The latest short animation from the Canadian Art Song Project is extremely quirky and about as steeped in a certain kind of Canadian nostalgia as one could possibly get. It’s called The Piece Atop His Pate and appears to be about Bobby Hull losing his wig in a hockey fight although it may also be lamenting the NHL mandating helmets. I’m really not sure.. Why this is seen as a significant event in Canadian history also puzzles me but apparently it’s worth writing a song about.
The words are by Bill Richardson with rather percussive music by Jocelyn Mortlock. It’s performed with spirit by Keith Lam and Steven Philcox and it’s accompanied by rather cute Saturday morning cartoon style animation by OCAD students. Here’s the Youtube link. Perhaps it helps to watch it in your underwear while drinking a Molson Export.
It’s a bit of a crazy week coming up. On Monday at 8pm there’s the first in a series of young artists concerts presented by Atelier Rosemarie Umetsu and Yamaha Canada. This one features pianist Cindy Liu in an all Prokofiev program. It’s at Rosemarie’s atelier at 310 Davenport Road and tickets are $20 ($10 student).
Tomorrow (Sunday) afternoon Off Centre Music Salon opens its 2016/17 season at 3pm at Trinity St. Paul’s. It’s an all Russian show called Four Seasons or Mother Russia. It will feature songs by Prokofiev’s The Ugly Duckling and songs byTchaikovsky, and Rachmaninoff, as well as Arensky’s Piano Trio in D minor (op. 32). The highlight is the Toronto premiere of Valery Gavrilin’s song cycle Seasons inspired by Northern Russian folklore and chanting traditions. Performers include cellist Igor Gefter, pianists Inna Perkis and Boris Zarankin, violinist Mark Skazinetky and singers Joni Henson and Ryan Harper.
operaramblings 