Late last fall, after nearly two years of almost no live music performances, a dynamic group of classically-trained local musicians decided to come together to provide the community with the gift of song.
The Bluewater Chamber Players – comprised of cellist Barbara Armstrong, violinists Jackie Pritchard and Caitlin Mason, flutist Tessa Catton and pianist Dan Sonier – announced they would be playing four intimate concerts at various venues within Sarnia to lift the spirits of area music lovers and give back to the community, as money raised at each of the concerts would be donated to a local charity.
Performing an eclectic mix of classics and more modern fare – the chamber players played everything from Bach to the Beatles as well as the work of Canadian composers and Indigenous music – the response from the public to the players’ inaugural season was overwhelmingly positive, said Armstrong , so affirmative that the group has now put the final touches on a second season set to begin next October.
Before they begin upon their next season, the Bluewater Chamber Players will be holding the grand finale of their inaugural year at the Sarnia Public Library Theater on Sunday, June 26 at 2:30 pm
As with past concerts, the upcoming show will include guests (clarinetist Blake Stevenson will be joining the group), a wide array of diverse and uplifting music as well as a philanthropic component – money from the final concert will be given to the Ukrainian relief fund through St. George’s Catholic Church.
“We’re donating that money to Ukrainian humanitarian relief through St. George’s Catholic Church,” Armstrong said. “It’s very personal one for me – my father was a refugee and if somebody hadn’t helped him I wouldn’t be here having this conversation.”
Looking back on their first season, Armstrong said she was pleasantly surprised by the public’s response to this new musical super-group.
“It went extremely well and we couldn’t be happy,” she said. “We honestly had no idea what to expect when we first started in the middle of COVID and the timing of it turned out to be perfect.
“We did COVID-style concerts with smaller audiences, distancing, masks and vax passports, but we still pretty well for most concerts sold out,” Armstrong added. “The response has been just phenomenal.”
Musically, it was a relief for all the players to get back onstage and perform for an audience, Armstrong said.
“The biggest thing last year for us was being able to go out and enjoy a concert with real people and real musicians,” she said. “And for us, the thrill was to play to an audience rather than an empty room. We need an audience to thrive, so it was really good all-around.”
Looking ahead to next season, Armstrong said that all five of the concerts will be taking place at the Sarnia Public Library Theatre. The group have already been in touch with numerous soloists and guests, she added, and are planning performances that will be even more wide-ranging and all-encompassing than this year’s batch.
“We’ve done quite a variety of music, from more classical pieces to small groups with Christmas and holiday music in December. We’ve also really opened up to Indigenous and Canadian music because there is a wealth of music out there which isn’t always played,” she said.
“We’ve played all sorts of amazing Canadian composers, people such as Elizabeth Raum and Ann Lauber,” Armstrong continued. “We also have (Indigenous artist/musician) Jeffrey George coming to play with us on flute, we also are including the Irish School of Dance dancers, so we’re trying to open it up to more diverse audience, just a very large variety which will appeal to many different people.”
“It’s all about enjoyment, and that’s what we need now more than ever in a world that seems a bit of a mess.”
Information regarding upcoming concerts for the Bluewater Chamber Players can be found on their Facebook page.
Tickets for the June 26 Bluewater Chamber Players concert are $25 for adults, $20 for students/seniors and free for those under 14 (children are required to have a ticket to enter). Tickets can be purchased at The Book Keeper (500 Exmouth St. in Northgate Plaza) or emailing Barbara Armstrong at [email protected] .