Moving Day
Remember moving day when you were a kid?
The thrill of racing through your new home and calling dibs on the biggest bedroom?
The musicians and instructors of the Saskatoon Youth Orchestra will get to experience that thrill Aug. 29 when they arrive at the Education Building at the University of Saskatchewan for their first rehearsal in their new home.
The Saskatoon Youth Orchestra is a full orchestra for musicians aged 13 to 22. It also offers the Saskatoon Strings orchestra for younger players and a Double Bass program for beginners through intermediate levels.
The SYO is moving from Aden Bowman Collegiate after more than 25 years. It was a great home for the group due to the storage and rehearsal spaces and the performance space available at Robert Hinitt Castle Theatre. But a change became necessary when a decision by the Saskatoon Symphony Orchestra created a domino effect for the SYO.
Because the SSO is moving to Saturday morning rehearsals, many of the SYO instructors who play with the city’s symphony faced a scheduling conflict.
When the SYO began to look at when to schedule its rehearsal time, the limited availability of its old home at Aden Bowman – a busy facility in high demand – it became clear a new home was necessary.
In stepped the U of S Department of Music, with an offer to host the orchestra at Quance Theatre.
“The U of S Department of Music has been so great to us,” said Barb Kowaliuk, SYO chair. “They welcomed us enthusiastically, and made this transition so easy. The musical community in Saskatoon is very supportive of one another. This is just another example.
“Of course, Saskatoon benefits by the number of talented musicians the SYO nurtures,” Kowaliuk said. “And we always hope they either go on to further their musical studies, or continue to make music a part of their life somehow. There are so many opportunities in Saskatoon.”
Another big change for the SYO is a move to Sunday evening rehearsals – from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. – after so many years of Saturday morning practices.
“There will be some discomfort, initially, for some people,” Kowaliuk said. “But we hope it will prove to be a better time for most of the musicians and instructors.”
Getting a chance to perform in Quance Theatre is another boon for the orchestra.
While Castle Theatre has slightly more seats, Quance is acoustically designed for musical performances and has great sightlines for the audience. There is also more parking available at the U of S, with ample public parking available all around the Education Building.
Returning for his second year as director of the SYO is Richard Carnegie.
Carnegie, also principal bassist with the SSO, had huge shoes to fill in 2009 after the departure of Wayne Toews and George Charpentier.
But he brought his own style and energy to the post, earning rave reviews from the SYO musicians in the process.
Carnegie has planned a challenging and entertaining program for the 2010-11 SYO season, including a performance of John Williams’ Star Wars main theme.
Also returning to the SYO this season is Bernadette Wilson, director of the Saskatoon Strings program.
Wilson has passion for teaching young string players, and has taught privately as well as with the Suzuki Strings program for many years.
On Nov. 20 the SYO will join the Saskatoon Symphony Orchestra on stage at TCU Place to perform Richard Wagner’s Prelude to Die Meistersinger. The yearly collaboration is always a highlight for the young players, who get the chance to experience the power of the combined orchestra and in many cases do it sitting beside their musical mentors.
As is the case every year, there are departures from the SYO and empty chairs to fill. Auditions will be held Aug. 25 and 26.
Auditions for the Saskatoon Strings are being scheduled for Aug. 30.
To book an audition time, interested players should visit the SYO website at www.syo.ca for more information.
The first rehearsal of the year is Sunday, Aug. 29 at 6 p.m.
Dibs on the big room!