“We Are All Treaty people”: play asks meaningful questions Reply

by • Drama, Play, Theatre

Review by Ellen S, Jaffee

“To be or not to be – friends?” That is the question confronting two contemporary children in Calgary, Alberta. Girl #1, Alanna, played by Elizabeth Ferguson-Breaker (Naaton Ainihki), a Blackfoot, and Girl #2, Maya, Lara Schmitz, who has English-French-Irish heritage. They meet on the first day of school; it is A’s first time in a city school, with few if any Indigenous students. They are about to shyly say hello when the Trickster, a traditional Blackfoot character, strides down through the audience and leaps on stage to interrupt them. “NO, you can’t be friends.” Why not? “Because of the story.” *

Scene from We Are All Treaty People

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“Serenades & Sonatas”, a class ”A” CD addition Reply

by • commentary, Promotional item

Review by Danny Gaisin
There has only been a very few occasions where this blog has critiqued a record or disc, and – admission – those were performed by the writer’s personal bias. “Serenades & Sonatas for Flute & Harp” with Suzanne Shulman & Erica Goodman is something special. Both musicians are the “A” team of their respective instruments. Shulman is the flautist, and for Jeopardy® aficionados, the flute is also called an ‘aerophone! Goodman is the harpist with the Hamilton Philharmonic and thus has previously received positive commentary by us.
The program opens with Vaughan Williams ‘Greensleeves’ fantasia performed by Shulman.

Ms. Goodman and her harp

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“From The Beatles, With Love”; an HPO treat Reply

by • Concert, Orchestra

Review by Danny Gaisin

Over two dozen of the Fab Four’s standards; the Hamilton Philharmonic and Hamilton Jazz great Darcy Hepner at the podium; a musical trifecta. Faultlessly presented with stage rear overhead projections from a certain Beatles cartoon that incorporated the artwork of Peter Blake and Jann Haworth; the evening was an almost psychedelic experience. This was an evocative evening recalling songs we danced to; identified with ; and sang the lyrics to 8-tracks or cassettes or top-twenty radio stations. Last night, I and a filled Great Hall audience turned a concert into a 1500 person singalong.

Tributing the output of the FAB 4;   Note the projection of Hamilton from the mountain!

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“Compose Yourself” an HPO concert 1.0 event Reply

by • Concert, Orchestra

Review by Danny Gaisin

 ‘A long time ago in a Province far away’, I and many other classically-minded kids would religiously tune in to CBS on Saturday for Leonard Bernstein’s ‘Young People’s Concerts’. It was an opportunity to learn more of the intricacies involved with classical music, without feeling that the pedagogue was patronizing or condescending. It also gave us the occasional trivia that could be impressively incorporated into dating conversations!
Conductor Daniel Bartholomew-Poyser is a master at performances before young audiences. Like Bernstein, he never talks down to his audiences, and has an innate ability to integrate with the audience on an educational journey through classical music/orchestras utilizing humor and colloquial terms.

The maestro teaching us how to be a conductor!

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Robbie Burns concert; entertaining & fun Reply

by • Concert

Review by Judith Caldwell
Among the many celebrations of Scottish poet Robbie Burns Hammer Baroque offered a program of Caledonia Connections, which did not involve haggis, although there was Scottish Ale at intermission. Music was supplied by soprano, Meredith Hall, Julia Seager Scott’s harp, cellist Laura Jones and Alison Melville playing flute and recorder. These ladies are all excellent musicians with impressive resumés, and they played a collection of very interesting instruments. Seager Scott had her triple string Baroque harp which was probably developed around the 1640’s. Her 34 string clarsach (or Scottish harp) was probably in use around the year 1000 and it looks exactly like the one on the Guinness logo.

The musicians who honored ROBBIE BURNS

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Jennifer Teege, a convoluted but fascinating history Reply

by • commentary, miscellaneous

Review by Danny Gaisin
January 27th is designated Holocaust Memorial Day by the United Nations. The rationale for such an agreement is that the day is also mentioned as a warning that hatred STILL rears its head throughout world!
Jennifer Teege was born in Germany of mixed race, her father was Tunisian. Given up for adoption as an infant, she was only occasionally visited by her biological mother. Much later, through an unintended visit to a library where she came across a biography and noticed an unusual number of personal coincidences, realized that she was the grandchild of Amon Goeth, the vicious commandant of the Nazi concentration camp near Krakow.

Jennifer addressing her audience

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