WHAT: Music & readings inspired by the city
WHO: The Talisker Players
WHEN: Tuesday, October 29 & Wednesday, October 30 – 8pm— Pre-concert talks at 7:15pm
WHERE: Trinity St. Paul’s Centre, 427 Bloor Street West
TICKETS: Click here
“All cities are mad: but the madness is gallant. All cities are beautiful: but the beauty is grim” — Christopher Morley
The Talisker Players have an interesting city-inspired program this week, with lots of Toronto connections and readings. This concert celebrates the beauty and the madness of cities, with an eclectic variety of music – everything from 16th-century consort music to Leonard Bernstein’s celebration of New York in On the Town, to Erik Ross’s ultra-cool Concrete Toronto (for soprano and saxophone!) – and much else in between. There are readings, too, from Lord Byron, Charles Dickens, David Sedaris, Michele Landsberg, John Bentley Mays and Shawn Micallef with guest reader John Fraser, Master of Massey College.
Guest Artists:
Erin Bardua, soprano
Vicki St. Pierre, mezzo soprano
Joel Allison, baritone
John Fraser, reader
Music
Andrew Ager: songs from Ellis Portal for mezzo soprano, baritone, clarinet and string quartet. Libretto by Rex Deverell. (audio sample)
Leonard Bernstein: songs from On the Town, arr. by Laura Jones for two singers and string quartet. Lyrics by Betty Comden and Alolph Green. (audio sample)
Jacques Blumenthal: Venetian Boat Song for soprano, viola and piano. Lyrics by Herman C. Merivale. (audio sample)
Various composers: Wiener lieder – selections from traditional Viennese songs, arr. by Laura Jones for mezzo soprano, clarinet and strings.
Tomasso Giordani: Addio di Londra, for soprano, two violins and continuo. Text by Gualberto Bottarelli.
Clément Janequin: Les cris de Paris, for consort of voices and strings. (audio sample)
Erik Ross: selections from Concrete Toronto for soprano and saxophone. Text by Carl Wilson and Darren O’Donnell.
Spoken Word
Selections from novels, memoirs and letters by writers from Charles Dickens and Wilkie Collins to Nora Ephron and David Sedaris.
