Strings Extravaganza! T h i s year, d u e t o the o v e r w h e l m i n g s u p p o r t o f the c o m m u n i t y , the 7 t h a n n u a l Strings E x t r a v a g a n z a moves t o the C e n t e n n i a l Theatre. A l o n g w i t h great music offered by 2 0 0 students o f the R o y a l Strings p r o g r a m , t w o exciting presentat i o n s w i l l be s h o w c a s e d . I n s p e c i a l r e c o g n i t i o n o f M o z a r t ' s 2 5 0 b i r t h d a y , M r . C a m e r o n W i l s o n a n d M r . H e n r y L e e , artists w i t h impressive credentials, w i l l be p e r f o r m i n g M o z a r t ' s Duo Strings. Concertante for violin a n d viola accompanied by the a c c o m p l i s h e d strings players o f the H a n d s w o r t h C o n c e r t i a n d C h a m b e r In a d d i t i o n , the finale w i l l feature a c o m p o s i t i o n c o m m i s s i o n e d a n d c o m p o s e d f o r this event b y M r . W i l s o n . T h e N o r t h V a n S c h o o l District's R o y a l Strings p r o g r a m has become a bit o f a p h e n o m as s t r i n g s p l a y i n g h a s seen a r e s u r g e n c e i n r e c e n t y e a r s t h r o u g h t h e school p r o g r a m a n d the s u p p o r t o f private teachers w h o include members o f p r o f e s s i o n a l e n s e m b l e s s u c h as S i n f o n i a a n d T h e V a n c o u v e r S y m p h o n y . C o m e j o i n t e a c h e r , m u s i c d i r e c t o r a n d c o n d u c t o r , P e t e r V a n O o y e n , as he presents the m u s i c a l achievements o f strings players i n C a n y o n H e i g h t s , Cleveland, Highlands, M o n t r o y a l a n d H a n d s w o r t h Secondary Henry Lee - photo by Kevin Clark Schools. WHAT: 7th Annual Strings Extravaganza W H E N : Friday, March 31st § 7:30 pm. WHERE: Centennial Theatre TICKETS: Centennial Theatre Box Office, 604.984.4484. Mélange Breaks Out w i t h More New Music Bill Jeffries T you he M é l a n g e C h a m b e r E n s e m b l e is m a k i n g m u s i c t h a t e v e r y o n e i n t h e m u s i c w o r l d feels H A S t o be p e r f o r m e d , n o t just b e c a u s e it's g r e a t s t u f f , b u t h a p p e n t o live i n a m a j o r u r b a n c u l t u r a l centre, l i k e , say, B e r l i n , w h e r e the b e c a u s e m u c h o f w h a t t h e y p l a y is r a r e l y h e a r d b y t h e p u b l i c . U n l e s s , t h a t i s , M é l a n g e g r o u p ' s p r o g r a m m i n g w o u l d seem n o r m a l , b u t i n a w o n d e r f u l w a y . I w e n t t o M é l a n g e ' s c o n c e r t last f a l l i n N o r t h V a n c o u v e r a n d w a s s u r p r i s e d t h a t m a n y i n the audience were professional m u s i c i a n s . O t h e r pleasant surprises were the acoustical q u a l i t y of the M o u n t S e y m o u r U n i t e d C h u r c h a n d the q u a l ity o f t h e p l a y i n g . D o n ' t get m e w r o n g , t h e i r r e p e r t o i r e c a n be a b i t c o m p l e x , and a b i t ' n e w ' t o the ear if y o u haven't been l i s t e n i n g t o a l o t o f ' c l a s s i c a l ' m u s i c c o m p o s e d i n t h e 2 0 t h c e n t u r y , b u t t h e a m a z i n g t h i n g is t h a t its n e w n e s s g i v e s o n e t h e f e e l i n g o f b e i n g p r e s e n t a t t h e b i r t h o f , just t h a t , s o m e t h i n g n e w - e v e n i f it is 7 5 y e a r s o l d . M e l a n g e is a r a r e N o r t h S h o r e p h e n o m e n o n - a g r o u p t h a t a s k s its a u d i e n c e t o s t r e t c h itself, t a k e s o m e r i s k s i n w h a t it listens t o a n d t o a c c e p t t h e f a c t t h a t w e all have a l o t to learn a b o u t the music o f o u r time. M é l a n g e w a s f o u n d e d b y K e o n a n d A n g e l a B i r n e y ; he c o m p o s e r a n d F r e n c h h o r n p l a y e r , a n d she m u s i c d i r e c t o r . T h e y a r e p r o m o t i n g c o o l m u s i c , l o c a l perf o r m e r s , a n d d o i n g e v e r y t h i n g they c a n t o get people t o relax a n d listen to the 2 0 t h c e n t u r y f o r w h a t is - hey, it's Mast' c e n t u r y , just l i k e t h e 1 9 t h w a s i n 1 9 9 0 , but not quite so far back. A typical p r o g r a m blends the local w i t h the internat i o n a l - last A p r i l t h e y p l a y e d S t r a v i n s k y , B r i t t e n a n d L u t o s l a w s k i , w i t h B C ' s M u r r a y A d a s k i n . T h e ensemble consists o f ten o r m o r e professional musicians, a blend o f a string quintet a n d a w o o d w i n d quintet, resulting i n forces that c a n be s e m i - s y m p h o n i c w h e n t h e y w a n t t o . T h e c o n c e r t last f a l l w a s a l l o c t e t s and it w a s a r e v e l a t i o n . T h e i r u p c o m i n g c o n c e r t is o n e e v e r y m u s i c s t u d e n t a n d Serenade, a l o v e r s h o u l d be at as M e l a n g e p e r f o r m s D a r i u s M i l h a u d ' s Stanford p r e m i e r e o f Chamber Variations The Melange Chamber Ensemble WHAT: Melange WHEN: April 7 # 8 p m WHERE: Mt Seymour United Church c h a m b e r c o n c e r t o f e a t u r i n g M e l i s s a D u c h a k as o b o e s o l o i s t , a n d t h e C a n a d i a n by Vancouver composer D o r o t h y C h a n g . March I April 23