Youth is being served on the menu as the Chemainus Classical Concerts presents We are the Music Makers.
Eight award-winning Cowichan Valley music students are headlining at St. Michael’s Church in Chemainus on Sunday, June 10, starting at 2 p.m.
Music lovers should make tracks to Chemainus for this, the final concert of the season, to hear these eight music students (aged 10-18): Bryn Posey, Megan Holt, Noah Mellemstrand, Sadie Wood, Jizelle Balae, Francesca Pacchiano, Madeleine Thomson and Mateo Moody.
They will perform piano music by Bach, Beethoven and Chopin; violin music by Fritz Kreisler and Eduoard Lalo; and vocal numbers by Schubert, Bellini and more.
In other words, it will be an afternoon to remember.
Bryn Posey, 15, is the Valley’s Intermediate Classical Voice provincial representative for 2018. She has been taking music and voice lessons with teacher Kathy Lassche since the age of 18 months. She loves everything about music, but the voice is her favourite creative tool. At the concert, she’s singing ‘Jeunes Fillettes’, transcribed by JBT Weckerlin; ‘Cool and Silent is the Lake’ by Gladys Davenport; and ‘Under the Greenwood Tree’ by Thomas Arne.
Megan Holt has been studying voice for six years, and has taken part and excelled in both the Cowichan Music Festival and Cowichan Musical Society for the past five. She plans to use all of these experiences as she heads off to provincials, university voice programs and beyond. She’ll sing ‘The Sea’ by Edward A McDowell; ‘Auf dem Wasser zu singen’ by Franz Schubert; ‘Dolente immagine de fille mia’ by Vincenzo Bellini; and ‘Poor wandering one’ by Arthur Sullivan.
Mateo Moody, a Grade 12 student at Cowichan Senior Secondary, has studied piano for eight years with Ann Mendenhall. Now playing at the Grade 9 RCM level, he hopes music will always be a part of his life. He will be attending the University of Victoria starting in September. You’ll hear him play ‘The Golliwog’s Cakewalk’ by Claude Debussy.
Sadie Wood, 10, an ardent piano student since age four, currently studies with Ann Mendenhall. Sadie, who loves a challenge, achieved First Class Honours in Level 6 piano in January, was sent to provincials as an observer, and is preparing her level 8 RCM exam for next January. She’ll be playing ‘Bagatelle op. 33, no. 3’ by Ludwig van Beethoven; ‘Winter Solstice Song’ by Béla Bartók; and ‘Nocturne’ by Clifford Poole.
Jizelle Balae, a Grade 11 student at Frances Kelsey, started piano at age eight with Connie Masson and has done her advanced studies with Ann Mendenhall. Now playing at the ARCT level, she represented the Cowichan Valley in the recent BC Festival of the Performing Arts. She’ll perform ‘Ballade’ by Claude Debussy.
Francesca Pacchiano, a Grade 11 homeschooled student, started music at age six months with Kathy Lassche, and the past four years has studied piano with Ann Mendenhall. Francesca loves both classical and popular styles, and often shares her music at seniors residences. She’ll perform ‘Reverie in f minor’ by Dennis Alexander.
Madeleine Thomson, 17, began piano eight years ago with Ann Mendenhall. She earned distinction on her Grade 9 RCM exam last year and is now preparing her Level 10 exam. She performed in the festival highlights and was selected as an alternate in the BC Festival of the Performing Arts. She will attend the University of Victoria in September. She’s performing ‘Prelude and Fugue in d minor BWV 851’ by J.S. Bach; ‘Nocturne in e minor’ by Frédéric Chopin and ‘Toccata’ by David McIntyre.
Noah Mellemstrand began studying the violin at age four. Currently studying with Barbara McDougall, he has been a member of the Greater Victoria Youth Orchestra for five years and has sung in the Cowichan Valley Youth Choirs for 10 years. In September, he will begin his studies at the UVic School of Music. He’s performing ‘Allegro and Preludium’ by Fritz Kreisler; and ‘Symphonie Espagnole op. 21, i. Allegro non troppo’ by Edouard Lalo.
A duet, ‘Hanon goes haywire’ features Matteo Moody and Francesca Pacchiano.
A portion of the proceeds will be donated to the Cowichan Valley Performing Arts Foundation, to support other young musicians as they pursue their dreams.
Tickets at the door are $20 each. If you’re under 18, you can get in and hear your friends perform for only $5, so why not make it a date?
Adults who want to purchase seats in advance can get them for $17.
