A concert celebrating the works of Ontario’s legacy and new generation composers is coming to Central Presbyterian Church in Brantford on June 1.
Advertisement 2
Article content
Presented by Arcady, Bridging the Eras “seeks to honor composers such as Walter MacNutt, Godfrey Ridout, and Healey Willan who have left rich musical legacies for the following generation of Canadian musicians,” said Emma Verdonk, assistant to Arcady director Ronald Beckett.
Article content
The concert will also premiere a new composition by Beckett who received the inaugural Walter MacNutt Prize from the Canadian Music Center last month. The prize recognizes a composer actively working in the genres of choral music, art song, and/or keyboard improvisation.
Arcady will also premiere new works by active and emerging composers including O Lights of the Sky by Aislinn Nowelle, Twilight Serenade by Benjamin Gabbay, and Awakenings by Emma Theresa Verdonk.
Advertisement 3
Article content
Verdonk was presented an Ontario Arts Council music creation grant in April and has written Awakenings for Arcady’s professional chorus, youth chorus, and strings quintet.
“Through Arcady I got into grant writing, and I thought, why not?” she shared. “I am going to be writing this piece anyway and a little extra funding will allow me to spend more time on it.”
Along with her work for Arcady, Verdonk teaches piano, violin, and voice privately and just recently published her second music theory book.
“I wrote the lyrics as well as the music,” she said of Awakenings. “The piece is meant to celebrate spring and the beauty of spring, and to bring awareness of the diversity of the nature around us. Sometimes it’s so easy to go through our day and ignore all the beauty in our world around us.”
Advertisement 4
Article content
All the works at the Bridging the Eras concert will be performed by Arcady’s professional chorus, youth chorus, and strings.
Among the professional musicians are soprano Sophia Kotz, a former Arcady Emerging Artist; tenor Marcel Van Helden; and violinist David Rehner who is the concertmaster with The Rose Orchestra Brampton and the Etobicoke Philharmonic.
Arcady performances range from vocal and instrumental recitals to full-scale stage productions with orchestras throughout southwestern Ontario, combining established professionals, recent university performance graduates, Emerging Artists, and youth.
Dedicated to mentoring youth and Emerging Artists, Arcady provides performance opportunities for young performers at the early stages of their professional careers.
Advertisement 5
Article content
The evening will also feature a silent auction featuring gift cards to local businesses, and the works of local artists and photographers. Patrons are encouraged to arrive at 6:30 pm to bid on items and enjoy hors d’oeuvres.
Bridging the Eras takes place Saturday, June 1 at 7:30 pm at Central Presbyterian Church on George Street in Brantford.
The concert will be the final public event at the church – Arcady’s home for many years — after the congregation decided to sell the building.
“It’s definitely a sad thing. It’s been a great space for Arcady specifically,” Verdonk said of the church closing. “They have some really accessible spaces to rehearse, and a beautiful sanctuary for concerts.”
She said buildings like Central Presbyterian – with acoustics meant for performances – are becoming fewer in Brantford.
“Especially for Ron (Beckett), this is a sad thing because he’s been the music director (of the church) for a long time,” she shared. “In a way it’s his second home.
“It’s a big loss for us and not something we’ll be able to replace easily.”
Article content