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music BC Boys Choir Salutes Founder at 25th Anniversary Xmas Gala hv I'aulim-Mm characterized the choir to this day. Although the boys come from virtually all over the Lower Mainland. Don and his wife Hcmcratd have lived in West Vancouver for the past 32 years. St. David's United Church at Taylor Way and the Upper Levels has been particularly good to the choir and to its organist Don Forbes. It is ihe North Shore base for two of ihe three weekly rehearsals. With its 12lh European tour already completely booked for next summer, as well as two American and two Canadian tours, numerousrecordings,radio and television performances all completed with acclaim, the choir is well-established and co-director Gerald Van Wyck is poised (o USUme Don's remarkable mantle. The Gala is the choir's premier fundraising event enabling the boys to tour. So turn out and decide for yourself whether the warm and brilliant Canadian tones of our ensemble are. indeed, second to none. Tickets arc as ailable al all Tickelmasier outlets and can be charged by phone al 280-4444. Tickets are $20, or $ 15 for students and seniors. The concert begins at 8 pm. and it will be preceded by a festive dinner. For more information on the dinner, call Andrew Haigh at 980-7809: information on the choir itself is available from Susan Butcher at 926-5230. musicians wilh conservatory training. In the hands of a virtuoso, these instruments render classical music with as much ease si folk music. Anyone searching for a clue lo ihe kind of person who is attracted to groups of Russian music makers would have trouble finding a common characteristic. Many of the players have white hair, but there are one or two '60s era ponytails too, with the ncxl generation of fledgling players already well-represented. Most are no doubt playing for pleasure, but a couple look awfully serious... and Vancouveriies arc invited to participate in and enjoy possibly the best choral music available in Canada this Christmas, and perhaps ever! The multiple occasions of Christmas, the choir's anniversary, and the final performance of ils retiring founderconductor Don Forbes will be celebrated in A Christmas Gala on Saturday, December 18ih. at St. Andrew's Wesley United Church. It promises to be an extraordinary musical event. Every "old boy" who could be located has agreed to return--the "boys" now live all over North America--and join his voice in the salute to the beloved choir director. Ninety-five tuxedos will be added to the forty-one suited young members of the choir itself. The repertoire will include Charpentier's "Midnight Mass" and antiphonal work in an orchestration between the present choir and the alumnae. The audience will be able to join in carol singing and delight in the spectacles of the processionals and recessional. The Christmas Gala will be recorded in its entirety and will be available on CD by March of next year.'St. Andrew's Wesley's grand granilc edifice on Burrard at Nelson will be beautifully decorated for the concert and has seating for 1400. It is an appropriate venue for the evening as Don was church organist there for twenty years and the choir met there for the first half of The concert at Centennial will involve the Russian Community Cenlre Balalaika Orchestra. Sic van Knczevich, local accordion virtuoso, and for those of you who appreciate the visual, the "Yablochko" dancers will display their beautiful and colourful Russian dances, performed in authentic Russian dress. Concert pieces include familiar tunes such Pauline Mau is an English teacher and a writer who lives in West Vancouver. Her as "Cossack's Song." "Peter ihe Great son Stuart has been in the B.C. Boys Choir March," Tchaikovsky's '"In ihe Church" and, for those who remember. "Themes for three years. from Dr. Zhivago" (including Lara's theme) is also in ihe program. Russians to Invade North Vancouver by David Stabler Ever wonder ss hal balalaikas and doniras sound like? Didn't think so. but it's not difficult lo imagine. Think of hummingthe distance whistles Sventysi's Walt/ from Dr. Zhivago. Here is what you need lo know before showing up for Saturday, November 20th's Afusic and Dances of Old Russia at Centennial Theatre. The B.C. Boys Choir is one of the oldest independent young persons' choir in Canada. Don Forbes worked with five European choirs, including the Vienna Boys Choir, in order to study their sounds and developmental techniques. On ihe occasion of one of the choir's European tours. General Anzciger, a well-respected German choir director and music critic, wrote thai "Mr. Forbes is able to bring out the limits in each voice, as his individual voice training takes into account natural talent and dimension. The result is that none of the sopranos appears strained, none of the other voices taxed beyond their natural volume.... Forbes arranges his voices not in the usual cohesive groups, bul presents us with a mix of voices which tel.,1 ·alth.-t One hundred years ago. the first Russian folk orchestra made its debut in the Russian city of St. Petersburg. The man who founded the orchestra was ihe composer Vasili Vasilis ich Andreyev. Andreyev is an important name in the history of Russian folk music because he devolcd much of his life to making sure Russian folk instruments did not become extinct. Andreyev turned the primitive guitar-like instruments lhat balalaikas and domras used to be into concert instruments, wrote and published music for ihem and established L lasses lo leach students how lo play The concert is being held in celebration of the Russian Community Centre Balalaika Orchestra's 20th anniversary. The performance will lake place at 7:30 pm. Saturday, November 20th al Centennial Theatre. Tickets are available through the Centennial Theatre Box Office, al 984-4484. Not only are there more lhan 1000 balalaika tolk orchestras in ihe ex-Soviet Union, bul also many in the United Stales Canada. Australia. Switzerland, France, Fug land. Germans. Ssseden. Finland and Don has maintained the integrity of his unique approach throughout the years so that the clarity of sound, the refined expression, the balance and purity, and the love and liveliness of presentation has 6 A... Act,.. NOT/DM 1993 The balalaika and domra are nol only played in folk orchestras. In ihe ex-Soviet Union, balalaika and domra players are