since moving to Dundas in Born in the USA in 1941, he received his first organ assignment at age 10 when the organist of his father s church was unable to find a holiday replacement. He actively worked as a church musician with only brief interruptions from then until He immigrated to Canada in In addition to his work as a church musician, he is a concert organist, harpsichordist, conductor, composer and organ consultant. He has made hundreds of concert and recital appearances in Canada, the United States, England, Scotland, and France, and has been recorded for radio and television as well as on LP and CD. In 1992, he was awarded an honorary LLD from McMaster University for his work. The Coronation Anthems are four anthems composed using texts from the King James Bible and the Book of Common Prayer. They are traditionally performed at the time of the coronation of the British monarch. They were commissioned for the coronation of King George II in 1727 and have been popular ever since. They represent Handel s first commission as a naturalized British subject. The text of the first anthem, Zadok the Priest (adapted from the First Book of Kings) has been sung at every British coronation since AD 973, with Handel s setting used exclusively since Place Christ Church Deer Park, 1570 Yonge St (2 blocks north of St Clair Avenue) in Elliott Hall (enter from Heath Street) Singers Choir SATB. (Note: singers do not need to pre-register) Instrumentation Oboes 1,2; bassoons 1,2; trumpets 1,2,3; tympani; strings. Information For more information: Tim Moody (timmoody@sympatico.ca) Cost CAMMAC members $6; non-members $10; students free. Refreshments Refreshments will be available for $1 during the break. Instrumentalists: Please pre-register with Kathleen Mackenzie (k_mackenzie@sympatico.ca ) Please bring your own music stand CAMMAC Toronto Region Newsletter October-November

6 A CAMMAC (Canadian Amateur Musicians /Musiciens Amateurs du Canada) Toronto Region Event. Please copy and post. CAMMAC READING Haydn: Mass in time of War Date SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2011 Time 2 PM SHARP TO 4:30 PM (Please arrive 15 minutes early to set up.) Conductor Mark Vuorinen Biography Music notes Canadian conductor Mark Vuorinen is Artistic Director of two prominent ensembles: the Toronto Chamber Choir, a leading early music choral ensemble, and the Kitchener- Waterloo Grand Philharmonic Choir. Mark holds a Master of Music degree from Yale University s School of Music and Institute of Sacred Music, where he received a full scholarship. He is currently a candidate for the Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Toronto, where during his residency he regularly conducted the University of Toronto MacMillan Singers in performances. Haydn s Missa in tempore belli (Mass in Time of War) was written in 1796 as Napoleon was advancing on Vienna. Written in the normally carefree key of C major, the opening and closing sections are spiked with uncharacteristic (and, at the time, sacrilegious) trumpet fanfares and tympani rolls. While the Mass s drums and brass accents are isolated, they inject a hint of anxiety and desperation into the final soothing prayer for peace. The Mass has often been thought to express an anti-war sentiment. It was for example included in a 1973 Concert for Peace led by Leonard Bernstein as a protest to the Vietnam war. Place Christ Church Deer Park, 1570 Yonge St (2 blocks north of St Clair Avenue) in Elliott Hall (enter from Heath Street) Singers Choir SATB. (Note: singers do not need to pre-register) Instrumentation Flute 1; oboes 1,2; clarinets 1,2; bassoons 1,2; horns 1,2; D trumpets 1,2; tympani; organ; strings Information For more information: Lynda Moon (ptriovc@yahoo.ca) Cost CAMMAC members $6; non-members $10; students free. Refreshments Refreshments will be available for $1 during the break. Instrumentalists: Please pre-register with Kathleen Mackenzie (k_mackenzie@sympatico.ca ) Please bring your own music stand CAMMAC Toronto Region Newsletter October-November

7 A CAMMAC (Canadian Amateur Musicians /Musiciens Amateurs du Canada) Toronto Region Event. Please copy and post. CHAMBER MUSIC WORKSHOP CAMMAC Toronto Region will hold a chamber music workshop on Sunday, January 8 and 15, 2012 from 9:20 am to 1:30 pm followed (on the 15th) by a short concert. Location: a private residence in the York Mills/Bayview area. Refreshments: tea, coffee and lunch included. The workshop is for pre-formed string, wind or mixed ensembles, with or without piano, from 2 to 8 people each and will be in a masterclass format. You are expected to prepare a work of your choice. You will be coached for about 50% of the time (i.e. there will be one coach for every two ensembles). The other 50% of the time you will be able to observe another group being coached. The coaches for the workshop will, depending on enrollment, be members of the Windermere String Quartet The workshop comprises both sessions. You will have the opportunity to perform a movement from your coached work after the workshop (at 2 pm on January 15th) if your ensemble wishes. The price per ensemble is $200 ($150 for ensembles comprised only of students). Auditors are welcome at $15 for one session and $25 for both sessions. There is an additional charge of $20 for every member of an ensemble that is not a CAMMAC member ($10 for students). Please register early, as the number of ensembles that we can accommodate is very limited. Registration is on a first come first served basis. Registrations are subject to availability of space (and piano or harpsichord) and will only be accepted with payment in full. Registrations close on November 20, Please bring music stands as well as a score for your coach. For more information please contact Roland Wilk, , roland.wilk@gmail.com Complete and mail this form to: CAMMAC CHAMBER MUSIC WORKSHOP, 57 York Road, Toronto, Ontario, M2L 1H7 Name (main contact): Address: City: Postal Code: Tel. (days): Tel. (evenings): Group members: (Name & phone for each, or attach list if needed) FEES: per group, both Saturdays: $200 (students: $150) Surcharge for each non-cammac member: x $20 (students, $10) Auditor(s) x $15 (one session); x $25 (both sessions). TOTAL FEES:$ PAID BY: cheque money order Cheque: Please make cheques payable to CAMMAC Toronto Region. Piano/harpsichord needed: Y N CAMMAC Toronto Region Newsletter October-November

8 Playing Opportunities T.E.M.P.O. Workshops: Dates for the season are as follows. All sessions are from 1:30 pm to 4 pm: Oct. 16 (tentative; with Rosamund Morley); Nov. 6 (with Mark Chambers); Dec. 4 (with Avery MacLean); Jan. 8 (with Alison Melville); Feb. 5 (with Frank Nakashima); Mar. 4 (coach TBA); Apr. 15 (coach TBA); May 6 (with Marie-Laurence Primeau). Note new location for all sessions: Armour Heights Community Centre, 2140 Avenue Road, Toronto. Fee $20 per session. For further information: Frank Nevelo (franknevelo@sympatico.ca) or Please also note the T.E.M.P.O. Fundraising Tea to be held on June 3, 2:30 to 5 pm, location TBA. The Divine Right of Strings (formerly Brilliantly Baroque), a fledgling string group, seeks string players. We meet the first Sunday of each month, 2-5 pm, near Lawrence & Don Mills. We play mostly Baroque repertoire. Please RSVP, then come along and enjoy. Contact: ericarao@mac.com AND / OR ADDRESS CHANGES / PRIVACY NOTICE Whenever your contact information changes, please remember to notify CAMMAC headquarters. We receive our mailing lists from them, so keep us current by keeping CAMMAC informed! Toll free: or national@cammac.ca. If you do not want your name and personal information known to other CAMMAC members, please make sure that when you renew your membership, you mark the appropriate box at the bottom of the application form. CONCERT LISTINGS (items marked * involve one or more CAMMAC members) Kindred Spirits Orchestra* presents Mozart, Overture to the Magic Flute; Grieg, Piano concerto (Christina Petrowska-Quilico); Mendelssohn, Symphony No. 4 Italian. Markham Theatre for the Performing Arts, 171 Town Centre Blvd, Markham. Tickets $25 plus handling at or follow the link from Saturday November 5, 8 pm NYCO Symphony Orchestra* presents Holst, The Planets (selection), A Moment Here on Earth, Clair de Lune, Star Trek, Star Wars, ET the Extra-Terrestrial. Centre for the Arts, St Michael s College School, 1515 Bathurst Street, Toronto. Tickets $25/20/10 on-line at or send a cheque to NYCO Box Office, 57 York Road, North York, ON M2L 1H7. Saturday November 12, 8 pm CAMMAC Toronto Region Newsletter October-November

9 SUPERB SUDOKU by Ricci Balogh U O R A M R O C R A N D A R D N C M N U A M N G O U G D Nine different letters are used in this SUDOKU. Each letter is used once in each row, column and 3x3 box. To start, look in the most populated boxes, rows and columns for missing letters. If you end up with more than one possibility, use common sense to eliminate the extra letters. After solving the puzzle itself, you have to find the one or two word musical term made up of these 9 letters when placed in the correct order. Good luck! Letters used, in alphabetical order: A C D G M N O R U. The solution to this puzzle will be published in the next issue of the Newsletter. Solution to the puzzle published in the September issue: SYMPHONIC *************************************************** At last: a viola joke that is also a true story Conductor and pianist Bramwell Tovey has a certain fondness for viola jokes, which he doesn't restrict to the privacy of his dressing room. He tells them everywhere, and that includes concert halls before an audience. Several years ago he was in Toronto as a guest conductor for the TSO Promenade Series, and the viola section starting bracing itself. Teng Li, principal TSO violist, and then all of 21, went to Tovey and said, No viola jokes. Tovey was good about that until the final concert, when he just couldn't help himself and chose to tell an eminently forgettable witticism at the expense of violists. Tovey returned after intermission to a laughing audience, there being not a single violist on the stage. The viola section left him there to squirm for a bit, after which, led by Li, the viola section finally emerged from the wings to thunderous applause. We had so much fun, said Li. (Taken from an interview with Teng Li, as published in The Toronto Star on March 7, 2009) CAMMAC Toronto Region Newsletter October-November

10 WHAT DO I GET FOR MY CAMMAC MEMBERSHIP? By taking out membership in CAMMAC you support the work of Canada s foremost charitable organization devoted to meeting the needs of amateur musicians. CAMMAC members pay reduced admission to attend CAMMAC readings and workshops and have borrowing privileges from the extensive CAMMAC sheet music library. CAMMAC membership is a requirement for taking part in CAMMAC s summer music camp at Lake MacDonald. MUSICAL CHAIRS Are you looking for a music mate, someone with whom to make some music? We keep a list of others also looking! Please get in touch with our Musical Chairs group at ADVERTISING RATES Full page $90 Half page $50 (max. 7 ½ W x 4 5/8 H) Quarter page $30 (max. 3 ½ H x 4 5/8 H) Advertising is subject to space availability. Neither publication nor positioning is guaranteed. CAMMAC TORONTO REGION MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE President: Gerald Martindale bellman@rogers.com Vice President: Tim Moody timmoody@sympatico.ca Past President: Kathy Gallyas kathy.gallyas@gmail.com Treasurer: Marion Wilk* marion.wilk@gmail.com Secretary: Lynda Moon ptriovc@yahoo.ca Newsletter Production: Blair Mackenzie mackenzie.blair@gmail.com Publicity Coordinator: Barbara Adams brbr.adams@gmail.com Orchestral Coordinator: Kathleen Mackenzie k_mackenzie@sympatico.ca Volunteer Coordinator: Gerald Martindale bellman@rogers.com Member at Large: Peter Solomon peter.solomon@utoronto.ca. *Toronto Region representative to the CAMMAC Board of Directors OTHER CONTACTS Webmaster: Nacia Miller nacia_miller@sympatico.ca Recorder Players Soc.: Anne-Marie Prendiville CAMMAC membership inquiries (toll free): or national@cammac.ca CAMMAC website: CAMMAC Toronto Region Newsletter October-November

11 The best in classical vocal performances presented in beautiful venues / 2012 Season Messiah Handel s Handel s timeless oratorio will be offered four times this autumn, complete with orchestra, led from the harpsichord by Ron Greidanus. under the direction of Ron Greidanus Friday, November 18, 2011, 8 pm Christ Church Anglican, 4 Elizabeth Street North, Brampton $30, Students $10 Sunday, November 20, 2011, 3 pm St. James Anglican Church, Caledon East This performance presented as part of the Caledon Chamber Concert Series in Caledon East. Saturday, December 3, 2011, 8 pm Old Town Hall, Willow and Bower Streets, Acton $30, Students $10 Sunday, December 4, 2011, 2:30 pm St. Elias Ukrainian Church, Heritage Road, Brampton $30, Students $10 Tickets may be purchased at two locations in Georgetown: Foodstuffs, 89 Main Street South, Pat s Prime Cuts & Deli, 333 Mountainview Road South #10, For the Acton concert, tickets are also available at The Holland Shop, 71 Mill St. E., Acton, Or on our website