2018 Q4 review

Happy 2019 to all! An appropriate time for reflection and goal setting, and so in that spirit here’s a recap of the latest goings-on and upcoming projects.

The Rouge River Winds have had a very successful fall season, following our Halloween-themed show with a very well-received holiday concert called “Portraits of the North”. The title comes from the central work of the program, a set of three pieces by Canadian composer Robert Buckley depicting scenes from the Canadian North. Our performance was, almost certainly, the first complete performance of the trilogy in Ontario, and was praised by the composer.

I was similarly delighted with the performance by the Wellington Wind Symphony for our concert in October, and as a bonus, all three music director candidates got to share their holiday concert in December. My portion of the concert included James M. Stephenson’s Overture to a Winter Celebration, as well as a setting of Gaudete by Toronto-area composer Kristie Hunter. The selection committee will make their final decision at the end of the concert season.

And in keeping with the festive spirit, the Three Ships Collective (with support from Soup Can Theatre) just concluded their run of Dickens’ A Christmas Carol at the historic Campbell House in downtown Toronto. In this immersive presentation, the audience followed the cast from room to room, as the production used the Dickens-era heritage site to bring Victorian England into the present day. The entire 3-week run was sold out before opening night, leading to several calls for a remount in 2019. Stay tuned!