{"id":119935,"date":"2025-12-02T15:59:34","date_gmt":"2025-12-02T20:59:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/?p=119935"},"modified":"2025-12-03T07:00:02","modified_gmt":"2025-12-03T12:00:02","slug":"preview-orchestra-toronto-sultans-string-guest-artists-present-christmas-caravan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/2025\/12\/02\/preview-orchestra-toronto-sultans-string-guest-artists-present-christmas-caravan\/","title":{"rendered":"PREVIEW | Orchestra Toronto, Sultans Of String And Guest Artists Present Christmas Caravan"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"The
The Sultans of String (L-R): bassist Drew Birston, Nyckelharpist Saskia Tomkins, violinist Chris McKhool, guitarist Kevin Lalibert\u00e9 (Photo courtesy of the artists)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Orchestra Toronto and conductor Michael Newnham will team up with Sultans of String and a few special guests for Christmas Caravan, a concert on December 7. The program takes a multicultural approach to the season, including traditional carols along with a number of original works.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are thrilled enter this joyous time of year with our selection of seasonal favourites that honours and celebrates a variety of cultures from around the world,\u201d said Michael Newnham<\/strong>, Music Director of Orchestra Toronto in a statement. \u201cWe are confident this cross-cultural holiday celebration will bring the warmth and energy of the season, with a fresh perspective on familiar melodies.\u201d<\/p>\n

The musical influences range from flamenco and Django-jazz to Turkish and Caribbean traditions, and the program includes new arrangements of Jingle Bells, Silent Night, Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring, and Little Drummer Boy.<\/p>\n

Among the original works is the premiere of an orchestral arrangement of Ken Whiteley\u2019s song The Light of Christmas, arranged for the concert by Ben Bolt-Martin.<\/p>\n

LV talked to Sultans of String bandleader Chris McKhool about the concert.<\/p>\n

\"L-R:
L-R: Percussionist Alberto Su\u00e1rez (Photo: Rod Wilson); vocalist Aviva Chernick (Photo courtesy of the artist); vocalist Rebecca Campbell (Photo courtesy of the artist); Singer and musician Ken Whiteley (Photo courtesy of the artist)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Personnel<\/h3>\n

Sultans of String is Chris McKhool<\/strong> on violin, guitarist and composer Kevin Lalibert\u00e9, and bassist Drew Birston.<\/p>\n

McKhool is a Queen\u2019s Diamond Jubilee medal recipient for his work creating community through music, and leads the Billboard charting band. He has recorded and performed with jazz, world, folk and pop artists including B\u00e9la Fleck, Jesse Cook, the Chieftains, Richard Bona, and Nikki Yanofsky, and recently received both the Dr. Duke Redbird Lifetime Achievement Award and the Merila\u00efnen Music Awards as Indigenous Ally of the Year, for his work on Walking Through the Fire<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Kevin Lalibert\u00e9<\/strong>, co-founder of Sultans of String, toured the globe with guitarist and recording artist Jesse Cook for five years, including an appearance on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno, backing up Charlotte Church. He\u2019s released five solo albums of original instrumental music, blending the traditions and sounds of flamenco, bossa-nova, pop and jazz, along with Spanish guitar. His music was used in the 2017 film Unforgettable, and numerous times on TV series.<\/p>\n

Bassist, composer, producer and singer\/songwriter Drew Birston<\/strong> is based in Toronto, where he\u2019s been working in the Canadian music business for more than 25 years. He\u2019s also toured the globe with a number of artists, including Amanda Martinez, Justin Hines, Chantal Kreviazuk, The Leslie Spit Treeo, and Sarah Slean. His solo album Orca Songs, released in 2016, was critically acclaimed. Career highlights include a performances at Madison Square Garden, UK’s Celtic Connections Festival, and the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.<\/p>\n

The band\u2019s newest member is Saskia Tomkins, who plays the Nyckelharpa, a fascinating instrument that originates from Sweden.<\/p>\n

The Nyckelharpa is a bowed chordophone that is also outfitted with keys. While Sweden is its primary origin, the instrument has roots throughout Europe dating back to the Middle Ages. The modern version has 16 strings and 39 keys.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe\u2019s a great artist,\u201d McKhool says.<\/p>\n

Saskia has classical music training, with a background that includes folk music and a degree in jazz. She is an All-Britain Champion Irish Fiddler, and worked with the Broadway production of Come From Away as a special consultant.<\/p>\n

Guest artists include Ken Whiteley on guitar and mandolin, and vocalist Aviva Chernick.<\/p>\n

\u201cAviva Chernick [will be] singing a Hannukah song,\u201d McKhool adds.<\/p>\n

Ken Whiteley<\/strong> is a legend in the Canadian roots music world. He’s played in ensembles that range from a jug band to folk and swing bands, and tackled blues, gospel, and children’s music too. His many accolades include a Canadian Folk Music Award, Genie Award for Best Original Song in a Canadian film, Lifetime achievement awards from the Ontario Council of Folk Festivals and Mariposa Folk Festival, along with 7 Juno and 13 Maple Blues Awards nominations.<\/p>\n

Award-winning singer, and teacher of voice and meditation, Aviva Chernick<\/strong> performs in Hebrew, Ladino, and English. She is a founding member and lead singer of the Canadian World Music group Jaffa Road, and has toured with them and her own ensembles through North America, Brazil, and Israel, along with performing recently as a guest of the Canadian Ambassador to the UAE at Expo in Dubai. She leads the meditation and singing community in Toronto called neySHEV.<\/p>\n

Percussionist Alberto Su\u00e1rez<\/strong> is another guest artist. He is a native of Matanzas, Cuba, where he began to play percussion at age 13. He trained formally at the Matanzas provincial music school and the National Conservatory of Music in Cuba\u2019s capital, Havana, and subsequently performed as part of the acclaimed International Orchestra. Since coming to Canada, he\u2019s performed at a number of international percussion festivals, and with prominent artists that include Nick Ali, Ruben Vasquez, Jane Bunnett, Proyecto Charanguero, Hilario Duran, Alexis Baro, Luis Mario Ochoa, and Julie Leahy.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd Rebecca Campbell \u2014 she\u2019s our main singer,\u201d McKhool adds.<\/p>\n

Singer and sometimes songwriter Rebecca Campbell<\/strong>\u2019s experience includes singing both lead and backup vocals in a range of styles. As a musician, she plays percussion, guitar, melodica, and accordion. The Toronto native grew up in the Maritimes and Ottawa, and was educated in Montr\u00e9al. She has performed with a long list of artists that include Jane Siberry, Ian Tamblyn, Lynn Miles, The Special Interest Group, Fat Man Waving, Bec and Rusty, Three Sheets To The Wind, Justin Haynes, Stephen Fearing, Jim Cuddy, Dan Hill, Parachute Club, Sultans of String, Bruce Cockburn, Emmylou Harris, Ani DiFranco, Alanis Morissette, Daniel Lanois, Fred Eaglesmith, Luther Wright, and The Skydiggers, among others, and has sung on more than 100 recordings.<\/p>\n

The Music<\/h3>\n

Christmas Caravan is the title of an album released by Sultans of String in 2017. McKhool is looking forward to revisiting the music with Orchestra Toronto.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s so incredibly fun. Its such a huge sound,\u201d he says of the opportunity. \u201cA lot of the songs we\u2019ve written come out of performing as a duo, a trio, a quartet maximum. To bring them to the absolute limit of Western art culture is a super fun experience for all.\u201d<\/p>\n

The orchestral arrangements were created by Rebecca Pellett, who has an extensive history of working with symphony orchestras (including the TSO), as well as film.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s a lot of great, juicy orchestral arrangements,\u201d McKhool says.<\/p>\n

Stratford, Ontario based arranger and musician Ben Bolt-Martin contributes the new arrangement of Whiteley\u2019s song The Light of Christmas.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo one has heard this before \u2014 not me, not Ken,\u201d McKhool says.<\/p>\n

One of the things he\u2019s enjoying about working with Orchestra Toronto is taking advantage of their technical skills. \u201cThey can read anything you put in front of them.\u201d They\u2019ll meet for the first time just a few days before the show.<\/p>\n

It puts a little more pressure on Sultans of String. \u201cWe have to make sure that all of us make sure that we know exactly what\u2019s happening,\u201d he says. While the ensemble can make internal adjustments on the fly, working with such a large ensemble means being very precise. \u201cThe orchestra members are complete geniuses at playing, including Michael Newnham, exactly what\u2019s written. That\u2019s a whole other world,\u201d he says. \u201cSight reading thirty-second notes that are whizzing by is not our strength,\u201d he adds. \u201cTelling stories to music is our strength.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Little Swallow (Carol of the Bells)\/Al Vuelo – Sultans of String & City of Prague Philharmonic:<\/p>\n