Pacific Arbour Tea and Trumpets Series

Light Classics in the Afternoon, with tea, cookies, and host Christopher Gaze

VANCOUVER, BC ’Äì The Pacific Arbour Tea & Trumpets series begins on the afternoon of Thursday, October 1st. Hosted by Christopher Gaze of Bard on the Beach fame, with most concerts conducted by VSO Assistant Conductor Evan Mitchell, Tea & Trumpets is a 6-concert series of light and popular classics on Thursday afternoons at 2pm, at the Orpheum Theatre.

The Tea & Trumpets series began in 1989 as the brainchild of Otto Lowy, the host of CBC Radio’Äôs long-running musical series The Transcontinental. His vision was to bring the idea of his radio show ’Äì a blend of European music and personal recollection ’Äì into a concert format. Lowy, who passed away in 2002, had passed on the torch to Bard on the Beach founder, Christopher Gaze. Lowy was inducted into the BC Entertainment Hall of Fame for his 50+ years of work in theatre and fittingly awarded a star at the Orpheum Theatre’Äôs Walk of Fame.

Since 1989, the series has grown from four concerts per season to six and is one of the VSO’Äôs most successful subscription series. Tea & Trumpets is truly a social experience, with tea and cookies presented in the lobby one hour before each concert begins; in fact, it acts as a communal gathering place and special event for concert goers from all over Greater Vancouver.

Behind the scenes of a Pacific Arbour Tea & Trumpets series concert is a complex event involving over 50 volunteers per concert responsible for front of house duties, tea and cookie service, clean up, and special assistance to patrons. The VSO is thankful to its many dedicated volunteers who help make this concert series possible.

The VSO is grateful to Pacific Arbour for their generous ongoing support of the Tea & Trumpets series. Pacific Arbour Group builds ideal communities for seniors ’Äì they create quality residences that provide safe, comfortable places for seniors to enjoy first rate services and amenities, within convenient neighbourhoods. Please visit them at: www.pacificarbourgroup.ca.

The VSO also thanks Tetley Tea and Peek Freans for the tea and cookies served at Tea & Trumpets.

CONCERT INFO

Pacific Arbour Tea & Trumpets

Thursday, October 1, 2pm, Orpheum Theatre
Mendelssohn & Friends: An Anniversary Celebration

Bramwell Tovey, conductor
Christopher Gaze, host
Mary Sokol Brown, violin
Andrew Brown, viola

Fanny Mendelssohn Overture in C Major
Bruch Concerto for Violin & Viola
Mendelssohn Symphony No. 4, Italian: IV
Mendelssohn The Hebrides, Fingal’Äôs Cave
Berlioz Roman Carnival

Celebrating Felix Mendelssohn’Äôs 200th Birthday! This concert features beautiful Classics, including Mendelssohn’Äôs Hebrides (Fingal’Äôs Cave), Bruch’Äôs Concerto for Violin and Viola, and more Classical favourites.

Series Sponsor: Pacific Arbour

Tickets: $36 (senior, student and subscriber discounts available)
Tickets available online at www.vancouversymphony.ca or by calling VSO customer service at 604.876.3434


Thursday, November 26, 2pm, Orpheum Theatre
Great Russian Classics

Evan Mitchell, conductor
Christopher Gaze, host
Kinza Tyrrell, piano

Shostakovich Festive Overture, Op. 96
Mussorgsky Khovantchina: Introduction (Dawn on the Moskva River)
Rachmaninoff Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Op. 43
Tchaikovsky Swan Lake: Waltz
Stravinsky Firebird: Infernal Dance, Berceuse, Finale

Thrill to a program of full-blooded passionate Russian Classics. This concert features some of the very best in exciting Russian music, including Rachmaninoff’Äôs Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Tchaikovsky’Äôs Swan Lake: Waltz, excerpts from Stravinsky’Äôs Firebird, and Shostakovich’Äôs Festive Overture.

Series Sponsor: Pacific Arbour

Tickets: $36 (senior, student and subscriber discounts available)
Tickets available online at www.vancouversymphony.ca or by calling VSO customer service at 604.876.3434


Thursday, March 18, 2pm, Orpheum Theatre
Lehar’Äôs Land of Smiles

Evan Mitchell, conductor
Christopher Gaze, host
UBC Opera Ensemble

Lehar The Land of Smiles

Franz Lehar was the King of Operetta. The Land of Smiles is one of his later works and tells the story of Lisa, a Countess in Vienna who meets a Prince from China, falls in love, and travels with his to his home in Beijing. What eventually happens? Come to the concert to find out!

Visit the UBC Opera Ensemble at: www2.music.ubc.ca/opera

Series Sponsor: Pacific Arbour

Tickets: $36 (senior, student and subscriber discounts available)
Tickets available online at www.vancouversymphony.ca or by calling VSO customer service at 604.876.3434


Thursday, April 15, 2pm, Orpheum Theatre
An English Country Garden

Evan Mitchell, conductor
Christopher Gaze, host
Melanie Krueger, soprano

Grainger Country Gardens
Vaughan Williams English Folk Song Suite
Gilbert & Sullivan Pirates of Penzance: Poor Wandering One
Delius Irmelin: Prelude
Gilbert & Sullivan Ruddigore: If Somebody There Chanced to Be (The Etiquette Song)
Elgar Chanson de Matin
Elgar Enigma Variations: Nimrod
Gilbert & Sullivan The Mikado: The Sun Whose Rays
Elgar Pomp & Circumstance March No. 1

An afternoon of beautiful, sentimental English music, including some of the best-loved Classics of any kind: the breathtaking beauty of Nimrod from Elgar’Äôs Enigma Variations, excerpts from Gilbert & Sullivan’Äôs The Mikado and Pirates of Penzance, and much more.

Series Sponsor: Pacific Arbour

Tickets: $36 (senior, student and subscriber discounts available)
Tickets available online at www.vancouversymphony.ca or by calling VSO customer service at 604.876.3434


Thursday, May 6, 2pm, Orpheum Theatre
Bach to Beethoven

Evan Mitchell, conductor
Christopher Gaze, host
Alicia Venables, violin
Colleen Venables, violin

Handel Solomon: Overture & Entrance of the Queen of Sheba
Bach Concerto for Two Violins
Mozart The Marriage of Figaro,K.492: Overture
Mozart Symphony No. 40 in G minor, K.550: first movement
Mozart Don Giovanni, K.527: Overture
Beethoven Fidelio: Overture, Op. 72a
Beethoven Symphony No. 5 in C minor, Op. 67: I. allegro con brio
Beethoven The Ruins of Athens: Turkish March

A beautiful concert that focuses on the most important era in music’Äôs development. You will hear selections from some of the greatest music ever written, such as Bach’Äôs Concerto for Two Violins, Mozart’Äôs Marriage of Figaro: Overture, the famous first movement of Beethoven’Äôs Fifth Symphony, and much more.

Series Sponsor: Pacific Arbour

Tickets: $36 (senior, student and subscriber discounts available)
Tickets available online at www.vancouversymphony.ca or by calling VSO customer service at 604.876.3434


Thursday, June 10, 2pm, Orpheum Theatre
Invitation to the Dance

Bramwell Tovey, conductor
Christopher Gaze, host

Weber Invitation to the Dance
Rossini William Tell: Pas de six
Saint-Saˆ´ns Danse Macabre
Satie Gymnopedie No. 3
Strauss Wine, Women & Song
Delibes Sylvia Suite: No. 3 Pizzicati
Berlioz Symphonie fantastique: Un Ball
Ravel Bolero

Maestro Tovey presents great Classical dance music from Rossini, Weber, Berlioz, Strauss’Äôs Wine, Women and Song, and a performance of Ravel’Äôs famous Bolˆ©ro.

Series Sponsor: Pacific Arbour

Tickets: $36 (senior, student and subscriber discounts available)
Tickets available online at www.vancouversymphony.ca or by calling VSO customer service at 604.876.3434