SUMMER SPACES
The summer music scene in Toronto is alive and well. It’s just not happening in the places where we usually look.
One emerging theme in recent musical years has been the genre-bending and border-crossing that goes along with putting familiar music in alternative spaces. This summer the trend continues, with two upcoming concert series that make a point of using venues that take the city’s musical life out of the concert hall, and into a more public sphere.
Play the Parks, now entering its fourth season, is a summer concert initiative from the Downtown Yonge BIA. This year’s series, running June 22 to September 18 and curated by Massey Hall and Roy Thomson Hall, promises concerts all summer long in four of Toronto’s downtown green spaces: Trinity Square Park will host concerts of dance music from across the Americas; the College Park courtyard, jazz, funk and soul; the McGill Granby Parkette, a variety of world music; and Mackenzie House, classical.
Between the four venues, the series is slated to present at least 1-2 free shows per week, all summer long. The series opener is one week from today on June 22 (5pm) and features the Massey Hall Band--a promising start to a summer of free music. For series details, visit http://www.downtownyonge.com/playtheparks/.
New this year and worth adding to your calendar is ClassyAF, a project from sisters Talisa and Naomi Blackman that bills itself as “a way to eat tacos while also listening to great music.” All jokes aside, the Blackman sisters have programmed a promising four-concert series, all of which will take place at Mexican restaurant La Rev on Dundas St. W. Concert headliners include violinist Rebecca MacLeod, an alumna of Carnegie Mellon, The Glenn Gould School and U of T (July 7); cello duo VC2 (July 14); pianists Indira Nanavati-Cadeña and Tom King alongside percussionist Daniel Morphy (July 21); and cellist Sarah Steeves in a program of Rachmaninoff, Lau and Piazzolla (July 28). Talisa Blackman herself also joins in as a piano accompanist for three of the four shows.
The series offers a fresh take on some classical favourites, and the taco suggestion is admittedly persuasive. Details at http://www.classyafshow.com/.
NEW IN REVIEWS
In light of maritime band Ten Strings and a Goat Skin’s upcoming Ontario tour, WholeNote reviewer Ivana Popovic takes a look at their latest album.
Auprès du Poêle
Ten Strings and a Goat Skin
Independent (tenstringsandagoatskin.com)
Woodstoves, community, dancing, good cheer, fire in the heart – such is the atmosphere on this album, and the aura of this music. It brought dance to my feet and the love of life to my mind, in no particular order.
This is the third CD released by the acoustic trio from Prince Edward Island. Rowen Gallant
(fiddle, viola, tenor banjo, vocals), Jesse Périard (guitar, pump organ, backing vocals) and Caleb Gallant (bodhràn, foot percussion, snare, cajón, clawhammer banjo, vocals) may be young but each is a very accomplished musician in his own right.
While rooted in Acadian and Scottish roots and their love for traditional maritime music, Ten
Strings and a Goat Skin were able to expand on this album into truly original interpretations and add unique compositional voices of their own, spicing it with indie and world music flavours. Thus this album comprises of a curious mix of original and traditional tunes and features an array of guest musicians, including Leonard Podolak (also producer of this album) and the members of Les Poules à Colin.
The title track, Auprès du Poêle, moves along with elegance and drive, and features a lovely scat voice/violin duet towards the end. Among many engaging tunes, my favourite were tracks 4, 5 and 6. When First I Came To Caledonia is a beautifully arranged traditional Cape Breton ballad – the dark viola timbre and the mellow voice add the melancholy touch. Shoot the Moon, one of the original tunes, has a few world music twists and a beautiful fiddle/percussion episode. Finally, Maluron Lurette, starts with a solitary melody that continues through progression of instruments and voices.
Sizzling fiddles, dynamic guitars and banjos and ever driving percussion – this album promises and delivers good times.
Ivana Popovic
Concert Note: Ten Strings and a Goat Skin’s busy summer schedule includes three stops in Ontario – July 7 at Hugh’s Room in Toronto, July 8 at the Almonte Celtfest in Almonte and July 9-10 at the Mariposa Folk Festival in Orillia.
ONE BIG CONTEST
We have free tickets to all mainstage shows at the TD Toronto Jazz Festival. Enter to win a pair:
JUST IN: CORRECTED AND NEW LISTINGS
FEATURED LISTING: Music in the Square & Summer Concert Series
Summer is the perfect time of year for a road trip--and if southern Ontario features prominently in your travel plans, the city of St. Catharines has just sweetened the deal, with two free concert series in public spaces this year. The first, Music in the Square, promises free midday performances at the city’s weekly farmers markets, June 4 to September 24; the second is a free summer concert series, on various dates from June 29 to July 20 in St. Catharines’ Montebello Park. If you’ve been thinking of visiting St. Catharines lately, one of their concert dates this summer would make for a good time. Details below in our HalfTones listings.
Other new/corrected summer concert listings added online since our last print issue are as follows:
Series
June 2-July 24. Lower Ossington Theatre. Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat. Music by Andrew Lloyd Webber, lyrics by Tim Rice. The Lower Ossington Theatre, 100A Ossington Ave. 416-915-6747. $49.99-$59.99. Days and times vary. Visit www.gogogojoseph.com for details.
June 4-September 24, 11:00am-1:30. City of St. Catharines. Music in the Square. Market Square, 91 King St., St. Catharines. Free. Visit http://www.stcatharines.ca/en/experiencein/MarketEvents.asp?_mid_=10054 for details.
June 28-August 30, 12:00 noon. Play the Parks. Dance Inspiring Fusion of the Americas. Trinity Square Park. Days and performers vary. Free. Visit www.downtownyonge.com/playtheparks/ for details.
June 29-July 20, 6:00. City of St. Catharines. Summer Concert Series. Montebello Park, St. Catharines. Free. Visit http://www.stcatharines.ca/en/experiencein/SummerConcertSeries.asp for details.
July 6-September 7, 12:00 noon. Play the Parks. Shapeshifting Classical. Mackenzie House, 82 Bond St. Days and performers vary. Free. Visit www.downtownyonge.com/playtheparks/ for details.
July 7-July 28, 7:00/9:00. #ClassyAF. La Rev, 2848 Dundas St. W. Days and performers vary. $15-$20. Visit www.classyafshow.com for details.
July 7-September 8, 12:00 noon. Play the Parks. Funky Lunchtime Soul. College Park Courtyard. Days and performers vary. Free. Visit www.downtownyonge.com/playtheparks/ for details.
July 7-September 18. Play the Parks. Festive Summer Streets. McGill Granby Parkette. Days, times and performers vary. Free. Visit www.downtownyonge.com/playtheparks/ for details.
Individual Listings
Wednesday June 22
5:00. Play the Parks. Play the Parks Launch Event. The Massey Hall Band. Trinity Square Park. Free. Visit www.downtownyonge.com/playtheparks/ for details.
Friday June 24
8:00: Toronto Creative Music Lab. Final Concert. Premieres by emerging composers and performers. 918 Bathurst Centre, 918 Bathurst St. 416-417-4469. $10. Doors open at 7pm.
Wednesday June 29
7:00: TD Toronto Jazz Festival/Lula Music and Arts Centre. Monica Chapman. Monica Chapman, vocals; Dave Restivo, piano; Alex Coleman, bass; Chris Wallace, drums; Nathan Hiltz, guitar; Rebecca Hennessy, trumpet. Lula Lounge, 1585 Dundas St. W. 416-588-0307. $15; $12(adv). Reservations recommended.
Friday July 1
1:00: University of Toronto. Canada Day Carillon Recital. Original carillon compositions, classical arrangements, folksongs and other festive Canadiana. Roy Lee, carillonneur; Joan Shaw, carillonneur-in-training; and Elisa Tersigni, carillonneur-in-training. Soldiers’ Tower War Memorial, 7 Hart House Cir. 416-978-348. Free. Commemorating the centenary of the Battle of the Somme.
Sunday July 3
8:30: Hugh's Room. Harpeth Rising. "Chamberfolk" featuring violin, cello and banjo. 2261 Dundas St. W. 416-531-6604. $22.50(adv); $25(door).
Thursday July 7
8:30: Hugh's Room. Ten Strings and a Goat Skin: Album Launch. Album launch for Auprès du Poêle. PEI traditional music. 2261 Dundas St. W. 416-531-6604. $22.50(adv); $25(door).
Tuesday July 12
9:00: Richmond Hill Centre for the Performing Arts. Jazz Series: Julie McGregor Quintet. Featuring Perry White, sax; Kieran Overs, bass; Kevin Dempsey, drums; Matt Newton, piano. 10268 Yonge St., Richmond Hill. 905-787-8811. Free.
Thursday July 14
12:30: St. Paul's Bloor Street. Choral Concert. Works by Stanford, Elgar, Vierne and others. Downing College Choir, Cambridge, UK; William Mason, Director of Music. 227 Bloor St. E. 416-961-8116. Free.
NEW ON OUR WEBSITE
Watch the video of our latest interview with Douglas McNabney, on his final year as AD with Toronto Summer Music:
THANKS FOR SUBSCRIBING
The current print issue of The WholeNote is a SPECIAL SUMMER ISSUE, covering June 1-September 7-- but HalfTones continues throughout the summer!
Vol 3 No 11: Monday, July 4
Vol 3 No 12: Wednesday, August 10
Please contact halftones@thewholenote.com with any HalfTones inquiries.
