Rumours of Peace

Accounts of the cost of human conflict, and the hope for lasting peace.

Wednesday, November 9, 2005, at 8PM
Trinity St. Paul's Centre

For Immediate Release - Toronto, October 12, 2005: Talisker Players, Toronto's innovative young chamber ensemble, opens its sixth season at Trinity St. Paul's Centre on November 9 with a dramatic and moving production titled Rumours of Peace. The adventurous musicians of the ensemble are joined by the splendid soprano Teri Dunn and the exciting young baritone Jason Nedecky to present an eclectic variety of music exploring the cost of war, and the hope for peace – a timely subject in the week of Remembrance Day.

The evening features Voices of Women in Wartime by Gloria Coates, an expatriate American who has lived for many years in Germany. A dramatic cantata for voice with viola, cello, piano and percussion, it uses a variety of texts from women on both sides of the combat in World War II – including poetry, a telegram, a note from a school teacher and a BBC weather report.

Rumours of Peace also includes works by two of the most acclaimed composers on the contemporary international scene. The Wound-Dresser, by the American composer John Adams (Nixon in China), is a setting of a narrative poem by Walt Whitman about his experience as a medic in the U.S. Civil War. Originally for solo voice and orchestra, it has been arranged by award-winning Toronto composer Richard Mascall for voice and string quartet, clarinet, trumpet, piano and percussion especially for this concert. Tenebrae, by the Argentinian-American Osvaldo Golijov (St. Mark Passion), is a setting of letters of the Hebrew alphabet, for voice, clarinet and string quartet. It juxtaposes two very different realities experienced by the composer within a short period of time in September 2000: a visit to Israel at the start of another wave of violence in the region; and a visit to the new planetarium in New York City a week later with his young son, where they saw "the Earth as a beautiful blue dot in space."

Maura is a little-known gem by the American composer Margaret Fairlie-Kennedy. Based on the story of a refugee from the Warsaw ghetto, who managed to escape but had to leave his beloved sister behind. The work is a setting for voice with violin, cello and piano.

Two short works round out the programme: Dover Beach, a beautiful setting of Matthew Arnold's famous poem, for voice and string quartet by the great American composer Samuel Barber; and a new setting of Canada's most famous war poem, In Flanders Fields, for two voices, violin, viola, cello, English horn and piano, by the young Toronto composer Stephanie Moore. The latter is a world premiere, commissioned for the occasion by the Talisker Players.

As always, this Talisker Players programme includes the spoken word – in this case readings from Vermeer in Bosnia, a collection of essays by Lawrence Weschler (originally published in the New Yorker) which compassionately consider our responses to some of the great human crises of the late 20th century. They will be woven into the programme by celebrated actor Ross Manson.

Ottawa born soprano, Teri Dunn, has performed prominent roles with some of Canada's finest ensembles, including the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Toronto Mendelssohn Choir, The Bach Consort, Ottawa Bach Choir, New Music Concerts, Aradia, the Guelph Spring Festival, and the Ottawa Chamber Music Festival. She brings a wide expressive palette to her oratorio appearances, including Bach's Matthäuspassion and Johannespassion, Haydn's Lord Nelson Mass, Mendelssohn's Elijah and St. Paul, and Orff's Carmina Burana. A thrilling chamber music performer, she has performed several Bach cantatas, Elisabeth Jacquet de la Guerre's Jonas and numerous contemporary works, including George Crumb's Ancient Voices of Children. On the operatic stage, Ms. Dunn has appeared as the Queen of the Night in Mozart's Die Zauberflöte and Galatea in Handel's Acis and Galatea.

Jason Nedecky, baritone, is a native of Winnipeg. His artistry has been recognized by audiences and critics alike, in opera and on the concert stage. His most recent appearances include Haydn's Creation with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra and Fauré's Requiem with the Manitoba Chamber Orchestra. He has also performed with the Toronto Consort, the Toronto Chamber Choir, the Aldeburgh Connection, Toronto Masque Theatre, Aradia Ensemble and the Valley Festival near Ottawa. His operatic credits include appearances with the Saskatoon Opera Association and with Toronto's Opera Atelier. He sang roles in the company's productions of Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro and Lully's Persée. The latter recently aired on CBC television's popular series "Opening Night."

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Media Contact: Francine Labelle/flINK
416-654-4406
labellefrancine@rogers.com

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