The Ottawa region’s culture scene is always vibrant and eclectic. Highlights this month and beyond include Bach’s St. Matthew Passion presented by Thirteen Strings Friday, April 14, and the new season of the Upper Canada Playhouse in Morrisburg.
Thirteen Strings: Bach’s St. Matthew Passion
Thirteen Strings presents Bach’s St. Matthew Passion Friday, April 14, at 7:30 pm at Dominion-Chalmers United Church, 355 Cooper Street. Hearing Bach’s St. Matthew Passion is a beautifully thoughtful way to commemorate the Easter season, especially since the concert is on Good Friday.
Ottawa’s premiere professional chamber orchestra was founded in 1976 by conductor Brian Law and string players from the National Arts Centre Orchestra. The orchestra returns to pay homage to the time of year with its rendering of this iconic choral work – widely regarded as one of the masterpieces of classical sacred music. Special guests include tenor Zach Finkelstein as the Evangelist with Hélène Brunet, soprano; Marjorie Maltais, mezzo-soprano; Jacques-Olivier Chartier, tenor; and Alexander Dobson, baritone. Accompanying Thirteen Strings will be Seventeen Voyces and Ensemble vocal sénior De la Salle all under the direction of the chamber orchestra’s music director Kevin Mallon.
Tickets are available at Leading Note, Books on Beechwood, Compact Music and at www.thirteenstrings.ca. For more information email info@thirteenstrings.ca.
Culture comes alive at Upper Canada Playhouse
Located in the quaint Village of Morrisburg, on the picturesque St. Lawrence River, Upper Canada Playhouse has been one of Eastern Ontario’s most popular professional theatre companies for over three decades. Attracting a robust local, bus tour and visiting audience of over 40,000 annually, the theatre’s 160- performance season runs from April through December with spring and fall live concerts, a summer four-show theatre series and a winter holiday family show. Its venue, a former toothbrush/argyle sock factory, offers a unique experience in itself. It has been charmingly converted into a unique 275-seat, climate-controlled, accessible theatre. Known for its high standard of production and entertaining shows, The Playhouse features some of the finest actors and theatre artists in the country. For tickets and details, see www.uppercanadaplayhouse.com.
