Welcome to Spirit Wind! Royal Canadian College of Organists (RCCO) Festival 2018 July 2nd – 5th, 20
Come join us as we celebrate the pipe organ and the people who play them and love them. The pipe organ is an instrument that comes from our distant past and yet remains a compelling idea as a musical instrument, a work of art and a magical machine. Since it was first conceived, it has made use of the leading technologies of the time.
At the core though, the pipe organ is about people and about music. At Spirit Wind, we hope you will help us celebrate both. Come and enjoy meeting friends and colleagues and letting the spirit of good will give you a festival to remember!
With a musical menu featuring some of the finest Canadian cuisine written for voice and organ, duo Valerie Hall (organ) and Kerry-Anne Kutz (soprano) serve up an entertaining 40 minutes of chocolate and spice! Experience the delightful music of David L. McIntyre, Regina composer, whose “Creek Bistro Specials” use the local restaurant’s menu as inspiration for this suite. Enjoy the French romantic-inspired music of Québec native and Vancouver composer, Denis Bédard, whose Seven Vocalises were written especially for Kerry-Anne. Savour the sensitive songs such as “Winter Blue Jay” and “Winter Dusk” by west coast composer, Nicholas Fairbank (poet, Sarah Teasdale), and enjoy the complex harmonies of Canadian award-winning sensation, Rachel Laurin. Regina composer, Robert Ursan sets Shakespearian text to music, and Jeff Enns, a clever composer from Ontario sets some risqué lyrics about the “Sex Lives of Vegetables” to music with wit, imagination and a little jazz!
An inveterate performer, Valerie Hall has appeared as organist, harpsichordist, singer and choral conductor in Canada, the United States and Europe. A native of Winnipeg, she obtained a Bachelor of Music in Organ Performance from the University of Manitoba and a Master of Church Music from Concordia University, River Forest, Illinois. Valerie recently became an Associate of the Royal Conservatory of Music.
In Regina, she founded and directed Campion Schola, a university-based vocal ensemble dedicated to the performance of Plainchant and Renaissance polyphony. One of Valerie’s greatest pleasures is performing with Montreal soprano, Kerry-Anne Kutz. The dynamic duo are deeply committed to presenting works by Canadian composers and feature plenty of it on their entertaining and diverse concert programmes. A past national president of the Royal Canadian College of Organists (RCCO), Valerie was for several years National Chair for Membership and Regional Director for the Prairies.
Soprano Kerry-Anne Kutz, soprano, is a singer/songwriter and recording artist. She performs a wide range of styles from classical music to jazz. Kerry-Anne was the first woman in Canada chosen to be a member of the RCMP Band based in Ottawa. She has performed Canada and around the world to the delight of audiences and to the acclaim of critics. She earned a Bachelor of Music from the University of Saskatchewan and a Master’s degree in performance at the Université de Montréal. In addition to maintaining a busy performance schedule from her base in Montreal she also teaches voice to students from across Canada and abroad. Kerry-Anne was awarded the Queen’s Golden Jubilee medal for her musical contributions to the community of Montreal and to Canada in November 2012 and a Canada 150 award in 2017. She is the founder of the annual Festival de la Voix in Montreal www.festivaldelavoix.com and The Art Songs of Canada Project www.artsongsofcanada.ca.
