Under the Pines in 2016
Deborah Powell
For its fifth year, Under the Pines Music Festival is poised to bring top performers to the Pontiac.
"We've planned a long weekend of six concerts -- Wednesday, July 20, running to Sunday, July 24", said organizer and performer, Philip Holmes. "We encourage people to buy a festival pass to hear all these performers even if some names aren't familiar."
The festival opens with pianist Roland Graham, Director of Music at Southminister Church, playing Bach's greatest hits at Coronation Hall in Bristol. Graham has studied Bach's keyboard music in depth, and has performed his own compositions in Canada and abroad.
Broadway hits will entertain the dinner crowd, Thursday, July 21, also at Coronation Hall. Performers include Philip Holmes, Skye MacDiarmid and Kraig-Paul Proulx. As well, the audience will be treated to the lovely tones of Kathleen Radke who performed at the Under the Pines Christmas Concert.
Friday, July 22, the music turns traditional with Louis Schryer on fiddle, Erin Leahy on piano and Frank Sears on accordion, all long recognized as superb musicians.
Saturday afternoon, Jean Desmarais returns to the festival after a year's absence to perform "Piano Greats". The concert is a fundraiser in memory of Denis Lawlor, a regular at Under the Pines, who died unexpectedly last spring. Proceeds will go to a fund for Denis's son, Emmanuel.
Desmarais will also be the accompanist for "Operamania", Saturday evening, featuring sopranos Kathleen Radke and Naomi Eberhard, mezzo-soprano Carole Portelance, father and son tenors Fraser and Zach Rubens, baritone Gary Dahl and bass baritone Phil Holmes.
Both for acoustics and atmosphere, St Mary's Church in Quyon is the perfect setting for the closing concert of the
festival, "Gloria in Excelsis", with soprano Isabelle Lacroix, Adam Nelson and Christian Vachon on violin, cellist Gabriela Ruiz and harpsichordist Roland Graham, Sunday, July 24.
Concert tickets and passes are available at Coronation Hall in Bristol and online at https://underthepines.tickit.ca/. For further information, call 613-298-9806.
