Music of the Titanic Era!
Irish-Canadian
conductor Kevin Mallon returns to Symphony Nova Scotia to lead the orchestra in
the Music of the Titanic Era tonight at the Rebecca Cohn Auditorium in Halifax,
starting at 7.30pm.
Mallon
will lead the symphony in this colourful, Irish-influenced concert, following
the hugely popular renditions of Handel’s “Dublin” Messiah. This concert will
commemorate the popular and classical music that defined the end of an era,
including Nearer My God to Thee, the devotional hymn suspected to be the last
song played on board the night of the ship’s sinking.
“What
I appreciate about this concert is that it draws a direct connection between
Belfast, where I grew up, and Halifax,” says Mallon. “In both places, the
Titanic is a huge part of their heritage – the ship was built in Belfast, and
many who lost their lives are buried in Halifax. So to have the chance to come
to Nova Scotia to conduct music from this era is really touching for me. I have
a deep connection with early 20th century music, and I’m happy to be able to
perform this music with Symphony Nova Scotia.”
One
of the pieces to be performed during this concert is Edward Elgar’s Violin
Concerto, a 50-minute concerto which will be performed by Symphony Nova Scotia
Concertmaster Robert Uchida, in the Symphony’s first-ever performance of this
concerto. Uchida says of the piece:
“The
Elgar Violin Concerto is one of the great masterpieces of the violin repertoire
though rarely played due to its great length and technical difficulty. It
begins with the Spanish dedication, which translates as: ‘Herein is enshrined
the soul of ..... (1910).’ This beautiful idea of somehow encapsulating the
soul of someone Elgar cared for deeply is the epitome of Romanticism, and the
music reflects that. It is the kind of music that reaches out and embraces you
in warm feelings of England, nature, and love, and it is manifested through its
lyricism, harmonies, and colour. I look forward to sharing this music with
you!”
