By Joanne Rodgers, Bruce Penisnula Press
The highly anticipated Lion’s Head Summer Music festival had a successful inaugural showing, with professional and amateur musicians wowing the audience nightly. Near the picturesque Lion’s Head Marina, on the Harbourside Stage, backlit by the sun-kissed bluffs and even an appearance by the Sturgeon moon, audiences were able to enjoy classical music, for five evenings from August 6 – 13, 2022.
There were actually two concurrent classical events taking place on the Northern Bruce Peninsula during the week.
Dominik Franken, local musician and organizer of the week-long “Lion’s Head Summer Music”, said he wanted to make classical music more accessible to everyone. He was thrilled to bring classical music to Lion’s Head, saying the event surpassed his expectations.
New York based violinist Sarah Pratt-Parsamian, founder and Artistic Director of “Music on the Bruce” performed in Tobermory and collaborated with Lion’s Head Summer Music for three performances. “Music on the Bruce” also held performances in Southampton, Red Bay, and Wiarton.
“Lion’s Head Summer Music” also collaborated with “Music on the Bruce” and participated in the Southampton and Wiarton Concerts.
She said it was a happy coincidence and pleasure to be able to join forces with “Lion’s Head Summer Music”. This year Pratt-Parsamian invited three fellow musicians to accompany her, they were all classmates at Yale School of Music and even though their careers dispersed them throughout the continent, she felt it was a familiar feeling playing with them again. Pratt-Parsamian said she wanted to bring classical music to areas that do not have easy access to classical music.
On Opening Night, it was the first collaboration between “Music on the Bruce” and “Lion’s Head Summer Music”. The Chamber Music Program, featured Sergei Prokofiev’s Sonata for Two Violins, op. 56, and Mozart’s Clarinet Quintet in A-Major, K581 with Sarah Pratt-Parsamian (violin), Shane Kim (violin), Robert Woolfrey (clarinet), Tanya Ell (cello) and Dominik Franken (viola).
On the second night, the Lion’s Head Summer Music welcomed the 26+ member Southampton Concert Band. Made up of brass, woodwind and percussion players and under the baton of musical director John Wills, the Southampton band performed a program of popular classic and classical compositions.
The third night’s performance was by Trio Garagio with Dominik Franken (violin), Chris Robinson Jones (cello), and Carol Mulder (viola and violin parts on cello). The Trio have been performing light classical music together for the past two years. Robinson commented “We started playing together during the pandemic, donning masks and playing in Carol’s garage, thus the name”. The trio are also the organizing group for Lion’s Head Summer Music 2022. At the Wednesday evening’s performance they played arrangements that included compositions by Bach, Mozart, Purcell, Handel, Levin, Faure and Saint-Saens.
On the regularly scheduled Friday Harbourside night, Sarah Pratt-Parsamian joined Trio Garagio for an evening of Folk and Baroque music featuring well known classical compositions with a special twist. The program includes arrangements for compositions by Bach, Telemann, Biber and O’Connor.
The Parsamian family, including Sarah (violin) and her husband Kevork (cello) and their son Ari (violin) and daughter Nairi (violin) performed a composition by Pachelbel to mark two celebrations: the 15th wedding anniversary of Sarah and Kework and the 50th wedding anniversary of Sarah’s parents.
Lastly, special guests Brian Taylor, Rod Layman, Gerry Gregory joined in to perform “Ashokan Farewell”.
With near perfect summer weather for the week, only one night was rained out, luckily the concert goers had another opportunity to hear Rosin Dust, a string ensemble based in Owen Sound. For the Grand Finale performance – Handel’s Celebration, Rosin Dust was joined by special guests Terry Samuel (trumpet), Susan Samuel (clarinet), Susan Whitehead Klages (French horn) and Claire Baker (oboe), Sarah Pratt-Parsamian (violin) and Dominik Franken (violin). Under the baton of conductor Fred Parsons, the ensemble performed selections from Handel’s Water Music and the famous Royal Fireworks suite.
Franken had originally hoped to perform the Water Music on a barge, since this music was first performed in 1717 on a barge with 50 musicians. Due to logistical issues, the music was performed on the Harbourside stage which is located near to the water (ironically in 2020 due to high water, the Harbourside stage was actually over the water!)
For the Fireworks Suite, not to emulate the first performance in 1747, when actual fireworks burnt down one of the pavilions and set an audience member on fire, instead for the 2022 performance in Lion’s Head, the organizers handed out sparklers to the audience.
Concert goers are already eagerly awaiting the 2023 concert series. This year’s event was made possible through a grant from the Community Foundation Grey Bruce and support from the Municipality of Northern Bruce Peninsula.
