Westboro Bookstore Calling for Classical Music

Following a number of successful open-mic nights at a Westboro bookstore, which included classical music acts, the owners have decided to take a step further. Collected Works Bookstore & Coffeebar, on the Southwest corner of Wellington and Holland, is hoping to put on a series of genre-specific concerts, including those of classical music.

"We're looking for musicians to hold events here who would be the primary promoters and organizers," says Craig Poile of CW, "although we can add to the organization and promotion, I don't know if we have the resources at this point." Being a classical music lover himself, Craig looks forward to working with local musicians.

The call for events comes as a great opportunity for musicians to get their feet wet at organizing and promoting a show. "We would provide the venue and a staff person... [and leave it up] to the musicians to decide the format [of the evening]," says Craig.

Thank you Craig!

Serious enquiries can be sent to info@collected-works.com

Upon reflection sur la montagne

With the celebrations of the baroque and the sun which shone brightly over it now complete, our hemisphere has now begun to darken, though only slightly, day by day.

Always a display of the highest-quality, the Festival montréal baroque is never short of energetic, fun programming ideas. Over the past two years, I have been very fortunate to have been included as part of its own ensemble, la bande Montréal baroque. My work with them has demanded much from me, yet it is the most fulfilling work I have done.

Horsing around in Montreal

The Festival montréal baroque is celebrating its tenth anniversary this weekend with quite the program. Titled "Apocalypse", in line with the Mayan predictions, the festival lineup was inspired by the themes of revelation and transformation.

One of the main attractions this year is a reproduction of an equestrian ballet first performed in 1612. That's right, horses will be dancing.

The four horses (representing war, pestilence, famine, and death), along with four dancers from the baroque dance troupe Les Jardins chorégraphiques, will be accompanied by a 21-strong band of oboes, bassoons, sackbuts, cornets, fifes, drums, and trumpets as they dance in the open air.

This past Wednesday, the band got its first chance to run with the horses. Not a common gig, the rehearsal was quite the show in itself. With mosquitos flying, barn smells, dogs barking, and plenty of dust, if one were to have been driving by the farm a band of historical musicians would have been the least likely sight to expect to see.

The event looks to be quite the spectacle and I am told that it has been completely sold out for a while now. If you have a ticket, Good on You!

Breaking Winds Crowd-Funding First Album

The Breaking Winds, the world's most famous bassoon quartet (I'm making that up, or am I?), have decided to fund their upcoming debut CD, 'Breaking In', through Kickstarter. They plan for their disk to include both original arrangements and compositions. Check out all the details HERE. Or take a look at the video below... or both.