What's going on MUSIC

Performing Arts & Entertainment in Canada, Wntr, 1999

NOTED QUEBEC LYRICIST'S NEW MUSICAL TOURS CANADA (Canadian Scene) Luc Plamondon, whose name is familiar to Quebecers as the writer of lyrics for music sung by such celebrities as Celine Dion, Robert Charlebois and Monique Leyrac is happy to see Notre Dame de Paris touring Canada. based on the Victor Hugo classic of the same name, the tragic but inspiring story of Quasimodo, the Hunchback of Notre Dame, has been filmed and staged many times, but the current production is the first musical version, co-written by lyricist Plamondon and Italian singer-composer Richard Cocciante. It played for six months to sold-out audiences at the 3,800 seat Palais des Congres in Paris then toured France and other European countries with similar success. The Canadian tour of Notre Dame de Paris began on March 30 in Montreal and was scheduled to open in Quebec City and Ottawa before arriving in Toronto on June 8 for a five-day run. Sung in French, it features the same cast that appeared in the record-breaking Paris production. In addition to the principal performers, there is a large cast of dancers, acrobats and jugglers. After Toronto, the production returns to Paris.

Notre Dame de Paris is Luc Plamondon's fifth musical drama. He is best known for his classic rock-opera, Starmania which was first staged in 1979 and has attracted an audience of 3 million to date and has sold 5 million albums. The author of over 400 songs, Plamondon was honoured at the recent Juno awards for the recording industry with a special tribute. In 1996 he was awarded the Merite du Francais for his contribution to the French language in the performing arts.

JAZZ IN THE VINEYARD concerts at Hillebrand Estates in Niagara July 10-11 featured Juke Joint, Molly Johnson, Phil Dwyer Group, Tyler Yarema & His Rhythm and the Steve Koven Trio.

CHALMERS AWARDS Conductors Mario Bernardi and Bramwell Tovey are among this year's recipients - Bernardi for artistic excellence and Tovey for artistic direction. Tafelmusik's Ottie Lockey is honoured for arts administration.

HUNTSVILLE FESTIVAL featured eclectic programming this year. Vintage rock orchestra Lighthouse kicked off the festival on Canada Day. Jazz artists Molly Johnson, Joe Sealy and Phil Dwyer were there. Celtic fiddler Natalie McMaster was on hand, as was mezzo-soprano Jean Stilwell and the Penderecki String Quartet. Stuart McLean brought the Vinyl Cafe, and Huntsville's own recording artist Tina Turley and Loose Boots added a country flavour. And to really put the "multi" in multicultural, Firedance explored the intertwined roots of Flamenco and East Indian dance.

OPERA IN CONCERT

The new season commences in October and includes Oftenbach's La Perichole, Handel's Alcina, Verdi's Ernani, Voices of Spring (a choral concert) and John Beckwith's The Shivaree.

HARBOURFRONT in Toronto presents Rythms of the World weekend August 6-8. The music is Portuguese and the artists are from Brazil, Cape Verde and Angola. A Passage to India takes place August 13-15 with music, dance, food and more.

BEATRICE CHANCY was presented by the Queen of Puddings Music Theatre Company with soprano Measha Gosman in the title role in Toronto in June, preceeding its August 12-15 run in Halifax. This chamber opera is a drama of love, revenge and liberation set on a Nova Scotia plantation during the last days of slavery, Beatrice Chancy was written by James Rolphe with an excellent libretto by Nova Scotia poet George Elliot Clarke. Rolphe found that music in Nova Scotia circa 1801 was diverse, including sacred and secular music of African, Scottish, English, Irish, American, French and Miqmaq cultures. AS a "new music" composer, his challenge was to integrate these various forms seamlessly into the opera - and this he does. As for the timeliness of the subject matter-slavery-Clarke kept in mind a quotation from Hardial Bains: "The old enslavement was to nature, and the new one is of one individual to another, beginning with chattel slavery and proceeding to the modern kind, where enslavement has assumed the most grotesque form-not only wage slavery, but also bondage to the financial instituions which, in the present period, hold the entire world in their grasp."

ONTARIO FESTIVAL OF YOUTH ORCHESTRAS was hosted by the Mississauga Youth Orchestra in May. Members of the Mississauga Symphonic Association conducted coaching sessions for over 300 young musicians while composers Louis Applebaum and John Weinzweig gave workshops in composition. Festival conductor was Janos Sandor, who is music director of the Greater Victoria Youth Orchestra.