University of Toronto Steel Pan Ensemble, University of Toronto Klezmer Ensemble, and Brazilian Music Ensemble

University of Toronto Steel Pan Ensemble, University of Toronto
       Klezmer Ensemble, and Brazilian Music Ensemble

       Saturday, March 26, 2022 at 7:30 pm | Livestreamed from MacMillan Theatre

       UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO STEEL PAN ENSEMBLE
       Joe Cullen, director

       Spanish Eyes by Bert Kaemfert, arr. J. Cullen
       This classic song works well as a first song for students who are learning pan for the
       first time. It sounds great as a Bossa Nova as well as a calypso. Soprano pan soloist:
       Tristan Culbert.

       Demons by Imagine Dragons, arr. J. Cullen
       Demons is a powerful song by Alternative/Pop/Rock band Imagine Dragons. It was
       number one in many countries and has sold over 4.1 million copies, making it the one of
       the top ten most downloaded songs in rock history.

       Perfect by Ed Sheeran, arr. J. Cullen
       Ed Sheeran’s biggest hit to date has quickly become a staple song for weddings
       everywhere. This beautiful melody transfers nicely to the steel pan. Sheeran’s various
       versions of this song include guest vocals by Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli, and another
       version with singer Beyoncé.

       Ashley by Len “Boogsie” Sharpe, arr. Liam Teague
       Liam Teague is not only a world-class steel pan virtuoso and recording artist, but also
       Head of Steel Pan Studies at Northern Illinois University. He has promoted and
       commissioned many pieces of all styles and is well known for his continued push
       towards using steel pan in classical music, and for a multitude of instrument
       combinations with steel pan for university recital repertoire. He has also done zoom
       calls with the U of T Steel Pan Ensemble during Covid and is always very supportive of
       our program here. Liam generously loaned us this arrangement to learn this year and
       we are happy to play this for you this afternoon.

       Soprano Pan Soloist: Boris Chung.

We wish to acknowledge this land on which the University of Toronto operates.
For thousands of years it has been the traditional land of the Huron-Wendat, the Seneca, and the
Mississaugas of the Credit.
Today, this meeting place is still the home to many Indigenous people from across Turtle Island and we are
grateful to have the opportunity to work on this land.

Fifty Years of Hits! Various Artists, arr. J. Cullen
This medley of songs includes pop, rock, Motown, British Invasion, reggae, R&B and
disco hits from the past fifty years, as well as a few well-known classical motifs. See
how many you can recognize here. This medley was specially arranged for the West
Humber Collegiate Institute Senior Steel Band for their Arts Night production.

Pan in “A” Minor by Lord Kitchener, arr. P. McNeilly, transcribed. J. Cullen
Pan in A Minor is one of the “classics” of steel pan, performed by steel bands from
Trinidad to Switzerland and everywhere in between. Lord Kitchener won the Trinidad
road march competition ten times between 1965 and 1976, more times than any other
calypsonian. Tonight’s arrangement was done by “PanMan Pat” McNeilly, the first steel
pan teacher for Etobicoke schools with the TDSB. Listen for the chromatic runs and
exciting rhythmic variations, a requisite in the Trinidad Panorama arrangements.

PERFORMERS
Jordan Baldwin, Mikka Choi, Jocelyn Chong, Boris Chung, Tristan Culbert, Heeyun Lee,
Matthew Magocsi, Charlotte McIntosh, Claudia Rando, Piper Shiels, Ben Storm,
Simone Viola, Nate Williams, Amanda Won

Teaching Assistant (TA) for 2021-22: Julia Monaco

UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO KLEZMER ENSEMBLE
Brian Katz, director

Der Gasn Nign (“The Street Tune”) Trad. Arr. Brian Katz

Brian Katz, guitar, voice
Briana Lee, piano
Nil Basdurak, bendir, voice

Nisht Gezorgt (“Don’t Worry”) Dave Tarras (1897-1989); arr. by the ensemble

Brian Katz, guitar, voice
Briana Lee, piano, voice
Nil Basdurak, bendir, voice

Dem Trisker Rebn’s Khosid (“The Rabbi’s Khosidl/Dance”) Dave Tarras (1897-1989);
arr. for solo piano by Briana Lee

Briana Lee, piano

Di Sapozhkelikh (“The Boots”) Trad. Jewish-Ukranian folk song collected by Michael
Alpert from Broyna Sakina; arr. by the ensemble

Brian Katz, guitar, voice
Briana Lee, voice
Nil Basdurak, bendir, voice

Mazltov #72 Trad. Collected by Moshe Beregovski (1892-1961); arr. Brian Katz

Brian Katz, guitar
Briana Lee, harpsichord

Bei Mir Bistu Shein (“To Me You’re Beautiful”) Music, Shalom Secunda (1894-1974);
Lyrics, Jacob Jacobs (1890-1997); arr. Brian Katz

Brian Katz, guitar
Briana Lee, voice

Araber Tanz (“Arabic Dance”) Naftule Brandwein (1884-1963); arr. by the ensemble

Brian Katz, guitar
Briana Lee, piano
Nil Basdurak, bendir

PERFORMERS
Brian Katz, guitar, voice
Briana Lee, piano, voice, harpsichord
Nil Basdurak, bendir, voice

Klezmer, the soul music of Eastern-European Jewry, can be considered an early form of
“fusion," an amalgamation of Eastern-European based folk tunes/musical dialects mixed
with indigenous Jewish sounds, particularly those rooted in the Chassidic tradition.
Niginum, the wordless chant melodies of the Chassidim inform many klezmer pieces, as
do the “yearning” melismatic outpourings of the synagogue chazzan, cantor. When
klezmer arrived in America it again took new turns, incorporating aspects of American
popular song as well as jazz. The University of Toronto Klezmer ensemble performs
both old and new world klezmer, embracing a living tradition that continues to expand.
In past years, the U of T Klezmer Ensemble have performed at the Ashkenaz Festival,
The Four Seasons Opera Centre, and the Glenn Gould Theatre.

BRAZILIAN MUSIC ENSEMBLE
Alan Hetherington, director

Aquarela do Brasil (1939) by Ary Barroso
Considered one of the most popular Brazilian songs of all time, this tune consolidated
the samba-exaltation style that helped elevate the samba genre to the category of
national musical symbol. Ary recounts composing it in one sitting, stuck at home during
a rainstorm, with the intent “…to free samba from the tragedies of life, from the
sensuality of misunderstood passions, from the sensual scenes so often too exploited. I
was feeling all the grandeur, the richness, the opulence of our land, so massive by
nature.”

Beatrice Duong, piano
Malou Gloria, pandeiro

A Vida é Um Buraco (1930) by Pixinguinha
Alfredo da Rocha Viana Filho (“Pixinguinha”), instrumentalist, composer, arranger, band
leader, is one of the most important pillars in Brazilian popular music. Heir to the best
tradition of choro at the end of the 19th century, he consolidated and renewed the
genre's repertoire with his compositions, many of which became classics. This Polka
was composed as a flute solo for his first instrument.

Julia Monaco, flute
Malou Gloria, violão
Gillian Wang, chocalho
Karel Gondor, Gord Fynes, pandeiros
Isaac Kashino, rebolo

Assanhado (1961) by Jacob do Bandolim
This choro-samba was composed by Jacob Pick Bittencout, the virtuoso bandolinista.
His compositions include waltzes, polkas, sambas, and choros, stardards in the
repertory. Jacob’s work is prolific in the preservation of Brazilian musical culture; he
recorded more than five thousand audio recordings.

Marcus Wong, violin
Tatsuki Shimoda, recorder
Walter Chan, saxophone
Joseph Funk, trumpet
Julia Monaco, reco reco
Isaac Kashino, rebolo
Malou Gloria, violão
Karel Gondor, Gord Fynes, pandeiros
Arya Patel, Dayie Chung, ganzas
Beatrice Duong, Gillian Wang, tamborins

Na Glória (1949) by Raul de Barros
Composer Raul de Barros (1915-2009) is one of the best known Brazilian trombonists
inside and outside the country. This famous choro is mandatory repertoire for any
trombonist dedicated to the study of Brazilian music.

Isaac Kashino, trombone
Julia Monaco, flute
Walter Chan, saxophone
Joseph Funk, trumpet
Malou Gloria, violão
Marcus Wong, rebolo
Tatsuki Shimoda, afuxe
Karel Gondor, Gord Fynes, pandeiros
Arya Patel, Dayie Chung, ganzas
Beatrice Duong, Gillian Wang, tamborins

Que Maravilha (2012) by Alan Hetherington
This bateria ensemble solo is in a style similar to those of the modern show mini-
baterias of Brazil’s Escola de Samba movement, originally from Rio de Janeiro and São
Paulo, and now present throughout the world. Call and response is featured, and the
form is a fantasia based on traditional melodic improvisatory themes.

U of T Bateria
Surdos - Marcus Wong, Malou Gloria, Isaac Kashino, Tatsuki Shimoda
Caixas - Ary Patel, Joseph Funk, Walter Chan, Gord Fynes, Jacob Valcheff
Tamborins - Karel Gondor, Alaina Ardiente
Agogôs - Beatrice Duong, Gillian Wang, Dayie Chung
Chocalho - Julia Monaco

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

MACMILLAN THEATRE
Ian Albright, technical director
Les Stockley, technical assistant
Ross Hammond, production assistant

BIOGRAPHIES

Joe Cullen has been an instructor of the Steel Pan course at U of T since 2006. He has
taught a wide range of courses for music camps and has been a featured clinician at
conferences and festivals. For over 10 years, Joe wrote the steel pan column for the
Canadian Music Educator Journal. He’s adjudicated for Toronto’s Caribana Pan Alive
competition and was awarded a lifetime membership from Pan Trinbago, Trinidad’s
governing body for steel pan. A graduate of both Humber College and the University of
Toronto, Joe is currently the Head of Arts at West Humber Collegiate and an active
performer and recording artist on drumset, percussion and steel pan.

Brian Katz is an internationally acclaimed guitarist, pianist, recording artist, improviser,
composer, music educator, and klezmer! As a performer and composer, he is noted for
bringing classical and world music influences to modern jazz and Jewish music, and is
highly regarded as a “free” (open) improviser, where he blends many of his influences
into coherent musical statements. Of his last solo recording, Leaves Will Speak, noted
European music critic Alexander Schmitz wrote, “If you want music that speaks—here it
is.”

Alan Hetherington has performed widely in North and South America, and the
Caribbean, and today specializes in the many musical styles of Brazil. Since 1989 Alan
has spent extensive periods of time residing in São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil,
performing with Sombra e Agua Fresca, Bel Brasil, Carlos do Cavaco, Chocolatte da
Vila Maria, Henrique Cazes, and Filó Machado, among others. He has been a devotee
of the samba school tradition of Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo, performing with some of
the largest and most exciting percussion ensembles (baterias) on the planet.