Dr. Colin Eatock, composer
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The NYOC Kids are Alright

7/28/2011

5 Comments

 
Picture
Lots of music in an Ottawa summer.
Last night I heard the National Youth Orchestra of Canada at St. Brigid’s Arts Centre, in Ottawa, where they were presented by the Ottawa International Chamber Music Festival.

Chamber music? Strauss’s Rosenkavalier Suite, Mahler’s Symphony No. 5 and a new piece for a large orchestra? Hardly – but Roman Borys, one of the music directors of the festival (and better known in some parts as the cellist in Toronto’s Gryphon Trio) explained it all to me. When the NYOC comes to Ottawa they usually play at the National Arts Centre – but the Centre is unavailable this summer. So Ottawa’s Chamberfest stepped up to present the ensemble.


I left the concert asking myself the same question I ask myself every time I hear the NYOC: “What’s wrong with kids today? Why do so many of them want to be classical musicians?”

Okay, they don’t all want to be musicians: some of them will go on to lead productive lives as doctors, lawyers and stock-brokers. And even those who do plan on a career in music have a few thousand hours in the practice-room ahead of them. These young musicians are highly skilled – yet as with most youth orchestras, there’s a blunt enthusiasm about the NYOC that time will no doubt refine.

But, as they say, no pain, no gain – and under the emphatic baton of Jonathan Darlington, the Strauss and Mahler taxed the young musicians to the max. Playing in an ensemble like the NYOC that puts big, demanding, repertoire up on the music stand is an excellent experience for these kids at this point in their development.

I mentioned a new piece on the program. It was called Soma, and was written for the NYOC by Brian Current, a young-and-happening composer from Toronto. Soma is a glittery, kaleidoscopic work, all colour and texture. Sometimes when I hear a contemporary piece like this – in which concrete thematic material is pretty much absent – I’m inclined to dismiss it as “an orchestration in search of a composition.” But I quite liked Soma: it was elegantly fluid, and well paced, with a sure-footed sense of drama.

And now it’s time for a little rant. As they always do, the NYOC inserted a political advertisement into their program. Two players got up and spoke: a young woman from Quebec, and a young man from Alberta – except la Québécoise began her remarks in English, and the Albertan opened in French. Get it? National unity at work! Then they introduced the musicians by province (which is always a little embarrassing for the Maritimes, represented by only a smattering of players – but what can you do?) It saddens me to see that the NYOC feels it has to posture in this way to safeguard its government funding. And it saddens me more to think that the underlying assumption – that our politicians don’t give a hang about the arts – is probably true.


© Colin Eatock 2011
5 Comments
John Armstrong link
7/28/2011 01:09:44 pm

Hi Colin,

Sorry I didn't see you there. Of course, we might not recognize each other after all of these years. I think I would have REALLY enjoyed the concert if it hadn't been so hot and the seats so uncomfortable! As it was, I just enjoyed it.

Reply
Barbara Scales link
7/29/2011 12:09:18 am

Always good to read you, COlin. I will catch this program in MOntreal on Friday, August 5.

I am a big fan of the NYOC. ANd eager to catch sight of Maestro Darlington. And particularly to hear the work by Brian Current!

Reply
Michael Macaulay
7/31/2011 01:10:15 pm

As one of the two speakers who represented the orchestra after intermission, I can assure you that the language-swapping was not meant as a political move, because Anne-Sophie (the other speaker) and I were the ones who came up with the idea. We didn't ask for approval or permission from the management. We just went ahead and did it - partly because we really did feel a sense of unity after weeks of rehearsing, bonding, and knocking down language barriers, but mostly just because we thought it would be fun.

Reply
Gregory Irvine
7/31/2011 01:52:57 pm

Dear Colin,

As a parent of one of those kids who is part of the "smattering" of students from the Maritimes, I'm not embarrassed by the fact that there are so few of them. Nor do I think that these students are embarrassed by this fact. Given the population base of this region (less than that of Toronto at less than two million) I would say that proportionally, the Maritimes are well represented.

With regard to your comments about political advertising and posturing, I think that your reaction may be just a bit cynical. I think that audience members generally enjoy learning where the students are from and share with them their pride in coming together to make music unencumbered by political and cultural differences.

And finally, if your final point about politicians "not giving a hang about the arts" is true, then the posturing you attribute to the NYOC at their Ottawa concert wouldn't make any difference, since there were likely no politicians present!

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fast loans link
10/5/2013 04:35:01 am

Hard work spotlights the character of people: some turn up their sleeves, some turn up their noses, and some don't turn up at all.

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    Eatock Daily

    I'm a composer based in Toronto – and this is my classical music blog, Eatock Daily.

    When I first started blogging, Eatock Daily was a place to re-post the articles I wrote for Toronto’s Globe and Mail and National Post newspapers, the Houston Chronicle, the Kansas City Star and other publications.

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