In case you have a Christmas-music hangover happening, a fast-acting remedy could be Ensemble Polaris’ “Definitely NOT the Nutcracker, Part 2” concert this Friday evening (Dec. 28⁾ at St David’s Anglican Church.

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Margaret Lam

Margaret Lam is the founder of BeMused Network, a social-technical enterprise helping artists do more with less, starting with an artist-friendly and patron-focused ticketing service. She is also a published information science researcher, a seasoned print and digital designer, and an advocate for independent and emerging artists. Her writing focuses on the intersection of culture, technology and the arts.

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This concert extends an experiment that Ensemble Polaris put forth last year in arranging excerpts from Peter Ilytch Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker Suite together with original pieces written for this innovative group.

In Part 1, audiences were treated to a few fun arrangements of the Nutcracker for the ensemble’s eclectic selection instruments, which can often be heard performing arrangements of traditional Nordic tunes.

A cello and a hurdy gurdy may seem unlikely band mates, but the musicianship and talent of ensemble musicians make odd pairings sound like the most natural thing in the world. It helps that the music comes wrapped in fun-loving spirit.

This year’s concert features more arrangements from the ballet suite, some Russian folk songs, and favourites from Ensemble Polaris recordings. Fans of the Nutcracker programmes will be pleased to know that they are planning to record an album with the music later in 2013.

Singer Katherine Hill joins the group for this year’s concert. She missed the 2011 event because she was away studying nyckelharpa in Sweden.

The other multi-talented members of Ensemble Polaris include guitarist Marco Cera, cellist Margaret Gay, Kirk Elliott on violin, Celtic harp, mandolin, accordion, Swedish bagpipes and more, hurdy gurdy player Ben Grossman, Alison Melville on baroque flute and recorders, Colin Savage playing clarinet, bass clarinet, recorders and percussionist Jeff Wilson.

You can learn more about each of them here.

St David’s Anglican Church is located at 49 Donlands Ave., right across from the Donlands subway station. Admission ranges from $8 (children) to $20 (adults). For more information, call 416-588-4301. Friday’s concert starts at 8 p.m.

Here is some rehearsal footage from last year’s “Definitely NOT the Nutcracker” concert at Trinity-St Paul’s Church:

Margaret Lam

You can read more about Margaret Lam at margism.com

• Author
• Recent Posts

Margaret Lam

Margaret Lam is the founder of BeMused Network, a social-technical enterprise helping artists do more with less, starting with an artist-friendly and patron-focused ticketing service. She is also a published information science researcher, a seasoned print and digital designer, and an advocate for independent and emerging artists. Her writing focuses on the intersection of culture, technology and the arts.

Latest posts by Margaret Lam (see all)

• PREVIEW | Soundstreams Celebrates Mandela’s Dreams In “Music Of The Rainbow Nation” - November 17, 2016
• Soundstreams’ “Encore” curates a cultural experience without bounds - October 16, 2014
• PREVIEW | Soundstreams opens season with loving tribute to Vivaldi in “The Seasons” - September 26, 2014