Wow, what a fabulous launch for the Brockville Concert Association’s 75th Anniversary World of Music concert series held on May 26th, 2023! Two Sultans of String concerts, a reception for past board members, donors, local and provincial dignitaries, and special guest Her Honour the Honourable Elizabeth Dowdeswell, Lieutenant Governor of Ontario! As a small entirely volunteer-managed organization we were thrilled by the celebratory energy everyone brought to the opening night festivities!
Our concert day began in the early afternoon at the Brockville Arts Centre, with an amazing Sultans of String school concert enthusiastically received by an audience of approximately 500 local high school students. We are happy that Sultans of String and our funders, sponsors, and individual donors made it possible for us to present two outstanding performances.
The evening concert opened with gracious remarks from our special guest Her Honour the Honourable Elizabeth Dowdeswell, Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, followed by City of Brockville Mayor Matt Wren, and Ontario Arts Council Board Member Robin Jones. All highlighted their support for the value of volunteerism, the importance of diversity in Canada, and the power of music to bring people together and foster understanding and empathy. Following opening remarks, the Sultans of String provided the Brockville Arts Centre audience with a musical evening to remember! Virtuosic musicians all: band-leader and composer Chris McKhool on violin, band members Drew Birston on bass guitar and ukulele, and Kevin Laliberté on electric guitar, with special guests Saskia Tomkins on nyckelharpa and Majd Sukar on clarinet. The concert blended a high-energy Celtic vibe with musical traditions from First Nations Indigenous, Arabic, Latin American and other international artists, some of whom are recent immigrants to North America. Highlights included a piece written by McKhool inspired by a trip to Lebanon with his father, exploring family roots, as well as several collaborations with pre-recorded musicians on screen and the band playing live on stage. Especially moving was “I Am a Refugee”, a heartfelt and powerful collaboration between the Sultans of String and Somali poet Ifrah Mansour (learn more and watch a video of this piece here: https://sultansofstring.com/2019/09/i-am-a-refugee-single-released-today/ )
Thank you to all our funders, sponsors, and donors, including the Ontario Arts Council, Brockville and Area Community Foundation, Ross W. McNeil Foundation, and May Court Club of Brockville. Special thanks to David Beatty and Canarm whose generosity allowed us to continue during the pandemic.
Thanks and kudos to management, staff, and volunteers at the Brockville Arts Centre, who ensured that all went smoothly through the big day. Also, a huge thanks to past board members and volunteers, who dedicated so much of their time and enthusiasm to bringing live classical and jazz performances to Brockville over the past 75 years. They are an inspiration to our current board!
Mailing List: Several attendees asked about the best way to learn about future Brockville Concert Association concerts. We have an email mailing list to send news about our plans and upcoming concerts. Our emails are occasional, we do not inundate subscribers with constant emails! Join Mailing List
We look forward to seeing you all at our next concert! August 19th will be the Barnes & Woldemichael Ethio-Jazz Quartet preceded by an Ethiopian dinner catered by Toronto’s Hirut Cafe. October 28th will be the multi-media show Tangorium, by Bridge & Wolak with the Queen’s University Symphony Orchestra. Details and ticket links at https://brockvilleconcert.ca/events/
The Brockville Concert Association
