
The Breaking Winds
7:30 p.m., Monday, May 16, 2022
Known for their quirky affability and stage antics, the Breaking Winds Bassoon Quartet use choreography, unexpected instruments, props and skits to spice up their performances. This artist-run creative project explores the worlds of classical, pop, jazz, soundtrack, and folk music, all adapted for the bassoon ensemble by its members. The women, who met as students at the Eastman School of Music, navigate the intersection of classical music, pop culture and comedy, and to expand the scope of bassoon performance. ARTIST WEBSITE.

Don vappie & jazz créole
7:30 p.m., Monday, May 22, 2023
Kelowna Community Theatre, 1375 Water Street
Dubbed “the coolest cat” in New Orleans, Don Vappie brings the rich history, culture and music of New Orleans to the stage with Jazz Créole — David Horniblow on clarinet, Dave Kelbie on guitar, Tom Wheatley on bass, and the cool cat himself on banjo and vocals. Winner of the 2021 Steve Martin banjo prize, Don Vappie is also being inducted into the Banjo Hall of Fame. ARTIST WEBSITE.

The Fitzgeralds
7:30 p.m., Tuesday, June 28, 2022
The talented and high-energy Fitzgerald siblings from Bancroft, ON, have deep roots in the Ottawa Valley fiddle and step-dance traditions. As children, they toured internationally with their family band, “Everything Fitz”. Individually, they have won three Canadian Grand Masters Fiddle Championships, two Open Step Dance Championships, and a Canadian Open Fiddle Championship. ARTIST WEBSITE.

Christopher Hall - Comic Orchestra
2 p.m., Sunday, September 25, 2022 (Matinée)
As principal clarinet of the Orchestre Métropolitain in Montréal, Christopher Hall found orchestra work far too serious. He left to become a stand-up comedian, delivering a hilarious melange of laughs and fine music. His acclaimed concert ‘Comic Orchestra’ has wowed audiences across North America and Germany. Still audiences are warned, “Do not take this man seriously!” ARTIST WEBSITE.

The Winnipeg Singers
12 Noon, Sunday, November 27, 2022 (Matinée)
The Winnipeg Singers, one of Canada's finest choral ensembles, are dedicated to performing choral music of the highest standard. Under the artistic direction of Yuri Klaz, the 24 trained voices perform repertoire from the Renaissance to the present. ARTIST WEBSITE.

Percussiano3
7:30 p.m., Tuesday, March 28, 2023
One piano and a collection of percussion instruments weave together a pageant for the ear and eye. Pianists Elizabeth and Marcel Bergmann first met and performed with percussionist Rod Thomas Squance at the Banff Centre 20 years ago. Their musical bond has created performances that span styles and periods, melding the excitement of a percussion ensemble with the sophistication of a traditional classical concert. ARTIST WEBSITE.

The GoH Ballet
2:00 p.m., Sunday, February 26, 2023
Rescheduled from the 2020-21 season
Note time change from evening to matinée performance
The young dancers of Vancouver's Goh Ballet Academy will perform a dazzling selection of large- and small-group pieces from well-known classical works, including The Nutcracker and Sleeping Beauty, Don Quixote, and Ocean & Pearls, as well as solo performances of more contemporary pieces. The Academy, founded in 1978, is recognized internationally for its high-calibre classical ballet training and performances. ARTIST WEBSITE.

Leonard
elschenbroich
7:30 p.m., Tuesday, April 11, 2023
Kelowna Community Theatre, 1375 Water Street
A celebrated soloist and chamber musician, Frankfurt-born cellist Leonard Elschenbroich has been described by the New York Times as “a musician of great technical prowess, intellectual curiosity and expressive depth.” With a range of classical recordings, he is also a champion of new music, having commissioned and performed works by several contemporary composers. ARTIST WEBSITE. As a special gift to Kelowna, Leonard Elschenbroich will appear here with renowned British-Ukrainian pianist Alexei Grynyuk. ARTIST WEBSITE

The final concert of the 2021-22 (RED CARD) season has now been rescheduled! Please note the new venue.
The Alias BrasS company
7:30 p.m., Monday, November 6, 2023
*** Evangel Church Auditorium, 3261 Gordon Drive ***
Founded in 2013, the Alias Brass Company is a collaboration of five uniquely talented artists and educators from across America. Featuring a horn, a tuba, a trombone and two trumpets, these exceptional musicians perform a range of standards and original compositions, blending virtuosic musicianship with outstanding entertainment. From Baroque and classical to jazz and pop, the Alias Brass Company’s shows are captivating, diverse and innovative. Visit their ARTIST WEBSITE and enjoy some samples of their work.

The Fugitives & RidgE
2:00 p.m., Saturday, November 18, 2023
Evangel Church Auditorium, 3261 Gordon Drive
A moving and innovative piece of storytelling set to complex musical harmonies, Ridge evolved from the songs of frontline soldiers in the trenches of WW I. Written by Brendan McLeod and performed by his JUNO-nominated folk music collective, The Fugitives, Ridge is about Vimy Ridge and the battle that made Canada. It is a poignant and memorable exploration of war and the sacrifices it demands. ARTIST WEBSITE
Concert Review - TAKE 3
By Neville Bowman
At various times in my musical career I have had people make the comment "you make it look so easy". It's a nice compliment, to appear that comfortable in one's craft. TAKE 3 makes it look easy - so easy and fun in fact that we forget just how highly skilled the musicians are and how carefully they've crafted their music.
When musicians are at the level of these three, it takes us past the simple analysis of technical ability and programming. We as an audience get to relax and enjoy the artistry, the entertainment, and the personalities of the performers, all of which were in ample supply onstage at the Kelowna Commuity Theatre.
The MOANIN’ FROGS give high sax appeal
By Lyndsey Wong MD – Singer
Prior to seeing The Moanin’ Frogs, I must admit to having reservations about listening to six saxophones at once, sans accompaniment. Wouldn’t six saxes be five too many?
The Breaking Winds -- Great Talent Shown with Humour
by Neville Bowman
Special to Okanagan Newspaper Group
In all areas of life, there are people drawn to the greater challenges. Those who want to beat that highest mountain, reach the pinnacle of a career, make a choice well beyond that which is necessary to fit into the general ranks. The world of music is no different, some opting to train well past the level of merely skilled to the point of exceptional (we had young Andrew Chen taking on Liszt for example) and / or selecting an instrument that few dare to master. An instrument such as the bassoon.
The 4 women who comprise The Breaking Winds (Brittany Harrington-Smith, Nellie Sommer, Kara LaMoure and Lauren Yu Ziemba) not only chose to take on the bassoon, but to form a quartet that often does it's best to pull the 17th century instrument right up the present, complete with the apparent prerequisite sense of humour.
I have to mention the humour because, right from the very name of the group and the opening number, they came out playful and energetic, including inflatable hands at the top of the instrument to "high-five" each other. However, such humour only really works when there is sufficient skill to balance it out. Thankfully, all of these players possess musicality and dexterity (and air!) in ample supply to manoeuvre what is arguably one of the most difficult orchestral instruments to play, period. (Take that, sax players).
Full disclosure, I love the sound of a bassoon. Nothing else sounds like it, and when 4 of them create perfect harmonies (such as on a stunning rendition of Danny Boy), it really does lift the instrument out of its oft supporting role to show off the gorgeous melodic range. It's equally at home producing percussive elements, as showcased throughout the evening in pieces such as the William Tell Overture and Ravel's Bolero. The Bolero in particular was cleverly created by breaking down the bassoons into constituent parts and adding in some other sound sources, eventually "rebuilding" the bassoons to produce the full tone. It was quite effective. I should also mention that almost all of the pieces performed were arranged by members of the group themselves, an impressive and rare feat.
I did find that the more traditional pieces were more successful when performed by the quartet. The instrument, to my ears, feels more at home with those melodic ideas, the nature of its sound having a depth and age to it that when applied to more modern pop songs, feels out of place. (An exception to this would be the arrangement of Somebody To Love which worked very well, but then again, Mr. Mercury was no ordinary writer). As well, the apparent limited dynamic range of the horns in such a large theatre meant that the sound got kind of "compressed", leaving us with mostly one volume level throughout the evening. I'm sure that's merely a technical issue, as the bassoon in the hands of players this good is capable of a beautiful expressive range.
To take such a challenging and misunderstood horn and present it in such an effective and unique manner is no easy job! Presented by the Kelowna Community Concert Association at the Kelowna Community Theatre, the Breaking Winds Bassoon Quartet gave us a fun and diverse show, with a relaxed humour that belied the remarkable skill displayed throughout the evening. As the season winds down, keep an eye out for next seasons' performances! Once again, it looks like an amazing lineup of acts from many differing realms of performance. Until next time.
Submitted by Neville Bowman, local musician and actor.