Creating a 22-minute Digital Opera during the 2021 Performer Composer Residency!
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We love having casual conversations with artists about their music on The Westben grounds or at "The Merch Table" before performances. Do you? If you answered yes, you are in luck!
Photo by Wayne Eardley
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Dramatically, this piece feels like suspension – new strength – suspension – new strength – suspension which becomes joyful acceptance. Now here we are in early April 2021 in southern Ontario – in yet another lockdown from this pandemic. We too are suspended – yet again – but we too look ahead, like spring, to new joys.
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We have performed Westben twice before, twice in “real life” with an audience and it’s just a really magical place. How often do you play in a barn outfitted with comfy theatre seats? It just kind of makes the performance feel more natural. Something about playing a wooden barn while playing three violins, the wooden instrument. It ties in with our tradition of the Ottawa Valley fiddle and step dancing which originated in an informal setting - well in lumber camps - and probably a lot of barns, barn dances were a big part of that Ottawa valley music too.
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It’s nice though like I think with all of the arranging tools and I guess with the sound of three fiddles you naturally get that traditional sound. Our arrangements kind of bring the music in a new direction but it is still relatable to a lot of people. What we have a lot of fun with is creating this new music and you really have a lot of flexibility and possibilities for arrangements on the fiddle.
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Episode 15 of the podcast is a vibrant and interesting conversation with internationally acclaimed Toronto-based singer-songwriter Barbra Lica! From conversations of creative new remote collaborations to learning to produce music in her basement, Barbra Lica shared a few wonderfully creative things she has been able to accomplish during this time of isolation.
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“I absolutely love this venue. I think that this venue is a fantasy. It’s a dream. I’ve always loved performing outdoors, but outdoors you never get quite the acoustics that you get in a performing arts centre. This is a place that combines the beauty of both. It has the outdoor feel and you can feel the breeze through your skirt but it has unbelievable acoustics.” - Barbra Lica in conversation with Brian Finley
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Looking ahead to summer 2021 and the probable restrictions on gathering numbers due to COVID, Westben realized that it isn’t viable to present concerts at The Barn with an audience of only 50 people. Dreaming went into overdrive. It felt like “here we go again!” as in 1999.
Phase one during COVID had been to go online and stay connected. Phase two was now to bring people back together safely and comfortably.
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We are so looking forward to sharing Tree of Light / Westben Digital Christmas Concert at The Barn with you this Saturday at 7:00 pm on YouTube & our NEW Digital Venue! This concert is based on the short story by Christopher Cameron Tree of Light. It is about a Northumberland father who decorates the tree in his front yard, yet again, in the hope that it will once again guide his children back home for Christmas. Of course, he knows full well that this will not be the case this Christmas, but he feels the urge to continue this important tradition with unflagging hope for the future…
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Christmas Eve is one of my favourite days of the year. It’s been a long tradition in our family that we gather at our century-old farmhouse for an evening of hors d'oeuvres, wine, laughter, politics, and music… Unfortunately, a new tradition was started two years ago around a missing turkey...
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If gathering indoors continues to be severely restricted, we have decided to move the music even more outdoors. But in what location? Artistic Director Brian Finley, and volunteer Doug Keene, along with the Westben Board Property committee, started a search and looked at several areas for the new venue on the Westben property.
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Learn more about this dynamic Canadian musician & enjoy a message from Brian about his upcoming concert!
Performer & Educator: Brian Manker is a frequent concerto soloist with the OSM and a member of New Orford String Quartet. Brian is also a faculty member at McGill University’s Schulich School of Music.
Favourite Composers: Brahms, Beethoven, Bach, and Debussy.
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To me, a Bee City is a community that protects and grows natural areas where pollinators, like bees, can thrive. A Bee City takes time to learn all about their natural environment & the roles that bees play in keeping it healthy. Today, using the Bee City Canada program’s 3 main goals, we will be taking a closer look at where bees like to live, what a pollinator is & how music can help “bee-friendly” plants grow! Follow along.
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Can you think of ways that music & nature are connected? It’s a tricky question because there are SO MANY different ways to see the connection between the two. This week we will look at our friend the bumblebee to explore their musical nature.
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Westben's Cookie Choir usually takes place at The Clock Tower in Campbellford, but today we are having choir online! Donna & Brian show you some fun exercises to do at home with kids to bring music to your day. Rhythm, pitch, movement & a final surprise. Brian takes apart his Steinway grand piano that was built in 1912 showing you the action, the strings, the keys, the hammers and all the intricate parts of the instrument. Learn how a piano works and what makes a grand piano so GRAND.
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It is time for CHOIR!
Grab a glass of water, stretch & get ready to sing! Warm-up with Donna & Brian, master your favourite tongue twister & sing a piece from The Selfish Giant written by Brian Finley & Ken Tizzard.
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Welcome! We are so glad you are here. We have Brian on the piano today & Ben behind the camera. A special welcome to all of you “Cookies” out there. If you like to play and jump and squiggle and wiggle when you sing, then you’re a “Cookie”. Even if you are a crunchy cookie or a chewy cookie, you are all welcome today.
We often have Cookie Choir at the Clock Tower on Wednesdays in downtown Campbellford and sometimes at the Westben Barn, but today we are at the farm, so welcome & lets get started. All you’re going to need is space around you, something to tap and a big open heart.
Ready? Here we go!
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Let’s explore this favourite opera through the icon Glyndebourne Opera company located in another beautiful rural location in southern England. As you know from experiencing music at Westben, it’s wonderful to connect music and nature.
Read or Watch, Dance, Let’s Speak German, Go Behind the Scenes & Draw what you Hear!
CLICK THE TITLE FOR MORE
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Join Donna & the Westben youth & teen choirs for a fun vocal warm-up! Learn some new exercises, practise some you already know and then top it off with tricky tongue twisters. Send us a video of you trying some tongue twisters, or write us your favourite tongue twisters at westben@westben.ca. Thank you to the youth & teen chorus members who submitted videos. Share with your friends & let's sing together. Happy singing!
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