We have detected that you are using an adblocking plugin in your browser.

The revenue we earn by the advertisements is used to manage this website. Please whitelist our website in your adblocking plugin.

Concert review: Toronto Consort's tribute to women's voices greater than sum of interesting parts

By John Terauds on May 24, 2013

Members of the Toronto Consort present A Woman's Life on Friday night at Trinity-St Paul's Centre (John Terauds phone photo).
Members of the Toronto Consort present A Woman’s Life on Friday night at Trinity-St Paul’s Centre (John Terauds phone photo).

Some history, colourful anecdotes, a few tears and a handful of smiles added to an evening of fine musicmaking seems like a simple enough recipe. But it’s rare to see all of these elements come together as nicely as they did for the first night of Toronto Consort’s season-closing programme on Friday.

In the last show before Trinity-St Paul’s Centre submits to a substantial refurbishment this summer, Toronto Consort is presenting a programme centred on women poets and composers from Medieval times to the 17th century.

It’s a multimedia show masterminded by Tafelmusik double-bassist Alison Mackay. On a large screen borrowed from Tafelmusik, the audience saw projections of period paintings and illustrations that were mirrored in the lineup of period instrumentalists and singers on the stage.

Raha Javanfar’s projections and lighting contributed to a warm, engaging mood that always seems in tune with Mackay’s collection of writings and reminiscences  — all chosen to give voice to women living and working in times when they were thought best-suited to tending to domestic duties or entering a convent.

Actors Maggie Huculak and Karen Woolridge did a beautiful job of delivering the feminine dialogue. And the musicians on stage with them more than held up their end of the bargain.

Sopranos Michelle DeBoer and Katherine Hill (who also did duty on the vielle) as well as mezzo Vicky St. Pierre did the bulk of the singing, which included some gorgeous chanting. There was great ensemble work with the men of the ensemble, all beautifully prepared by artistic director (as well as tenor and percussionist) David Fallis.

The instrumentalists were all fine, with special kudos going to virtuosic recorder player Alison Melville and percussionist Ben Grossman, who can do more with a single tambourine than some conductors can do with a whole symphony orchestra.

There wasn’t a single discordant note either musically or aesthetically, while the sum of all of these interesting parts made for a touching tribute to the power of history’s weakest voices to make themselves heard, with a little help from posterity.

Performances continue on Saturday and Sunday — and are well worth checking out. Details here.

John Terauds

 

Share this article
lv_toronto_banner_high_590x300
comments powered by Disqus

FREE ARTS NEWS STRAIGHT TO YOUR INBOX, EVERY MONDAY BY 6 AM

company logo

Part of

Terms of Service & Privacy Policy
© 2024 | Executive Producer Moses Znaimer