(Vancouver, B.C.) – Early Music Vancouver (EMV) is pleased to present the 2022 Vancouver Bach Festival – Scottish Baroque and Other Traditions from Tuesday, July 26 to Saturday, August 6 at various venues including The Chan Centre, Christ Church Cathedral, Pyatt Hall, VanDusen Botanical Garden, The Wolf & Hound, and UBC’s Sage Bistro.
Early Bird tickets go on sale June 1st at 11:00 a.m. PT and will be available online at www.earlymusic.bc.ca.
Media tools are available at: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/c0d2t8zkizux8pu/AAA8eeOFoJM63w3lbOEHdwpea?dl=0
The 6th annual Festival explores the profound and entertaining fusion of Scottish traditional music and the music of the Baroque masters that emerged in the 17th century.
It is well known that J.S. Bach employed instrumentalists for his church performances who often also played in taverns. We also know that the music for popular country dances such as the gavotte and gigue (jig), were reimagined by ‘serious’ composers of the time for courtly circles. Scottish Baroque, a fusion of Scottish traditional music combined with the virtuosity and style of 17th and 18th century Italian music, was born in a pub in Edinburgh’s medieval Old Town, where, the music of Corelli sat side by side with the rhythmic drive of local reels and jigs. Musicians of the day would play both repertoires, with the same enthusiasm for each, using the same technique and instruments.
At this year’s Vancouver Bach Festival – Scottish Baroque and Other Traditions, audiences will hear traditional melodies weave throughout all of the concerts presented.
EMV is also thrilled to welcome Scottish Baroque experts David McGuinness and David Greenberg, as Festival Artists-in-Residence. Both artists have dedicated their careers to the study of the Italian and Scottish composers of the 17th and 18th century – a lively and vibrant time in Scotland’s musical history. David Greenberg enjoys a brilliant performing career as a Baroque violinist and Cape Breton fiddler. He is also a composer and arranger, and many of his tunes have been recorded by prominent Cape Breton musicians. In addition to frequently sharing his passion and knowledge in concerts and workshops, David is co-author of The DunGreen Collection (1996), an influential treatise on Cape Breton fiddling. David’s fluency and broad experience in these two genres make him the perfect artist to mix the traditional music of 18th century Scotland with beloved classical music of the baroque period. David McGuinness divides his time between historical Scottish music and contemporary work. He is a music producer and composer for television and BBC Radio, a Senior Lecturer in Music at the University of Glasgow and the director of Concerto Caledonia, based in Glasgow. Concerto Caledonia describe themselves as Scotland’s Early Music Group, committed to “bringing historically important early music back into circulation, and doing it with as much a sense of danger as of style.”
“Artists-in-Residence David McGuinness (Scotland) and David Greenberg (US/Canada) will make you want to get up and dance as they weave traditional tunes with baroque sonatas!” says EMV’s Artistic & Executive Director, Suzie LeBlanc. “They will take us on a tour of the traditional folk music of Scotland and Cape Breton while other concerts in the Festival will take us to Acadia, Sweden, and Métis musical traditions. Join us and discover the hidden threads between these different cultural traditions and well-known Baroque works by Bach, Vivaldi, Corelli, Muffat, and Couperin.”
The lineup for the 2022 Vancouver Bach Festival – Scottish Baroque and Other Traditions includes 13 concerts and two special events:
Special Event: Rondeau | July 26 at 6:00 p.m. at Sage Bistro, UBC
Hosted by Canadian radio broadcaster and author Bill Richardson, this special event features Vancouver’s Poet Laureate Fiona Tinwei Lam, Lucas Harris (theorbo), and EMV Artists-in-Residence David Greenberg and David McGuiness. Rondeau will be an evening in support of EMV’s numerous initiatives such as the commissioning of new works, the acquisition of historical instruments, and the presentation of renowned early music artists from around the world.
Special Event: Tea-Table Miscellany | August 6 at 12:00 p.m. at VanDusen Botanical Garden (Heron Lake)
The Tea-Table Miscellany is the first printed collection of Scottish songs and verse in the Scots dialectic, collected by 18thcentury poet Allan Ramsay. This special event opens features performances by soprano Ellen Torrie and tenor Isaiah Bell with Festival musicians directed by David McGuinness.
Opening Concert – Ebb and Flow | July 27 at 7:30 p.m. at The Chan Centre
Join Vancouver’s Poet Laureate Fiona Tinwei Lam, EMV Artists-in-Residence, and the Pacific Baroque Orchestra in a musical celebration of water, featuring Handel’s Water Music, Telemann’s Hamburger Ebb’ und Fluth, and The Silken Water is Weaving and Weaving by Alasdair MacLean.
A Curious Collection of Tunes | July 28 at 1:00 p.m. at Christ Church Cathedral
This concert explores the repertoire of Scottish tunes and their relationship with other traditions – the European art music of the time, the fiddle music of Scandinavia, and folk composition of our present-day. With David Greenberg (violin), David McGuiness (keyboard), and Kirsty Money (nyckelharpa).
Resounding Hildegard: Echoes of the Abbess in the Present Day | July 28 at 7:30 p.m. at Christ Church Cathedral
Ensemble Arkora explores the connections between past and present with a concert presenting new works by Canadian composers and ancient masterworks, highlighting the oeuvre of Hildegard von Bingen. For this concert, Arkora is joined by special guest and erhu master, Lan Tung.
The Last Rose of Summer | July 29 at 1:00 p.m. at Christ Church Cathedral
In 1805, the Irish poet Thomas Moore wrote a short poem entitled The Last Rose of Summer, which was set to a traditional tune called Aisling an Óigfhear. This beautiful melody inspired dozens of classical composers, including Beethoven, to create their own arrangements and fantasies based on this music. Pierre-Antoine Tremblay (horn) and Alexander Weimann (fortepiano) perform works by Beethoven, Fanny and Felix Mendelssohn.
Les Nations | July 29 at 7:30 p.m. at Christ Church Cathedral
Published in 1726, Les Nations, by François Couperin, is an example of les goûts reunis: the joining of French and Italian musical styles. Les Nations is made up of four instrumental works, each named after a different nation of the time. Contrasto Armonico, directed by Marco Vitale, will perform L’Impériale and L’Espagnole.
From The Court of Louis XIV to Shippagan | August 2 at 1:00 p.m. at Christ Church Cathedral
The majority of traditional Acadian songs come from France – their origins can be traced back to certain regions. Songs, just like people, are nomadic, with the lyrics, like the melodies, often changing as they travel. Here, we contrast Acadian folk songs from Shippagan in Acadie, with 17th Century ‘airs de cour’ from the French court of Louis the XIV. Performed by Suzie LeBlanc, Vincent Lauzer, Marie Nadeau-Tremblay, and Sylvain Bergeron.
Armonico Tributo | August 2 at 7:30 p.m. at Christ Church Cathedral
Georg Muffat was born in France in 1653 of a Scottish father and French mother. His music, especially the Armonico Tributosonatas, combine aspects of French and Italian music with the Scottish inflections of his father! This programme shows how Scottish music found its way into the European consciousness in the 17th and 18th centuries. Performed by the Baroque Orchestra Mentorship Progamme (BOMP).
The Next Generation: Baroque Innovations | August 3 at 1:00 p.m. at Pyatt Hall
EMV’s Emerging Artists’ Concert features the next generation of musicians – Ellen Torrie (soprano); Marie Nadeau-Tremblay (violin); Sylvain Bergeron (lute) – performing works by Francesca Caccini and Barbara Strozzi, Henry Purcell, and J.H. Schmelzer. The 17th century was a time of great innovation in music thanks to the rise of composers who happily defied the rules of composition and our 2022 Emerging Artists are part of the next generation of musicians who are also defying established practices and bringing a fresh look at early music.
Fiddle & Figs Pub Night | August 3 at 7:00 p.m. at The Wolf & Hound
Food, drink, and music are great mates. Join JJ Lavallee (Métis fiddle), David Greenberg (violin) and David McGuinness (keyboard), along with some of the musicians of the Vancouver Bach Festival, for pub food and tunes from Scotland, Sweden, Quebec, and the Métis fiddle traditions.
Bach & Tunes – Multiple Voices for One | August 4 at 1:00 p.m. at Christ Church Cathedral
2022 EMV Artist-in-Residence David Greenberg takes us on a musical journey, weaving between the Baroque solo violin repertoire and traditional folk tunes. Greenberg approaches each moment of music, regardless of style, in a deeply personal and richly imaginative way.
Out of the Deep | August 4 at 7:30 p.m. at Christ Church Cathedral
The stylus phantasticus or ‘fantastical style’ of music was born in Italy, but the free and unrestrained style of composition travelled and was shared all over Europe of the baroque period. This music grew from a dark time, but still speaks of hope today. This programme is co-directed by Jonathan Adams (baritone) and Chloe Kim (violin).
Bach: Four Sonatas and a Concerto | August 5 at 1:00 p.m. at Christ Church Cathedral
J.S. Bach was the greatest musical innovator of his time. He ignored the compositional conventions of sonatas that featured a prominent solo instrument accompanied by supporting continuo players and made the keyboard and violin equal partners, offering new possibilities to future composers and creating music that is still relished today. This programme showcases the virtuosic brilliance of violinist Chloe Kim, cellist Christina Mahler and keyboardist Avi Stein.
Bach Kaleidoscope/Reimaginations | August 5 at 7:30 p.m. at The Chan Centre
This concert highlights Bach’s love of adapting works by other composers, such as Vivaldi’s Concerto for Four Violins and Strings, which he reworked for four harpischords. The evening showcases four outstanding keyboard players while celebrating Bach’s magnificent polyphony and counterpoint.
For more information on the 2022 Vancouver Bach Festival – Scottish Baroque and Other Traditions and further detail on each performance, including ticket prices, please visit Early Music Vancouver on the following platforms:
Website: www.earlymusic.bc.ca
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