According to the Cape Breton Orchestra’s founder and artistic director Kim Lantz, the best local venue for an orchestral performance in Cape Breton is a church.
“Those venues are very, very good for that type of sound. They’re the best, no doubt about it. We don’t use any sound amplification, so the venue is very important.”
Though the choice is about the sounds quality, it is somehow fitting for the CBRM, a set of communities with many churches in its midst.
In accordance with this preference, the CBO will be presenting their spring concert series at two different churches during the Mother’s Day weekend. The first performance will take place at St. Joseph’s Church in North Sydney, Saturday May 8 at 7:30 PM. Admission is a suggested donation of $15.
The orchestra’s second performance will be a Mother’s Day matinee at United Baptist Church in Sydney. The concert starts at 3pm, and general admission is $15.
As the concert’s title “From Mozart to Mancini” suggests, the audience can expect a broad-ranging repertoire, from classical compositions to modern pop standards. Among the selections performed will be compositions by Baroque composer Vivaldi, classical favourite Mozart, as well as 20th century American composers Gershwin, and Leroy Anderson. “It really does cover many centuries,” enthused Lantz.
This year’s May performances are just the latest in the 17 year history of the CBO. The Orchestra’s current membership stands at 27 musicians, representing a mix of amateurs, semi-professionals and professionals. The age range of members spans “from 14, 15 year old students, right up to experienced adults,” said Lantz.
Part of the orchestra’s founding mandate was to provide a space for talented young students to play along with more experienced performers. “A lot of the initial players were music teachers,” Lantz explained. “They would say ‘oh, I have this one particular student who would excel with this music.’” Since then, many of the CBO’s young members have moved on to academic studies in the field of music.
In addition to Lantz’s artistic directorship, Noelle Wadden serves as musical director of the CBO. Membership is by invitation, and the orchestra is currently 27 members strong. The group is a registered charity, and their spring concert series serves as their main fundraising event.
For information, video, and audio clips of previous performances, visit capebretonorchestra.com
