PITTSBURGH, Pennsylvania (January 2024)– Chatham Baroque will present “Through The Wood, Laddie: Music of Baroque Scotland and Acadia” January 26-28th. The concerts will be performed at local historical venues including the Teutonia Männerchor, Andrew Carnegie Free Library & Music Hall in Carnegie and Hicks Memorial Chapel at the Pittsburgh Theological Seminary.
The music presented will blend 18th century classical music that may have been played in concert halls in London or Edinboro with folk music that would have been heard in Scottish and Canadian pubs and parlors. The spirited and wistful program reflects the products of the flourishing music scene in 18th century Scotland and Acadians in the Canadian Maritime provinces.
The performance features Chatham Baroque’s Andrew Fouts (violin), Patricia Halverson (viola de gamba) and Scott Pauley (theorbo) as well as guest artists Pascale Beaudin (soprano) and Chris Norman (wooden flute & pipes), both of whom have roots in the Maritime provinces.
“I’m thrilled for the audience to hear these two remarkable performers as we bring Pascale Beaudin and Chris Norman together for the first time to share the story of the music of Scotland and Acadia,” says co-artistic director Scott Pauley.
Chris Norman, wooden flute and pipes, was born in Halifax, Nova Scotia into a music loving family. His flute playing has appeared on more than 40 recordings and can be heard featured on numerous Hollywood soundtracks. Norman is founder and director of the Boxwood Festivals and Workshops taking place for the past 24 years in Canada, New Zealand, Australia and the US, and serves to inspire musicians of all ages. A flute maker for 30 years, he has had an illustrious career of crafting world-class flutes for traditional, Baroque, and Renaissance music. His work as performer, composer, recording artist, teacher and flutemaker has earned him worldwide recognition including a Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee medal from the Senate of Canada, and a Doctor of Laws, honoris causa from Dalhousie University.
“We have worked with Chris a number of times since 2001, each time learning so much and having a blast,” Pauley said. “His performances of music of the Canadian Maritimes, both in the Scottish and Acadian styles, are hauntingly beautiful. His strong sense of melody and rhythm, combined with his magnetic stage presence make him a formidable performer.”
Soprano Pascale Beaudin has graced operatic stages in North America and Europe in roles such as Zerlina, Papagena, Fiordiligi, Oscar, and Marzelline, earning praise from the Washington Post, the New York Times and Opera News Magazine. She has been a soloist with Chatham Baroque, the Orchestre Métropolitain, the Orchestre Symphonique de Québec, the Lanaudière Festival and the Orford Festival. Pascale is a member of the Four Nations Ensemble, based in New York and specializing in Baroque chamber music. After many years in Montreal, she’s happily made a home in Pittsburgh with husband Scott and their dog Ruby. A proud Acadian, she has recently discovered that her great-grandmother Wilson’s ancestors came to Miscou Island from Aberdeen, Scotland.
“In recent years we have been working closely with Pascale Beaudin, another extraordinary artist from the Canadian Maritimes,” said Pauley. “Growing up in Acadian culture with French as her first language, and also having Scottish heritage, Pascale is ideally suited to sing music from both of these traditions.”
Tickets are now on sale. More information about the performance can be found here: https://www.chathambaroque.org/concert/chatham-baroque-through-the-wood-laddie-music-of-baroque-scotland-and-acadia/. Early bird pricing for the performance will be offered through the end of the day on January 12. Full price tickets will be offered starting January 13.
Through the Wood, Laddie – Music of Baroque Scotland and Acadia can be seen on Friday, January 26, 7:30 PM at Teutonia Männerchor, Saturday, January 27, 7:30 PM at the Andrew Carnegie Free Library & Music Hall in Carnegie, PA, and Sunday, January 28, 2:30 PM at Hicks Memorial Chapel, Pittsburgh Theological Seminary.
Chatham Baroque’s 2023/2024 Season is made possible in part by Allegheny Regional Asset District, Buhl Foundation, Calvary Episcopal Church, Classical WQED-FM 89.3, Heinz Endowments, Laurel Foundation, Opportunity Fund, Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, The Benter Foundation, and the support of many generous individuals and volunteers.
About Chatham Baroque
Each year, Chatham Baroque presents a series of captivating, historically informed performances, drawing from a vast repertoire of classical music styles, eras, and locales from the Medieval Period through the early 19th Century.
As one of the country’s leading period instrument ensembles and early music presenters, each season features several concerts with the distinguished Chatham Baroque ensemble with artistic directors Andrew Fouts (violin), Patricia Halverson (viola da gamba), and Scott Pauley (theorbo and baroque guitar) as well as concerts by renowned touring ensembles specializing in music of the Middle Ages, Renaissance, Baroque, and early Classical period.
Chatham Baroque concerts are performed with period instruments, which are restored or replica versions from the time when the music was written. Concerts are held in a variety of settings across Pittsburgh from churches to concert halls, and performers actively engage audiences with lively commentary and insights into the music. To learn more, please visit www.chathambaroque.org.
