We love the outdoors, and in this part of the world the days that are not too hot or too cold are as scarce as sensible mayoral candidates. Today is one of those perfect days — not for politics but for sampling the intersection of lake, city, music and flora at the Toronto Music Garden.
Tamara Bernstein walks a fine line between classical and world-inspired programming. Usually it’s one or the other, but this afternoon’s concert is a fascinating mix of the two — the hardest to pull off well — featuring Toronto’s Lute Lengends Ensemble.
The trio brings together three masters: Lucas Harris, Wen Zhao and Bassam Bishara, who have charted their own Silk Road from Europe to China.
The Music Garden concerts are free and share space with the noises of the a busy harbour, Queens Quay, Billy Bishop Airport — and the glories of a blue sky and lake breeze.
A redesign of the Harbourfront website means that only the most determined surfer is going to find out any details about each concert — and even those are sketchy. If you’re feeling lucky, you can go fish for information here.
We know today’s concert, which begins at 4 p.m., is entitled Send Me a Rose. Here are Lute Legends playing that piece:
John Terauds