By Tina Depko
Ottawa is a mecca for music lovers in the summer. Once June arrives, the number of music festivals and concerts flourish and there is a little something for everyone.
There’s the “Ottawa Fringe Festival,” “Bluesfest” and the “Ottawa International Chamber Music Festival,” among others.
A number of smaller concerts also hit the city, such as “Somersault,” featuring the latest pop and rock stars.
While the events are successful at attracting a particular niche audience, someone has decided to try something different and invite Canadian musicians from different genres to perform in her backyard.
And this person is the Governor General of Canada.
Gov. Gen. Adrienne Clarkson has decided to hold a free outdoor concert on June 16, featuring some of the best musicians in the country, to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the appointment of the Governor General in Canada.
While the idea of featuring Canadian musicians at a free outdoor concert sounds like a replica of the Canada Day celebrations, there will be no musical ride mucking up the lawns, no dancing troupes and no boring speeches from politicians at this party.
Instead, the 50th Anniversary concert will be a full day of music.
“This is a very special event as it is the biggest concert ever held on the grounds,” says Geneviève Bouchard, a spokesperson for Rideau Hall. “The purpose of the event was to get a wide range of artists that represent musical excellence in Canada.”
Finding this standard of excellence is not difficult – Canada has an enormous number of musicians that shine on the international stage. There are stellar performers in every genre, such as jazz, classical, blues, folk and country. While Canadian popular music stars receive the most attention, especially when they top the American music charts, this event showcases the best of the pop world, as well as the stars in other genres.
Acts scheduled for the event include folk legend Gordon Lightfoot, pop diva Deborah Cox, country singer Paul Brandt, French-Canadian hero Roch Voisine, and Inuit singer Susan Aglukark.
Classical performers booked are sopranos Donna Brown and Measha Bruggergossman, tenor Richard Margison, Quebec City’s chamber ensemble Les Violins du Roy, and pianist Catherine Chi. The Canadian Brass will also make an appearance, performing a variety of songs that are in a class of their own.
The National Arts Centre Orchestra is also slated to appear at the concert under the direction of former conductor Mario Bernardi. The orchestra’s administration jumped at the chance to participate at this spectacular event.
“I was immediately attracted to the idea of gathering Canada’s greatest performing artists in all fields and having them play to a live audience in an outdoor setting,” explains Christopher Deacon, managing director of the NAC Orchestra.
So what else makes this concert so important to the Canadian music scene?
First of all, this eclectic mix of performers is going to attract a wide range of music lovers. And these audience members will then be exposed to genres of music that they may not usually listen to.
“This event can’t help but create more appreciation for other forms of music,” says Deacon. “If each star attracts a few fans to the event and these fans are exposed to another type of music, it may open their minds and they may appreciate other types of music.”
This concert will also entertain Canadians of all ages, young and old.
Bouchard predicts a good turnout, as previous outdoor concerts featuring individual artists, such as Natalie McMaster, have attracted approximately 12,000 people.
Another element that makes this concert an important contribution to the national arts scene is it will be broadcast live across the country on the CBC.
“Canadians from Victoria to Thunder Bay will be tuning in at the same time and people will get to experience this wonderful event together,” says Deacon.
It’s about time an important member in Canadian society decided to celebrate the country’s best musicians.
Canadians love to say that the United States has all the talented musicians, but this event is essential in showing that if we look in our own country, we have more than enough talent to go around in every genre of music. Let’s hope that when the candles on the 50th Anniversary cake are blown out, this also marks the beginning of an annual concert.