June, 2005 - Nr. 6
A Memorable Gala
Sybille Forster-Rentmeister
It appears as though the last event of the season is also the beginning of the next for Opera York. The 8th annual gala dinner, "Jewels of the Opera" concert and dance at the popular Famee Furlane at 7065 Islington Ave. in Woodbridge left us with just that feeling of anticipation, while recapping the strides taken in the last year.
Co-Founders
Joan Sax and Philip Trow were justifiably aglow with pride for last season’s
accomplishment and thanked every one of the many volunteers and supporters
profusely for their engagement and hard work, keeping their speeches to a
minimum, so other important entities could be heard. Honorary patrons of the
ball were Mayor & Mrs. Micheal Di Biase of the City of Vaughan. The mayor
took advantage of the opportunity and praised Opera York and the need for
the arts, especially opera. No wonder, since opera is such a popular form in
Italy.
A large Italian contingent also loved the flamboyant and open communication of the evenings Master of Ceremonies John DiMarco, who had a lot more politicians to announce before he could point out the classical guitarist who entertained throughout the evening before the actual concert. Robert Carullo played with quiet fervour and had a big repertoire in his fingertips. His musical choices accompanied a deliciously prepared meal of many courses composed of a delicate salad, pasta, veal, dessert and coffee, accompanied by full-bodied red or white wines. The table service was flawless and smooth without long waiting periods; not a small feat when serving hundreds of animated guests.
Between courses one could see a steady stream of visitors to the long tables laden with all sorts of donated items for silent auction. There is always a lot of art and one can count on finding interesting practical goodies too, like fabulous Rodenstock sunglasses, being now sported by the publisher of a German Canadian publication; likewise some cosmetic spa treatments went home with me, one needs all the help one can get.
But the piece de resistance was an "Imagine" poster lithograph with John Lennon by Native Canadian artist Carl Beam, which is the only piece of art this writer ever fought over. It is placed in plain sight of my working desk to inspire me. It was hung while we played the music and it nearly drove tears into my eyes. The Beatles, and especially John Lennon defined my generation as few other artists have. The search for spirituality, the values of communication and artistic ability are rivalled only by a few. Who thought that I would be more than a publishing supporter and a reviewer, doing what I chose to do as a labour of love in support of the arts. That night I became a hunter for my past and won my trophy!
But this is just the accompaniment to what we really do: we admire the artist that makes our life worth living!
That
evening we marvelled again at the roaster of available talent: Andrew Tees,
baritone, who quickly became a crowd pleaser with supporters of Opera York
ever since we saw and heard him in the Barber of Seville, as, you guessed
it, the barber;
Keith
Klassen, a young and coming tenor, well on the way to popularity;
Janet Catherine Dea, a mezzo-soprano with a big voice, ready to fill a big space with resonant acoustics;
Sara
Papini, a 16-year-old singing sensation from Kleinburg with much promise for
a big career;
Penelope Cookson, artistic director, singer, narrator and much more, a multitalented dynamo. We wonder what she likes to do most…
The
songs chosen were not all familiar to all the people but suited the voices
of the singers. The lovely and competent pianist and vocal coach Kate Carver
accompanied them all and we hope to hear her again.
The time just flew by as we listened and were serenaded by this array of talent. It certainly made us wish for more on another evening in the near future.
While some people were preparing to take their treasure from the silent auction home some others were dancing to the lovely tunes of The George Lake Big Band.
For the new season we will have to wait a while. Opera York is busy putting a new and exciting program together and performs for schools and seniors in the meantime. Perhaps they too will take a well-deserved summer brake. Leaves us to say: thank you for the memories… they are becoming more memorable every year!
