Just in time to celebrate Canada Day, a former Beacher, Joe Canto, has written and performed an original song called Canada. It is a stirring song, with an equally stirring performance, and lyrics reflecting this country’s cultural diversity.
“Canada/Many nations in one/Canada/Land of giving hope.”
Joe Canto grew up in the Coxwell and Danforth area and attended St. Brigid’s School. He makes his living as a tiler, but has always had a passion for making music. His song, Canada, is one of many that he has posted on YouTube, the popular on-line video source. To hear Canada, go to www.youtube.com, and search Joe Canto - Canada.
“To the land of immigrants/Where our fathers arrived.”
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Beaches Baroque is back with its second chamber music season. Geneviève Gilardeau, Baroque violin, and Lucas Harris, lute, are both members of the illustrious Baroque music ensemble Tafelmusik, and between the two of them have more than 30 years experience performing, touring and recording. Beaches Baroque is the duo’s attempt to bring early music performance to Toronto’s East End.
This concert, July 10, at 7 p.m., at Beaches Presbyterian Church, 65 Glen Manor Dr., is called The Bach/Weiss Sonata, and will feature Bach’s Sonata BWV 1025, a long, seven-movement sonata for violin and harpsichord. Recently it has been discovered that the harpsichord part was a transcription of a lute sonata by Bach’s friend Sylvius Leopold Weiss, so the piece works beautifully as a duet for violin and lute. Geneviève and Lucas are planning to record this piece shortly after this concert.
Admission is free, but donations are gratefully accepted. For more information visit www.beachesbaroque.ca.
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Mark Battenberg will perform his popular Song of the River Spirit concert July 15, at 7 p.m., at the Beaches Library, 2161 Queen St. E. Song of the River Spirit is a musical meditation and journey, a collection of self-penned pieces by this master guitarist interspersed with his own meditative poetry, narrated this evening by master hypnotist, Pep Duhaime. It is also the title of one of Mark’s six CDs of guitar music. For more information, or to purchase any of his CDs, visit Mark’s website at www.battenbergmusic.com. Admission to this concert is free, and for more information call the library at 416-393-7703.
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The Toronto Fingerstyle Guitar Association will continue with its bi-weekly open stage/jam at Ten Feet Tall, 1381 Danforth, Monday July 5 and 19. This is an excellent opportunity for guitarists of all levels and styles to get together and trade licks, and for those interested in hearing great fingerstyle guitar playing. The night gets underway at 8 p.m. and continues until 11:30. There is no feature set, so just bring your guitar along and join in the fun.
For more information call Dunstan Morey at 416-785-9903, or visit www.fingerstyleguitar.ca.