IN THE HOME STRETCH NOW…
Dear Friends,
If you're like me, you're paying attention to the Blue Jays right now - and for good reason! But did anyone notice during the first game in Seattle the music that was used when introducing the Jays' starting lineup? My brain was truly confused by the choice made, mostly because I wondered who did the choosing! They used the rap tune Not Like Us by Kendrick Lamar. Was it meant to be a sign of strength for the Blue Jays, or a public slam against them made by the Seattle folks?
I literally have no idea. Maybe someone out there knows? Regardless, for all kinds of reasons, it was a very unusual tune to hear when watching the likes of George Springer, Vladimir Guerrero Junior and all others run out onto the field.
But back to reality, and the fact that the baseball season is in its home stretch...as are we at Stratford Summer Music and our 25th season! To celebrate, we are premiering a brand new work by Canadian composer Jared Miller entitled Follow. I'll be leading a select group of young musicians at Lazaridis Hall next Wednesday at 7pm. It will be a celebration of all things good about music, with the featured works celebrating youth. Paired with Miller is the iconic String Octet by Felix Mendelssohn, which is celebrating its 200th anniversary (!) this month. Mendelssohn wrote the work when he was 16 years old, and it remains a cornerstone of summer music festivals all around the world. In fact, as you are reading this, no doubt someone is performing the work somewhere! Miller's work is inspired by Mendelssohn and is about the journey of self-discovery made during youth.
This one-hour concert will be hosted by CBC's Tom Allen. It is our first time using the Lazaridis Hall, so please come out and join us! The creation of new music is a vital part of the mission of any great music festival - and we are very excited about this one!! Our thanks to Robert Lemon for commissioning Follow, which is dedicated to the memory of his longtime partner Robert Ledingham.
Here's a link with more info... see you there, I hope!
Make Mine A Double: Miller + Mendelssohn
October 22 | 7 PM
Lazaridis Hall
Tom Patterson Theatre
Have a great weekend!
Mark and the SSM Team