And why you should care, too.
While in Quebec this summer, I met Frank. A few years ago he was working in Calgary as a computer programmer, and though he was making pretty good money, he wasn’t enjoying himself. So, he quit his job and enrolled at McGill University, where he is now in his fourth year as an opera major.
He told me once that he goes to Europe at least twice a year. He said that the reason for this is that in Europe, people go to the opera and the symphony regularly. Europeans, he opined, still consider these live musical shows as an event for the commoner, unlike in North America where it is considered “fancy” or “elitist” at best, and “lame” at worst.
I attended Mozart’s Jupiter last year and noticed that even though tickets for people under 30 were, and still are, just $15, it was hard to find anyone under 50. Sure, there were a few younger people, and even one family with two small children, but they were definitely the minority.
When a friend and I bought tickets to another orchestral concert last year, he mentioned that no one back home would believe it when he told them that he was going to the symphony. When I asked him why, he replied that it’s “just not something his friends do.”
I know there is no easy answer as to why people, especially youth, have no problem blowing $10 to see the latest Transformers movie, or $100 for Justin Bieber tickets, yet have no interest in seeing a 37-piece orchestra playing some of the most complex and beautiful music ever written. What bothers me is that no one seems surprised by this.
There’s a reason why men like Beethoven and Mozart are still household names 200 years after they died. Composers were the rock stars of their time. They played for kings and popes. They wrote music that is still considered incredible today. Of course, there was terrible music in their time as well, but the pieces that are well known–the ones that are still performed today–are done so for a reason.
Luckily for the people of Halifax, Symphony Nova Scotia is one of the many orchestras capable of presenting works by some of history’s greatest musicians, and they are proud to do it.
According to their website, Symphony Nova Scotia is the only fully professional orchestra east of Quebec City. An award-winning recording group with 15 CDs released nationally, the orchestra is recognized across Canada through broadcasts on CBC Radio. Their site also states that the Symphony presents over 50 concerts annually for more than 50,000 people, and has performed in communities across the province, including Lawrencetown, Eastern Passage, Lunenburg and Wolfville.
The 2011/2012 concert season is once again packed with a multitude of shows. With several different series, including Celebrity Classics, Maritime Fusion, Baroque, and Retro Pops, which features Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon, there is certainly something to please everyone.
They will also be kicking off this season with numerous free events. The fourth annual Symphony Week (Sept. 24 to Oct. 2) is a week-long celebration packed with free concerts and musical events in public spaces throughout Halifax. If you can only make it to one free show this year, the season preview on Sept. 25 is not to be missed. The full Symphony will perform highlights from the upcoming season on the waterfront by the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic.
With such a full and diverse concert season, and tickets costing only $15, there’s really no reason not to go.
For the full concert schedule, tickets and interesting information on the history of Symphony Nova Scotia and its musicians, visit www.symphonynovascotia.ca
Recent Comments