Chamber music meets theatre, and acoustic crosses paths with the electronic world, in Future Pastorale, a concert experience featuring Claude Vivier’s Ojikawa. The Happenstancers present an evening that draws upon both future and past on February 24.
Claude Vivier’s seldom performed 1968 composition will serve as the base for musical exploration, which will include new works for solo, duo and trio by Hillary Jean Young, Brad Cherwin, and Louis Pino.
FUTURE PASTORALE
The Happenstancers add the element of improvisation, lighting and other theatrical elements to augment the usual concert recital. Spoken word and new works by Cherwin, Pino, and Young blend into Vivier’s composition, an experimental trio.
Claude Vivier’s Ojikawa
Vivier wrote his Ojikawa in 1968 for soprano, clarinet and timbales, although today the music is published for solo voice, and an ensemble of up to 9 instruments. It was written during his studies at the Conservatoire de musique de Montréal. Along with his String Quartet in two movements, it was one of first works of Vivier’s to be performed publicly.
It’s also the first of his works to use the “invented language” that would later come to characterize his work. In Ojikawa, he combines it with passages in French from a version of Psalm 131. The Psalm comes from a group of fifteen psalms known as the Songs of Ascents. It was sung at Vivier’s funeral in 1983.
At its premiere, because of the challenging vocal part, an ondes martenot, an electronic instrument, replaced the soprano part. It’s rarely been performed since its first outing.
The Happenstancers
The Happenstancers are a revolving cast of classical music innovators, and the group has developed a reputation for putting together concerts with an eccentric edge.
Brad Cherwin, clarinet + electronics
Happenstance founding member Brad Cherwin is a visual artist as well as a clarinetist. Brad is an alumnus of the Rebanks Family Fellowship and International Performance Residency Program at the Glenn Gould School. Today, his performing career takes him throughout North America and Europe. The busy chamber musician is a dedicated performer and presenter of new music, and has presented the North American premiere of compositions by Wolfgang Rihm, and Kaija Saariaho, among others.
Hillary Jean Young, voice + electronics
Musician and vocalist Hillary Jean Young is known for their work in contemporary and experimental music and opera, and electronic music. With a DMA in Contemporary Music Performance from the University of California, San Diego, their work explores gender and technology. Hillary is an Artistic Producer with Continuum Contemporary Music for their 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons through their inaugural Mentorship in Artistic Production (MAP).
Louis Pino, percussion + electronics
Percussionist and technologist Louis Pino works in a variety of musical genres, often using theatrical elements along with tech. He is an active chamber musician who performs with TorQ Percussion Quartet and other ensembles. Louis won the National Youth Orchestra of Canada’s Award of Excellence in 2019. Today he performs with the National Arts Centre Orchestra, Thunder Bay Symphony, and Kingston Symphony among others.
The creative team is rounded out by Billy Wong on lighting, and production manager Hoi Tong Keung.
- FUTURE PASTORALE takes place on February 24 at 7:30 p.m. at Redeemer Lutheran Church in Toronto; tickets [HERE].
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