03/18/2023
Things to do on Galiano! Winter Market today at south Hall and tomorrow a fantastic concert, not to be missed. View all upcoming and regular events at galianoislandlife.com/events.html
MUSIC by Joan Henriques Active Page
Percussiano3
On Sunday March 19th at 7:30, Galiano Concert Society presents pianists Elizabeth and Marcel Bergmann with Rod Thomas Squance on an array of percussion instruments. Mark your calendar and be sure not to miss this truly innovative performance.
You may have heard Elizabeth and Marcel when they came to Galiano before but perhaps not Rod. He is one of Canada's most exciting performers and has played with Yo-Yo Ma and many other well known musicians. When I started writing this, I listened to the three of them playing Astor Piazzolla's Libertango and had to stop writing – it was so exciting!
The Bergmanns and Rod Squance first encountered each other at the Banff Centre for Performing Arts two decades ago. The connection was instant. In a Percussiano3 program, you’ll likely hear instruments ranging from the classical piano to castanets, gourds, cow bells, sleigh bells, snare drum and chimes. The concert will be a six-handed musical delight of rhythm and melody with the Bergmann Duo on the piano and Rod playing percussion. You'll also experience the camaraderie, enthusiasm and talent of three long-time collaborators and friends.
The Bergmann Duo has inspired audiences world wide and their repertoire ranges from Baroque to contemporary. Many pieces have been composed or arranged by Marcel. The Duo also enjoy their roles closer to home as Artistic Directors of White Rock Concerts and they curate a popular series of coffee concerts throughout the Greater Vancouver area and on Vancouver Island. Elizabeth is also Artistic Director of Concerts at the Langley Community Music School. Marcel held a position as Professor of Music at Mohawk College in Hamilton and both Elizabeth and Marcel have been on faculty at Mount Royal University and The University of Calgary as well as being involved in various musical projects at The Banff Centre for the Arts. They also enjoy teaching and helping the next generation of musicians.
Everything I've read about Rod makes him sound incredibly versatile. He has appeared on national radio and television in solo recitals and with many orchestras. Classically trained, he also plays jazz vibraphone, Balinese shadow-puppet music and Indian classical music.
The vibraphone is unique. Tuned the same as a xylophone and also looking rather like one, it sounds very different. Its tuned bars are metal instead of wood and this makes a big difference to the sound. The vibraphone has a warmer and more mellow sound than the xylophone and is often used in jazz music and played with mallets to strike the bars. It has a pedal so the notes can be sustained and a motor which drives pulsator discs or fans that enable tremolo or vibrato. It's the vibrato that makes the vibraphone unique with its distinctive kind of woo-woo-woo-woo sound. Maybe we'll hear Rod play one with Percussiono3.
Rod also plays Balinese shadow-puppet music. Shadow puppet plays are popular throughout Indonesia. In Bali, leather puppets, called wayang kulit, are used for both entertainment and sacred ritual. During nighttime performances the puppets' shadows are cast against a white cloth stretched on bamboo and lit by an oil lamp above the puppeteer's head. An experienced puppeteer can make figures appear to walk, talk, fight and dance. Shadow puppetry is a popular form of entertainment in countries all over the world. In Bali the puppets are considered holy. The idea behind them is that 'life has illusions – shadows – which if studied can lead to self awareness'.
As well as an expert in his accompanying role, Rod is also an impressive soloist with sparkling technique and compelling musicianship. He currently teaches at the University of Calgary.
Percussiano3 with their versatility, array of instruments and stunning virtuosity create the excitement of a percussion ensemble combined with the classical touch of a traditional concert. They present great masterpieces and unique transcriptions for percussion and piano and their repertoire spans many musical styles and periods. Come to the South Hall on March 19th and prepare to be delighted.
You might also enjoy having a look at the videos of the November 26 Duo Rendezvous concert at the Galiano Concert Society's website: galianoconcerts.com
