Concert Journals

Vanman Male Choral Summit

Cantus & Chor Leoni

Musical Journal V

April. 12th

The composer Zachary Wadsworth briefly talked about his family in the concert. His mother was in a symphony choir and his father played folk music, and thus he grew up in a family with strong folk music atmosphere. The folk songs are universally associated with love, lost, longing, or laughter, but Wadsworth wanted to write something different. He wrote a new series called “Future Folk Songs”, in which he imagines the things people will do in the future.

There are five songs in this series: “True Song” shows the power of truth telling, and reflects the wrong parts of residential school system in Canada, and in the future people still remember the wrongs of the past. “Screen Song” is about parents persuade their children to put away the digital products such as cell phones, and let them go to sleep. “Working song” draws a picture that robot will replace human to do hard labour. “Mars Song” imagines the arrival of people on Mars and the funny things that will happen. “Mountain Song” involved global warning and love: lovers stay together at the top of the mountain to escape from arising water level.

I would like to talk about the composition of “Working Song”. In the beginning of the “Working Song”, all the parts of the choir song one melody at the same pitch together, and it sounds strong, makes the audience feel the hard work done by the robot. All the robots work day and night with no stop. Then the base imitate the sounds of robot, it sounds like “Le…..”, followed by which, base sing “Robot listen now” and tenor sing “Stich this patient up”. The base again continue to sing the same line “Robot listen now”, and the tenor sing the same melody just with the text change, for example, “Do my taxes”, “Fill my water cup”, and “Send my faxes”. This kind of composition, with repeated melody while different text added to it, called hymn. We hear the same hymn tune several times over, and know that the composers use strophic technique in this song. The interesting part is that when the base sing the second time of robot song “Le….”, the tenor say “Shh”, like a conversation between robot and human. After this part, the choir begin to sing in a low volume, and then gradually become louder and return to the original volume. Before the end, the tenor sing “Ah……”; at the same time, the base begin to repeat “Robert listen, robot listen”, and then “Ah…..”. The “Ah….” of tenor and base join together and the voice stop.

The composition of five songs are different, but their endings are similar. In the “Screen Song” and “Working Song”, the tenor and base join together to see the same melody line and then the voice volume gradually drop and finally silence. In the “Mountain Song”, two parts do not join together, the tenor sing “Oh my love”, and the base follow and imitate, singing at the lower pitch. “Oh my love” is repeated again and again, two parts in the choir sing at the different time, and the volume goes down and down in the end.

I really like “Future Folk Song” series, the composition is not complex and the musical textures are easy to understand, so that audience can have a clear understanding of the structures and meanings of the song. The composers combine universal themes with specific details of the imaging future, also added some creative elements such as the robot sound in “Working Song”, which make the songs more interesting and attractive.

On March 11, 2019 my same 2 friends and I went to another K Pop concert, although this time it was a solo artist named Sunmi. This was very interesting for me because I hadn’t heard any of her music before apart from a single song, as i found that the solo singers didn’t carry the weight and intensity that I enjoyed in the bigger groups music. I was more than impressed with the show.

One of her top hits is called “Gashina”, which had a great drum and synth accompaniment. Its tempo made your head bob, and was successful in muting instruments in order to change the mood and build up the song. What stood out about this song (and in retrospect, most of her songs) was the fact that the instrumental parts were what really made the song, and the singing is more or less just a guide to the drops and instrumentals. However, this song (also among others) included some notable lyrics about being powerful and unstoppable, and having a good time on the weekend. It honestly felt kind of empowering, and made you want to dance when the beat dropped.

Very similar to the above, although with a more passionate feeling was Sunmi’s “Heroine”. This song was categorized by 3 parts (A, B, C). A was a slower part, B was moderate tempo an C was the instrumental drop with adlibs. It repeated twice with slight modulations in the repetition, and was very dance inspiring. The stage dancers were doing crazy dancing on stage, choreographed to the music (as intense and passionate as it was!). It was truly a show stopping performance and was definitely one of my, and my friends, favourite performances.

To slow things down, Sunmi played her song “Siren”, which starts with her singing melismatically ooh-ing. Later on in the song she sings a “la-la-la” part. Both parts are very catchy and are repeated throughout the song. These parts are the siren in the title of the song – a constant wailing throughout the song. Whether it be in your face like “la-la-la” or in echos like the “ooh’s”, it is there sounding the alarm. They had laser lights and fog around the dance floor, as she sang “Get away out of my face…” as she tried to escape her lover. It was a very cool concept and was executed well! They even include a part where they half-time the song to make it sound as though she got caught, but then it breaks with her escape once more.

The concert was very disappointing short, lasting only 45 minutes at max. However, it was a great show to be sung by one woman. She ended her concert with her song “Black Pearl”, the only song I knew going into the concert. This song I always liked for its smooth jazz saxophone solo part way through the song. The whole song (Black Pearl) has a wavy feel to it, from the high reverb on the piano to her trailing off voice. It all made for a very intriguing song and when seen live, was more than captivating. It left me entranced and eager for more, which is probably why I am so sad that the show was so short. It’s okay though; I am just left hungry for more at this point. I am ready to see my third K Pop concert now!

On February 21st, 2019 my friends and I attended Red Velvet’s “REDMARE” concert at the PNE Forum. The REDMARE tour included the group’s first-ever North American shows, and coincidentally ended up being on one of the lead singers’ birthdays! Fate worked out in our favor and ensured that the show was one that would be remembered forever. Red Velvet is a K Pop band who is really popular – one of the top groups in the industry. My friend (who attended the concert with me) got me into K Pop music for it uppity vibes and beautiful orchestrations. I learned to love K Pop music because of how much work was put into the music. I am not sure if it is because I cannot understand the lyrics (they become just part of the overall “sounds” in the song, as opposed to words with meaning), but when I listen to the music it is always so well put together! You can really tell that there is more to the groups than just the singers. I can only imagine the production teams working behind the scenes, writing and producing everything. Crazy! I believe that K Pop groups and the labels working behind them are pushing the limits and expanding the breadth of human musicality. With all this in mind, I knew I was going to have a great time at this concert. It was especially exciting for my trio because it was the first K Pop concert we had been to.

They started the concert off with a bang – “Russian Roulette”.  It starts off with the singers singing “LA, LALALA” monophonically but then with a rising but chopped retro-pop instrumental accompaniement. The second verse has a chanting in the background giving a really cool build up, and then the beat drops making it feel as though you are in a rocket ship. The singers continue singing homophonically and repeat syllables musically to catch your listening, then switches to a single voice singing with accompaniment. These parts are cool because they chose to make some of the lyrics in English, saying things like “crazy” and “Russian Roulette”. The song continues to bang and is a great time. The proceed to close the first set with a song entitled “Power Up”. It has a steady “popping” beat that, when climaxes, begins to percolate – intensifying the mood of it. They close it, show a video, have a chat with us and commence the next song.

“Mosquito” is a song with what I think could be considered a lied. It is a beeping melody that keeps on repeating throughout the song, honestly somewhat annoyingly. I came to realize that this sound is imitating a mosquito. Very cool, and after realizing that, not annoying at all! I came to like the song so much that the performance ended up being a really great time.

They played a bunch of songs that I hadn’t heard before and I obviously enjoyed them all for different aspects. For instance, “Hit That Drum” was a cool take on a jungle-esque beat (performers were also on stage dressed as animals and rangers). It was cool because it had a heavy drum beat (see “Hit That Drum”), akin to what I imagine a basso continuo might be like. Although overwhelming, it was really cool to see.

Another interesting song was “Moonlight Melody”, a slow song that really changed up the vibe of the stadium. The violin-piano accompaniment was really quite lovely. This song was an aria as it was sung slowly and was very emotional.

To be honest, although I appreciated it for what it was, I was much more impressed with the pop music with its crazily orchestrated instruments and catchy sounding lyrics. Thankfully the rest of the show was full of mostly exactly that and it was an absolute blast to be there. I 100% recommend anybody to go and see a concert; it is a great time. Red Velvet – 사랑해!

On February 15th, after our MUSC 326a midterm, my friends and I attended UBC Choirs: Stories performance. I had recently attended the UBC Chamber Choir’s “Evening Soundscapes” last semester, and have been obsessed with choir music since. I heard of the upcoming show (UBC Choirs: Stories) and made sure to bring my friends in order to introduce them to fine music. We attended a great show and my friends had a great time!

At this show, we had the opportunity to watch three choirs perform, the UBC Singers, the UBC Choral Union and the UBC Chamber Choir. What an indulgence! The show opening with the UBC Singers performing a piece entitled “Hosanna, to the Son of David”, by Thomas Weelkes. This piece was an exciting performance and a great opening act to the show. Starting out slow and homophonically it drew the audience in, only to switch up to polyphony that kept the listener engaged throughout. This polyphony also gave a very “powerful” feeling to the whole piece – it was a statement that we were in for a good show!

The choir played five additional songs (in addition to that mentioned above) and all were lovely in their own ways. A piece that stuck with me was the conductor’s (Graeme Langager’s) very own piece entitled “I Will Lift Mine Eyes”. This piece was very slow moving, sung mostly homorythmically with instances of imitative polyphony. I found with this piece, as lovely and emotionally captivating as it was, that it was a little slow and at some points I felt my mind wander. However, just as it wandered, I’d be drawn back into the show as the choir sang harmoniously homophonically. The harmonious parts were beautiful!

The Choral Union proceeded the University Singers singing “Five Hebrew Love Songs”, by Eric Whitacre. These five songs were a nice juxtaposition to the UBC Singers as the pieces were played homophonically (sang with instrumental accompaniment); the instruments used were a piano and a violin. I don’t know what it is, but the addition of the violin for these pieces created a feeling of mystery and tranquility that is unparalleled. I loved the violin! The singing and violin duo was exceptionally astounding during the second Hebrew love song, “Kala Kala”. From the sopranos to the basses, the different pairings with the violin created the most precious of sounds that conveyed depths of meaning. These pieces truly told a story (thus why the concert was called “Stories”)!

The final choir to play was the UBC Chamber Choir – and what a finale they put on! The songs five performed were well varied from different time periods, showcasing the technical abilities of the choir. My favorite piece was their last – “And So I Go On” by Jake Runestad. This piece was so great because it was sang with two choirs singing different, but linked verses back and forth between one another. One set of voices were that of a lover pleading for ones love back, and how without it they must persevere, while the other choir sang back at them explaining what they must do and why they must leave. Later on, the pieces intertwined and both choirs were singing the same lyrics to one another, showcasing the coming together and undoubting love between two parties. It was a great show and really got the audience to sit quiet and still the whole time, and ended off with much energy and then silence, leaving the most tranquil of feelings among the crowd. Goosebumps!

The UBC Choirs’ “Stories” was a great concert to attend and I am glad I got to bring my friend along to introduce them to choir music. They left with a newfound passion for it (although maybe not as heavy as my own) and I am confident they will want to go again. I look forward to going again too!

One of my favourite thing being in this class is more exposure to music events happening inside the UBC School of Music. Every season the School of Music have a series of concerts on selected Friday nights for Music on the Point, as a music class student, we had free access to these concert. On March. 1st, the Concerts with Personality features two UBC professors: clarinetist Jose Franch-Ballester and pianist Jane Coop. 

The concert started with 3 Intermezzi, Op.13 by Standord (1852-1924). It started simultaneously with the sound of the piano and the clarinet, and in perfect pitch, as if these two instruments talking in one form. I didn’t have exposure to clarinet concerto before, and being in the Barnett Hall allows the audience to watch the performances in an intimate distance. I was amazed by the clarinetist exquisite skills of delivering a smooth and entertaining piece. 

The second piece was Grand Duo Concertant for clarinet and piano, Op. 48 by Carl Maria von Weber (1786-1826). This was truly a virtuosic work for both instrument, my favourite movement was the first movement: Andante espressivo. You can hear both instrument dance in a lively and enthusiastic manner as if they made the best team. The movement was also very well demonstrated by these two musicians, they played with enthusiasm and it influenced me as an audience as well. I once heard a conductor spoke in a concert that live music is played by two parties, the performers on the stage and the audience that is receiving the music. Together as one community, that’s how music is being received and appreciated. I felt like if I was part of the music as well, together with the rest of the audiences and the musicians. 

The third piece was Four Pieces for clarinet and piano, Op. 5 by Alban Berg. To me, the most unconventional thing about this piece was the intentional left blanks and silence. It left the audiences wonder and eager to hear the following part, and it repeated the same pattern several times later. 

The concert concluded with Sonata No.1 in F minor, OP.120 by Johannes Brahms. It was in a minor key and I felt it wasn’t as bright as the first two pieces we heard. The tempo was always changing, and each movement brought a different feeling. As described in the movements: i. Allegro appassionato, ii. Andante un poco adagio, iii. Allegretto grazioso, iv. Vivace, the last movement was the most lively and it was a gradual process which kept the audience excited and awaited. I loved the smoothness and the beautiful melodies in this piece. 

As a piano player and a violin learner, I was certain that the violin and the piano are the best combinations in Duo. After this concert, I realize that my perspective is limited because of the little exposure I had for other Duos. I am convinced that piano and clarinet are a good combination as well, and there are so many more great pieces in Duo or Trio that I can explore. 

On April 8th, I had the pleasure of attending another one of UBC School of Music’s Composers Concerts at the Roy Barnett Recital Hall. Having attended a concert from this series a few weeks back, I had an idea of what to expect. While I noticed a few familiar names on the program from the previous composers concert I attended on March 18th, I also saw a completely new variety of performances.

The program included the Thunderbird Brass Quintet, comprised of trumpets, horn, trombone, and tuba; a guitar quartet, a soprano duet, piano, violin duet, and more. Needless to say, the program included a wide array of instruments and ensembles.

One of my favourite pieces was performed by an alto vocalist, Roan Shankaruk, accompanied by Morten Yu on piano. The piece, titled Five Nocturnes (2019), was composed by Morton themselves and featured two parts: I.: The April Flower May Wither and V.: Bosom. Upon reading the title I was immediately reminded of Chopin’s Nocturnes that we studied in MUSC 326A, and the way they depict the image of ‘nighttime.’ I thought it was beautiful how different Nocturnes could depict different variations of the ‘night’ through tonality, rhythm, form, and other measures. I thought back to the nocturnes we studied in class and truly appreciated the careful and meticulous work that I imagine goes into composing pieces like this. Moreover, to see Morten Yu play the piece that they composed themselves was very enthralling. When studying many of the composers covered in MUSC326A, we often read about them performing their own pieces, but unfortunately this is an aspect of history we are never able to experience ourselves; we are only able to hear performances played by other (although talented nevertheless) musicians. With that in mind, I think it is truly fascinating to be able to witness a composer play their own work.

Another piece I enjoyed was 2 Songs (2019) composed by Ivan Salazar Gonzalez, including pieces I.: Suenos, Amor y Pan (Dreams Love and Bread) and II.: De Esta Piedra (From This Stone). It was performed by Roan Shankaruk, soprano, and Peter Krejar, piano.

The lyrics from Dream, Love and Bread (translated from Spanish) read:

The sun will return to your throat, to your forehead, to your chest before nightfall.

And how human will be the dream, love and bread.

There is no rush or demand, men do not finish/run out.

Today you are here and tomorrow here another like you will remain waiting

There is no rush or demand, men do not finish/run out.

I enjoyed the recurring theme of ‘night’ that was woven throughout the various performances. I later looked up the piece and found that the song was adapted by Gonzalez, with the lyrics originally written by poet Miguel Angel Asturias. I found that this musical reimagining of written poem was a common style of composition performed at UBC Composers Concerts. I think it is a beautiful way to create an additional layer of meaning to an existing work, as well as to merge various mediums of art together.

I reserved my ticket the moment I saw La Mer by Claude Debussy was in the program. It was a great piece I have heard many times online, and I definitely wouldn’t miss the chance to hear it live. 

The first piece was called A Northern Suite, and it was John Luther Adams’ first symphonic composition. J.L. Adam is also an environmentalist, and this piece includes five movements where each movement depicts a scene in the world. The first movement, Blue Ice, Crystal Air, started with a short violin solo which imitated the sound of the bird as if the carefree bird is flying over the clean sky. The suite, in general, was very light, it contained lots of imitation of the natural scenes and sound such as birds singing, ocean waves, thunders and breezes. According to the program, the second, third and fifth movement ‘contains a dense web of overlapping rhythms across the orchestra’. I did hear different layers of sound, however, I found myself enjoy more melodic classical music more.

The second piece was a very lively clarinet concerto by Jean Françaix. I really like the composer’s description mentioned in the program notes, ‘a kind of acrobatics display for the ear, complete with loops, wing-turns, and nosedives which are fairly terrifying for the soloist, who needs to have a good stomach and several thousand flying hours under their belt’. The soloist Carlos Savall-Guardiola clearly did a great job – I never saw someone can play the clarinet so well in such difficult piece, as there were many different jumps, and it was also fast! The whole concerto had four movements, and I particularly like the third movement Andantino the best, the reason being it was comparably slower than other movements where I get to take a breath and sit back enjoying instead of worrying about the soloist making any mistakes as it was so fast in other movements!

After the intermission, we heard the last piece by Claude Debussy, La Mer. In the first movement, De l’cube à midi sur la mer (From dawn to noon on the sea), I heard the trumpet and English horn playing where it felt like the sun was gradual surfaces from the sea. In the latter part, it kinda gets louder and louder in the development section and suddenly, a majestic brass brought to the end of the first movement.

The second movement, Jeux de vagues (play of the waves), was completely different from the first movement I would say. It depicted a different scene by using lots of jumps between strings and winds. I like the harp played in between, as if the waves go up and down and finally go back to calm. The final movement, Dialogue du vent et de la mer (Dialogue of the wind and the sea), the disturbed sea came back again and led to a conversation of wind and the sea. 

I was amazed again by UBC Symphony Orchestra, the music is beautiful already itself, and the live performance always gives me another experience as if we all live near the sea in that 30 minutes. 

Mozart’s music is always superbly entertaining and elegant, and it was executed brilliantly by the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra playing three of his symphonies, directed by Otto Tausk on Friday, March 22nd. As these were Mozart’s last three symphonies, they were arguably composed at the height of his prowess, supported by the fact that two of them, No. 40 and No. 41 are some of his most well-known and renowned.

I hadn’t heard Symphony No. 39 before, so I was excited to begin the concert with something new. The program notes told us that the oboes had been omitted from the orchestra for this symphony which lent the music a mellow sound. This gave the symphony greater contrast to the other two than I would have thought; it sounded more demure without the brightness of the oboe. The first movement was fast, but elegant and refined, with moments of excitement but dominated by flowing major melodies in the violins and woodwinds.  The second movement was slow and shifted from major to minor variations on a theme. This contrast in music, important in the “pleasing variety” principle of the classical period, is prominent in the third movement of this symphony. The minuet has an elegant dance-like quality, while the trio uses the clarinet to give it a rustic sound. The final movement is quick and relentless, but finds moments to introduce quips by instruments and drama to give it the same impact as the overture to the Magic Flute (it certainly helps that the two are in the same key!).

It was so interesting to hear Symphony No. 40 performed live, especially after we had studied it in the classroom. It gave a completely different effect than the other two by setting Mozart’s characteristic style in an unsettled and breathless way. You could almost hear the audience “gasping” along to theme A! Mozart offsets this effect with the lyrical theme B, which is a relief from the “strum und drang” of the theme A, but doesn’t last for long until a drifting development fragments theme A into a variety of keys, never settling until the recapitulation. The second movement is slow and placid, in a major key but not embracing the joyful feeling Mozart usually evokes. He continues the “sturm und drang”effect in the minuet and trio, completely removed from the style of the other two symphonies in a driving triple meter and complex minor melody in the violins. The trio relaxes slightly, modulating into a major mode with lovely duets in the French Horns, giving an aura of regalness. The final movement has a whirlwind theme in the strings and brass, like the angry splutters of an old man. This disgruntled insistence persists to the end, bringing back the whirlwind theme, which is now rather fragmented, into a frantic cadence solidifying the minor mode, and general gloom of the piece.

Symphony No. 41 in C major, nicknamed “Jupiter”, is just as powerful and magical as the god who gives it his namesake. It begins with three strong notes, first on the tonic and then the dominant, separated by lyrical violin motifs. We are immediately are taken into the excitement of the exposition, in which the timpani heightens the drama of the music. This is equally contrasted by a timid, uncertain B theme. Throughout the first movement, there is an undeniable forcefulness that is either bursting through the orchestra, or lurking behind the scenes. The second movement doesn’t include the timpani and trumpet featured so prominently in the first movement, and is demure and melodic. A lively trio sets the scene before the fourth and final movement, which is rapid, exciting, and has a sense of urgency and tension despite its major mode. This is aided in the effect of rapid motives in the strings, and clever use of counterpoint to create a final, grand resolution, featuring timpani and brass heavily and showing off the grandeur of the orchestra.

Overall, I had a great time at the VSO hearing these pieces. Mozart’s style was evident throughout, but there was so much contrast in the works that it showcased his genius and breadth. As a side note, the VSO double booked our seats- sorry to the poor ladies who were forced to sit in the back row. I promise, no black-market tickets here! (They were, in fact, double checked for authenticity…)

Since it’s finals season….

On March 20^th 2019, I had a chance to join concert held by UBC school of music every Wednesday at the Barnet Hall. The name of the event was called the “Toward the Sea- Celebrating Pacific Rim Connections”. The program featured two artist named Mark Takeshi McGregor who is a Canadian flutist with a rich and diverse career as a leading performer and classical avant garde music and Adrian Verdejo on Guitar who is a Canadian classical guitarist living in Vancouver.

The first piece was “Toward the Sea” by Takemitsu. After bit of research I found out that this piece was composed as a contribution to the “Save the Whales” campaign of Greenpeace. Historically, Japan is a whale-hunting nation, this contribution was a political statement. I believe in this piece the composer desires to represent natural sounds such as wind and water by musical instruments. Mark Takeshi Adrian verdejo did a great job on the flute and guitar respectively and portrayed an aural image of ebb and flow of sea waves. The calm and meditative tone of the piece creates a very peaceful atmosphere around the concert hall.

The second piece was Duo I by Ignacio Baca Lobera. I was fascinated to learn that the piece was created in 1992 and that it is meant to be played on flute and guitar and two performers as the name suggests. The performers played the tune in alto. It was soothing and it raised the audience’s spirits. One would think that the piece portrayed the happy moments of a couple in love based on the emotions it evoked.

The third piece was Verdigris by Jocelyn Morlock. It started with a fast rhythm that mostly made us somber and pensive. The melody and rhythm came out so well and it was clear that the performers had lots of skills and experience based on how they maneuvered with the flute and the guitar. I cannot emphasize enough on the tune’s peaceful ending that reminded me of a calm sunset in the beaches of the tropics marked by the calmness of the sea.

Histoire Du Tango was the fourth piece. The musical tune was created by Astor Piazolla and it contained four parts that were all compiled in 1986. The parts include: Bordel 1900, Café 1930, Nightclub 1960, and Concert d’adjourd’hui. The Bordel 1900 began slowly rising in tempo to a fast-paced tune reminding me of the beginning of a storm and ending in a calm and somber like the whispers of an ending storm.

The fifth piece was the Nightclub 1960 was playful and flirty literally evoking the mood of a night club. It had a rippling melody that had a mixture of rising and falling tempo that makes the song danceable and seductive (Charron 2017). Most importantly, the piece inspires happiness and freedom to meet the demands of night life

It is the sixteenth annual university-college big band jazz festival at Moberly Arts & Cultural Centre, on March 23rd, Jazz big bands from across the lower mainland come gather and perform their sets. Schools including Douglas College, Kwantlen Polytechnic University, Capilano University, UBC, and VCC.

I was invited by my friend, Cyrus Bhiladvala, who was in UBC Jazz II (Jazz two), he would perform for the last time in the band. I was not aware of the length of the event, under the impression that it would be just a performance by Jazz II, but I did end up staying for the entire event which lasted 7 hours.

I am not familiar with big band Jazz music beyond watching the movie Whiplash, but the experience was overall good, even though there wasn’t a huge variety of music. There wasn’t much differences between different bands the universities, but I noticed a trend that Capilano university brought generally larger bands compared to other schools, often having at least 3 of each trombone and trumpets compared to 1 of each from many other bands, as a result the their big bands were that much BIGGER, the Cap bands were often so loud my ears heart.

The way the event was set up was to feature the more amateur bands earlier in the day, and the heavy hitters for later in the night. Though that is not to say the earlier bands were worse than the later bands.

UBC Jazz II were up pretty early in the day. Cyrus was one of the alto one’s in jazz II, and he had two instances of solos, his first solo in Gordon Goodwin’s Hit The Bricks, featuring a steady three note groove from an electric bass. His second solo was in a big band arrangement of Jerome Kern’s Smoke Gets In Your Eyes, originally a song from the Broadway musical Roberta. Cyrus moved a lot during the solos, often bowing completely over or leaning backwards during longer melodic runs, heavily contrasting the other alto one in the band, who would stay completely still during his solos.

Cyrus was complaining to me earlier that he wished jazz II played harder music, as the night progressed I can tell that the music was getting ‘harder’, featuring much more exotic chord changes and rhythm changes, and often faster as well. To be perfectly honest I felt that jazz can get too out of hand, and out of touch when it gets ‘harder’, some of the songs played later in the night definitely felt too out there for me, but when it hits home the highlights are well worth wait in between.

One of my favorite pieces played throughout the night was Bob Florence’s Afternoon of a Prawn performed by UBC Jazz I. WHAT A RUSH, the song supposedly originated from a joke, amongst the jazzheads, the soprano sax is sometimes called a ‘fish stick’. Afternoon of a Prawn of course then features the soprano sax on the main hook. The song starts of with the keyboard, bass, and drums meandering, as if a prawn was having a nice afternoon, who would soon be heavily disturbed by a storm of ‘fish sticks’, blasting through the nice swinging rhythm with a series of jagged downward melodies with odd rhythmic changes, portraying the fish chasing the prawn through tight twists and turns in the ocean. I particularly enjoyed the sonification of such a story, I’d highly recommend everyone check out this song.

Some of the other highlight tracks include Rick Hirsch’s Catch Me If You Can, performed by CapU B Band, featuring a playful motif and rhythm, with multiple simultaneous sax leads playing leads in exotic scales, almost as if they are ‘bragging’ at the audience, like a portrayal of someone saying ‘catch me if you can’ at you, then sticking their tongue out. It’s overall a really sour track, it really tickled my fancy. More highlights include Peter Herbolzheimer’s Blues in Latin, performed by UBC Jazz I, Count Basie’s Blee Blop Blues, and many Duke Ellington tracks played by the VCC band.

It was a great night, filled with wonderful performances from many virtuosos, I was a little tired of big band Jazz music at the end of the night, but I’d recommend everyone to check out some live big band music, it’s not like anything else out there.