March has blown in – and with it a full slate of concert events in and around Toronto. There are almost 500 concert listings in The WholeNote, which is not unusual for one of the busier months of the year. But what is unusual is the way the concerts are distributed throughout the month. (We notice things like this at The WholeNote office.)

The week of the 15th to the 19th is a little thin: that’s the week of the schools’ March Break, so I suppose it’s understandable that many groups have chosen not to perform at this time. But, as a result, the following weekend – March 26, 27 and 28 – constitutes a “perfect storm” of performances, with 76 concerts over three days.

For concert-goers, I suppose this is a good thing, although the sheer abundance of choices could be a tad overwhelming. But when things like this happen, as they occasionally do, I always wonder if concert presenters shouldn’t perhaps be a little more prudent in their scheduling – lest they find themselves up against too much competition. Still, if each and every one of these 76 concerts attracts a large and enthusiastic audience, there’s no harm done.

As well, two other aspects of the month’s offerings stand out as noteworthy. For one thing, March is the busiest month for University music departments. Students who have been preparing all year are ready to show the world what they can do, in campus concerts in around Toronto. As many of these events are either free, or open to the public for a modest ticket-price, March is a month of good musical value.

Also, this month’s WholeNote shows that the benefit concert is still very much a part of our musical life. In Ori Dagan’s column, on page 47, you can read about some remarkable efforts to raise money for Haiti that have taken place in the jazz community. And on the opposite page, you’ll see an advertisment for a particlarly impressive fundraising event. “Sing for Haiti,” on March 7 at Metropolitan United Church, brings together six of the top choirs in Toronto, plus CBC announcer Tom Allen and singer-songwriter Melanie Doane. Met United has a seating capacity of about 800 – so with tickets priced at $20, this concert could raise $16,000 for Doctors Without Borders and Free the Children. Given the desperate situation in Haiti, let’s hope that every ticket is sold.

In The WholeNote’s Listings Section, you’ll also find a benefit concert for University Settlement Music and Arts School on March 20, performed by soprano Anne Yardley, and mezzo Michelle Simmons, at St. George the Martyr Church. But this is just a prelude to a much bigger benefit concert the following month. On April 18, the piano duo team of Anagnoson and Kinton will appear at Glenn Gould Studio, to raise funds for University Settlement’s programme for families in need.

Last but not least, the Three Cantors will take to the stage at St. Anne’s Anglican on March 26 for a good cause. You can read more about this trio of singing Anglican clergymen, and their ongoing efforts to raise money for the Primates World Relief and Development Fund in Allan Pulker’s column on page 20.

March winds are chilly in this part of the world – but there’s plenty of music in the air, to help us all get through what’s left of
the winter.

Colin Eatock, Managing Editor