This programme capitalizes on the dramatic nature of song in Purcell's era, but in an updated, contemporary context. Today, Purcell's music suffers from a 'crisis of context'. Frequently humourful, often ridiculous, many of Purcell's songs are from larger lost works of theatre. The programme will provide a modern, and often quite silly, context for these songs to be 're-admired'. The programme will feature both well-known and lesser known works (like one of Purcell's humorous rounds), including repertoire that was never intended for a countertenor to sing, such as Dido's Lament.
Saturday, June 22, 7:00 pm
All Saints by-the-Sea Anglican Church
110 Park Drive, Salt Spring Island
Tickets can be purchased online through TIX by clicking on the blue button below, or online through the ArtSpring box office by clicking on the red button. Tickets are also available in person at the ArtSpring box office, or at the door the night of the performance.
Instructions for TIX website: to purchase tickets, click on the blue button above which will take you to the TIX website. Once on the TIX website, click the green button to select your tickets – prior to checking out you will need to set up a TIX account if you don't already have one. This can be done by clicking on the person icon in the top right next to the shopping cart. If you don't wish to purchase tickets online, just send us a note at info@saltspringbaroque.com – we will gladly reserve seats for you and you can pay by cash or card at the door.
PERFORMER BIOS
Nicholas Burns: Born in Vancouver British-Columbia, countertenor Nicholas Burns has been described as possessing a "thrilling voice" and past performances have been described as a "revelation" (Opera Canada). As an artist at the Britten-Pears Young Artist Programme, Nicholas performed Bach cantatas under Philippe Herreweghe. He has also appeared with appeared with Tafelmusik, American Bach Soloists, Early Music Vancouver, Arion Baroque Orchestra, The Theatre of Early Music, le Studio de musique ancienne de Montréal, the Thunder Bay Symphony Orchestra, L'Harmonie des saisons, and l'Orchestre symphonique de Longueuil. On the opera stage, Nicholas has performed in numerous Handel operas including the title role in Giulio Cesare, Bertarido in Rodelinda, and the world premiere of a new opera, L'Orangeraie. Upcoming performances include engagements with the BachFest Leipzig, American Bach Soloists, Toronto Bach Festival, I Musici, Tafelmusik, and Early Music Vancouver. Aside from singing, Nicholas is an accomplished bagpiper, having won the World Pipe Band Championships in 2012.
Shane Hanson: Canadian countertenor Shane Hanson has performed with the Theatre of Early Music, Vancouver Bach Choir, Ne.Sans Opera and Dance, Kamloops Symphony, Okanagan Symphony, UBC Opera Ensemble, Against the Grain Theatre, Vancouver Symphony, Early Music Vancouver, and Chilliwack Symphony. Most recent engagements include Orfeo in Ne:Sans' Orfeo ed Euridice, and alto soloist in Pergolesi's Stabat Mater with the Kamloops Symphony. In recent years Shane has participated in several notable productions, including various Bach cantatas with Daniel Taylor's Theatre Of Early Music, covering Orphee for Against the Grain Theatre's Orphee, and many concert works with an array of ensembles. Although he has mostly performed concert works, he is also very accomplished on the operatic stage. Notable operatic roles include Britten's Oberon, Handel's Guilio Cesare, and Gluck's Orfeo, and in the 2018 northwestern regional Metropolitan Opera competition, Shane received runner up. Shane holds a bachelor's degree in opera performance from the University of British Columbia where he studied under Dale Throness and Nancy Hermiston. He received many generous scholarships during his studies at UBC, including the Edwina Heller Memorial Award in Opera. When off the stage, Shane enjoys discovering late eighteenth century opera arias and creating piano reductions of them to then record or perform. His most notable collection of reductions includes select alto arias of Anfossi, Jomelli, and Myslivecek.
Christophe Gauthier: Born in Montreal, Christophe Gauthier studied harpsichord at the Conservatoire de Montréal (Mireille Lagacé) and he did his Bachelors (Réjean Poirier) and Masters (Luc Beauséjour) at Université de Montréal. He also took classes with Benjamin Alard (Paris) and Jory Vinikour (Chicago).
A talented chamber musician, Christophe Gauthier has founded many ensembles such as Les Rendez-vous baroque français (Montréal), La Frontera (Mexico) and Le Consort laurentien (Basel) which was produced at the Utrecht Early Music Festival in summer 2021. He also plays organ with Studio de musique ancienne de Montréal, Arion orchestre baroque, I Musici de Montréal and Orchestre Métropolitain with maestro Yannick Nézet-Séguin. He was heard in harpsichord recital at Chapelle historique du Bon-Pasteur in autumn of 2021, and will be seen again as a soloist at Clavecin en concert in winter of 2023.
Christophe Gauthier teaches harpsichord and organ at Cégep Marie-Victorin and ear training at Cégep de Saint-Laurent. He is often invited to conduct ensembles from the harpsichord and he is choirmaster for Ensemble vocal Vivace and le Chœur de l'OPMEM. He has also conducted Dido and Eneas (Purcell), Hercules (Handel) and David et Jonathas (Charpentier). Christophe hosts a classical music programme on Radio Ville-Marie weekly.
Programme:
All songs by Henry Purcell except where noted
- Sound the trumpet
- Hark how the songsters
- Here the deities approve
- Music for a while
- A Health to the Nut-Brown Lass
- Sweeter than roses
- One charming night
- Ah! How sweet it is to love
- Tis women make us Love
- There's not a swain
- No more shall meads (Nicolas Lanier)
- I'll sail upon the dogstar
- When I am laid in earth
- Languish and despair my heart (Henry Lawes)
- Pavana Lachrimae, WV 106 (Scheidemann, Heinrich)
- Strike the viol
- Evening Hymn
- In vain the am'rous flute
- O sweet Sir Walter
- They say you're angry
- There's nothing as fatal as woman
- Say love if ever thou didst find (John Dowland)
- Tis nature's voice
- Man is for the woman made
Henry Purcell (1659-1695)
Nicholas Burns
Shane Hanson
Christophe Gauthier