Story by Michelle McChristie, photo by Alan Dickson Photography
As part of its Masterworks series, the Thunder Bay Symphony Orchestra will be performing Vivaldi’s “The Four Seasons” (Le quattro stagion) and Haydn’s “Mass in Time of War” (Missa in tempore belli). While many people are familiar with the iconic Vivaldi piece, Haydn’s piece is lesser known. According to music director Arthur Post, the combination is deliberate: “We love to perform not-so-familiar pieces alongside the all-time favorites like ‘The Four Seasons.’ I think our audiences find it both stimulating and gratifying.”
Post says, “‘The Four Seasons’ and ‘Mass in Time of War’ are big pieces, but they fit nicely on each half of the concert, and will be performed in their entirety.” “The Four Seasons” will feature violin virtuoso Thomas Cosbey, while “Mass in Time of War” will feature four vocalists (Miriam Khalil – soprano, Mia Lennox-Williams – mezzo-soprano, David Menzies – tenor, and Jon-Paul Décosse – bass-baritone) as well as the Thunder Bay Symphony Chorus. With only three performances planned for the season, this is a rare opportunity to hear the chorus perform what is known as a compelling and dramatic piece.
The Seasons will be performed at the Thunder Bay Community Auditorium on March 27 at 8 pm. There will be a pre-concert chat led by associate conductor Daniel Bartholomew-Poyser at 7:10 pm about the fusion of pop and orchestral music, French composer Georges Bizet, and the place of Vienna in world music. Tickets are $15–45 and are available at the TBCA box office.