Every seat at the Sechelt Band Hall was filled for the very popular Christmas concert from the Sunshine Coast Community Orchestra Association (SCCOA) on Dec. 13. In a program titled Christmas Past and Present, the members of the four ensembles dished up a huge variety of music and at one point had all 79 musicians out on stage for a rousing version of Sleigh Ride.
The most remarkable aspect of this association is the four conductors. In a world dominated by male orchestra leaders, the SCCOA features four women conductors. Janice Brunson leads the Suncoast Concert Band and they launched the concert with the medieval carol Gaudete, also giving a rhythmic Latin version of the Twelve Days of Christmas. Several tunes were arranged by the band’s own John Frederickson who can often be heard playing trumpet.
Kathleen Hovey leads the Junior String Ensemble – this is the third group of students she has taught and encouraged. They did a great job on the familiar music of the Danse des Mirlitons from The Nutcracker.
The newest addition to the SCCOA is the 17-member Coast Chamber Strings, an ensemble of violin, viola and cello, conducted by Sarah Poon. Time didn’t permit more than a taste of Corelli’s Concerto Grosso or Vivaldi’s Gloria in Excelsis Deo, but it did suggest promising future performances.
The Coast Symphony Orchestra is conducted by Edette Gagne, who is also the artistic director for the association. This is the largest ensemble and they made the music swell magnificently on the Evening Prayer from Hansel und Gretel, also accomplishing the tricky rhythms on Chanson Joyeuse, opus 78. Host Alec Tebbutt led the audience through traditional carol singing to round out the entertainment.
The next show from members of the SCCOA will be the Concert Band performance in April, followed by a Symphony concert in May.
