Labyrinth Ontario presents its Modal Music in the Parks series, including four outdoor concerts in RV Burgess Park. The concert series is sponsored by supported by Toronto Arts Foundation’s Arts in the Parks, Toronto Arts Council, Toronto’s Parks, Forestry and Recreations, and the Toronto Yunus Emre Institute.
The concerts showcases Iranian, Turkish, Arabic, and Macedonian music, and their intersections.
What is modal music?
Modal music is part of the history of Western music, and precedes the tonal music era. However, it’s not only part of history; it’s been a source of inspiration for many contemporary composers of the 20th and 21st centuries.
It’s also the primary system of music composition and performance used in many non-Western music genres for centuries, including classical Indian, Persian, Asian, and Middle Eastern music, and many musical genres found on the African continent.
To explain it in terms of Western music theory, tonal music uses either a major or minor scale. Composition is largely based on harmony.
In modal music, melody takes precedence over harmony. Rather than being fixed in a minor or major scale, the music was based on a mode, which can resemble a scale, but can also incorporate phrases or patterns. Modes are associated with different moods.
Modal music from medieval Europe often feature what are called diatonic modes (which can be played on the white keys of a piano, for example), but non-Western modal music can use different tuning from one mode to another, and specific ornamentation or phrases.
Labyrinth Ontario is part of a global project to celebrate model music traditions in the modern world.
The Concerts
The concerts take place on August 16 and 23 at 12:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m.
Iranian Music Trio (August 16 at 12:30 p.m.)
Soheil Sadeghi (Kamanche), Sasan Salaseli (Tonbak), Mehrdad Jafari Raad (Tar)
Gaitan Quartet (August 16 at 2:30 p.m.)
Ben Grossman (Tapan and hand percussion), Chris Aston (Tambura), Brenna MacCrimmon (Tambura and vocals), Nick Ouroumov (Gaida)
Labyrinth Ensemble Trio (August 23 at 12:30 p.m.)
Roa Lee (Gayageum), Naoko Tsujita (Percussion), Aysel Taghi-Zada (Violin)
Turkish Music Trio (August 23 at 2:30 p.m.)
Begum Boyanci (vocals), Ferhan Dogmusoz (Oud), Saghi Farsijani (Qanun).
Details
Some chair seating will be available but audiences are encouraged to bring their own blankets and a picnic lunch
- Location: RV Burgess Park (46 Thorncliffe Park Dr)
- Times: 12:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. each day, August 16 and 23
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