Sarnia Concert Association will be marking its 87th season with a brassy and sassy bang in 2022-23.
The association will be the host to five dynamic performances at Sarnia’s Imperial Theater from October 2022 to May 2023, showcasing a wide variety of gifted and innovative musicians from across the country.
Past SCA president David Nichols said this year’s lineup will be one of the most eclectic yet crowd-pleasing programs the organization has put together in many, many years.
“It’s one of the most varied programs we’ve ever had,” he said. “I really think it’s going to be appealing.”
The season is set to kick off on Oct. 5 with the highly-renowned, award-winning Weston Silver Band. The Toronto-based brass band recently celebrated its 100th anniversary and will be playing a program entitled Music of the British Isles,
“The Weston Silver Band is the last of the re-bookings from our 85th season, a group that was supposed to play here before Covid hit,” Nichols said. “We spent a lot more money on artists during that year, we wanted to have these big bands play.
“I know they’re going to be great. They’ve won so many awards for their outstanding work, and part of that is because they educate young musicians in the community, they do a great job doing that,” he added. “The concert will be a real hit with everyone.”
On Nov. 2, a Vancouver-based baroque quartet will light up the Imperial Theatre’s stage. Infusion Baroque, a captivating and adept group of artists who play music of the 17th and 18th centuries on historical instruments, will perform an enthralling set entitled Virtuosa.
“They were one of the featured groups at Ontario Presents last year…and they’re bringing their own harpsichord, they play on instruments from Baroque times and these four women are absolutely outstanding artists,” Nichols said. “We haven’t had a Baroque specialty group as long as I’ve been around and that’s a long time. This quartet … is from far away, and I just know the show will be tremendous.”
In early 2023, the Jim Gelcer/Paul Hoffert Trio will make an appearance at the Imperial Theatre. Accompanied by George Koller, these highly-engaging band leaders will wow the crowd with their uniquely brilliant performances of both classical music and jazz.
Their March 8 show should be a positively uplifting affair for all attendees, Nichols said.
“They’ve got so much energy and they’re adding jazz to our series, but with roots in classical music,” he said.
On April 12, the highly-talented and hugely humorous Joe Trio will return to Sarnia. The piano trio are renowned for their unpredictability and their showmanship, and their repertoire touches on classics as well as arrangements of popular, rock and jazz tunes.
“They talk about ‘Uncle Shostakovich’ and … they’re really outstanding musicians, they might even steal the show this year,” Nichols said. “They’re hilarious and they’re almost like Victor Borge – they don’t just have the ability to make people laugh, but a lot of musical talent too.”
To round out the SCA’s 87th season, Buzz Brass will perform on May 17, 2023. The masterly brass quintet have won many plaudits from music fans and have toured extensively across Canada around the world in years past. Their talent is unmistakable, Nichols said.
“We’re beginning with brass and ending with brass, which is why we’re calling this season Brassy and Sassy,” he said. “They’re not only talented musicians but they’re brilliant entertainers as well. And of course the music is world class, there’s no doubt about that.”
Subscriptions for the SCA’s 2022-23 season are available at the Imperial Theater box office (168 Christina St. N.), by telephone at 519-344-7469, by mail (at PO Box 43, Sarnia, ON, N7T 7H8) or online at imperialtheatre.net.
Early bird prices are in effect until May 31.
“It’s always good to remind people that if they had to drive to Toronto or Detroit to hear music like this, they’d likely have to stay overnight, they’d have to eat out, they’d have to pay parking not to mention the price of gas,” Nichols said. “So for the money they’re paying here – $145 for an early-bird subscription – they’re hearing five world-class groups and anybody would consider this a huge bargain.”
For more information, visit the Sarnia Concert Association’s website, www.sarniaconcertassociation.ca or the group’s Facebook page.