For the last 83 years, the Vancouver Bach Choir has been performing in concert alongside your favourite artists; now, music director Les Dala has invited some of his own favourites to perform in a style of concert rarely seen on our stages.
Les and Friends a gala fundraiser for the venerable choir takes place Sunday at 2pm at the Vancouver Academy of Music, and will feature some of Canadas most prominent artists (some of whom are already in town rehearsing for Vancouver Operas Don Giovanni). The artists, colleagues of Dalas, are donating their time and their talents in support of the choir one of the largest in Canada.
It is in some ways a show of solidarity for the national arts community, but even more so a commitment to help continue the work the choir does for arts education and awareness across the Lower Mainland. Some of the roughly 110 VBC singers have been members for 30-plus years and come in from as far as Mission to rehearse each week.
This is certainly a chance to see some of these folks up close and personal, says Dala of his hand-picked lineup. Rarely are you going to have so many amazingly talented people sharing the stage in one afternoon.
Proceeds from the concert not only help the Bach Choir continue its mandate of producing some of the finest works that have ever been written for choir and orchestra, but the less enchanting business of running the office, hiring the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, renting the Orpheum, hiring soloists expenses that can amount to hundreds of thousands annually.
Of the 13 singers and instrumentalists on the Feb. 16 program, perhaps the most exciting is the Bergmann Piano Duo: My very good friends, Elizabeth and Marcel Bergmann, are just electrifying. Marcel is also a composer/arranger, and theyre going to close our show with a number of his own arrangements from a suite of West Side Story.
So if you missed the musical while it was in town, or if you havent had your fill yet, you should come hear what these guys have got.
Les and Friends: A Vancouver Bach Choir Fundraiser
Date: Sunday, February 16, 2014 at 2pm
Tickets: $65 (Partial tax receipt will be issued). Call 604-872-8789
Address: Koerner Recital Hall at the Vancouver Academy of Music, 1270 Chestnut Street
