NEWS
Less Than A Month Before The Start of The Festival
Less than a month before the start of the Lamèque International Baroque Music Festival
Lamèque, N.-B., Thursday June 27, 2024: The 48th season of the Lamèque International Baroque Music Festival, under the theme "Four Seasons", kicks off in just under a month. This grand celebration of early music will bring together some fifty artists and will be held from July 25 to 27, 2024. The Festival team is proud to invite music lovers to attend six major concerts, a pre-concert lecture and a public dress rehearsal, as well as a special evening dedicated to amateur and novice musicians.
EVENING CONCERTS
These concerts will present works inspired by the four seasons. Of course, Vivaldi’s famous concertos will be featured but the artists will also pay tribute to French composers that deserve to be discovered.
« Four Seasons, Yesterday and Tomorrow »
Thursday, July 25, 7:30 p.m., Sainte-Cécile Church, Petite-Rivière-de-l'Île
Antonio Vivaldi’s famous Four Seasons performed by four young artists at the height of their art are juxtaposed with “The Four Seasons and a Melting Iceberg,” a work by composer Matthias Maute, a vision of the four seasons in the time of climate change. The music for this program inspired four Acadian authors – Pierre-André Doucet, Emma Haché, Dyane Léger, Jonathan Roy – to create original texts that will be performed during the evening.
« Four Seasons in the Eyes of Boismortier»
Friday, July 26, 7:30 p.m., Sainte-Cécile Church, Petite-Rivière-de-l'Île
Charming cantatas by Joseph Bodin de Boismortier, one for each season, performed by soprano Andréanne Brisson Paquin, tenor Kerry Bursey, bass William Kraushaar and an ensemble of musicians paying homage to French elegance.
« French Seasons »
Saturday, July 27, 7:30 p.m., Sainte-Cécile Church, Petite-Rivière-de-l'Île
Works by French composers strongly inspired by Vivaldi’s Four Seasons with the Mission Saint-Charles Choir and Orchestra under the direction of harpsichordist Hank Knox as well as Tobie Miller, fantastic hurdy-gurdy specialist visiting us from Switzerland!
PRE-CONCERT LECTURE AND PUBLIC DRESS REHEARSAL
An opportunity to learn more about the hurdy gurdy as well as the composers and works that will be featured during the Festival’s closing concert. The lecture, given by hurdy-gurdy player Tobie Miller and the Festival’s artistic director and recorder player Vincent Lauzer, will be followed by a public dress rehearsal for the Saturday evening concert. This is a great opportunity to demystify the work of Festival’s artists and learn more about the life and work of the composers on the program.
Saturday, July 27, 2 p.m., Sainte-Cécile Church, Petite-Rivière-de-l'Île
ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY TO HEAR THE MISSION SAINT-CHARLES CHOIR
The Mission Saint-Charles Choir will perform in a second concert, on Friday afternoon. Under the direction of Pierre Lavoie, the twenty or so New Brunswick singers will perform Renaissance works inspired by the seasons, nature and the elements. A show dedicated to choral art not to be missed!
« Choral Seasons»
Friday, July 26, 3 p.m., Saint-Raphaël Church, Sainte-Marie-Saint-Raphaël
TWO INTIMATE CONCERTS IN MISCOU
True to its traditions, the Festival will present two intimate concerts at the Saint-Antoine-de-Padoue Church, a venue with generous acoustics that allows for privileged exchanges between artists and members of the public. Both concerts will focus on British music. The first, presented by the Ensemble La Cigale, will offer the vision of James Oswald, a Scottish composer, and his contemporaries on the seasons and the flowers associated with them. The Pallade Musica concert, presented on Saturday morning, will pay tribute to Christopher Simpson, an English composer who wrote beautiful seasons for violin, two violas da gamba and basso continuo.
« Four Seasons in the Eyes of Oswald »
Thursday, July 25, 3 p.m., Saint-Antoine-de-Padoue Church, Miscou
« Four Seasons in the Eyes of Simpson »
Saturday, July 27, 11 a.m., Saint-Antoine-de-Padoue Church, Miscou
A FREE EVENT FOR EVERYONE
With “An Introduction to Early Music”, the Festival invites everyone to learn about Renaissance and Baroque music. Whether you’re a seasoned amateur musician or simply curious, this activity is for you! No prerequisites: even without reading music, there’s a way to learn and have fun! Conductor Pierre Lavoie and Festival artistic director Vincent Lauzer will guide you in exploring simple vocal and instrumental pieces by Bach, Cornish and Uccellini. Bring your instruments - if available -, your best voice and your enthusiasm and come share a drink (cash bar) and music with the Festival team. Participants can purchase oysters offered by Mallet Oysters, a local business and great partner of the Festival.
The evening will end with an open mic session during which local musicians will be invited to perform musical acts. A registration form for this activity will be available on the Festival’s website in early July.
« An Introduction to Early Music »
Wednesday, July 24, 7 p.m., Notre-Dame-des-Flots Church, Lamèque
The 48th season of the Lamèque International Baroque Music Festival will take place from July 25 to 27, 2024. Tickets are on sale at www.festivalbaroque.com and at the Festival office (506-344-3261).
