/ “by Michael Kelly... _ ; ‘The'sound of the VSO hasn’t - been. heard in the R.E.M. Lee ' Theatre for many years, and the - .:, There is one word to describe the: Vancouver Symphony ‘Orchestra’s reception by its Ter-. - race: audience Sunday night — warmth. full-house for the Terrace stop on. the. orchestra’s Northwest “tour began the evening by ap- plauding the concertmaster after he got the ensemble in tune. We're not starved for culture up. here, just appreciative when we getit. _. This wasn’t one of those two-. ‘pit mini-tours — what we saw. Sunday evening was a full blown symphony orchestra packed elbow-to-music-stand. on . the stage. Most of the audience was - surprised to hear the sound of a piano.in the opening piece. ‘Close scrutiny revealed the nose ‘of the R.E.M. Lee’s resident ‘concert grand projecting out of ‘the wings in front of the tim- pani; pianist Linda Lee Thomas must have been sitting some- where out on the Caledonia playing fields. A few years ago, the VSO was .described by one guest con- ductor as “‘the best-kept musical : secret in North America’’. Perhaps too well-kept: in early 1987, the orchestra nearly went under. But in one of the most remarkable musical resurrec- tions in recent history, the or- chestra came back from the dead through a sort of community outreach program — musicians played in parks, shopping malls, community: centers, on bridges and street corners. Under the collectively-affirmed leadership of resident conductor Peter Mc- - Coppin, the VSO is now a re- newed and revitalized organiza- tion, In the Terrace performance, McCoppin revealed himself as an immensely energetic and sub- tle conductor working with a seasoned and cooperative or- chestra. ” : -The concert opened — with Through the Lions’ Gate, a three-part tone poem by B.C. composer Michael Conway Baker commissioned by the City of Vancouver last year to mark the VSO’s new beginning. It is an overture-length piece, setting out with, appropriately, a pro- ‘grammatic description of rain conveyed through sibilant strings and punctuated by sud- den dissonant outbursts from - ys atthe (" |. Petro-Canada _— parking fot. ree ig iw a eel vet . a e ” as oe oo Sera op 5 ph aE oh et dredge Pav LOR A GRO oa Oh epi hs Ment eoncte s Terrace Centennial Lions » ~ Lobster Sale - Saturday, May 13, 1989. Tome ‘renewed orchestra, the same stirring sound tour in the fall and one in.the-. “The orchestra’s travels have Recreation and Culture. Top the superb brass section. The second ‘section uses angular rhythms and tonal devices in an impression of urban chaos. The final movement is dedicated to ‘ the mountains surrounding Van- - couver, and: for those of us familiar with Stanley Park, the ‘rolling, Hogarthian conclusion. could-easily have beer the vista northward across the First Nar- rows as the sun bursts out over the Lions. —_ ° The Mozart Sinfonia Con- certante in H-flat provided a technical showcase for a reduced ~ orchestra and four soloists from its ranks. Oboeist Roger Cole, clarinetist Wesley Foster, bas- soonist Christopher Millard and Richard Mingus on French horn depicted Mozart doing what he does best — creating musical problems and solving them in an eternally astonishing manner. It was an accomplished perform- ancé, with the adagio bordering on sensuality and a concluding - cadenza that was almost vaudevillian. The symphonies of Jean Sibelius are vast musical land- scapes, describing the heights and depths of the natural world and the profound interplay of the human spirit with it. Mc- Coppin and the VSO displayed their full power and maturity in the concluding work of the eve- ning, the Sibelius symphony No. 2 Their approach to the piece -was both vigorous and delicate, giving the listener an ex- hilarating sense of riding some massive but intricate force bare- = ‘ly. in- control. The towering finale is a difficult one to bring off, requiring a lengthy dynamic build-up around a dark, restless theme that eventually explodes into the major key. McCoppin’s reading was masterful. After one curtain call and an encore, the audience came to its feet. Welcome back, VSO. In a backstage interview just prior to the performance, McCoppin emphasized that the orchestra considers. touring the province a major element in its mandate. ‘‘We consider. our- selves a resource for all of B.C., not just the lower mainland,” he said. good for the orchestra. “‘It gives us a real familial feeling, and it makes us feel good to see how excited the communities get about seeing us.” The conductor said plans are presently being laid for another Terrace Review — Wednesday, May 10, 1989 spring of 1990. Perhaps it isn’t. financial backing from the B.C. marks to the government for too much to hope for that the Ministry of Municipal Affairs, that expenditure. VSO will return within a year. , PETER McCOPPIN: mandate to be a resource forall of B.C. - He also noted that touring is __ Province of British Columbia NOTICE TO B.C. CONSULTANT ENGINEERS | The Ministry of Transportation and Highways is establishing a register of consultant engineering companies, firms and individuals capable of delivering professional engineering services to the Ministry under contract. - . Services typically required include: | _ | . .. Electrical Engineering » @ Bridge Engineering e © ~ Highway Design @ Materials Engineering @ Project Management @ Tratfic Engineering 6 e Geotechnical/Geological — Highway Planning _ Engineering firms and companies established in B.C. are invited to apply - for registration by contacting: ee | ) Manager, Contract Administration ca Ministry of Transportation and Highways ee ee a 940 Blanshard Street = eae aac Victoria, B.C. V8W 3E6 an 77 «i, . ; Lowe : 4 Ear Fax Number: 387-5012 (preferred) NS = et a Telephone: . 387-1411 or 387-7879 : ae ow oe a saree] 22. Application packages will be rn VG ff fee mailed upon request. _ This is a call for expressions of interest — ‘only. Eligibility for future contracts will be’ based upon completed application. packages received by May 31, 1989. ° Ministry of Transportation and Highways | Honourable Neil Vant, Minister Giving You the Freedom to Move _ . BIB cee cee ce eae a a a bate aati yO Stal De ee