Also in today’s mailbox, the season announcement from the Talisker Players; a group who specialize in mixing music and the spoken word.

The 2013/14 season kicks off with City of the Mind, a concert about cities, ancient and modern featuring soprano Erin Bardua, mezzo soprano Vicki St. Pierre and baritone Joel Allison.  The show begins in the 15th century, with Les Cris de Paris, a consort piece based on the cries of street vendors in the French capital. Moving ahead a couple of centuries, Tommasso Giordani’s Addio di Londra, for soprano with violin, viola and continuo, is an ode to a famous but unnamed personage upon his departure from London, entreating him to remember the sights of the city in his travels abroad.  The programme also features a rare North American performance of a selection of Wiener lieder and the Venetian Boat Song,  a 19th century salon piece by Jacques Blumenthal, for mezzo soprano, violin and piano. Very popular in its day, it is a reminder of the era of the “grand tour” of Europe.  Moving into the 20^thcentury we start in New York City with excerpts from Leonard Bernstein’s iconic On the Town, arranged by Laura Jones for baritone, soprano and string quartet, and finishing in Toronto with two pieces; Andrew Ager’s Ellis Portal, for baritone, mezzo soprano, clarinet and string quartet, about the city at night; and Erik Ross’s Concrete Toronto for soprano and saxophone.

To complement the music Stratford actor Graham Abbey will read selections from novels, memoirs and letters about life in the city by writers from Charles Dickens and Wilkie Collins to Nora Ephron and David Sedaris.

The show is at the newly renovated Trinity St. Paul’s Centre (proper seats!) on Tuesday & Wednesday, October 29 & 30, 2013 at 8 PM.

Other planned shows for 2013/14 are:

Anything Goes: Sunday, January 12 at 3:30 pm & Tuesday, January 14 at 8 pm – The Cole Porter songbook, featuring Jennifer Enns Modolo, mezzo soprano and Bud Roach, tenor

Creature to Creature: Sunday, March 16 at 3:30 pm & Tuesday, March 18 at 8 pm – A 21^st century bestiary, featuring Norine Burgess, mezzo soprano, Geoffrey Sirett, baritone, Ross Manson, actor/reader

A Poet’s Love: Tuesday, May 27 & Wednesday, May 28 at 8 pm – The joys and sorrows of love deeply felt, featuring Alexander Dobson, baritone, Stewart Arnott, actor/reader

More information and tickets for all shows can be found at www.taliskerplayers.ca