PAT IN PORT

I’M IN CEDAR

This month my wife Pat and I perform on both sides of “the hump.” Pat is into her final rehearsals with Port Alberni’s Timbre! choir who will present A Valley Christmas - Festive Music of the Season on Sunday December 12 at 2:30 pm in the ADSS Auditorium. Meanwhile I’m in Cedar south of Nanaimo rehearsing for the Yellowpoint Christmas Spectacular which opens on December 8th running through to December 19.

Accompanying Timbre! will be Vancouver pianist Terence Dawson. A versatile artist, Dr. Dawson leads an active career as a soloist, chamber musician, orchestral pianist and teacher. He has collaborated with numerous artists and ensembles including concerto performances with the Vancouver Symphony and National Arts Centre Orchestras and the CBC Curio Ensemble.  He has concertized across Canada, the United States, England and Asia, recorded for CBC Radio, and on disc for EMI Virgin Classics, Bravura, and Skylark labels. Terence is a dedicated teacher with invitations from coast to coast to conduct master classes. He has also served as a competition jury member for the Canadian Music Competition, the Canadian Federation of Music Teacher’s National Convention, and has adjudicated numerous music festivals.

In the summer months, he teaches and performs at Strings and Keys in Alberta – a program for young musicians – and for the Vancouver International Song Institute. Dr. Dawson is on faculty at The University of British Columbia School of Music, where he is the school’s Keyboard Division Coordinator and teaches piano and chamber music.

Special guests will be the vocal quartet Swing Set from Courtenay with Michelle Weckesser, Nixon Stofhert, Dale Graham and Jennifer Forsland.

The concert will include traditional selections from Handel’s Messiah as well as seasonal favorites like White Christmas and the music of English composer John Rutter. The popular Timbre! soloist  Elizabeth Grenon will be featured in two selections.

Timbre!’s annual Christmas concert is one of the choir’s most popular so if you don’t have a season ticket already, single tickets can be purchased at Rollin Art Centre, Echo Centre, Somass Drugs and Salmonberry’s. Tickets will also be sold at the door one hour before show time. Timbre! is sponsored by the Port Alberni Orchestra and Chorus Society.

PHOTO: Vancouver pianist Dr. Terence Dawson will accompany Timbre!’s A Valley Christmas on December 12, 2:30 at ADSS.