Creature to Creature
A 21st-century Bestiary
Sunday, March 16 at 3:30PM & Tuesday, March 18 at 8:00PM
Trinity St. Paul’s Centre
For Immediate Release – Toronto, February 6, 2014: In a bid to chase away the winter blues and open a window to spring, the Talisker Players present Creature to Creature - a light- hearted programme that promises to be as thought-provoking as it is entertaining - on March 16 and 18 at Trinity St. Paul’s Centre. Inspired by the medieval Bestiary, or “book of beasts”, this production wryly turns the tables – instead of using the traits of animals to serve as examples for human conduct, the Talisker Players’ 21st-century version offers words and music about creatures with all-too-human traits that gently lampoon our foibles. The musicians of the ensemble share the stage with a trio of splendid performers: mezzo soprano Norine Burgess, baritone Geoffrey Sirett, and theatre artist Ross Manson.
The title piece, by American composer Miriam Gideon, is a setting for voice, flute and piano of verses by Nancy Cardozo, from her whimsical collection “An Animalculary’. In a similar vein is Francis Poulenc’s charming Le Bestiaire, a setting of Guillaume Apollinaire’s very short, surreal verses about various animals (including a dromedary, a cricket, and a carp), for mezzo soprano, flute, clarinet, bassoon and string quartet.
The centrepiece of the programme is the premiere of a new work, commissioned by the Talisker Players from Composer-in-Residence Alexander Rapoport, based on Archy and Mehitabel. This famous collection of early 20th-century newspaper columns by New York Tribune writer Don Marquis purports to be the musings of Archy, a cockroach who entered the newsroom late at night and wrote in free verse by diving head-first onto the keys of a typewriter. Rapoport’s piece, for two singers, flute, clarinet, strings and toy instruments, will set highlights from the collection, focussing especially on Archy’s sometime pal, Mehitabel the disreputable alley cat.
Also included is Rainforest, by the American composer Lee Hoiby, a setting of prose poems by Elizabeth Bishop about three enigmatic creatures of the tropics, whose lives are oddly linked. Hoiby’s lush combination of voice with wind quintet and piano makes Bishop’s poems hauntingly memorable. On a lighter note, there is a selection of animal songs by Flanders and Swann, in new arrangements for voice, horn and string trio by Laura Jones – including of course the famous “Hippopotamus Song”. A bonbon by Rossini, the well-loved comic “Cat duet” rounds out the evening
As always, this production includes the spoken word. Readings this time will be selections from Vikram Seth’s wry and charming Beastly Tales from Here and There.
Norine Burgess’s compelling stage presence and beauty of tone have brought her renown in opera houses and on concert stages around the world. She has appeared in opera productions in Canada and abroad. Equally acclaimed on the concert stage, the Canadian singer performs regularly with The Aldeburgh Connection and with leading orchestras such as the Montreal Symphony, the Toronto Symphony, the National Arts Centre Orchestra, and many other ensembles across Canada, the U.S. and in Europe.
A recent Masters graduate of the University of Toronto's Opera Performance programme, Geoffrey Sirett has already distinguished himself on a wide variety of stages and in many different genres, impressing audiences and critics alike. The winner of numerous awards, Geoffrey Sirett has performed leading roles on the opera stage, and has appeared in recital across Canada and the U.S. Geoffrey's recently released debut album, ‘Vagabond’, with pianist Stephen Ralls, features works by Vaughan Williams, Butterworth and Britten, as well as Canadian composers Jocelyn Morlock and Ivan Barbotin.
Ross Manson is an actor, director, and translator, and the founding Artistic Director of the internationally acclaimed experimental theatre company, Volcano.
Creature to Creature
A 21st-century Bestiary
Norine Burgess, mezzo soprano, Geoffrey Sirett, baritone, Ross Manson, actor/reader
Sunday, March 16 at 3:30PM & Tuesday, March 18 at 8:00 PM
Trinity St. Paul’s Centre: 427 Bloor Street West
TICKET INFORMATION
Individual tickets: $35 / $25 (seniors) / $15 (students/un(der)employed)
Box office: 416-978-8849
Email: words.music@taliskerplayers.ca
Information: 416-466-1800
www.taliskerplayers.ca
Talisker Players Chamber Music offers one of the most imaginative and exciting concert series in Toronto. In collaboration with some of Canada’s finest young singers, Talisker Players present the rarely-heard repertoire for voice and chamber ensemble. Their unique programming includes readings that illuminate the music and delight audiences with a stimulating, theatrical concert experience. The music, engaging and varied, includes both celebrated works and unknown gems from all styles and periods, with a strong presence of Canadian compositions.
Talisker Players Upcoming Events
A Poet’s Love: Tuesday, May 27, 2013 & Wednesday, May 28, 2014 at 8 pm
The joys and sorrows of love deeply felt
Alexander Dobson, baritone, Graham Abbey, actor/reader
Trinity St. Paul’s Centre, 427 Bloor Street West
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Media contact:
Francine Labelle/flINK
416 654-4406 labellefrancine@rogers.com