Reviews of the
2025 - 2026 Season

TAKE3 launches concert association season with talent and sizzle By Neville Bowman “Well, that was energetic!” I heard various iterations of that as I walked through the audience after the Kelowna Community Concert Association’s season opener, TAKE3, wowed the large crowd at Evangel Church Auditorium. Energetic indeed, as TAKE3 almost never slowed down during their show, dazzling with variety, humour, wonderful audience interaction and, above all, brilliant musicianship and arranging. This is the second time I have had the privilege of reviewing TAKE3, and they did not disappoint. With a different show and a different lineup (Alexa Constantine on piano and Isabella Palacpac on cello), TAKE3 still delivered the same energy, musical fireworks and fun as before. The theme this time was a ’70s show, though there was some question as to which century. With a mix of Beatles to Beethoven, and even a little ACDC, violinist Lindsay Deutsch gave the crowd a non-stop mix of pop, rock, classical (the foundation of all their training), and even some good old bluegrass in the encore. As before, TAKE3 used backtracks on occasion to complement their sound. This would be my biggest criticism of the evening, as it did not seem well mixed with the live instruments. That may have been due to my seating position, but such tracks are always tricky to get right. Such backtracks have to be mixed differently, or there is a muddy, compressed sound to them, and only the skill of the three players integrated it so well. Skill in spades And skill they have! Individually they are obviously at the top levels. But there is also a kind of intuitiveness that musicians can achieve when they work together that closely, and it really showed. What’s more, they express it, and it’s a wonderful thing to experience as a musician. Such joy gets given to an audience, who give it right back. I didn’t get the chance to inquire as to the source of the arrangements, but there was a unique touch to all of them, both technical and musical, often showing off the fiery abilities of the members. The Beethoven medley was very smoothly done, and the violin and cello had some gorgeous moments of interplay in Unchained Melody. For me, some of the most effective moments came when they weren’t trying so hard to entertain — the slower, softer moments when their true skill shone and the instruments could sing. A version of Hallelujah was a stand out, as well as a Westside Story medley. Each musician had such control over her instrument that it was a real pleasure to just sit and listen. TAKE3 gave the KCCA audience a wonderful and engaging start to the season, continuing a tradition of more than 70 years that KCCA has provided top-tier performances. Lindsay Deutsch is a dynamo on stage, with great audience rapport, and Constantine and Palacpac were with her at every turn. I look forward to seeing what they create for their next presentation but, after this very energetic 15-city run, they may need some time to rest! Neville Bowman is a Kelowna musician, singer, songwriter and actor