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Sooke Philharmonic introduces new quartet

SPO presents first online concert Oct. 5
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The Sooke Philharmonic Orchestra presents its first online streaming concert, a performance by Voces Intimae, a new string quartet based in Greater Victoria. (Niek Verlaan - Pixabay)

The Sooke Philharmonic Orchestra presents its first online streaming concert, a performance by Voces Intimae, a new string quartet based in Greater Victoria.

On Monday (Oct. 5) at 7:30 p.m., SPO will release on its website the video of the quartet’s first concert, a performance of Edvard Grieg’s String Quartet in G minor and selections from one of Grieg’s most well-known pieces, the Peer Gynt Suite.

The Voces Intimae quartet features SPO conductor Yariv Aloni on viola; Pamela Highbaugh-Aloni on cello; and David Stewart and Paule Préfontaine on violin.

Stewart and Préfontaine recently moved to B.C. from Norway, which is “why we chose to perform pieces by Grieg, one of Norway’s most esteemed composers,” Aloni said. “We thought it was a fitting way to welcome David and Paule to the region and introduce our community of supporters to two wonderful talents.”

The concert will be recorded live in front of a small, socially distanced audience, at Sooke’s Holy Trinity Anglican Church. The video will be recorded and edited by Lumera Productions, then made available on www.sookephil.ca.

The quartet performance is part of the Nelson Chamber Series, named for SPO founding conductor Norman Nelson.

The concert marks the first time SPO has released videos of its concerts to the public. In November, SPO will release a second video featuring three small ensembles from the SPO.

“Throughout COVID, our audiences have missed our performances, and our players have missed playing together,” said Kathleen Campbell, SPO board president. “We have developed safety protocols allowing us to rehearse and make music together in small groups of around 12 players.”

The November concert will also be made available online on the SPO website and will feature music by Elgar and Vaughan Williams.

Audiences watching the videos are encouraged to make a donation to the SPO. Voces Intimae is donating its performance so all donations will support the SPO. Contributions over $25 will receive a tax receipt.

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editor@sookenewsmirror.com

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