Thanks to everyone who attended one or both of our annual student concerts. We would also like to thank the performers, Kevin Vienneau, Peter Albis and Evan Buckland who delighted everyone with more styles of guitar music that one has ever heard in one evening, as well as Norman Reintamn, conductor of the Bluffs Cathedral Symphony Orchestra, for his wonderful demonstration of the organ.
Guitar Guitar Guitar Nov 8/16
This concert was most enjoyable and the presenters most interesting. Peter Albis (our faculty) opened with his own composition combining elements of Flamenco, jazz and classical music and demonstrating the use of a tape loop. He then played a flamenco piece playing a Yamaha Grand Concert instrument that he amplified. Evan Buckland (our faculty) presented a popular tune by Paul McCartney, Yesterday, which he demonstrated as an unaccompanied guitar solo. His instrument was an Epiphone Emperor hollow-body jazz guitar played without amplification. Evan also had a Gretsch Electromatic guitar for students to see. Kevin Vienneau ( a professional musician from the Toronto area) demonstrated country music with the impromptu assistance of Evan, the blues, which he invited both guitarists to participate in, and a rock guitar solo accompanied by Brad Lovatt on the piano. He had several instruments with him including a classic Fender solid body electric guitar. Peter closed the all too short hour with a short 16th century classical Italian love song. Attendance was approximately 40 parents and students.
The Mystery of the Organ Nov 16/16
Norman Reintamm (conductor of the Cathedral Bluffs Symphony Orchestra) and his colleague Stillman Matheson? had an attentive audience combining The Bluffers from SBUC and students and parents from STM. Norman brought pipes from an actual pipe organ to show to the audience. The SBUC organ is digital but the sounds have been sampled from a real pipe organ. Stillman played excerpts to demonstrate the stops available on the instrument, and a student was invited to try the stops as well. Norman also demonstrated the difference between the piano (a percussion instrument) and the organ (originally a wind instrument). Many thanks to The Cathedral Bluffs Symphony Orchestra which sponsored the concert in cooperation with Springboard To Music.