arts // no. 8

   

weet rere g ay ler)
Nee a sya eyes 1) an

> Music students give passat and receive awards

Caroline Ho
Arts Editor

 

n Friday, March 31, the Douglas
College Music Department
reminded audiences of the talent
fostered—and opportunities opened—
by the continuing support of donors.
The Choirs and Concert Band
showed off their skills at Friday’s annual
Awards Benefit Concert, part of the
Spring 2017 Concert Series. This concert
is held both to recognize and appreciate
these blossoming musicians, and to
raise awareness and funds for the Music
Department’s scholarships and awards.
The first half of the concert featured
the Chorus and Chorale vocal groups
conducted by Eric Hannan. First up was
the larger Chorus, made up of students
and other community members, beginning
with a lively rendition of Sid Robinovitch’s
“Noche de Lluvia,’ and followed bya
couple of solemner psalms and hymns by
Romantic composer Felix Mendelssohn.
The Chorus’ first few pieces
all featured a beautiful balance of
soprano, alto, tenor, and bass ranges.
Then, to change it up, only the male
voices performed “A vuchella,” by
Franceso Paolo Tosti, a playful and
teasing song about seeking a kiss.
Probably the most interesting
piece performed by the full Chorus was

Chairman of the board: All aboard

 

y e | .

2

Calvin Hampton’s “O lord, support us,”
which was accompanied by a track of
tinkling bells and glockenspiels, giving
the song a distinctly ethereal quality.

Next on the stage was the Chorale,
made up of a few select singers. They
started with Baroque composer
Charpentier’s “Pour le Saint Sacrement au
réposoir,’ featuring accompaniment by two
flutes and the theorbo (a type of lute). My
favourite of the Chorale’s performances
was probably Brahms’ “In stiller Nacht,”

a mournful yet uplifting piece about
one’s emotional unity with nature.

As well as harmonious, the choirs’
performances were also culturally and
linguistically enriching: They sung in
Latin, German, Italian, French, and
Portuguese, as well as English. The
audience was given booklets with English
translations of the lyrics, but even
without the translations, the songs were
unmistakably moving. The more religious
choral pieces conveyed a deep sense of
devotion, while the Chorale’s final piece, a
Brazilian folk song, was clearly a lot of fun.

The show then went to a brief
intermission, during which the stage was
rearranged to prepare for the Concert Band.
However, before the next performances
took place came the most exciting part of
the night: the scholarships and awards,
presented by Jane Evans of the Douglas
College Foundation and Music Department
coordinator Heather Harty Scott.

> ‘Ticket to Ride’ board game review

Ed Appleby
Illustrator

 

hate transit. Nothing ever goes straight

to where youre heading and sometimes
you have to take illogical routes to get to
where you need to go. Now imagine that
you can't take the same route as any other
commuter. Doesn't that sound like fun?

Ticket to Ride (2004) is a hand
management and set collecting game
for two to five players designed by Alan
R. Moon and published by Days of
Wonder. In the game, players collect
sets of coloured cards in order to create
train routes across a map, originally of
the United States, but the series has
expanded to include other countries
and continents. Once one player runs
out of train pieces, the game goes for
one final round, and points are scored
by completed tickets and routes.
The game is well-designed and

extremely easy to learn and play.

Competition can run high among routes,
and, when blocked, there are always
roundabout ways of getting to your
destination. Strategy comes in both
laying routes and choosing tickets, as you
lose points for every route you cannot
complete. It is a fun, low-risk, low-stress
game with a lot of replay value, and
makes a great starter game for anyone
looking to get into board gaming.

And I thought it was just okay.

For years I have wanted to play
Ticket to Ride, but every time a game
was played among my friends I was
usually in the middle of another game.
Now that I have played it, I found
it much less engaging than | had
hoped. Perhaps it was the theme, or
the extremely simple gameplay, but
as a seasoned gamer I need a little
more meat in my strategy games.

In the end, I think Ticket to Ride is
a great game and ideal for newcomers,
but it may not be for everyone.

vi a

a Ro ie

 

6
.—
ait

The presenters first took a moment
to acknowledge the recipients of the
entrance scholarships that had been
given out at the start of the school year,
before announcing the winners of this
year’s end of term prizes. Many of these
awards and scholarships were established
by—or dedicated to—former faculty or
alumni of the Music Department who
had wished to continue the tradition of
supporting this musical community.

Thirteen first-year and second-year
music students received awards for their
talent, artistry, dedication, academic
excellence, and musical growth, especially
those students planning to continue their
musical education. The final prizes of
the night were the four Music Student
Recognition Awards, which are funded
in part by ticket sales for the very concert
the awards were being presented at.

After the awards were presented,
the music resumed with the Concert
Band, conducted by John van Deursen,
immediately launching into a performance
of the energetic “Toccata Marziale”
by Ralph Vaughan Williams.

The band’s next piece was an
especially elaborate one. In celebration of
Canada’s 150th birthday, they performed
Howard Cable’s “Berczy Portraits.” William
Berczy was a preeminent painter and
architect of pre-Confederation Canada and
co-founder of Toronto. “Berczy Portraits” is
in three distinct movements corresponding

[a

ee
#

theotherpress.ca

=

oe

_
$.'

a

to three paintings by the artist, and
the music ranged from majestically
stately to bold and uninhibited.

One of the Concert Band’s pieces
even featured a guest performance by
a student outside the band, violinist
Jeongah Choi. As van Deuresen
explained, violins and wind bands are
an uncommon combination, so it was a
rare treat to hear the incredibly talented
violinist lead the group in the zesty,
Roma-influenced “Zigeunerweisen” by
Spanish composer Pablo de Sarasate.

Finally, the Concert Band finished
the show with Eric Whitacre’s “Equus.”
The title means “horse,” which manifested
energetically in the piece’s palpable pulse,
with upbeat rhythms carrying the song
through to the close of the concert.

After witnessing a show full of
musicianship from both vocal and
instrumental ensembles, it’s impossible
not to respect the time, effort, and
emotion that goes into performing.
You gain a new appreciation for how
elaborate a performing ensemble is, how
many different instruments or vocal
parts coordinate with one another, and
how many hours of rehearsal must go
into making everything fit together.
For those who would like to support the
Music Student Awards, the Department
is always grateful for donations—simply
go to www.douglascollege.ca/donate to
contribute.

Illustration by Ed Appleby