Symphony of the Kootenays: A Celebration of Excellence

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Posted: March 25, 2014

Symphony of the Kootenays: A Celebration of Excellence

Symphony teams up with Mt. Baker Secondary School music program for extraordinary concerts.

As a culmination to its highly successful 2013-14 season, The Symphony of the Kootenays presents A Celebration of Excellence as its season finale on April 12 and 13 at Cranbrook’s Key City Theatre.

The concert will feature Evan Bueckert, music program director at Cranbrook’s Mount Baker Secondary School as the Symphony’s guest conductor.

Mt. Baker’s Concert and Jazz Bands will join the Symphony for a lively program of popular music ranging from William Tell to Harry Potter.

One of the key ambitions of the Symphony following its financial crisis in 2012 was to highlight local talent. This is a symphony of the Kootenays, not a symphony for the Kootenays. There is a wealth of musical talent among these mountains and the Symphony looks to provide an opportunity for that talent to shine. There is an abundance of excellence to celebrate!

“The students are incredibly excited to be involved in this concert and have an opportunity to perform with the Symphony musicians,” says Mr. Beuckert. “They love this repertoire and have been working very hard since September and are keen to share it. They realize what an amazing chance this is to experience concert preparation and performance at a professional level and perhaps get an insight into how it might feel to be a career musician.

“Plus they get to meet some pretty cool people.”

Ever the teacher, Mr. Beuckert compares and contrasts the two groups. “I think that the Baker ensembles and the Symphony both endeavour to provide inspiration for our community,” he says, before adding, “But from slightly different perspectives – those of youth and adult.

“In this concert we are seeing the two come together, sharing the joy of playing music, regardless of age, and in doing so inspiring each other.”

This year has marked the inaugural season for the Symphony of the Kootenays with Jeff Faragher of Nelson as its conductor. Mr. Faragher has brought endless energy, enthusiasm and excellence to the Symphony. A standing ovation at the intermission of the season’s first concert was a signal of the immediate connection between Mr. Faragher, the musicians and the audience.

There’s a connection between Beuckert and Faragher as well. “Working with Jeff has been delightful,” says Mr. Beuckert. “He has such an encyclopedic knowledge of the material and is such a naturally expressive conductor and performer. I am also incredibly humbled and inspired by his new leadership and direction of our fine symphony.”

Previously the Symphony’s Principal Cellist, Faragher will be featured in the concert’s second half, performing Elgar’s famously dramatic Cello Concerto. Appearing alongside the Symphony under Mr. Beuckert, the concert brings together two of the finest musicians in the Kootenays – a show you won’t want to miss.

Conducting Elgar’s Cello Concerto completes a symphonic circle for Mr. Beuckert, who grew up in Invermere.

“My father Lorne was a cellist,” Beuckert explains. “In fact in the 1980s he took regular lessons from then Symphony of the Kootenays director, Ron Edinger. He would drive from our home in Invermere to Cranbrook every week. One of his favourite workhorses was the Elgar. As a teenager I heard that concerto in the house constantly, or at least the parts my dad liked the best. It is a real treat to find myself conducting it with Jeff. I feel like a kid again!”

The Symphony offers several other options to get into an orchestral mood. A new feature this year has been an open dress rehearsal on Saturday afternoons before the concert. The Symphony of the Kootenays is a very unique orchestra in that its musicians are scattered throughout the Kootenays and southwest Alberta. They have three rehearsals within 36 hours of the performance. Then it’s show time! Added to this concert will be mixing in the Mt. Baker ensembles.

To experience how it all comes together, the Symphony offers free admission to its final rehearsal from noon to 1:30 p.m. on Saturday April 12, at the Key City Theatre. This is a great opportunity for young children to experience the Symphony as more movement is possible and it’s easier (and cheaper!) to come and go as you wish.

Music educator Lorraine Kneier offers another free event on Saturday April 12 – a presentation looking at the music to be played that weekend. With a deeper understanding of the music you can better appreciate the concert and learn more about the composers. This workshop is at the Cranbrook Public Library from 3 to 5 p.m. Please register in advance at the library.

Finally, get into a festive mood before the concert by arriving early for the social Prelude event put on by the Symphony. This gathering in the Key City Theatre lobby starts one hour before each concert with local sponsors providing refreshments including gelato, coffee and other treats. A chance to mingle with fellow concert goers and peruse the programme for the Symphony’s 2014-15 season!

For all the festivities, ultimately the concerts are about the music and the people creating it. “I truly hope that the audience finds the repertoire as enjoyable as we have,” concludes Evan Beuckert. “I feel that if the music is fun to play, the audience will find it fun to hear. If you watch the student’s faces during the concert you will see the joy for yourself!”

Symphony of the Kootenays “A Celebration of Excellence” concerts – Key City Theatre, Cranbrook

Saturday April 12, 7:30 p.m.