Review of Opera?Are You Kidding Me?
April 11th, Arrowsmith Church, Port Alberni
It's amazing that trained voices can fill a large church sanctuary without the use of microphones.
Benjamin Butterfield, tenor, and Alexander Dobson, baritone, impressed with their emotional and vocal ranges, as well as the sheer power of their voices.The tenor/baritone duets made my spine tingle. Anne Grimm is clearly a force to be reckoned with! She has a beautiful high soprano voice, backed up with engaging acting and dynamic range.
Jimin Shin Dobson added musical counterpoint and comment with her Baroque Violin. She occasionally became an added character in the drama, with the voice of a violin!
Frances Armstrong was the piano accompanist and it was wonderful to see how closely she watched the singers, providing support but never overpowering. She was perfect.
All the musicians were warm and engaging, acting out the relationships between characters while singing beautifully, in various languages.
This concert was everything I wanted and hoped to share about opera with our audience - presented in an entertaining and accessible way.
I recommend this concert to all presenters.
Colleen Goodrich
President of the Alberni Classical Concerts Society
Review of Buzz Brass
Buzz Brass brought a varied program to the Alberni Classical Concert audience, featuring music that spanned almost 350 years. Many of the pieces were arranged for brass quintet, having been originally composed for different instrumentation. The group was beautifully balanced and their tones blended, allowing themes in the music to be passed around through the range of their instruments, and giving a feeling of one large instrument. Their dynamic control was beautifully nuanced.
The Gymnopedies, Lent et grave, by Erik Satie was so gorgeous that the audience was held still at the end. I personally loved the opening Fanfare by Hugo Begin, and the "American" string quartet by Dvorak.
The audience enjoyed a short demonstration of the range of the brass instruments - from the piccolo trumpet down to the bass trombone - and a discussion of which was most "stylish"!
Just before the Encore, the group played a game of musical trivia in which the audience tried to guess the name of a piece, the composer and the year it was written from a short excerpt of music.
Buzz Brass is Exceptional and Charming. They play serious music without taking themselves too seriously - a wonderful group to bring in when the "winter blues" have descended.
Review for Payadora:
Up until last night I felt secure, even a bit smug, about my choice of Classical music being my favourite music - fulfilling my need for music that has stood the test of time, music that brings me to tears and makes my heart full to the brim with joy. For me there's nothing better than the amazing instrumental facility, the liquid tone, the perfect pitch and finally chosen dynamics shown by those musicians who have been studying their instrument since childhood. Because I've tried to get there myself I know what a long and arduous road it is, and just wanting it is not enough.
Up until last night I felt secure, even a bit superior, until Payadora came to town. I found that concert shattering. It made me want to cry, "Wait a minute. I've been looking in the wrong direction most of my life!"
The Payadora musicians have all the facility, tone, pitch, dynamics and something more. Their music is so human, - full of emotion, drama, joy and pathos. Whole conversations are delivered in a pause, in the joy of a dance step, in a saucy comment made over the bridge of the violin, the slide and thump of the bass, the big chords of the piano and the squeeze of the bandoneon.
Western European music is reserved and keeps its emotions in check. It rarely makes a scene, although it can certainly wind a person up. Music reflects the language and the culture of the people who write it. Western European music is organized and there are rules, forms and protocols.
Payadora played music with so much heart and warmth that I realized I should have learned Spanish. I should have learned to Tango and Samba. Fighting, teasing, crying and laughing should have been more acceptable. I feel shaken by the difference.
I should have looked South.