The Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra’s Summer Concert series kicked off on July 22, 2026. The noon-hour concert was presented as part of the Hamilton Fringe Festival, which takes over a block of King William Street downtown from July 15 to 26.
King William Street, from James east to Hughson Street is known as restaurant row, and the convergence of cafés, restaurants, and patios, already a busy hub on a weekday afternoon, makes it the perfect place for lunch hour live music. The block is closed to vehicle traffic for the summer.
On July 22, the performance featured the HPO Brass Quintet — Luise Heyerhoff, trumpet; Brian O’Kane, trumpet; Dave Quackenbush, horn; Cathy Stone, trombone; and Jon Rowsell, tuba — for an hour-long program of classical hits and movie music. It was a cool-ish day in the middle of a hot summer, and the musicians braved winds that overcame the odd umbrella (another reason that supports switching to tablets for score reading), and the environmental factors that can make intonation more elusive than in a controlled indoor area.
The program offers listeners a preview of some of the music the orchestra will be playing during their upcoming 2026/27 season.
The street filled quickly, with Muskoka chairs arranged in front of the stage, and tables and chairs set up along the street, and an abundance of patios offered by most of the businesses on King William. The stage, in fact, was set up directly across from Relay Coffee Roasters of Heated Rivalry fame. In short, there is no shortage of ways to enjoy the music along with a nibble or drink.
The Program
“You’ll notice that, as brass instruments, we steal a lot of music from other instruments,” one of the musicians remarked as an introduction.
It was met with chuckles from the audience. In a varied program, clever arrangements showcased the colours and tones of the various brass instruments, and each of the musicians had a chance to shine.
The concert led off with Mozart’s iconic Eine Kleine Nachtmusik, which the HPO includes in the program of their April 17, 2027 concert. The mood switched effortlessly to Gershwin’s Nice Work if You Can Get It, a song that became much more popular than the movie it was written for, A Damsel in Distress.
From there, they performed an arrangement of the Latin standard Bésame mucho, written by Mexican Consuelo Velázquez at the age of 18. The piece featured a nice tuba and trombone section, and melodic work from the duo of trumpets.
Jon Rowsell’s tuba underpinned the catchy Cantina scene music from Star Wars, A New Hope, which was described as “a combination of old school swing and futuristic weirdness”. The brass ensemble was an equally good fit for a rendition of Fly Me To The Moon, a song that was recorded multiple times before Frank Sinatra made it a hit in 1964.
The HPO will perform Bizet’s popular opera Carmen in concert on February 13, 2027, and the brass quintet offered lively versions of the Aragonaise and iconic Habanera in a preview of the music. Each of the instruments took a turn with the melody.
The brass quintet lended itself to a lush arrangement of Remember Me from Disney’s Coco movie, a lovely ballad.
Toronto-born composer Daniel McConnachie’s Three Celtic Dances was the only work on the program written specifically for a brass quintet. It’s a piece that takes Irish tradition and reimagines it in a classical mode, full of lovely harmonies and folk dance rhythms.
The concert closed with Mendelssohn’s Tarantella, another dance oriented work, and Mancini’s instantly recognizable theme from The Pink Panther.
The performance had a casual vibe, enhanced by the personable members of the quintet and their introductions for each piece. On the busy street, even passersby were enchanted by the music and accessible vibe.
The Details
The Hamilton Philharmonic Summer Concert series will run Wednesdays from noon until 1 p.m., continuing July 29 until the final performance September 9.
It features the HPO’s Brass and Woodwind Quintets, who’ll alternate dates, and programs that offer a glimpse of the music featured during the orchestra’s upcoming mainstage season.
- Find dates for the remaining Summer Concert Series [HERE].
- Find details on the Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra’s 2026/27 season, which kicks off with Beethoven’s Symphony No. 6 on October 3, [HERE].
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