So following Minimum I made it to Tarragon Theatre with about two minutes to spare to see You Choose; an improvised murder mystery from the Howland Company. The show is created by Ruth Goodwin and Liz Johnston. M. Thibidault, owner of a country hotel, has invited some friends for dinner but shortly before the meal commences he is found murdered. It must be one of the guests or a member of the hotel staff. So far, so Christie but here’s the schtick. The cast draw lots to determine what character they will play and we, the audience, choose the murderer. The only members of the cast who know the murderer’s identity are the killer and the concierge/facilitator who moves the action forward with a series of prompts.
Sunday afternoon saw VOICEBOX:Opera in Concert’s first performance in their new home; Trinity St. Paul’s. The offering was Gluck’s Alceste in the French language 1776 Paris version. Lauren Margison sang the title role with Colin Ainsworth as Admète. Guillermo Silva-Marin directed.
Show Me The Way is a new double CD from baritone Will Liverman, pianist Jonathan King and various collaborators featuring vocal works by female American composers. It draws on a wide range of influences from Ella Fitzgerald to Will’s mother.
What Brings You In is an album of music for violin and electronics that consists mostly of work that was composed for performance as part of an art installation or a site specific performance or as therapy rather than a conventional concert hall experience. It features violinist Leslie Ting and various collaborators on percussion and live electronics. It’s one of the most “experimental” records I’ve listened to. There are five tracks and I’m going to describe each piece as best I can. Conventional music vocabulary; melody, harmony, rhythm etc isn’t much help! 
operaramblings 