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February 13, 2011, St. Catharines United Mennonite Church

Cello: Gordon Cleland; Piano: Erika Reiman

Prayers Ignite

Temple Incense

The River Pamba

Melissa Shriner – soprano, Gordon Cleland – cello, Karin Di Bella -piano
Italy was the birthplace of western music. The first concert of our third season, hosted by Brock University, will be an evening celebrating this heritage.  We will present music by Italians such as Boccherini, one of the early developers of classical forms. Who can forget Italy’s spectacular wealth of vocal and operatic artistry, also featured in this concert.  We will showcase the work of Italian émigrés to Canada, such as Violet Archer.

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) Italian Concerto, Allegro
Giuseppe Verdi (1813-1901)
    La Seduzione
     Stornello  
Jack Behrens (b.  1935) Di Bella Variations
Luigi Boccherini (1743-1805) Sonata no. 6 in A major
Vincenzo Bellini (1801-1835)
    Vaga  luna  
    Per pietà    
    Malinconia
Giovanni Dettori (b.  1975) Lady Gaga Fugue
Violet Archer (1913-2000)  Sonata for Cello and Piano
Giuseppe Verdi  La Traviata -  E Strano / Sempre Libera

Saturday, October 1, 2011, 7:30 pm
Church of the Silver Spire – 354 St Paul Street,  St Catharines
$20/$15 for students 

Melissa Shriner – soprano, Karin Di Bella – piano
Our next presentation is a continuation of our Italian theme.  Italy was an inspiration for non-Italian artists too, such as Liszt.  Our last twist on the Italian theme is music written for Italian Canadians, such as the Di Bella Variations written by Jack Behrens for our own Karin Di Bella.

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) Italian Concerto, Allegro
Vincenzo Bellini (1801-1835)
    Vaga  luna
    Per pietà
    Malinconia
Jack Behrens (b.  1935), Di Bella Variations
Giuseppe Verdi (1813-1901), La Traviata
    E Strano
    Sempre Libera
Giovanni Dettori (b.  1975), Lady Gaga Fugue
Giuseppe Verdi
    La Seduzione
    Stornello
Franz Liszt (1811-1886)Paganini Etude no. 2 in E-flat major
Ottorino Respighi (1879-1936), Three Preludes on Gregorian Melodies, II. Tempestoso.  Largo
Vincenzo Bellini, La Sonnambula
    Ah non credea mirarti
Ah non giunge

Tuesday, October 25, 2011, 12 pm
Music@Noon
Brock University – Sean O’Sullivan Theatre
A free presentation
Karin Di Bella – piano

November 19, 2011, Vivaldi’s Gloria with the Avanti Chamber Singers

St. Barnabas Church, 31 Queenston St.

Artists:  Avanti Chamber Singers, Harris Loewen – director, Xiaoling Li – violin, George Cleland – violin, Andrée Simard – viola, Gordon Cleland – cello, Shannon Paterson – bass.

Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1741)                            Gloria
Mark Steiger                                                          Looking in Windows (world premiere)

The third program is a presentation with Avanti Chamber Singers of Vivaldi’s beloved Gloria.

January 22, 2012, 3:00 pm, Coffee! – Primavera Concerts St Barnabas Church
Douglas Miller – flute, Charlene Nagel, Xiaoling Li – violins, Andrée Simard – viola, Gordon Cleland – cello, Karin Di Bella – harpsichord, Charlotte Knight – soprano, Jonathon Dick – baritone, Paul Williamson – tenor
Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)                 Coffee Cantata

Baritone Jonathon Dick, Schlendrian is upset with his daughter!

Other works by Schubert, CPE Bach, Kreisler, Satie, Gershwin and some cabaret songs by Weill

Our fourth program of the season, hosted by Primavera Concerts, features Bach’s Coffee Cantata composed for performance at Zimmermann’s Coffee House.  Since Bach loved his coffee the second part of this concert will be a light-hearted and stimulating voyage through the world of coffee with rejuvenating stops in Vienna, Berlin, Paris and New York.

February 28, 2012, 12 noon, Music Meant for Me! Music@Noon Brock University, Sean O’Sullivan Theatre

Gordon Cleland – cello, Erika Reiman – piano
Carlyle Sharpe                                    Sonata for Cello and Piano (composed 1991)
Mark Steiger – St Catharines composer            Motion in Point and Line (composed 2011)
Timothy Brady                                     Three or Four Days After the Death of Kurt Cobain (composed 1994)

The Society will be working on its first recording project this season.  This concert is a presentation for Brock University’s Music@Noon series featuring a collection of works written for and premiered by our own Gordon Cleland.

March 17, 2012, 11 am, Laura Secord – a Concert Presentation of Chamber Music, St Catharines Central Library

Michele Jacot – winds, George Cleland – violin, Gordon Cleland – cello, narrator TBA
A co-production with Suzuki Niagara of a chamber music concert for children intended for the St Catharines area schools and libraries.  Our professional artists will play a concert based on the history of the Niagara Region in celebration of the bicentennial of the War of 1812 with participation from chamber groups drawn from Suzuki Niagara and Niagara Youth Orchestra and with some audience participation.  This light but inspiring program will be a free presentation given in the lobby of the St Catharines Centennial Library and is intended for touring in the schools in 2012-2014.

April 6-9, 2012, The Seven Last Words of Christ St Catharines United Mennonite Church, St Thomas More Catholic Church

Xiaoling Li, George Cleland – violin, Andrée Simard – viola, Gordon Cleland – cello  Jonathon Dick  – baritone
Franz Joseph Haydn (1732-1809)                 The Seven Last words of Christ
Tyler Versluis                                              Songs with Baritone and String Quartet

This program will feature the inspirational work of Haydn in celebration of Easter.  The concert will be expanded with reflections on the moods of Easter in a set of songs commissioned by Tyler Versluis.  A world premiere event of an exciting young St Catharines based composer.

May 5, 2012, 7:30 pm, Rachmaninov, St Catharines United Mennonite Church
Jonathon Dick – Baritone, Gordon Cleland – cello, Erika Reiman – piano
Sergei Rachmaninov (1873-1943)                 Sonata           Op 119
Prelude in G# minor, op. 32 no. 12
Prelude in B minor, op. 32 no. 10
Prelude in D major, op. 23 no. 4
Prelude in G minor, op. 23 no. 5
                                                                    Songs           TBA

This concert will be all about the rich romanticism of Rachmaninov.  He was an artist with a unique and unmistakable voice that speaks directly to the soul.

And More to Come!