On March 8 and 9, the Coast Messiah Choir and Coast Messiah Orchestra will present the long-awaited sequel to the inaugural BachFest in 2019. The concerts are organized and directed by David and Sarah Boone, Gibson residents who are themselves music teachers, soloists and conductors.
Three teenage cellists will take center stage next month as dozens of Sunshine Coast musicians come together to pay tribute to one of the Baroque era's most prolific composers.
On March 8 and 9, the Coast Messiah Choir and Coast Messiah Orchestra will present the long-awaited sequel to the inaugural BachFest in 2019. The concerts are organized and directed by David and Sarah Boone, Gibson residents who are themselves music teachers, soloists and conductors.
The concerts are scheduled to include three seniors from Elphinstone High School: Erin Payne, Esme, Williams and Kyle Reid. The three will perform one of Bach's unaccompanied cello pieces, composed in the early 18th century.
“I think everyone needs to know what a giant Bach was as a composer and artist,” Sarah Boone said. “Bach has always been one of my favorite composers, and there is a lot of music he composed.”
German-born Johann Sebastian Bach composed more than 1,128 pieces of music during his 65 years, making him one of the most prolific composers in history.
“There is a reason why Western composers after Bach have studied, imitated, glorified and looked up to his music,” said David Boon. “It is music that transcends time and is not limited to specific bands or languages; It speaks to the mind as well as to the soul.
The three teenage cellists will share the task of performing Suite No. 3 in a concert, mixing their own interpretations. Payne, Williams and Reed had all become adept in the earlier suites (Bach wrote six in total) years ago while learning their instruments.
Sarah Boone has shown that the third group represents a step forward in technical complexity while showcasing the unexpected versatility of the C major key. (“There are still many beautiful things to be said in C major,” Boone said, citing Russian composer Sergei Prokofiev.)
Payne summed up the soloists' feelings about Bach's cello compositions: “I love that you can tell your own story. I love how much emotion you can put in, and the music works perfectly with the instrument.”
“all [movement] “The collection has a distinct feel, yet still maintains the connection and overall theme,” Reid added.
Williams compared the piece favorably to Bach's first cello suite, which has appeared in hundreds of television shows and films: “[Although] These aren't as famous, they're more interesting musically [than Suite No. 1]”.
All three teenagers are veterans of the Sunshine Coast Performing Arts Festival, where Reid himself performed Bach's first cello suite prelude last April.
The Coast Messiah Orchestra, made up of twenty string players from the Sunshine Coast, will lead the BachFest lineup with Bach's Brandenburg Concerto No. 3. The third concerto from the Brandenburg set of six features groups of three: three violin sections, three viola sections and three cello sections. All three movements contain recurring themes that evoke intense joy as the melody moves from one section to the next.
The program will conclude with the Coast Messiah Orchestra accompanying the Coast Messiah Choir in a performance of the first three movements of the Mass in B minor. Bach used chromatic motifs, harmony and counterpoint to craft a work that resonates with the central text of the work: “Lord have mercy.”
Both BachFest concerts take place on Friday 8 March at 7pm and Saturday 9 March at 2pm, both at St Hilda's in Sechelt. Tickets ($30) are available at Strait Music and online at www.coastmessiahchoir.ca.
