Continuing the pattern of Sunday afternoon tea with chamber music, Kimberley Kaleidoscope 2017 is bringing the New Denver duo, Freya, to Studio 64 on Sunday afternoon, August 6, to perform a concert of chamber music and original pieces while guests enjoy pastries and tea, coffee or punch. This extraordinarily gifted duo will arrive in Kimberley after a performance the previous day at the Kaslo Jazz Fest. During July they performed concerts as far apart as Galiano Island and Edmonton.
Freya is acoustic guitarist and composer, Noel Fudge, and violinist Martine den Bok. They both come with serious credentials. Noel, who composed and played the musical accompaniment to poet Art Joyce’s “Dead Crow Prologue” at last year’s Kaleidoscope festival, is a composer of film scores, choral and orchestral works, and instrumental music. He has a BFA in composition from SFU. As a performer he spent 5 years with Crop Circle touring western Canada and opening for such notables as ZZ Top and Bif Naked.
Martine is principal 2nd violinist with the Okanagan Symphony Orchestra. She was concertmaster for over 20 operas with Edmonton’s Opera Nuovo Orchestra and spent three seasons with Victoria’s Die Mahler String Quartet. She has a Master of Music degree in violin performance. Martine and Noel released their first album, self-titled Freya, this spring.
Another incredibly talented group from the West Kootenays comes to Kimberley Kaleidoscope on Wednesday evening, August 9, when Breakwater returns to Studio 64. Their concert at last year’s Kaleidoscope festival was something of an eye-opener as they fused classical, Celtic, jazz, folk and other popular styles together in a series of original pieces that had the audience spellbound.
Last year Breakwater was a quartet but has recently reformed as a trio. However, it will be a trio plus one when they perform at Kaleidoscope. The group is led by cellist extraordinaire and Symphony of the Kootenays musical director, Jeff Faragher, who has brought together fiddler and backing vocalist James Desautels and percussionist and backing vocalist Rob Maciak. The fourth member of the group remains a mystery at this time but I think we can expect a notable West Kootenay bass player.
Faragher needs no introduction to Kootenay audiences. His exciting departures from the expected on the normally staid cello have been intriguing us for a few years now. Desautels is widely known, having toured with David Byrne and the Tosca Strings, since when he has appeared with the likes of Garth Brooks, Diahann Carroll, Elvis Costello, Natalie Cole, and others. Maciak, too, has worked with some famous names, collaborating with jazz greats Dave Brubeck and Diana Krall and with the Vancouver Chamber Choir. He was also the featured vibraphone and marimba player on a recording with Chick Corea and Philip Glass. Breakwater released their new CD, New Ground, this spring.
Tickets for both shows can be obtained at Centre 64 (250-427-4919 or kimberleyarts@gmail.com) or online at eastkootenaysnapd.com.
