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| June 28, 2012 Some Serious Fun and a French Fête |
Dear friend of MusicFest Vancouver,
 This issue of our newsletter has a French connection plus a community connection that stretches back 100 years. Read on for news of the Centennial Celebration at Holy Trinity Anglican Church (featuring the mighty Casavant Frères pipe organ and "organblaster" Michael Dirk) and the definitive Quebeçois roots band, La Bottine Souriante! Add in the two concerts of music by Debussy (referenced in preview newsletters) - Ariette oubliées by Donna Brown & Phillipe Cassard, and the Deux Pianos: Hommage à Debussy concert in the BMO Main Stage series and you can see there really is a French connection!
And, since we are after all a music festival, we've recently added the ability to hear representative clips of music from our 2012 artists to our website so you can read more about that, too.
It's going to be an amazing festival, so pause your player - mute your phone - attend a concert - and see with your own ears how a live musical performance can move you - it's like you're there! |
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With "Organblaster" Michael Dirk at the Helm, Holy Trinity Celebrates 100 Years  MusicFest Vancouver pipe organ concert marks exact centenary!
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Michael Dirk, organblaster
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Exactly 100 years ago - August 11, 1912 - the doors of Chalmers Presbyterian Church (now Holy Trinity) opened at the corner of Hemlock and 12th, and the first chords resounded from the 2,271 pipes of their pipe organ. On August 12, 2012, MusicFest Vancouver is proud to present self-describe "organblaster" Michael Dirk in a light-hearted concert that puts the mighty Casavant Frères Opus 485 instrument through its paces!
The Casavant Brothers (Casavant Frêres) have been building pipe organs since 1879 and are based in Quebec. Their instruments are installed all over the world in churches, cathedrals, and concert halls.
This celebratory concert includes works by J.S. Bach, a tribute to Virgil Fox's "Heavy Organ" tours from the '70's, Healey Willan's magnum opus Introduction, Passacaglia and Fugue, Denis Bedard's Variations on "Old Hundredth" - plus improvisations to a Laurel & Hardy silent movie, complete with popcorn for the audience! A keyboard cam and projection system will put you alongside the artist as Michael works his keyboard wizardry, and you are invited to visit the display of organ pipes and workings at intermission. BONUS: Wear your MusicFest Vancouver Surround Sound 3D Glasses to the concert to be entered to win a prize! Download the template and create your own! Casavant Frères: 100 Years of Good Vibrations Saturday, August 12 2pm Holy Trinity Anglican Church purchase tickets
"Bach is like a jetstream. If you can get on it, you soar!" Virgil Fox
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Party with La Bottine Souriante as they Rock the Vogue!
 We are thrilled to have La Bottine Souriante with us for MusicFest Vancouver! They are a living legend of French North American roots music, having sold over half a million CDs, with four Gold and three Platinum albums to their credit. They bring their high-octane mix of brass, stepdancing, fiddles, and fun to the Vogue Theatre on Tuesday, August 14. You'll want to dance - and that's good, because there WILL be a dance floor! Be prepared to party to their infectious combination of pure folk music infused with a dash of jazz and salsa!
"...One of the most innovative and uplifting bands playing contemporary roots music anywhere."
Tony Montague, The Vancouver Courier
"The tightest and most exciting band of any nature anywhere..."
FolkRoots, UK
"...One of the best live acts of this universe." "
FolkRoots, UK
...Simply the best band I saw all through the summer festival season."
Georgina Boyes, BBC Radio 2
La Bottine Souriante Rocks the Vogue Tuesday, August 14 8pm Vogue Theatre purchase tickets
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The Insiders' Scoop
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2012 MusicFest staff
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Each issue of our newsletter will introduce a MusicFest Vancouver staff member who will share what concert they can't wait to hear. Nancy Cottingham-Powell, our Artist Services and Outreach Manager, is looking forward to the Nordic Voices concert. This BMO Main Stage concert is presented in partnership with the Chan Centre for the Performing Arts:
 "I can't wait for the Nordic Voices concert at the Chan Centre. I was first introduced to international choral music in 1993 when I worked on the World Choral Symposium with George Laverock and Morna Edmundson. I was blown away at the variety of vocal styles that the international choirs brought to Vancouver. When I first heard Nordic Voices I knew they were one of those choirs that stands in the world-class circle, producing amazingly beautiful music but also pushing limits. I love the medieval and contemporary works they perform and I think it will be 'goose bump time' hearing them in the Chan Centre."
Saturday, August 11
8pm Chan Centre at UBC purchase tickets
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Music Samples! We've Got Music Samples!
We are very excited to announce that our website now features a free 2012 MusicFest Vancouver sampler playlist so you can feed that Festival curiosity you have going on! To access these freshly minted tunes, scroll to the bottom of our homepage, click on any of the 38 music tracks, and voilà you can get a little taste of what we're presenting live in August. Enjoy exploring some new music and we hope you get a excited for what's to come.
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 Help Us Be The Best of Vancouver!
The Georgia Straight is running their Best of Vancouver poll and we'd love you to vote for us as Best Local Music Festival. You must answer a minimum of 25 questions to qualify your ballot, and you'll be entered into a draw to win a
$2500 FLIGHT CENTRE GIFT CERTIFICATE . Click here to begin - and thank you for your support! (Ballot closes at midnight on July 11)
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Join MusicFest Vancouver on Social Media!
View photos from MusicFest Vancouver 2011 on 
  
www.MusicFestVancouver.ca
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