There is truth and fiction in these stories, but there can be no doubt as to the importance of their drums and the hundreds of thousands of drums that have accompanied America’s soldiers in times of conflict. For these drums commanded a soldier’s every movement, and their rich, heroic sounds and the tunes they accompanied, gave men the courage to march across  open fields in the face of enemy fire.

Towards the end of the Civil War the field telephone and telegraph replaced drums on the field of battle. Metal drums, products of the machine age, began to appear, usually in much smaller versions of their larger military ancestors.

The drums played on this recording display this genealogy. All of the rope tensioned, wooden shelled drums were made by The Cooperman Drum Company of Bellows Falls,Vermont. They are accurate replicas of 18th and mid-19th century military drums and on this recording, were used primarily in the arrangements of music from that era.

The other drums used on this recording  are smaller and were made by a variety of manufacturers from a mix of wood and metal or entirely from metal. These are, on the whole, rare drums highly prized by percussionists/collectors. They are heard here in the arrangements of late 19th and early 20th century repertoire. The majority of drums used on this recording have calf skin heads and gut snares or wire wound gut snares.

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I spent two days in Stevens Point with Bob Rosen and his percussion department, teaching ten lessons and presenting a xylophone clinic. Private teaching is not normally part of my routine when giving clinics and concerts, but I enjoyed working with the UWSP students on a really broad spectrum of instruments, styles and repertoire.

It was also a nice opportunity to get to know Professor Rosen. Even though he and I are contemporaries, we had not met previously except in passing. Bob Rosen is second from the left in the photo below, taken after the clinic.

An old friend and tabla colleague - Todd Hammes - signed on to drive me from Stevens Point down to Madison, where he is presently finishing work on his DMA. Todd is first on the left in the above photo. I was happy to be able to spend some time with him again.

My residency at UW Madison was hosted by Tony DiSanza, and included a masterclass, a lecture-demonstration about the music of Steve Reich, and an ambitious concert of my compositions, including Turning Point, Cryin’ Time, Unseen Child, Mudra and Away without Leave. Also included were two of my medley arrangements, Whispering and States.

The masterclass was interesting and enjoyable, because of both the high level of performance and the repertoire choices. Two pieces were new to me - Frederic Rzewski’s Fall of the Empire, played by Kyle Davison; and Steven Mackey’s See Ya Thursday, played by Megan Shieh. Also included were G. H. Green’s Valse Brillante, played by Joe Murfin; Joseph Schwantner’s Velocities, played by Patrick Coughlin; Mike Udow’s Etude XVI, played by Hillary Barnes; and Alice Gomez’s Mbira Song, played by Elena Wittneben.

Although I had only one rehearsal with the students prior to the concert, it was easy and fun to play with them since they had prepared all of the music very well. It was a special treat for me to hear a performance of Cryin’ Time, a difficult work with a challenging part for soprano voice. This is a piece that needs serious ensemble preparation, and I decided that students should play all of the parts so they could rehearse together well in advance. However, I was able to coach two rehearsals prior to the concert - mainly to help adjust balance and articulation. Pianist Jonathan Kuuskoski, marimbist Megan Shieh, and vibist Ian Disjardin, played with elegance and assurance. Soprano Jennifer Lien brought a lovely voice and powerful interpretation to the solo part.

Since my piece Mudra was on the program, I had to contend with the question of what drum to use for the rather soloistic part I play. When I composed the piece, I wanted a drum sound that could articulate rapid, rudimental figures, but still make reference to the less aggressive, tonal sound of North Indian drums. I finally settled on a standard snare drum with the bottom head removed and a mute placed under the batter head. I usually prefer to bring my own prepared drum for performances of Mudra, since I’m familiar with its sound and feel, and I know it’s tuned properly (specifically, to A natural). Around ten years ago, at my request, a drum was specially made to my specifications by Pearl. It has a 6″ X 14″ solid-maple shell, with no bottom lugs or hardware, and it really projects strongly. The “preparation” has to do with the mute - a ring of foam held against the head from below. Recently I have been using a product from Remo called a “Muff-l”, which holds the foam in a plastic tray suspended over the shell before mounting the head. The drum is shown upside-down in the photo below.

On this trip, I was already carrying a suitcase and my cymbal case with the six cymbals needed for Unseen Child. To save on excess baggage charges, I had planned to bring only a head and mute to put on one of the Madison percussion department’s drum shells. Fortunately, Todd had recently played Mudra on a recital, and he generously allowed me to use the drum he had prepared for himself (pictured below). The only change we made was to replace the Renaissance head with a regular Ambassador. It sounded great.

Since I’m discussing equipment, I’ll give some information about the cymbals I used on this concert. My set-up for Unseen Child includes five Sabian cymbals and one Wuhan Chinese (far left in the photo below).

Next to the Wuhan is a custom-made 20″ sizzle, which is one result of some development work I did at the Sabian factory in Meductic, NB around eight years ago. Besides the sizzle prototype, we also created the Becker Bowing Cymbal, which is still produced and available from Sabian. In my opinion, the sizzle concept worked out great as well, however, a number of manufacturing challenges made it commercially unattractive for the company. Besides the profile of the cymbal itself, an important aspect of my design is options for the number and placement of the rivets. It was interesting to notice how rivets placed in different positions along the radius of a cymbal respond to different amplitudes and partials of vibration. After some experimentation, I settled on an outer ring of ten holes, and an inner ring of three, allowing for a very large number of possible arrangements. In addition, I discovered that the world of rivets is large and varied, both in terms of sizes and also materials (brass, copper, steel, plastic, etc.). Originally, I had designed a rivet with a removable collar, so it could be installed or removed easily from any position on the cymbal without the use of a tool. I wanted it to be made of cymbal brass, but that proved to be an obstacle too. Finally, Sabian abandoned the concept, but I got some fine cymbals in the process - so I was still happy. I now own dozens of different types and sizes of rivets, including my original desire - some made of cymbal brass, which I later found were already being produced by a Turkish company. The photo below is a close-up of a prototype with rivets arranged for the part in Unseen Child.

There is only one moment in the entire piece when a sizzle is used, and it is a very delicate accompaniment to soft tremolos on the metalophones. I needed a cymbal that would speak instantly, and be sustainable with a continuous and even sound in pianissimo. The rivet set-up above worked best for this application. The five outer rivets are medium-size brass, and the three inner ones are small and made of steel. You can hear this cymbal, as well as the others pictured above, played by Garry Kvistad in the performance of Unseen Child on the NEXUS CD Wings.

The remaining four cymbals in the photo are very thin 19″, 16″, 15″ and 14″ from Sabian’s “Evolution” series. Large splash cymbals are not marketed by Sabian, but they can be made - although with difficulty. Happily, Sabian agreed to produce a number for me in every size from 14″ up to 19″, and I’ve gotten a great deal of use out of them. I’ve been fortunate to have a professional relationship with the Sabian company for over twenty years, and in fact, they helped sponsor my visit to Madison this time. Many of the cymbals that I use regularly in chamber and orchestra concerts are unusual, and in some cases unique, and I would not have access to these wonderful sounds without the creativity and support of this visionary company.

Below are photos of Unseen Child in rehearsal and Mudra in concert in Mills Concert Hall.

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At that time Chuck and I talked about the possibility of piccolo trumpets playing music intended for fifes. Chuck had remembered that conversation as well as the sound of the rope drums and when the American Heritage Society contacted him, he immediately thought of me and my interest in-fife and drum music, and my rope drums.

The brass arranger for this recording would be the venerable Canadian musician Howard Cable, who incidentally, lives just a couple of blocks from my home. When Chuck mentioned me to Howard, Howard suggested that he and I get together. I have known Howard for probably 40 years. He has a distinguished career in Canadian music as a producer, script writer, conductor, composer and began his association with the Canadian Brass in 1977.

Howard came to my home, heard my arrangements for the brass, and asked if I would be interested in doing all the percussion parts for his arrangements. I was happy to accept. Soon, Howard’s arrangements began arriving from his copyist to my computer, and I set out writing for rope field drums and cymbals. All of the arrangements were completed by mid-January, and rehearsals began in a Toronto church on February 8, 2010. The CD is scheduled to be released in time for the Fourth of July holidays in the United States.

Below this article are some photographs from the recording sessions. They show the drums used for the recording. I think the collection of drums is impressive, and it seems quite possible to me that no recording in the past has included such a large and interesting array of snare drums, bass drums and cymbals.

I wrote each arrangement with specific players in mind. I had asked Chuck to engage Bob Becker and Russell Hartenberger, former colleagues of mine in Nexus, and Ryan Scott a former student who is now one of the most sought after percussionists in Toronto. All of them are expert drummers and fine musicians who appreciate the particular style of drumming I employed in the arrangements; that is, the “Ancient” or “Open” style prevalent during the 18th and 19th centuries.

Drums used on the recording sessions.

(Bass drum dimensions are Depth-diameter. Snare drum dimensions are Diameter-depth,)

Front row, Left to Right : Ryan’s Ludwig Universal model Bass drum, 14″x28″, calf heads, (ca. 1961)-

Bob’s Ludwig “Super-Ludwig” Theatre Model, brass shell, 15″ X 5″, calf heads and gut snares, (ca. 1927)-

Ryan’s Noble and Cooley Birch Snare Drum (with Patterson cable snares) 14″x8″-Rogers Dynasonic 14″x5″ (ca.1967).

Middle row: Robin’s Eames Bi-Centennial model field drum, plywood shell, calf heads, heavy gut snares,16″x18″, (1976)-Coopperman Bass drum, plastic heads, (2002)-

Russell’s Cooperman Liberty model field drum, 17″x20″, calf heads, gut snares, (ca. 1978)-

Bob’s Cooperman Liberty model, 17″x20″, calf heads, gut snares, (1981).

Back row: Bob’s Spenke & Metzel, brass shell, 14″ X 5″, calf heads, wire wound silk snares, (ca. 1965)-Premier Field drum, mahogany shell with chrome veneer, 15″ X 12″, calf heads and gut snares, (ca. 1975)-

Ryan’s Ludwig and Ludwig,14″x4″ free-floating wood shell, original maple rims, 16 claw lugs, calf snare head, with “Ludwig Playon Plastic” batter head.  Original wire wrapped gut snares and working throw (ca. 1920).-

Robin’s Cooperman custom made field drum with narrow inlayed hoops, brass hooks and Liberty strainer, 17″x15″ (2002)-Walberg & Auge, 16″x15″, single tension wood shell field drum, calf heads, original gut snares, serial # 02820, (Worcester, Massachusetts, before 1910)-

Ryan’s Joseph Rogers Jr. &  Son “Union Brand The Quality Drum”, original wire wrapped gut snares,14″x10″ (ca. 1938)-

Robin’s Cooperman custom made (for this recording) snare drum, ash shell, brass hooks, calf heads, gut snares. narrow hoops, modified Liberty strainer, 14″x12″ (2010).

Cooperman concert Bass drum, 19"x36", ca.2000. (On loan from The Canadian Opera Company.)

Russell Hartenberger, Bob Becker and Ryan Scott

Cymbals and beaters.

Chuck Daellenbach, Bob Becker, Russell Hartenberger, Howard Cable, Ryan Scott & Robin Engelman.

Notes about the music:

The works recorded consisted of marches and songs written during a span of time beginning with the American war for Independence and ending soon after the First World War:  Chester by William Billings, the 1814 and 1931 versions of The Star-Spangled Banner, Dixie’s land, Stars and Stripes Forever, National Emblem, Battle Hymn of the Republic, Johnny Comes Marching Home, Hail Columbia (The President’s March), America, a selection of George M. Cohan songs, a medley of U.S. military service songs, and also, O Canada.

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Midori Koga has been featured as soloist and chamber musician throughout the world, including appearances at the American New Arts Festival, the Al Fresno New Music Festival, the ProMozart Society of Detroit, the World Saxophone Congress in Valencia Spain, and the International Computer Music Festival. In addition to her several chamber music collaborations with NEXUS, Midori has worked with the Soundstreams Ensemble, with members of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Toronto Wind Quintet, and with pianist Lydia Wong in the piano duo 2X10. She has also performed with the Esprit Orchestra, and the TSO in their New Creations Festival. You can hear her as a member of the Michigan Chamber Players on the Equilibrium label, recently re-released by Albany. Her new CD recorded with mezzo-soprano Patricia Green entitled Ice Age and Beyond: Works by Canadian Women Composers, funded by a grant through the Canadian Music Centre, was released in January 2009 with distribution across the US (Albany) and Canada (CMC Distribution Inc.), and awarded a Four Star review by the BBC Music Magazine (June of 2009). Midori commissions, performs and records with the new music ensemble QUORUM whose CD “Cold Water, Dry Stone… The Music of Evan Chambers”, is carried by the Albany label. The ensemble made their highly acclaimed debut in New York’s Merkin Hall, and has held residencies at the Interlochen Center for the Arts, the John Donald Robb Composers’ Symposium in New Mexico, with the Cleveland Composers Forum, and was featured at NewMusicTampa. You can also read about Midori’s award-winning Music Making and Wellness Project: The Positive Effects of Music-Making on the Health and Well-being of Seniors, here. Midori currently serves as Associate Professor of Piano and Director of Piano Pedagogy at the University of Toronto

Paul Ormandy ’s keen interest in global, contemporary and popular musics has led him on a journey of performance and research throughout North America, the Caribbean, Europe and Japan. His musical experience spans a broad variety of settings ranging from Broadway shows to symphony and opera orchestras, Afro-Cuban music to steelband, flamenco and world drumming festivals, arts administration and touring logistics. Paul has also appeared on numerous television programs (on and off-screen), radio programs and commercial CD releases. He is on faculty as a Course Director and Lecturer in the Music Department of York University, Visiting Artist in Percussion at the Etobicoke School of the Arts and has previously served on faculty at the University of Toronto and The Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto. As a scholar of Caribbean music, Paul is currently undertaking the study of the traditional and contemporary music of the Cayman Islands. His research has been accepted into the holdings of the Office of the Governor of the Cayman Islands, the National Archives, the National Cultural Foundation, National Museum, and the library of the University College of the Cayman Islands. An avid woodworker, Paul is also currently exploring percussion instrument design and construction. His revolutionaray ‘External Tuning Mechanism’ Spanish-syle cajón is now produced and sold world-wide by Mountain Rhthym handcrafted percussion instruments.

Ryan Scott is a leading Canadian percussionist who has performed extensively in North America, Europe, Japan, Indonesia and Africa. As a soloist, he has commissioned and premiered Concerto for Marimba by Erik Ross, and performed the North American premieres of Concertante for Marimba, South Fire Summer and Saidoki (Demon) by Maki Ishii, Doppelkonzert by Unsuk Chin, and Salome Fast by Ron Ford with the Esprit Orchestra. He has premiered over 50 new works for percussion solo and solo with accompaniment, most recently new works by Christos Hatzis, Michael Colgrass and Bruce Mather. His current commissions include Talking Down the Tiger by Andrew Staniland for percussion solo with live looping, and a new work by Michael Oesterle for Marimba and Koto to be premiered with the preeminent Koto player Kazue Sawai. Ryan is one of the most versatile percussionists in Toronto, has performed frequently with NEXUS and is a core member of many groups including Continuum Contemporary Music, New Music Concerts, Soundstreams Canada, The Evergreen Club Contemporary Gamelan, and The Esprit Orchestra. Since 1996, he has performed as second percussionist in the Canadian Opera Company Orchestra. He has been twice nominated for a Juno, and has recorded for NAXOS, hatART, Artifact, CBC and CMC records.  Ryan studied with Russell Hartenberger and Robin Engelman at the University of Toronto where he attained both Bachelor and Masters degrees in Music performance completing his studies in 1997.

Come out and hear these exceptional musicians with NEXUS on March 19 in St Catharines and March 20 in Toronto.

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Slonimsky was a gifted musician who was born into a remarkable Russian family in 1894, fled his homeland during the Revolution of 1917 and emigrated from Europe to America in 1923 at the invitation of George Eastman (inventor of the Kodak film) who had recently founded the Eastman School of Music in Rochester. (Our own Bill Cahn teaches at the Eastman School today).  Slonimsky tells us that Eastman liked to have music played while he had breakfast and Slonimsky often played for him with a violinist, a cellist or both. “His breakfast took precisely 35 minutes and he paid $35 a performance to each of us, an amazing largess for the time. “

Slonimsky was in Rochester to be opera coach of the newly organized American Opera Company with Rouben Mamoulian, Albert Coates and Eugene Gosses and Vladimir Rosing. Rosing took Slonimsky along as an accompanist on a tour of Canada where “we played in such fantastic places as Moose Jaw.” The American Opera Company eventually “expired ingloriously” but it was Slonimsky’s introduction to North America  - and to the English language, of which he became a master!

Slonimsky called the 1933 world premiere of Ionisation “a fantastic experience”.  A critic called it “a sock in the jaw.”  Varèse had been best man at Slonimsky’s wedding in 1931, and dedicated the score of Ionisation to Slonimsky, as can be seen on all copies today. Here is Slonimsky’s story of Ionisation:

“The score included only indefinitely pitched percussion instruments and two sirens. Varèse was still in Paris, and I had to lead the performance without his commanding presence. The process of ionisation, as Varèse had patiently explained to me, is one in which an atom liberates an electron and assumes a positive electric charge. The free electron travels until it is captured by another atom which then assumes a negative charge. The harmonic tremor of these subatomic events is reflected in the score….

“Dealing with the world of infinitesimal particles, Ionisation presented considerable problems to musicians unaccustomed to differential calculus. The metrical divisions were simple, but the rhythmic segments within them were asymmetric, and the players had a difficult time in encapsulating groups of five sixteenth-notes within the metrical unit of a singe quarter-note, particularly where Varèse inserted sixteenth-note rests to replace certain notes of the quintol.

“…Varèse returned to New York in time for the recording session. We engaged the percussion players from the New York Philharmonic, but it soon became clear that they could never master the rhythms. In desperation, we appealed to fellow composers to take over the task; to them the Varèsian asymmetry was child’s play.  As a result, my ensemble was star-studded. Carlos Salzedo, the great harpist, played the thematically important Chinese blocks. Paul Creston was at the anvils. Wallingford Riegger rubbed the guïro. Henry Cowell pounded tone-clusters on the piano keyboard. William Schuman, then a mere youngster, pulled the cord of the lion’s roar. (A third of a century later, Schuman reminisced…’Slonimsky launched me on my musical career…when he entrusted to me the part of the lion’s roar in Ionisation. But apparently I did not do very well, for he never engaged me again.’) Varèse himself was in charge of the sirens. They had to be of the manually operated type in order to produce the requisite crescendo and diminuendo. Varèse managed to obtain a set from a retired fireman of the New York City Fire Brigade. We planned to have the performance broadcast over the Municipal Radio Network, but hit an unexpected snag: only the fire department was permitted to broadcast the siren call.

“…Varèse never doubted the importance of these first steps in projecting his works on the slow march of music history…[He] believed that the impossible was inevitable, but he had periods of dismay. He spoke of abandoning composition in favour of mathematics and engineering, courses he took as a youth. I recall him showing me an annual royalty statement from his publisher - 37 cents in postage stamps (so small an amount did not justify a acheque). Fortunately Varèse lived to see the footsteps of history catch up with his gigantic strides. A concert of his works given in New York City’s Town Hall in the late 1950s attracted a full house.”

Postscript: In 2008, NEXUS’ audience filled the Libbey Bowl at the Ojai Festival. In addition to Varese’s Ionisation (which L.A. Weekly referred to as “the granddad of all bang-away masterpieces”), the programme also featured Piano Etudes by Ligeti and Drumming by Steve Reich.  So I’ve Heard called it “one of the best Ojai Festival concerts ever.” Sequenza 21 critiqued, “The first half ended with an absolutely brilliant performance of the Varèse Ionisation…It was a treat to have musicians of this skill.”

Nicolas Slonimsky’s autobiography holds an abundance of musical treasures. Have a look!

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Ottawa Percussionist says NEXUS an Inspiration to us all

Ottawa percussionist Jean-Sébastien Lacombe had been looking forward for weeks to the Chamber Festival concert by Toronto percussion quintet Nexus at the Canadian Museum of Civilization Aug. 5, and he says he wasn’t disappointed.

The group performed music by Steve Reich, John Cage, Toru Takemitsu and others for a near-capacity crowd.

I asked Lacombe, who performs around town and teaches at the University of Ottawa department of music, to offer his review of the show.

Here it is:

Last night’s concert was great.  I always enjoy hearing NEXUS play the Military Aires.  The Three Camps is probably the best known Air amongst percussionists - the piece has been played during warm-ups, juries, concerts and masterclasses, and my students often tell me that it never sounds as good as when Nexus plays it.  I try to remind them (and remind myself as well) that their level of playing is the result of many, many hours of practice.   Nevertheless, NEXUS remains an inspiration to us all.

Nexus is able to truly show how important it is to listen to each other when playing as an ensemble.  They travel with a battery of percussion equipment, and it often takes up the entire stage.  Last night, the stage was filled with instruments like the marimba, vibraphone, xylophone, gongs, pianos, crotales, cymbals, chimes, cowbells, gourds, bongos, etc.  Some were played with sticks, some with hands, some even with their mouths.  There was even a slide whistle duet!  With the members often playing at opposite ends of the stage, playing many different instruments at once while following their music, one can’t help but wonder how they are able to watch and listen to each other, and play together the way they do, all without the help of a conductor.

The level of concentration required is especially apparent in pieces like Drumming, by Steve Reich.  As explained by Russell Hartenberger, this minimalist piece makes use of a technique called “phasing”, in which two players play the same pattern, but one player accelerates gradually until the next possible interlocking pattern is reached.  Nexus played the first of four movements last night, for four pairs of tuned bongos.  The piece took us through cacophony and intrigue, and always returned  to order.

Nexus also played an original composition from one of their earlier albums, composed by Bill Cahn, called The Birds.  The piece makes use of over 100 different sounds, and seemed to use every instrument except the kitchen sink.  It brilliantly illustrated scenes like the Amazonian forests and duck hunting.

Nexus ended their concert with two African pieces, which seemed to be their favourites, judging by the immense smiles on their faces as they danced and enjoyed themselves on stage.  Noteworthy instruments were the two thumb pianos, one bass and one higher-pitched, beautifully played out of what looked like a giant pumpkin.  They were accompanied by a set of cowbells and a family of hand drums, presented to us as “…the grandfather, the parents and the baby drum.”

To pick a favourite piece is a difficult task.  The concert was well-varied, with something to please everybody.  NEXUS played well over 100 different instruments, and gave a brief insight on the discipline required to be a percussionist - every note had to be played properly, and in the right place.  Percussionists are usually seen sitting at the back of an orchestra, either counting bars or playing the odd triangle note, and it is refreshing to see an all-percussion ensemble doing what they do best…playing!

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Glenn Gould Studio

Sean O'Sullivan Theatre, Brock U.

Brock University decided to end their Encore! Series season with a bang! Literally! NEXUS completes for Brock a season that has featured George Crumb’s Voice of the Whale, violin/piano duo Maureen Yuen and Karin Di Bella, the voice of Giovanna Carini, and the jazz sounds of the Steve Koven Trio. An interesting mix!  NEXUS’ Niagara concert will take place on March 19th at 7:30 p.m. at the University’s Centre for the Arts in the Sean O’Sullivan Theatre - a fitting setting during the week of St. Patrick! (Purchase tickets here).

NEXUS’ Toronto concert takes place in the Glenn Gould Studio with its lovely acoustics, on March 20th at 7:30. (Purchase tickets here). The Glenn Gould Studio, called “the jewel of the Canadian Broadcasting Centre”,  is located on its main floor at 250 Front St. West in Toronto’s theatre district. Spend your Saturday shopping downtown and finish up with NEXUS in the evening!

Both the Niagara and the Toronto concerts will feature guest artist Midori Koga on piano, and Paul Ormandy and Ryan Scott as guest percussionists. Not only that, but you will have the chance to hear Canadian and world premieres of some great new pieces written by NEXUS, as well as some lovely pieces by Takemitsu and Robin Engelman. We look forward to seeing you there!

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Brass and Percussion is a match made in heaven. So it is no surprise that the Canadian Brass decided to include percussion - and LOTS of it! - in their upcoming recording. Keep an eye on the CB’s website for future updates on the recording and its availability. The recording session took place just last week here in Toronto at Christ Church Deer Park, a locale well-known for its music.  Canadian composer and arranger Howard Cable, who has worked often with the Brass, created the arrangements for the recording, and called in NEXUS-emeritus Robin Engelman to provide the percussion arrangements. Although no longer performing with NEXUS, Robin has not been idle, and Howard says his percussion parts are wonderfully intricate and challenging, written for virtuoso players. That meant the Canadian members of NEXUS, of course. Russell Hartenberger and Bob Becker (and I believe Robin too) performed for the recording as well as Canadian marimbist and multi-percussion soloist Ryan Scott who is a member of the Bob Becker Ensemble and whom you can hear when he performs with NEXUS at our March concerts in St Catharines, Ontario and here in Toronto. (Ryan was also a “star pupil” of Russell’s and Robin’s at the University of Toronto). I am told that Christ Church Deer Park was banked with drums of all kinds, shapes, sizes - so much so that everyone insisted on getting their picture taken with the amazing drum set-up. I hope we can get some of those photos on the website here for you to see. Bob described the recording session as “tons of drumming, very exciting”.  Adding to the excitement was the opportunity to hear the Canadian Brass’s new trumpet players, whom Howard describes as “fabulous”.  The Brass were in Ontario to perform for the Barrie Concert Association, just north of Toronto - something that NEXUS will be doing, too, in the coming season, so keep an eye on our Upcoming Events listing for that!

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NEXUS is also preparing repertoire - along with exciting guest artists! - for their upcoming appearance at Brock University in St Catharines Ontario on March 19th, coming up fast! Then there is the concert at Glenn Gould Studio in Toronto, too, with a tribute to Robin Engelman. The group is getting ready for their May solo concert in Woodstock, New York, developing and polishing their quartet repertoire, and they will be heading to the Minnesota Beethove Festival in early July. Meanwhile, the 2010/2011 season is falling into place too, so watch for further announcements about that.

To get you in the mood for the new Reich commission, on April 19, Soundstreams’ Salon is gathering Reich inspired dancers, DJ’s and musicians to celebrate “the father of DJ culture” and “one of today’s most choreographed composers.” Don’t miss it. It takes place at the Gardiner Museum, 3rd Floor, Free admission, Salon begins at 7:30, Cocktails from 7:00.

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