Langley Community Music School (LCMS) is celebrating Canadian Music Week with a number of exciting performances for the community to enjoy this weekend — from the Bergmann Piano Duo, to a Canadian music recital featuring LCMS students and faculty, and performances of student compositions by members of Vancouver’s renowned Turning Point Ensemble.
This year LCMS is paying special tribute to the music of Barbara Pentland (1912-2000) in celebration of her centenary.
LCMS had a connection with Pentland, who visited the school several times during her lifetime, where she also premiered some of her compositions. LCMS was also the recipient of her grand piano, and a few other items from her estate.
On Saturday, Nov. 24 at 2 p.m., students at all levels will perform works by Pentland and other Canadian composers. At this concert, LCMS faculty members Leslie Janos, piano, Luiza Nelepcu, violin, and Ian Hampton, cello, will also premier a new work written by Janos for piano trio.
Later the same day, LCMS presents “A Portrait of Barbara Pentland” with the Bergmann Piano Duo at 7:30 p.m. The concert will be preceded by a pre-concert talk with Ian Hampton, LCMS artistic director emeritus, who knew Pentland well and describes her as having been a dear old friend.
The concert is sponsored in part by the Canadian Music centre, an organization Pentland helped to found, and will feature the Bergmann Piano Duo playing Pentland’s two-piano works.
To round out the program, they will present works by composers who influenced her and had an impact on her compositional work.
On the program is Stravinsky’s Concerto per due pianoforti soli, Copland’s El Salon Mexico and Hindemith’s Sonata for piano four hands.
Pentland studied with Copland and Hindemith and was influenced as many were, by Stravinsky’s striking compositional style.
The duo will also be premiering a new work by Marcel Bergmann written especially for this occasion. Marcel was inspired by Pentland’s work News, which she wrote on the brooding news topics of the time.
“I have been exploring various aspects of our current ‘culture of fear’ that have been disseminated by the many different types of mass media present today,” explains Bergmann.
“For this particular composition I am using an additional ‘soundscape’ and include some prepared piano sounds as well, creating a kaleidoscope of impressions and musical commentary on this topic.”
On Sunday, Nov. 25 at 3:30 p.m., LCMS presents the final recital of the innovative “Creating Composers” program. At this recital, members of Vancouver’s Turning Point Ensemble (TPE) will premier works by students aged 12-20 from LCMS, Kwantlen Polytechnic University and Trinity Western University.
All events are at Rose Gellert Hall, 4899 207 St. Admission is free for all events, with donations welcome.