JUNO TIME AGAIN(PLUS, WAVING FLAGS...)
It's been a busy week! On Tuesday, moments before I was about to join my musical colleagues on stage at the Stratford Country Club to do a lecture-performance of the great Mendelssohn Opus 87 Viola Quintet, my phone started buzzing like crazy. At first, I ignored it, but it wouldn't stop. Full disclosure - I had forgotten what day it was. It was the day this year's Juno Nominees were being announced. So, some very happy news was on the other end of those buzzes, blips and beeps!
My latest recording - Alikeness - has been nominated for two Junos! First, in the category of Best Classical Album (Large Ensemble). The recording features the Newfoundland Symphony Orchestra Sinfonia, percussionist Aiyun Huang, soprano Deantha Edmunds, and myself both conducting and performing as a violinst. It was a passion project, to be sure, and couldn't have gotten very far without the generous support of the Canada Council for the Arts. Everyone involved in the creation of the album seemed to carry the same inner feeling of "This is a special, rewarding recording project!" I love every track on the record, and believe it will stand the test of time (not all recordings - including my own - do 😊). Here's the Juno announcement "badge".
Alikeness has been nominated for two Juno Awards.
We're up against some interesting contenders, including the Calgary based choir Luminous Voices, the Toronto Symphony, the Montreal Symphony, and l'Orchestre Metropolitain. In another category, the opening tracks on Alikeness are up for Best Composition of the Year. It is the work Angmalukisaa, which I commissioned to open our season in Stratford for summer 2023. Written by soprano Deantha Edmunds and arranged by Bill Brennan, Jeff Johnston, Andrew Downing and Robert Carli, the song cycle has proven to be a hit since it was first heard on the stage at The Avondale, having had multiple performances already, and more to come.
So yes, we're excited!!
This week we received a note from the Minister of Canadian Heritage reminding us that February 15th marks the 60th Anniversary of the Canadian Flag. With all the recent unsettling events we've been witnessing, the timing couldn't be better for us to take the opportunity and show our flag-waving abilities this coming weekend. Here's to the flag's next 60 years. Vive le Canada!!
This week's donor profile features an organization that has been in the community for 31 years and continuing stronger than ever - Music and Opera Appreciation. Thank you for all you do to help people in our community enrich their lives through your presentations.
More info below.
Have a great long weekend, everyone!
Mark and the SSM Team
Supporter Highlight
Music & Opera Appreciation
Corporate Sponsor
For the past five years I've been making presentations for the fantastic group of people that gather together several times a year to enrich their lives through understanding music and opera at ever-deeper levels. Led lovingly by Artistic Director Barbara Steed Young, the organization's mission is to excite, educate, and entertain while increasing the public's understanding and appreciation of the arts by offering performances and by providing seminars on topics relating to these performances.
They do a fantastic job!! And on top of all that, they regularly donate to SSM in support of our Vocal Academy offerings, this week seeing their next donation of $1000 to aid students of the Opera Arias and Scenes program this summer.
Thank you Barbara for being such an inspiration! And thanks to all at the MOA who help make great things happen for our community in Stratford.