The audience was as interesting as the musicians at last Sunday’s concert presented by the Pender Harbour Music Society (PHMS) at the School of Music in Madeira Park. The non-profit organization was celebrating their 30th anniversary and though their concert series offers all styles of music, for this special occasion they had invited classical musicians Paul Marleyn on cello – for his fifth appearance on the Coast – and Mauro Bertoli on piano.
In an introduction, Society member Marg Skelly told how old minute books and memorabilia from the early days had come to light. She described a time when there was no music in the schools and local musicians taught kids and encouraged students to take part in the Sunshine Coast Music Festival. In 1987 those who were singing, playing and dancing put their energies towards cleaning and building when they renovated the former Forestry Service building in Madeira Park to turn it into the intimate performance venue that it is today.
Skelly introduced members of the audience who had been volunteering since early days and quite a few of them were in attendance. Nancy Mackay was the first board chair of PHMS, and she cut the celebration cake along with the current chair, Joanne Mauro. Gwen Hawkins who has sung with the Pender Harbour Choir for the past 35 years was also in the audience, along with her husband Ed Hawkins and a fellow chorister Doreen Lee who was the Society’s secretary in early years. Though the Pender Harbour Choir predates the Music Society, the group has been closely allied and receives free rehearsal space at the Music School. (The Pender Harbour Chamber Music Festival is also under the umbrella of PHMS.)
Marg Penney was on duty selling memberships to the PHMS Concert Series and she has served for 20 years. The queen of fundraisers, Nikki Weber, was also on hand to be thanked for her role in organizing music concerts to raise money for the organization.
Skelly noted a few changes over the years: the early board members were accustomed to taking smoke breaks during their meetings. That doesn’t happen anymore, she said, laughing. After the first dance held at the Music School flopped, it was voted that there be no more dances. “We do music best,” Skelly said.
With that, the music began; it was titled Le Salon de Paris, opening with Gluck’s Melodie and a longer Sonata in A major by Cesar Franck. Each movement was distinctive and it increased in speed and volume on the last movement.
“That’s a jolt of caffeine,” said my seat neighbour.
Marleyn noted that the Louange à l’éternité de Jésus was the slowest piece of music he knew. It was written by Olivier Messiaen as part of a longer piece composed while he was incarcerated in a prisoner of war camp in 1941. The solemnity of the piece was followed by a more lively fleeting melody, the Beau Soir by Debussy.
Marleyn and Bertoli experimented with their next piece, a selection from Sports et Divertissements by Erik Satie. Marleyn gave a humorous verbal accompaniment in a French accent to Bertoli’s piano. The topics included ocean bathing (it’s damp in the waves), the man next to you (who loves you) and an octopus suffering indigestion after eating a crab. Not your usual classical fare, but a hit with the audience.
The music series offers one more concert this year. Sweet Scarlet Winter Songs on Sunday, Dec. 17 at 2 p.m. is an appearance by an award-winning a cappella vocal ensemble. See penderharbourmusic.ca for more.
