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
BUZZ BRASS KCCA members were treated to this extraordinarily talented and entertaining quintet on Saturday, November 29, 2025. Hailing from Quebec, Buzz Brass treated us to an exceptional and imaginative Christmas-themed concert. Their rendition of The 12 Days of Christmas was delightful, interspersed with energetic a capella singing with surprisingly beautiful voices. Unfortunately, we don't have a professional review of this concert. But, we can tell you that the membership thoroughly enjoyed every moment. If you ever have a chance to catch Buzz Brass in concert, do take it!
TOM ALLEN Modern-day minstrels weave mesmerizing tale of young musical genius By Neville Bowman Of the many practices shared across this planet, in every culture, storytelling has to be one of the oldest. Whether it be for communicating information, recalling and retaining history, or merely entertainment, it is done every day, everywhere. Even in our forward-looking, modern Western culture, we still tell stories, often with increasing embellishment and animation, a link to ancient roots from times before written words and digital imaginations. A good storyteller holds the listener, pulls the audience in and, when combined with that other ancient practice of music, takes the listener on a journey. Images are built, emotions created; we want to hear more. Tom Allen is a very good storyteller. In the third concert of the 2025-2026 season for the Kelowna Community Concert Association, Allen’s "J.S. Bach’s Long Walk In the Snow" spins a story about a very young Bach over a four-month period of his life in the city of Lübeck, Germany, in 1705. While Bach, orphaned at nine, would live on to become an undeniably influential figure in the development of Western music, little is historically recorded about his formative years. There are, however, some known points —“dots” — and Tom Allen weaves his story well, connecting those dots to deliver an entertaining and interesting evening. Allen is, of course, no stranger to storytelling, hosting programs on CBC radio, into which he has always incorporated some history behind the composer and music. He speaks clearly, delivering the narrative in a way that we could imagine a minstrel doing in years past. It’s a skill that allows us, as listeners, to relax and be pulled into the tale. And then there are his musicians. The musical talent on stage was exemplary. Consisting of Maria Fuller (piano, voice), Lori Gemmell (harp, voice, trumpet), Laura Veeze (violin, voice), Dawn Bailey (voice), each performer had an opportunity to solo, displaying an ease and mastery that wove its own enthralling story. The ensemble pieces worked seamlessly, another testament to the skill of the players, as it is not always the same ensemble. I asked about the music chosen and, while there are some “set” pieces, the musicians do have freedom in the selection of certain solos. It’s a smart arrangement when working with a changing lineup, and allows the player to choose a piece that connects well with that part of the storyline. The music itself was cleverly tied into the evening, at times easily continuing the narrative, or punctuating a particularly strong point. (A shift from the classical to a group performance of Lesley Gore’s "You Don’t Own Me" was a fun example). If I have any critique about this, it is that I would have loved to hear more of the musicians. Bailey has stunningly clear voice that is so rare to hear, the interplay of the violin and harp was mesmerizing, and Maria Fuller plays in a manner that just pulls you in, wanting to hear more. This however, was not a conventional concert; it was an evening of storytelling, a “chamber musical”, as Allen calls it. It’s the kind of show that, in current times, could have been augmented with animation, multimedia, flash and trickery, but none of that was needed. The performers on stage told the story, built the city and the church, brought life to Bach and all the other characters (Dieterich Buxtehude’s name has to be said at least once a day!), and created something that left me wondering why we, as a culture, stopped this kind of storytelling. One could have imagined oneself 400 years ago, sitting listening to the travelling minstrels who, with nothing more than a few instruments and good imaginations, take us on a journey out of the drudgery of the everyday. Tom Allen tells a good story. By his own admission, "J.S. Bach’s Long Walk In the Snow" might not be entirely true, a weaving of facts and imagination, and a surprising amount of marzipan. But Allen and his ensemble have created the best kind of story, the kind that blurs reality and stokes our own imaginations, the kind of tale we want to be true. Neville Bowman is a Kelowna musician, singer, songwriter and actor
THE HITSVILLE USA BAND Coming 2 p.m., Saturday, March 21, 2026
SHADES OF BUBLÉ Coming April 27, 2026