There’s a trifecta of productions on the books at Trinity Western University this fall that are drawing arts lovers from multiple disciplines.
Currently, the faith-based post-secondary institution is presenting a theatre production of, plus there’s back-to-back Lost and Found concerts this weekend by the chamber choir.
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On stage
TWU theatre department is in the midst of its run of The Cover of LIFE, a play featuring two Langley residents in the lead roles.
This R.T. Robinson play, which kicked off last week and wraps up Saturday, follows a LIFE magazine reporter back in 1943.
Kate Miller is expertly reporting on the war in Europe when she is reassigned to rural Louisiana to report on three young brides making local headlines. Although disappointed, she accepts the job because it will be her first cover story, and quickly learns more than she expected.
“The Cover of LIFE is intriguing for its Southern charm, colourful and strong women, and its innovative stage design, which will feature a world created mostly of projected images,” said Kate Muchmore Woo, interim chair of theatre at TWU.
“The Cover of LIFE is intriguing for its Southern charm, colourful and strong women, and its innovative stage design, which will feature a world created mostly of projected images,” said Kate Muchmore Woo, interim chair of theatre at TWU.
Set during the Second World War, the story centres on women who are trying to find their value in 1940s America.
“The laughs come as fast and hard as the snappy repartee between these feisty and deeply real women, each reaching for their dreams as their husbands fight in a distant war,” Muchmore Woo said.
“Just as quickly, the drama intensifies as each woman struggles to find her place in the world—and discovers that she may have more to offer than what she had known was possible.”
TWU student Alexandria Bay plays the role of Weetsie, a 20-year-old bride and country girl.
“I believe we live in a world where no matter what gender you are, you struggle with self-worth,” Bay said. “These characters are no different from you and me. Each one has a big dream, not knowing how express it, and not knowing if they are worth it. I guarantee there will be at least one character that you can identify with. The playwright did an excellent job creating well-rounded characters in each situation.”
The Cover of LIFE is showing in the Robert N. Thompson building on the TWU campus in Langley.
For tickets and details, visit www.twu.ca/theatre or call 604-513-2188.
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Voices of the choir
Lost and Found will feature “songs of devotion with unforgettable melodies,” said Dr. Joel Tranquilla, an award-winning conductor and director of choral activities at TWU.
These concerts are being presented by TWU’s chamber choir, and will feature one concert in Abbotsford, and another in Langley.
The choir will present pieces from its upcoming tour of the Far East, which covers a variety of musical genres including English Baroque (Purcell), French 19th century (Fauré), and contemporary Canadian (Nickel). A selection of traditional songs from South Africa, France, China, and the United States rounds out this richly diverse program, Tranquilla explained.
“Arvo Pärt’s The Woman with the Alabaster Box and Rend Collective’s Alabaster, re-tell the story of Jesus and the woman with the alabaster box. Other selections evoke, through textual or musical depictions, the sounds and imagery of bells and starlight. Henry Purcell’s Rejoice in the Lord Always is often referred to as the “Bell Anthem” for its opening accompaniment figure that sounds like the chiming of church bells. Tim Corlis’ Sonnez les cloches is a clever arrangement of the well-known children’s song Frere Jacques, while Jon Washburn’s Chinese Melodies is a beautiful mash-up of two traditional songs with distinctive bell imagery. Songs by Eriks Esenvalds, Frank Ticheli, and Samuel Barber employ night-time language in which starlight comes to represent health and hope and majesty.”
Lost and Found will feature several Trinity Western voice majors in classical solo selections, including: Kathy Haddadkar (Abbotsford), Sarah Quinn (Langley), Katrina Reynolds (Calgary), Anna-Marie Ryan (Agassiz), and Chloé Thiessen (Calgary).
“Much of the music is about waiting quietly, and I think that message is an important one to hear in our busy day-to-day lives,” Tranquilla said.
The concerts are being presented in two different venues in two different, but neighbouring towns.
The first at the Emmanuel Free Reform Church on Mount Lehman Road in Abbotsford is being held Friday night, followed by a concert closer to home at the Langley Canadian Reform Church (21804 52nd Ave.) on Saturday.
Both shows start at 7:30 p.m.
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Prepping for Christmas
Also coming out of the TWU School of Arts, Media + Culture, is their signature holiday event, Christmas at the Chan.
While it’s still more than a month away, this show featuring the TWU choirs, traditionally sells out, Tranquilla said.
“The event sells out each year. Don’t miss out—buy your tickets early,” he insisted.
This year’s event, again at the Chan Centre for Performing Arts in Vancouver, is set for 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 3.
This event showcases four Trinity Western choirs, accompanied by a professional orchestra, for a musical celebration of the season.
Christmas at the Chan features a variety of choral music with performances by TWU’s concert choir, chamber choir, chamber singers, and the masterworks chorus.
It brings together 125 singers with a 40-piece orchestra of professional musicians.
With Rejoice! as a theme, the performance features several pieces that “use and evoke the sound of bells – a sound long associated with Christmastime,” Tranquilla said, noting the bells represent a collective response, yet each bell has a distinctive tone quality.
Trinity Western University’s choral program has been recognized internationally. TWU choirs collaborate with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra and Vancouver Chamber Choir; and have performed on CBC Radio and at Carnegie Hall; and toured to China, Korea, Eastern Europe and Ukraine.
“Our annual Christmas at the Chan Centre concert is a collaborative gift to the wider community from the Chan family, and the Chan Centre for the Performing Arts, and Trinity Western University,” Tranquilla said.
“It is made possible through generous assistance from the Chan Endowment Fund of the University of British Columbia. Join us to anticipate the coming of Christ with joy and celebration!”
Among the concert highlights this year, there will be solos by TWU voice instructor and sorprano Alison Nystrom, a performance of Francis Poulenc’s Gloria, works by composers Jeff Enns, Timothy Corlis, John Rutter, and Jonathan Dove, and traditional carols and an audience singalong.
Tickets for the Christmas concert are on sale now at tickets.ubc.ca.
