Music faculty cooks up an Aural feast
Annual gala concert offers musical diversity and sheer excellence
NICHOLAS MACMAHON, STAFF
Take a handful of Winnipeg’s finest classical virtuosos, add some legendary local jazz cats and heat them up in a small auditorium. After two hours of indulgent delight, your musical belly will be gluttonously demanding seconds . . . at least mine was on the eve of Sept. 13 when the faculty of music put on their annual Faculty Gala Concert.
Upon receiving the show’s intimidating program, I was utterly disappointed by the sea of wrinkled faces surrounding me. I’m not talking about the scores of Caucasian university students that have prematurely aged their skin this summer, attempting to alter their race by spending too much time at (insert) lake. No, these were devoted, elderly music lovers (many alumni) that pay to see real musicianship — artists playing and interpreting some of the most technical, intellectual and emotionally challenging music ever composed. Fortunately, many of the young students from the faculty of music did turn up, along with many faculty members. What about the rest of the student body? As one Black Eyed Pea mused, “Where’s the love, y’all? I don’t know.” Well, Mr. Pea, I do know. That love came from the artists. It was manifested in every note that fateful night, in every dissonant chord, in every dramatic pause. These musicians bleed for their music.
A heartfelt introductory speech by Edmund Dawe (faculty dean and pianist) set the tone for the evening, as he praised the underappreciated faculty’s twofold work ethic: selfless devotion to their student’s progress and a constant strive to express, moving anyone who is kind enough to stop and listen. To lighten the mood, he joked about a man arriving at the pearly gates declaring $10,0000 as his final year’s salary to St. Peter (peanuts compared to the lawyer and plastic surgeon next to him). St. Peter’s response to the man: “what instrument did you play?” The joke was met with booming laughter from the crowd, not in mere mockery of the struggling musician, rather a respect for the fact that a musician’s sustenance is passion, not a paycheque.
Following the speech, Dawe joined the sensational David Moroz for a brisk duet by Franz Schubert (“Marche Characteristique in C major, op. 121, No.1”). Listening to four hands dancing around on one keyboard was not only an aural illusion, but an amazing feat of synchronization as they motored through a playful tune. Moroz returned to the stage shortly after to perform arguably the most beautiful piece of the evening — “The Maiden and the Nightingale” by Enrique Granados. With a sensitive touch and tremendous control, a hush came over the audience before the final release; desperately fighting back tears, I preserved my masculinity. Each piece during the first set (and the entire concert) demonstrated not only the vast talent pool of the faculty, but also a diversity of instruments and styles. From the “Desperado-esque” sketches of Spain evoked by Ryszard Tyborowski’s mournful interpretation of Dionisio Aguado’s “Variations on the Fandango, op. 16” to an a cappella avante garde song-poem performed by five members of the faculty, there wasn’t a dull moment. In fact, this a cappella piece (John Cage’s “Story”) stirred up some roaring laughs, which was probably expected, since the piece was devoid of melody and was almost like a rap, but with no real lyrics — repeated words, phrases, syllables and screams, interrupting each other in rhythm. It was hilarious, slightly disturbing, and I can’t imagine the practice that went into taming this musical beast.
Following a brief intermission, the faculty returned rejuvenated; little did I know that the show hadn’t even begun. After another piano duet opener (a quaint piece with melodic gestures), Steve Kirby took the audience for a ride up the dangerous mountains of Gold Rush era Colorado, as he penned the jazz composition “T’elluride” (to hell you ride) inspired by a recent visit south of the border. Alongside Kirby, the piece featured an all-star lineup of faculty and students: Richard Gillis (trumpet) Neil Watson (sax), Laurent Roy (guitar), Will Bonness and Judy Kehler Siebert (pianos) and Cutris Nowosad (drums). The piece moved with intensity, complemented by a tight groove and soaring dynamics. The band’s energy thrilled the audience, offering the biggest applause of the evening, next to the closing piece of the evening. Allan Harrington and Laura Loewen attempted an impossible saxophone and piano (respectively) arrangement of Aram Khachaturian’s “Sabre Dance” by Arno Bornkamp. Loewen’s nimble fingers raced along with Harrington’s ever-morphing tones (even sounding like a flute at times), resulting in a frenetic energy that took the evening to a screeching halt. With an open mind, however, concerts like this one aren’t hard to find.
