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www.oakvillebeaver.com The Oakville Beaver, Friday November 7, 2008 - 31 Artscene · FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2008 25 Studio tour a success Oakville Chamber Ensemble presents a cappella program By Tina Depko OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF Logan Thomas (top) admires Deborah Cardinal Rhyason's oil paintings at the Harbour Banquet and Conference Centre, while Gunta White (bottom left) watches Marguerite Broten's student, Susan Matichck, work on the pottery wheel at the Oakville Art Society. Art displays and demonstrations were part of the Oakville Art Society's annual Studio Tour, which ran last weekend. Eighteen artists took part in the event, which drew more than 500 visitors. PHOTOS BY NIKKI WESLEY / OAKVILLE BEAVER The Oakville Chamber Ensemble is celebrating the music of two very different periods in its afternoon concert entitled Des Chansons on Sunday, Nov. 16. The 14-member professional choir will perform a combination of 20th century and Renaissance works. There will be something for everyone, according to Stéphane Potvin, artistic director and founder of Oakville Chamber Ensemble. "For this program, I basically picked pieces that I really liked that fit together and that I thought people will enjoy," he said. "They are also wonderful pieces to sing, and I've got the singers I need to perform them very well." The core of the program is four 20th Century works, including Trois Chansons by Maurice Ravel, Six Chansons by Paul Hindemith, Reincarnations by Samuel Barber and Figures de Danses by French-Canadian composer Lionel Daunais. The remainder of the concert will be madrigals from the Renaissance, which is generally defined as the period from 1400 to 1600. Among the featured composers are Thomas Morley, Giovanni Giacomo Gastoldi, John Farmer, Orlando Gibbons, John Dowland, John Wilbye and Josquin Des Prez. While there are several hundred years between the works on the program, Potvin said they complement each other. "The Hindemith, Ravel and Barber take their inspiration from the Renaissance," he said. "When you are listening to the music, you will hear little motifs, little ideas, that are reminiscent of those Renaissance forms." Singers hail from across southern Ontario. Potvin said the choir is unique as every member is a trained and experienced professional singer. As a result, the level of performance is very high, he added. "Our challenge in promoting the ensemble is that a lot of people don't know we exist and for those who know about us, they don't know it is a professional group," he said. "Everyone is auditioned and choir members are re-auditioned every year so we can attract the best singers. People don't have to go to Toronto to hear a concert like this." All pieces are a cappella, which means they are unaccompanied. This allows the pure sound of the voices to impress audiences, and it challenges the singers, Potvin said. "The choir has been in existence for four years and we started a cappella and we've worked a cappella ever since," he said. "The main reason is to work on intonation, which is one of my big things." The concert will be held at St. Simon's Anglican Church, which seats about 200 people. This smaller venue is ideal for chamber music, which is meant to be performed in an intimate setting, according to Potvin. "I like St. Simon's because it is intimate," Potvin said. "And the way the pews are, there's a good sightline from everywhere." While a professional choir performing classical music may intimidate some people, Potvin says he strives to make the music accessible. "I know people sometimes fear the words `classical music' because they think it is either boring or snobby," he said. "I always talk before the pieces and try to put them into context, not necessarily historical context because that could be boring, but what people can listen for and other musical ideas. It isn't your stuffy classical music concert. "We want to make the concert a human experience, not just a musical one. Classical music can be a lot of fun and we try to make it that way." The Oakville Chamber Ensemble consists of a choir and a chamber orchestra. The groups each perform two separate concerts during the season, which runs from October through May. The next chamber orchestra concert is scheduled for Jan. 31, with the choir's subsequent concert running March 15. The two groups will unite forces for the final performance of the season on May 23. The Oakville Chamber Ensemble choral concert Des Chansons runs Sunday, Nov. 16 at 3 p.m. at St. Simon's Anglican Church, 1450 Litchfield Rd. Single tickets cost $25 for adults, $15 for students and seniors and $5 for youths 15 and under. Mini subscriptions to three concerts cost $65 for adults, $40 for students and seniors and $12 for youths 15 and under. Tickets are available at 905-825-9740, info@oakville-ensemble.ca and at the door. For information, visit www.oakvilleensemble.ca.