The Aldeburgh Connection for the Globe & Mail
Thirty-one years ago, 270 concerts ago, 5920 songs ago, two young piano accompanists began a concert series in Toronto called The Aldeburgh Connection which had the multiple aims of promoting young singers, the art of the song and the particular musical inspiration that was rooted in the famous collaboration between the great English composer Benjamin Britten and his partner, the tenor Peter Pears.
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1982
Feb 21: Hart House, University of Toronto: An Aldeburgh Anthology – Aldeburgh and its festival
1983
Feb 20: Harbourfront, Toronto (Brunch with Bach): The Old Wizard of Bayreuth – Wagner and the French
Mar 13: Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto, In Praise of Alexander – the life and legend of Alexander the Great
May 19: Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto, Serenissima – music inspired by the city of Venice
Nov 12/13: London Regional Art Gallery, London, ON, Self-Portraits – portraits of their creators in music
Nov 24: Holy Trinity, Eaton Centre, Toronto (CBC), A Nordic Serenade – music of Grieg and Grainger
1984
Jan 31: Mackenzie High School, Deep River, ON, An Aldeburgh Anthology
Feb 4: Trinity United Church, Huntsville, ON, An Aldeburgh Anthology
Jun 17: Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto, An Afternoon with Jane Austen
Nov 29: Fort Garry Hotel, Winnipeg (CBC), A Burns Celebration
1985
Sunday Series (Walter Hall, University of Toronto):
Jan 27 Come into the Parlour, Maud – song during the reign of Queen Victoria
Mar 3: Noblesse Oblige – music of Sir Hubert Parry and Lord Berners
May 12: A Country House Weekend – English song between the two World Wars
Nov 3: Many Happy Returns – the 300th birthday of Bach and Handel
Other performances:
Feb 17: Port Hope Music Club, Port Hope, ON, On Wings of Song – songs of many times and countries
May 8: Guelph Spring Festival, Guelph, ON, An Afternoon with Jane Austen
Oct 25: St George’s Soc., Toronto, On Wings of Song
1986
Sunday Series:
Feb 2: Robert and Clara at Home, with a visit from Johannes – songs of Schumann and Brahms
Mar 16: Upstairs/Downstairs – English music from the concert hall and the parlour, 1900 to 1930
May 11: The Princess and the Sewing Machine – music in the life of the Princesse de Polignac
Nov 30: A Christmas Party – seasonal music, and a concert staging of Britten’s Paul Bunyan
Other performances:
Feb 5: Barrie Concert Association, Barrie, ON, On Wings of Song
Oct 24: St George’s Soc., Toronto, Glamorous Night – Ivor Novello and Noël Coward
Nov 23: Mississauga Choral Society, Mississauga, ON, On Wings of Song
Nov 25: Prince Edward Arts Council, Picton, ON, On Wings of Song
Nov 27: Orangeville & District Concert Ass., Orangeville, ON, On Wings of Song
1987
Sunday Series:
Feb 1: Winter Daydreams – the songs of Tchaikovsky
Mar 29: The Old Wizard of Bayreuth
May 10: Brush Up Your Shakespeare! – settings of Shakespeare
Nov 29: Auld Lang Syne – settings of Robert Burns
Other performances:
May 21: Wagner Society of New York, A Wagnerian Salon
Jul 8: Glimmerglass Festival, Cooperstown, NY, Winter Daydreams
Nov 9: Queen’s Univ., Kingston, ON, Robert and Clara At Home, with a visit from Johannes
Nov 13: St George’s Soc., Toronto, Piccadilly Follies – the London West End, 1900 to the 1950s
Dec. 2: Opera House, Orillia, ON, On Wings of Song
1988
Sunday Series:
Jan 31: Northern Lights – composers from Scandinavia, Russia and Canada
Mar 13: 1888: Year of Song – particularly by Hugo Wolf
May 8: Lorelei – the femme fatale in music and literature
Nov 27: Scenes from Childhood – songs celebrating children
Other performances:
Jan 26: Mount Allison University, Sackville, NB, On Wings of Song
Jun 14: Aldeburgh Festival, England, Northern Lights
Jul 4: Shaw Festival, Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON, Upstairs/Downstairs
Jul 23: Sharon Festival, Sharon, ON, Scenes from Childhood
Aug 1: Shaw Festival, Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON, Noblesse Oblige
Aug 18: Elora Festival, Elora, ON, Upstairs/Downstairs
Oct 15: Jane Austen Society of North America, Chicago, Jane Austen’s Music
Nov 17: North York Central Library, Toronto, I do like to be beside the seaside – songs on the sea
Nov 18: St George’s Soc., Toronto, I do like to be beside the seaside
1989
Sunday Series:
Jan 29: St Patrick’s Music – music by Irish composers, with folksong arrangements
Mar 12: Madame Bizet at Home – the life of Bizet’s wife, later a close friend of Marcel Proust
May 7: A Spring Schubertiad
Nov 26: Opera of the Phantom – songs inspired by spirits, both good and evil
Other performances:
Feb 13: Young People’s Theatre, Toronto, The Owl and the Pussycat – songs about the animal kingdom
Feb 16: Muskoka Concert Association, Gravenhurst, ON, On Wings of Song
Jul 3: Shaw Festival, Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON, A Country House Weekend
Jul 21: Festival of the Sound, Parry Sound, ON, A Country House Weekend
Aug 9: Elora Festival, Elora, ON, From Sullivan to Sondheim – 100 years of popular music theatre
Aug 14: Shaw Festival, Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON, The Lonely Heart – the songs of Tchaikovsky
1990
Sunday Series:
Jan 21: Matinée musicale – the songs of Rossini
Mar 11: Letzte Lieder – the songs of Richard Strauss (with some by Mahler)
May 13: The Journals of Susanna Moodie – the life of a Canadian pioneer
Nov 11: Remembrance – music relating to the two World Wars, and celebrating peace
Other performances:
Jan 25: Château Laurier, Ottawa, The Old Wizard of Bayreuth
May 11: Guelph Spring Festival, Guelph, ON, The Lonely Heart
May 25: St George’s Soc., Toronto, Glamorous Night
Jul 9: Shaw Festival, Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON, Glamorous Night
1991
Sunday Series:
Jan 20: Abracadabra! – the songs of Chabrier
Mar 3: Jane Austen’s Music
May 5: Das Lied im Grünen – songs about spring from the German repertoire
Nov 24: Cecilia’s Child – the songs of Benjamin Britten, including a concert staging of Paul Bunyan
Other performances:
Jun 28/29: Winter Garden Theatre, Toronto – The Madcap Adventures of Fräulein Mozart – an afternoon of comedy
Jul 7: Music at Sharon, Sharon, ON – The Madcap Adventures of Fräulein Mozart
Jul 21: Festival of the Sound, Parry Sound, ON, The Madcap Adventures of Fräulein Mozart
Aug 9: Elora Festival, Elora, ON, Mozart Among Friends – Mozart and his admirers
1992
Sunday Series:
Jan 19: A Winter Schubertiad
Mar 8: Clair de lune – the music of Gabriel Fauré
May 3: All Around the Circle – Canadian songs, with readings from Canadian women writers
Nov 22: Alfred, Lord Tennyson – settings of Tennyson’s poetry
Other performances:
Feb 12: Quinte Arts Council, Belleville, ON, Glamorous Night
Feb 21: Orangeville & District Concert Ass., Orangeville, ON, Glamorous Night
Mar 10: Opera House, Orillia, ON, Glamorous Night
Apr 4: Cornwall Concert Series Ass., Cornwall, ON, Glamorous Night
Apr 10: St Thomas Performing Arts, St Thomas, ON, Glamorous Night
Apr 24: Little Trinity Church, Toronto, In Chancel and Parlour – the church’s sesquicentennial
Jun 9: Queen’s Hall, Edinburgh, The Journals of Susanna Moodie
Jun 11: Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama, Glasgow, The Journals of Susanna Moodie
Jun 13: Clothworkers’ Centenary Concert Hall, Univ. of Leeds, Soirée musicale – the songs of Rossini
Jun 16: Aldeburgh Festival, England, Matinée musicale
Jun 18: English-Speaking Union, Dartmouth House, London, Soirée musicale
Jun 21: Aldeburgh Festival, England, The Journals of Susanna Moodie
Jul 18: Music at Sharon, Sharon, ON, Christopher Columbus – a 500th anniversary celebration
1993
Sunday Series:
Jan 17: Fêtes galantes – the songs of Debussy
Mar 7: The Lonely Heart
May 2: Liebeslieder – Brahms’s Liebeslieder Waltzes and Schumann’s Spanische Liebeslieder
Nov 21: Brush Up Your Shakespeare!
Recital Series (Glenn Gould Studio, Toronto):
Feb 17: Song Cycles by Francis Poulenc – Rosemarie Landry, Brett Polegato
Apr 13: Italienisches Liederbuch: Hugo Wolf – Monica Whicher, Russell Braun
Other performance:
Oct 29: Exultate Singers, St Thomas’s Church, Toronto, Benjamin Britten – A Festival of Music
1994
Sunday Series:
Jan 16: Greta’s Choice – music chosen by our Honorary Patron, Greta Kraus
Mar 6: Orpheus with her Lute – the life and times of Pauline Viardot
May 1: May Day Revels – music of the spirits associated with May Day
Nov 20: Carols and Canticles – seasonal music by English composers, with three of Britten’s Canticles
Recital Series:
Feb 2: Song Cycles by Gabriel Fauré – Catherine Robbin, Brett Polegato
Apr 12: Ann Monoyios
May 17: Die schõne Müllerin – Russell Braun
Oct 14: Gerald Finley
Dec 1: Linda Maguire
Other performances:
Aug 3: Elora Festival, Elora, ON, The Village Sings – the history of a small Ontario town
Nov 19: Wilfred Laurier University, Waterloo, ON, Carols and Canticles
1995
Sunday Series:
Jan 15: Serenissima
Mar 5: The Flight of the Eagle – the songs of Brahms
Apr 30: A Country House Weekend
Nov 12: Orpheus Then and Now – music for Sir Michael Tippett’s 90th birthday
Recital Series:
May 9: A Russian Song Recital – Joanne Kolomyjec, Mark Pedrotti
Oct 10: Norine Burgess, Michael Schade
Other performances:
Feb 5: Hart House, University of Toronto, Upstairs / Downstairs
Jul 23: Elora Festival, Elora, ON, Britten Canticles
Aug 9: Festival acadien, Caraquet, NB, Madame Bizet
1996
Sunday Series:
Jan 21: The Princess and the Sewing Machine
Mar 3: Lady Blarney – the life of Anna Jameson, 19th century visitor to Ontario
May 12: Voices of Spring – songs of Brahms, Schumann and others
Nov 3: Drawn from Life – portraits and songs from 18th and 20th century France
Recital Series:
Mar 25: The Britten Canticles
Apr 30: Die schöne Magelone – Russell Braun
Oct 21: Brett Polegato
Other performances:
Feb 29: Glenn Gould Studio, Toronto, Happy Birthday, Rossini!
May 11: St John’s Church, Elora, ON, Voices of Spring
1997
Sunday Series:
Feb 2: A Birthday Schubertiad
Mar 16: Come into the Parlour, Maud
Apr 27: Contrasts – music for four voices and two pianists
Nov 2: Harry Heine & Company – settings of Heine’s poetry
Recital Series:
Jan 31: Schubert’s Birthday Party
Feb 1: A Birthday Recital: Schubert – Nancy Argenta, Catherine Robbin, Malcolm Bilson, Blaise Bryski
Apr 14: Schubert and Brahms – Catherine Robbin, Russell Braun
May 8: Schubert and Britten – Ann Monoyios, Benjamin Butterfield
Dec 9: James Westman
Other performance:
Sep 28: Opera House, Orillia, ON, Come into the Parlour, Maud
1998
Sunday Series:
Feb 1: A Celebration of Lois Marshall
Mar 15: The Old Wizard of Bayreuth
Apr 26: Noblesse Oblige
Nov 22: Letzte Lieder
Recital Series:
Mar 9: Adrianne Pieczonka
Apr 15: Mark Pedrotti
Dec 1: Catherine Robbin
Young Artists (Walter Hall, University of Toronto):
Dec 4: Heidi Klann, Alexander Dobson
Other performance:
Jul 5: Royal York Hotel, Toronto, Thé chantant – songs for afternoon tea
1999
Sunday Series:
Jan 31: Miroir brûlant – the songs of Poulenc
Mar 7: Matinée musicale
Apr 25: The Lyre of Orpheus – music in the life and writings of Robertson Davies
Nov 7: Robert and Clara at home, with a visit from Johannes
Recital Series:
Jan 29: A Poulenc Soirée
May 14: The Songs of Henri Duparc – Catherine Robbin, Gerald Finley
Jun 11: The 1st Greta Kraus Schubertiad
Young Artists:
Feb 5: Carla Huhtanen, Scott Belluz
Oct 19: Virginia Hatfield, Matthew Leigh
Dec 1: Katerina Tchoubar, Michèle Bogdanowicz
2000
Sunday Series:
Jan 30: A Nordic Serenade
Mar 12: Madame Bizet
Apr 30: Toronto: a musical century
Nov 26: Auld Lang Syne
Recital Series:
Feb 7: Monica Whicher, Susan Platts
Feb 25: Nathan Berg
May 24: The 2nd Greta Kraus Schubertiad
Nov. 10: Donna Brown
Young Artists:
Oct 17: Maghan Stewart, Colleen Skull, James Levesque, Jesse Clark
Dec 6: Mehgan Atchison, Andrea Ludwig
2001
Sunday Series:
Jan 28: The 3rd Greta Kraus Schubertiad – A Winter Schubertiad
Mar 4: The Enchanted Garden – the songs of Ravel
Apr 29: Proud Songster – the songs of Finzi
Nov. 25: Abracadabra!
Recital Series:
Feb 21: Valdine Anderson
Apr 26: Die schöne Müllerin. – Michael Schade
Oct 19: Donna Brown, Catherine Robbin
Nov 9: James Westman
Young Artists:
Oct 11: Eve-Rachel McLeod, Giles Tomkins
Dec 4: Katherine Whyte, Megan Latham, Stephen Erickson, Peter McGillivray
Other performance:
Apr 28: St John’s Church, Elora, ON, Remembering Gerald Finzi
2002
Sunday Series:
Jan 13: The Birthday Salon – 20th anniversary gala concert (MacMillan Theatre, University of Toronto)
Mar 3: The Frankfurt Gang – the songs of Balfour Gardiner, Percy Grainger, Norman O’Neill, Roger Quilter and Cyril Scott
Apr 28: Music for the Masseys – a salute to one of Toronto’s distinguished families
Dec 1: Orpheus with her Lute
Recital Series:
Jan 11: Gerald Finley
Jan 19: The Great Song Marathon – an all day event featuring 23 singers and 81 songs
Feb 8: A Britten Recital – Catherine Robbin, Colin Ainsworth
May 8: The 4th Greta Kraus Schubertiad
Oct 23: Susan Platts
Young Artists:
Oct 15: Saemi Chang, Susan Black, Stephen Erickson, Julien Patenaude
Dec 3: Joni Henson, Melinda Delorme
Other performance:
Oct 11: Hilton Hotel, Toronto, Jane Austen’s Music
2003
Sunday Series:
Jan 26: Anacreon’s Rest – the songs of Hugo Wolf
Mar 16: Upstairs/Downstairs
Apr 27: Catherine Robbin and Friends – a farewell tribute to one of our favourite singers
Nov 23: The Heart of the Matter – the vocal music of Benjamin Britten
Recital Series:
Mar 25: Italienisches Liederbuch: Hugo Wolf – Monica Whicher, Russell Braun
May 7: The 5th Greta Kraus Schubertiad – Schubert and the Esterházys
Young Artists:
Feb 22: Hugo Wolf and his Poets
Dec 2: Leah Gordon, Philip Carmichael
Other performances:
Nov. 19: University of Western Ontario, London, ON, The Heart of the Matter
Nov 20: Guelph University, Guelph, ON, The Heart of the Matter
Nov 21: Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo, ON, The Heart of the Matter
2004
Sunday Series:
Jan 25: Caliban’s Cave – the songs of Berlioz
Mar 14: St Patrick’s Music
May 2: The 6th Greta Kraus Schubertiad – A Schubertiad in May
Oct 31: The Flight of the Eagle
Dec 5: The 49th Parallel – songs of Canada and the United States
Recital Series:
Jan 14: Colin Ainsworth
Mar 8: Nathalie Paulin
May 12: Brett Polegato
Young Artists:
Feb 3: Allison Allison, Kathryn Knapp, Michael McBride, Jason Nedecky/
Nov 30: Lisa DiMaria, Jillian Yemen, Stephen Hegedus
Other performance:
July 24: Town Hall, Bayfield, ON, A Toast to Vienna
2005
Sunday Series:
Jan 23: Valse des fleurs – Russian songs from Glinka to Tchaikovsky
Mar 13: Metamorphoses – the 2,000th anniversary of Ovid (MacMillan Theatre, University of Toronto)
May1: A Country House Weekend
Oct 30: Die schöne Postmeisterin – the marriage of Anna Plochl and Archduke John of Austria
Dec 4: A Christmas Party
Recital:
Apr 14: The 7th Greta Kraus Schubertiad – Winterreise: Gerald Finley (Walter Hall, University of Toronto)
Young Artists:
Feb 1: Laura Albino, Tyrsa Gawrachynsky, Jonathan Estabrooks
Nov 22: Brenna Conrad, Michael Adair
Other performances:
May 12: Walter Hall, University of Toronto, A Toronto Songbook
Jul 23: Town Hall, Bayfield, ON, The Food of Love – settings of Shakespeare
Jul 24: Elora Festival, Elora, ON, The Food of Love
2006
Sunday Series:
Jan 15: Mozart among friends
Feb 19: Fêtes galantes
Apr 30: Lady Blarney
Oct 22: Our Own Story – the Aldeburgh Connection year by year
Dec 3: Masques et bergamasques – songs and partsongs by Fauré and Hahn
Recitals:
May 9: The 8th Greta Kraus Schubertiad – Schubert’s Florilegium
Jun 6: Eichendorff Lieder: Michael Schade (Walter Hall, University of Toronto)
Young Artists:
Jan 31: Lucia Cesaroni, Hélène Couture, Sasha Bataligin, Trevor Bowes
Discovery Series:
Nov 28: Ileana Montalbetti, Charlene Santoni, Heather Jewson
Other performance:
May 13: Town Hall, Bayfield, ON, Voyage à Paris
2007
Sunday Series:
Jan 14: The 9th Greta Kraus Schubertiad – The Greta Kraus Centenary Schubertiad
Feb 18: The Anniversary Waltz: Silver Jubilee Gala (MacMillan Theatre, University of Toronto)
Apr 29: The Care of a Genius – the songs of Elgar
Oct 21: New York Exotic – music connected with the stay of Britten and Pears in Brooklyn, NY, 1940-41
Dec 2: Miroir brûlant
Recital:
Nov 28: The 10th annual Greta Kraus Schubertiad – Schubert’s Cosmology
Discovery Series:
Jan 30: Eve-Lyn de la Haye, Benjamin Covey
Nov 19: Allison Arends, Kathleen Promane
Bayfield Festival of Song (Town Hall, Bayfield, ON):
Jun 9, am: Coffee concert
Jun 9, pm: James Westman
Jun 10: The Village Sings
2008
Sunday Series:
Jan 13: A Song of Enchantment – settings of Walter de la Mare
Mar 2: The Tale of the Ostrich – the songs of Richard Strauss
Apr 27: Ancestral Voices – music in the life and family of the Hon. Victoria Woods
Oct 26: The Enchanted Garden
Nov 30: Parnassus on Elm Street – the centenary of the Arts & Letters Club of Toronto
Recital:
Apr 9: Nathalie Paulin, Anita Krause
Discovery Series:
Jan 29: Laura Klassen, Katarzyna Sadej, Paul Williamson, Philip Kalmanovitch
Nov 11: Aviva Fortunata, Frank Mutya, Jeremy Ludwig
Bayfield Festival of Song:
Jun 7, am: Schubert in the Morning
Jun 7, pm: Nathalie Paulin, Anita Krause
Jun 8: The Bayfield Cocktail Book
2009
Sunday Series:
Feb 1: The Wings of Song – the songs of Mendelssohn
Mar 15: A James Joyce Songbook – settings of James Joyce and music from his writings
Apr 26: Thé chantant
Oct 18: Alfred, Lord Tennyson
Nov 22: Blessed Cecilia – songs to celebrate the patron saint of music
Recital:
Mar 25: The 11th Greta Kraus Schubertiad – Winterreise: Brett Polegato
Discovery Series:
Feb 10: Catherine Marchant, Mia Harris, Erica Huang, Patrick Jang, Giovanni Spanu
Nov 10: Lindsay Barrett, Vasil Garvanliev
Bayfield Festival of Song:
Jun 6, am: A Quatre mains
Jun 6, pm: Brett Polegato
Jun 7: A Bayfield Boat Song
Jun 10: Voices on the Square
Jun 13, am: Schubert in the Morning
Jun 13, pm: Shannon Mercer
Jun 14: A Bayfield Boat Song
Other performance:
Oct 1: Integral House, Toronto, The Integral Art of Song
2010
Sunday Series:
Jan 24: The 12th Greta Kraus Schubertiad – The Lady of the Lake, and other tales
Mar 14: Hugo Wolf, The Mighty Miniaturist – the songs of Wolf
May 2: City of Villages – a singers’ tour of Toronto
Oct 24: The Patrons’ Salon – music chosen by our three Honorary Patrons
Dec 5: The Year of Song – songs written in 1840 by Schumann
Discovery Series:
Feb 10: Johane Ansell, Erica Huang, Christopher Enns, James Baldwin
Nov 2: Jessica Strong, Marta Herman
Bayfield Festival of Song:
Jun 5, am: Sleepers, Wake!
Jun 5, pm: Virginia Hatfield, Lauren Segal
Jun 6: A Harvest of Song
Jun 11: Primadonna Sails In – singer and comedian Mary Lou Fallis
Jun 12, am: Schumann in the Morning
Jun 12, pm: Susan Platts
Jun 13: A Harvest of Song
Other performance:
Mar 28: Lebovic Centre, Stouffville, ON, España!
2011
Sunday Series:
Jan 30: A Shropshire Lad in Ontario – the life of baritone James Campbell McInnes
Mar 6: C’est mon plaisir – the life in Boston of Isabella Stewart Gardner
May 1: The 13th Greta Kraus Schubertiad – A Spring Schubertiad
Oct 16: Clair de lune
Nov 27: The Great Comet – the songs of Liszt
Discovery Series:
Feb 15: Claire de Sévigné, Julia Barber, Andrew Haji, Geoffrey Sirett
Bayfield Festival of Song:
Jun 3: Die schöne Müllerin – Colin Ainsworth
Jun 4, am: An English Morning
Jun 4, pm: Lucia Cesaroni, Colin Ainsworth
Jun 5: Embraceable You!
June 10: Allyson McHardy
June 11, am: Schubert in the Morning
June 11, pm: Glamorous Night
June 12: Embraceable You!
2012
Sunday Series:
Feb 19: The 30th Anniversary Gala (Koerner Hall, Toronto)
Mar 18: The 13th Greta Kraus Schubertiad – Schubert and the Esterházys
Apr 29: A Country House Weekend
Oct 21: The Lyre of Orpheus
Dec 2: Madame Bizet
Bayfield Festival of Song:
Jun 2, am: Schubert in the Morning
Jun 2, pm: Upstairs/Downstairs
Jun 3: Diamonds for a Queen
Jun 8: Monica Whicher, Laura Tucker
Jun 9, am: Wish you were here …
Jun 9, pm: Alexander Dobson
Jun 10: Diamonds for a Queen
Other performance:
Mar 4: University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, A Country House Weekend
2013
Sunday Series:
Jan 27: Valse des fleurs
Mar 10: The 14th Greta Kraus Schubertiad – Love Among the Ruins
May 26: A Time There Was
A Britten Festival of Song:
Apr 26: The Canticles
May 7: The Song-Cycles
[May 26: A Time There Was]
