As is the tradition every year, there was a (twice) presentation at the Complexe Desjardins of the Harmonie de la Virée, a wind orchestra of high school youth from Joseph-François-Perrault schools, Notre-Dame, Laval and Jean-Eudes colleges, the Pensionnat Saint-Nom-de-Marie as well as FACE. This year, the Harmonie was conducted by Stéphane Forgues, an experienced teacher at JFP.
This program of music written exclusively for wind orchestra represented a beautiful blend of nature (the theme of this Outing), the seasons, and the four elements (fire, earth, water, and air).
The first piece, “Hounds of Spring,” resembles a village dance set to a pastoral rhythm. It showcases the orchestra’s ensemble qualities. Next came “Come Down Rain,” which depicts a rainstorm in an arid region. Inspired by Arabian music, Jack Wild’s work allows several young soloists to shine. The middle piece is “October” by Eric Whitacre, also known for his choral pieces. As its name suggests, October captures the calm of autumn.
The penultimate work is Frank Tichelli’s ebullient Vesuvius. It’s a highly energetic piece that inevitably recalls the tragedy of Pompeii. Rhythmically complex, Vesuvius gets the most out of the teenage musicians, and Frogues, a master technician, never lets up and demonstrates extreme precision. The concert ends with Rossano Galante’s The Wilderness. A very catchy piece, especially thanks to the percussion, it feels like several times that one is on board a train hurtling through the snow-capped mountains and forests that cover North America.
