As we enter our 2021/22 season, we’re redefining what it means to be a vocal ensemble in the 21st century. For most of our 25-year lifespan, Camerata Nova has described itself as a “group without fear.” Emerging out of the last 18 months of the pandemic, we’ve decided to take this mantra to the next level. We’re entering our new season with a revitalized brand and a bold name change. Camerata Nova is changing its name to Dead of Winter.
“The concept we’re working with is renaissance, or rebirth,” says Andrew Balfour, the ensemble’s Artistic Director of Cree descent. “From an Indigenous perspective, Dead of Winter speaks to recharging and reviving creativity. The concept of “dead of winter” is a strong and positive one.”
The name reflects a shift in artistic direction that our vocal ensemble has been experiencing in the last five years or so. Camerata Nova got its legs performing Baroque and Renaissance music. In-house composer Andrew Balfour has been leading the way in Indigenous classical music on a national level. Our ensemble has been steadily performing more Indigenous, modern and new arrangements of choral music, as well as adhering to our early-music roots.
“From a Settler perspective, Dead of Winter also speaks to a sense of place,” says Anne Janes, Board Chair. “It represents who we are and where we’re from. People outside of Manitoba already see us as ‘Winterpeg,’ and we’ve decided to put our own spin on Winnipeg’s infamous reputation.”
Our ensemble is in a unique position of straddling two worlds; we are a non-Indigenous choir led by an Indigenous artistic director. It is not a simple identity to navigate, especially in the music world. But the new name is an effort to meet this complicated artistic identity head-on, “without fear.”
Dead of Winter’s upcoming season is an invitation to audiences and supporters to embark with us on this new stage of our choral journey. On November 27 and 28, Dead of Winter will perform Celebrating the Carol at Crescent Fort Rouge United Church, our first live performance after 18 months spent in “hibernation.” These performances will be a tribute to our beloved holiday concerts from the past. They will also be offered free of charge to welcome back audiences after the non-existent 2020/21 season.
Dead of Winter’s 2021/22 season will pack some punch in the new year. April 2022 will see the premiere of the Winnipeg Baroque Festival – an exciting collaborative initiative presented alongside local choirs Canzona and Polycoro. Then, our final performance of the season will feature Captive, the highly anticipated third installment of Andrew Balfour’s Truth and Reconciliation concert series. Captive is slated to be performed at the West End Cultural Centre in May 2022; Balfour promises it will be a genre-defying program.
Celebrating the Carol will be performed on Saturday, November 27 at 7:30 pm and again on Sunday, November 28 at 3:00 pm at Crescent Fort Rouge United Church (525 Wardlaw Avenue).
Visit deadofwinter.ca to reserve your free ticket(s) and guarantee your seat(s) to this incredible event!
Learn more about our season and our ensemble at deadofwinter.ca.
http://cameratanova.com/16/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/43299-DOW-DeadofWinter-SocialMedia-Header-Facebook-1700x650-Light.jpg6501700Roland Descambaulthttp://cameratanova.com/16/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/camerata-logo-use-1.pngRoland Descambault2021-10-04 12:14:292021-10-04 12:33:10Camerata Nova is now Dead of Winter
We would like to offer our hearty congratulations to Chelsea Kutyn, who is the recipient of this year’s annual Camerata Nova bursary for the Most Outstanding Vocal or Choral Performance of Early Music at the 103rd Winnipeg Music Festival! Chelsea won recognition for her interpretation of J.S. Bach’s Wiewohl mein Herz….Ich will dir mein Herze schenken from the St. Matthew Passion.
Chelsea is currently working towards a Master of Music degree in Voice Performance at the University of Manitoba, under the tutelage of master technician, Monica Huisman. She is also one of four artists in Pacific Opera Victoria’s “Apprentice Civic Engagement Quartet,” an artist-led mentorship program aimed at creating authentic story-telling and community engagement through workshops and work with digital mediums.
Congratulations Chelsea!
The 103rd Winnipeg Music Festival ‘virtual’ festival was held from March 1 – 21, 2021. Video recordings of the performances, trophy competitions, and Gala Concert are currently available for viewing via links on the Winnipeg Music Festival website.
Camerata Nova is a registered not-for-profit charitable organization. Exploring, taking risks, and developing exciting new programming, takes time, energy, and money.
Or, click here to find out more about donating.
Faites un don par CanaDon.org!
Camerata Nova est un organisme de bienfaisance enregistré. Explorer, prendre des risques et développer des programmes passionnants – tout cela demande du temps, de l’énergie et de l’argent. Ou cliquez ici pour en savoir plus sur les façons de donner.
http://cameratanova.com/16/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Chelsea-Kutyn-Cropped.png14801800Roland Descambaulthttp://cameratanova.com/16/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/camerata-logo-use-1.pngRoland Descambault2021-04-22 13:28:082021-04-22 15:22:58Chelsea Kutyn Wins Annual Camerata Nova Bursary at the 103rd Winnipeg Music Festival
Merina Dobson-Perry and Sarah Clefstad at work on a recording session for ‘Gloria’ at St. Norbert Arts Centre in Winnipeg, Manitoba.
For a full year now, choral institutions have been either thriving or surviving in the midst of the online regimen forced upon the world of performing arts.
Choral groups have faced a unique challenge in figuring out how to transfer one of the most complicated and multifarious instruments—the voice—into the two-dimensional spaces of the digital realm. As an instrument, the voice is capable of some impressive sonic gymnastics. It has the ability to move from high-pitched warbles to bass rumblings, to create sounds sharp and direct, and then as quick as a breath recedes into a controlled whisper. We might go so far as to characterize the voice as less a solo instrument than it is a small orchestra, playing in the resonant halls of our diaphragm and skull. Add to this the fact that we often use our voices in harmony and rhythm with the voices of others, and it starts to become clear just how astonishing the work of a tight choral ensemble really is.
The realm of virtual music-making has added a whole new set of sonic permutations to choral singing. While some choral groups have either balked at the challenge (or simply do not have access to the right people and resources to meet the challenges head-on), others are eager to translate the versatility of the voice through a new, exotic medium and push the boundaries of what choral music can be in the 21st century.
“There is quite a level of nuance in how choral groups are approaching singing during this time. All across the country groups are coming up with interesting and novel things to do.”
John Wiens
This is the analysis of Winnipeg-born conductor John Wiens, who is a leader and advocate when it comes to pushing the sonic boundaries of choral performance.
“The progressive groups of today are embracing digital possibilities. There is room, now, for a series of compositions that are written specifically for digital content. The real opportunity as a creative is trying to find ways to write pieces that will embrace the randomness of Zoom—because let’s be honest, voices don’t line up when they’re singing on Zoom!”
For Wiens, the hot opportunity for the choral community is the digital medium itself.
“We’re choral organizations, and we’re spending heaps of money on video and audio engineers. This is fine, but if we want to help sustain our singers we have to be willing to reverse engineer and consider what a successful performance in COVID times really is. It’s experimental.
Wiens cites the “car choir” solution, John Newman’s idea for a kind of drive-in choral concert involving FM transmitters, as one kind of choral innovation that has come out of the pandemic.
“Certainly, many new ideas have developed in the past year. David Newman’s “car choir” is one example of an idea that has developed a life of its own. It is very interesting and different! The fact that there are all these new ideas and capacities, and ways of trying to get through a crisis, is a very positive thing.”
In his own musical projects, Wiens is interested in fusing early Renaissance choral music with contemporary choral styles using a virtual space. His latest project is a collaboration with Camerata Nova on a fresh rendering of ‘Gloria,’ a piece of early music by Renaissance composer Leonel Power.
“This piece specifically fits what I would like to experiment with. It’s written for two unequal voices, in duet, with a third voice that sings a very predictable cantus firmus (which is a tune that everyone recognizes). So you’ve got these two voices singing in a kind of quasi-improvisational fashion over this cantus firmus. I think it’s some of the most virtuous singing you’ll find in Renaissance music. It lends itself well to what I want to try and do with it because I want to try and build a sound world that links early music with contemporary music. I’ve no idea how successful I’ll be at this, as I’ve never tried it before! And, that’s one of the great things about Camerata Nova. They’ll almost always say yes to your wild ideas!”
With this project, Wiens is attempting to meet the digital format in a way that’s progressive and also showcases the inherent freshness and exoticism of the early music genre.
“I’ve never quite understood how it came to be that early music was perceived as less progressive. In the early ’70s when the early music movement got its legs, it was considered vibrant and exciting. Many of the same words were used then that we use to describe the contemporary music movement now.
“We really miss this sense of how innovative early music actually is. There is a bookish attitude that has settled around the genre. And I suppose there almost has to be because you have to read treatises and manuals in order to understand this music. That said, every time I sit down with a piece of early music, I feel how out of the ordinary this music really truly is. It’s not a surprise that contemporary composers today draw on the influence of these earlier works. Many contemporary composers—especially those who write choir—frequently listen to and are heavily influenced by Renaissance music. I think that this parallel gets lost, and this has always puzzled me. Oftentimes we see contemporary concerts treated with an outstanding visual component, but not the same treatment is given to performances of early music. We’ve got these two languages that are very similar, linked in many ways, and both contemporary in similar ways. But the level of freshness and newness in early music is just as present as it is in contemporary music.”
Wiens’ perspective, though fresh in the 21st century, harkens back to the Medieval folk rock movement of the early 1970s. Growing out of England and Germany, this movement saw European rock groups incorporating musical styles from the medieval, renaissance, and baroque eras into their work. Right around the time that the Velvet Underground were closing the gap between rock and avant-garde music and Brian Eno was acquiring his pop celebrity, groups like London’s Gryphon and Gentle Giant were moving “backward” on the trajectory of classical music genres, incorporating multi-instrumental band members who would play the clavichord, harpsichord, violin, and recorder. This subgenre movement of medieval/renaissance rock music lasted maybe a decade, but Wiens’ enthusiasm for the fusion of renaissance and contemporary styles of music is reminiscent of these earlier “punk” attitudes from the Euro-rock scene. Obviously, Wiens is not the lead singer or guitarist of a rock group—he’s the conductor of a choral ensemble. But now in 2021, we have the means to imagine these different types of musical artists and genres as not so different from one another—means such as the world of digital possibilities. You could almost go so far as to say: the cloud is the limit.
In collaboration with Camerata Nova, recording and filming started on ‘Gloria’ during the first week of April, at the St. Norbert Arts Centre in St. Norbert, Winnipeg. The recording, and video component, will feature sopranos Sarah Clefstad and Merina Dobson-Perry.
Stay tuned for the release!
Camerata Nova is a registered not-for-profit charitable organization. Exploring, taking risks, and developing exciting new programming, takes time, energy, and money.
Or, click here to find out more about donating.
Faites un don par CanaDon.org!
Camerata Nova est un organisme de bienfaisance enregistré. Explorer, prendre des risques et développer des programmes passionnants – tout cela demande du temps, de l’énergie et de l’argent. Ou cliquez ici pour en savoir plus sur les façons de donner.
http://cameratanova.com/16/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Merina-and-Sara-at-SNAC-RESIZED.png595994Roland Descambaulthttp://cameratanova.com/16/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/camerata-logo-use-1.pngRoland Descambault2021-04-16 14:28:282021-04-20 17:11:53Singing “Gloria” in the Digital Age
Camerata Nova is scheduled to release a recording and video performance for Captive, the third project in their Reconciliation Series. Looking to be released this year, the series is spearheaded by composer and Camerata Nova Artistic Director, Andrew Balfour, who curates each concert around a theme that resonates with the Canadian Indigenous experience. So far, the series has featured collaborations with an impressive range of Indigenous artists, including Cree hip hop artist Lindsay Knight and Polaris winner Jeremy Dutcher (Taken, 2017), and traditional Ojibway drummer-singer Cory Campbell and cellist Cris Derksen (Fallen, 2018). Captive will feature compositions by Andrew Balfour, Cris Derksen, and Eliot Britton.
Originally slated for May 2020, the Captive concert now has additional time to percolate (in the midst of the pandemic), and Balfour has been unexpectedly grateful for the extra time.
One of the added challenges of the Captive, prior to May 2020, had to do with the lack of familiarity between the collaborators, in addition to being scattered across the country as active performing artists. In order to create a truly exciting collaboration, one that is cohesive and forward-thinking, Camerata Nova decided to organize a composer gathering for all of the creatives involved in the project. The gathering took place over four days in the Manitoba prairies (in the middle of winter!) and proved a valuable bonding experience for all involved. For Balfour, it was an essential event in his creative development of the concert.
“I think that Captive will be profound in part because it’s changed so much. To have an extra year to sit with the project has been very eye-opening into what we want its statement to be.”
“Our platform is, of course, choral music, which can be an incredibly powerful medium. With this project, we’ve been able to collaborate with Indigenous artists at a high level, and bring their vision to fruition through the artistry of conductor Mel Braun, head of the vocal program at the Marcel A. Desautels Faculty of Music,and the singers of Camerata Nova, alongside the safe space we’re able to offer these artists.”
Ultimately, the pandemic has given Balfour the time to go deeper into the story he wants to tell, and figure out the best methods to provide the context of this story to his audiences.
“The motivation at the heart of the Captive project (and the entire Reconciliation project) is to provide a platform for the voices of Indigenous artists. Though we may delve into some pretty heavy subjects, it’s so important that we provide our audience with the right context. This is vital. It’s one thing to be an artist or creator or composer and have something to say about murdered or missing Indigenous women, or Residential Schools or addictions; but you have to give performers and audiences context. Otherwise, the message will be lost. The country in general needs context.”
Balfour’s own 25-minute piece, ‘Captive,’ has evolved over the course of the last year. Initially intended to tell the story of Chief Poundmaker, the historically renowned chief of the Poundmaker Cree Nation, the narrative has instead morphed into a larger story of Indigenous incarceration, to be presented in five abstract scenes.
“There’s a legacy in our country of imprisonment of Indigenous people, and it’s a very tragic part of our colonial history here; indeed, most of our prisons are still filled with Indigenous people. One of the key things these Truth & Reconciliation Concerts do is allow myself and other composers to reset and rethink how we want to tell a story. Like ‘Notinikew’ (from the Fallen 2018 concert), it is not my intention to end ‘Captive’ with a positive note. Although I am myself a positive person, this is a subject that doesn’t have an optimal conclusion.
“Alongside that thought, it’s also important for me to highlight that I don’t speak for all Indigenous people. I can only speak from my perspective. Indeed, I’ve had a little experience within the justice system, and have seen the powerful tragedy and racial injustice from the inside. But of course, this injustice is everywhere; it’s in the medical system, it’s in the social system, it’s in our religious institutions, it’s everywhere. And the people who work in these systems, they are our intended audience. Ultimately, these Reconciliation stories are meant to be seen by those who are non-Indigenous.
“I can’t explain emotionally what the listener will get from my piece. I do feature the choir in a way that’s both subtle and important; they’re the bystanders and witness to what is happening. I was originally going to use performance art again, but I’ve decided instead on doing something that better features the choir and the powerful vocal forces that we have in our midst, to create the tension, suspension, and final declension of the narrative.”
In another perspective, Balfour’s ‘Captive’ can be understood as a statement of being held captive by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I would say it’s a soundscape of mourning, solitude, and captivity; these emotions have cycled through many of us through this time of lockdown, where we’ve been separated from our loved ones, and, unfortunately for some of us, experienced the passing of those close to us without being able to be with family or friends.
“Most importantly, however, ‘Captive’ addresses my own perspective on Indigenous incarceration. When we are finally able to come out with this performance, I think that our audiences will be quite moved by the poignant and multi-layered statement of this concert.”
Take a whirlwind tour of our earlier Reconciliation Concerts, and watch the playlist of performance excerpts below:
http://cameratanova.com/16/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/20181030_151531.jpg30244032Roland Descambaulthttp://cameratanova.com/16/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/camerata-logo-use-1.pngRoland Descambault2021-02-02 13:50:392021-02-02 16:13:28Camerata Nova’s groundbreaking Captive is the story audiences need to hear
We extend to the Manitoba Choral Association a heartfelt thanks for awarding us the inaugural Award of Distinction for Artistic Excellence. What a great honour it is to be amongst such a talented group of recipients! We are extremely grateful. Read more about these awards and all the fantastic recipients by CLICKING HERE!
Prix de distinction pour l’excellence artistique Nous remercions chaleureusement la Manitoba Choral Association de nous avoir décerné l’un des premiers Prix de distinction pour l’excellence artistique. Quel grand honneur d’être parmi un groupe de récipiendaires aussi talentueux! Nous sommes extrêmement reconnaissants. Pour en savoir plus sur ces prix et sur les autres lauréats, voir ci-dessous.
Camerata Nova is a registered not-for-profit charitable organization. Exploring, taking risks, and developing exciting new programming, takes time, energy, and money.
Or, click here to find out more about donating.
Faites un don par CanaDon.org!
Camerata Nova est un organisme de bienfaisance enregistré. Explorer, prendre des risques et développer des programmes passionnants – tout cela demande du temps, de l’énergie et de l’argent. Ou cliquez ici pour en savoir plus sur les façons de donner.
http://cameratanova.com/16/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Screen-Shot-2020-12-08-at-11.45.34-AM.png22942972Roland Descambaulthttp://cameratanova.com/16/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/camerata-logo-use-1.pngRoland Descambault2020-12-08 13:20:452020-12-08 16:56:06MCA's Award of Distinction for Artistic Excellence
Visin, Visin, Visin is the final installment in a trio of early-music pandemic recordings we’ve been working on.
In Camerata Nova’s version of Visin, Visin, Visin we hear many voices, blending in a rich tapestry of sonic warmth. This early music “hit” has never looked so cool – cool as the icy expanse of a Manitoban Winter. The chiding and intimate subject matter of the music, based on a raunchy Venetian Carnival song of the 15th century, creates a stark, albeit powerful contrast with this lonely visual. Perhaps we can imagine ourselves as the pilgrim, trudging through a cold and unforgiving pandemic. We are seemingly alone, but zoom out for a broader perspective, and we are surrounded by a chorus of voices!
This Advent season, may we be reminded that we do not celebrate alone and without comfort, just as we are not alone in surviving the pandemic. The voices of those who care for us are closer than we think, and a warm hut is waiting to offer us refuge through a stormy night.
Translation: Hey there, who wants to have their chimney swept?
Let us sweep them, lady!
Who wants them swept inside, who wants them tidy?
Those who can’t pay can give us bread or wine.
Song Notes:A group of chimney sweeps call out in this raunchy Venetian carnival song from the late 15th century. They need work, for which they will gladly accept bread or wine in lieu of payment. But in a text filled with double entendre, they are also angling for an invitation to intimacy. Work, bread, wine and some willing company…who can ask for anything more?
Credits: Sarah Sommer – Soprano
Dan Rochegood – Alto
Justin Odwak – Tenor
Matt Knight – Bass
Al Schroeder – Overtones
Mike, Scott, Matt, Dan – G Drones
Roland Deschambault – Video and editing
Phil Deschambault – Sound recording and mixing
Camerata Nova is a registered not-for-profit charitable organization. Exploring, taking risks, and developing exciting new programming, takes time, energy, and money.
Or, click here to find out more about donating.
<Traduction>
Visin, Visin, Visin : Dans la version de Visin, Visin, Visin de Camerata Nova, nous entendons de nombreuses voix, qui se mêlent en de riches harmonies. Ce « succès » de musique ancienne n’a jamais été aussi rafraîchissant – comme les étendues glacées d’un hiver manitobain. Le sujet de la musique, à la fois intimiste et criard, basé sur une chanson de carnaval vénitien du 15e siècle, crée un contraste saisissant, bien que puissant, avec ce visuel solitaire. Peut-être pouvons-nous nous imaginer comme le pèlerin, se frayant un chemin à travers une pandémie froide et impitoyable? Nous sommes apparemment seuls, mais nous nous éloignons pour avoir une perspective plus large, et nous sommes entourés d’un chœur de voix, nous sentant peut-être nous aussi isolés et désireux d’avoir de la compagnie.
En cette période de l’Avent, permettez-nous de nous rappeler que nous ne célébrons pas seuls et sans confort, tout comme nous ne sommes pas seuls à survivre à la pandémie. Les voix de ceux et celles qui prennent soin de nous sont plus proches que nous ne le pensons, et une hutte chaude nous attend pour nous offrir un refuge pendant une nuit d’orage.
Traduction: Hé, qui veut faire ramoner sa cheminée? Laissez-nous les ramoner, madame! Qui veut les faire ramoner à l’intérieur, qui veut qu’elles soient bien propres? Ceux (celles) qui ne peuvent pas payer peuvent nous donner du pain ou du vin.
Notes au sujet de la chanson: Un groupe de ramoneurs s’écrie dans cette chanson de carnaval vénitien de la fin du 15e siècle. Ils ont besoin de travail, pour lequel ils acceptent volontiers du pain ou du vin en guise de paiement. Mais dans ce texte à double sens, ils recherchent aussi une invitation à l’intimité. Du travail, du pain, du vin et un peu de compagnie… qui peut demander plus?
Générique: Sarah Sommer – Soprano Dan Rochegood – Alto Justin Odwak – Ténor Matt Knight – Basse Al Schroeder – Harmonique Mike, Scott, Matt, Dan – Bourdons en G
Roland Deschambault – vidéographie et photographie Phil Deschambault – enregistrement et mixage sonore, édition vidéo
Faites un don par CanaDon.org!
Camerata Nova est un organisme de bienfaisance enregistré. Explorer, prendre des risques et développer des programmes passionnants – tout cela demande du temps, de l’énergie et de l’argent.
Ou cliquez ici pour en savoir plus sur les façons de donner.
http://cameratanova.com/16/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Screen-Shot-2020-12-08-at-11.38.08-AM.png7881044Roland Descambaulthttp://cameratanova.com/16/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/camerata-logo-use-1.pngRoland Descambault2020-12-08 12:52:102020-12-08 16:32:13Find holiday warmth in a new video offering from Camerata Nova
Thank you for your commitment to Camerata Nova as a subscriber, casual ticket holder, donor, scholarship recipient, singer, volunteer, advertiser, socials follower, guest artist, and friend. We appreciate each and every one of you.
Although we’ve cancelled three concerts this year and remain at a social distance for now, we are very much looking to presenting live music again once restrictions have lifted.
For Camerata Nova, there have been serious silver linings to Covid. It has led us to explore video productions and build new on-line audiences. We invite you to watch our experimental videos and keep your eyes open for new content coming your way!
As thrilling as these videos are to create, they do not generate revenue. We are grateful to the on-going support of funding agencies, key foundations, and you, who are keeping us alive in a year of turmoil.
We need your support more than ever – not just to survive, but to grow, re-invent ourselves and contribute to our community.
Traditionally, the funds generated from our annual appeal go to our Northern Manitoba Music Access Program, in which our musicians travel to musically underserved communities. This year, your donation will go towards another meaningful component of our Music Access program that offers shared experiences to children, youth, seniors, and/or those living with disabilities.
Once it is safe to present live performances again, we plan to provide free concert admission to these under-supported audiences and others who might not have the resources to otherwise attend or have been impacted by social isolation due to the pandemic. Your donation in will ensure that all in our community can reconnect soon and share in the joy and beauty of a live choral concert!
In the meantime, watch the videos, and keep checking our website for any updated content and other surprises. We miss you, and we look forward to seeing you in 2021!
You can support the choir safely and securely with a tax-deductible donation anytime throughout the year
Camerata Nova is a registered not-for-profit charitable organization. Exploring, taking risks, and developing exciting new programming, takes time, energy, and money.
Or, click here to find out more about donating.
Nous vous remercions de votre engagement envers Camerata Nova en tant qu’abonné, détenteur occasionnel de billets, donateur, boursier, chanteur, bénévole, annonceur, adepte des médias sociaux, artiste invité et ami. Nous apprécions chacun et chacune d’entre vous.
Bien que nous ayons annulé trois concerts cette année et que nous restions à distance sociale pour l’instant, nous sommes très impatients de présenter à nouveau de la musique en direct une fois les restrictions levées.
Pour Camerata Nova, la COVID-19 a eu des retombées positives malgré tout. La situation nous a amenés à explorer les productions vidéo et à constituer un nouveau public en ligne. Nous vous invitons à regarder nos vidéos expérimentales et à garder l’œil ouvert pour de nouveaux contenus à venir!
Aussi passionnantes que soient ces vidéos à créer, elles ne génèrent pas de revenus. Nous sommes reconnaissants aux organismes de financement, aux principales fondations et à vous, qui nous aidez pendant cette année turbulente.
Nous avons plus que jamais besoin de votre soutien, non seulement pour survivre, mais aussi pour nous épanouir, nous réinventer et contribuer à notre communauté.
Traditionnellement, les fonds générés par notre appel de fonds annuel vont à notre Programme d’accès à la musique pour le Nord du Manitoba, dans le cadre duquel certains de nos artistes se rendent dans des communautés mal desservies sur le plan musical. Cette année, votre don sera affecté à un autre volet important de notre Programme d’accès à la musique, qui offre des expériences partagées aux enfants, aux jeunes, aux personnes âgées et/ou aux personnes handicapées.
Quand il sera à nouveau possible de présenter des spectacles en direct en toute sécurité, nous prévoyons d’offrir une entrée gratuite à ces publics insuffisamment soutenus et à d’autres personnes qui n’auraient pas les ressources nécessaires pour y assister autrement ou qui ont été touchées par l’isolement social dû à la pandémie. Grâce à votre don, tous les membres de notre communauté pourront bientôt se retrouver et partager la joie et la beauté d’un concert choral en direct!
En attendant, regardez les vidéos, et continuez à consulter notre site Web pour toute mise à jour du contenu et d’autres surprises. Vous nous manquez, et nous espérons vous revoir en 2021!
Faites un don par CanaDon.org!
Camerata Nova est un organisme de bienfaisance enregistré. Explorer, prendre des risques et développer des programmes passionnants – tout cela demande du temps, de l’énergie et de l’argent.
Ou cliquez ici pour en savoir plus sur les façons de donner.
http://cameratanova.com/16/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Screen-Shot-2020-12-01-at-11.53.36-AM.png15662230Roland Descambaulthttp://cameratanova.com/16/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/camerata-logo-use-1.pngRoland Descambault2020-12-01 12:59:222020-12-08 16:25:42It's Giving Tuesday! Help us create and innovate
Composer Andrew Balfour, is the founder and artistic director of Camerata Nova. AARON VINCENT ELKAIM/THE GLOBE AND MAIL
On Wednesday, November 11, Camerata Nova’s Artistic Director, Andrew Balfour, is lending his talents to an inspiring Remembrance Day performance with The Toronto Mendelssohn Choir. The program offers a Choral Perspective of Canada’s Indigenous Veterans and welcomes Andrew as the guest curator, as well as longtime Camerata Nova collaborator, cellist, and composer Cris Derkson.
The program will reflect on the Indigenous experience through music, dance and poetry, and is centred around Andrew’s choral drama, Notinikew (Going to War). Movements of the work will be sung by Andrew’s Winnipeg-based Camerata Nova and by the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir.
Andrew says of this choral drama:
Notinikew is an anti-war piece, an indigenous identity piece – a tragedy that speaks not just about World War I, but all wars and all indigenous soldiers. Why did these Indigenous warriors leave our forests and plains to enter a totally foreign military world and end up fighting in the midst of a true hell on earth?
The concert is a FREE event and will be featured via Livestream at 8:00 p.m. EST. Find out more about the program and performers on the event poster or concert webpage.
http://cameratanova.com/16/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Andrew-Balfour-image-Globe-and-Mail.jpg12671900Roland Descambaulthttp://cameratanova.com/16/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/camerata-logo-use-1.pngRoland Descambault2020-11-06 14:54:452020-11-06 15:01:12Andrew Balfour performs Notinikew with The Toronto Mendelssohn Choir
Camerata Nova is a registered not-for-profit charitable organization. Exploring, taking risks, and developing exciting new programming, takes time, energy, and money.
Or, click here to find out more about donating.
http://cameratanova.com/16/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Screen-Shot-2020-11-05-at-1.50.45-PM.png988988Roland Descambaulthttp://cameratanova.com/16/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/camerata-logo-use-1.pngRoland Descambault2020-11-05 15:02:472020-11-13 16:34:54Follow us on Instagram
There’s never been a year quite like 2020. For musicians around the world, the arrival of COVID-19 met that their performance schedules suddenly emptied. However, in the wake of shutdowns, quarantines, and social distancing, musicians have taken their shows to social media, providing much-needed levity during an otherwise serious time. Winnipeg’s Camerata Nova, especially, proves that the show must go on.
The popular choral ensemble is a musical institution in Winnipeg is known as much for its gorgeous arrangements of classical works as it is for its concerts featuring new Indigenous and contemporary music. The group, founded in 1996, features a number of Desautels Faculty of Music graduates and employees, and performs in venues across the city, ranging from churches to concert halls to bars, and has produced four albums. With their anticipated spring and fall 2020 seasons suddenly canceled, Camerata Nova sought to find new ways to collaborate during the pandemic, and bring music to their dedicated audiences. Fortunately, their members have a talent for more than just music, and made the transition with ease – turning to videos to bring music into our homes.
Camerata Nova is a registered not-for-profit charitable organization. Exploring, taking risks, and developing exciting new programming, takes time, energy, and money.
Or, click here to find out more about donating.
http://cameratanova.com/16/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Mike-Thompson_Scott-Riemer_image_recording.jpg6081080Roland Descambaulthttp://cameratanova.com/16/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/camerata-logo-use-1.pngRoland Descambault2020-11-02 12:32:472020-11-06 18:45:09Camerata Nova finds new inspiration during pandemic
“El Grillo” (The Cricket) is the second instalment in a trio of early-music pandemic recordings we’ve been working on.
“The cricket is a good singer, a steadfast wooer. When the weather gets hot, he sings non-stop about love”. So says Josquin Des Prés in “El Grillo” (The Cricket), his “summer hit” frottola from the Summer of 1499.
What can we learn from the cricket? There he is, experiencing a pandemic’s worth of loneliness, yet nothing stops him from singing. Sure, it may be the same song over and over again, but if he varies it just a little by changing up his voice or trying new languages and styles, he might just manage to attract some “company”. The cricket is clearly an optimist. Be more like the cricket! Stay steadfast, be creative, and above all, keep singing!
Translation:
The cricket is a good singer, who can hold a long note.
Give him a drink so that he can keep singing.
He doesn’t do what the other birds do.
After they’ve sung a bit, they go elsewhere.
The cricket stays put and when the weather is the hottest,
He sings solely for love.
Credits:
Mel Braun – Music director Matt Knight – Georgian Cricket Justin Odwak – Italian Cricket Dan Rochegood – German Cricket Scott Reimer – Nashville Cricket Roland Deschambault – Video and photography Phil Deschambault – Sound recording and mixing, video editing
Music in this video: El Grillo (Italian frottola) by Josquin Des Prés, 1499
Camerata Nova is a registered not-for-profit charitable organization. Exploring, taking risks, and developing exciting new programming, takes time, energy, and money.
Or, click here to find out more about donating.
EL GRILLO
« El Grillo » (Le grillon) est le deuxième d’un trio d’enregistrements de musique ancienne sur lequel nous avons travaillé pendant la pandémie.
« Le grillon est un bon chanteur, un séducteur acharné. Quand il fait chaud, il chante l’amour sans arrêt. » C’est ce que dit Josquin Des Prés dans « El Grillo » (Le grillon), son frottola à succès de l’été 1499.
Que peut-on apprendre du grillon (criquet)? Il est là, vivant une solitude digne d’une pandémie, mais rien ne l’empêche de chanter. Bien sûr, il chante la même chanson encore et encore, mais s’il la modifie un peu en changeant son timbre de voix ou en essayant de nouvelles langues et de nouveaux styles, il pourrait bien réussir à attirer de la « compagnie ». De toute évidence, le criquet est un optimiste. Soyez davantage comme le criquet! Faites preuve de constance, de créativité et surtout, continuez à chanter!
Traduction :
Le grillon est un bon chanteur, qui peut tenir une note longtemps.
Donnez-lui un verre pour qu’il puisse continuer à chanter.
Il ne fait pas ce que font les oiseaux.
Après avoir chanté un peu, ils vont ailleurs.
Le grillon reste sur place et quand il fait très chaud,
Il chante uniquement par amour.
Générique:
Mel Braun – directeur musical Matt Knight – grillon géorgien Justin Odwak – grillon italien Dan Rochegood – grillon allemand Scott Reimer – grillon de Nashville Roland Deschambault – vidéographie et photographie Phil Deschambault – enregistrement et mixage sonore, édition vidéo
Music dans cette vidéo : El Grillo (frottola italienne) par Josquin Des Prés, 1499
Faites un don par CanaDon.org!
Camerata Nova est un organisme de bienfaisance enregistré. Explorer, prendre des risques et développer des programmes passionnants – tout cela demande du temps, de l’énergie et de l’argent.
Ou cliquez ici pour en savoir plus sur les façons de donner.
This Neapolitan Villanesca from 1545 tears a strip off all the old gossips who hang about the plaza with nothing better to do than yap all day long at the expense of others. Sound familiar?
Translation: Nasty old gossips, good for nothing except to yap, yap, yap in the plaza,
Flying off, Flying off, Flying off the handle.
Nasty old gossips, cantankerous and crazy.
Mel Braun – Music director
Raine Hamilton – Voice/Fiddle
Tori Sparks – Percussion
Matt Knight – Mandolin
Mike Thompson – Didg
Sarah Sommer – Soprano
Donnalynn Grills – Alto
Justin Odwak – Tenor
Matt Knight – Bass
Al Schroeder, Scott Reimer, Dan Rochegood – F Drones
Roland Deschambault – Video and photography
Phil Deschambault – Sound recording and mixing, video editing
Winnipeg, Manitoba-based Camerata Nova, performs early, contemporary and Indigenous-infused vocal chamber concerts for local and national audiences, offering excellence, experimentation and collaboration. We express the Prairie urban reality while giving our audiences the opportunity to learn about and experience early music. We work to build engagement both within our group and with the community. Camerata Nova is a registered not-for-profit charitable organization. http://cameratanova.com/16/
Music in this video: Vecchie letrose (Neapolitan Villanesca) by Adrian Willaert, 1545
Camerata Nova is a registered not-for-profit charitable organization. Exploring, taking risks, and developing exciting new programming, takes time, energy, and money.
Or, click here to find out more about donating.
VECCHIE LETROSE – CAMERATA NOVA AVEC RAINE HAMILTON ET TORI SPARKS
Cette villanesca napolitaine de 1545 s’en prend à toutes les vieilles commères qui traînent sur la place sans rien de mieux à faire que de jacasser toute la journée aux dépens des autres. Cela vous semble familier?
Traduction :
De vilaines commères, bonnes à rien sauf à jacasser sur la place,
S’emportent et sortent de leurs gonds.
Des commères méchantes, grincheuses et folles.
Mel Braun – directeur musical
Raine Hamilton – voix/violon
Tori Sparks – percussion
Matt Knight – mandoline
Mike Thompson – didgeridou
Sarah Sommer – soprano
Donnalynn Grills – alto
Justin Odwak – ténor
Matt Knight – basse
Al Schroeder, Scott Reimer, Dan Rochegood – bourdons en F
Roland Deschambault – vidéo et photographie
Phil Deschambault – enregistrement sonore et mixage, montage vidéo
Camerata Nova, de Winnipeg, au Manitoba, présente des concerts de musique ancienne, contemporaine et d’inspiration autochtone pour des auditoires locaux et nationaux, offrant excellence, expérimentation et collaboration. Nous exprimons la réalité urbaine des Prairies, tout en donnant à nos auditoires l’occasion d’en apprendre davantage sur la musique ancienne et d’en faire l’expérience. Nous travaillons à susciter l’engagement au sein de notre groupe et dans la collectivité. cameratanova.com
Music dans cette vidéo : Vecchie letrose (Villanesca napolitaine) par Adrian Willaert, 1545
Faites un don par CanaDon.org!
Camerata Nova est un organisme de bienfaisance enregistré. Explorer, prendre des risques et développer des programmes passionnants – tout cela demande du temps, de l’énergie et de l’argent.
Ou cliquez ici pour en savoir plus sur les façons de donner.
http://cameratanova.com/16/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Vecchie-Letrose-title-slide-v1.0.png22123996Roland Descambaulthttp://cameratanova.com/16/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/camerata-logo-use-1.pngRoland Descambault2020-08-12 12:29:402020-09-02 10:47:52Vecchie letrose - Camerata Nova featuring Raine Hamilton and Tori Sparks
I first heard Iron Maiden’s Run to the Hills back in the early 80’s as a young teenager. At the time I was deeply immersed in the heavy metal scene, buying Judas Priest, AC/DC and Iron Maiden albums every allowance day. I remember back then being impressed how a bunch of white English rockers could write a song so poignant about the harsh reality of colonialism. I’ve been thinking of doing a choral cover of this song for several years. At the beginning of the virus lockdown, stuck in a small apartment in Toronto, I thought of this song again and started to write it out. It is sort of a tongue and cheek project, but also kind of poignant in the recent times. Stay safe, and if not, Run to the hills!! – Andrew Balfour, Composer, CNova Artistic Director
J’ai entendu la chanson Run to the Hills (Courez vers les collines) d’Iron Maiden pour la première fois au début des années 1980 alors que j’étais un jeune adolescent. À l’époque, j’étais très intéressé à la musique heavy metal, et j’achetais des albums de Judas Priest, AC/DC ou Iron Maiden tous les jours où je recevais de l’argent de poche. Je me souviens qu’à l’époque, j’étais impressionné qu’une bande de rockers anglais blancs pouvait écrire une chanson aussi poignante sur la dure réalité du colonialisme. Je pense à faire une reprise chorale de cette chanson depuis plusieurs années. Au début de la période de confinement due au virus, coincé dans un petit appartement à Toronto, j’ai repensé à cette chanson et j’ai commencé à l’écrire. C’est un projet un peu ironique, mais aussi assez poignant pendant cette période. Restez en sécurité, et sinon, courez vers les collines! – Andrew Balfour, compositeur, directeur artistique de CNova
Andrew Balfour/Mel Braun – Arrangers
Andrew Balfour – Lead Vocal
Merina Dobson Perry – Soprano
Angela Neufeld – Alto/Bells
Vic Pankratz – Tenor/Boomwackers
Mel Braun – Baritone/Wolf calls
Matthew Knight – Bass/Georgian guitar (panduri)
Roland Deschambault – Video and photography
Sara Roque – Video of Andrew Balfour
Kristi Sinclair – Audio of Andrew Balfour
Phil Deschambault – Sound recording and mixing, video editing
Music in this video
Run to the Hills by Iron Maiden
Writers – Steve Harris
Camerata Nova is a registered not-for-profit charitable organization. Exploring, taking risks, and developing exciting new programming, takes time, energy, and money.
Or, click here to find out more about donating.
http://cameratanova.com/16/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/RttH-Youtube-thumbnail.png15762836Roland Descambaulthttp://cameratanova.com/16/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/camerata-logo-use-1.pngRoland Descambault2020-07-16 14:19:342020-07-16 16:04:37Run To the Hills Choral Arrangement
In early April, we let you, our subscribers and ticket buyers, know that our May 2020 performance of Captive had been rescheduled to September 2020. This decision was made in accordance with the provincial public health guidelines for COVID-19 to ensure the health and safety of both audience members and singers.
We have watched carefully as the provincial guidelines and overall situation have evolved and come to the recognition that the likelihood of a September concert is limited. Accordingly, we have decided to postpone our Captive concert.
If you have already purchased ticket(s) to this concert, we would like to offer you a refund on your ticket(s). If you would consider donating your ticket(s) back to us, we would be happy to provide a charitable receipt.
Thank you for your support and understanding. Stay safe, and we look forward to presenting this special concert for you some time in the future.
Alongside the postponement of Captive, we have also made the difficult decision to delay the start of our 2020-2021 season until January 2021.
Stay tuned, however, as we explore new, creative means of delivering a quality musical experience. Follow us on our socials and keep an eye on email updates as well as our website for some exciting new content.
Our planned concert for this fall – which was to be a celebration of baroque music – promises to become even bigger and better with some collaborative plans for the 2021 – 2022 season!
Video footage from our Fallen (Notinikew) concert
Poni pimacisiwin (the end of living) was written by Andrew Balfour for our Fallen concert. Notinikew featured Andrew, Cris Derksen, Cory Campbell, and the Winnipeg Boys Choir, and was the second in our Reconciliation concert series. Read more about Andrew Balfour and see all videos from the concert HERE
Trip to Churchill raffle update
For those who purchased raffle tickets for the opportunity to win a trip to Churchill, sponsored by Calm Air, or an Inuit carving, the draw will be made at Camerata Nova’s Saturday, June 27, 2020 Board meeting and the results will be posted on social media immediately after. Please note that Calm Air has generously extended the travel timeline until November 2021 to accommodate the winner, given the current travel restrictions due to COVID-19.
9 Questions
Andrew Balfour surrounded by some of the things taking up his time in self-isolation
Self-isolation has given us all a chance to do a little reading, watch some TV, home clean-up, and perhaps take on a new or existing hobby. The answers to these nine questions will give you an idea of how some of the folks in Camerata Nova have spent this time. Enjoy! Take me to 9 Questions
CanadaHelps
What have you missed most by being shut down these last few months? A hug from a child? Laughter over a meal with friends? Perhaps it was the joy of listening to live music from Camerata Nova?
We miss our audiences. With current programming cancellations, our revenues are also suffering. If you are at all able to, please consider making a donation to support us through these extraordinary times via CanadaHelps. Each donated dollar during the month of June goes towards an opportunity for Camerata Nova to win $20,000 through the Great Canadian Giving Challenge. Thank you and looking forward to seeing you at the next concert!
One quick question
By purchasing a ticket to a concert or donating to our organization, you’ve supported the immense work it takes to put on such collaborative, fearless productions. Thank you for being a part of our community of arts lovers. Your interest is keeping Winnipeg’s choral music community vibrant and adventurous, even during these challenging times.
Please take a moment to complete the short survey below. We’d love to get a better sense on how we can serve you better. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts!
LE CONCERT « CAPTIVE » REPORTÉ JUSQU’À NOUVEL ORDRE
Au début avril, nous vous avons fait savoir, à vous nos abonnés et acheteurs de billets, que notre représentation de Captive de mai 2020 allait être reportée à septembre 2020. Cette décision avait été prise conformément aux directives provinciales de santé publique pour la COVID-19 afin de garantir la santé et la sécurité des spectateurs et des chanteurs.
Nous avons observé attentivement l’évolution des directives provinciales et de la situation générale et avons constaté que la probabilité d’un concert en septembre est limitée. En conséquence, nous avons décidé de reporter à nouveau notre concert Captive.
Si vous avez déjà acheté un ou plusieurs billets pour ce concert, nous vous offrons un remboursement sur votre ou vos billets. Si vous envisagez de nous faire don de votre (vos) billet(s), nous serions heureux de vous fournir un reçu pour don de bienfaisance.
Nous vous remercions de votre soutien et de votre compréhension. Portez-vous bien et nous espérons vous présenter ce concert spécial dans le futur.
En parallèle au report de Captive, nous avons également pris la difficile décision de reporter le début de notre saison 2020-2021 à janvier 2021.
Restez cependant à l’écoute, car nous explorons de nouveaux moyens créatifs pour offrir une expérience musicale de qualité. Suivez-nous sur nos réseaux sociaux et gardez un œil sur les mises à jour par courriel ainsi que sur notre site Web pour découvrir de nouveaux contenus passionnants.
Notre concert prévu pour cet automne – qui devait être une célébration de la musique baroque – promet de prendre de l’ampleur et de devenir encore meilleur avec quelques projets de collaboration pour la saison 2021-2022!
IMAGES VIDÉO DE NOTRE CONCERT FALLEN (NOTINIKEW)
La pièce Poni pimacisiwin (la fin de la vie) a été écrite par Andrew Balfour pour notre concert Fallen. Notinikew, avec Andrew, Cris Derksen, Cory Campbell et le Winnipeg Boys’ Choir, était le deuxième concert de notre série sur la réconciliation. Pour en savoir plus sur Andrew Balfour et voir toutes les vidéos du concert, cliquez ICI.
LE POINT SUR LE TIRAGE DU VOYAGE À CHURCHILL
Pour ceux et celles qui ont acheté des billets pour avoir la possibilité de gagner un voyage à Churchill, commandité par Calm Air, ou une sculpture inuite, le tirage au sort sera effectué lors de la réunion du conseil d’administration de Camerata Nova du samedi 27 juin 2020 et les résultats seront publiés sur les médias sociaux immédiatement après. Veuillez noter que Calm Air a généreusement prolongé le délai de voyage jusqu’en novembre 2021 pour accommoder le gagnant ou la gagnante, étant donné les restrictions actuelles de voyage dues à la COVID-19.
9 QUESTIONS
Andrew Balfour entouré de certaines des choses qui occupent son temps pendant son isolement.
L’auto-isolement nous a donné à tous et à toutes la possibilité de faire un peu de lecture, de regarder la télévision, de faire le ménage et peut-être d’adopter un nouveau passe-temps ou d’en retrouver un. Les réponses à ces neuf questions vous donneront une idée de la façon dont certains membres de Camerata Nova ont passé ce temps. Amusez-vous! Allez aux 9 questions
CANADAHELPS
Qu’est-ce qui vous a le plus manqué pendant l’isolement des derniers mois? Le câlin d’un enfant? Les rires autour d’un repas entre amis? Peut-être la joie d’écouter de la musique en direct de Camerata Nova?
Notre public nous manque. Avec les annulations de la programmation actuelle, nos revenus en souffrent également. Si vous en êtes capable, veuillez envisager de faire un don pour nous aider à traverser cette période extraordinaire via CanaDon. Chaque dollar donné au cours du mois de juin donne la possibilité à Camerata Nova la chance de gagner 20 000 $ dans le cadre du Grand défi caritatif canadien. Merci et au plaisir de vous voir au prochain concert!
UNE PETITE QUESTION
En achetant un billet pour un concert ou en faisant un don à notre organisation, vous soutenez l’immense travail qu’exige la réalisation de nos productions collaboratives et audacieuses. Merci de faire partie de notre communauté d’amateurs et d’amatrices d’art. Votre intérêt fait en sorte que la communauté de la musique chorale de Winnipeg peut rester dynamique et aventureuse, même en ces temps difficiles.
Veuillez prendre un moment pour remplir le court sondage ci-dessous. Nous aimerions avoir une meilleure idée de la façon dont nous pouvons mieux vous servir. Merci du fond du cœur!
http://cameratanova.com/16/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Captive-postponed.png21842184Roland Descambaulthttp://cameratanova.com/16/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/camerata-logo-use-1.pngRoland Descambault2020-06-10 12:05:352020-06-18 13:03:54An update from Camerata Nova / des nouvelles de Camerata Nova
Self-isolation has given us a chance to do a little reading, watch some TV, home clean-up, and perhaps take on a new or existing hobby. The answers to these nine questions will give you an idea of how the the folks in Camerata Nova have spent this time. Enjoy!
Andrew surrounded by some of the things taking up his time in self-isolation
Andrew Balfour
Artistic director/composer in residence
Where are you and who are you spending isolation time with? In Toronto with my beautiful partner, Sara.
What’s on your reading list? Fifteen Dogs by Andre Alexis and Brother by David Chariandy. Two brilliant books, after 15 dogs, I’ll never look at at dogs the same way.
Current binge-watching recommendations? Ozark (dark but intense), Waco (great acting and writing), Spy (Sasha Baron Cohen is an amazing dark actor), The Last Dance (about the Chicago Bull and Michael Jordan)
Guilty pleasure binge-watch recommendations? Old hockey games, Curb Your Enthusiasm (still one of the funniest shows ever!!). Tiger King (NOT)
New skills and hobbies? Definitely cooking skills have gone up, dish washing, cleaning the fridge every week.
Name something you consider a mind-altering work of art: Composing music, novel writing.
What was the first LP/cassette/CD/eight track you ever bought with your own money? Probably a Canadian Brass album, and Screaming for Vengeance by Judas Priest. (both blew my mind.)
What three famous people, living or dead, would you want at your fantasy dinner party? J.S. Bach, Keith Richards, Rasputin, what a dinner that would be!
What will live performance look like after COVID-19? The classical world will be a very different reality in the next few years, I doubt there will be a choral concert season next year. People have already come up with some very creative ideas online, but you really can’t reproduce the concert experience live with choirs. Organizations are going to lose quite a bit of money, and some probably will have to go under. I think large organizations, symphonies, opera companies, ballets, will all have to come with ways to make money for their large payrolls, but will probably have to cut jobs to survive. And artists travelling will probably be off the table for the next year or two. This is all unknown territory for everybody, but I wish all in the arts world the best and hope that we can find ways to collaborate more in the future, that is is what we will need to do.
John surrounded by some of the things keeping him busy
John Wiens Conductor, Artistic Director of Polycoro Chamber Choir, Director of Music at St. John’s Anglican Church, Elora, ON
Where are you and who are you spending isolation time with? With my family in Fergus, ON
What’s on your reading list? The Pathetick Musician by Haynes and Burgess, The Weapons of rhetoric by Tarling. Rhetoric is the backbone of all early music, and it is often responsible for many choices those composers make. One can *never* study it enough. And the Brahms Requiem – a hopeful preparation for a future performance.
Current binge-watching recommendations? I love TV, but I’m trying hard not to watch right now.
Guilty pleasure binge-watch recommendations? Monty Python’s flying circus. Faulty Towers. Life of Brian. Kids in the Hall. I think sketch comedy is much funnier than standup comedy, and I find myself gravitating back to those things.
New skills and hobbies? I’m playing the guitar much more often than I have in the past decade. Its fun to come back to.
Name something you consider a mind-altering work of art. Josquin’s Deo Gratias for 32 voices is as close the voice of god as we will get in this lifetime.
What was the first LP/cassette/CD/eight track you ever bought with your own money? It was a cassette. It was a compilation of pop music from the 80s. I can’t remember what it was called, but I can tell you what was on it. Rick Astley, Salt n Pepa, etc etc. I didn’t know anything about popular culture, and living in Morden didn’t give me many chances to get to know it, so this tape was a big deal.
What three famous people, living or dead, would you want at your fantasy dinner party? Carl Reiner, George Clooney, Stompin’ Tom Connors
What will live performance look like after COVID-19? It depends entirely on the public. Personally, I plan to go out to more concerts rather than fewer. This staying at home stuff is not for me.
Roland surrounded by some of the things keeping him busy while at home
Roland Deschambault Executive Director
Where are you and who are you spending isolation time with? At home in Winnipeg, MB with my wife, Angela.
What’s on your reading list? Three Body Problem by Liu Cixin and Peter Heller’s The Dog Stars and follow-up The River.
Current binge-watching recommendations? Happy Valley, The Bridge (Bron/Broen), Sherlock
Name something you consider a mind-altering work of art. Malcolm Gladwell’s podcast, Revisionist History
What was the first LP/cassette/CD/eight track you ever bought with your own money? Aha’s Hunting High and Low
What three famous people, living or dead, would you want at your fantasy dinner party? My all-Canadian dinner would include Sidney Crosby, Malcolm Gladwell, and Wayne Gretzky. I’d love to hear what Gladwell gets out of them outside of canned hockey talk.
What will live performance look like after COVID-19? Not a whole lot for quite some time but with some creative thinking we could be in for some incredible art.
Sandi surrounded by some of the things keeping her busy
Sandi Mielitz Past President, Camerata Nova, lover of the arts
Where are you and who are you spending isolation time with? Home with my husband – a happy hermit living with a caged tigress…?
What’s on your reading list? A Gentleman from Moscow by Amor Towles, The Mirror and the Light by Hilary Mantel
Current binge-watching recommendations? Babylon Berlin, Peaky Blinders, Occupied
Guilty pleasure binge-watch recommendations? Met Opera Free Streaming – nothing like gorging on Wagner!!
New skills and hobbies? Zoom, theology course
Name something you consider a mind-altering work of art. Hagia Sophia Mosque in Istanbul, Britten’s Cello Suites, Velasquez’ royal portraits, Franz Cline and Mark Rothko paintings, Gould’s Goldberg Variations
What was the first LP/cassette/CD/eight track you ever bought with your own money? The Messiah – I was a nerdy kid…now I’m a nerdy old person…
What three famous people, living or dead, would you want at your fantasy dinner party? Jesus, Benjamin Britten and writer/philosopher Simone Weill – what the heck is belief and the human role in the universe?
What will live performance look like after COVID-19? On-line creativity will take off but, at the same time, there will be a powerful, renewed appreciation for the vulnerability, sensitivity and fragility of live performance!
Vic Pankratz is one of the directors of Camerata Nova and director of choirs at Westgate Mennonite Collegiate
Where are you and who are you spending isolation time with? I am at home and isolating with my wife Kathy.
What’s on your reading list? Peter Robinson’s Careless Love, the Laurie R. Holmes and Russell series, Patrick DeWitt’s Under Major Domo and Malcolm Gladwell’s Talking to Strangers. I love fiction and murder mystery books and I love Malcolm Gladwell.
Current binge-watching recommendations? Bosch, Schitt’s Creek, Homeland
Guilty pleasure binge-watch recommendations? I am embarrassed to say I just watched the entire season of Formula 1 Drive to Survive. The amount of money and resources that go into making this “sport” happen are so against what I believe in. So I thought I would watch one show and the speed and danger sucked me in. I still think this racing should not be allowed.
New skills and hobbies? I am having a blast learning to play the guitar. I was loaned a beautiful electric and it has been so much fun.
Name something you consider a mind-altering work of art: Malcolm Gladwell’s Revisionist History podcast series is brilliant. I also love the art of Manitoba artist Don McMaster
What was the first LP/cassette/CD/eight track you ever bought with your own money? Haha. I think it was something like Razamanaz by Nazareth. Around 1973.
What three famous people, living or dead, would you want at your fantasy dinner party? Mohandas K. Gandhi to talk about what nonviolent resistance would look like today, here in Canada. Malcolm Gladwell because he is awesome and part Mennonite. And finally I would invite the great American conductor Robert Shaw. After working with him on three different projects I always wanted to learn more about what made him so passionate.
What will live performance look like after COVID-19? This is a tough one. On-line performances just don’t have the power of a live performance. I have to believe that at some point we will get back to singing and making music for each other. There is nothing else like it.
Mel Braun Conductor and Music Committee member; Professor, University of Manitoba
Where are you and who are you spending isolation time with? With my wife Lynne, daughter Emma,
and dog Toby, seeing our other kids Micah and Maddie from time to time.
What’s on your reading list? An inveterate reader of mysteries, I’ve been reading all my favourites, particularly digging into a box of books that my librarian sister Connie, who lives in Calgary, sent my
way last week….what a lovely surprise that was. Craig Johnson, Michael Connelly, Jo Nesbo, Ian Rankin, Ake Larsson, and Patricia Connolly are some of the Mystery authors I’ve been gobbling up. I’ve also got Virginia Woolf, Kate Atkinson, and bio of Willie Nelson awaiting perusal. I make almost daily trips to the little library kiosk in our neighbourhood to either drop off a book or find a used one that someone has left.
Current binge-watching recommendations? I’ve been enjoying a bunch of the Netflix offerings from Iceland, Russia, Sweden, Norway, Turkey, Poland, and Israel. I particularly like the ones that have subtitles so that you can hear these actors at work in their own language. Currently I’m well into an Israeli/Arab series, Fauda. Another recent favourite was Unorthodox.
Guilty pleasure binge-watch recommendations? Anything thriller-ish or mystery-ish. Like reading mysteries, I love the puzzle-solving aspect of these shows. Also, how could I forget the recent reruns of the Toronto Raptors Championship run and that Jets/Nashville series from 2017. I SO miss hockey!!!
New skills and hobbies? Same old, same old….running, reading, doing puzzles, doing crosswords, cooking, composing, and practicing Schubert’s Die WInterreise.
Name something you consider a mind-altering work of art: B Minor Mass by Bach, any of the Mozart opera ensembles, Schubert’s songs, Gerald Finzi’s “Earth, Air, and Rain” song cycle, Beatles Revolver and Abbey Road, CSNY “Deja vu”, and Joni Mitchell’s “Blue”.
What was the first LP/cassette/CD/eight track you ever bought with your own money? It was a toss- up between Mozart’s Requiem and the Guess Who American Woman album.
What three famous people, living or dead, would you want at your fantasy dinner party?
Rembrandt, Bach, and Dickens is a start, but it could just as easily be Hildegard of Bingen, Mozart’s wife Constanze, and Dustin Byfuglien. I’d enjoy the varying points of view on art, politics, and life.
What will live performance look like after COVID-19? The big question indeed…no doubt there will be a ton more online content, especially as online platforms develop to help us figure out how to do real- time ensemble performances. I imagine there will also be a lot more video-ed performances streamed or broadcast on the Net. The thing about musicians, though, is that they need proximity to riff off of each other, and I for one am waiting to get back into the live rehearsal/performance paradigm…..it’s hard to exchange energy and vibrations electronically. It will take some time for audiences to loosen the social distancing protocols that we’ve so quickly gotten used to, so we’ll all have to be extremely creative about how we use our performance spaces….trust the arts community to figure this out, though…right now, the world needs us artists more than ever.
Anne Janes, Chair, Board of Directors, Camerata Nova; Treasury Board Analyst, Government of Manitoba
Where are you and who are you spending isolation time with? At home with my husband Chris.
What’s on your reading list? Harry Hole crime novels by Joe Nesbo – because they are great reads and take my mind away from everything else. That and whatever is on deck for my book club.
Current binge-watching recommendations? Valhalla Murders, Trapped, Bosch, Schitt’s Creek.
New skills and hobbies? Sewing a patchwork quilt, building a lasagna garden – for pleasure and food.
Name something you consider a mind-altering work of art: The Garden of Earthly Delights – Hieronymus Bosch or The Triumph of Death – Pieter Bruegel.
What was the first LP/cassette/CD/eight track you ever bought with your own money? Michael Jackson, Thriller – yep, I’m a child of the 80s.
What three famous people, living or dead, would you want at your fantasy dinner party? Craig Ferguson, Margaret Atwood and Vance Gilbert.
What will live performance look like after COVID-19? Smaller concerts, smaller venues or virtual ones. Something new needs to develop at least until a vaccine is developed and perhaps on a more permanent basis as this could be the new reality for a long time. Possibly more interactive online opportunities as well with some kind of new arrangement for reimbursement of the performers.
Camerata Nova is a registered not-for-profit charitable organization. Exploring, taking risks, and developing exciting new programming, takes time, energy, and money.
Or, click here to find out more about donating.
After careful consideration, the Camerata Nova board of directors has made the decision to postpone the events of our May 9-10, 2020 concert, Captive.
We have rescheduled this concert to Sep 12-13, 2020, same time(s)/place, subject to COVID-19 restrictions at that time. All ticket purchased to date will be honoured in the fall.
Thank you for your support and understanding, stay safe, and we look forward to presenting this special concert for you.
SATURDAY, MAY 9, 2020 AT 7:30 PM and SUNDAY, MAY 10, 2020 AT 3:00 PM LE SAMEDI 9 MAI 2020 À 19 H 30 et LE DIMANCHE 10 MAI 2020 À 15 H NEEGINAN CENTRE (181 Higgins Ave)
Captive is the third in our series of Truth and Reconciliation concerts, featuring new works on the theme of “captivity” by Indigenous composers/performers, including electro-acoustic specialist Eliot Britton, hip-hop artist Zoey Roy, cellist Cris Derksen, traditional drummer/singer Cory Campbell, our very own Andrew Balfour, and more. Under Andrew’s leadership, we’ve been pushing the envelope on contemporary Indigenous music for more than ten years, discovering and collaborating with incredibly talented Indigenous artists and helping to bridge Indigenous and settler communities. Andrew Balfour curator/composer, Mel Braun conductor.
Captive est le troisième de notre série de concerts sur la vérité et de la réconciliation, et comprendra de nouvelles œuvres sur le thème de la « captivité » par des compositeurs/interprètes autochtones, dont le spécialiste électroacoustique Eliot Britton, l’artiste hip-hop Zoey Roy, la violoncelliste Cris Derksen, batteur/chanteur traditionnel Cory Campbell et notre propre Andrew Balfour. Sous la direction d’Andrew, nous repoussons les limites de la musique autochtone contemporaine depuis plus de 10 ans, en découvrant des artistes autochtones incroyables et en collaborant avec eux, et en aidant à rapprocher la communauté autochtone et celle des colons. Andrew Balfour, concepteur/compositeur; Mel Braun, chef de chœur.
Purchase tickets for CAPTIVE online by clicking HERE
DONATE TODAY!
Camerata Nova is a registered not-for-profit charitable organization. Exploring, taking risks, and developing exciting new programming, takes time, energy, and money.
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2020 AT 7:30 PM LE JEUDI 13 FÉVRIER 2020 À 19 H 30
WEST END CULTURAL CENTRE
“When a song can quiet two dozen drunks, you can be confident that there is something there that’s worth listening to,” says music director Seán Dagher. Camerata Nova has invited the top early music group, La Nef from Montreal, to collaborate on a program of fun and historic sea songs and shanties. Ross Brownlee, conductor/singer; Seán Dagher, curator/conductor. Camerata Nova thanks concert supporters Drs. Bill Pope and Elizabeth Tippett-Pope.
« Quand une chanson peut faire taire deux douzaines d’ivrognes, on peut être sûr que ça vaut la peine d’être entendu », fait remarquer Seán Dagher, directeur musical. Camerata Nova a invité l’excellent groupe de musique ancienne, La Nef, de Montréal, pour présenter en collaboration un programme de chansons marines historiques et amusantes. Ross Brownlee, chef de chœur/chanteur; Seán Dagher, concepteur/chef d’orchestre. Un merci tout spécial aux commanditaires de notre concert: Drs. Bill Pope and Elizabeth Tippett-Pope
About La Nef
Founded in Montréal in 1991, La Nef creates, produces, and distributes concerts, multimedia and multidisciplinary shows, physical and digital albums, musical tales, and CD-books. Its activities are aimed at audiences of all ages. Its wide-ranging repertoire includes early music, the music of oral traditions, world music, and experimental and contemporary approaches to musical creation. According to the approach chosen, its performances integrate theater, movement and dance, visual arts, video, and now, with advances in technology, digital arts. All these elements contribute to the high artistic quality, stylistic diversity, and distinctive character that are the company’s unique signature. Over the course of years, La Nef has presented its shows in North and South America, Europe, and Asia. Often nominated or listed as a finalist for its concerts, shows, discs, and CD-books, La Nef counts Opus, ADISQ, and CFMA prizes among its many awards and distinctions.
Fondée à Montréal en 1991, La Nef crée, produit et diffuse des concerts, spectacles pluridisciplinaires, albums physiques et numériques, contes musicaux et livres-CD. Ses activités sont destinées à un public de tous âges. Son vaste répertoire s’étend des musiques anciennes et de tradition orale, aux approches actuelles de musique de création et de musique du monde. Selon les créations, son approche scénique intègre le théâtre, le mouvement et la danse, les arts visuels, la vidéo et les arts numériques. Tous ces éléments confèrent à ses productions une grande qualité artistique, une diversité de styles au caractère distinctif ainsi qu’une signature unique. Au cours des ans, La Nef a présenté ses productions en Amérique du Nord et du Sud, en Europe et en Asie. Mainte fois finaliste et mise en nomination pour ses concerts, spectacles, disques et livres-CD, La Nef a été honorée de nombreux prix et distinctions (Opus, ADISQ, CFMA).
La Nef, Sea Songs &Shanties – crédit Pierre Alexandre Saint Yves
The journey of La Nef’s Sea Songs & Shanties began in Montreal in 2012 when they worked with video game company, Ubisoft to create the memorable soundtrack to Assassin’s Creed III, followed by Black Flag in 2013 and Rogue in 2014. The success of these games and huge popularity of the soundtracks convinced La Nef the bring the group together to build the concert and have been touring the show intensively ever since.
COMING UP FOR CAMERATA NOVA!
CAPTIVE
SATURDAY, MAY 9, 2020 AT 7:30 PM and SUNDAY, MAY 10, 2020 AT 3:00 PM LE SAMEDI 9 MAI 2020 À 19 H 30 et LE DIMANCHE 10 MAI 2020 À 15 H NEEGINAN CENTRE (181 Higgins Ave)
Captive is the third in our series of Truth and Reconciliation concerts, featuring new works on the theme of “captivity” by Indigenous composers/performers, including electro-acoustic specialist Eliot Britton, hip-hop artist Zoey Roy, cellist Cris Derksen, traditional drummer/singer Cory Campbell, our very own Andrew Balfour, and more. Under Andrew’s leadership, we’ve been pushing the envelope on contemporary Indigenous music for more than ten years, discovering and collaborating with incredibly talented Indigenous artists and helping to bridge Indigenous and settler communities. Andrew Balfour curator/composer, Mel Braun conductor.
Captive est le troisième de notre série de concerts sur la vérité et de la réconciliation, et comprendra de nouvelles œuvres sur le thème de la « captivité » par des compositeurs/interprètes autochtones, dont le spécialiste électroacoustique Eliot Britton, l’artiste hip-hop Zoey Roy, la violoncelliste Cris Derksen, batteur/chanteur traditionnel Cory Campbell et notre propre Andrew Balfour. Sous la direction d’Andrew, nous repoussons les limites de la musique autochtone contemporaine depuis plus de 10 ans, en découvrant des artistes autochtones incroyables et en collaborant avec eux, et en aidant à rapprocher la communauté autochtone et celle des colons. Andrew Balfour, concepteur/compositeur; Mel Braun, chef de chœur.
Purchase tickets for CAPTIVE online by clicking HERE
DONATE TODAY!
Camerata Nova is a registered not-for-profit charitable organization. Exploring, taking risks, and developing exciting new programming, takes time, energy, and money.
http://cameratanova.com/16/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/La-Nef_Sea-Songs_Photo-groupe_Crédit-Pierre-Alexandre-Saint-Yves.jpg7361080Roland Descambaulthttp://cameratanova.com/16/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/camerata-logo-use-1.pngRoland Descambault2020-01-29 14:10:262020-02-04 19:05:05Camerata Nova has invited the top early music group, La Nef from Montreal, to collaborate on a program of fun and historic sea songs and shanties
Of All the Flowers at WNMF and Sea Songs & Shanties at the West End Cultural Centre
Canadian composer Terri Hron’s brand new electro-acoustic Of All the Flowers, forms the centerpiece of the program.
Camerata Nova has been invited to perform its own concert at the 2020 Winnipeg New Music Festival. Of All the Flowers is quintessential Camerata Nova, mixing early and new, chant, drone and electro-acoustic, featuring a new commission by Montreal’s Terri Hron and music by Gesualdo, Machaut, Kouyoumdjian, and more. Harry Stafylakis, curator; Mel Braun & Vic Pankratz, curator and conductor.
Camerata Nova a été invité à présenter son propre concert dans le cadre du Festival de musique nouvelle 2020 de Winnipeg. Of All the Flowers sera l’essence même de Camerata Nova, mélangeant musique ancienne et nouvelle, plain-chant, harmoniques et électroacoustique, avec une nouvelle œuvre de Terri Hron de Montréal et de la musique par Gesualdo, Machaut, Kouyoumdjian et autres. Harry Stafylakis, concepteur; Mel Braun & Vic Pankratz, concepteur et chef de chœur.
TUESDAY, JANUARY 28, 2020 AT 7:30 PM
LE MARDI 28 JANVIER 2020 À 19 H 30
CENTENNIAL CONCERT HALL
WORKS:
Carlo Gesualdo – Tristis est anima mea
Terri Hron – Bittersweet: Sacrifice / The World Trembles / And I Will Mary Kouyoumdjian – Become Who I Am
Guillaume de Machaut – De toutes flours
Terri Hron – Of All the Flowers
Kristi Lane Sinclair – Woman
Cecilia Livingston – Kiss Goodnight
Otar Taktakishvili – Sach’idao
Alexi Matchavariani – Doluri
Ioseb Kechakmadze – Lasharis gzaze
As a fan of Camerata Nova, use the discount code cnova20 at checkout for 20% off a single ticket purchase. Purchase tickets HERE!
COMING UP NEXT!
LA NEF AND SEÁN DAGHER, SEA SONGS & SHANTIES
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2020 AT 7:30 PM LE JEUDI 13 FÉVRIER 2020 À 19 H 30
WEST END CULTURAL CENTRE
“When a song can quiet two dozen drunks, you can be confident that there is something there that’s worth listening to,” says music director Seán Dagher. Camerata Nova has invited the top early music group, La Nef from Montreal, to collaborate on a program of fun and historic sea songs and shanties. Ross Brownlee, conductor/singer; Seán Dagher, curator/conductor.
« Quand une chanson peut faire taire deux douzaines d’ivrognes, on peut être sûr que ça vaut la peine d’être entendu », fait remarquer Seán Dagher, directeur musical. Camerata Nova a invité l’excellent groupe de musique ancienne, La Nef, de Montréal, pour présenter en collaboration un programme de chansons marines historiques et amusantes. Ross Brownlee, chef de chœur/chanteur; Seán Dagher, concepteur/chef d’orchestre.
Camerata Nova is a registered not-for-profit charitable organization. Exploring, taking risks, and developing exciting new programming, takes time, energy, and money.
http://cameratanova.com/16/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Terri-Hron-image1080.png10711080Roland Descambaulthttp://cameratanova.com/16/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/camerata-logo-use-1.pngRoland Descambault2020-01-14 13:44:022020-01-21 14:12:39Camerata Nova at Winnipeg New Music Festival
Guido Morini, Elinor Frey, Madeleine Owen, Bruce Dickey
Charismatic and forward-thinking curator/conductor, John Wiens opens our season with ROSA [mys.ti.ka], a concert of glorious Renaissance music by Gabrieli, Bovicelli, Mouton, Lassus, Praetorius, and contemporary Balfour. This concert features the extraordinary Bruce Dickey, one of a handful of musicians worldwide who have dedicated themselves to reviving the cornetto, an early wind instrument that dates from Medieval times. BBC Music Magazine noted “…Dickey’s cornetto playing would charm the skin off a snake.” Dickey is joined by Elinor Frey (viola da gamba), Guido Morini (continuo), and Madeleine Owen (theorbo).
ROSA [mys.ti.ka] will be performed on Friday, December 13 at 7:30 pm and again on Saturday, December 14 at 7:30 pm at Crescent Fort Rouge United Church (525 Wardlaw Avenue) in Winnipeg. There will be pre-concert talks at 6:45 pm on both days.
Tickets are available by CLICKING HERE, at McNally Robinson Booksellers, by phone (204.918.4547), or at the door.
Camerata Nova thanks concert supporters Drs. Bill Pope and Elizabeth Tippett-Pope.
Conductor, John Wiens
About Guido Morini
Guido was born in Milan in 1959. After studying organ, harpsichord and composition, he devoted himself to the art of basso continuo and of improvisation.
He has collaborated with many ensembles, recording nearly 80 discs, many of which have received awards and the highest acclaim from the international press and critics (Diapason d’Or, 10Repertoire, 5Goldberg, Choc de la Musique) with important labels: ECM, Opus 111, Arcana, Glossa, Astrèe, Alia Vox, Cypres, Naïve, Alpha.
In 1984 he founded, together with the tenor Marco Beasley, his ensemble ACCORDONE to porsue a new way to interpret the baroque repertoir and especially the 17th century italian music.
Guido Morini regularly plays for the most important festivals and concert halls and makes all the musical revisions and elaborations for Accordone. Eclectic musician, he also creates new music for his own ensemble thinking up concerts, performances, oratorios and liturgical music:
“Una Odissea” (2002) is an opera in one act for soloists, choir and orchestra on a libretto by Marco Beasley; “Vivifice Spiritus Vitae Vis” (2005), is a sacred oratorio for soloist, choir and organ on a latin text. In January 2009 his opera “Una Iliade”- that involves Accordone, the Netherland Blazers Ensemble and the Hilliard Ensemble – was performed as worldpremiere at Muziekgebouw ‘Aant of Amsterdam . In May 2009 another worldpremiere at Salzburg Festival: “Solve et Coagula” an opera devoted to Raimondo di Sangro Principe di San Severo, a philosoph, scientist, inventor and alchemist who lived in Napoli during 18th century.
In 2012 the new sacred creation “Passio” for tenor, choir and organ, was performed in Austria. Between 2012 and 2014 the french label Alpha presents Storie di Napoli, recording devoted to the neapolitan music from XVI century to nowadays; Cantate Deo, a cd devoted to italian sacred music for two voices in the early XVII century; Solve et Coagula. More, in 2014 he recorded for Brilliant the complete Quartets with “Cembalo concertato” by C.P.E. Bach
About Elinor Frey
Fascinated by the cello’s origins and the creative process of new music, Elinor Frey plays both period and modern instruments. Her recent release on the Belgian label Passacaille, Berlin Sonatas with Lorenzo Ghielmi on fortepiano, was nominated for a Juno award for Best Classical CD, Solo & Chamber Music and won the 2015 Québec Opus Prize for Early Music CD of the year. Her first Baroque CD, La voce del violoncello, was praised for its “careful scholarship and brilliant layering of moods and tempos” (Toronto Star) and for the “honest, reflective beauty of her music making” (Strings). Her performance of this program was the winner of the public prize at the 2013 Utrecht Early Music Festival Fringe. In May 2017, she released Fiorè, the world premiere recording of the sonatas of Angelo Maria Fiorè and various unknown Italian arias, performed alongside Lorenzo Ghielmi and Suzie LeBlanc.
Frey’s debut album, Dialoghi, is titled for the solo piece written for her by Steven Stucky, and her CD of new works for Baroque cello, titled Guided By Voices, will be released on the Analekta label in March 2019. These works are by Scott Godin, Linda Catlin Smith, Ken Ueno, Isaiah Ceccarelli, Maxime McKinley, and Lisa Streich. She also recently performed Lutoslawski’s cello concerto and a new concerto by Colin Labadie with the Laurier Symphony, as well as a concerto by Keiko Devaux with Ensemble Arkea and conductor Dina Gilbert.
Frey’s honours include a US-Italy Fulbright Fellowship where she studied baroque cello with Paolo Beschi, the SSHRC Canada Graduate Scholarship, American Musicological Society, and Canada Council for the Arts grants facilitating her work on Italian cello music. In recent seasons she has performed with Il Gardellino, Constantinople, Clavecin en concert, Ensemble Caprice, SMAM, Les Idées heureuses, Arion, Les Boréades, and Theatre of Early Music, as well as with her quartet, Pallade Musica, grand prize winners of the 2012 Early Music America Baroque Performance Competition and second prize winners in the 2014 International Van Wassenaer Competition in Utrecht. Currently a course instructor at McGill University, Frey holds degrees from Mannes, McGill, and Juilliard and is the Visiting Fellow in Music from 2019-2022 at Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford University.
About Madeleine Owen Lutenist Madeleine Owen is the artistic director of the Montréal early music group, La Cigale. She performs regularly with groups such as Helios Early Opera (Boston), ¡Saccabuche! (Sackville), Scaramella (Toronto), Per Sonatori (Regina), Les plaisirs du clavecin (Gatineau) and the Central City Opera (Colorado). In 2014, she worked as assistant music director to Timothy Nelson in the COSI production of Monteverdi’s Poppea in Sulmona Italy. Madeleine is a professor at the Cégep Marie-Victorin. She recently received a grant from the QALC to pursue research of the parallels between the theorbo and the Baroque cello.
About Bruce Dickey Bruce is one of a handful of musicians worldwide who have dedicated themselves to reviving the cornetto – once an instrument of great virtuosi, but which lamentably fell into disuse in the 19th century. The revival began in the 1950s, but it was largely Bruce Dickey, who, from the late 1970s, created a new renaissance of the instrument, allowing the agility and expressive power of the cornetto to be heard once again. His many students, over 40 years of teaching at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis, have helped to consolidate and elevate the status of this once forgotten instrument. For his achievements the Historic Brass Society awarded him in 2000 the prestigious Christopher Monk Award for “his monumental work in cornetto performance, historical performance practice and musicological scholarship.” In 2007 he was honored by British conductor and musicologist Andrew Parrott with a “Taverner Award” as one of 14 musicians whose “significant contributions to musical understanding have been motivated by neither commerce nor ego.”
About John Wiens
A dynamic conductor hailed for “awe-inspiring” (Winnipeg Free Press) performances, John Wiens has cemented his reputation as one of Canada’s finest chamber choir conductors.
John has appeared on stages across the world, pursuing an innovative path as a programmer known for an uncommonly wide repertoire. John’s inquisitiveness and love of investigation often results in the performance of new music, and music from before 1700. His conducting career has ranged from Belgium (University Chorus for L’Université Catholique de Louvain) to Morocco (Ensemble Voca Me) to Montreal (St. Matthias Anglican Church, Westmount) and Winnipeg (Polycoro, Camerata Nova).
Born into a musical family in small – town Manitoba, John aspired to be a musician from an early age. He studied violin at the age of four, and sang in choirs throughout his childhood. He holds degrees in Violin, Voice, and Conducting, from CMU, McGill, and the University of Sherbrooke respectively. He has studied privately with Paul van Nevel, (director of the Huelgas Ensemble), Christopher Jackson (SMAM), Andrew Megill (University of Illinois), Konstantin Krechler, and Donna Grescoe.
John is constantly expanding his knowledge of music ancient and modern. He has conducted the premiers of works by Andrew Balfour, Norbert Palej, T. Pat Carrabré, Neil Weisenthel, and Isaiah Ceccarelli, and regularly programs repertoire by many of Canada’s leading composers including Anna Sokolovic, Mychael Danna, Vivian Fung, Nicolas Gilbert, and Oleksa Lozowchuk.
When not performing, John is in more and more demand as a clinician, adjudicator, and juror, participating in these activities as often as his busy schedule will allow. He is honored to work with and support new talent. He loves spending his spare time with his wife and sons in the kitchen or outdoors, and he is an avid fencer.
DONATE TODAY
Camerata Nova is a registered not-for-profit charitable organization. Exploring, taking risks, and developing exciting new programming, takes time, energy, and money.
http://cameratanova.com/16/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Screen-Shot-2019-11-22-at-1.24.29-PM.png7221080Roland Descambaulthttp://cameratanova.com/16/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/camerata-logo-use-1.pngRoland Descambault2019-11-22 12:20:262019-12-14 15:52:29Conductor John Wiens to lead Camerata Nova and stellar guest artists in ROSA [mys.ti.ka] this Dec 13-14, 2019
Once an instrument of great virtuosi, but which lamentably fell into disuse in the 19th century. The revival began in the 1950s, but it was largely Bruce Dickey, who, from the late 1970s, created a new renaissance of the instrument, allowing the agility and expressive power of the cornetto to be heard once again. His many students, over 40 years of teaching at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis, have helped to consolidate and elevate the status of this once forgotten instrument. For his achievements the Historic Brass Society awarded him in 2000 the prestigious Christopher Monk Award for “his monumental work in cornetto performance, historical performance practice and musicological scholarship.” In 2007 he was honored by British conductor and musicologist Andrew Parrott with a “Taverner Award” as one of 14 musicians whose “significant contributions to musical understanding have been motivated by neither commerce nor ego.” Read more
About ROSA [mys.ti.ka] FRIDAY, DEC 13, 2019 AT 7:30 PM and SATURDAY, DEC 14, 2019 AT 7:30 PM
LE VENDREDI 13 DÉC 2019 À 19 H 30 et LE SAMEDI 14 DÉC 2019 À 19 H 30
CRESCENT FORT ROUGE UNITED CHURCH
Charismatic and forward-thinking curator/conductor, John Wiens opens our season with a concert of glorious Renaissance music by Gabrieli, Bovicelli, Mouton, Lassus, Praetorius, and contemporary Balfour. This concert features the extraordinary Bruce Dickey, one of a handful of musicians worldwide who have dedicated themselves to reviving the cornetto, about whom BBC Music Magazine stated, “…Dickey’s cornetto playing would charm the skin off a snake.” Bruce is joined by Elinor Frey (viola da gamba), Guido Morini (continuo), and Madeleine Owen (theorbo).
Le concepteur et chef de chœur charismatique et avant-gardiste, John Wiens, amorce notre saison avec un concert de musique glorieuse de la Renaissance par Gabrieli, Bovicelli, Mouton, Lassus et Praetorius et le compositeur contemporain Balfour. Le concert mettra en vedette l’extraordinaire Bruce Dickey, l’un des rares musiciens du monde à s’être consacré à faire redécouvrir le cornet. BBC Music Magazine a dit de lui : « … le cornet de Dickey charmerait un serpent au point de le faire sortir de sa peau. » Bruce sera accompagné d’Elinor Frey (viole da gambe), Guido Morini (continuo), et Madeleine Owen (théorbe).
Camerata Nova is a registered not-for-profit charitable organization. Exploring, taking risks, and developing exciting new programming, takes time, energy, and money.
http://cameratanova.com/16/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/BruceDickeyImage.jpg28323539Roland Descambaulthttp://cameratanova.com/16/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/camerata-logo-use-1.pngRoland Descambault2019-11-19 16:02:502019-11-19 16:16:30Joining us Dec 13-14 for ROSA [mys.ti.ka], Bruce Dickey is one of a handful of musicians worldwide who have dedicated themselves to reviving the cornetto
Camerata Nova is excited to present a new season of groundbreaking concerts. See below to purchase subscriptions, tickets, and to donate.
ROSA [mys.ti.ka]
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2019 AT 7:30 PM and SATURDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2019 AT 7:30 PM
LE VENDREDI 13 DÉCEMBRE 2019 À 19 H 30 et LE SAMEDI 14 DÉCEMBRE 2019 À 19 H 30
CRESCENT FORT ROUGE UNITED CHURCH
Charismatic and forward-thinking curator/conductor, John Wiens opens our season with a concert of glorious Renaissance music by Gabrieli, Bovicelli, Mouton, Lassus, Praetorius, and contemporary Balfour. This concert features the extraordinary Bruce Dickey, one of a handful of musicians worldwide who have dedicated themselves to reviving the cornetto, about whom BBC Music Magazine stated, “…Dickey’s cornetto playing would charm the skin off a snake.” Bruce is joined by Elinor Frey, viola da gamba, Guido Morini, continuo, and Madeleine Owen, theorbo.
Le concepteur et chef de chœur charismatique et avant-gardiste, John Wiens, amorce notre saison avec un concert de musique glorieuse de la Renaissance par Gabrieli, Bovicelli, Mouton, Lassus et Praetorius et le compositeur contemporain Balfour. Le concert mettra en vedette l’extraordinaire Bruce Dickey, l’un des rares musiciens du monde à s’être consacré à faire redécouvrir le cornet. BBC Music Magazine a dit de lui : « … le cornet de Dickey charmerait un serpent au point de le faire sortir de sa peau. » Bruce sera accompagné d’Elinor Frey (viole da gambe), Guido Morini (continuo), et Madeleine Owen (théorbe).
La Nef and Seán Dagher, Sea Songs & Shanties
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2020 AT 7:30 PM
LE JEUDI 13 FÉVRIER 2020 À 19 H 30
WEST END CULTURAL CENTRE
“When a song can quiet two dozen drunks, you can be confident that there is something there that’s worth listening to,” says music director Seán Dagher. Camerata Nova has invited the top early music group, La Nef from Montreal, to collaborate on a program of fun and historic sea songs and shanties. Ross Brownlee, conductor/singer; Seán Dagher, curator/conductor
« Quand une chanson peut faire taire deux douzaines d’ivrognes, on peut être sûr que ça vaut la peine d’être entendu », fait remarquer Seán Dagher, directeur musical. Camerata Nova a invité l’excellent groupe de musique ancienne, La Nef, de Montréal, pour présenter en collaboration un programme de chansons marines historiques et amusantes. Ross Brownlee, chef de chœur/chanteur; Seán Dagher, concepteur/chef d’orchestre
Captive
SATURDAY, MAY 9, 2020 AT 7:30 PM and SUNDAY, MAY 10, 2020 AT 3:00 PM
LE SAMEDI 9 MAI 2020 À 19 H 30 et LE DIMANCHE 10 MAI 2020 À 15 H
NEEGINAN CENTRE
Captive is the third in our series of Truth and Reconciliation concerts, featuring new works on the theme of “captivity” by Indigenous composers/performers, including electro-acoustic specialist Eliot Britton, hip-hop artist Zoey Roy, cellist Cris Derksen, our very own Andrew Balfour, and more. Under Andrew’s leadership, we’ve been pushing the envelope on contemporary Indigenous music for more than ten years, discovering and collaborating with incredibly talented Indigenous artists and helping to bridge Indigenous and settler communities. Andrew Balfour curator/composer, Mel Braun conductor.
Captive est le troisième de notre série de concerts sur la vérité et de la réconciliation, et comprendra de nouvelles œuvres sur le thème de la « captivité » par des compositeurs/interprètes autochtones, dont le spécialiste électroacoustique Eliot Britton, l’artiste hip-hop Zoey Roy, la violoncelliste Cris Derksen et notre propre Andrew Balfour. Sous la direction d’Andrew, nous repoussons les limites de la musique autochtone contemporaine depuis plus de 10 ans, en découvrant des artistes autochtones incroyables et en collaborant avec eux, et en aidant à rapprocher la communauté autochtone et celle des colons. Andrew Balfour, concepteur/compositeur; Mel Braun, chef de chœur
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 2019 AT 2:30 PM
LE SAMEDI 16 NOVEMBRE 2019 À 14 H 30
MANITOBA HYDRO BUILDING
Get in the festive spirit before watching the Manitoba Hydro Santa Clause Parade! Our FREE performance features Christmas classics, Camerata Nova originals, as well as some sing-alongs! Vic Pankratz, curator/conductor.
Mettez-vous dans l’esprit des fêtes avant d’aller voir le défilé du Père Noël de Manitoba Hydro! Ce concert GRATUIT comprend des classiques de Noël, des pièces originales de Camerata Nova et l’occasion de chanter avec nous! Vic Pankratz.
Of All the Flowers
TUESDAY, JANUARY 28, 2020 AT 7:30 PM
LE MARDI 28 JANVIER 2020 À 19 H 30
CENTENNIAL CONCERT HALL
Camerata Nova has been invited to perform its own concert at the 2020 Winnipeg New Music Festival. Of All the Flowers is quintessential Camerata Nova, mixing early and new, chant, drone and electro-acoustic, featuring a new commission by Montreal’s Terri Hron and music by Gesualdo, Machaut, Kouyoumdjian, and more. Discounted rates are offered to Camerata Nova season ticket subscribers. Harry Stafylakis, curator; Mel Braun, curator and conductor.
Camerata Nova a été invité à présenter son propre concert dans le cadre du Festival de musique nouvelle 2020 de Winnipeg. Of All the Flowers sera l’essence même de Camerata Nova, mélangeant musique ancienne et nouvelle, plain-chant, harmoniques et électroacoustique, avec une nouvelle œuvre de Terri Hron de Montréal et de la musique par Gesualdo, Machaut, Kouyoumdjian et autres. Des tarifs réduits seront offerts aux abonnés de Camerata Nova. Harry Stafylakis, concepteur; Mel Braun, concepteur et chef de chœur.
DONATE TODAY
Camerata Nova is a registered not-for-profit charitable organization. Exploring, taking risks, and developing exciting new programming, takes time, energy, and money.
Choral maestro Andrew Balfour pursues his Indigenous identity through music
There are things you expect to hear from a classical-music composer like Andrew Balfour: that he grew up singing in a church choir. That he began playing an instrument at an early age – in his case, trumpet. That while other kids were grinding out guitar licks, miming Bruce Springsteen or David Bowie (he grew up in the 1970s), Balfour was air-conducting Beethoven.
Camerata Nova is a registered not-for-profit charitable organization. Exploring, taking risks, and developing exciting new programming, takes time, energy, and money.
Or, click here to find out more about donating.
http://cameratanova.com/16/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Andrew-Balfour-image-Globe-and-Mail.jpg12671900Roland Descambaulthttp://cameratanova.com/16/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/camerata-logo-use-1.pngRoland Descambault2019-05-15 13:12:122020-05-22 13:04:33Composer Andrew Balfour Featured in the Globe and Mail
Being involved in historical music, as I often am, requires no small amount of sleuthing. In the time that I find to read historical documents, the reports of others who have read them, and the problems that arise from the misinterpretation of those documents by sincere and well-meaning scholars (including myself), has led to confusion over the years. And so, when one finds a clue, one must be quick to doubt – to fact check – and to look further to find reviews by other renowned scholars which lend either weight to, or contest, a written argument. These reviews are most often found in journals and magazines and are a critical part of any historical musicians’ life – just as important as the reports themselves. For it is in these reports – and the expertise of those who write them, that we must invariably either put our trust or discount.
John Wiens is the curator/conductor for Death by Chocolate: The Life of Henry Purcell (May 4-5, 2019)
How does one do that? How does one choose who to read and who to ignore? How does one decide if a well-known conductor is fictionalizing to sell a few extra books or recordings? Well, luckily, there are many experts world-wide who one can turn to in a moment such as this. Often, they are editors of a collection of essays on a particular topic, and they are usually happy to set the record straight in the service of fine music. This summer in Ghent I was set straight a number of times on elements that I myself had been incorrect about, and I’m grateful for that.
Reading historical documents is not for the faint of heart. One must have a great passion for the music that cannot be satisfied by simply knowing the scores or listening to a recording and intuiting. For, it is a combination of the document, and the score, and the scenario surrounding the score and its composer that gives the clearest picture.
This preface from “Henry Purcell and the Restoration Theatre” by Robert Etheridge Moore sums up the hardest part of this task: “Specialists will inevitably find a great deal here that they already know, indeed whole pages that they will doubtless want to skim, but from the reports of colleagues in departments of music as well as from my own experience with even the most advanced students of English literature, it is quite clear that literary and musical studies seldom meet. A student of literature and a student of music are virtually never combined in the same individual. Outside their own field of study their ignorance can be described only as sizeable. (Unhappily this generalization, not lightly made, applies frequently to the podium no less than to the arena.”
So, as we turn to the music of Henry Purcell, with all this in mind, we are faced with some surprising situations – not the least of which is the wonderful fictions of his life – the fantastical stories that were generated either during his life or by those who were destined to write about it – for uncertain reasons. For instance, should we dare to turn to the internet in search of clues about the life and times of dear Henry, we find some wonderful fictions which we may or may not be able to substantiate. We chose the title for the concert – Death by Chocolate – from one of the rumors that is hardest to believe but makes for a snappy title. There were chocolate houses in London at that time and the thesis is that Purcell lost his life as a result of drinking some impure liquid chocolate. Rumors are tough to substantiate, especially rumors that are hundreds of years old, but if it is true, that’s a scrummy way to go.
The most common rumor of the time was that Purcell died because his wife locked him out in the cold because he returned home “heated with wine.” This rumor we can find an origin to – it was started by the family of the celebrated Bass John Gostling. John Gostling, as many of you may know, was the Anglican cleric whose Basso Profundo gained incredible notoriety thanks to the music of Henry Purcell. He was a bass with an extraordinary range of two and a half octaves. It is surmised that the Gostling’s began this rumor because they didn’t like Purcell’s wife, and blamed her for Purcell’s death. She likely didn’t deserve that blame, but the Gostlings were to lose standing at court after the death of Henry and needed to rationalize that somehow – despite the fact that the Purcell family lost so much more.
And just to try and put a little context around all of this, rumors at that time were part of the fun (and often the meanness) of life, depending on the rumor. The rumor often portrayed a general attitude of the public towards important figures of the day. For instance, Mary of Modena (the wife of King James II) was a firmly unpopular figure amongst the British. She gave birth to a son, and it was widely rumoured that he was a “changeling”, brought into the birth chamber in a warming pan, in order to perpetuate her husband’s Catholic Stuart dynasty. That’s a pretty mean thing to say and shows what lengths the powerful and the poor alike would go to if they wanted someone to become unpopular in the minds of the hoi polloi.
There is more, much more, that we can say about the life of Henry Purcell. If you join us at the concert there are still a few thoughts that haven’t been shared in this blog – thoughts that will both deepen some mysteries about his life, and perhaps bring a fitting conclusion to the rumors about his life. – John Wiens
May 4, 2019 at 7:30 pm and May 5, 2019 at 3:00 pm at Crescent Fort Rouge United Church (Pre-concert talks at 6:45 pm on Saturday and 2:15 pm on Sunday)
In this concert curated and conducted by John Wiens, Camerata Nova seeks to showcase choral works by Henry Purcell (1659-1695) and to explore the life of this composer, arguably the greatest of the English Baroque period. Join us to find out how cocoa can kill…
Death by Chocolate offers top quality performers and powerful repertoire – a rare musical treat. Four Winnipeg vocal soloists: Dayna Lamothe, soprano; Jane Fingler, soprano; James Magnus-Johnson, tenor; and Jereme Wall, bass will be joined by early music instrumentalists Claudine St-Arnauld, violin; Jeremy Buzasch, violin; Greg Hay, viola; Yuri Hooker, cello; Andrew Goodlett, bass; and Michael McKay, organ continuo.
Adding some flair, we will also be joined by exciting young Canadian countertenor, Daniel Cabena, who specializes in early and contemporary performance. The countertenor voice has a caché and curiosity that is sure to send many a heart afflutter. Repertoire will include: Rondeau from Abdelazar; O Sing unto the Lord; My Heart Is Inditing; Hear My Prayer, O Lord; Te Deum and Jubilate in D; plus Three Funeral Sentences.
TICKETS
Tickets are available online at cameratanova.com, at McNally Robinson Booksellers, by phone
(204.918.4547), or at the door.
ABOUT JOHN WIENS
A dynamic conductor hailed for “awe-inspiring” (Winnipeg Free Press) performances, John Wiens has cemented his reputation as one of Canada’s finest chamber choir conductors.
John has appeared on stages across the world, pursuing an innovative path as a programmer known for an uncommonly wide repertoire. John’s inquisitiveness and love of investigation often results in the performance of new music, and music from before 1700. His conducting career has ranged from Belgium (University Chorus for L’Université Catholique de Louvain) to Morocco (Ensemble Voca Me) to Montreal (St. Matthias Anglican Church, Westmount) and Winnipeg (Polycoro, Camerata Nova).
Born into a musical family in small – town Manitoba, John aspired to be a musician from an early age. He studied violin at the age of four, and sang in choirs throughout his childhood. He holds degrees in Violin, Voice, and Conducting, from CMU, McGill, and the University of Sherbrooke respectively. He has studied privately with Paul van Nevel, (director of the Huelgas Ensemble),Christopher Jackson (SMAM), Andrew Megill (University of Illinois), Konstantin Krechler, and Donna Grescoe.
John is constantly expanding his knowledge of music ancient and modern. He has conducted the premiers of works by Andrew Balfour, Norbert Palej, T. Pat Carrabré, Neil Weisenthel, and Isaiah Ceccarelli, and regularly programs repertoire by many of Canada’s leading composers including Anna Sokolovic, Mychael Danna, Vivian Fung, Nicolas Gilbert, and Oleksa Lozowchuk.
When not performing, John is in more and more demand as a clinician, adjudicator, and juror, participating in these activities as often as his busy schedule will allow. He is honored to work with and support new talent. He loves spending his spare time with his wife and sons in the kitchen or outdoors, and he is an avid fencer.
DONATE
Camerata Nova is a registered not-for-profit charitable organization. Exploring, taking risks, and developing exciting new programming, takes time, energy, and money.
http://cameratanova.com/16/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/John-Wiens-headshot.png14421968Roland Descambaulthttp://cameratanova.com/16/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/camerata-logo-use-1.pngRoland Descambault2019-04-05 10:34:052019-05-04 19:11:14Historical Music and Sleuthing by John Wiens
May 4, 2019 at 7:30 pm and May 5, 2019 at 3:00 pm at Crescent Fort Rouge United Church (Pre-concert talks at 6:45 pm on Saturday and 2:45 pm on Sunday)
In this concert curated and conducted by John Wiens, Camerata Nova seeks to showcase choral works by Henry Purcell (1659-1695) and to explore the life of this composer, arguably the greatest of the English Baroque period. Join us to find out how cocoa can kill…
Death by Chocolate offers top quality performers and powerful repertoire – a rare musical treat. Four Winnipeg vocal soloists: Dayna Lamothe, soprano; Jane Fingler, soprano; James Magnus-Johnson, tenor; and Jereme Wall, bass will be joined by early music instrumentalists Claudine St-Arnauld, violin; Jeremy Buzasch, violin; Greg Hay, viola; Yuri Hooker, cello; Andrew Goodlett, bass; and Michael McKay, organ continuo.
Canadian countertenor Daniel Cabena is highly regarded in both Canada and Europe for prize-winning performances ranging from baroque to contemporary repertoire.
Adding some flair, we will also be joined by exciting young Canadian countertenor, Daniel Cabena, who specializes in early and contemporary performance. The countertenor voice has a caché and curiosity that is sure to send many a heart afflutter. Repertoire will include: Rondeau from Abdelazar; O Sing unto the Lord; My Heart Is Inditing; Hear My Prayer, O Lord; Te Deum and Jubilate in D; plus Three Funeral Sentences.
John Wiens is the artistic director and co-founder of Polycoro Chamber Choir, a co-curator of Camerata Nova, and begins a new post as Director of Music of the renowned professional chamber choir at St. John’s Anglican Church, Elora in May 2019.
A dynamic conductor hailed for “awe-inspiring” (Winnipeg Free Press) performances, John Wiens has cemented his reputation as one of Canada’s finest chamber choir conductors.
John has appeared on stages across the world, pursuing an innovative path as a programmer known for an uncommonly wide repertoire. John’s inquisitiveness and love of investigation often results in the performance of new music, and music from before 1700. His conducting career has ranged from Belgium (University Chorus for L’Université Catholique de Louvain) to Morocco (Ensemble Voca Me) to Montreal (St. Matthias Anglican Church, Westmount) and Winnipeg (Polycoro, Camerata Nova).
Born into a musical family in small – town Manitoba, John aspired to be a musician from an early age. He studied violin at the age of four, and sang in choirs throughout his childhood. He holds degrees in Violin, Voice, and Conducting, from CMU, McGill, and the University of Sherbrooke respectively. He has studied privately with Paul van Nevel, (director of the Huelgas Ensemble),Christopher Jackson (SMAM), Andrew Megill (University of Illinois), Konstantin Krechler, and Donna Grescoe.
John is constantly expanding his knowledge of music ancient and modern. He has conducted the premiers of works by Andrew Balfour, Norbert Palej, T. Pat Carrabré, Neil Weisenthel, and Isaiah Ceccarelli, and regularly programs repertoire by many of Canada’s leading composers including Anna Sokolovic, Mychael Danna, Vivian Fung, Nicolas Gilbert, and Oleksa Lozowchuk.
When not performing, John is in more and more demand as a clinician, adjudicator, and juror, participating in these activities as often as his busy schedule will allow. He is honored to work with and support new talent. He loves spending his spare time with his wife and sons in the kitchen or outdoors, and he is an avid fencer.
TICKETS
Tickets are available online at cameratanova.com, at McNally Robinson Booksellers, by phone
(204.918.4547), or at the door.
DONATE
Camerata Nova is a registered not-for-profit charitable organization. Exploring, taking risks, and developing exciting new programming, takes time, energy, and money.
http://cameratanova.com/16/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Henry-Purcell.png12321232Roland Descambaulthttp://cameratanova.com/16/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/camerata-logo-use-1.pngRoland Descambault2019-03-27 15:49:272019-03-27 16:02:58Upcoming Concert - Death by Chocolate: The Life of Henry Purcell
Camerata Nova has a long history of collaborations and the Prairie Songbook is no exception. Whether it’s early, contemporary, and Indigenous-infused music, we always welcome the opportunity to explore new ways of collaborating. The Prairie Songbook collaboration has several interesting angles.
We begin with our crackerjack band, comprised of cousins Micah Braun, Jason Pankratz and David Pankratz, who are collaborating as a unit with their dads, Mel Braun, and Vic Pankratz, for the first time. Veterans of local bands Quinzy, Begonia, The Nods, and Jicah, these terrific singers, players, and songwriters anchor this event with their stunning vocal and instrumental talents.
Crack band, comprised of cousins Micah Braun, Jason Pankratz and David Pankratz, collaborating with their dads, Mel Braun and Vic Pankratz, as well as the amazing CNova choir, for the first time
Singer-songwriter Raine Hamilton, fresh off the success of her new album “Night Sky”, brings her unique fiddle style and beautiful voice as our special guest artist. A former Medieval Musicologist, Raine has a fresh approach to song-writing. Her paean to Hildegard of Bingen has to be heard to be believed, a perfect opportunity for Camerata’s characteristic drones and overtones.
Prairie Songbook special guest, Raine Hamilton
A word on the arrangements you’ll hear tonight: The Manitoba choral scene is blessed with an abundance of fine composers and arrangers. Philip Lapatha, conductor of Ecco; and Prairie Voices conductor, Geung Kroeker Lee, have been thrilling their audiences with new arrangements of recent pop offerings. Philip brings us imaginative new perspectives on Joni Mitchell and Ruth Moody songs, while Geung Kroeker Lee contributes funky arrangements of hits by local bands Begonia and Royal Canoe. Steven Webb, an award-winning film score and choral composer brings us tasty arrangements of more Manitoba hits by Imaginary Cities and JP Hoe, while Dan Wiebe, veteran WSO pop arranger and longtime lead singer for House of Doc, brings us an unexpected take on Neil Young and KD Lang.
Mel Braun and his son, Micah
I had the pleasure of creating new versions of familiar songs by The Guess Who, BTO, and Corb Lund, as well as arranging two favourite songs from my son Micah’s catalogue. Each of the arrangements heard tonight is by a Manitoban and ten of them are brand new. Of course, none of this would be possible without the amazing singers that constitute Camerata Nova. Whatever the style, these flexible musicians bring it to life with joy and integrity. Thank-you singers, our Prairie Hymns have never sounded better! We’ve had a great time exploring all these delightful and varied arrangements from the Prairie Songbook. We can’t wait to share them with you. – Mel Braun
Mel Braun (forefront) and Vic Pankratz (left) lead the choir through a rehearsal for the Prairie Songbook
The Prairie Songbook will be performed twice on March 9 at 7:00 pm and 10:00 pm and again on March 10 at 3:00 pm at Park Theatre (698 Osborne) in Winnipeg.
Every few years, Camerata Nova likes to kick back to just have fun with friends and fans. For this special event, we will present great folk and pop standards as well as recent tunes by cool, local artists. From The Wailin’ Jennys to The Guess Who, from Joni Mitchell to Royal Canoe, from KD Lang to JP Hoe, we’ll celebrate our “wheatfield soul” in all its diversity. With the help of a 4-piece house band of talented musicians, Camerata Nova will turn the Park Theatre into your favourite coffee house. Come join us and blow away your winter blues!
TICKETS
Tickets are available online at cameratanova.com, at McNally Robinson Booksellers, by phone
(204.918.4547), or at the door. Purchase the last two concerts of Camerata Nova’s 2018-2019 season at the special price of $50 for adults, $40 for seniors and $20 for under 30s (or, for two, $90, $70 and $30). See cameratanova.com for details.
DONATE
Camerata Nova is a registered not-for-profit charitable organization. Exploring, taking risks, and developing exciting new programming, takes time, energy, and money.
http://cameratanova.com/16/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/DSC_0250.jpg40166016Roland Descambaulthttp://cameratanova.com/16/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/camerata-logo-use-1.pngRoland Descambault2019-03-04 20:07:592019-03-04 20:50:51CNova's History of Collaboration - Thoughts on the Prairie Songbook by Mel Braun
Camerata Nova and award-winning guest musician Raine Hamilton will be letting their hair down and opening a 20th century songbook to celebrate their modern prairie roots. Under the joint direction of Mel Braun and Vic Pankratz, the group’s second concert of the season will be a party to remember!
The Prairie Songbook will be performed twice on March 9 at 7:00 pm and 10:00 pm and again on March 10 at 3:00 pm at Park Theatre (698 Osborne) in Winnipeg.
Every few years, Camerata Nova likes to kick back to just have fun with friends and fans. For this special event, we will present great folk and pop standards as well as recent tunes by cool, local artists. From The Wailin’ Jennys to The Guess Who, from Joni Mitchell to Royal Canoe, from KD Lang to JP Hoe, we’ll celebrate our “wheatfield soul” in all its diversity. With the help of a 4-piece house band of talented musicians, Camerata Nova will turn the Park Theatre into your favourite coffee house. Come join us and blow away your winter blues!
TICKETS
Tickets are available online at cameratanova.com, at McNally Robinson Booksellers, by phone
(204.918.4547), or at the door. Purchase the last two concerts of Camerata Nova’s 2018-2019 season at the special price of $50 for adults, $40 for seniors and $20 for under 30s (or, for two, $90, $70 and $30). See cameratanova.com for details.
DONATE
Camerata Nova is a registered not-for-profit charitable organization. Exploring, taking risks, and developing exciting new programming, takes time, energy, and money.
http://cameratanova.com/16/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Screen-Shot-2019-02-12-at-1.37.41-PM.png15321672Roland Descambaulthttp://cameratanova.com/16/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/camerata-logo-use-1.pngRoland Descambault2019-02-12 19:54:042019-02-12 19:59:10Blow Away Your Winter Blues with the Prairie Songbook
Camerata Nova is excited to have 2018 Canadian Folk Music Award Winner for Emerging artist of the Year, Raine Hamilton, join us for our March 9+10 concert The Prairie Songbook. The concert takes place March 9, 2019 at 7:00 pm and 10:00 pm and March 10, 2019 at 3:00 pm at the Park Theatre. Tickets for individual concerts are available through our website, by phone (204-918-4547), or at the door.
Raine Hamilton – Resonant, acoustic chamber folk with an otherworldly edge, and a lyric presence that cuts deep. Prism-clear vocals and strings; A combination of vocal agility and power.
Raine Hamilton‘s new album, Night Sky, tips between the earthly and the otherworldly; it is anchored in relatable lived experience, while reaching into the space just beyond, thinning the veil between here and there, affording safe passage to the rough and beautiful places.
Raine’s ethereal voice and lyrics are at the forefront of these powerful and relatable tunes, written both in English and in French. Alongside cello + double bass, and with Raine on violin or guitar, these songs have a moving string quartet feel with a cosmic reach.
Raine is also a charming and funny storyteller, pairing her vulnerable tunes with engaging story intros. Raine believes that music is for everyone, and that we all have something to share. An experienced educator, Raine offers workshops in songwriting and fiddle tune writing (EN/FR). Raine also offers concerts with American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation, to help make live music and the community that comes with it accessible to the Deaf community.
Raine has toured Canada extensively, driving, flying, and floating her way coast to coast. Highlights include: Performing songs with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra (3 times!), playing a concert in a cave (10 stories below the earth!), playing festivals across Canada (Home County, Filberg Fest, Lilac Fest, The Works, Harvest Sun, Harvest Moon, Trout Forest), playing for her passage on Via Rail, and meeting so many amazing humans along the way. She reports a full and smiling heart <3.
Raine Hamilton’s new album, Night Sky, was released in March 2018
The Prairie Songbook takes place March 9, 2019 at 7:00 pm and 10:00 pm and March 10, 2019 at 3:00 pm at the Park Theatre. Tickets for individual concerts are available through our website, by phone (204-918-4547), or at the door.
Every few years, we kick back to just have fun with friends and fans. For this special Park Theatre event, Camerata Nova will present a great selection of songs from prairie artists arranged by Manitoba composers/arrangers. From the Wailin’ Jennys to The Guess Who, from Joni Mitchel to Royal Canoe, from KD Lang to JP Hoe, we’ll celebrate our “wheatfield soul” in all its diversity.
Led by Mel Braun and Vic Pankratz and featuring a 4-piece house band of talented musicians, Camerata Nova will turn the Park Theatre into your favourite coffee house. Come join us and blow away your winter blues!
http://cameratanova.com/16/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Raine_Hamilton_image_036.jpg24003600Roland Descambaulthttp://cameratanova.com/16/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/camerata-logo-use-1.pngRoland Descambault2019-01-21 14:27:002019-01-21 14:47:59Raine Hamilton Joins us for The Prairie Songbook
This past November 2018, Camerata Nova performed Fallen, the second concert in our Truth and Reconciliation series. Here’s what Camerata Nova’s Artistic Director, and Fallen composer, Andrew Balfour, had to say about it.
Artistic Director, and Fallen composer, Andrew Balfour
About three years ago, I became fascinated with the idea of marking the 100th anniversary of the end of World War I with a mini-opera on the founding of the 107th Timber Wolf Battalion in 1915. It’s an amazing story about 1000 men, half settler and half indigenous, who fought together in some of the most famous battles of the Great War.
I Went to War / Poni pimacisiwin (the end of living) is an excerpt from Notinikew (Going to War) by Andrew Balfour with soloist and narrator Andrew Balfour, traditional Ojibway drummer-singer Cory Campbell, cellist Cris Derksen and the Winnipeg Boys’ Choir
At the same time as this was percolating, Camerata Nova decided to create a Truth and Reconciliation concert series, lasting over a number of years. Each concert has a theme that resonates with Canadian indigenous experience and, over the series, we are inviting a range of incredible indigenous artists to collaborate with us. Our first T&R concert was Taken, performed in Winnipeg and Ottawa in 2017, featuring Cree hip hop artist Lindsay Knight (Eekwol) and recent Polaris winner Jeremy Dutcher.
Fallen is our second. It has evolved in a fascinating way. On one hand, I have been delving into the other-world, terrifying experiences that Cree and Ojibway warriors in the Timber Wolves must have experienced in WWI, having no idea what it meant to enlist or why or how they came to be in the midst of the mud and gas in Europe.
On the other hand, as I read literature and poetry from ordinary individuals in Europe at the time, I was also deeply touched by the profound helplessness and sadness they felt as their sons, brothers – and themselves – fell victim to such prolonged, useless and outrageous slaughter.
Fallen is a deeply felt anti-war concert, not just focussed on “the war to end all wars” but on those before, those after and, tragically, on the wars yet to come.
Kakichiwewan is an excerpt from Notinikew (Going to War) by Andrew Balfour with soloist and narrator Andrew Balfour, traditional Ojibway drummer-singer Cory Campbell, cellist Cris Derksen and the Winnipeg Boys’ Choir
There is no better way to open this concert than with a traditional Prayer Song from Ojibway friend and Song Keeper, Cory Campbell. He performs with a straightforward purity, humility and strength that grounds and guides me as I straddle settler and indigenous worlds. Thank you, Cory, for your openness, your help with language and the example you set for how I should approach my music and my life.
Notinikew: I wrote this work over the summer while I was in St. John’s Newfoundland, then Toronto, then Temagami in Northern Ontario and, finally, in the Herdsman House Artist Retreat in Neubergthal, south of Winnipeg. It’s been quite a journey – in all senses. My original idea was to write a partly fictional mini opera about the story of the Timber Wolves, but this morphed into a more abstract choral drama. Scored for adult choir, treble choir, baritone solo/performance artist, cello and traditional drummer-singer, Notinikew is an anti-war piece, an indigenous identity piece – a tragedy that speaks not just about World War I, but all wars and all indigenous soldiers.
Why did these Indigenous warriors leave our forests and plains to enter a totally foreign military world and end up fighting in the midst of a true hell on earth? It’s very difficult to find good source material. I’ve been studying old pictures and gleaning the odd article, but I’ve also used my imagination to express the experience/feelings of people I’ve never met with as much integrity and respect as I can. I think of the shock, disorientation and horror that would have marked these men for their entire lives. I think also of their re-entry to Canada. As skilled sappers and snipers, they were accepted and respected by their white counterparts. When they returned home, they went back to the degrading label of “Indian”, receiving none of the benefits or recognition of other Canadian soldiers. Plus, they were often ostracized by their own communities because they had taken the side of the government. As the Narrator says near the end of Notinikew: “Where is our place in your history? Where?”
Notinikew was difficult to write but also magical and important. It is an honour to try, in my own way, to tell the stories of our people. In addition to Cory, my guide and compass, I want to thank Cris Derksen who is so talented and creative – this collaboration has been so much fun, and I think it’s just the start… Also, I could not do these ambitious projects without Mel Braun. He “gets” me and what we are trying to do and has respect for all around him. He is not afraid of experimentation and undefined elements and magically, calmly pulls it all together.
Finally, Notinikew is dedicated to my partner, Sara Roque, and her Richardson family. You have opened your doors and opened up my life. You have given me a new, powerful understandings of what it means to be indigenous. Best of all, you have given me patience and love. – Andrew Balfour, October 27, 2018
http://cameratanova.com/16/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Screen-Shot-2019-01-16-at-3.05.24-PM.jpg11241728Roland Descambaulthttp://cameratanova.com/16/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/camerata-logo-use-1.pngRoland Descambault2019-01-16 16:06:272019-01-21 12:36:52Video excerpts from Notinikew by Andrew Balfour
The Prairie Songbook March 9, 2019 at 7:00 pm and 10:00 pm and March 10, 2019 at 3:00 pm at the Park Theatre
Every few years, we kick back to just have fun with friends and fans. For this special Park Theatre event, Camerata Nova will present great folk and pop standards as well as recent tunes by cool, local artists. From the Wailin’ Jennys to The Guess Who, from Joni Mitchell to Royal Canoe, from KD Lang to JP Hoe, we’ll celebrate our “wheatfield soul” in all its diversity.
Led by Mel Braun and Vic Pankratz and featuring a 4-piece house band of talented musicians, Camerata Nova will turn the Park Theatre into your favourite coffee house. Come join us and blow away your winter blues!
Death by Chocolate: The Life and Death of Henry Purcell May 4, 2019 at 7:30 pm and May 5, 2019 at 3:00 pm at Crescent Fort Rouge United Church (Pre-concert talks at 6:45 pm on Saturday and 2:15 pm on Sunday)
In this concert curated and conducted by John Wiens, Camerata Nova seeks to showcase choral works by Henry Purcell (1659-1695) and to explore the life of this composer, arguably the greatest of the English Baroque period. Join us to find out how cocoa can kill…
Death by Chocolate offers top quality performers and powerful repertoire – a rare musical treat. Four Winnipeg vocal soloists: Dayna Lamothe, soprano, Jane Fingler, soprano, James Magnus-Johnson, tenor, and Jereme Wall, bass will be joined by early music instrumentalists Claudine St-Arnauld, violin, Jeremy Buzasch, violin, Greg Hay, viola, Yuri Hooker, cello, Andrew Goodlett, bass, and Michael McKay, organ continuo. To add a star attraction and flair to the concert, we are also bringing in the exciting young Canadian countertenor, Daniel Cabena, who specializes in early and contemporary performance. The countertenor voice has a caché and curiosity that is sure to send many a heart afflutter. Repertoire will include: Rondeau from Abdelazar; O Sing unto the Lord; My Heart Is Inditing; Hear My Prayer, O Lord; Te Deum and Jubilate in D; plus Three Funeral Sentences.
Tickets
Tickets for individual concerts are available through our website, by phone (204-918-4547), or at the door. Two-concert mini-packages are also available ($35, $30, $20, or for two, $65, $55, $35). Individual ticket prices available on our website.
Donate
Camerata Nova is a registered not-for-profit charitable organization. Exploring, taking risks, and developing exciting new programming, takes time, energy, and money.
http://cameratanova.com/16/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/CamColor56-copy.jpg14002100Roland Descambaulthttp://cameratanova.com/16/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/camerata-logo-use-1.pngRoland Descambault2019-01-08 12:44:532019-03-20 12:02:19Upcoming Concerts - The Prairie Songbook and Death by Chocolate: The Life and Death of Henry Purcell
Tuesday, November 27, 2018, is Giving Tuesday, the international philanthropic movement that unites communities to bring about real change by encouraging people and charities to work together.
We are proud to count you among our valued partners. Music lovers from all over recognize Camerata Nova, vocal group without fear, as one of our community’s most prized musical institutions. Since 1996, we’ve continued to push the envelope, offering early music performances, premiers of Manitoba compositions, and an eclectic array in between.
The impact of your support is truly extraordinary. With your help, for the past three years, Camerata Nova’s artistic director, Andrew Balfour, who is of Cree descent, has been able to bring the gift of music north to the smaller, more remote schools that do not have formal music education programs, and teach students there how to create and perform their own soundscapes to describe their community, their family or the land around them.
And thanks to you, Camerata Nova is presenting outstanding performances season after season, including a multi-year series of truly impactful truth and reconciliation concerts. Whether supporting our outreach efforts, programming or operations, you make it all happen! Your tax-deductible donation to Camerata Nova brings about real and lasting change.
What difference are YOU making this giving season? Please consider Camerata Nova for a donation today. Your end-of-year support will help empower hundreds of students this school year, enabling these children to express themselves through the joy of music.
Offrez la joie de la musique en cette saison de générosité….
Le mardi 27 novembre 2018, c’est « Mardi, je donne », le mouvement philanthropique international qui unit les communautés dans le but d’apporter de réels changements en encourageant les gens et les organismes de bienfaisance à travailler ensemble.
Nous sommes fiers de vous compter parmi nos précieux partenaires. Les mélomanes de partout reconnaissent Camerata Nova, groupe vocal intrépide, comme l’une des institutions musicales les plus prisées de notre communauté. Depuis 1996, nous n’avons cessé de repousser les limites de son répertoire, offrant des prestations de musique ancienne, des premières de compositions manitobaines et un assortiment des plus éclectiques entre les deux.
L’impact de votre soutien est vraiment remarquable. Avec votre aide, depuis trois ans, le directeur artistique de Camerata Nova, Andrew Balfour, qui est d’origine crie, a été en mesure d’apporter le don de la musique dans des écoles plus petites et plus éloignées qui n’ont pas de programmes officiels d’éducation musicale et d’enseigner aux élèves comment créer et interpréter leur propre paysage sonore pour décrire leur communauté, leur famille ou la terre qui les entoure.
Et grâce à vous, Camerata Nova présente des concerts exceptionnels, saison après saison, y compris une série pluriannuelle de concerts saisissants sur le thème de la vérité et de la réconciliation qui ont eu un véritable impact. Qu’il s’agisse d’appuyer nos activités de rayonnement, de programmation ou d’exploitation, c’est vous qui faites en sorte que tout se concrétise! Votre don déductible d’impôt à Camerata Nova apporte un changement réel et durable.
Quel impact avez-VOUS en cette saison de générosité? Veuillez envisager de faire un don à Camerata Nova aujourd’hui. Votre soutien de fin d’année aidera des centaines d’élèves à s’exprimer à travers la joie de la musique au cours de cette année scolaire.
Click hereto find out more about donating to Camerata Nova and other fantastic charities today.
Following successful back-to-back performances of our concert Fallen, Camerata Nova has a quick turnaround with a free Santa Clause Parade Day Concert at the Manitoba Hydro Building (Nov 17), as well as A Concert in Benefit of Sistema Winnipeg (Nov 18). Read more below.
Santa Claus Parade Day Concert
Saturday, November 17, 2018 at 2:30 pmin the Atrium of the Manitoba Hydro Building – A light holiday concert led by conductor Vic Pankratz to get you in the spirit before watching the Winnipeg Santa Claus Parade. Enjoy cookies and hot chocolate at this free concert in the Atrium of the Manitoba Hydro Building. Our free performance features Christmas classics, Camerata Nova originals, as well as some sing-alongs. The event is supported byManitoba Hydro
A Concert in Benefit of Sistema Winnipeg
Sunday, November 18, 2018 at 2:00 pm, at St. John’s College, University of Winnipeg – This concert in benefit of Sistema Winnipeg will feature the Sistema students in their first public performance of the 2018 – 2019 season. Sistema Winnipeg is an intensive after-school program that uses orchestral music to serve children with the fewest resources and the greatest need. The concert will also feature the innovative choral music of Camerata Nova. The event is hosted by Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra Resident Conductor, Julian Pellicano and held at the St. John’s College Chapel, University of Manitoba, 92 Dysart Road on Sunday November 18 at 2:00 pm. Tickets are $40 for adult and $15 for students and children. Help us to help this innovative inner-city music program.
Reception and Silent Auction to follow the concert.
For more info and to purchase tickets, please visit Sistema Winnipeg.
Before the band started to play, the director came to the mic to prepare the audience for what we were about to hear. The players on stage were about to begin their version of an armed forces salute. The director invited those of us seated in the concert hall to stand if we or a family member served in the branch of the armed services when we heard the corresponding anthem. Dozens of college students picked up their instruments, and the band began to play. With my fellow audience members, I turned to see men and women stand around me in the hall, the audience applauding service members past and present and their families. This salute, the director explained, was a way for the band at my city’s local college to pay tribute to veterans. It’s something I’ve heard before here where I live in the U.S., but the timing resonated with me as I’d never experienced before: we had convened to raise money and support for local people experiencing homelessness.
Why a military salute at a concert for those in our community who are not stably housed? Veterans are represented in significant numbers among people who lack stable housing. In that concert hall, I felt the discomfort of the juxtaposition of the audience’s desire to honor veterans even as we have a way to go in terms of providing material and social supports to individuals who served in the armed forces.
At the First World War centenary, concerts and events are being staged to honor veterans throughout Canada, the U.S., and around the world. Yet, how many of these programs encourage us also to act and reflect in response to how veterans were and are treated upon their return home?
I felt that question strongly when I was in the audience at a concert hall. Group music making generates a reflective space in which these questions can resonate. It’s fitting then to listen for another concert space that offers an opportunity to work through answers.
This November, Camerata Nova will be performing Andrew Balfour’s new work “Notinikew.” In collaboration with conductor Mel Braun, pop ‘cellist Cris Derksen, Drummer/singer Cory Campbell, the Winnipeg Boys’ Choir, and an ensemble of vocalists, Balfour will share a musical story that sits between reverence and responsibility. While acknowledging the service of Indigenous veterans such as Sergeant Tommy Prince, “Notinikew” will let us ask ourselves, what might it mean for Indigenous young people to have signed up to fight for their country, and then returned home second-class citizens? This piece, while historical in nature, has us face contemporary questions: Where are we in our journey towards remembering Indigenous individuals among the canon of Canadian historical greats? What has – and has not—changed in the past hundred years in the relationships between First Nations and the Canadian state, and what work needs to be done?
I was honored to sing with Camerata Nova when Balfour first presented “Take the Indian” at the New Music Festival in 2015 and later at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights. This composition in many ways sparked the three-part series of concerts that serves as the ensemble’s response to the Calls to Action of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. I’ll be in the audience at the concert Fallen this November 3rd and 4th, ready to listen to Camerata Nova’s reflection on service, responsibility, and community. As in the concert I heard this past weekend, I’ll also be ready to ask myself, what can I do to move us together towards fulfilling our collective responsibility towards each other? I hope you’ll join me.
Dr. Liz Przybylski
An Assistant Professor of Ethnomusicology at the University of California, Riverside, hip hop scholar Dr. Liz Przybylski specializes in Indigenous popular music practices in Canada and the United States. A graduate of Bard College (BA) and Northwestern University (MA, PhD), Liz has presented her research nationally and internationally. Her recent publications have appeared in Ethnomusicology, Journal of Borderlands Studies, IASPM@Journal, and others. She teaches courses on Indigenous music, popular music, ethnographic methods, and gender studies. In addition to her university teaching, Liz has taught at the American Indian Center in Chicago, hosted the world music show “Continental Drift” on WNUR in Chicago, and has conducted interviews with musicians for programs including “At The Edge of Canada: Indigenous Research” on CJUM in Winnipeg. Liz serves as the Media Reviews Editor for the journal American Music.
http://cameratanova.com/16/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/camerata-logo-use-1.png00Roland Descambaulthttp://cameratanova.com/16/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/camerata-logo-use-1.pngRoland Descambault2018-11-01 14:17:272018-11-01 14:24:41Fallen: From a Singer's Point of View - Dr. Liz Przybylski
from top left: Ben Sellick, Jane Fingler, John Anderson, Kathleen Murphy
Camerata Nova, and the Manitoba choir community as a whole, are so lucky to have access to some of the best talent in the country. Ben Sellick, Jane Fingler, John Anderson, and Kathleen Murphy are just four of the 14 amazing singers who’ll be joining us this weekend (Nov 3-4) for our concert Fallen, taking place at the Crescent Fort Rouge United Church.
Fallen performers include Artistic Director / Directeur artistique, Andrew Balfour; Sopranos: Jane Fingler, Sarah Sommer, Brittany Mielnichuk, Sydney Clarke; Altos: Donnalynn Grills, Angela Neufeld, Kathleen Murphy; Tenors: Scott Reimer, Andrew Thomson, Dave Sawatzky; Basses: Alan Schroeder, Ben Sellick, John Anderson, George Bajer-Koulack; Featured Artists: Cris Derkesen, Cory Campbell; as well as the Winnipeg Boys’ Choir.
Ben Sellick grew up playing music, traveling, and watching movies. He went to the University of Manitoba, where he studied piano and film. First with Elroy Friesen, and then under Michael Zaugg, Ben began singing and writing choral music, receiving his first major compositional premiere by Pro Coro Canada in their 2017-2018 season. Ben likes the colour orange, olive oil, wool socks, lakes, film music, El Greco, and podcasts.
Jane Fingler is a Winnipeg based Soprano who has has the pleasure of singing in Camerata Nova for the past seven seasons. She also sings in other Winnipeg based choral groups Polycoro and Canzona, performing music old and new, appearing as a soloist as well as an ensemble member. Jane teaches voice lessons, tries to write music sometimes and loves to sing and perform pop/folk music that have great harmonies! She loves being a part of the Camerata Family! <3
Born and raised in Winnipeg, John Anderson has been a lifelong lover of singing. With a passion for choir, theatre and composition, John has recently graduated from the University of Manitoba Desautels Faculty of Music and is excited to now begin making music and telling stories more widely in the Winnipeg community.
Kathleen Murphy is a mezzo-soprano & pianist from Winnipeg, Manitoba. She is currently completing her degree in undergraduate piano at the University of Manitoba with David Moroz, and pursues vocal studies with Mel Braun. She has performed in concerts, masterclasses, & festivals as a vocalist, pianist, and choir member. Kathleen also has a passion for music theory & history, and is planning to pursue a post baccalaureate degree in vocal performance.
TICKETS
*Tickets are available from our website, at McNally Robinson Booksellers, by phone (204-918-4947), or at the door. Two- or three-concert subscriptions ($35 to $125) for Camerata Nova’s 2018-2019 season are also available. See cameratanova.com for details.
DONATE
Camerata Nova is a registered not-for-profit charitable organization. Exploring, taking risks, and developing exciting new programming, takes time, energy, and money.
http://cameratanova.com/16/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/camerata-logo-use-1.png00Roland Descambaulthttp://cameratanova.com/16/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/camerata-logo-use-1.pngRoland Descambault2018-10-30 13:26:012018-10-30 13:26:01Meet Some of the Amazing Singers Who Will be Joining us for our Fallen Concert
Camerata Nova’s landmark concert series highlighting truth and reconciliation with the Indigenous peoples of Canada is returning this November with Fallen, the second of three concerts designed by artistic director and composer Andrew Balfour. As with many trilogies, you don’t need to have seen the first to appreciate the second.
Andrew Balfour leading a rehearsal with the Winnipeg Boys’ Choir
Fallen will be presented on Nov. 3 and 4. The first of the series, Taken, premiered on March 4 and 5, 2017 in Winnipeg before moving out east to be performed in the National Arts Centre’s Canada 150 Festival in June.
Taken – which featured Polaris Prize-winning artist Jeremy Dutcher, hip hop artist Eekwol from Muskoday First Nation in Saskatchewan, CBC reporter and throat singer Madeleine Allakariallak and cellist Leanne Zacharias with Camerata Nova’s chamber choir – received praise for being “innovative, inclusive and thoroughly engaging” (ARTSFILE). It dealt with the subject of Indigenous children being taken from their homes and the stripping of their culture by residential schools.
Fallen continues the conversation of truth and reconciliation with the Indigenous peoples of Canada by exploring the contributions of Indigenous soldiers in the First World War, featuring a choral drama entitled Notinikew (He who takes part in war), written by Balfour. This time around, Camerata Nova will be joined by Indigenous cellist Cris Derksen, traditional drummer and singer Cory Campbell and the Winnipeg Boys’ Choir. The concert, conducted by Mel Braun, will also feature Requiem, a piece by English composer Herbert Howells on the death of his young son.
Balfour’s inspiration for Notinikew was sparked by his love of history, particularly the European wars. “While Indigenous individuals of Canada have fought in every major conflict from the War of 1812 to Afghanistan, they were rewarded for their contributions to WWI by being denied benefits and forbidden to leave their reserves,” said Balfour.
The motivations as to why Indigenous people would fight for a country that eradicated their culture fascinated Balfour. “All war is insanity”, said Balfour. “I wanted to do an anti-war piece, but also question why Indigenous people would go and fight in that war, and what would drive them to sign up and travel overseas and fight in the bloodiest conflict ever at that time.”
“Maybe they went to fight to better their cause at home; maybe they thought if they fought for Canada that our country would reward them with giving them their ceremony or language back. Maybe they had a sense of honour. Maybe they wanted adventure.”
Balfour founded Camerata Nova in 1996 to explore early music – sparked by his love for Renaissance and medieval works – but it wasn’t until years later that he began composing his own music and exploring the power of Indigenous music.
Balfour was a victim of the Sixties Scoop, taken from his Cree family at a young age and placed in the home of an Anglican priest. While he says his home was loving and supportive, it disconnected him from his people, his culture and his music. Through writing pieces for Camerata Nova and researching Indigenous cultures, Balfour rediscovered a part of his identity and learned to embrace his people’s music.
“I didn’t know anything about my language or my heritage, so it’s a process,” said Balfour. “It’s a very important way of reclaiming a lost identity.”
For Sandi Mielitz, president of Camerata Nova’s board of directors, watching Balfour grow as an artist and embrace his identity has been a rewarding experience.
“I’ve seen a guy with a huge amount of musical talent who then took it and learned how to not only evolve his music into something more and more sophisticated and abstract, but also evolve his whole identity,” said Mielitz.
While the struggles and triumphs of the Indigenous peoples of Canada can be researched through spoken and written works, Balfour and Mielitz agree that music provides another layer of connection for audiences to understand their experiences.
“When a story is told in music, it touches you in a way that dry facts just simply don’t,” said Mielitz. “All of the arts have a way of touching you and emotionally engaging you in experiencing stories.”
“The legacy of storytelling is so important, and I feel that the power of music or word or dance or visual arts are really important for people to either heal or explore their own wounds and legacies through art,” Balfour agreed. “The idea of doing these call-to-action concerts has been very important for myself as an artist and our community.”
Camerata Nova’s rehearsals are well underway, and for Balfour, the journey from looking at notes on a computer screen to hearing them sung live by the full chamber choir is an exciting one.
“It takes a lot of work, but we have an amazing organization and we have people, mostly non-Indigenous, that realize the importance of this, and that’s the country that I want to live in,” said Balfour. “Where people are healing or helping the healing or listening, because that’s really the most important thing. Particularly politicians – they need to listen.”
Fallen takes place at 7:30 pm on Nov. 3 and at 3 pm on Nov. 4 at Crescent Fort Rouge United Church (corner of Nassau and Wardlaw), with pre-concert talks 45 minutes before both shows*. The third and final concert of the series, Captive – a piece on Indigenous peoples’ incarceration – will be presented in 2020.
-Graeme Houssin
TICKETS
*Tickets are available from our website, at McNally Robinson Booksellers, by phone (204-918-4947), or at the door. Two- or three-concert subscriptions ($35 to $125) for Camerata Nova’s 2018-2019 season are also available. See cameratanova.com for details.
DONATE
Camerata Nova is a registered not-for-profit charitable organization. Exploring, taking risks, and developing exciting new programming, takes time, energy, and money.
http://cameratanova.com/16/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/camerata-logo-use-1.png00Roland Descambaulthttp://cameratanova.com/16/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/camerata-logo-use-1.pngRoland Descambault2018-10-22 13:22:492018-11-01 15:20:25Fallen: A Truth and Reconciliation Concert
Artistic Director Andrew Balfour and the Camerata Nova team continue to innovate and celebrate choral music with ‘Fallen’ (Nov 3-4, 2018), the second concert in a trilogy dedicated to truth and reconciliation.
Composer, and Camerata Nova’s Artistic Director, Andrew Balfour, puts the finishing touches on Fallen (Nov 3-4) at the Herdsman’s House in Neubergthal, Manitoba.
Fallen – November 3, 2018 at 7:30 pm and November 4, 2018 at 3:00 pm at Crescent Fort Rouge United Church (Pre-concert talks at 6:45 pm on Saturday and 2:45 pm on Sunday)
Experience the poignant drama of a Manitoba Indigenous hunter/trapper who signs up to fight in World War I. Join conductor Mel Braun and composer/singer/Artistic Director Andrew Balfour with Indigenous cellist Cris Derksen, traditional drummer/singer Cory Campbell and the Winnipeg Boys’ Choir, among other guest artists. Beauty and drama that is 100 years young. This concert also features Herbert Howells’ Requiem, a masterwork on the death of his son.
Fallen is the second concert in a series dedicated to truth and reconciliation. In 2020, look for our third concert, Captive, expressing the power and sadness of Indigenous incarceration.
About Andrew Balfour
Of Cree descent, Andrew Balfour has written a body of more than 30 choral, instrumental and orchestral works, including the chamber opera Mishabooz’ Realm, Take the Indian, Empire Étrange: The Death of Louis Riel, Migiis: A Whiteshell Soundscape, Bawajigaywin, Gregorio’s Nightmare, Wa Wa Tey Wak (Northern Lights), Fantasia on a Poem by Rumi, Missa Brevis and Medieval Inuit. He has been commissioned by the Winnipeg, Regina and Toronto Symphony Orchestras, L’Atelier Lyrique de l’Opéra de Montréal, Ensemble Caprice of Montreal, Highlands Opera Workshop, Winnipeg Singers, Kingston Chamber Choir and Camerata Nova, among many others. His choral works have been published by Cypress Choral Music and CNova Publishing and have been performed and/or broadcast locally, nationally and internationally.
Andrew is also the founder and Artistic Director of the innovative, 14-member vocal group Camerata Nova, now in its 23nd year of offering a concert series in Winnipeg. With Camerata Nova, Andrew specializes in creating “concept concerts”, many with indigenous subject matter (Wa Wa Tey Wak (Northern Lights), Medieval Inuit, Chant!). These innovative offerings explore a theme through an eclectic array of music, including new works, arrangements and innovative inter-genre and interdisciplinary collaborations.
Andrew has become increasingly passionate about music education and outreach, particularly on northern reserves and inner city Winnipeg schools where he has worked on behalf of the National Arts Centre, Camerata Nova, the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra and various Winnipeg school divisions for the past eight years.
Andrew was Curator and Composer-in-Residence of the WSO’s Indigenous Festivals in 2009 and 2010 and in 2007 received the Mayor of Winnipeg’s Making a Mark Award, sponsored by the Winnipeg Arts Council to recognize the most promising midcareer artist in the City. In 2017, he was awarded a Gold Medal by the Senate of Canada for his contribution to Canada’s indigenous and music communities.
TICKETS
Tickets for individual concerts are available at McNally Robinson Booksellers, by phone (204-918-4547), through our website, or at the door. Subscriptions (three concerts) are $65 (adults), $55 (seniors) and $35 (under 30), with a subscriptions-for-two offering at $125, $105 and $65 respectively. This season, two-concert mini-packages are also available ($35, $30, $20, or for two, $65, $55, $35). Individual ticket prices available on our website.
DONATE
Camerata Nova is a registered not-for-profit charitable organization. Exploring, taking risks, and developing exciting new programming, takes time, energy, and money.
http://cameratanova.com/16/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/camerata-logo-use-1.png00Roland Descambaulthttp://cameratanova.com/16/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/camerata-logo-use-1.pngRoland Descambault2018-09-24 17:10:152018-10-02 13:32:29'Fallen' is the Second Concert in a Trilogy Dedicated to Truth and Reconciliation
Cris Derksen is a celebrated Indigenous cellist/composer known for building layers of sound into captivating performances. Originally from Northern Alberta, Cris has a line of chiefs from North Tall Cree reserve on her father’s side and a line of strong Mennonite homesteaders on her mother’s side. Her music braids the traditional and contemporary in multiple dimensions, weaving her traditional classical training and her Aboriginal ancestry with new school electronics, creating genre-defying music. For Fallen, Cris will be joined by traditional drummer/singer Cory Campbell and the Winnipeg Boys’ Choir, among other guest artists. Read more…
Fallen is the second concert in a series dedicated to truth and reconciliation. In 2020, look for our third concert, Captive, expressing the power and sadness of Indigenous incarceration.
TICKETS
Tickets for individual concerts are available at McNally Robinson Booksellers, by phone (204-918-4547), through our website, or at the door. Subscriptions (three concerts) are $65 (adults), $55 (seniors) and $35 (under 30), with a subscriptions-for-two offering at $125, $105 and $65 respectively. This season, two-concert mini-packages are also available ($35, $30, $20, or for two, $65, $55, $35). Individual ticket prices available on our website.
Donate
Camerata Nova is a registered not-for-profit charitable organization. Exploring, taking risks, and developing exciting new programming, takes time, energy, and money.
Fallen – November 3, 2018 at 7:30 pm and November 4, 2018 at 3:00 pm at Crescent Fort Rouge United Church (Pre-concert talks at 6:45 pm on Saturday and 2:45 pm on Sunday)
Experience the poignant drama of a Manitoba Indigenous hunter/trapper who signs up to fight in World War I. Join conductor Mel Braun and composer/singer/Artistic Director Andrew Balfour with Indigenous cellist Cris Derksen, traditional drummer/singer Cory Campbell and the Winnipeg Boys’ Choir, among other guest artists. Beauty and drama that is 100 years young. This concert also features Herbert Howells’ Requiem, a masterwork on the death of his son.
Fallen is the second concert in a series dedicated to truth and reconciliation. In 2020, look for our third concert, Captive, expressing the power and sadness of Indigenous incarceration.
The Prairie Songbook March 9, 2019 at 7:00 pm and 10:00 pm and March 10, 2019 at 3:00 pm at the Park Theatre
Every few years, we kick back to just have fun with friends and fans. For this special Park Theatre event, Camerata Nova will present great folk and pop standards as well as recent tunes by cool, local artists. From the Wailin’ Jennys to The Guess Who, from Joni Mitchell to Royal Canoe, from KD Lang to JP Hoe, we’ll celebrate our “wheatfield soul” in all its diversity.
Led by Mel Braun and Vic Pankratz and featuring a 4-piece house band of talented musicians, Camerata Nova will turn the Park Theatre into your favourite coffee house. Come join us and blow away your winter blues!
Death by Chocolate: The Life and Death of Henry Purcell May 4, 2019 at 7:30 pm and May 5, 2019 at 3:00 pm at Crescent Fort Rouge United Church (Pre-concert talks at 6:45 pm on Saturday and 2:15 pm on Sunday)
In this concert curated and conducted by John Wiens, Camerata Nova seeks to showcase choral works by Henry Purcell (1659-1695) and to explore the life of this composer, arguably the greatest of the English Baroque period. Join us to find out how cocoa can kill…
Death by Chocolate offers top quality performers and powerful repertoire – a rare musical treat. Four Winnipeg vocal soloists: Dayna Lamothe, soprano, Jane Fingler, soprano, James Magnus-Johnson, tenor, and Jereme Wall, bass will be joined by early music instrumentalists Claudine St-Arnauld, violin, Jeremy Buzasch, violin, Greg Hay, viola, Yuri Hooker, cello, Andrew Goodlett, bass, and Michael McKay, organ continuo. To add a star attraction and flair to the concert, we are also bringing in the exciting young Canadian countertenor, Daniel Cabena, who specializes in early and contemporary performance. The countertenor voice has a caché and curiosity that is sure to send many a heart afflutter. Repertoire will include: Rondeau from Abdelazar; O Sing unto the Lord; My Heart Is Inditing; Hear My Prayer, O Lord; Te Deum and Jubilate in D; plus Three Funeral Sentences.
Tickets
Tickets for individual concerts are available through our website, by phone (204-918-4547), or at the door. Two-concert mini-packages are also available ($35, $30, $20, or for two, $65, $55, $35). Individual ticket prices available on our website.
Donate
Camerata Nova is a registered not-for-profit charitable organization. Exploring, taking risks, and developing exciting new programming, takes time, energy, and money.
The following text will be published in the program for Red River Song, presented on April 28th and 29th:
Red River Song is a celebration of Manitoba’s Métis heritage – from culture to carts. From the first decade of the 19th century through to the 1870s, the Métis people developed a way of life perfectly suited to the prairies, one that incorporated influences from all sides of their Indigenous, French Canadian and Scottish heritage. A proud people, the Métis cut a colourful swath in prairie society with their distinctive jackets and sashes, with their songs and dances, with their blue and white flag featuring the infinity symbol.
Our concert begins with an Invocation to the Four Directions, combining the opening words of the Latin Requiem mass with Cree and English texts that describe the Four Directions, the Four Seasons. It is a reflective opening, respectfully combining the Indigenous/European influences that shaped Métis culture. Mel Braun wrote it for Winnipeg’s 2017 concert in the Mysterious Barricades project, where performances were held across the country for World Suicide Prevention Day. Much of the music of the Métis is bright and full of fun, but there is a much darker side to this history. Invocation gives us a calm space to contemplate this.
From solemnity, the concert moves to rhythm and history with the songs of Métis Bard Pierre Falcon, a.k.a. Pierriche or Pierre the Rhymer. Born in Somerset House (or Elbow Fort, near Swan River, Manitoba) in 1793 to a Cree mother and French Canadian fur trader from the North West Company, Falcon was also a fur trader and, later, a farmer near present-day St. François-Xavier. He was famous as the bard of the Métis, creating poems and tunes to tell of the great exploits of his people in their struggle to be an independent nation under Louis Riel. In 1816, at age 23, he wrote La Chanson de la Grenouillère or The Battle of Seven Oaks which, 200 years later, remains a standard of Métis music.
The Buffalo Huntis the second Falcon song in this concert, describing an activity at the very heart of the Métis culture. From the buffalo hunt came pemmican, which the Métis fashioned from dried, pounded buffalo meat, berries and grease. Pemmican was big business for the Métis. A 19th-century version of today’s Power Bar, it was much in demand by the voyageurs as they paddled umpteen hours a day in search of furs.
This set of historical Métis songs also includes the beautiful La Métissewith words by Louis Riel to a tune by priest Georges Dugas, who worked in Manitoba from 1866 to 1888. The words express the pride of a young Métis woman at the time of the Métis Provisional Government in 1869-70 – “If ever I am loved, I will choose for my faithful lover one of the soldiers from the little army commanded by our proud adjutant.”
A word about the arranger, Manitoban Chester Duncan: pianist, composer, author, CBC critic/producer/broadcaster and Professor Emeritus of English at the University of Manitoba, Duncan wrote more than 150 art songs. In the 1990s, he was commissioned to arrange all the songs from the compilation Songs of Old Manitoba, published in 1960 by Margaret Arnett MacLeod. They were premièred at the Summer Festival of Music on the Red. Mel Braun is delighted to bring three of them back to life for Red River Song.
Fiddlin’ and Jiggin’ – Camerata Nova is very pleased to present 15-year-old champion Métis fiddler Alexandre Tétrault with piano accompanist Yvette Audette. A descendant of Louis Riel, Tétrault not only plays up a storm but also writes his own fiddle tunes, which have become popular on the fiddle circuit. He is playing one of his own compositions today, as well as a tune by Andy de Jarlis (b. Desjarlais, 1914-1975), the famous Métis fiddler from Woodridge, Manitoba. From a family of Métis fiddlers, Andy was a descendant of Pierre Falcon and is credited with more than 200 jigs, reels, polkas and waltzes, some of which have become standards in North America.
Alexandre will also play another well-known tune, Reel de Sainte-Anne, to accompany jiggers Julien Beaudette-Loiselle and Marcus Merasty. Julien, a Métis from St. Boniface, has been dancing with the Ensemble folklorique de la Rivière-Rouge for seven years. The Ensemble specializes in traditional and not-so-traditional French-Canadian jigs and dances. Hailing from Pelican Narrows, Saskatchewan, Marcus is of Cree descent. In addition to traditional Métis jigging, Marcus is pursuing a career in contemporary dance. He is currently in the Professional Program of The School of Contemporary Dancers. Marcus and Julien are also performing an “a cappella dance” which they created for this concert with choreographer Myriam Leclercq and which combines Métis and French Canadian steps.
About Run Freddy Run!, Eliot Britton writes that it is “the second instalment in a set of pieces that looks at Manitoba’s heirloom bison culture. The text is constructed from bison-themed varia copied down during my post Ph.D. gap year in Winnipeg.
One can’t get far in Manitoba without encountering a bison-branded object, organization, business or activity. For example, I attended Nature Manitoba’s The Natural and Unnatural History of Bison in Manitoba lecture by Dr. Randy Mooi, Curator of Zoology at The Manitoba Museum – business as usual for a Tuesday evening in Manitoba. A group of nature enthusiasts and I crowded into Room 31 at Kelvin High School (I think I even paid full price as a non-member!). The lecture ran late. As expected, bison are awesome. As it turns out, bison are a handful and every so often the herd produces a particularly rebellious soul. Nothing has changed.
I heard about Freddy on the news. A “brazen bison” from Lorette, Manitoba who “just won’t stay home on the range.” I laughed out loud and immediately remembered Dr. Mooi’s 2016 lecturette on the last buffalo hunt and the truant, rebel bison. The juxtaposition of an obscure New York Times article from 1911 and the hilariously obscure 2018 Freddy story was too much to pass up. I then started to think about distant but related processes and uncommon intersections of historical and contemporary materials. That’s how I got to making a piece that integrates Renaissance polyphony with pop chord progressions, contemporary speech synthesis and sound design. I use “integrate” fairly loosely in this context. Sometimes it’s like hitting a brick wall, which is part of the fun of such a remote juxtaposition.
So, there you have it. Run Freddy Run! is a uniquely Manitoban mash-up that combines old and new, something borrowed and something… brown. And hopefully by the time you are reading this, I have secured an authentic Run Freddy Run! hoodie.”
Ode to the Red River Cart – Red River carts were the soundscape of the prairies. Wood-on-wood construction, no axle grease, well, you get the picture. More accurately, you hear the picture, with its endless moans, squeaks and squeals… We won’t speculate on why Mel Braun is inspired by moans, squeaks and squeals but he really went to town on this Ode to the Red River Cart!
The piece is constructed incorporating six Métis songs/reels, each found in Métis Songs: Visiting Was the Métis Way, compiled by ethnomusicologist Dr. Lynn Whidden, after years of searching out, recording and transcribing the music of Métis singers and fiddlers across the prairies. Published by the Saskatchewan Music Educators Association, the book in its entirety can be found as part of the Virtual Museum of Métis History and Culture created by the Gabriel Dumont Institute of Native Studies and Applied Research (www.metismuseum.ca). Dr. Whidden has created a wonderful gift to current and future generations of people interested in Métis music. As part of this Red River Song concert project, the score of Ode to the Red River Cart and individual choral scores of these Métis tunes arranged by Mel Braun will be made available for schools and community choirs via CNova Publishing on our website (www.cameratanova.com).
Before, after and even during these Métis tunes, Mel has written a colourful, detailed recitative about the Red River cart and its role and importance in Métis culture. The story is not just about the romance. It ends with the coming of the railway and the disappearance of not only the cart, but the Métis way of life. This “magnum opus” is fun, sad, wild and instructive! Be prepared to join in to the chorus at the end… Can you sound like a Red River cart??
Party d’cuisine! (Kitchen Party) – Just as would have happened in the kitchen of a Métis homestead, redolent with smoke, whiskey, warmth, fiddles, tapping spoons, toes and heels, Red River Song ends with a crazy “mash-up” of fiddles and dancers, plus singers doing “turlutte” or French Canadian scat. Bring out your spoons and get ready to join in!
The party starts quietly – as most parties do – with a cappella singing of À la claire fontaine. You will recognize the words, but perhaps not the tune – this beautiful melody was created by the Quebec group Barde, then arranged by the Saskatchewan group Folle Avoine. The party then picks up the pace with La Belle Catherine by Louis “Pitou” Boudreault (1905-1988), fiddler and storyteller from Chicoutimi, Québec. The next song, La disputeuse, is a famous Acadian reel also known under many other names, including Growling Old Man and Cackling Old Woman, The Disputant, and Growling and Grumbling! It will be followed by Fisher’s Hornpipe, another tune of many names and one of the most popular, widespread and frequently published fiddle tunes in the world.
Next up is Red River Jig or “oayache mannin,” as it is known in Michif. This is the unofficial Métis anthem, which was very popular in the mid 1800s when it was known from Alaska to James Bay. The dance is a combination of Plains First Nations footwork with Scottish, Irish and French-Canadian dance forms. The basic jig step is danced in most Métis communities, however, dancers often add their own “fancy” steps in parts of the tune. Even more specific, some dancers add certain variations which identify their home community. The origin of the Jig is unknown. One theory is that the Scots were on one side of the river (Red, Assiniboine or Seine – take your pick…) playing the bagpipes one night while some French Canadians and Métis were kicking back on their homestead porch on the other. A Métis fiddler decided to imitate the bagpipes. He started with a slow, sad, whining tune and then stepped it up with a fast, rollicking beat – everyone wanted to dance and the Red River Jig was born…
It is fitting to end the party with Whiskey Before Breakfast, another melodious composition by Andy de Jarlis, the famous Métis fiddler.
From Pierre Falcon to his descendent Andy de Jarlis, our concert comes full circle. Louis Riel said that the Métis people would sleep for a hundred years before their artists and visionaries led them back to nationhood. How right he was. The current resurgence of Métis culture and nationhood is a joy to behold. Long live the Métis Nation, long live the Red River cart!
Camerata Nova would like to thank Mel Braun for his wonderful curation, compositions, arrangements and conducting – but, most of all, for his passion for the story of the Métis and the history of Manitoba. We would also like to thank Myriam Leclercq, dance choreographer, and Karine Beaudette, Camerata Nova singer and long-time volunteer, for bringing together the fiddlers, dancers and choreographer to create the fiddling sequences.
Acknowledgements are also due to Dr. Lynn Whidden for providing authentic versions of Métis music and historian Fred J. Shore of the Native Studies Department at the University of Manitoba for his book, Threads in the Sash: The Story of the Métis from which we have liberally borrowed facts and stories.
http://cameratanova.com/16/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/camerata-logo-use-1.png00Chris Simonitehttp://cameratanova.com/16/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/camerata-logo-use-1.pngChris Simonite2018-04-26 22:09:552018-04-26 22:14:59Program Notes for Red River Song
You could hear them coming from miles away. Those Red River Carts, using no axle grease,were the soundscape of the prairies, the pride of the Metis traders. Made entirely of wood, lashed together with rawhide, able to carry vast loads and negotiate anything the Red River Valley topography could throw at them, the Red River Carts were the perfect eco-vehicle for the 19th C. prairie. They could transport trade goods, Buffalo meat, household furniture, tools, weapons, alcohol, and of course, the ever-present Metis fiddles. In hunt or battle, they could also provide shelter, a circle of protection for hunters and their families. In summer, their tall wheels cruised through Manitoba gumbo. In Spring, they could float across the river with their wheels lashed beneath. In winter, placed atop runners, they traversed the snow. Repairs were as easy as the next grove of trees. Wood-on- wood construction, no axle grease, well, you get the picture. More accurately, you hear the picture, with its endless, moans, squeaks, and squeals…
Red River Song brings some of the many songs and stories connected to the 19 th C. rise of the Metis nation. From the first decade of the 19 th C to through to the 1870’s, they developed a culture perfectly suited to the prairies, one that incorporated influences from all sides of Indigenous, French Canadian, and English Settlers culture. The Red River Cart provided the means for their entrepreneurial endeavours, carrying trade goods south to St. Paul, Minnesota or west to Fort Edmonton. It was also instrumental in the Buffalo Hunt, the very heart of the Metis culture. From the Buffalo Hunt came the pemmican, which the Metis fashioned from dried powdered buffalo meat, berries, and grease. A 19th C. version of today’s Power Bar, pemmican was much in demand by the voyageur as they paddled umpteen hours a day in search of furs. Pemmican was big business for the Metis. A proud people, the Metis cut a colourful swath in prairie society with their distinctive jackets, chapeaux and sashes, with their
songs and dances, with their Blue and white flag featuring the infinity symbol.
Our concert begins with an Invocation to the Four Directions, combining the opening words of the Requiem Service with Cree and English text that describes the Four Directions, the Four Seasons. From there we move to the songs of Metis Bard Pierre Falcon, who recorded the great exploits of the Metis in their struggle to be an Independant Nation under Louis Riel’s leadership. Fiddling and dancing features throughout the concert, with two fiddlers, acclaimed young Manitoba fiddler Alexandre Tetrault and WSO regular Claudine St. Arnauld joined by two dancers. They provide the heart of the Metis musical experience. A new commission by Manitoban Eliot Britton, for choir, fiddle, and electronics, traces the true adventures of Freddy, a rogue bison on the loose in the Lorette area of the province. And an Ode to the Red River Cart combines arrangements of Metis folk-songs with the story of the Red River Cart. Everything closes with a kitchen party that combines fiddle tunes and dancing with “turlutte” a Metis form of scatting undertaken by the choir. Be prepared to play your spoons during the kitchen party and to make the sounds of the Red River Cart during the performance of the Ode.
This celebration of Metis culture must also acknowledge the long dark period that came for the Metis in the 1870’s once Prime Minister John A. MacDonald and his railway took over their prairie and dis-abused them of their lands, their culture, and the need for the Red River Cart. Louis Riel himself said that the Metis people would sleep for a hundred years before their artists and visionaries led them back to nationhood. How right he was. The current resurgence of Metis culture and nationhood is a joy to behold and we celebrate with you. Long live the Metis Nation, long live the Red River Cart!
– Mel Braun
http://cameratanova.com/16/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/camerata-logo-use-1.png00Chris Simonitehttp://cameratanova.com/16/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/camerata-logo-use-1.pngChris Simonite2018-04-12 21:36:552018-04-16 20:43:27Red River Song
Run, Freddy, Run! is second installment in a set of pieces that looks at Manitoba’s heirloom bison culture. The text is constructed form bison themed varia copied down during my post PhD gap year in Winnipeg. One can’t get far in MB without encountering a bison branded object, organization, business or activity. For example, I attended Nature Manitoba’s The Natural And Unnatural History Of Bison In Mb lecture by Dr. Dr. Randy Mooi, Curator of Zoology at The Manitoba Museum. Business as usual for a Tuesday evening in Manitoba.
Freddy the Bison
Myself and a group of nature enthusiasts crowded into room 31 at Kelvin High School (I think I even paid full price as a non member!). The lecture ran late. As expected, bison are awesome. As it turns out, bison are a handful and every so often the herd produces a particularly rebellious soul. Nothing has changed.
I heard about Freddy on the news. A “brazen bison” from Lorette Manitoba who “just won’t stay home on the range”. I laughed out loud and immediately remembered Dr. Mooi’s 2016 lecturette on the last buffalo hunt and the truant, rebel bison. The juxtaposition of an obscure New York Times article from 1911 and the hilariously obscure 2018 Freddy story was too much to pass up. I then started to think about distant but related processes and uncommon intersections of historical and contemporary materials. That’s how I got to making a piece that integrates renaissance polyphony with pop chord progressions contemporary speech synthesis and sound design. I use “integrate” fairly loosely in this context. Sometimes it’s like hitting a brick wall, which is part of the fun of such a remote juxtaposition.
So there you have it. Run Freddy Run! Is a uniquely Manitoban mashup that combines old and new, something borrowed and something… brown. And hopefully by the time you are reading this I have secured an authentic Run Freddy Run hoodi
Run Freddy Run! Text:
Brazen bison won’t stay home on the range
Run! Home! Range! Run!
He looks like a bison. I don’t want to be insensitive but they all look the same… you know?
The last big buffalo hunt in the history of the world
Sold to the Canadian government, five hundred head
Freddy’s out. He is just outside his yard on river road
I think people need to remember that Freddy is not a pet and is large and somewhat dangerous.
A daily bison report began popping up on a facebook groupSold to the Canadi
an Government five hundred head of buffalo The taxidermy shop
on main street that is the backdrop for the bison skullsle bison semble s’échapper à travers
une clôture électrique qui ne fonctionne pas correctement
Avant tout, les gens doivent se rappeler que Freddy n’est pas un animal domestique; c’est un animal imposant
C’est une rebelle depuis le début, that bull.
Manitoba
Run! Run! Run!
Brazen bison, won’t stay home on the range in Lorette
Manitoba Outlaw
The last big buffalo hunt
The official taxidermist of the Manitoba Government
Just outside my office there is a big, hairy outlaw that can stare anybody down
Camerata Nova is hiring a new Executive Director to start in June 2018. For information or to apply, click here.
http://cameratanova.com/16/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/camerata-logo-use-1.png00Chris Simonitehttp://cameratanova.com/16/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/camerata-logo-use-1.pngChris Simonite2018-02-28 22:03:002018-02-28 22:04:02Camerata Nova is Hiring
At the end of the summer, our Artistic Director Andrew Balfour led the creation of an original Indigenous-based dramatic opera entitled Mishaabooz’s Realm. The première will be performed on December 15 and 16 in Montréal and on December 21 and 22 in Haliburton. This exciting new opera was jointly commissioned and produced by the Highlands Opera Studio and the Atelier lyrique de l’Opéra de Montréal. Andrew spent the month of August as Composer-in-Residence where he worked with the performers and the creative team. It incorporates classical styles, unique choral and vocal perspectives, as well as Indigenous musical and oral traditions. The libretto is in a First Nations language, as well as French and English. It explores contemporary issues concerning Canada’s relationship with First Peoples and the land of Turtle Island. Click here for further information.
http://cameratanova.com/16/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/camerata-logo-use-1.png00Chris Simonitehttp://cameratanova.com/16/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/camerata-logo-use-1.pngChris Simonite2017-12-14 20:18:442017-12-14 20:18:44Première of Mishaabooz’ Realm
Camerata Nova artistic director Andrew Balfour was awarded the a Senate 150th Anniversary Medal from Senator Pat Bovey during a ceremony in November in Ottawa. The medal is awarded to “Canadians whose generosity, dedication, volunteerism and hard work make their communities a better place to live.” Congratulations, Andrew!
Andrew Balfour receives award from Senator Pat Bovey.
http://cameratanova.com/16/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/camerata-logo-use-1.png00Chris Simonitehttp://cameratanova.com/16/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/camerata-logo-use-1.pngChris Simonite2017-12-07 22:11:462017-12-12 19:16:37Balfour Receives Senate Award
Camerata Nova is excited to announce that Artistic Director Andrew Balfour will be part of the creation of a completely new and original Indigenous based Dramatic Opera; Mishaabooz’s Realm, jointly commissioned and produced by the Highlands Opera Studio/Theatre and L’Atelier Lyrique de L’Opéra de Montréal.
This exciting new work promises to be multi-media and multi-directional, incorporating classical styles, unique choral and vocal perspectives, Indigenous musical and oral traditions. The libretto will be created in First Nations dialect, French and English, exploring contemporary issues concerning Canada’s relationship with our First People and the land of Turtle Island, past, present and future.
Regarding this new creative opportunity, Andrew commented, “In the spirit of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s call to action, I am honoured to take part in this wonderful collaborative approach in creating this important cultural and exciting new work.”
Andrew will be traveling to Highlands Opera Studio/Theatre in Haliburton, Ontario this August where he will be Composer-in-Residence. He will work with performers as well as their creative team on the new creation.
There will be a presentation of the First Public Workshop Performance of Mishaabooz’s Realm (La Domaine de Michabous) in Haliburton at the NLPAP on August 19th, at 8 pm.
http://cameratanova.com/16/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/camerata-logo-use-1.png00Chris Simonitehttp://cameratanova.com/16/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/camerata-logo-use-1.pngChris Simonite2017-07-27 00:29:482017-07-27 00:29:48Balfour to Compose Indigenous Opera
Two small ensemble classical concerts at Canada Scene this weekend presented a striking contrast between the experimental and the traditional. One was innovative, inclusive and thoroughly engaging, despite some flaws in the execution. The other was technically impeccable, but stuffy and unoriginal.
On Saturday afternoon, the Winnipeg chamber choir Camerata Nova brought its Taken project to the University of Ottawa’s Tabaret Hall. The show, which premiered in Winnipeg earlier this year, explores the issue of First People’s dispossession through collaborations with Indigenous composers and performers from across Canada.
Jeremy Dutcher, a young musician from the Maliseet Nation in New Brunswick, performed an impassioned, solo Honour Song, accompanying himself on drum and piano, before joining Camerata Nova and cellist Leanne Zacharias for his Maceptasu (It is taken away).
The work — Dutcher’s compositional debut — was inspired by heartbreaking stories of young Indigenous children taken from their families and sent to suffer in the residential school system. Although it exhibits some typical novice weaknesses — it’s somewhat fragmented, and relies on repetition rather than development — this is a powerful, appealing first effort from Dutcher. What it lacks in structural complexity, it makes up for in raw honesty, emotional impact, and a sense of melodic flow that can’t be taught.
Lindsay Knight, aka Eekwol, is a hip-hop artist from Muskoday First Nation in Saskatchewan. While her flow is cool and mellow, her raps are tough, thought-provoking and fearlessly political: “I wish I had a gun, seek revenge for my little ones, or maybe turn it on myself, end the pain, but then I’d just lose again.” As Zacharias improvised cello lines, Camerata Nova supplied the backing track, including some pretty slick beatboxing and overtone singing. But not everyone in the choir seemed comfortable in the genre; I felt the sopranos especially weren’t in the pocket.
Andrew Balfour’s Qaumaniq (Bright Aura) is an accomplished, multi-movement cantata by a serious — and seriously creative — composer. Balfour, Camerata Nova’s artistic director, is of Cree descent but was adopted as a child by an Anglican priest. Not surprisingly, many of his works deal with identity lost and found, and with the consequences of exchanges between cultures.
In Qaumaniq, Balfour imagines the first encounter between explorer Martin Frobisher and the inhabitants of Baffin Island, and the kidnapping of a woman to take back to England. The work deftly incorporates Inuit musical idioms, English sailor songs, pounding, Coplandesque percussion, snippets of Tudor polyphony by Tallis and Byrd, and Balfour’s own sophisticated choral writing: dissonances that grind like sea ice, mixed in with creepy, sibilant whispering and sounds of nature.
The star of this piece is the wonderfully charismatic performer and journalist Madeleine Allakariallak; her throat singing duet with Michael Thompson on electric didgeridoo was captivating and wholly new. Fred Ford’s sensitive, uncontrived narration added poetic depth.
After Louis Riel, it was refreshing and inspiring to sit through a concert where living Indigenous artists told their own stories and experiences. In comparison, The Circle of Creation, Tafelmusik’s Bach multimedia show at Southam Hall Sunday night, was a throwback to music as museum set piece.
The concept seems promising: present the artisans, craftspeople and tradespeople who made Bach’s output in Leipzig possible: from the makers of string and wind instruments, to the experts who made his paper and ink, to the cloth merchants who supplied the taxe revenue that paid his salary.
Unfortunately, the whole thing felt like one of those old-fashioned “monuments of Western Civilization” continuing ed courses: the almost comically high-toned narration, obsessed with the dullest minutiae; the static, literal video and photography projections (the selection for Sheep may safely graze was, surprise, pastoral images of sheep grazing); and a frustrating greatest hits, WQXR approach to the music, all single movements and excerpts instead of complete works.
Toronto’s beloved Baroque orchestra plays so beautifully, with such grace and buoyancy, with so much collegial virtuosity, it either requires nothing, or else it demands supporting creative elements that are every bit as thrilling and fresh.
Still, the evening wasn’t entirely without excitement. About 10 minutes into the first half, a man started loudly heckling from the audience, complaining in French that the narration was only in English. After his third eruption, other Francophones in the audience started yelling at him to be quiet. It was easily the most dramatic outburst I’ve seen at a concert in years. How typical of Ottawa that it was over language politics, not artistic merit.
– Natasha Gauthier, artsfile.ca
http://cameratanova.com/16/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/camerata-logo-use-1.png00Chris Simonitehttp://cameratanova.com/16/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/camerata-logo-use-1.pngChris Simonite2017-06-27 14:00:302017-06-27 14:03:30Camerata Nova excites with Taken
Winnipeg’s internationally acclaimed Camerata Nova choir continues to evolve in its own imaginative, risk-taking and quirky way, with early, contemporary and Indigenous-infused music remaining its pillars. The choir enjoys straying from the path too, though, and uses theatrical and visual design to engage its audience in profound and surprising ways.
For these and many other reasons, Camerata Nova has been chosen to participate in the huge Canada Scene festival organized by the National Arts Centre (NAC) as part of the Canada 150 celebrations. The NAC has asked Camerata Nova to do a repeat performance of its March 2017 show Taken on June 17 in Ottawa.
If you are in Ottawa or have friends and family interested in seeing the show, please see additional details on time, location and ticket purchases on the NAC website. To see a video excerpt from the Manitoba performance, visit our website.
http://cameratanova.com/16/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/camerata-logo-use-1.png00Chris Simonitehttp://cameratanova.com/16/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/camerata-logo-use-1.pngChris Simonite2017-06-06 22:15:032017-06-06 22:15:03Taken at Canada Scene in Ottawa
You won’t want to miss Camerata Nova’s exciting 2017-2018 season! Vic Pankratz, John Wiens and Mel Braun will all be returning to conduct new shows. All the details are now on our website, and both subscriptions and single tickets can be purchased on our online store. We look forward to seeing everyone there!
http://cameratanova.com/16/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/camerata-logo-use-1.png00Chris Simonitehttp://cameratanova.com/16/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/camerata-logo-use-1.pngChris Simonite2017-06-06 22:14:092017-06-06 22:14:092017-2018 Season
Thank you for another successful season – we could not have done it without you!
As a supporter, you know that Camerata Nova has fearlessly advanced its unique art form and delivered a rich tapestry of sounds and surprisingly profound musical experiences for over two decades. If you haven’t already given in 2017, we ask that you consider making a tax-receiptable gift towards our end-of season campaign, or towards our upcoming 2017-2018 season.
You can support our work by contacting us directly at info@cameratanova.com or 204.918.4547. Or take up the Great Canadian Giving Challenge (until June 30) and securely donate to Camerata Nova via the CanadaHelps button on our website. From now until the end of June, each dollar will earn Camerata Nova one chance to win a grand prize draw of $10,000!
Thank you again for your support!
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On Saturday, April 8 and Sunday April 9, Camerata Nova’s singers will weave the glowing and intricate lines of Renaissance composers like Cardoso, Gombert, Créquillon and White as well as by a new composition by Artistic Director Andrew Balfour. Read more in the latest blog.
Local professor, writer and poet Sue Sorensen has written a response to our world premiere of Taken. Read it here: Impressions of Taken
http://cameratanova.com/16/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/camerata-logo-use-1.png00Chris Simonitehttp://cameratanova.com/16/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/camerata-logo-use-1.pngChris Simonite2017-03-15 09:54:182017-04-03 10:09:34Impressions of Taken
For its 2016-2017 season, Camerata Nova is offering you the chance to win a selection of wines from The Winehouse (value of $500). Tickets are available for $5 each and can be purchased by contacting Camerata Nova at info@cameratanova.com or 204.918.4547. The draw will be held at our April 9 performance of Isolation at St. Alphonsus Roman Catholic Church.
We will be participating in Canada Scene, a massive gathering of artists from across the country, organized by the National Arts Centre for the 150th anniversary of Canada. We will be travelling to Ottawa around June 17, 2017 and performing our Taken concert, which Manitobans get to hear first on March 4 and 5, 2017. Camerata Nova had previously participated in the NAC’s Prairie Scene in 2011. Check for updates at nac-cna.ca/en/canadascene.
http://cameratanova.com/16/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/camerata-logo-use-1.png00Chris Simonitehttp://cameratanova.com/16/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/camerata-logo-use-1.pngChris Simonite2017-02-12 21:05:102017-02-12 21:05:10Camerata Nova at Canada Scene!
We are very pleased to be invited back by the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra to perform at the New Music Festival’s choral night on Monday, January 30, 2017 at Westminster United Church. We will once again be sharing the evening with Polycoro to present groundbreaking choral works, including several pieces by American composer Meredith Monk. An exciting and provocative experience awaits.
http://cameratanova.com/16/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/camerata-logo-use-1.png00Chris Simonitehttp://cameratanova.com/16/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/camerata-logo-use-1.pngChris Simonite2017-01-12 21:18:362017-02-12 21:19:00New Music Festival
Get in the festive spirit! Before you take the kids to the
Santa Claus parade, enjoy a light holiday concert with
Camerata Nova at the Atrium of the Manitoba Hydro Building.
The free performance features Christmas classics and a
sing-along.
Saturday, November 12, 2016 at 2:30 pm.
http://cameratanova.com/16/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/camerata-logo-use-1.png00Karine Beaudettehttp://cameratanova.com/16/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/camerata-logo-use-1.pngKarine Beaudette2016-10-20 15:02:332016-10-20 15:07:55Manitoba Hydro Santa Claus Parade Concert
We have made some changes to our creative team. Joining Andrew Balfour and Mel Braun is Vic Pankratz. Vic brings his creativity, experience and knowledge of choral repertoire to our group. You’ll get your first taste of his exciting output with Camerata Nova at Euro Nova. We also welcome the passionate and equally knowledgeable, John Wiens. Recently returned from Montréal, John replaces Ross Brownlee as our early music curator/conductor. John’s first concert with us was the masterful British Mysteries last April. More exceptional music-making can be expected next April with Isolation.
http://cameratanova.com/16/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/camerata-logo-use-1.png00Karine Beaudettehttp://cameratanova.com/16/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/camerata-logo-use-1.pngKarine Beaudette2016-09-13 22:14:372016-10-18 20:15:19New and Returning Curators/Conductors
The internationally acclaimed group Ensemble Caprice invited Andrew to collaborate on a composition and perform in La Grande Gigue, a Métis-themed concert that they presented at the 14th Montreal Baroque Festival on June 24th. The experience was a major feather in Andrew’s cap and helped Camerata Nova get closer to the movers and shakers in the Montréal music scene. Andrew will be touring with Ensemble Caprice in 2017. If funding allows, it may be presented in Winnipeg… Stay tuned!
http://cameratanova.com/16/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/camerata-logo-use-1.png00Karine Beaudettehttp://cameratanova.com/16/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/camerata-logo-use-1.pngKarine Beaudette2016-09-13 22:11:182016-10-18 20:16:11Balfour at Montreal Baroque Festival
A special performance of composer Andrew Balfour’s original work Take the Indian: A Vocal Reflection on Missing Children will be held at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights (CMHR) on Wednesday, May 25, 2016 at 7:00 pm. The evening will include a traditional ceremony and a panel discussion with Indigenous Elders and others.
Balfour, who is of Cree descent, created this moving piece about the dark legacy of Indian residential schools after attending hearings of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. Check out a blog posting, written by Balfour’s sister Shelagh for more on Andrew in her post ‘About Andrew, my brother“.
The CMHR has helped organize this event as part of its commitment to contribute to the national conversation about reconciliation in diverse and meaningful ways. Those who attend will receive a free Museum pass so they can explore The Witness Blanket, a powerful art installation made from 800 pieces of residential schools from all across Canada, before the exhibition closes on June 25.
http://cameratanova.com/16/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/camerata-logo-use-1.png00Matt Schellenberghttp://cameratanova.com/16/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/camerata-logo-use-1.pngMatt Schellenberg2016-05-25 12:40:372016-05-25 14:01:07'Take the Indian' at CMHR
Congratulations to the Kelvin High School Senior Chamber Choir who were awarded the Camerata Nova Bursary at the 2016 Winnipeg Music Festival for their excellent rendition of Giuseppe Pitoni’s Cantate Domino, as arranged by Norman Greyson. The bursary is awarded to the most outstanding performance of early music by a vocalist or choir.
Congratulations to our president, Sandi Mielitz, who has been awarded the Investors Group Arts & Culture Award for Volunteer Excellence for her work with Camerata Nova! Please consider joining us for the 33rd Annual Volunteer Awards, which will be held on April 28th at the RBC Convention Centre Winnipeg, to honour Sandi and other deserving Manitobans who represent excellence in volunteerism and community engagement in our province. Click here for more info.
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In 2015-2016, Camerata Nova is offering its very first outreach program in partnership with the expansive Frontier School Division. Aiming to empower kids to express themselves using sounds and soundscapes, artistic director Andrew Balfour and singer/didgeridoo player Michael Thompson visited Bissett, Wanipigow, Black River and Matheson Island in the eastern part of Division 2, from November 30 to December 4, 2015. During phase 2, which happened from March 21 to 24, 2016, they will continue their musical adventure on the western side, in Grand Rapids, Camperville, Duck Bay and Pine Creek.
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Hard to believe, but we’re 20 years old! Visit the 20th anniversary page to read highlights of Camerata Nova’s journey and to see photos and posters of the past 20 years. Also, if you happen to have photos to add to our collection, please contact us!
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Camerata Nova presents an informal early music workshop on Saturday, November 21, 2015, from 1:30 to 3:00 pm at Westminster United Church. Conductor Ross Brownlee and noted sackbut player Catherine Motuz from Montréal will coach interested choristers and instrumentalists on 17th-century performance practice using selected pieces from the beautiful Praetorius Christmas Mass. Singers, as well as modern and period players of ANY instrument (string, wind or brass) are all welcome. Singers and instrumentalists will first meet and work separately, then gather for a rehearsal and fun performance! Fee is $10, payable at the door.
http://cameratanova.com/16/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/camerata-logo-use-1.png00smokehouse_bchttp://cameratanova.com/16/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/camerata-logo-use-1.pngsmokehouse_bc2016-01-07 13:26:002016-03-08 12:45:05EARLY MUSIC WORKSHOP
Gearing up for the holiday season, join us for a sing-along at 2:00 pm on Saturday, November 28, 2015, before the Manitoba Hydro Santa Claus Parade. We’ll be giving back to the community with a free concert in the atrium of the Manitoba Hydro building featuring Christmas classics – a great way to get into the holiday spirit! Before you take the kids to the parade, enjoy a light holiday concert with Camerata Nova in the Atrium of the Manitoba Hydro Building.
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Camerata Nova is now Dead of Winter
/in Camerata Nova Blog, News, Uncategorised /by Roland DescambaultWe’re back with a new season and bold new name
As we enter our 2021/22 season, we’re redefining what it means to be a vocal ensemble in the 21st century. For most of our 25-year lifespan, Camerata Nova has described itself as a “group without fear.” Emerging out of the last 18 months of the pandemic, we’ve decided to take this mantra to the next level. We’re entering our new season with a revitalized brand and a bold name change. Camerata Nova is changing its name to Dead of Winter.
“The concept we’re working with is renaissance, or rebirth,” says Andrew Balfour, the ensemble’s Artistic Director of Cree descent. “From an Indigenous perspective, Dead of Winter speaks to recharging and reviving creativity. The concept of “dead of winter” is a strong and positive one.”
The name reflects a shift in artistic direction that our vocal ensemble has been experiencing in the last five years or so. Camerata Nova got its legs performing Baroque and Renaissance music. In-house composer Andrew Balfour has been leading the way in Indigenous classical music on a national level. Our ensemble has been steadily performing more Indigenous, modern and new arrangements of choral music, as well as adhering to our early-music roots.
“From a Settler perspective, Dead of Winter also speaks to a sense of place,” says Anne Janes, Board Chair. “It represents who we are and where we’re from. People outside of Manitoba already see us as ‘Winterpeg,’ and we’ve decided to put our own spin on Winnipeg’s infamous reputation.”
Our ensemble is in a unique position of straddling two worlds; we are a non-Indigenous choir led by an Indigenous artistic director. It is not a simple identity to navigate, especially in the music world. But the new name is an effort to meet this complicated artistic identity head-on, “without fear.”
Dead of Winter’s upcoming season is an invitation to audiences and supporters to embark with us on this new stage of our choral journey. On November 27 and 28, Dead of Winter will perform Celebrating the Carol at Crescent Fort Rouge United Church, our first live performance after 18 months spent in “hibernation.” These performances will be a tribute to our beloved holiday concerts from the past. They will also be offered free of charge to welcome back audiences after the non-existent 2020/21 season.
Dead of Winter’s 2021/22 season will pack some punch in the new year. April 2022 will see the premiere of the Winnipeg Baroque Festival – an exciting collaborative initiative presented alongside local choirs Canzona and Polycoro. Then, our final performance of the season will feature Captive, the highly anticipated third installment of Andrew Balfour’s Truth and Reconciliation concert series. Captive is slated to be performed at the West End Cultural Centre in May 2022; Balfour promises it will be a genre-defying program.
Celebrating the Carol will be performed on Saturday, November 27 at 7:30 pm and again on Sunday, November 28 at 3:00 pm at Crescent Fort Rouge United Church (525 Wardlaw Avenue).
Visit deadofwinter.ca to reserve your free ticket(s) and guarantee your seat(s) to this incredible event!
Learn more about our season and our ensemble at deadofwinter.ca.
Chelsea Kutyn Wins Annual Camerata Nova Bursary at the 103rd Winnipeg Music Festival
/in Camerata Nova Blog, News /by Roland DescambaultChelsea Kutyn
We would like to offer our hearty congratulations to Chelsea Kutyn, who is the recipient of this year’s annual Camerata Nova bursary for the Most Outstanding Vocal or Choral Performance of Early Music at the 103rd Winnipeg Music Festival! Chelsea won recognition for her interpretation of J.S. Bach’s Wiewohl mein Herz….Ich will dir mein Herze schenken from the St. Matthew Passion.
Chelsea is currently working towards a Master of Music degree in Voice Performance at the University of Manitoba, under the tutelage of master technician, Monica Huisman. She is also one of four artists in Pacific Opera Victoria’s “Apprentice Civic Engagement Quartet,” an artist-led mentorship program aimed at creating authentic story-telling and community engagement through workshops and work with digital mediums.
Congratulations Chelsea!
The 103rd Winnipeg Music Festival ‘virtual’ festival was held from March 1 – 21, 2021. Video recordings of the performances, trophy competitions, and Gala Concert are currently available for viewing via links on the Winnipeg Music Festival website.
Camerata Nova is a registered not-for-profit charitable organization. Exploring, taking risks, and developing exciting new programming, takes time, energy, and money.
Or, click here to find out more about donating.
Faites un don par CanaDon.org!
Camerata Nova est un organisme de bienfaisance enregistré. Explorer, prendre des risques et développer des programmes passionnants – tout cela demande du temps, de l’énergie et de l’argent.
Ou cliquez ici pour en savoir plus sur les façons de donner.
Singing “Gloria” in the Digital Age
/in Camerata Nova Blog, News /by Roland DescambaultMerina Dobson-Perry and Sarah Clefstad at work on a recording session for ‘Gloria’ at St. Norbert Arts Centre in Winnipeg, Manitoba.
For a full year now, choral institutions have been either thriving or surviving in the midst of the online regimen forced upon the world of performing arts.
Choral groups have faced a unique challenge in figuring out how to transfer one of the most complicated and multifarious instruments—the voice—into the two-dimensional spaces of the digital realm. As an instrument, the voice is capable of some impressive sonic gymnastics. It has the ability to move from high-pitched warbles to bass rumblings, to create sounds sharp and direct, and then as quick as a breath recedes into a controlled whisper. We might go so far as to characterize the voice as less a solo instrument than it is a small orchestra, playing in the resonant halls of our diaphragm and skull. Add to this the fact that we often use our voices in harmony and rhythm with the voices of others, and it starts to become clear just how astonishing the work of a tight choral ensemble really is.
The realm of virtual music-making has added a whole new set of sonic permutations to choral singing. While some choral groups have either balked at the challenge (or simply do not have access to the right people and resources to meet the challenges head-on), others are eager to translate the versatility of the voice through a new, exotic medium and push the boundaries of what choral music can be in the 21st century.
“There is quite a level of nuance in how choral groups are approaching singing during this time. All across the country groups are coming up with interesting and novel things to do.”
John Wiens
This is the analysis of Winnipeg-born conductor John Wiens, who is a leader and advocate when it comes to pushing the sonic boundaries of choral performance.
“The progressive groups of today are embracing digital possibilities. There is room, now, for a series of compositions that are written specifically for digital content. The real opportunity as a creative is trying to find ways to write pieces that will embrace the randomness of Zoom—because let’s be honest, voices don’t line up when they’re singing on Zoom!”
For Wiens, the hot opportunity for the choral community is the digital medium itself.
“We’re choral organizations, and we’re spending heaps of money on video and audio engineers. This is fine, but if we want to help sustain our singers we have to be willing to reverse engineer and consider what a successful performance in COVID times really is. It’s experimental.
Wiens cites the “car choir” solution, John Newman’s idea for a kind of drive-in choral concert involving FM transmitters, as one kind of choral innovation that has come out of the pandemic.
“Certainly, many new ideas have developed in the past year. David Newman’s “car choir” is one example of an idea that has developed a life of its own. It is very interesting and different! The fact that there are all these new ideas and capacities, and ways of trying to get through a crisis, is a very positive thing.”
In his own musical projects, Wiens is interested in fusing early Renaissance choral music with contemporary choral styles using a virtual space. His latest project is a collaboration with Camerata Nova on a fresh rendering of ‘Gloria,’ a piece of early music by Renaissance composer Leonel Power.
“This piece specifically fits what I would like to experiment with. It’s written for two unequal voices, in duet, with a third voice that sings a very predictable cantus firmus (which is a tune that everyone recognizes). So you’ve got these two voices singing in a kind of quasi-improvisational fashion over this cantus firmus. I think it’s some of the most virtuous singing you’ll find in Renaissance music. It lends itself well to what I want to try and do with it because I want to try and build a sound world that links early music with contemporary music. I’ve no idea how successful I’ll be at this, as I’ve never tried it before! And, that’s one of the great things about Camerata Nova. They’ll almost always say yes to your wild ideas!”
With this project, Wiens is attempting to meet the digital format in a way that’s progressive and also showcases the inherent freshness and exoticism of the early music genre.
“I’ve never quite understood how it came to be that early music was perceived as less progressive. In the early ’70s when the early music movement got its legs, it was considered vibrant and exciting. Many of the same words were used then that we use to describe the contemporary music movement now.
“We really miss this sense of how innovative early music actually is. There is a bookish attitude that has settled around the genre. And I suppose there almost has to be because you have to read treatises and manuals in order to understand this music. That said, every time I sit down with a piece of early music, I feel how out of the ordinary this music really truly is. It’s not a surprise that contemporary composers today draw on the influence of these earlier works. Many contemporary composers—especially those who write choir—frequently listen to and are heavily influenced by Renaissance music. I think that this parallel gets lost, and this has always puzzled me. Oftentimes we see contemporary concerts treated with an outstanding visual component, but not the same treatment is given to performances of early music. We’ve got these two languages that are very similar, linked in many ways, and both contemporary in similar ways. But the level of freshness and newness in early music is just as present as it is in contemporary music.”
Wiens’ perspective, though fresh in the 21st century, harkens back to the Medieval folk rock movement of the early 1970s. Growing out of England and Germany, this movement saw European rock groups incorporating musical styles from the medieval, renaissance, and baroque eras into their work. Right around the time that the Velvet Underground were closing the gap between rock and avant-garde music and Brian Eno was acquiring his pop celebrity, groups like London’s Gryphon and Gentle Giant were moving “backward” on the trajectory of classical music genres, incorporating multi-instrumental band members who would play the clavichord, harpsichord, violin, and recorder. This subgenre movement of medieval/renaissance rock music lasted maybe a decade, but Wiens’ enthusiasm for the fusion of renaissance and contemporary styles of music is reminiscent of these earlier “punk” attitudes from the Euro-rock scene. Obviously, Wiens is not the lead singer or guitarist of a rock group—he’s the conductor of a choral ensemble. But now in 2021, we have the means to imagine these different types of musical artists and genres as not so different from one another—means such as the world of digital possibilities. You could almost go so far as to say: the cloud is the limit.
In collaboration with Camerata Nova, recording and filming started on ‘Gloria’ during the first week of April, at the St. Norbert Arts Centre in St. Norbert, Winnipeg. The recording, and video component, will feature sopranos Sarah Clefstad and Merina Dobson-Perry.
Stay tuned for the release!
Camerata Nova is a registered not-for-profit charitable organization. Exploring, taking risks, and developing exciting new programming, takes time, energy, and money.
Or, click here to find out more about donating.
Faites un don par CanaDon.org!
Camerata Nova est un organisme de bienfaisance enregistré. Explorer, prendre des risques et développer des programmes passionnants – tout cela demande du temps, de l’énergie et de l’argent.
Ou cliquez ici pour en savoir plus sur les façons de donner.
Camerata Nova’s groundbreaking Captive is the story audiences need to hear
/in Camerata Nova Blog, News /by Roland DescambaultCamerata Nova is scheduled to release a recording and video performance for Captive, the third project in their Reconciliation Series. Looking to be released this year, the series is spearheaded by composer and Camerata Nova Artistic Director, Andrew Balfour, who curates each concert around a theme that resonates with the Canadian Indigenous experience. So far, the series has featured collaborations with an impressive range of Indigenous artists, including Cree hip hop artist Lindsay Knight and Polaris winner Jeremy Dutcher (Taken, 2017), and traditional Ojibway drummer-singer Cory Campbell and cellist Cris Derksen (Fallen, 2018). Captive will feature compositions by Andrew Balfour, Cris Derksen, and Eliot Britton.
Originally slated for May 2020, the Captive concert now has additional time to percolate (in the midst of the pandemic), and Balfour has been unexpectedly grateful for the extra time.
One of the added challenges of the Captive, prior to May 2020, had to do with the lack of familiarity between the collaborators, in addition to being scattered across the country as active performing artists. In order to create a truly exciting collaboration, one that is cohesive and forward-thinking, Camerata Nova decided to organize a composer gathering for all of the creatives involved in the project. The gathering took place over four days in the Manitoba prairies (in the middle of winter!) and proved a valuable bonding experience for all involved. For Balfour, it was an essential event in his creative development of the concert.
“I think that Captive will be profound in part because it’s changed so much. To have an extra year to sit with the project has been very eye-opening into what we want its statement to be.”
“Our platform is, of course, choral music, which can be an incredibly powerful medium. With this project, we’ve been able to collaborate with Indigenous artists at a high level, and bring their vision to fruition through the artistry of conductor Mel Braun, head of the vocal program at the Marcel A. Desautels Faculty of Music, and the singers of Camerata Nova, alongside the safe space we’re able to offer these artists.”
Ultimately, the pandemic has given Balfour the time to go deeper into the story he wants to tell, and figure out the best methods to provide the context of this story to his audiences.
Balfour’s own 25-minute piece, ‘Captive,’ has evolved over the course of the last year. Initially intended to tell the story of Chief Poundmaker, the historically renowned chief of the Poundmaker Cree Nation, the narrative has instead morphed into a larger story of Indigenous incarceration, to be presented in five abstract scenes.
“There’s a legacy in our country of imprisonment of Indigenous people, and it’s a very tragic part of our colonial history here; indeed, most of our prisons are still filled with Indigenous people. One of the key things these Truth & Reconciliation Concerts do is allow myself and other composers to reset and rethink how we want to tell a story. Like ‘Notinikew’ (from the Fallen 2018 concert), it is not my intention to end ‘Captive’ with a positive note. Although I am myself a positive person, this is a subject that doesn’t have an optimal conclusion.
“I can’t explain emotionally what the listener will get from my piece. I do feature the choir in a way that’s both subtle and important; they’re the bystanders and witness to what is happening. I was originally going to use performance art again, but I’ve decided instead on doing something that better features the choir and the powerful vocal forces that we have in our midst, to create the tension, suspension, and final declension of the narrative.”
In another perspective, Balfour’s ‘Captive’ can be understood as a statement of being held captive by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I would say it’s a soundscape of mourning, solitude, and captivity; these emotions have cycled through many of us through this time of lockdown, where we’ve been separated from our loved ones, and, unfortunately for some of us, experienced the passing of those close to us without being able to be with family or friends.
“Most importantly, however, ‘Captive’ addresses my own perspective on Indigenous incarceration. When we are finally able to come out with this performance, I think that our audiences will be quite moved by the poignant and multi-layered statement of this concert.”
Take a whirlwind tour of our earlier Reconciliation Concerts, and watch the playlist of performance excerpts below:
MCA’s Award of Distinction for Artistic Excellence
/in Camerata Nova Blog, News /by Roland DescambaultNous remercions chaleureusement la Manitoba Choral Association de nous avoir décerné l’un des premiers Prix de distinction pour l’excellence artistique. Quel grand honneur d’être parmi un groupe de récipiendaires aussi talentueux! Nous sommes extrêmement reconnaissants. Pour en savoir plus sur ces prix et sur les autres lauréats, voir ci-dessous.
Camerata Nova is a registered not-for-profit charitable organization. Exploring, taking risks, and developing exciting new programming, takes time, energy, and money.
Or, click here to find out more about donating.
Faites un don par CanaDon.org!
Camerata Nova est un organisme de bienfaisance enregistré. Explorer, prendre des risques et développer des programmes passionnants – tout cela demande du temps, de l’énergie et de l’argent.
Ou cliquez ici pour en savoir plus sur les façons de donner.
Find holiday warmth in a new video offering from Camerata Nova
/in Camerata Nova Blog, News, Uncategorised /by Roland DescambaultVisin, Visin, Visin is the final installment in a trio of early-music pandemic recordings we’ve been working on.
In Camerata Nova’s version of Visin, Visin, Visin we hear many voices, blending in a rich tapestry of sonic warmth. This early music “hit” has never looked so cool – cool as the icy expanse of a Manitoban Winter. The chiding and intimate subject matter of the music, based on a raunchy Venetian Carnival song of the 15th century, creates a stark, albeit powerful contrast with this lonely visual. Perhaps we can imagine ourselves as the pilgrim, trudging through a cold and unforgiving pandemic. We are seemingly alone, but zoom out for a broader perspective, and we are surrounded by a chorus of voices!
This Advent season, may we be reminded that we do not celebrate alone and without comfort, just as we are not alone in surviving the pandemic. The voices of those who care for us are closer than we think, and a warm hut is waiting to offer us refuge through a stormy night.
Translation:
Hey there, who wants to have their chimney swept?
Let us sweep them, lady!
Who wants them swept inside, who wants them tidy?
Those who can’t pay can give us bread or wine.
Song Notes:A group of chimney sweeps call out in this raunchy Venetian carnival song from the late 15th century. They need work, for which they will gladly accept bread or wine in lieu of payment. But in a text filled with double entendre, they are also angling for an invitation to intimacy. Work, bread, wine and some willing company…who can ask for anything more?
Credits:
Sarah Sommer – Soprano
Dan Rochegood – Alto
Justin Odwak – Tenor
Matt Knight – Bass
Al Schroeder – Overtones
Mike, Scott, Matt, Dan – G Drones
Roland Deschambault – Video and editing
Phil Deschambault – Sound recording and mixing
Camerata Nova is a registered not-for-profit charitable organization. Exploring, taking risks, and developing exciting new programming, takes time, energy, and money.
Or, click here to find out more about donating.
<Traduction>
Visin, Visin, Visin :
Dans la version de Visin, Visin, Visin de Camerata Nova, nous entendons de nombreuses voix, qui se mêlent en de riches harmonies. Ce « succès » de musique ancienne n’a jamais été aussi rafraîchissant – comme les étendues glacées d’un hiver manitobain. Le sujet de la musique, à la fois intimiste et criard, basé sur une chanson de carnaval vénitien du 15e siècle, crée un contraste saisissant, bien que puissant, avec ce visuel solitaire. Peut-être pouvons-nous nous imaginer comme le pèlerin, se frayant un chemin à travers une pandémie froide et impitoyable? Nous sommes apparemment seuls, mais nous nous éloignons pour avoir une perspective plus large, et nous sommes entourés d’un chœur de voix, nous sentant peut-être nous aussi isolés et désireux d’avoir de la compagnie.
En cette période de l’Avent, permettez-nous de nous rappeler que nous ne célébrons pas seuls et sans confort, tout comme nous ne sommes pas seuls à survivre à la pandémie. Les voix de ceux et celles qui prennent soin de nous sont plus proches que nous ne le pensons, et une hutte chaude nous attend pour nous offrir un refuge pendant une nuit d’orage.
Traduction:
Hé, qui veut faire ramoner sa cheminée?
Laissez-nous les ramoner, madame!
Qui veut les faire ramoner à l’intérieur, qui veut qu’elles soient bien propres?
Ceux (celles) qui ne peuvent pas payer peuvent nous donner du pain ou du vin.
Notes au sujet de la chanson:
Un groupe de ramoneurs s’écrie dans cette chanson de carnaval vénitien de la fin du 15e siècle. Ils ont besoin de travail, pour lequel ils acceptent volontiers du pain ou du vin en guise de paiement. Mais dans ce texte à double sens, ils recherchent aussi une invitation à l’intimité. Du travail, du pain, du vin et un peu de compagnie… qui peut demander plus?
Générique:
Sarah Sommer – Soprano
Dan Rochegood – Alto
Justin Odwak – Ténor
Matt Knight – Basse
Al Schroeder – Harmonique
Mike, Scott, Matt, Dan – Bourdons en G
Roland Deschambault – vidéographie et photographie
Phil Deschambault – enregistrement et mixage sonore, édition vidéo
Faites un don par CanaDon.org!
Camerata Nova est un organisme de bienfaisance enregistré. Explorer, prendre des risques et développer des programmes passionnants – tout cela demande du temps, de l’énergie et de l’argent.
Ou cliquez ici pour en savoir plus sur les façons de donner.
It’s Giving Tuesday! Help us create and innovate
/in Camerata Nova Blog, News, Uncategorised /by Roland DescambaultThank you for your commitment to Camerata Nova as a subscriber, casual ticket holder, donor, scholarship recipient, singer, volunteer, advertiser, socials follower, guest artist, and friend. We appreciate each and every one of you.
Although we’ve cancelled three concerts this year and remain at a social distance for now, we are very much looking to presenting live music again once restrictions have lifted.
For Camerata Nova, there have been serious silver linings to Covid. It has led us to explore video productions and build new on-line audiences. We invite you to watch our experimental videos and keep your eyes open for new content coming your way!
As thrilling as these videos are to create, they do not generate revenue. We are grateful to the on-going support of funding agencies, key foundations, and you, who are keeping us alive in a year of turmoil.
Traditionally, the funds generated from our annual appeal go to our Northern Manitoba Music Access Program, in which our musicians travel to musically underserved communities. This year, your donation will go towards another meaningful component of our Music Access program that offers shared experiences to children, youth, seniors, and/or those living with disabilities.
Once it is safe to present live performances again, we plan to provide free concert admission to these under-supported audiences and others who might not have the resources to otherwise attend or have been impacted by social isolation due to the pandemic. Your donation in will ensure that all in our community can reconnect soon and share in the joy and beauty of a live choral concert!
In the meantime, watch the videos, and keep checking our website for any updated content and other surprises. We miss you, and we look forward to seeing you in 2021!
You can support the choir safely and securely with a tax-deductible donation anytime throughout the year
Camerata Nova is a registered not-for-profit charitable organization. Exploring, taking risks, and developing exciting new programming, takes time, energy, and money.
Or, click here to find out more about donating.
Nous vous remercions de votre engagement envers Camerata Nova en tant qu’abonné, détenteur occasionnel de billets, donateur, boursier, chanteur, bénévole, annonceur, adepte des médias sociaux, artiste invité et ami. Nous apprécions chacun et chacune d’entre vous.
Bien que nous ayons annulé trois concerts cette année et que nous restions à distance sociale pour l’instant, nous sommes très impatients de présenter à nouveau de la musique en direct une fois les restrictions levées.
Pour Camerata Nova, la COVID-19 a eu des retombées positives malgré tout. La situation nous a amenés à explorer les productions vidéo et à constituer un nouveau public en ligne. Nous vous invitons à regarder nos vidéos expérimentales et à garder l’œil ouvert pour de nouveaux contenus à venir!
Aussi passionnantes que soient ces vidéos à créer, elles ne génèrent pas de revenus. Nous sommes reconnaissants aux organismes de financement, aux principales fondations et à vous, qui nous aidez pendant cette année turbulente.
Traditionnellement, les fonds générés par notre appel de fonds annuel vont à notre Programme d’accès à la musique pour le Nord du Manitoba, dans le cadre duquel certains de nos artistes se rendent dans des communautés mal desservies sur le plan musical. Cette année, votre don sera affecté à un autre volet important de notre Programme d’accès à la musique, qui offre des expériences partagées aux enfants, aux jeunes, aux personnes âgées et/ou aux personnes handicapées.
Quand il sera à nouveau possible de présenter des spectacles en direct en toute sécurité, nous prévoyons d’offrir une entrée gratuite à ces publics insuffisamment soutenus et à d’autres personnes qui n’auraient pas les ressources nécessaires pour y assister autrement ou qui ont été touchées par l’isolement social dû à la pandémie. Grâce à votre don, tous les membres de notre communauté pourront bientôt se retrouver et partager la joie et la beauté d’un concert choral en direct!
En attendant, regardez les vidéos, et continuez à consulter notre site Web pour toute mise à jour du contenu et d’autres surprises. Vous nous manquez, et nous espérons vous revoir en 2021!
Faites un don par CanaDon.org!
Camerata Nova est un organisme de bienfaisance enregistré. Explorer, prendre des risques et développer des programmes passionnants – tout cela demande du temps, de l’énergie et de l’argent.
Ou cliquez ici pour en savoir plus sur les façons de donner.
Andrew Balfour performs Notinikew with The Toronto Mendelssohn Choir
/in Camerata Nova Blog, News /by Roland DescambaultComposer Andrew Balfour, is the founder and artistic director of Camerata Nova.
AARON VINCENT ELKAIM/THE GLOBE AND MAIL
On Wednesday, November 11, Camerata Nova’s Artistic Director, Andrew Balfour, is lending his talents to an inspiring Remembrance Day performance with The Toronto Mendelssohn Choir. The program offers a Choral Perspective of Canada’s Indigenous Veterans and welcomes Andrew as the guest curator, as well as longtime Camerata Nova collaborator, cellist, and composer Cris Derkson.
The program will reflect on the Indigenous experience through music, dance and poetry, and is centred around Andrew’s choral drama, Notinikew (Going to War). Movements of the work will be sung by Andrew’s Winnipeg-based Camerata Nova and by the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir.
Andrew says of this choral drama:
Notinikew is an anti-war piece, an indigenous identity piece – a tragedy that speaks not just about World War I, but all wars and all indigenous soldiers. Why did these Indigenous warriors leave our forests and plains to enter a totally foreign military world and end up fighting in the midst of a true hell on earth?
The concert is a FREE event and will be featured via Livestream at 8:00 p.m. EST. Find out more about the program and performers on the event poster or concert webpage.
Learn the story behind Andrew’s Notinikew here.
Follow us on Instagram
/in Camerata Nova Blog, News, Uncategorised /by Roland DescambaultSnapshot of our Instagram page
Camerata Nova is a registered not-for-profit charitable organization. Exploring, taking risks, and developing exciting new programming, takes time, energy, and money.
Or, click here to find out more about donating.
Camerata Nova finds new inspiration during pandemic
/in Camerata Nova Blog, News, Uncategorised /by Roland DescambaultChoristers Mike Thompson and Scott Reimer at a recent recording session at the St. Norbert Arts Centre (SNAC)
The popular Winnipeg choral ensemble, separated from each other and their audiences by COVID-19, is using new methods to connect and share music
There’s never been a year quite like 2020. For musicians around the world, the arrival of COVID-19 met that their performance schedules suddenly emptied. However, in the wake of shutdowns, quarantines, and social distancing, musicians have taken their shows to social media, providing much-needed levity during an otherwise serious time. Winnipeg’s Camerata Nova, especially, proves that the show must go on.
The popular choral ensemble is a musical institution in Winnipeg is known as much for its gorgeous arrangements of classical works as it is for its concerts featuring new Indigenous and contemporary music. The group, founded in 1996, features a number of Desautels Faculty of Music graduates and employees, and performs in venues across the city, ranging from churches to concert halls to bars, and has produced four albums. With their anticipated spring and fall 2020 seasons suddenly canceled, Camerata Nova sought to find new ways to collaborate during the pandemic, and bring music to their dedicated audiences. Fortunately, their members have a talent for more than just music, and made the transition with ease – turning to videos to bring music into our homes.
Read the rest of the story at UM Today News
View our current recording projects below!
Camerata Nova is a registered not-for-profit charitable organization. Exploring, taking risks, and developing exciting new programming, takes time, energy, and money.
Or, click here to find out more about donating.
El Grillo – Pandemic Recording
/in Camerata Nova Blog, News, Uncategorised /by Roland DescambaultEL GRILLO
“El Grillo” (The Cricket) is the second instalment in a trio of early-music pandemic recordings we’ve been working on.
“The cricket is a good singer, a steadfast wooer. When the weather gets hot, he sings non-stop about love”. So says Josquin Des Prés in “El Grillo” (The Cricket), his “summer hit” frottola from the Summer of 1499.
What can we learn from the cricket? There he is, experiencing a pandemic’s worth of loneliness, yet nothing stops him from singing. Sure, it may be the same song over and over again, but if he varies it just a little by changing up his voice or trying new languages and styles, he might just manage to attract some “company”. The cricket is clearly an optimist. Be more like the cricket! Stay steadfast, be creative, and above all, keep singing!
Translation:
The cricket is a good singer, who can hold a long note.
Give him a drink so that he can keep singing.
He doesn’t do what the other birds do.
After they’ve sung a bit, they go elsewhere.
The cricket stays put and when the weather is the hottest,
He sings solely for love.
Credits:
Mel Braun – Music director
Matt Knight – Georgian Cricket
Justin Odwak – Italian Cricket
Dan Rochegood – German Cricket
Scott Reimer – Nashville Cricket
Roland Deschambault – Video and photography
Phil Deschambault – Sound recording and mixing, video editing
Music in this video: El Grillo (Italian frottola) by Josquin Des Prés, 1499
Camerata Nova is a registered not-for-profit charitable organization. Exploring, taking risks, and developing exciting new programming, takes time, energy, and money.
Or, click here to find out more about donating.
EL GRILLO
« El Grillo » (Le grillon) est le deuxième d’un trio d’enregistrements de musique ancienne sur lequel nous avons travaillé pendant la pandémie.
« Le grillon est un bon chanteur, un séducteur acharné. Quand il fait chaud, il chante l’amour sans arrêt. » C’est ce que dit Josquin Des Prés dans « El Grillo » (Le grillon), son frottola à succès de l’été 1499.
Que peut-on apprendre du grillon (criquet)? Il est là, vivant une solitude digne d’une pandémie, mais rien ne l’empêche de chanter. Bien sûr, il chante la même chanson encore et encore, mais s’il la modifie un peu en changeant son timbre de voix ou en essayant de nouvelles langues et de nouveaux styles, il pourrait bien réussir à attirer de la « compagnie ». De toute évidence, le criquet est un optimiste. Soyez davantage comme le criquet! Faites preuve de constance, de créativité et surtout, continuez à chanter!
Traduction :
Le grillon est un bon chanteur, qui peut tenir une note longtemps.
Donnez-lui un verre pour qu’il puisse continuer à chanter.
Il ne fait pas ce que font les oiseaux.
Après avoir chanté un peu, ils vont ailleurs.
Le grillon reste sur place et quand il fait très chaud,
Il chante uniquement par amour.
Générique:
Mel Braun – directeur musical
Matt Knight – grillon géorgien
Justin Odwak – grillon italien
Dan Rochegood – grillon allemand
Scott Reimer – grillon de Nashville
Roland Deschambault – vidéographie et photographie
Phil Deschambault – enregistrement et mixage sonore, édition vidéo
Music dans cette vidéo : El Grillo (frottola italienne) par Josquin Des Prés, 1499
Faites un don par CanaDon.org!
Camerata Nova est un organisme de bienfaisance enregistré. Explorer, prendre des risques et développer des programmes passionnants – tout cela demande du temps, de l’énergie et de l’argent.
Ou cliquez ici pour en savoir plus sur les façons de donner.
Vecchie letrose – Camerata Nova featuring Raine Hamilton and Tori Sparks
/in Camerata Nova Blog, News, Uncategorised /by Roland DescambaultThis Neapolitan Villanesca from 1545 tears a strip off all the old gossips who hang about the plaza with nothing better to do than yap all day long at the expense of others. Sound familiar?
Translation:
Nasty old gossips, good for nothing except to yap, yap, yap in the plaza,
Flying off, Flying off, Flying off the handle.
Nasty old gossips, cantankerous and crazy.
Mel Braun – Music director
Raine Hamilton – Voice/Fiddle
Tori Sparks – Percussion
Matt Knight – Mandolin
Mike Thompson – Didg
Sarah Sommer – Soprano
Donnalynn Grills – Alto
Justin Odwak – Tenor
Matt Knight – Bass
Al Schroeder, Scott Reimer, Dan Rochegood – F Drones
Roland Deschambault – Video and photography
Phil Deschambault – Sound recording and mixing, video editing
Winnipeg, Manitoba-based Camerata Nova, performs early, contemporary and Indigenous-infused vocal chamber concerts for local and national audiences, offering excellence, experimentation and collaboration. We express the Prairie urban reality while giving our audiences the opportunity to learn about and experience early music. We work to build engagement both within our group and with the community. Camerata Nova is a registered not-for-profit charitable organization. http://cameratanova.com/16/
Music in this video: Vecchie letrose (Neapolitan Villanesca) by Adrian Willaert, 1545
Camerata Nova is a registered not-for-profit charitable organization. Exploring, taking risks, and developing exciting new programming, takes time, energy, and money.
Or, click here to find out more about donating.
VECCHIE LETROSE – CAMERATA NOVA AVEC RAINE HAMILTON ET TORI SPARKS
Cette villanesca napolitaine de 1545 s’en prend à toutes les vieilles commères qui traînent sur la place sans rien de mieux à faire que de jacasser toute la journée aux dépens des autres. Cela vous semble familier?
Traduction :
De vilaines commères, bonnes à rien sauf à jacasser sur la place,
S’emportent et sortent de leurs gonds.
Des commères méchantes, grincheuses et folles.
Mel Braun – directeur musical
Raine Hamilton – voix/violon
Tori Sparks – percussion
Matt Knight – mandoline
Mike Thompson – didgeridou
Sarah Sommer – soprano
Donnalynn Grills – alto
Justin Odwak – ténor
Matt Knight – basse
Al Schroeder, Scott Reimer, Dan Rochegood – bourdons en F
Roland Deschambault – vidéo et photographie
Phil Deschambault – enregistrement sonore et mixage, montage vidéo
Camerata Nova, de Winnipeg, au Manitoba, présente des concerts de musique ancienne, contemporaine et d’inspiration autochtone pour des auditoires locaux et nationaux, offrant excellence, expérimentation et collaboration. Nous exprimons la réalité urbaine des Prairies, tout en donnant à nos auditoires l’occasion d’en apprendre davantage sur la musique ancienne et d’en faire l’expérience. Nous travaillons à susciter l’engagement au sein de notre groupe et dans la collectivité. cameratanova.com
Music dans cette vidéo : Vecchie letrose (Villanesca napolitaine) par Adrian Willaert, 1545
Faites un don par CanaDon.org!
Camerata Nova est un organisme de bienfaisance enregistré. Explorer, prendre des risques et développer des programmes passionnants – tout cela demande du temps, de l’énergie et de l’argent.
Ou cliquez ici pour en savoir plus sur les façons de donner.
Run To the Hills Choral Arrangement
/in Camerata Nova Blog, News, Uncategorised /by Roland DescambaultI first heard Iron Maiden’s Run to the Hills back in the early 80’s as a young teenager. At the time I was deeply immersed in the heavy metal scene, buying Judas Priest, AC/DC and Iron Maiden albums every allowance day. I remember back then being impressed how a bunch of white English rockers could write a song so poignant about the harsh reality of colonialism. I’ve been thinking of doing a choral cover of this song for several years. At the beginning of the virus lockdown, stuck in a small apartment in Toronto, I thought of this song again and started to write it out. It is sort of a tongue and cheek project, but also kind of poignant in the recent times. Stay safe, and if not, Run to the hills!! – Andrew Balfour, Composer, CNova Artistic Director
J’ai entendu la chanson Run to the Hills (Courez vers les collines) d’Iron Maiden pour la première fois au début des années 1980 alors que j’étais un jeune adolescent. À l’époque, j’étais très intéressé à la musique heavy metal, et j’achetais des albums de Judas Priest, AC/DC ou Iron Maiden tous les jours où je recevais de l’argent de poche. Je me souviens qu’à l’époque, j’étais impressionné qu’une bande de rockers anglais blancs pouvait écrire une chanson aussi poignante sur la dure réalité du colonialisme. Je pense à faire une reprise chorale de cette chanson depuis plusieurs années. Au début de la période de confinement due au virus, coincé dans un petit appartement à Toronto, j’ai repensé à cette chanson et j’ai commencé à l’écrire. C’est un projet un peu ironique, mais aussi assez poignant pendant cette période. Restez en sécurité, et sinon, courez vers les collines! – Andrew Balfour, compositeur, directeur artistique de CNova
Andrew Balfour/Mel Braun – Arrangers
Andrew Balfour – Lead Vocal
Merina Dobson Perry – Soprano
Angela Neufeld – Alto/Bells
Vic Pankratz – Tenor/Boomwackers
Mel Braun – Baritone/Wolf calls
Matthew Knight – Bass/Georgian guitar (panduri)
Roland Deschambault – Video and photography
Sara Roque – Video of Andrew Balfour
Kristi Sinclair – Audio of Andrew Balfour
Phil Deschambault – Sound recording and mixing, video editing
Music in this video
Run to the Hills by Iron Maiden
Writers – Steve Harris
Camerata Nova is a registered not-for-profit charitable organization. Exploring, taking risks, and developing exciting new programming, takes time, energy, and money.
Or, click here to find out more about donating.
An update from Camerata Nova / des nouvelles de Camerata Nova
/in Camerata Nova Blog, News, Uncategorised /by Roland DescambaultCaptive concert postponed until further notice
We have watched carefully as the provincial guidelines and overall situation have evolved and come to the recognition that the likelihood of a September concert is limited. Accordingly, we have decided to postpone our Captive concert.
If you have already purchased ticket(s) to this concert, we would like to offer you a refund on your ticket(s). If you would consider donating your ticket(s) back to us, we would be happy to provide a charitable receipt.
Thank you for your support and understanding. Stay safe, and we look forward to presenting this special concert for you some time in the future.
Please feel free to contact us at info@cameratanova.com
An update on our 2020-2021 Season
Alongside the postponement of Captive, we have also made the difficult decision to delay the start of our 2020-2021 season until January 2021.
Stay tuned, however, as we explore new, creative means of delivering a quality musical experience. Follow us on our socials and keep an eye on email updates as well as our website for some exciting new content.
Our planned concert for this fall – which was to be a celebration of baroque music – promises to become even bigger and better with some collaborative plans for the 2021 – 2022 season!
Video footage from our Fallen (Notinikew) concert
Poni pimacisiwin (the end of living) was written by Andrew Balfour for our Fallen concert. Notinikew featured Andrew, Cris Derksen, Cory Campbell, and the Winnipeg Boys Choir, and was the second in our Reconciliation concert series. Read more about Andrew Balfour and see all videos from the concert HERE
Trip to Churchill raffle update
For those who purchased raffle tickets for the opportunity to win a trip to Churchill, sponsored by Calm Air, or an Inuit carving, the draw will be made at Camerata Nova’s Saturday, June 27, 2020 Board meeting and the results will be posted on social media immediately after. Please note that Calm Air has generously extended the travel timeline until November 2021 to accommodate the winner, given the current travel restrictions due to COVID-19.
9 Questions
Andrew Balfour surrounded by some of the things taking up his time in self-isolation
Self-isolation has given us all a chance to do a little reading, watch some TV, home clean-up, and perhaps take on a new or existing hobby. The answers to these nine questions will give you an idea of how some of the folks in Camerata Nova have spent this time. Enjoy! Take me to 9 Questions
CanadaHelps
What have you missed most by being shut down these last few months? A hug from a child? Laughter over a meal with friends? Perhaps it was the joy of listening to live music from Camerata Nova?
We miss our audiences. With current programming cancellations, our revenues are also suffering. If you are at all able to, please consider making a donation to support us through these extraordinary times via CanadaHelps. Each donated dollar during the month of June goes towards an opportunity for Camerata Nova to win $20,000 through the Great Canadian Giving Challenge. Thank you and looking forward to seeing you at the next concert!
One quick question
By purchasing a ticket to a concert or donating to our organization, you’ve supported the immense work it takes to put on such collaborative, fearless productions. Thank you for being a part of our community of arts lovers. Your interest is keeping Winnipeg’s choral music community vibrant and adventurous, even during these challenging times.
Please take a moment to complete the short survey below. We’d love to get a better sense on how we can serve you better. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts!
LE CONCERT « CAPTIVE » REPORTÉ JUSQU’À NOUVEL ORDRE
Au début avril, nous vous avons fait savoir, à vous nos abonnés et acheteurs de billets, que notre représentation de Captive de mai 2020 allait être reportée à septembre 2020. Cette décision avait été prise conformément aux directives provinciales de santé publique pour la COVID-19 afin de garantir la santé et la sécurité des spectateurs et des chanteurs.
Nous avons observé attentivement l’évolution des directives provinciales et de la situation générale et avons constaté que la probabilité d’un concert en septembre est limitée. En conséquence, nous avons décidé de reporter à nouveau notre concert Captive.
Si vous avez déjà acheté un ou plusieurs billets pour ce concert, nous vous offrons un remboursement sur votre ou vos billets. Si vous envisagez de nous faire don de votre (vos) billet(s), nous serions heureux de vous fournir un reçu pour don de bienfaisance.
Nous vous remercions de votre soutien et de votre compréhension. Portez-vous bien et nous espérons vous présenter ce concert spécial dans le futur.
N’hésitez pas à nous contacter à l’adresse suivante : info@cameratanova.com.
LE POINT SUR NOTRE SAISON 2020-2021
En parallèle au report de Captive, nous avons également pris la difficile décision de reporter le début de notre saison 2020-2021 à janvier 2021.
Restez cependant à l’écoute, car nous explorons de nouveaux moyens créatifs pour offrir une expérience musicale de qualité. Suivez-nous sur nos réseaux sociaux et gardez un œil sur les mises à jour par courriel ainsi que sur notre site Web pour découvrir de nouveaux contenus passionnants.
Notre concert prévu pour cet automne – qui devait être une célébration de la musique baroque – promet de prendre de l’ampleur et de devenir encore meilleur avec quelques projets de collaboration pour la saison 2021-2022!
IMAGES VIDÉO DE NOTRE CONCERT FALLEN (NOTINIKEW)
La pièce Poni pimacisiwin (la fin de la vie) a été écrite par Andrew Balfour pour notre concert Fallen. Notinikew, avec Andrew, Cris Derksen, Cory Campbell et le Winnipeg Boys’ Choir, était le deuxième concert de notre série sur la réconciliation. Pour en savoir plus sur Andrew Balfour et voir toutes les vidéos du concert, cliquez ICI.
LE POINT SUR LE TIRAGE DU VOYAGE À CHURCHILL
Pour ceux et celles qui ont acheté des billets pour avoir la possibilité de gagner un voyage à Churchill, commandité par Calm Air, ou une sculpture inuite, le tirage au sort sera effectué lors de la réunion du conseil d’administration de Camerata Nova du samedi 27 juin 2020 et les résultats seront publiés sur les médias sociaux immédiatement après. Veuillez noter que Calm Air a généreusement prolongé le délai de voyage jusqu’en novembre 2021 pour accommoder le gagnant ou la gagnante, étant donné les restrictions actuelles de voyage dues à la COVID-19.
9 QUESTIONS
Andrew Balfour entouré de certaines des choses qui occupent son temps pendant son isolement.
L’auto-isolement nous a donné à tous et à toutes la possibilité de faire un peu de lecture, de regarder la télévision, de faire le ménage et peut-être d’adopter un nouveau passe-temps ou d’en retrouver un. Les réponses à ces neuf questions vous donneront une idée de la façon dont certains membres de Camerata Nova ont passé ce temps. Amusez-vous! Allez aux 9 questions
CANADAHELPS
Qu’est-ce qui vous a le plus manqué pendant l’isolement des derniers mois? Le câlin d’un enfant? Les rires autour d’un repas entre amis? Peut-être la joie d’écouter de la musique en direct de Camerata Nova?
Notre public nous manque. Avec les annulations de la programmation actuelle, nos revenus en souffrent également. Si vous en êtes capable, veuillez envisager de faire un don pour nous aider à traverser cette période extraordinaire via CanaDon. Chaque dollar donné au cours du mois de juin donne la possibilité à Camerata Nova la chance de gagner 20 000 $ dans le cadre du Grand défi caritatif canadien. Merci et au plaisir de vous voir au prochain concert!
UNE PETITE QUESTION
En achetant un billet pour un concert ou en faisant un don à notre organisation, vous soutenez l’immense travail qu’exige la réalisation de nos productions collaboratives et audacieuses. Merci de faire partie de notre communauté d’amateurs et d’amatrices d’art. Votre intérêt fait en sorte que la communauté de la musique chorale de Winnipeg peut rester dynamique et aventureuse, même en ces temps difficiles.
Veuillez prendre un moment pour remplir le court sondage ci-dessous. Nous aimerions avoir une meilleure idée de la façon dont nous pouvons mieux vous servir. Merci du fond du cœur!
9 Questions
/in Camerata Nova Blog, News, Uncategorised /by Roland DescambaultSelf-isolation has given us a chance to do a little reading, watch some TV, home clean-up, and perhaps take on a new or existing hobby. The answers to these nine questions will give you an idea of how the the folks in Camerata Nova have spent this time. Enjoy!
Andrew surrounded by some of the things taking up his time in self-isolation
Andrew Balfour
Artistic director/composer in residence
Where are you and who are you spending isolation time with? In Toronto with my beautiful partner, Sara.
What’s on your reading list? Fifteen Dogs by Andre Alexis and Brother by David Chariandy. Two brilliant books, after 15 dogs, I’ll never look at at dogs the same way.
Current binge-watching recommendations? Ozark (dark but intense), Waco (great acting and writing), Spy (Sasha Baron Cohen is an amazing dark actor), The Last Dance (about the Chicago Bull and Michael Jordan)
Guilty pleasure binge-watch recommendations? Old hockey games, Curb Your Enthusiasm (still one of the funniest shows ever!!). Tiger King (NOT)
New skills and hobbies? Definitely cooking skills have gone up, dish washing, cleaning the fridge every week.
Name something you consider a mind-altering work of art: Composing music, novel writing.
What was the first LP/cassette/CD/eight track you ever bought with your own money? Probably a Canadian Brass album, and Screaming for Vengeance by Judas Priest. (both blew my mind.)
What three famous people, living or dead, would you want at your fantasy dinner party? J.S. Bach, Keith Richards, Rasputin, what a dinner that would be!
What will live performance look like after COVID-19? The classical world will be a very different reality in the next few years, I doubt there will be a choral concert season next year. People have already come up with some very creative ideas online, but you really can’t reproduce the concert experience live with choirs. Organizations are going to lose quite a bit of money, and some probably will have to go under. I think large organizations, symphonies, opera companies, ballets, will all have to come with ways to make money for their large payrolls, but will probably have to cut jobs to survive. And artists travelling will probably be off the table for the next year or two. This is all unknown territory for everybody, but I wish all in the arts world the best and hope that we can find ways to collaborate more in the future, that is is what we will need to do.
John surrounded by some of the things keeping him busy
John Wiens
Conductor, Artistic Director of Polycoro Chamber Choir, Director of Music at St. John’s Anglican Church, Elora, ON
Where are you and who are you spending isolation time with? With my family in Fergus, ON
What’s on your reading list? The Pathetick Musician by Haynes and Burgess, The Weapons of rhetoric by Tarling. Rhetoric is the backbone of all early music, and it is often responsible for many choices those composers make. One can *never* study it enough. And the Brahms Requiem – a hopeful preparation for a future performance.
Current binge-watching recommendations? I love TV, but I’m trying hard not to watch right now.
Guilty pleasure binge-watch recommendations? Monty Python’s flying circus. Faulty Towers. Life of Brian. Kids in the Hall. I think sketch comedy is much funnier than standup comedy, and I find myself gravitating back to those things.
New skills and hobbies? I’m playing the guitar much more often than I have in the past decade. Its fun to come back to.
Name something you consider a mind-altering work of art. Josquin’s Deo Gratias for 32 voices is as close the voice of god as we will get in this lifetime.
What was the first LP/cassette/CD/eight track you ever bought with your own money? It was a cassette. It was a compilation of pop music from the 80s. I can’t remember what it was called, but I can tell you what was on it. Rick Astley, Salt n Pepa, etc etc. I didn’t know anything about popular culture, and living in Morden didn’t give me many chances to get to know it, so this tape was a big deal.
What three famous people, living or dead, would you want at your fantasy dinner party? Carl Reiner, George Clooney, Stompin’ Tom Connors
What will live performance look like after COVID-19? It depends entirely on the public. Personally, I plan to go out to more concerts rather than fewer. This staying at home stuff is not for me.
Roland surrounded by some of the things keeping him busy while at home
Roland Deschambault
Executive Director
Where are you and who are you spending isolation time with? At home in Winnipeg, MB with my wife, Angela.
What’s on your reading list? Three Body Problem by Liu Cixin and Peter Heller’s The Dog Stars and follow-up The River.
Current binge-watching recommendations? Happy Valley, The Bridge (Bron/Broen), Sherlock
Guilty pleasure binge-watch recommendations? Survivor (all seasons)
New skills and hobbies? Leather crafting
Name something you consider a mind-altering work of art. Malcolm Gladwell’s podcast, Revisionist History
What was the first LP/cassette/CD/eight track you ever bought with your own money? Aha’s Hunting High and Low
What three famous people, living or dead, would you want at your fantasy dinner party? My all-Canadian dinner would include Sidney Crosby, Malcolm Gladwell, and Wayne Gretzky. I’d love to hear what Gladwell gets out of them outside of canned hockey talk.
What will live performance look like after COVID-19? Not a whole lot for quite some time but with some creative thinking we could be in for some incredible art.
Sandi surrounded by some of the things keeping her busy
Sandi Mielitz
Past President, Camerata Nova, lover of the arts
Where are you and who are you spending isolation time with? Home with my husband – a happy hermit living with a caged tigress…?
What’s on your reading list? A Gentleman from Moscow by Amor Towles, The Mirror and the Light by Hilary Mantel
Current binge-watching recommendations? Babylon Berlin, Peaky Blinders, Occupied
Guilty pleasure binge-watch recommendations? Met Opera Free Streaming – nothing like gorging on Wagner!!
New skills and hobbies? Zoom, theology course
Name something you consider a mind-altering work of art. Hagia Sophia Mosque in Istanbul, Britten’s Cello Suites, Velasquez’ royal portraits, Franz Cline and Mark Rothko paintings, Gould’s Goldberg Variations
What was the first LP/cassette/CD/eight track you ever bought with your own money? The Messiah – I was a nerdy kid…now I’m a nerdy old person…
What three famous people, living or dead, would you want at your fantasy dinner party? Jesus, Benjamin Britten and writer/philosopher Simone Weill – what the heck is belief and the human role in the universe?
What will live performance look like after COVID-19? On-line creativity will take off but, at the same time, there will be a powerful, renewed appreciation for the vulnerability, sensitivity and fragility of live performance!
Vic Pankratz is one of the directors of Camerata Nova and director of choirs at Westgate Mennonite Collegiate
Where are you and who are you spending isolation time with? I am at home and isolating with my wife Kathy.
What’s on your reading list? Peter Robinson’s Careless Love, the Laurie R. Holmes and Russell series, Patrick DeWitt’s Under Major Domo and Malcolm Gladwell’s Talking to Strangers. I love fiction and murder mystery books and I love Malcolm Gladwell.
Current binge-watching recommendations? Bosch, Schitt’s Creek, Homeland
Guilty pleasure binge-watch recommendations? I am embarrassed to say I just watched the entire season of Formula 1 Drive to Survive. The amount of money and resources that go into making this “sport” happen are so against what I believe in. So I thought I would watch one show and the speed and danger sucked me in. I still think this racing should not be allowed.
New skills and hobbies? I am having a blast learning to play the guitar. I was loaned a beautiful electric and it has been so much fun.
Name something you consider a mind-altering work of art: Malcolm Gladwell’s Revisionist History podcast series is brilliant. I also love the art of Manitoba artist Don McMaster
What was the first LP/cassette/CD/eight track you ever bought with your own money? Haha. I think it was something like Razamanaz by Nazareth. Around 1973.
What three famous people, living or dead, would you want at your fantasy dinner party? Mohandas K. Gandhi to talk about what nonviolent resistance would look like today, here in Canada. Malcolm Gladwell because he is awesome and part Mennonite. And finally I would invite the great American conductor Robert Shaw. After working with him on three different projects I always wanted to learn more about what made him so passionate.
What will live performance look like after COVID-19? This is a tough one. On-line performances just don’t have the power of a live performance. I have to believe that at some point we will get back to singing and making music for each other. There is nothing else like it.
Mel Braun Conductor and Music Committee member; Professor, University of Manitoba
Where are you and who are you spending isolation time with? With my wife Lynne, daughter Emma,
and dog Toby, seeing our other kids Micah and Maddie from time to time.
What’s on your reading list? An inveterate reader of mysteries, I’ve been reading all my favourites, particularly digging into a box of books that my librarian sister Connie, who lives in Calgary, sent my
way last week….what a lovely surprise that was. Craig Johnson, Michael Connelly, Jo Nesbo, Ian Rankin, Ake Larsson, and Patricia Connolly are some of the Mystery authors I’ve been gobbling up. I’ve also got Virginia Woolf, Kate Atkinson, and bio of Willie Nelson awaiting perusal. I make almost daily trips to the little library kiosk in our neighbourhood to either drop off a book or find a used one that someone has left.
Current binge-watching recommendations? I’ve been enjoying a bunch of the Netflix offerings from Iceland, Russia, Sweden, Norway, Turkey, Poland, and Israel. I particularly like the ones that have subtitles so that you can hear these actors at work in their own language. Currently I’m well into an Israeli/Arab series, Fauda. Another recent favourite was Unorthodox.
Guilty pleasure binge-watch recommendations? Anything thriller-ish or mystery-ish. Like reading mysteries, I love the puzzle-solving aspect of these shows. Also, how could I forget the recent reruns of the Toronto Raptors Championship run and that Jets/Nashville series from 2017. I SO miss hockey!!!
New skills and hobbies? Same old, same old….running, reading, doing puzzles, doing crosswords, cooking, composing, and practicing Schubert’s Die WInterreise.
Name something you consider a mind-altering work of art: B Minor Mass by Bach, any of the Mozart opera ensembles, Schubert’s songs, Gerald Finzi’s “Earth, Air, and Rain” song cycle, Beatles Revolver and Abbey Road, CSNY “Deja vu”, and Joni Mitchell’s “Blue”.
What was the first LP/cassette/CD/eight track you ever bought with your own money? It was a toss- up between Mozart’s Requiem and the Guess Who American Woman album.
What three famous people, living or dead, would you want at your fantasy dinner party?
Rembrandt, Bach, and Dickens is a start, but it could just as easily be Hildegard of Bingen, Mozart’s wife Constanze, and Dustin Byfuglien. I’d enjoy the varying points of view on art, politics, and life.
What will live performance look like after COVID-19? The big question indeed…no doubt there will be a ton more online content, especially as online platforms develop to help us figure out how to do real- time ensemble performances. I imagine there will also be a lot more video-ed performances streamed or broadcast on the Net. The thing about musicians, though, is that they need proximity to riff off of each other, and I for one am waiting to get back into the live rehearsal/performance paradigm…..it’s hard to exchange energy and vibrations electronically. It will take some time for audiences to loosen the social distancing protocols that we’ve so quickly gotten used to, so we’ll all have to be extremely creative about how we use our performance spaces….trust the arts community to figure this out, though…right now, the world needs us artists more than ever.
Anne Janes, Chair, Board of Directors, Camerata Nova; Treasury Board Analyst, Government of Manitoba
Where are you and who are you spending isolation time with? At home with my husband Chris.
What’s on your reading list? Harry Hole crime novels by Joe Nesbo – because they are great reads and take my mind away from everything else. That and whatever is on deck for my book club.
Current binge-watching recommendations? Valhalla Murders, Trapped, Bosch, Schitt’s Creek.
Guilty pleasure binge-watch recommendations? CSI SVU.
New skills and hobbies? Sewing a patchwork quilt, building a lasagna garden – for pleasure and food.
Name something you consider a mind-altering work of art: The Garden of Earthly Delights – Hieronymus Bosch or The Triumph of Death – Pieter Bruegel.
What was the first LP/cassette/CD/eight track you ever bought with your own money? Michael Jackson, Thriller – yep, I’m a child of the 80s.
What three famous people, living or dead, would you want at your fantasy dinner party? Craig Ferguson, Margaret Atwood and Vance Gilbert.
What will live performance look like after COVID-19? Smaller concerts, smaller venues or virtual ones. Something new needs to develop at least until a vaccine is developed and perhaps on a more permanent basis as this could be the new reality for a long time. Possibly more interactive online opportunities as well with some kind of new arrangement for reimbursement of the performers.
Camerata Nova is a registered not-for-profit charitable organization. Exploring, taking risks, and developing exciting new programming, takes time, energy, and money.
Or, click here to find out more about donating.
CAPTIVE concert rescheduled due to COVID-19 concerns
/in Camerata Nova Blog, News, Uncategorised /by Roland DescambaultAfter careful consideration, the Camerata Nova board of directors has made the decision to postpone the events of our May 9-10, 2020 concert, Captive.
We have rescheduled this concert to Sep 12-13, 2020, same time(s)/place, subject to COVID-19 restrictions at that time. All ticket purchased to date will be honoured in the fall.
Thank you for your support and understanding, stay safe, and we look forward to presenting this special concert for you.
Please feel free to contact us as info@cameratanova.com if you have any questions.
CAPTIVE
SATURDAY, MAY 9, 2020 AT 7:30 PM and SUNDAY, MAY 10, 2020 AT 3:00 PM
LE SAMEDI 9 MAI 2020 À 19 H 30 et LE DIMANCHE 10 MAI 2020 À 15 H
NEEGINAN CENTRE (181 Higgins Ave)
Captive is the third in our series of Truth and Reconciliation concerts, featuring new works on the theme of “captivity” by Indigenous composers/performers, including electro-acoustic specialist Eliot Britton, hip-hop artist Zoey Roy, cellist Cris Derksen, traditional drummer/singer Cory Campbell, our very own Andrew Balfour, and more. Under Andrew’s leadership, we’ve been pushing the envelope on contemporary Indigenous music for more than ten years, discovering and collaborating with incredibly talented Indigenous artists and helping to bridge Indigenous and settler communities. Andrew Balfour curator/composer, Mel Braun conductor.
Captive est le troisième de notre série de concerts sur la vérité et de la réconciliation, et comprendra de nouvelles œuvres sur le thème de la « captivité » par des compositeurs/interprètes autochtones, dont le spécialiste électroacoustique Eliot Britton, l’artiste hip-hop Zoey Roy, la violoncelliste Cris Derksen, batteur/chanteur traditionnel Cory Campbell et notre propre Andrew Balfour. Sous la direction d’Andrew, nous repoussons les limites de la musique autochtone contemporaine depuis plus de 10 ans, en découvrant des artistes autochtones incroyables et en collaborant avec eux, et en aidant à rapprocher la communauté autochtone et celle des colons. Andrew Balfour, concepteur/compositeur; Mel Braun, chef de chœur.
DONATE TODAY!
Camerata Nova is a registered not-for-profit charitable organization. Exploring, taking risks, and developing exciting new programming, takes time, energy, and money.
Or, click here to find out more about donating.
Camerata Nova has invited the top early music group, La Nef from Montreal, to collaborate on a program of fun and historic sea songs and shanties
/in Camerata Nova Blog, News, Uncategorised /by Roland DescambaultLA NEF AND SEÁN DAGHER, SEA SONGS & SHANTIES
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2020 AT 7:30 PM
LE JEUDI 13 FÉVRIER 2020 À 19 H 30
WEST END CULTURAL CENTRE
“When a song can quiet two dozen drunks, you can be confident that there is something there that’s worth listening to,” says music director Seán Dagher. Camerata Nova has invited the top early music group, La Nef from Montreal, to collaborate on a program of fun and historic sea songs and shanties. Ross Brownlee, conductor/singer; Seán Dagher, curator/conductor. Camerata Nova thanks concert supporters Drs. Bill Pope and Elizabeth Tippett-Pope.
« Quand une chanson peut faire taire deux douzaines d’ivrognes, on peut être sûr que ça vaut la peine d’être entendu », fait remarquer Seán Dagher, directeur musical. Camerata Nova a invité l’excellent groupe de musique ancienne, La Nef, de Montréal, pour présenter en collaboration un programme de chansons marines historiques et amusantes. Ross Brownlee, chef de chœur/chanteur; Seán Dagher, concepteur/chef d’orchestre. Un merci tout spécial aux commanditaires de notre concert: Drs. Bill Pope and Elizabeth Tippett-Pope
About La Nef
Founded in Montréal in 1991, La Nef creates, produces, and distributes concerts, multimedia and multidisciplinary shows, physical and digital albums, musical tales, and CD-books. Its activities are aimed at audiences of all ages. Its wide-ranging repertoire includes early music, the music of oral traditions, world music, and experimental and contemporary approaches to musical creation. According to the approach chosen, its performances integrate theater, movement and dance, visual arts, video, and now, with advances in technology, digital arts. All these elements contribute to the high artistic quality, stylistic diversity, and distinctive character that are the company’s unique signature. Over the course of years, La Nef has presented its shows in North and South America, Europe, and Asia. Often nominated or listed as a finalist for its concerts, shows, discs, and CD-books, La Nef counts Opus, ADISQ, and CFMA prizes among its many awards and distinctions.
Fondée à Montréal en 1991, La Nef crée, produit et diffuse des concerts, spectacles pluridisciplinaires, albums physiques et numériques, contes musicaux et livres-CD. Ses activités sont destinées à un public de tous âges. Son vaste répertoire s’étend des musiques anciennes et de tradition orale, aux approches actuelles de musique de création et de musique du monde. Selon les créations, son approche scénique intègre le théâtre, le mouvement et la danse, les arts visuels, la vidéo et les arts numériques. Tous ces éléments confèrent à ses productions une grande qualité artistique, une diversité de styles au caractère distinctif ainsi qu’une signature unique. Au cours des ans, La Nef a présenté ses productions en Amérique du Nord et du Sud, en Europe et en Asie. Mainte fois finaliste et mise en nomination pour ses concerts, spectacles, disques et livres-CD, La Nef a été honorée de nombreux prix et distinctions (Opus, ADISQ, CFMA).
La Nef, Sea Songs &Shanties – crédit Pierre Alexandre Saint Yves
The journey of La Nef’s Sea Songs & Shanties began in Montreal in 2012 when they worked with video game company, Ubisoft to create the memorable soundtrack to Assassin’s Creed III, followed by Black Flag in 2013 and Rogue in 2014. The success of these games and huge popularity of the soundtracks convinced La Nef the bring the group together to build the concert and have been touring the show intensively ever since.
COMING UP FOR CAMERATA NOVA!
CAPTIVE
SATURDAY, MAY 9, 2020 AT 7:30 PM and SUNDAY, MAY 10, 2020 AT 3:00 PM
LE SAMEDI 9 MAI 2020 À 19 H 30 et LE DIMANCHE 10 MAI 2020 À 15 H
NEEGINAN CENTRE (181 Higgins Ave)
Captive is the third in our series of Truth and Reconciliation concerts, featuring new works on the theme of “captivity” by Indigenous composers/performers, including electro-acoustic specialist Eliot Britton, hip-hop artist Zoey Roy, cellist Cris Derksen, traditional drummer/singer Cory Campbell, our very own Andrew Balfour, and more. Under Andrew’s leadership, we’ve been pushing the envelope on contemporary Indigenous music for more than ten years, discovering and collaborating with incredibly talented Indigenous artists and helping to bridge Indigenous and settler communities. Andrew Balfour curator/composer, Mel Braun conductor.
Captive est le troisième de notre série de concerts sur la vérité et de la réconciliation, et comprendra de nouvelles œuvres sur le thème de la « captivité » par des compositeurs/interprètes autochtones, dont le spécialiste électroacoustique Eliot Britton, l’artiste hip-hop Zoey Roy, la violoncelliste Cris Derksen, batteur/chanteur traditionnel Cory Campbell et notre propre Andrew Balfour. Sous la direction d’Andrew, nous repoussons les limites de la musique autochtone contemporaine depuis plus de 10 ans, en découvrant des artistes autochtones incroyables et en collaborant avec eux, et en aidant à rapprocher la communauté autochtone et celle des colons. Andrew Balfour, concepteur/compositeur; Mel Braun, chef de chœur.
DONATE TODAY!
Camerata Nova is a registered not-for-profit charitable organization. Exploring, taking risks, and developing exciting new programming, takes time, energy, and money.
Or, click here to find out more about donating.
Camerata Nova at Winnipeg New Music Festival
/in Camerata Nova Blog, News, Uncategorised /by Roland DescambaultOf All the Flowers at WNMF and Sea Songs & Shanties at the West End Cultural Centre
Canadian composer Terri Hron’s brand new electro-acoustic Of All the Flowers, forms the centerpiece of the program.
Camerata Nova has been invited to perform its own concert at the 2020 Winnipeg New Music Festival. Of All the Flowers is quintessential Camerata Nova, mixing early and new, chant, drone and electro-acoustic, featuring a new commission by Montreal’s Terri Hron and music by Gesualdo, Machaut, Kouyoumdjian, and more. Harry Stafylakis, curator; Mel Braun & Vic Pankratz, curator and conductor.
Camerata Nova a été invité à présenter son propre concert dans le cadre du Festival de musique nouvelle 2020 de Winnipeg. Of All the Flowers sera l’essence même de Camerata Nova, mélangeant musique ancienne et nouvelle, plain-chant, harmoniques et électroacoustique, avec une nouvelle œuvre de Terri Hron de Montréal et de la musique par Gesualdo, Machaut, Kouyoumdjian et autres. Harry Stafylakis, concepteur; Mel Braun & Vic Pankratz, concepteur et chef de chœur.
TUESDAY, JANUARY 28, 2020 AT 7:30 PM
LE MARDI 28 JANVIER 2020 À 19 H 30
CENTENNIAL CONCERT HALL
WORKS:
Carlo Gesualdo – Tristis est anima mea
Terri Hron – Bittersweet: Sacrifice / The World Trembles / And I Will
Mary Kouyoumdjian – Become Who I Am
Guillaume de Machaut – De toutes flours
Terri Hron – Of All the Flowers
Kristi Lane Sinclair – Woman
Cecilia Livingston – Kiss Goodnight
Otar Taktakishvili – Sach’idao
Alexi Matchavariani – Doluri
Ioseb Kechakmadze – Lasharis gzaze
ARTISTS:
Camerata Nova, choir
Mel Braun, conductor
Vic Pankratz, conductor
Terri Hron, recorder & electronics
Katelyn Clark, historical keyboards
WSO string quartet
COMING UP NEXT!
LA NEF AND SEÁN DAGHER, SEA SONGS & SHANTIES
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2020 AT 7:30 PM
LE JEUDI 13 FÉVRIER 2020 À 19 H 30
WEST END CULTURAL CENTRE
“When a song can quiet two dozen drunks, you can be confident that there is something there that’s worth listening to,” says music director Seán Dagher. Camerata Nova has invited the top early music group, La Nef from Montreal, to collaborate on a program of fun and historic sea songs and shanties. Ross Brownlee, conductor/singer; Seán Dagher, curator/conductor.
« Quand une chanson peut faire taire deux douzaines d’ivrognes, on peut être sûr que ça vaut la peine d’être entendu », fait remarquer Seán Dagher, directeur musical. Camerata Nova a invité l’excellent groupe de musique ancienne, La Nef, de Montréal, pour présenter en collaboration un programme de chansons marines historiques et amusantes. Ross Brownlee, chef de chœur/chanteur; Seán Dagher, concepteur/chef d’orchestre.
DONATE TODAY
Camerata Nova is a registered not-for-profit charitable organization. Exploring, taking risks, and developing exciting new programming, takes time, energy, and money.
Or, click here to find out more about donating.
Conductor John Wiens to lead Camerata Nova and stellar guest artists in ROSA [mys.ti.ka] this Dec 13-14, 2019
/in Camerata Nova Blog, News, Uncategorised /by Roland DescambaultJohn Wiens is joined by Guido Morini (continuo), Elinor Frey (viola da gamba), Madeleine Owen (theorbo), and Bruce Dickey (cornetto).
Guido Morini, Elinor Frey, Madeleine Owen, Bruce Dickey
Charismatic and forward-thinking curator/conductor, John Wiens opens our season with ROSA [mys.ti.ka], a concert of glorious Renaissance music by Gabrieli, Bovicelli, Mouton, Lassus, Praetorius, and contemporary Balfour. This concert features the extraordinary Bruce Dickey, one of a handful of musicians worldwide who have dedicated themselves to reviving the cornetto, an early wind instrument that dates from Medieval times. BBC Music Magazine noted “…Dickey’s cornetto playing would charm the skin off a snake.” Dickey is joined by Elinor Frey (viola da gamba), Guido Morini (continuo), and Madeleine Owen (theorbo).
ROSA [mys.ti.ka] will be performed on Friday, December 13 at 7:30 pm and again on Saturday, December 14 at 7:30 pm at Crescent Fort Rouge United Church (525 Wardlaw Avenue) in Winnipeg. There will be pre-concert talks at 6:45 pm on both days.
Tickets are available by CLICKING HERE, at McNally Robinson Booksellers, by phone (204.918.4547), or at the door.
Camerata Nova thanks concert supporters Drs. Bill Pope and Elizabeth Tippett-Pope.
Conductor, John Wiens
About Guido Morini
Guido was born in Milan in 1959. After studying organ, harpsichord and composition, he devoted himself to the art of basso continuo and of improvisation.
He has collaborated with many ensembles, recording nearly 80 discs, many of which have received awards and the highest acclaim from the international press and critics (Diapason d’Or, 10Repertoire, 5Goldberg, Choc de la Musique) with important labels: ECM, Opus 111, Arcana, Glossa, Astrèe, Alia Vox, Cypres, Naïve, Alpha.
In 1984 he founded, together with the tenor Marco Beasley, his ensemble ACCORDONE to porsue a new way to interpret the baroque repertoir and especially the 17th century italian music.
Guido Morini regularly plays for the most important festivals and concert halls and makes all the musical revisions and elaborations for Accordone. Eclectic musician, he also creates new music for his own ensemble thinking up concerts, performances, oratorios and liturgical music:
“Una Odissea” (2002) is an opera in one act for soloists, choir and orchestra on a libretto by Marco Beasley; “Vivifice Spiritus Vitae Vis” (2005), is a sacred oratorio for soloist, choir and organ on a latin text. In January 2009 his opera “Una Iliade”- that involves Accordone, the Netherland Blazers Ensemble and the Hilliard Ensemble – was performed as worldpremiere at Muziekgebouw ‘Aant of Amsterdam . In May 2009 another worldpremiere at Salzburg Festival: “Solve et Coagula” an opera devoted to Raimondo di Sangro Principe di San Severo, a philosoph, scientist, inventor and alchemist who lived in Napoli during 18th century.
In 2012 the new sacred creation “Passio” for tenor, choir and organ, was performed in Austria. Between 2012 and 2014 the french label Alpha presents Storie di Napoli, recording devoted to the neapolitan music from XVI century to nowadays; Cantate Deo, a cd devoted to italian sacred music for two voices in the early XVII century; Solve et Coagula. More, in 2014 he recorded for Brilliant the complete Quartets with “Cembalo concertato” by C.P.E. Bach
About Elinor Frey
Fascinated by the cello’s origins and the creative process of new music, Elinor Frey plays both period and modern instruments. Her recent release on the Belgian label Passacaille, Berlin Sonatas with Lorenzo Ghielmi on fortepiano, was nominated for a Juno award for Best Classical CD, Solo & Chamber Music and won the 2015 Québec Opus Prize for Early Music CD of the year. Her first Baroque CD, La voce del violoncello, was praised for its “careful scholarship and brilliant layering of moods and tempos” (Toronto Star) and for the “honest, reflective beauty of her music making” (Strings). Her performance of this program was the winner of the public prize at the 2013 Utrecht Early Music Festival Fringe. In May 2017, she released Fiorè, the world premiere recording of the sonatas of Angelo Maria Fiorè and various unknown Italian arias, performed alongside Lorenzo Ghielmi and Suzie LeBlanc.
Frey’s debut album, Dialoghi, is titled for the solo piece written for her by Steven Stucky, and her CD of new works for Baroque cello, titled Guided By Voices, will be released on the Analekta label in March 2019. These works are by Scott Godin, Linda Catlin Smith, Ken Ueno, Isaiah Ceccarelli, Maxime McKinley, and Lisa Streich. She also recently performed Lutoslawski’s cello concerto and a new concerto by Colin Labadie with the Laurier Symphony, as well as a concerto by Keiko Devaux with Ensemble Arkea and conductor Dina Gilbert.
Frey’s honours include a US-Italy Fulbright Fellowship where she studied baroque cello with Paolo Beschi, the SSHRC Canada Graduate Scholarship, American Musicological Society, and Canada Council for the Arts grants facilitating her work on Italian cello music. In recent seasons she has performed with Il Gardellino, Constantinople, Clavecin en concert, Ensemble Caprice, SMAM, Les Idées heureuses, Arion, Les Boréades, and Theatre of Early Music, as well as with her quartet, Pallade Musica, grand prize winners of the 2012 Early Music America Baroque Performance Competition and second prize winners in the 2014 International Van Wassenaer Competition in Utrecht. Currently a course instructor at McGill University, Frey holds degrees from Mannes, McGill, and Juilliard and is the Visiting Fellow in Music from 2019-2022 at Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford University.
About Madeleine Owen
Lutenist Madeleine Owen is the artistic director of the Montréal early music group, La Cigale. She performs regularly with groups such as Helios Early Opera (Boston), ¡Saccabuche! (Sackville), Scaramella (Toronto), Per Sonatori (Regina), Les plaisirs du clavecin (Gatineau) and the Central City Opera (Colorado). In 2014, she worked as assistant music director to Timothy Nelson in the COSI production of Monteverdi’s Poppea in Sulmona Italy. Madeleine is a professor at the Cégep Marie-Victorin. She recently received a grant from the QALC to pursue research of the parallels between the theorbo and the Baroque cello.
About Bruce Dickey
Bruce is one of a handful of musicians worldwide who have dedicated themselves to reviving the cornetto – once an instrument of great virtuosi, but which lamentably fell into disuse in the 19th century. The revival began in the 1950s, but it was largely Bruce Dickey, who, from the late 1970s, created a new renaissance of the instrument, allowing the agility and expressive power of the cornetto to be heard once again. His many students, over 40 years of teaching at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis, have helped to consolidate and elevate the status of this once forgotten instrument. For his achievements the Historic Brass Society awarded him in 2000 the prestigious Christopher Monk Award for “his monumental work in cornetto performance, historical performance practice and musicological scholarship.” In 2007 he was honored by British conductor and musicologist Andrew Parrott with a “Taverner Award” as one of 14 musicians whose “significant contributions to musical understanding have been motivated by neither commerce nor ego.”
About John Wiens
A dynamic conductor hailed for “awe-inspiring” (Winnipeg Free Press) performances, John Wiens has cemented his reputation as one of Canada’s finest chamber choir conductors.
John has appeared on stages across the world, pursuing an innovative path as a programmer known for an uncommonly wide repertoire. John’s inquisitiveness and love of investigation often results in the performance of new music, and music from before 1700. His conducting career has ranged from Belgium (University Chorus for L’Université Catholique de Louvain) to Morocco (Ensemble Voca Me) to Montreal (St. Matthias Anglican Church, Westmount) and Winnipeg (Polycoro, Camerata Nova).
Born into a musical family in small – town Manitoba, John aspired to be a musician from an early age. He studied violin at the age of four, and sang in choirs throughout his childhood. He holds degrees in Violin, Voice, and Conducting, from CMU, McGill, and the University of Sherbrooke respectively. He has studied privately with Paul van Nevel, (director of the Huelgas Ensemble), Christopher Jackson (SMAM), Andrew Megill (University of Illinois), Konstantin Krechler, and Donna Grescoe.
John is constantly expanding his knowledge of music ancient and modern. He has conducted the premiers of works by Andrew Balfour, Norbert Palej, T. Pat Carrabré, Neil Weisenthel, and Isaiah Ceccarelli, and regularly programs repertoire by many of Canada’s leading composers including Anna Sokolovic, Mychael Danna, Vivian Fung, Nicolas Gilbert, and Oleksa Lozowchuk.
When not performing, John is in more and more demand as a clinician, adjudicator, and juror, participating in these activities as often as his busy schedule will allow. He is honored to work with and support new talent. He loves spending his spare time with his wife and sons in the kitchen or outdoors, and he is an avid fencer.
DONATE TODAY
Camerata Nova is a registered not-for-profit charitable organization. Exploring, taking risks, and developing exciting new programming, takes time, energy, and money.
Or, click here to find out more about donating.
Joining us Dec 13-14 for ROSA [mys.ti.ka], Bruce Dickey is one of a handful of musicians worldwide who have dedicated themselves to reviving the cornetto
/in Camerata Nova Blog, News, Uncategorised /by Roland DescambaultOnce an instrument of great virtuosi, but which lamentably fell into disuse in the 19th century. The revival began in the 1950s, but it was largely Bruce Dickey, who, from the late 1970s, created a new renaissance of the instrument, allowing the agility and expressive power of the cornetto to be heard once again. His many students, over 40 years of teaching at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis, have helped to consolidate and elevate the status of this once forgotten instrument. For his achievements the Historic Brass Society awarded him in 2000 the prestigious Christopher Monk Award for “his monumental work in cornetto performance, historical performance practice and musicological scholarship.” In 2007 he was honored by British conductor and musicologist Andrew Parrott with a “Taverner Award” as one of 14 musicians whose “significant contributions to musical understanding have been motivated by neither commerce nor ego.” Read more
About ROSA [mys.ti.ka]
FRIDAY, DEC 13, 2019 AT 7:30 PM and SATURDAY, DEC 14, 2019 AT 7:30 PM
LE VENDREDI 13 DÉC 2019 À 19 H 30 et LE SAMEDI 14 DÉC 2019 À 19 H 30
CRESCENT FORT ROUGE UNITED CHURCH
Charismatic and forward-thinking curator/conductor, John Wiens opens our season with a concert of glorious Renaissance music by Gabrieli, Bovicelli, Mouton, Lassus, Praetorius, and contemporary Balfour. This concert features the extraordinary Bruce Dickey, one of a handful of musicians worldwide who have dedicated themselves to reviving the cornetto, about whom BBC Music Magazine stated, “…Dickey’s cornetto playing would charm the skin off a snake.” Bruce is joined by Elinor Frey (viola da gamba), Guido Morini (continuo), and Madeleine Owen (theorbo).
Le concepteur et chef de chœur charismatique et avant-gardiste, John Wiens, amorce notre saison avec un concert de musique glorieuse de la Renaissance par Gabrieli, Bovicelli, Mouton, Lassus et Praetorius et le compositeur contemporain Balfour. Le concert mettra en vedette l’extraordinaire Bruce Dickey, l’un des rares musiciens du monde à s’être consacré à faire redécouvrir le cornet. BBC Music Magazine a dit de lui : « … le cornet de Dickey charmerait un serpent au point de le faire sortir de sa peau. » Bruce sera accompagné d’Elinor Frey (viole da gambe), Guido Morini (continuo), et Madeleine Owen (théorbe).
DONATE TODAY
Camerata Nova is a registered not-for-profit charitable organization. Exploring, taking risks, and developing exciting new programming, takes time, energy, and money.
Or, click here to find out more about donating.
2019-2020 Season
/in Camerata Nova Blog, News, Uncategorised /by Roland DescambaultROSA [mys.ti.ka]
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2019 AT 7:30 PM and SATURDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2019 AT 7:30 PM
LE VENDREDI 13 DÉCEMBRE 2019 À 19 H 30 et LE SAMEDI 14 DÉCEMBRE 2019 À 19 H 30
CRESCENT FORT ROUGE UNITED CHURCH
Charismatic and forward-thinking curator/conductor, John Wiens opens our season with a concert of glorious Renaissance music by Gabrieli, Bovicelli, Mouton, Lassus, Praetorius, and contemporary Balfour. This concert features the extraordinary Bruce Dickey, one of a handful of musicians worldwide who have dedicated themselves to reviving the cornetto, about whom BBC Music Magazine stated, “…Dickey’s cornetto playing would charm the skin off a snake.” Bruce is joined by Elinor Frey, viola da gamba, Guido Morini, continuo, and Madeleine Owen, theorbo.
Le concepteur et chef de chœur charismatique et avant-gardiste, John Wiens, amorce notre saison avec un concert de musique glorieuse de la Renaissance par Gabrieli, Bovicelli, Mouton, Lassus et Praetorius et le compositeur contemporain Balfour. Le concert mettra en vedette l’extraordinaire Bruce Dickey, l’un des rares musiciens du monde à s’être consacré à faire redécouvrir le cornet. BBC Music Magazine a dit de lui : « … le cornet de Dickey charmerait un serpent au point de le faire sortir de sa peau. » Bruce sera accompagné d’Elinor Frey (viole da gambe), Guido Morini (continuo), et Madeleine Owen (théorbe).
La Nef and Seán Dagher, Sea Songs & Shanties
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2020 AT 7:30 PM
LE JEUDI 13 FÉVRIER 2020 À 19 H 30
WEST END CULTURAL CENTRE
“When a song can quiet two dozen drunks, you can be confident that there is something there that’s worth listening to,” says music director Seán Dagher. Camerata Nova has invited the top early music group, La Nef from Montreal, to collaborate on a program of fun and historic sea songs and shanties. Ross Brownlee, conductor/singer; Seán Dagher, curator/conductor
« Quand une chanson peut faire taire deux douzaines d’ivrognes, on peut être sûr que ça vaut la peine d’être entendu », fait remarquer Seán Dagher, directeur musical. Camerata Nova a invité l’excellent groupe de musique ancienne, La Nef, de Montréal, pour présenter en collaboration un programme de chansons marines historiques et amusantes. Ross Brownlee, chef de chœur/chanteur; Seán Dagher, concepteur/chef d’orchestre
Captive
SATURDAY, MAY 9, 2020 AT 7:30 PM and SUNDAY, MAY 10, 2020 AT 3:00 PM
LE SAMEDI 9 MAI 2020 À 19 H 30 et LE DIMANCHE 10 MAI 2020 À 15 H
NEEGINAN CENTRE
Captive is the third in our series of Truth and Reconciliation concerts, featuring new works on the theme of “captivity” by Indigenous composers/performers, including electro-acoustic specialist Eliot Britton, hip-hop artist Zoey Roy, cellist Cris Derksen, our very own Andrew Balfour, and more. Under Andrew’s leadership, we’ve been pushing the envelope on contemporary Indigenous music for more than ten years, discovering and collaborating with incredibly talented Indigenous artists and helping to bridge Indigenous and settler communities. Andrew Balfour curator/composer, Mel Braun conductor.
Captive est le troisième de notre série de concerts sur la vérité et de la réconciliation, et comprendra de nouvelles œuvres sur le thème de la « captivité » par des compositeurs/interprètes autochtones, dont le spécialiste électroacoustique Eliot Britton, l’artiste hip-hop Zoey Roy, la violoncelliste Cris Derksen et notre propre Andrew Balfour. Sous la direction d’Andrew, nous repoussons les limites de la musique autochtone contemporaine depuis plus de 10 ans, en découvrant des artistes autochtones incroyables et en collaborant avec eux, et en aidant à rapprocher la communauté autochtone et celle des colons. Andrew Balfour, concepteur/compositeur; Mel Braun, chef de chœur
2019-20 Special Performances
Santa Claus Parade Day Concert
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 2019 AT 2:30 PM
LE SAMEDI 16 NOVEMBRE 2019 À 14 H 30
MANITOBA HYDRO BUILDING
Get in the festive spirit before watching the Manitoba Hydro Santa Clause Parade! Our FREE performance features Christmas classics, Camerata Nova originals, as well as some sing-alongs! Vic Pankratz, curator/conductor.
Mettez-vous dans l’esprit des fêtes avant d’aller voir le défilé du Père Noël de Manitoba Hydro! Ce concert GRATUIT comprend des classiques de Noël, des pièces originales de Camerata Nova et l’occasion de chanter avec nous! Vic Pankratz.
Of All the Flowers
TUESDAY, JANUARY 28, 2020 AT 7:30 PM
LE MARDI 28 JANVIER 2020 À 19 H 30
CENTENNIAL CONCERT HALL
Camerata Nova has been invited to perform its own concert at the 2020 Winnipeg New Music Festival. Of All the Flowers is quintessential Camerata Nova, mixing early and new, chant, drone and electro-acoustic, featuring a new commission by Montreal’s Terri Hron and music by Gesualdo, Machaut, Kouyoumdjian, and more. Discounted rates are offered to Camerata Nova season ticket subscribers. Harry Stafylakis, curator; Mel Braun, curator and conductor.
Camerata Nova a été invité à présenter son propre concert dans le cadre du Festival de musique nouvelle 2020 de Winnipeg. Of All the Flowers sera l’essence même de Camerata Nova, mélangeant musique ancienne et nouvelle, plain-chant, harmoniques et électroacoustique, avec une nouvelle œuvre de Terri Hron de Montréal et de la musique par Gesualdo, Machaut, Kouyoumdjian et autres. Des tarifs réduits seront offerts aux abonnés de Camerata Nova. Harry Stafylakis, concepteur; Mel Braun, concepteur et chef de chœur.
DONATE TODAY
Camerata Nova is a registered not-for-profit charitable organization. Exploring, taking risks, and developing exciting new programming, takes time, energy, and money.
Or, click here to find out more about donating.
Composer Andrew Balfour Featured in the Globe and Mail
/in Camerata Nova Blog, News, Uncategorised /by Roland DescambaultChoral maestro Andrew Balfour pursues his Indigenous identity through music
There are things you expect to hear from a classical-music composer like Andrew Balfour: that he grew up singing in a church choir. That he began playing an instrument at an early age – in his case, trumpet. That while other kids were grinding out guitar licks, miming Bruce Springsteen or David Bowie (he grew up in the 1970s), Balfour was air-conducting Beethoven.
Then there are the parts of Balfour’s life story that make eyes widen,… READ MORE at The Globe and Mail
Composer Andrew Balfour, is the founder and artistic director of Camerata Nova.
AARON VINCENT ELKAIM/THE GLOBE AND MAIL
See all videos from Notinikew HERE
Camerata Nova is a registered not-for-profit charitable organization. Exploring, taking risks, and developing exciting new programming, takes time, energy, and money.
Or, click here to find out more about donating.
Historical Music and Sleuthing by John Wiens
/in Camerata Nova Blog, News, Uncategorised /by Roland DescambaultBeing involved in historical music, as I often am, requires no small amount of sleuthing. In the time that I find to read historical documents, the reports of others who have read them, and the problems that arise from the misinterpretation of those documents by sincere and well-meaning scholars (including myself), has led to confusion over the years. And so, when one finds a clue, one must be quick to doubt – to fact check – and to look further to find reviews by other renowned scholars which lend either weight to, or contest, a written argument. These reviews are most often found in journals and magazines and are a critical part of any historical musicians’ life – just as important as the reports themselves. For it is in these reports – and the expertise of those who write them, that we must invariably either put our trust or discount.
John Wiens is the curator/conductor for Death by Chocolate: The Life of Henry Purcell (May 4-5, 2019)
How does one do that? How does one choose who to read and who to ignore? How does one decide if a well-known conductor is fictionalizing to sell a few extra books or recordings? Well, luckily, there are many experts world-wide who one can turn to in a moment such as this. Often, they are editors of a collection of essays on a particular topic, and they are usually happy to set the record straight in the service of fine music. This summer in Ghent I was set straight a number of times on elements that I myself had been incorrect about, and I’m grateful for that.
Reading historical documents is not for the faint of heart. One must have a great passion for the music that cannot be satisfied by simply knowing the scores or listening to a recording and intuiting. For, it is a combination of the document, and the score, and the scenario surrounding the score and its composer that gives the clearest picture.
This preface from “Henry Purcell and the Restoration Theatre” by Robert Etheridge Moore sums up the hardest part of this task: “Specialists will inevitably find a great deal here that they already know, indeed whole pages that they will doubtless want to skim, but from the reports of colleagues in departments of music as well as from my own experience with even the most advanced students of English literature, it is quite clear that literary and musical studies seldom meet. A student of literature and a student of music are virtually never combined in the same individual. Outside their own field of study their ignorance can be described only as sizeable. (Unhappily this generalization, not lightly made, applies frequently to the podium no less than to the arena.”
So, as we turn to the music of Henry Purcell, with all this in mind, we are faced with some surprising situations – not the least of which is the wonderful fictions of his life – the fantastical stories that were generated either during his life or by those who were destined to write about it – for uncertain reasons. For instance, should we dare to turn to the internet in search of clues about the life and times of dear Henry, we find some wonderful fictions which we may or may not be able to substantiate. We chose the title for the concert – Death by Chocolate – from one of the rumors that is hardest to believe but makes for a snappy title. There were chocolate houses in London at that time and the thesis is that Purcell lost his life as a result of drinking some impure liquid chocolate. Rumors are tough to substantiate, especially rumors that are hundreds of years old, but if it is true, that’s a scrummy way to go.
The most common rumor of the time was that Purcell died because his wife locked him out in the cold because he returned home “heated with wine.” This rumor we can find an origin to – it was started by the family of the celebrated Bass John Gostling. John Gostling, as many of you may know, was the Anglican cleric whose Basso Profundo gained incredible notoriety thanks to the music of Henry Purcell. He was a bass with an extraordinary range of two and a half octaves. It is surmised that the Gostling’s began this rumor because they didn’t like Purcell’s wife, and blamed her for Purcell’s death. She likely didn’t deserve that blame, but the Gostlings were to lose standing at court after the death of Henry and needed to rationalize that somehow – despite the fact that the Purcell family lost so much more.
And just to try and put a little context around all of this, rumors at that time were part of the fun (and often the meanness) of life, depending on the rumor. The rumor often portrayed a general attitude of the public towards important figures of the day. For instance, Mary of Modena (the wife of King James II) was a firmly unpopular figure amongst the British. She gave birth to a son, and it was widely rumoured that he was a “changeling”, brought into the birth chamber in a warming pan, in order to perpetuate her husband’s Catholic Stuart dynasty. That’s a pretty mean thing to say and shows what lengths the powerful and the poor alike would go to if they wanted someone to become unpopular in the minds of the hoi polloi.
There is more, much more, that we can say about the life of Henry Purcell. If you join us at the concert there are still a few thoughts that haven’t been shared in this blog – thoughts that will both deepen some mysteries about his life, and perhaps bring a fitting conclusion to the rumors about his life. – John Wiens
May 4, 2019 at 7:30 pm and May 5, 2019 at 3:00 pm at Crescent Fort Rouge United Church (Pre-concert talks at 6:45 pm on Saturday and 2:15 pm on Sunday)
In this concert curated and conducted by John Wiens, Camerata Nova seeks to showcase choral works by Henry Purcell (1659-1695) and to explore the life of this composer, arguably the greatest of the English Baroque period. Join us to find out how cocoa can kill…
Death by Chocolate offers top quality performers and powerful repertoire – a rare musical treat. Four Winnipeg vocal soloists: Dayna Lamothe, soprano; Jane Fingler, soprano; James Magnus-Johnson, tenor; and Jereme Wall, bass will be joined by early music instrumentalists Claudine St-Arnauld, violin; Jeremy Buzasch, violin; Greg Hay, viola; Yuri Hooker, cello; Andrew Goodlett, bass; and Michael McKay, organ continuo.
Adding some flair, we will also be joined by exciting young Canadian countertenor, Daniel Cabena, who specializes in early and contemporary performance. The countertenor voice has a caché and curiosity that is sure to send many a heart afflutter. Repertoire will include: Rondeau from Abdelazar; O Sing unto the Lord; My Heart Is Inditing; Hear My Prayer, O Lord; Te Deum and Jubilate in D; plus Three Funeral Sentences.
TICKETS
Tickets are available online at cameratanova.com, at McNally Robinson Booksellers, by phone
(204.918.4547), or at the door.
ABOUT JOHN WIENS
A dynamic conductor hailed for “awe-inspiring” (Winnipeg Free Press) performances, John Wiens has cemented his reputation as one of Canada’s finest chamber choir conductors.
John has appeared on stages across the world, pursuing an innovative path as a programmer known for an uncommonly wide repertoire. John’s inquisitiveness and love of investigation often results in the performance of new music, and music from before 1700. His conducting career has ranged from Belgium (University Chorus for L’Université Catholique de Louvain) to Morocco (Ensemble Voca Me) to Montreal (St. Matthias Anglican Church, Westmount) and Winnipeg (Polycoro, Camerata Nova).
Born into a musical family in small – town Manitoba, John aspired to be a musician from an early age. He studied violin at the age of four, and sang in choirs throughout his childhood. He holds degrees in Violin, Voice, and Conducting, from CMU, McGill, and the University of Sherbrooke respectively. He has studied privately with Paul van Nevel, (director of the Huelgas Ensemble), Christopher Jackson (SMAM), Andrew Megill (University of Illinois), Konstantin Krechler, and Donna Grescoe.
John is constantly expanding his knowledge of music ancient and modern. He has conducted the premiers of works by Andrew Balfour, Norbert Palej, T. Pat Carrabré, Neil Weisenthel, and Isaiah Ceccarelli, and regularly programs repertoire by many of Canada’s leading composers including Anna Sokolovic, Mychael Danna, Vivian Fung, Nicolas Gilbert, and Oleksa Lozowchuk.
When not performing, John is in more and more demand as a clinician, adjudicator, and juror, participating in these activities as often as his busy schedule will allow. He is honored to work with and support new talent. He loves spending his spare time with his wife and sons in the kitchen or outdoors, and he is an avid fencer.
DONATE
Camerata Nova is a registered not-for-profit charitable organization. Exploring, taking risks, and developing exciting new programming, takes time, energy, and money.
Click here to find out more about donating.
Upcoming Concert – Death by Chocolate: The Life of Henry Purcell
/in Camerata Nova Blog, News, Uncategorised /by Roland DescambaultMay 4, 2019 at 7:30 pm and May 5, 2019 at 3:00 pm at Crescent Fort Rouge United Church (Pre-concert talks at 6:45 pm on Saturday and 2:45 pm on Sunday)
In this concert curated and conducted by John Wiens, Camerata Nova seeks to showcase choral works by Henry Purcell (1659-1695) and to explore the life of this composer, arguably the greatest of the English Baroque period. Join us to find out how cocoa can kill…
Death by Chocolate offers top quality performers and powerful repertoire – a rare musical treat. Four Winnipeg vocal soloists: Dayna Lamothe, soprano; Jane Fingler, soprano; James Magnus-Johnson, tenor; and Jereme Wall, bass will be joined by early music instrumentalists Claudine St-Arnauld, violin; Jeremy Buzasch, violin; Greg Hay, viola; Yuri Hooker, cello; Andrew Goodlett, bass; and Michael McKay, organ continuo.
Canadian countertenor Daniel Cabena is highly regarded in both Canada and Europe for prize-winning performances ranging from baroque to contemporary repertoire.
Adding some flair, we will also be joined by exciting young Canadian countertenor, Daniel Cabena, who specializes in early and contemporary performance. The countertenor voice has a caché and curiosity that is sure to send many a heart afflutter. Repertoire will include: Rondeau from Abdelazar; O Sing unto the Lord; My Heart Is Inditing; Hear My Prayer, O Lord; Te Deum and Jubilate in D; plus Three Funeral Sentences.
John Wiens is the artistic director and co-founder of Polycoro Chamber Choir, a co-curator of Camerata Nova, and begins a new post as Director of Music of the renowned professional chamber choir at St. John’s Anglican Church, Elora in May 2019.
A dynamic conductor hailed for “awe-inspiring” (Winnipeg Free Press) performances, John Wiens has cemented his reputation as one of Canada’s finest chamber choir conductors.
John has appeared on stages across the world, pursuing an innovative path as a programmer known for an uncommonly wide repertoire. John’s inquisitiveness and love of investigation often results in the performance of new music, and music from before 1700. His conducting career has ranged from Belgium (University Chorus for L’Université Catholique de Louvain) to Morocco (Ensemble Voca Me) to Montreal (St. Matthias Anglican Church, Westmount) and Winnipeg (Polycoro, Camerata Nova).
Born into a musical family in small – town Manitoba, John aspired to be a musician from an early age. He studied violin at the age of four, and sang in choirs throughout his childhood. He holds degrees in Violin, Voice, and Conducting, from CMU, McGill, and the University of Sherbrooke respectively. He has studied privately with Paul van Nevel, (director of the Huelgas Ensemble), Christopher Jackson (SMAM), Andrew Megill (University of Illinois), Konstantin Krechler, and Donna Grescoe.
John is constantly expanding his knowledge of music ancient and modern. He has conducted the premiers of works by Andrew Balfour, Norbert Palej, T. Pat Carrabré, Neil Weisenthel, and Isaiah Ceccarelli, and regularly programs repertoire by many of Canada’s leading composers including Anna Sokolovic, Mychael Danna, Vivian Fung, Nicolas Gilbert, and Oleksa Lozowchuk.
When not performing, John is in more and more demand as a clinician, adjudicator, and juror, participating in these activities as often as his busy schedule will allow. He is honored to work with and support new talent. He loves spending his spare time with his wife and sons in the kitchen or outdoors, and he is an avid fencer.
TICKETS
Tickets are available online at cameratanova.com, at McNally Robinson Booksellers, by phone
(204.918.4547), or at the door.
DONATE
Camerata Nova is a registered not-for-profit charitable organization. Exploring, taking risks, and developing exciting new programming, takes time, energy, and money.
Click here to find out more about donating.
CNova’s History of Collaboration – Thoughts on the Prairie Songbook by Mel Braun
/in Camerata Nova Blog, News, Uncategorised /by Roland DescambaultCamerata Nova has a long history of collaborations and the Prairie Songbook is no exception. Whether it’s early, contemporary, and Indigenous-infused music, we always welcome the opportunity to explore new ways of collaborating. The Prairie Songbook collaboration has several interesting angles.
We begin with our crackerjack band, comprised of cousins Micah Braun, Jason Pankratz and David Pankratz, who are collaborating as a unit with their dads, Mel Braun, and Vic Pankratz, for the first time. Veterans of local bands Quinzy, Begonia, The Nods, and Jicah, these terrific singers, players, and songwriters anchor this event with their stunning vocal and instrumental talents.
Crack band, comprised of cousins Micah Braun, Jason Pankratz and David Pankratz, collaborating with their dads, Mel Braun and Vic Pankratz, as well as the amazing CNova choir, for the first time
Singer-songwriter Raine Hamilton, fresh off the success of her new album “Night Sky”, brings her unique fiddle style and beautiful voice as our special guest artist. A former Medieval Musicologist, Raine has a fresh approach to song-writing. Her paean to Hildegard of Bingen has to be heard to be believed, a perfect opportunity for Camerata’s characteristic drones and overtones.
Prairie Songbook special guest, Raine Hamilton
A word on the arrangements you’ll hear tonight: The Manitoba choral scene is blessed with an abundance of fine composers and arrangers. Philip Lapatha, conductor of Ecco; and Prairie Voices conductor, Geung Kroeker Lee, have been thrilling their audiences with new arrangements of recent pop offerings. Philip brings us imaginative new perspectives on Joni Mitchell and Ruth Moody songs, while Geung Kroeker Lee contributes funky arrangements of hits by local bands Begonia and Royal Canoe. Steven Webb, an award-winning film score and choral composer brings us tasty arrangements of more Manitoba hits by Imaginary Cities and JP Hoe, while Dan Wiebe, veteran WSO pop arranger and longtime lead singer for House of Doc, brings us an unexpected take on Neil Young and KD Lang.
Mel Braun and his son, Micah
I had the pleasure of creating new versions of familiar songs by The Guess Who, BTO, and Corb Lund, as well as arranging two favourite songs from my son Micah’s catalogue. Each of the arrangements heard tonight is by a Manitoban and ten of them are brand new. Of course, none of this would be possible without the amazing singers that constitute Camerata Nova. Whatever the style, these flexible musicians bring it to life with joy and integrity. Thank-you singers, our Prairie Hymns have never sounded better! We’ve had a great time exploring all these delightful and varied arrangements from the Prairie Songbook. We can’t wait to share them with you. – Mel Braun
Mel Braun (forefront) and Vic Pankratz (left) lead the choir through a rehearsal for the Prairie Songbook
The Prairie Songbook will be performed twice on March 9 at 7:00 pm and 10:00 pm and again on March 10 at 3:00 pm at Park Theatre (698 Osborne) in Winnipeg.
Every few years, Camerata Nova likes to kick back to just have fun with friends and fans. For this special event, we will present great folk and pop standards as well as recent tunes by cool, local artists. From The Wailin’ Jennys to The Guess Who, from Joni Mitchell to Royal Canoe, from KD Lang to JP Hoe, we’ll celebrate our “wheatfield soul” in all its diversity. With the help of a 4-piece house band of talented musicians, Camerata Nova will turn the Park Theatre into your favourite coffee house. Come join us and blow away your winter blues!
TICKETS
Tickets are available online at cameratanova.com, at McNally Robinson Booksellers, by phone
(204.918.4547), or at the door. Purchase the last two concerts of Camerata Nova’s 2018-2019 season at the special price of $50 for adults, $40 for seniors and $20 for under 30s (or, for two, $90, $70 and $30). See cameratanova.com for details.
DONATE
Camerata Nova is a registered not-for-profit charitable organization. Exploring, taking risks, and developing exciting new programming, takes time, energy, and money.
Click here to find out more about donating.
Blow Away Your Winter Blues with the Prairie Songbook
/in Camerata Nova Blog, News, Uncategorised /by Roland DescambaultCamerata Nova and award-winning guest musician Raine Hamilton will be letting their hair down and opening a 20th century songbook to celebrate their modern prairie roots. Under the joint direction of Mel Braun and Vic Pankratz, the group’s second concert of the season will be a party to remember!
The Prairie Songbook will be performed twice on March 9 at 7:00 pm and 10:00 pm and again on March 10 at 3:00 pm at Park Theatre (698 Osborne) in Winnipeg.
Every few years, Camerata Nova likes to kick back to just have fun with friends and fans. For this special event, we will present great folk and pop standards as well as recent tunes by cool, local artists. From The Wailin’ Jennys to The Guess Who, from Joni Mitchell to Royal Canoe, from KD Lang to JP Hoe, we’ll celebrate our “wheatfield soul” in all its diversity. With the help of a 4-piece house band of talented musicians, Camerata Nova will turn the Park Theatre into your favourite coffee house. Come join us and blow away your winter blues!
TICKETS
Tickets are available online at cameratanova.com, at McNally Robinson Booksellers, by phone
(204.918.4547), or at the door. Purchase the last two concerts of Camerata Nova’s 2018-2019 season at the special price of $50 for adults, $40 for seniors and $20 for under 30s (or, for two, $90, $70 and $30). See cameratanova.com for details.
DONATE
Camerata Nova is a registered not-for-profit charitable organization. Exploring, taking risks, and developing exciting new programming, takes time, energy, and money.
Click here to find out more about donating.
Raine Hamilton Joins us for The Prairie Songbook
/in Camerata Nova Blog, News, Uncategorised /by Roland DescambaultCamerata Nova is excited to have 2018 Canadian Folk Music Award Winner for Emerging artist of the Year, Raine Hamilton, join us for our March 9+10 concert The Prairie Songbook. The concert takes place March 9, 2019 at 7:00 pm and 10:00 pm and March 10, 2019 at 3:00 pm at the Park Theatre. Tickets for individual concerts are available through our website, by phone (204-918-4547), or at the door.
Raine Hamilton – Resonant, acoustic chamber folk with an otherworldly edge, and a lyric presence that cuts deep. Prism-clear vocals and strings; A combination of vocal agility and power.
Raine Hamilton‘s new album, Night Sky, tips between the earthly and the otherworldly; it is anchored in relatable lived experience, while reaching into the space just beyond, thinning the veil between here and there, affording safe passage to the rough and beautiful places.
Raine’s ethereal voice and lyrics are at the forefront of these powerful and relatable tunes, written both in English and in French. Alongside cello + double bass, and with Raine on violin or guitar, these songs have a moving string quartet feel with a cosmic reach.
Raine is also a charming and funny storyteller, pairing her vulnerable tunes with engaging story intros. Raine believes that music is for everyone, and that we all have something to share. An experienced educator, Raine offers workshops in songwriting and fiddle tune writing (EN/FR). Raine also offers concerts with American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation, to help make live music and the community that comes with it accessible to the Deaf community.
Raine has toured Canada extensively, driving, flying, and floating her way coast to coast. Highlights include: Performing songs with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra (3 times!), playing a concert in a cave (10 stories below the earth!), playing festivals across Canada (Home County, Filberg Fest, Lilac Fest, The Works, Harvest Sun, Harvest Moon, Trout Forest), playing for her passage on Via Rail, and meeting so many amazing humans along the way. She reports a full and smiling heart <3.
Raine Hamilton’s new album, Night Sky, was released in March 2018
Check out and follow Raine on her socials: Website, YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and Spotify
The Prairie Songbook takes place March 9, 2019 at 7:00 pm and 10:00 pm and March 10, 2019 at 3:00 pm at the Park Theatre. Tickets for individual concerts are available through our website, by phone (204-918-4547), or at the door.
Every few years, we kick back to just have fun with friends and fans. For this special Park Theatre event, Camerata Nova will present a great selection of songs from prairie artists arranged by Manitoba composers/arrangers. From the Wailin’ Jennys to The Guess Who, from Joni Mitchel to Royal Canoe, from KD Lang to JP Hoe, we’ll celebrate our “wheatfield soul” in all its diversity.
Led by Mel Braun and Vic Pankratz and featuring a 4-piece house band of talented musicians, Camerata Nova will turn the Park Theatre into your favourite coffee house. Come join us and blow away your winter blues!
Video excerpts from Notinikew by Andrew Balfour
/in Camerata Nova Blog, News, Uncategorised /by Roland DescambaultThis past November 2018, Camerata Nova performed Fallen, the second concert in our Truth and Reconciliation series. Here’s what Camerata Nova’s Artistic Director, and Fallen composer, Andrew Balfour, had to say about it.
Artistic Director, and Fallen composer, Andrew Balfour
About three years ago, I became fascinated with the idea of marking the 100th anniversary of the end of World War I with a mini-opera on the founding of the 107th Timber Wolf Battalion in 1915. It’s an amazing story about 1000 men, half settler and half indigenous, who fought together in some of the most famous battles of the Great War.
At the same time as this was percolating, Camerata Nova decided to create a Truth and Reconciliation concert series, lasting over a number of years. Each concert has a theme that resonates with Canadian indigenous experience and, over the series, we are inviting a range of incredible indigenous artists to collaborate with us. Our first T&R concert was Taken, performed in Winnipeg and Ottawa in 2017, featuring Cree hip hop artist Lindsay Knight (Eekwol) and recent Polaris winner Jeremy Dutcher.
Fallen is our second. It has evolved in a fascinating way. On one hand, I have been delving into the other-world, terrifying experiences that Cree and Ojibway warriors in the Timber Wolves must have experienced in WWI, having no idea what it meant to enlist or why or how they came to be in the midst of the mud and gas in Europe.
On the other hand, as I read literature and poetry from ordinary individuals in Europe at the time, I was also deeply touched by the profound helplessness and sadness they felt as their sons, brothers – and themselves – fell victim to such prolonged, useless and outrageous slaughter.
Fallen is a deeply felt anti-war concert, not just focussed on “the war to end all wars” but on those before, those after and, tragically, on the wars yet to come.
There is no better way to open this concert than with a traditional Prayer Song from Ojibway friend and Song Keeper, Cory Campbell. He performs with a straightforward purity, humility and strength that grounds and guides me as I straddle settler and indigenous worlds. Thank you, Cory, for your openness, your help with language and the example you set for how I should approach my music and my life.
Notinikew: I wrote this work over the summer while I was in St. John’s Newfoundland, then Toronto, then Temagami in Northern Ontario and, finally, in the Herdsman House Artist Retreat in Neubergthal, south of Winnipeg. It’s been quite a journey – in all senses. My original idea was to write a partly fictional mini opera about the story of the Timber Wolves, but this morphed into a more abstract choral drama. Scored for adult choir, treble choir, baritone solo/performance artist, cello and traditional drummer-singer, Notinikew is an anti-war piece, an indigenous identity piece – a tragedy that speaks not just about World War I, but all wars and all indigenous soldiers.
Why did these Indigenous warriors leave our forests and plains to enter a totally foreign military world and end up fighting in the midst of a true hell on earth? It’s very difficult to find good source material. I’ve been studying old pictures and gleaning the odd article, but I’ve also used my imagination to express the experience/feelings of people I’ve never met with as much integrity and respect as I can. I think of the shock, disorientation and horror that would have marked these men for their entire lives. I think also of their re-entry to Canada. As skilled sappers and snipers, they were accepted and respected by their white counterparts. When they returned home, they went back to the degrading label of “Indian”, receiving none of the benefits or recognition of other Canadian soldiers. Plus, they were often ostracized by their own communities because they had taken the side of the government. As the Narrator says near the end of Notinikew: “Where is our place in your history? Where?”
Notinikew was difficult to write but also magical and important. It is an honour to try, in my own way, to tell the stories of our people. In addition to Cory, my guide and compass, I want to thank Cris Derksen who is so talented and creative – this collaboration has been so much fun, and I think it’s just the start… Also, I could not do these ambitious projects without Mel Braun. He “gets” me and what we are trying to do and has respect for all around him. He is not afraid of experimentation and undefined elements and magically, calmly pulls it all together.
Finally, Notinikew is dedicated to my partner, Sara Roque, and her Richardson family. You have opened your doors and opened up my life. You have given me a new, powerful understandings of what it means to be indigenous. Best of all, you have given me patience and love. – Andrew Balfour, October 27, 2018
Upcoming Concerts – The Prairie Songbook and Death by Chocolate: The Life and Death of Henry Purcell
/in Camerata Nova Blog, News, Uncategorised /by Roland DescambaultEvery few years, we kick back to just have fun with friends and fans. For this special Park Theatre event, Camerata Nova will present great folk and pop standards as well as recent tunes by cool, local artists. From the Wailin’ Jennys to The Guess Who, from Joni Mitchell to Royal Canoe, from KD Lang to JP Hoe, we’ll celebrate our “wheatfield soul” in all its diversity.
Led by Mel Braun and Vic Pankratz and featuring a 4-piece house band of talented musicians, Camerata Nova will turn the Park Theatre into your favourite coffee house. Come join us and blow away your winter blues!
In this concert curated and conducted by John Wiens, Camerata Nova seeks to showcase choral works by Henry Purcell (1659-1695) and to explore the life of this composer, arguably the greatest of the English Baroque period. Join us to find out how cocoa can kill…
Death by Chocolate offers top quality performers and powerful repertoire – a rare musical treat. Four Winnipeg vocal soloists: Dayna Lamothe, soprano, Jane Fingler, soprano, James Magnus-Johnson, tenor, and Jereme Wall, bass will be joined by early music instrumentalists Claudine St-Arnauld, violin, Jeremy Buzasch, violin, Greg Hay, viola, Yuri Hooker, cello, Andrew Goodlett, bass, and Michael McKay, organ continuo. To add a star attraction and flair to the concert, we are also bringing in the exciting young Canadian countertenor, Daniel Cabena, who specializes in early and contemporary performance. The countertenor voice has a caché and curiosity that is sure to send many a heart afflutter. Repertoire will include: Rondeau from Abdelazar; O Sing unto the Lord; My Heart Is Inditing; Hear My Prayer, O Lord; Te Deum and Jubilate in D; plus Three Funeral Sentences.
Tickets
Tickets for individual concerts are available through our website, by phone (204-918-4547), or at the door. Two-concert mini-packages are also available ($35, $30, $20, or for two, $65, $55, $35). Individual ticket prices available on our website.
Donate
Camerata Nova is a registered not-for-profit charitable organization. Exploring, taking risks, and developing exciting new programming, takes time, energy, and money.
Click here to find out more about donating.
Giving Tuesday
/in Camerata Nova Blog, News, Uncategorised /by Roland DescambaultGive the joy of music this giving season…
Tuesday, November 27, 2018, is Giving Tuesday, the international philanthropic movement that unites communities to bring about real change by encouraging people and charities to work together.
Click here to find out more about donating to Camerata Nova and other fantastic charities today.
Upcoming Concerts
/in Camerata Nova Blog, News, Uncategorised /by Roland DescambaultFollowing successful back-to-back performances of our concert Fallen, Camerata Nova has a quick turnaround with a free Santa Clause Parade Day Concert at the Manitoba Hydro Building (Nov 17), as well as A Concert in Benefit of Sistema Winnipeg (Nov 18). Read more below.
Santa Claus Parade Day Concert
Saturday, November 17, 2018 at 2:30 pm in the Atrium of the Manitoba Hydro Building – A light holiday concert led by conductor Vic Pankratz to get you in the spirit before watching the Winnipeg Santa Claus Parade. Enjoy cookies and hot chocolate at this free concert in the Atrium of the Manitoba Hydro Building. Our free performance features Christmas classics, Camerata Nova originals, as well as some sing-alongs.
The event is supported by Manitoba Hydro
A Concert in Benefit of Sistema Winnipeg
Sunday, November 18, 2018 at 2:00 pm, at St. John’s College, University of Winnipeg – This concert in benefit of Sistema Winnipeg will feature the Sistema students in their first public performance of the 2018 – 2019 season. Sistema Winnipeg is an intensive after-school program that uses orchestral music to serve children with the fewest resources and the greatest need. The concert will also feature the innovative choral music of Camerata Nova. The event is hosted by Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra Resident Conductor, Julian Pellicano and held at the St. John’s College Chapel, University of Manitoba, 92 Dysart Road on Sunday November 18 at 2:00 pm. Tickets are $40 for adult and $15 for students and children. Help us to help this innovative inner-city music program.
Reception and Silent Auction to follow the concert.
For more info and to purchase tickets, please visit Sistema Winnipeg.
Fallen: From a Singer’s Point of View – Dr. Liz Przybylski
/in Camerata Nova Blog, News, Uncategorised /by Roland DescambaultBefore the band started to play, the director came to the mic to prepare the audience for what we were about to hear. The players on stage were about to begin their version of an armed forces salute. The director invited those of us seated in the concert hall to stand if we or a family member served in the branch of the armed services when we heard the corresponding anthem. Dozens of college students picked up their instruments, and the band began to play. With my fellow audience members, I turned to see men and women stand around me in the hall, the audience applauding service members past and present and their families. This salute, the director explained, was a way for the band at my city’s local college to pay tribute to veterans. It’s something I’ve heard before here where I live in the U.S., but the timing resonated with me as I’d never experienced before: we had convened to raise money and support for local people experiencing homelessness.
Why a military salute at a concert for those in our community who are not stably housed? Veterans are represented in significant numbers among people who lack stable housing. In that concert hall, I felt the discomfort of the juxtaposition of the audience’s desire to honor veterans even as we have a way to go in terms of providing material and social supports to individuals who served in the armed forces.
At the First World War centenary, concerts and events are being staged to honor veterans throughout Canada, the U.S., and around the world. Yet, how many of these programs encourage us also to act and reflect in response to how veterans were and are treated upon their return home?
I felt that question strongly when I was in the audience at a concert hall. Group music making generates a reflective space in which these questions can resonate. It’s fitting then to listen for another concert space that offers an opportunity to work through answers.
This November, Camerata Nova will be performing Andrew Balfour’s new work “Notinikew.” In collaboration with conductor Mel Braun, pop ‘cellist Cris Derksen, Drummer/singer Cory Campbell, the Winnipeg Boys’ Choir, and an ensemble of vocalists, Balfour will share a musical story that sits between reverence and responsibility. While acknowledging the service of Indigenous veterans such as Sergeant Tommy Prince, “Notinikew” will let us ask ourselves, what might it mean for Indigenous young people to have signed up to fight for their country, and then returned home second-class citizens? This piece, while historical in nature, has us face contemporary questions: Where are we in our journey towards remembering Indigenous individuals among the canon of Canadian historical greats? What has – and has not—changed in the past hundred years in the relationships between First Nations and the Canadian state, and what work needs to be done?
I was honored to sing with Camerata Nova when Balfour first presented “Take the Indian” at the New Music Festival in 2015 and later at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights. This composition in many ways sparked the three-part series of concerts that serves as the ensemble’s response to the Calls to Action of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. I’ll be in the audience at the concert Fallen this November 3rd and 4th, ready to listen to Camerata Nova’s reflection on service, responsibility, and community. As in the concert I heard this past weekend, I’ll also be ready to ask myself, what can I do to move us together towards fulfilling our collective responsibility towards each other? I hope you’ll join me.
Dr. Liz Przybylski
An Assistant Professor of Ethnomusicology at the University of California, Riverside, hip hop scholar Dr. Liz Przybylski specializes in Indigenous popular music practices in Canada and the United States. A graduate of Bard College (BA) and Northwestern University (MA, PhD), Liz has presented her research nationally and internationally. Her recent publications have appeared in Ethnomusicology, Journal of Borderlands Studies, IASPM@Journal, and others. She teaches courses on Indigenous music, popular music, ethnographic methods, and gender studies. In addition to her university teaching, Liz has taught at the American Indian Center in Chicago, hosted the world music show “Continental Drift” on WNUR in Chicago, and has conducted interviews with musicians for programs including “At The Edge of Canada: Indigenous Research” on CJUM in Winnipeg. Liz serves as the Media Reviews Editor for the journal American Music.
Meet Some of the Amazing Singers Who Will be Joining us for our Fallen Concert
/in Camerata Nova Blog, News, Uncategorised /by Roland Descambaultfrom top left: Ben Sellick, Jane Fingler, John Anderson, Kathleen Murphy
Camerata Nova, and the Manitoba choir community as a whole, are so lucky to have access to some of the best talent in the country. Ben Sellick, Jane Fingler, John Anderson, and Kathleen Murphy are just four of the 14 amazing singers who’ll be joining us this weekend (Nov 3-4) for our concert Fallen, taking place at the Crescent Fort Rouge United Church.
Fallen performers include Artistic Director / Directeur artistique, Andrew Balfour; Sopranos: Jane Fingler, Sarah Sommer, Brittany Mielnichuk, Sydney Clarke; Altos: Donnalynn Grills, Angela Neufeld, Kathleen Murphy; Tenors: Scott Reimer, Andrew Thomson, Dave Sawatzky; Basses: Alan Schroeder, Ben Sellick, John Anderson, George Bajer-Koulack; Featured Artists: Cris Derkesen, Cory Campbell; as well as the Winnipeg Boys’ Choir.
Ben Sellick grew up playing music, traveling, and watching movies. He went to the University of Manitoba, where he studied piano and film. First with Elroy Friesen, and then under Michael Zaugg, Ben began singing and writing choral music, receiving his first major compositional premiere by Pro Coro Canada in their 2017-2018 season. Ben likes the colour orange, olive oil, wool socks, lakes, film music, El Greco, and podcasts.
Jane Fingler is a Winnipeg based Soprano who has has the pleasure of singing in Camerata Nova for the past seven seasons. She also sings in other Winnipeg based choral groups Polycoro and Canzona, performing music old and new, appearing as a soloist as well as an ensemble member. Jane teaches voice lessons, tries to write music sometimes and loves to sing and perform pop/folk music that have great harmonies! She loves being a part of the Camerata Family! <3
Born and raised in Winnipeg, John Anderson has been a lifelong lover of singing. With a passion for choir, theatre and composition, John has recently graduated from the University of Manitoba Desautels Faculty of Music and is excited to now begin making music and telling stories more widely in the Winnipeg community.
Kathleen Murphy is a mezzo-soprano & pianist from Winnipeg, Manitoba. She is currently completing her degree in undergraduate piano at the University of Manitoba with David Moroz, and pursues vocal studies with Mel Braun. She has performed in concerts, masterclasses, & festivals as a vocalist, pianist, and choir member. Kathleen also has a passion for music theory & history, and is planning to pursue a post baccalaureate degree in vocal performance.
TICKETS
*Tickets are available from our website, at McNally Robinson Booksellers, by phone (204-918-4947), or at the door. Two- or three-concert subscriptions ($35 to $125) for Camerata Nova’s 2018-2019 season are also available. See cameratanova.com for details.
DONATE
Camerata Nova is a registered not-for-profit charitable organization. Exploring, taking risks, and developing exciting new programming, takes time, energy, and money.
Click here to find out more about donating.
Fallen: A Truth and Reconciliation Concert
/in Camerata Nova Blog, News, Uncategorised /by Roland DescambaultCamerata Nova’s landmark concert series highlighting truth and reconciliation with the Indigenous peoples of Canada is returning this November with Fallen, the second of three concerts designed by artistic director and composer Andrew Balfour. As with many trilogies, you don’t need to have seen the first to appreciate the second.
Andrew Balfour leading a rehearsal with the Winnipeg Boys’ Choir
Fallen will be presented on Nov. 3 and 4. The first of the series, Taken, premiered on March 4 and 5, 2017 in Winnipeg before moving out east to be performed in the National Arts Centre’s Canada 150 Festival in June.
Taken – which featured Polaris Prize-winning artist Jeremy Dutcher, hip hop artist Eekwol from Muskoday First Nation in Saskatchewan, CBC reporter and throat singer Madeleine Allakariallak and cellist Leanne Zacharias with Camerata Nova’s chamber choir – received praise for being “innovative, inclusive and thoroughly engaging” (ARTSFILE). It dealt with the subject of Indigenous children being taken from their homes and the stripping of their culture by residential schools.
Fallen continues the conversation of truth and reconciliation with the Indigenous peoples of Canada by exploring the contributions of Indigenous soldiers in the First World War, featuring a choral drama entitled Notinikew (He who takes part in war), written by Balfour. This time around, Camerata Nova will be joined by Indigenous cellist Cris Derksen, traditional drummer and singer Cory Campbell and the Winnipeg Boys’ Choir. The concert, conducted by Mel Braun, will also feature Requiem, a piece by English composer Herbert Howells on the death of his young son.
Balfour’s inspiration for Notinikew was sparked by his love of history, particularly the European wars. “While Indigenous individuals of Canada have fought in every major conflict from the War of 1812 to Afghanistan, they were rewarded for their contributions to WWI by being denied benefits and forbidden to leave their reserves,” said Balfour.
The motivations as to why Indigenous people would fight for a country that eradicated their culture fascinated Balfour. “All war is insanity”, said Balfour. “I wanted to do an anti-war piece, but also question why Indigenous people would go and fight in that war, and what would drive them to sign up and travel overseas and fight in the bloodiest conflict ever at that time.”
“Maybe they went to fight to better their cause at home; maybe they thought if they fought for Canada that our country would reward them with giving them their ceremony or language back. Maybe they had a sense of honour. Maybe they wanted adventure.”
Balfour founded Camerata Nova in 1996 to explore early music – sparked by his love for Renaissance and medieval works – but it wasn’t until years later that he began composing his own music and exploring the power of Indigenous music.
Balfour was a victim of the Sixties Scoop, taken from his Cree family at a young age and placed in the home of an Anglican priest. While he says his home was loving and supportive, it disconnected him from his people, his culture and his music. Through writing pieces for Camerata Nova and researching Indigenous cultures, Balfour rediscovered a part of his identity and learned to embrace his people’s music.
“I didn’t know anything about my language or my heritage, so it’s a process,” said Balfour. “It’s a very important way of reclaiming a lost identity.”
For Sandi Mielitz, president of Camerata Nova’s board of directors, watching Balfour grow as an artist and embrace his identity has been a rewarding experience.
“I’ve seen a guy with a huge amount of musical talent who then took it and learned how to not only evolve his music into something more and more sophisticated and abstract, but also evolve his whole identity,” said Mielitz.
While the struggles and triumphs of the Indigenous peoples of Canada can be researched through spoken and written works, Balfour and Mielitz agree that music provides another layer of connection for audiences to understand their experiences.
“When a story is told in music, it touches you in a way that dry facts just simply don’t,” said Mielitz. “All of the arts have a way of touching you and emotionally engaging you in experiencing stories.”
“The legacy of storytelling is so important, and I feel that the power of music or word or dance or visual arts are really important for people to either heal or explore their own wounds and legacies through art,” Balfour agreed. “The idea of doing these call-to-action concerts has been very important for myself as an artist and our community.”
Camerata Nova’s rehearsals are well underway, and for Balfour, the journey from looking at notes on a computer screen to hearing them sung live by the full chamber choir is an exciting one.
“It takes a lot of work, but we have an amazing organization and we have people, mostly non-Indigenous, that realize the importance of this, and that’s the country that I want to live in,” said Balfour. “Where people are healing or helping the healing or listening, because that’s really the most important thing. Particularly politicians – they need to listen.”
Fallen takes place at 7:30 pm on Nov. 3 and at 3 pm on Nov. 4 at Crescent Fort Rouge United Church (corner of Nassau and Wardlaw), with pre-concert talks 45 minutes before both shows*. The third and final concert of the series, Captive – a piece on Indigenous peoples’ incarceration – will be presented in 2020.
-Graeme Houssin
TICKETS
*Tickets are available from our website, at McNally Robinson Booksellers, by phone (204-918-4947), or at the door. Two- or three-concert subscriptions ($35 to $125) for Camerata Nova’s 2018-2019 season are also available. See cameratanova.com for details.
DONATE
Camerata Nova is a registered not-for-profit charitable organization. Exploring, taking risks, and developing exciting new programming, takes time, energy, and money.
Click here to find out more about donating.
‘Fallen’ is the Second Concert in a Trilogy Dedicated to Truth and Reconciliation
/in Camerata Nova Blog, News, Uncategorised /by Roland DescambaultArtistic Director Andrew Balfour and the Camerata Nova team continue to innovate and celebrate choral music with ‘Fallen’ (Nov 3-4, 2018), the second concert in a trilogy dedicated to truth and reconciliation.
Composer, and Camerata Nova’s Artistic Director, Andrew Balfour, puts the finishing touches on Fallen (Nov 3-4) at the Herdsman’s House in Neubergthal, Manitoba.
Experience the poignant drama of a Manitoba Indigenous hunter/trapper who signs up to fight in World War I. Join conductor Mel Braun and composer/singer/Artistic Director Andrew Balfour with Indigenous cellist Cris Derksen, traditional drummer/singer Cory Campbell and the Winnipeg Boys’ Choir, among other guest artists. Beauty and drama that is 100 years young. This concert also features Herbert Howells’ Requiem, a masterwork on the death of his son.
Fallen is the second concert in a series dedicated to truth and reconciliation. In 2020, look for our third concert, Captive, expressing the power and sadness of Indigenous incarceration.
About Andrew Balfour
Of Cree descent, Andrew Balfour has written a body of more than 30 choral, instrumental and orchestral works, including the chamber opera Mishabooz’ Realm, Take the Indian, Empire Étrange: The Death of Louis Riel, Migiis: A Whiteshell Soundscape, Bawajigaywin, Gregorio’s Nightmare, Wa Wa Tey Wak (Northern Lights), Fantasia on a Poem by Rumi, Missa Brevis and Medieval Inuit. He has been commissioned by the Winnipeg, Regina and Toronto Symphony Orchestras, L’Atelier Lyrique de l’Opéra de Montréal, Ensemble Caprice of Montreal, Highlands Opera Workshop, Winnipeg Singers, Kingston Chamber Choir and Camerata Nova, among many others. His choral works have been published by Cypress Choral Music and CNova Publishing and have been performed and/or broadcast locally, nationally and internationally.
Andrew is also the founder and Artistic Director of the innovative, 14-member vocal group Camerata Nova, now in its 23nd year of offering a concert series in Winnipeg. With Camerata Nova, Andrew specializes in creating “concept concerts”, many with indigenous subject matter (Wa Wa Tey Wak (Northern Lights), Medieval Inuit, Chant!). These innovative offerings explore a theme through an eclectic array of music, including new works, arrangements and innovative inter-genre and interdisciplinary collaborations.
Andrew has become increasingly passionate about music education and outreach, particularly on northern reserves and inner city Winnipeg schools where he has worked on behalf of the National Arts Centre, Camerata Nova, the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra and various Winnipeg school divisions for the past eight years.
Andrew was Curator and Composer-in-Residence of the WSO’s Indigenous Festivals in 2009 and 2010 and in 2007 received the Mayor of Winnipeg’s Making a Mark Award, sponsored by the Winnipeg Arts Council to recognize the most promising midcareer artist in the City. In 2017, he was awarded a Gold Medal by the Senate of Canada for his contribution to Canada’s indigenous and music communities.
TICKETS
Tickets for individual concerts are available at McNally Robinson Booksellers, by phone (204-918-4547), through our website, or at the door. Subscriptions (three concerts) are $65 (adults), $55 (seniors) and $35 (under 30), with a subscriptions-for-two offering at $125, $105 and $65 respectively. This season, two-concert mini-packages are also available ($35, $30, $20, or for two, $65, $55, $35). Individual ticket prices available on our website.
DONATE
Camerata Nova is a registered not-for-profit charitable organization. Exploring, taking risks, and developing exciting new programming, takes time, energy, and money.
Click here to find out more about donating.
Celebrated Indigenous Cellist/composer, Cris Derksen, Joining us for “Fallen”
/in Camerata Nova Blog, News, Uncategorised /by Roland DescambaultCris Derksen is a celebrated Indigenous cellist/composer known for building layers of sound into captivating performances. Originally from Northern Alberta, Cris has a line of chiefs from North Tall Cree reserve on her father’s side and a line of strong Mennonite homesteaders on her mother’s side. Her music braids the traditional and contemporary in multiple dimensions, weaving her traditional classical training and her Aboriginal ancestry with new school electronics, creating genre-defying music. For Fallen, Cris will be joined by traditional drummer/singer Cory Campbell and the Winnipeg Boys’ Choir, among other guest artists. Read more…
Fallen is the second concert in a series dedicated to truth and reconciliation. In 2020, look for our third concert, Captive, expressing the power and sadness of Indigenous incarceration.
TICKETS
Tickets for individual concerts are available at McNally Robinson Booksellers, by phone (204-918-4547), through our website, or at the door. Subscriptions (three concerts) are $65 (adults), $55 (seniors) and $35 (under 30), with a subscriptions-for-two offering at $125, $105 and $65 respectively. This season, two-concert mini-packages are also available ($35, $30, $20, or for two, $65, $55, $35). Individual ticket prices available on our website.
Donate
Camerata Nova is a registered not-for-profit charitable organization. Exploring, taking risks, and developing exciting new programming, takes time, energy, and money.
Click here to find out more about donating.
2018-19 Season
/in Camerata Nova Blog, News, Uncategorised /by Roland DescambaultExperience the poignant drama of a Manitoba Indigenous hunter/trapper who signs up to fight in World War I. Join conductor Mel Braun and composer/singer/Artistic Director Andrew Balfour with Indigenous cellist Cris Derksen, traditional drummer/singer Cory Campbell and the Winnipeg Boys’ Choir, among other guest artists. Beauty and drama that is 100 years young. This concert also features Herbert Howells’ Requiem, a masterwork on the death of his son.
Fallen is the second concert in a series dedicated to truth and reconciliation. In 2020, look for our third concert, Captive, expressing the power and sadness of Indigenous incarceration.
Every few years, we kick back to just have fun with friends and fans. For this special Park Theatre event, Camerata Nova will present great folk and pop standards as well as recent tunes by cool, local artists. From the Wailin’ Jennys to The Guess Who, from Joni Mitchell to Royal Canoe, from KD Lang to JP Hoe, we’ll celebrate our “wheatfield soul” in all its diversity.
Led by Mel Braun and Vic Pankratz and featuring a 4-piece house band of talented musicians, Camerata Nova will turn the Park Theatre into your favourite coffee house. Come join us and blow away your winter blues!
In this concert curated and conducted by John Wiens, Camerata Nova seeks to showcase choral works by Henry Purcell (1659-1695) and to explore the life of this composer, arguably the greatest of the English Baroque period. Join us to find out how cocoa can kill…
Death by Chocolate offers top quality performers and powerful repertoire – a rare musical treat. Four Winnipeg vocal soloists: Dayna Lamothe, soprano, Jane Fingler, soprano, James Magnus-Johnson, tenor, and Jereme Wall, bass will be joined by early music instrumentalists Claudine St-Arnauld, violin, Jeremy Buzasch, violin, Greg Hay, viola, Yuri Hooker, cello, Andrew Goodlett, bass, and Michael McKay, organ continuo. To add a star attraction and flair to the concert, we are also bringing in the exciting young Canadian countertenor, Daniel Cabena, who specializes in early and contemporary performance. The countertenor voice has a caché and curiosity that is sure to send many a heart afflutter. Repertoire will include: Rondeau from Abdelazar; O Sing unto the Lord; My Heart Is Inditing; Hear My Prayer, O Lord; Te Deum and Jubilate in D; plus Three Funeral Sentences.
Tickets
Tickets for individual concerts are available through our website, by phone (204-918-4547), or at the door. Two-concert mini-packages are also available ($35, $30, $20, or for two, $65, $55, $35). Individual ticket prices available on our website.
Donate
Camerata Nova is a registered not-for-profit charitable organization. Exploring, taking risks, and developing exciting new programming, takes time, energy, and money.
Click here to find out more about donating.
Program Notes for Red River Song
/in Camerata Nova Blog, News /by Chris SimoniteThe following text will be published in the program for Red River Song, presented on April 28th and 29th:
Our concert begins with an Invocation to the Four Directions, combining the opening words of the Latin Requiem mass with Cree and English texts that describe the Four Directions, the Four Seasons. It is a reflective opening, respectfully combining the Indigenous/European influences that shaped Métis culture. Mel Braun wrote it for Winnipeg’s 2017 concert in the Mysterious Barricades project, where performances were held across the country for World Suicide Prevention Day. Much of the music of the Métis is bright and full of fun, but there is a much darker side to this history. Invocation gives us a calm space to contemplate this.
From solemnity, the concert moves to rhythm and history with the songs of Métis Bard Pierre Falcon, a.k.a. Pierriche or Pierre the Rhymer. Born in Somerset House (or Elbow Fort, near Swan River, Manitoba) in 1793 to a Cree mother and French Canadian fur trader from the North West Company, Falcon was also a fur trader and, later, a farmer near present-day St. François-Xavier. He was famous as the bard of the Métis, creating poems and tunes to tell of the great exploits of his people in their struggle to be an independent nation under Louis Riel. In 1816, at age 23, he wrote La Chanson de la Grenouillère or The Battle of Seven Oaks which, 200 years later, remains a standard of Métis music.
The Buffalo Hunt is the second Falcon song in this concert, describing an activity at the very heart of the Métis culture. From the buffalo hunt came pemmican, which the Métis fashioned from dried, pounded buffalo meat, berries and grease. Pemmican was big business for the Métis. A 19th-century version of today’s Power Bar, it was much in demand by the voyageurs as they paddled umpteen hours a day in search of furs.
This set of historical Métis songs also includes the beautiful La Métisse with words by Louis Riel to a tune by priest Georges Dugas, who worked in Manitoba from 1866 to 1888. The words express the pride of a young Métis woman at the time of the Métis Provisional Government in 1869-70 – “If ever I am loved, I will choose for my faithful lover one of the soldiers from the little army commanded by our proud adjutant.”
A word about the arranger, Manitoban Chester Duncan: pianist, composer, author, CBC critic/producer/broadcaster and Professor Emeritus of English at the University of Manitoba, Duncan wrote more than 150 art songs. In the 1990s, he was commissioned to arrange all the songs from the compilation Songs of Old Manitoba, published in 1960 by Margaret Arnett MacLeod. They were premièred at the Summer Festival of Music on the Red. Mel Braun is delighted to bring three of them back to life for Red River Song.
Fiddlin’ and Jiggin’ – Camerata Nova is very pleased to present 15-year-old champion Métis fiddler Alexandre Tétrault with piano accompanist Yvette Audette. A descendant of Louis Riel, Tétrault not only plays up a storm but also writes his own fiddle tunes, which have become popular on the fiddle circuit. He is playing one of his own compositions today, as well as a tune by Andy de Jarlis (b. Desjarlais, 1914-1975), the famous Métis fiddler from Woodridge, Manitoba. From a family of Métis fiddlers, Andy was a descendant of Pierre Falcon and is credited with more than 200 jigs, reels, polkas and waltzes, some of which have become standards in North America.
Alexandre will also play another well-known tune, Reel de Sainte-Anne, to accompany jiggers Julien Beaudette-Loiselle and Marcus Merasty. Julien, a Métis from St. Boniface, has been dancing with the Ensemble folklorique de la Rivière-Rouge for seven years. The Ensemble specializes in traditional and not-so-traditional French-Canadian jigs and dances. Hailing from Pelican Narrows, Saskatchewan, Marcus is of Cree descent. In addition to traditional Métis jigging, Marcus is pursuing a career in contemporary dance. He is currently in the Professional Program of The School of Contemporary Dancers. Marcus and Julien are also performing an “a cappella dance” which they created for this concert with choreographer Myriam Leclercq and which combines Métis and French Canadian steps.
About Run Freddy Run!, Eliot Britton writes that it is “the second instalment in a set of pieces that looks
at Manitoba’s heirloom bison culture. The text is constructed from bison-themed varia copied down during my post Ph.D. gap year in Winnipeg.
One can’t get far in Manitoba without encountering a bison-branded object, organization, business or activity. For example, I attended Nature Manitoba’s The Natural and Unnatural History of Bison in Manitoba lecture by Dr. Randy Mooi, Curator of Zoology at The Manitoba Museum – business as usual for a Tuesday evening in Manitoba. A group of nature enthusiasts and I crowded into Room 31 at Kelvin High School (I think I even paid full price as a non-member!). The lecture ran late. As expected, bison are awesome. As it turns out, bison are a handful and every so often the herd produces a particularly rebellious soul. Nothing has changed.
I heard about Freddy on the news. A “brazen bison” from Lorette, Manitoba who “just won’t stay home on the range.” I laughed out loud and immediately remembered Dr. Mooi’s 2016 lecturette on the last buffalo hunt and the truant, rebel bison. The juxtaposition of an obscure New York Times article from 1911 and the hilariously obscure 2018 Freddy story was too much to pass up. I then started to think about distant but related processes and uncommon intersections of historical and contemporary materials. That’s how I got to making a piece that integrates Renaissance polyphony with pop chord progressions, contemporary speech synthesis and sound design. I use “integrate” fairly loosely in this context. Sometimes it’s like hitting a brick wall, which is part of the fun of such a remote juxtaposition.
So, there you have it. Run Freddy Run! is a uniquely Manitoban mash-up that combines old and new, something borrowed and something… brown. And hopefully by the time you are reading this, I have secured an authentic Run Freddy Run! hoodie.”
Ode to the Red River Cart – Red River carts were the soundscape of the prairies. Wood-on-wood construction, no axle grease, well, you get the picture. More accurately, you hear the picture, with its endless moans, squeaks and squeals… We won’t speculate on why Mel Braun is inspired by moans, squeaks and squeals but he really went to town on this Ode to the Red River Cart!
The piece is constructed incorporating six Métis songs/reels, each found in Métis Songs: Visiting Was the Métis Way, compiled by ethnomusicologist Dr. Lynn Whidden, after years of searching out, recording and transcribing the music of Métis singers and fiddlers across the prairies. Published by the Saskatchewan Music Educators Association, the book in its entirety can be found as part of the Virtual Museum of Métis History and Culture created by the Gabriel Dumont Institute of Native Studies and Applied Research (www.metismuseum.ca). Dr. Whidden has created a wonderful gift to current and future generations of people interested in Métis music. As part of this Red River Song concert project, the score of Ode to the Red River Cart and individual choral scores of these Métis tunes arranged by Mel Braun will be made available for schools and community choirs via CNova Publishing on our website (www.cameratanova.com).
Before, after and even during these Métis tunes, Mel has written a colourful, detailed recitative about the Red River cart and its role and importance in Métis culture. The story is not just about the romance. It ends with the coming of the railway and the disappearance of not only the cart, but the Métis way of life. This “magnum opus” is fun, sad, wild and instructive! Be prepared to join in to the chorus at the end… Can you sound like a Red River cart??
Party d’cuisine! (Kitchen Party) – Just as would have happened in the kitchen of a Métis homestead, redolent with smoke, whiskey, warmth, fiddles, tapping spoons, toes and heels, Red River Song ends with a crazy “mash-up” of fiddles and dancers, plus singers doing “turlutte” or French Canadian scat. Bring out your spoons and get ready to join in!
The party starts quietly – as most parties do – with a cappella singing of À la claire fontaine. You will recognize the words, but perhaps not the tune – this beautiful melody was created by the Quebec group Barde, then arranged by the Saskatchewan group Folle Avoine. The party then picks up the pace with La Belle Catherine by Louis “Pitou” Boudreault (1905-1988), fiddler and storyteller from Chicoutimi, Québec. The next song, La disputeuse, is a famous Acadian reel also known under many other names, including Growling Old Man and Cackling Old Woman, The Disputant, and Growling and Grumbling! It will be followed by Fisher’s Hornpipe, another tune of many names and one of the most popular, widespread and frequently published fiddle tunes in the world.
Next up is Red River Jig or “oayache mannin,” as it is known in Michif. This is the unofficial Métis anthem, which was very popular in the mid 1800s when it was known from Alaska to James Bay. The dance is a combination of Plains First Nations footwork with Scottish, Irish and French-Canadian dance forms. The basic jig step is danced in most Métis communities, however, dancers often add their own “fancy” steps in parts of the tune. Even more specific, some dancers add certain variations which identify their home community. The origin of the Jig is unknown. One theory is that the Scots were on one side of the river (Red, Assiniboine or Seine – take your pick…) playing the bagpipes one night while some French Canadians and Métis were kicking back on their homestead porch on the other. A Métis fiddler decided to imitate the bagpipes. He started with a slow, sad, whining tune and then stepped it up with a fast, rollicking beat – everyone wanted to dance and the Red River Jig was born…
It is fitting to end the party with Whiskey Before Breakfast, another melodious composition by Andy de Jarlis, the famous Métis fiddler.
From Pierre Falcon to his descendent Andy de Jarlis, our concert comes full circle. Louis Riel said that the Métis people would sleep for a hundred years before their artists and visionaries led them back to nationhood. How right he was. The current resurgence of Métis culture and nationhood is a joy to behold. Long live the Métis Nation, long live the Red River cart!
Camerata Nova would like to thank Mel Braun for his wonderful curation, compositions, arrangements and conducting – but, most of all, for his passion for the story of the Métis and the history of Manitoba. We would also like to thank Myriam Leclercq, dance choreographer, and Karine Beaudette, Camerata Nova singer and long-time volunteer, for bringing together the fiddlers, dancers and choreographer to create the fiddling sequences.
Acknowledgements are also due to Dr. Lynn Whidden for providing authentic versions of Métis music and historian Fred J. Shore of the Native Studies Department at the University of Manitoba for his book, Threads in the Sash: The Story of the Métis from which we have liberally borrowed facts and stories.
Red River Song
/in Camerata Nova Blog, News /by Chris SimoniteRed River Song brings some of the many songs and stories connected to the 19 th C. rise of the Metis nation. From the first decade of the 19 th C to through to the 1870’s, they developed a culture perfectly suited to the prairies, one that incorporated influences from all sides of Indigenous, French Canadian, and English Settlers culture. The Red River Cart provided the means for their entrepreneurial endeavours, carrying trade goods south to St. Paul, Minnesota or west to Fort Edmonton. It was also instrumental in the Buffalo Hunt, the very heart of the Metis culture. From the Buffalo Hunt came the pemmican, which the Metis fashioned from dried powdered buffalo meat, berries, and grease. A 19th C. version of today’s Power Bar, pemmican was much in demand by the voyageur as they paddled umpteen hours a day in search of furs. Pemmican was big business for the Metis. A proud people, the Metis cut a colourful swath in prairie society with their distinctive jackets, chapeaux and sashes, with their
songs and dances, with their Blue and white flag featuring the infinity symbol.
Our concert begins with an Invocation to the Four Directions, combining the opening words of the Requiem Service with Cree and English text that describes the Four Directions, the Four Seasons. From there we move to the songs of Metis Bard Pierre Falcon, who recorded the great exploits of the Metis in their struggle to be an Independant Nation under Louis Riel’s leadership. Fiddling and dancing features throughout the concert, with two fiddlers, acclaimed young Manitoba fiddler Alexandre Tetrault and WSO regular Claudine St. Arnauld joined by two dancers. They provide the heart of the Metis musical experience. A new commission by Manitoban Eliot Britton, for choir, fiddle, and electronics, traces the true adventures of Freddy, a rogue bison on the loose in the Lorette area of the province. And an Ode to the Red River Cart combines arrangements of Metis folk-songs with the story of the Red River Cart. Everything closes with a kitchen party that combines fiddle tunes and dancing with “turlutte” a Metis form of scatting undertaken by the choir. Be prepared to play your spoons during the kitchen party and to make the sounds of the Red River Cart during the performance of the Ode.
This celebration of Metis culture must also acknowledge the long dark period that came for the Metis in the 1870’s once Prime Minister John A. MacDonald and his railway took over their prairie and dis-abused them of their lands, their culture, and the need for the Red River Cart. Louis Riel himself said that the Metis people would sleep for a hundred years before their artists and visionaries led them back to nationhood. How right he was. The current resurgence of Metis culture and nationhood is a joy to behold and we celebrate with you. Long live the Metis Nation, long live the Red River Cart!
– Mel Braun
Run, Freddy, Run!
/in Camerata Nova Blog, News /by Chris SimoniteRun, Freddy, Run! is second installment in a set of pieces that looks at Manitoba’s heirloom bison culture. The text is constructed form bison themed varia copied down during my post PhD gap year in Winnipeg. One can’t get far in MB without encountering a bison branded object, organization, business or activity. For example, I attended Nature Manitoba’s The Natural And Unnatural History Of Bison In Mb lecture by Dr. Dr. Randy Mooi, Curator of Zoology at The Manitoba Museum. Business as usual for a Tuesday evening in Manitoba.
Freddy the Bison
Myself and a group of nature enthusiasts crowded into room 31 at Kelvin High School (I think I even paid full price as a non member!). The lecture ran late. As expected, bison are awesome. As it turns out, bison are a handful and every so often the herd produces a particularly rebellious soul. Nothing has changed.
I heard about Freddy on the news. A “brazen bison” from Lorette Manitoba who “just won’t stay home on the range”. I laughed out loud and immediately remembered Dr. Mooi’s 2016 lecturette on the last buffalo hunt and the truant, rebel bison. The juxtaposition of an obscure New York Times article from 1911 and the hilariously obscure 2018 Freddy story was too much to pass up. I then started to think about distant but related processes and uncommon intersections of historical and contemporary materials. That’s how I got to making a piece that integrates renaissance polyphony with pop chord progressions contemporary speech synthesis and sound design. I use “integrate” fairly loosely in this context. Sometimes it’s like hitting a brick wall, which is part of the fun of such a remote juxtaposition.
So there you have it. Run Freddy Run! Is a uniquely Manitoban mashup that combines old and new, something borrowed and something… brown. And hopefully by the time you are reading this I have secured an authentic Run Freddy Run hoodi
Run Freddy Run! Text:
Brazen bison won’t stay home on the range
Run! Home! Range! Run!
He looks like a bison. I don’t want to be insensitive but they all look the same… you know?
The last big buffalo hunt in the history of the world
Sold to the Canadian government, five hundred head
Freddy’s out. He is just outside his yard on river road
I think people need to remember that Freddy is not a pet and is large and somewhat dangerous.
Avant tout, les gens doivent se rappeler que Freddy n’est pas un animal domestique; c’est un animal imposant
C’est une rebelle depuis le début, that bull.
Manitoba
Run! Run! Run!
Brazen bison, won’t stay home on the range in Lorette
Manitoba Outlaw
The last big buffalo hunt
The official taxidermist of the Manitoba Government
Just outside my office there is a big, hairy outlaw that can stare anybody down
Run!
Camerata Nova is Hiring
/in News /by Chris SimoniteCamerata Nova is hiring a new Executive Director to start in June 2018. For information or to apply, click here.
Première of Mishaabooz’ Realm
/in News /by Chris SimoniteAt the end of the summer, our Artistic Director Andrew Balfour led the creation of an original Indigenous-based dramatic opera entitled Mishaabooz’s Realm. The première will be performed on December 15 and 16 in Montréal and on December 21 and 22 in Haliburton. This exciting new opera was jointly commissioned and produced by the Highlands Opera Studio and the Atelier lyrique de l’Opéra de Montréal. Andrew spent the month of August as Composer-in-Residence where he worked with the performers and the creative team. It incorporates classical styles, unique choral and vocal perspectives, as well as Indigenous musical and oral traditions. The libretto is in a First Nations language, as well as French and English. It explores contemporary issues concerning Canada’s relationship with First Peoples and the land of Turtle Island. Click here for further information.
Balfour Receives Senate Award
/in News /by Chris SimoniteCamerata Nova artistic director Andrew Balfour was awarded the a Senate 150th Anniversary Medal from Senator Pat Bovey during a ceremony in November in Ottawa. The medal is awarded to “Canadians whose generosity, dedication, volunteerism and hard work make their communities a better place to live.” Congratulations, Andrew!
Andrew Balfour receives award from Senator Pat Bovey.
Balfour to Compose Indigenous Opera
/in News /by Chris SimoniteCamerata Nova is excited to announce that Artistic Director Andrew Balfour will be part of the creation of a completely new and original Indigenous based Dramatic Opera; Mishaabooz’s Realm, jointly commissioned and produced by the Highlands Opera Studio/Theatre and L’Atelier Lyrique de L’Opéra de Montréal.
This exciting new work promises to be multi-media and multi-directional, incorporating classical styles, unique choral and vocal perspectives, Indigenous musical and oral traditions. The libretto will be created in First Nations dialect, French and English, exploring contemporary issues concerning Canada’s relationship with our First People and the land of Turtle Island, past, present and future.
Regarding this new creative opportunity, Andrew commented, “In the spirit of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s call to action, I am honoured to take part in this wonderful collaborative approach in creating this important cultural and exciting new work.”
Andrew will be traveling to Highlands Opera Studio/Theatre in Haliburton, Ontario this August where he will be Composer-in-Residence. He will work with performers as well as their creative team on the new creation.
There will be a presentation of the First Public Workshop Performance of Mishaabooz’s Realm (La Domaine de Michabous) in Haliburton at the NLPAP on August 19th, at 8 pm.
Camerata Nova excites with Taken
/in News /by Chris SimoniteTwo small ensemble classical concerts at Canada Scene this weekend presented a striking contrast between the experimental and the traditional. One was innovative, inclusive and thoroughly engaging, despite some flaws in the execution. The other was technically impeccable, but stuffy and unoriginal.
On Saturday afternoon, the Winnipeg chamber choir Camerata Nova brought its Taken project to the University of Ottawa’s Tabaret Hall. The show, which premiered in Winnipeg earlier this year, explores the issue of First People’s dispossession through collaborations with Indigenous composers and performers from across Canada.
Jeremy Dutcher, a young musician from the Maliseet Nation in New Brunswick, performed an impassioned, solo Honour Song, accompanying himself on drum and piano, before joining Camerata Nova and cellist Leanne Zacharias for his Maceptasu (It is taken away).
The work — Dutcher’s compositional debut — was inspired by heartbreaking stories of young Indigenous children taken from their families and sent to suffer in the residential school system. Although it exhibits some typical novice weaknesses — it’s somewhat fragmented, and relies on repetition rather than development — this is a powerful, appealing first effort from Dutcher. What it lacks in structural complexity, it makes up for in raw honesty, emotional impact, and a sense of melodic flow that can’t be taught.
Lindsay Knight, aka Eekwol, is a hip-hop artist from Muskoday First Nation in Saskatchewan. While her flow is cool and mellow, her raps are tough, thought-provoking and fearlessly political: “I wish I had a gun, seek revenge for my little ones, or maybe turn it on myself, end the pain, but then I’d just lose again.” As Zacharias improvised cello lines, Camerata Nova supplied the backing track, including some pretty slick beatboxing and overtone singing. But not everyone in the choir seemed comfortable in the genre; I felt the sopranos especially weren’t in the pocket.
Andrew Balfour’s Qaumaniq (Bright Aura) is an accomplished, multi-movement cantata by a serious — and seriously creative — composer. Balfour, Camerata Nova’s artistic director, is of Cree descent but was adopted as a child by an Anglican priest. Not surprisingly, many of his works deal with identity lost and found, and with the consequences of exchanges between cultures.
In Qaumaniq, Balfour imagines the first encounter between explorer Martin Frobisher and the inhabitants of Baffin Island, and the kidnapping of a woman to take back to England. The work deftly incorporates Inuit musical idioms, English sailor songs, pounding, Coplandesque percussion, snippets of Tudor polyphony by Tallis and Byrd, and Balfour’s own sophisticated choral writing: dissonances that grind like sea ice, mixed in with creepy, sibilant whispering and sounds of nature.
The star of this piece is the wonderfully charismatic performer and journalist Madeleine Allakariallak; her throat singing duet with Michael Thompson on electric didgeridoo was captivating and wholly new. Fred Ford’s sensitive, uncontrived narration added poetic depth.
After Louis Riel, it was refreshing and inspiring to sit through a concert where living Indigenous artists told their own stories and experiences. In comparison, The Circle of Creation, Tafelmusik’s Bach multimedia show at Southam Hall Sunday night, was a throwback to music as museum set piece.
The concept seems promising: present the artisans, craftspeople and tradespeople who made Bach’s output in Leipzig possible: from the makers of string and wind instruments, to the experts who made his paper and ink, to the cloth merchants who supplied the taxe revenue that paid his salary.
Unfortunately, the whole thing felt like one of those old-fashioned “monuments of Western Civilization” continuing ed courses: the almost comically high-toned narration, obsessed with the dullest minutiae; the static, literal video and photography projections (the selection for Sheep may safely graze was, surprise, pastoral images of sheep grazing); and a frustrating greatest hits, WQXR approach to the music, all single movements and excerpts instead of complete works.
Toronto’s beloved Baroque orchestra plays so beautifully, with such grace and buoyancy, with so much collegial virtuosity, it either requires nothing, or else it demands supporting creative elements that are every bit as thrilling and fresh.
Still, the evening wasn’t entirely without excitement. About 10 minutes into the first half, a man started loudly heckling from the audience, complaining in French that the narration was only in English. After his third eruption, other Francophones in the audience started yelling at him to be quiet. It was easily the most dramatic outburst I’ve seen at a concert in years. How typical of Ottawa that it was over language politics, not artistic merit.
– Natasha Gauthier, artsfile.ca
Taken at Canada Scene in Ottawa
/in News /by Chris SimoniteWinnipeg’s internationally acclaimed Camerata Nova choir continues to evolve in its own imaginative, risk-taking and quirky way, with early, contemporary and Indigenous-infused music remaining its pillars. The choir enjoys straying from the path too, though, and uses theatrical and visual design to engage its audience in profound and surprising ways.
For these and many other reasons, Camerata Nova has been chosen to participate in the huge Canada Scene festival organized by the National Arts Centre (NAC) as part of the Canada 150 celebrations. The NAC has asked Camerata Nova to do a repeat performance of its March 2017 show Taken on June 17 in Ottawa.
If you are in Ottawa or have friends and family interested in seeing the show, please see additional details on time, location and ticket purchases on the NAC website. To see a video excerpt from the Manitoba performance, visit our website.
2017-2018 Season
/in News /by Chris SimoniteYou won’t want to miss Camerata Nova’s exciting 2017-2018 season! Vic Pankratz, John Wiens and Mel Braun will all be returning to conduct new shows. All the details are now on our website, and both subscriptions and single tickets can be purchased on our online store. We look forward to seeing everyone there!
Voicing Your Support
/in News /by Chris SimoniteThank you for another successful season – we could not have done it without you!
As a supporter, you know that Camerata Nova has fearlessly advanced its unique art form and delivered a rich tapestry of sounds and surprisingly profound musical experiences for over two decades. If you haven’t already given in 2017, we ask that you consider making a tax-receiptable gift towards our end-of season campaign, or towards our upcoming 2017-2018 season.
You can support our work by contacting us directly at info@cameratanova.com or 204.918.4547. Or take up the Great Canadian Giving Challenge (until June 30) and securely donate to Camerata Nova via the CanadaHelps button on our website. From now until the end of June, each dollar will earn Camerata Nova one chance to win a grand prize draw of $10,000!
Thank you again for your support!
Upcoming Concert: Isolation
/in News /by Chris SimoniteOn Saturday, April 8 and Sunday April 9, Camerata Nova’s singers will weave the glowing and intricate lines of Renaissance composers like Cardoso, Gombert, Créquillon and White as well as by a new composition by Artistic Director Andrew Balfour. Read more in the latest blog.
Impressions of Taken
/in News /by Chris SimoniteLocal professor, writer and poet Sue Sorensen has written a response to our world premiere of Taken. Read it here: Impressions of Taken
Wine Raffle
/in News /by Chris SimoniteFor its 2016-2017 season, Camerata Nova is offering you the chance to win a selection of wines from The Winehouse (value of $500). Tickets are available for $5 each and can be purchased by contacting Camerata Nova at info@cameratanova.com or 204.918.4547. The draw will be held at our April 9 performance of Isolation at St. Alphonsus Roman Catholic Church.
Camerata Nova at Canada Scene!
/in News /by Chris SimoniteWe will be participating in Canada Scene, a massive gathering of artists from across the country, organized by the National Arts Centre for the 150th anniversary of Canada. We will be travelling to Ottawa around June 17, 2017 and performing our Taken concert, which Manitobans get to hear first on March 4 and 5, 2017. Camerata Nova had previously participated in the NAC’s Prairie Scene in 2011. Check for updates at nac-cna.ca/en/canadascene.
New Music Festival
/in News /by Chris SimoniteWe are very pleased to be invited back by the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra to perform at the New Music Festival’s choral night on Monday, January 30, 2017 at Westminster United Church. We will once again be sharing the evening with Polycoro to present groundbreaking choral works, including several pieces by American composer Meredith Monk. An exciting and provocative experience awaits.
Manitoba Hydro Santa Claus Parade Concert
/in News /by Karine BeaudetteGet in the festive spirit! Before you take the kids to the
Santa Claus parade, enjoy a light holiday concert with
Camerata Nova at the Atrium of the Manitoba Hydro Building.
The free performance features Christmas classics and a
sing-along.
Saturday, November 12, 2016 at 2:30 pm.
New and Returning Curators/Conductors
/in News, Uncategorised /by Karine BeaudetteWe have made some changes to our creative team. Joining Andrew Balfour and Mel Braun is Vic Pankratz. Vic brings his creativity, experience and knowledge of choral repertoire to our group. You’ll get your first taste of his exciting output with Camerata Nova at Euro Nova. We also welcome the passionate and equally knowledgeable, John Wiens. Recently returned from Montréal, John replaces Ross Brownlee as our early music curator/conductor. John’s first concert with us was the masterful British Mysteries last April. More exceptional music-making can be expected next April with Isolation.
Balfour at Montreal Baroque Festival
/in News, Uncategorised /by Karine BeaudetteThe internationally acclaimed group Ensemble Caprice invited Andrew to collaborate on a composition and perform in La Grande Gigue, a Métis-themed concert that they presented at the 14th Montreal Baroque Festival on June 24th. The experience was a major feather in Andrew’s cap and helped Camerata Nova get closer to the movers and shakers in the Montréal music scene. Andrew will be touring with Ensemble Caprice in 2017. If funding allows, it may be presented in Winnipeg… Stay tuned!
‘Take the Indian’ at CMHR
/in News /by Matt SchellenbergA special performance of composer Andrew Balfour’s original work Take the Indian: A Vocal Reflection on Missing Children will be held at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights (CMHR) on Wednesday, May 25, 2016 at 7:00 pm. The evening will include a traditional ceremony and a panel discussion with Indigenous Elders and others.
Balfour, who is of Cree descent, created this moving piece about the dark legacy of Indian residential schools after attending hearings of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. Check out a blog posting, written by Balfour’s sister Shelagh for more on Andrew in her post ‘About Andrew, my brother“.
The CMHR has helped organize this event as part of its commitment to contribute to the national conversation about reconciliation in diverse and meaningful ways. Those who attend will receive a free Museum pass so they can explore The Witness Blanket, a powerful art installation made from 800 pieces of residential schools from all across Canada, before the exhibition closes on June 25.
CONGRATULATIONS!
/in News, Uncategorised /by Karine BeaudetteCongratulations to the Kelvin High School Senior Chamber Choir who were awarded the Camerata Nova Bursary at the 2016 Winnipeg Music Festival for their excellent rendition of Giuseppe Pitoni’s Cantate Domino, as arranged by Norman Greyson. The bursary is awarded to the most outstanding performance of early music by a vocalist or choir.
VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR
/in News /by smokehouse_bcCongratulations to our president, Sandi Mielitz, who has been awarded the Investors Group Arts & Culture Award for Volunteer Excellence for her work with Camerata Nova! Please consider joining us for the 33rd Annual Volunteer Awards, which will be held on April 28th at the RBC Convention Centre Winnipeg, to honour Sandi and other deserving Manitobans who represent excellence in volunteerism and community engagement in our province. Click here for more info.
OUTREACHING FOR THE STARS
/in News /by smokehouse_bcIn 2015-2016, Camerata Nova is offering its very first outreach program in partnership with the expansive Frontier School Division. Aiming to empower kids to express themselves using sounds and soundscapes, artistic director Andrew Balfour and singer/didgeridoo player Michael Thompson visited Bissett, Wanipigow, Black River and Matheson Island in the eastern part of Division 2, from November 30 to December 4, 2015. During phase 2, which happened from March 21 to 24, 2016, they will continue their musical adventure on the western side, in Grand Rapids, Camperville, Duck Bay and Pine Creek.
A PEAK IN THE PAST
/in News /by smokehouse_bcHard to believe, but we’re 20 years old! Visit the 20th anniversary page to read highlights of Camerata Nova’s journey and to see photos and posters of the past 20 years. Also, if you happen to have photos to add to our collection, please contact us!
EARLY MUSIC WORKSHOP
/in News /by smokehouse_bcCamerata Nova presents an informal early music workshop on Saturday, November 21, 2015, from 1:30 to 3:00 pm at Westminster United Church. Conductor Ross Brownlee and noted sackbut player Catherine Motuz from Montréal will coach interested choristers and instrumentalists on 17th-century performance practice using selected pieces from the beautiful Praetorius Christmas Mass. Singers, as well as modern and period players of ANY instrument (string, wind or brass) are all welcome. Singers and instrumentalists will first meet and work separately, then gather for a rehearsal and fun performance! Fee is $10, payable at the door.
CAMERATA NOVA’S SANTA CLAUS PARADE CONCERT
/in News /by smokehouse_bcGearing up for the holiday season, join us for a sing-along at 2:00 pm on Saturday, November 28, 2015, before the Manitoba Hydro Santa Claus Parade. We’ll be giving back to the community with a free concert in the atrium of the Manitoba Hydro building featuring Christmas classics – a great way to get into the holiday spirit! Before you take the kids to the parade, enjoy a light holiday concert with Camerata Nova in the Atrium of the Manitoba Hydro Building.