Fourth Annual GUELPH SPRING FESTIVAL

Nicholas Goldschmidt — Artistic Director

May 1 - 15, 1971

and former Manager of the Metropolitan . concert on May 15. Students will be able to During the past four years the University of The Universitys contribution to the work of purchase tickets at a reduced price. Guelph has played a vital role in the establish- the Foundation has been made in a variety of The University is thus actively involved as ment of a unique town-gown Arts Festival ways. Dr. M. H. M. MacKinnon, Dean of Arts, a partner in an enterprise which has won sup- that is attracting national, and even interna- is the President of the Foundation and Nicholas port from private patrons, business and indus- tional, attention. The Guelph Spring Festival, Goldschmidt, Director of Music for the Uni- try, governments, and arts councils on the an annual two-week program of music, drama, versity, is also Artistic Director of the Festival. provincial and federal levels. Grants and sub- and dance, is the newest, and in some ways The University has supported a number of sidies from sources outside the city amount to the liveliest, festival of arts in the province. Festival events including a successful approximately 38 per cent of the Festivals Unlike its rivals in Stratford and Niagara-on- Beethoven Exhibition which toured many budget. The City of Guelph, firms and indus- the-Lake which focus principally on works of Canadian campuses last year. This spring, the tries which are members of the Guelph Cham- the past, Guelph puts strong emphasis on con- University will sponsor two more art exhibi- ber of Commerce, and local patrons of the temporary music and on original compositions. tions, "Dürer and His Contemporaries" and Foundation contribute about 20 per cent, Since 1967 the Spring Festival has commission- "Life Style of our Forefathers" to be on dis- with the University and students donanting ed world premieres by Canadian composers play here during May. In addition, the Univer- another 4 per cent each. Thanks to such gener- and presented the North American premiere sity is supporting the concert by the Orford ous support the Foundation can present its of "The Prodigal Son" an important church String Quartet and Anton Kuerti on May 2. program for approximately one third of its opera by Benjamin Britten. The Committee of College Presidents, the real cost. Thus local citizens, and with them The originator and sponsor of the Guelph senior level of student government in the faculty and students at the University, can Spring Festival is the Edward Johnson Music University, has agreed to support the Festival enjoy an annual musical program which com- Foundation, an independent non-profit organ- this year with a generous grant towards the pares favourably with those of communities ization named after the famous Guelph costs of the National Arts Centre many times the size of Guelph. NATIONAL ARTS CENTRE ORCHESTRA

Saturday, ay 15

ORFORD STRING QUARTET — Sun. May 2 BEVERLY SILLS ANTON KUERTI Fri. May 7

The Guelph Spring Festival A FLOWERING ANNUAL

The Guelph Spring Festival was described by the "Visualized Music" of Stravinsky, Strauss, in the earlier production will play Misael, the Nathan Cohen, leading Canadian theatre Verdi and Beethoven. youngest and most impulsive of the captive critic, in his last radio broadcast before his Beverly Sills comes to Guelph on May 7. Jews. Ananias, their clear-thinking leader, will recent death, as "an annual spring occasion Acclaimed as one of the worlds greatest be portrayed by Peter Milne, and Azarias, that proves that high-minded programming and coloratura sopranos and elected by "Musical slower but wiser than the other two, by Avo careful budgeting can produce publicly wel- America" as Musician of the Year, Miss Sills Kittask. John Arab, who was a Tempter of come results." will give a recital of songs and arias by fatal charm in "The Prodigal Son," will return High minded programming it certainly is. Donizetti, Handel, Meyerbeer, Milhaud and to Guelph as Nebuchadnezzar. Gary Relyea By defying rumours of public apathy and Strauss. Her vocal and dramatic powers have will play the Herald and the Leader of the careful balancing known first quality music won this New York Opera Company soprano Courtiers, while the double role of the Abbot and new productions, featuring commissioned standing ovations in musical capitals around and the Astrologer will be performed by works, the Edward Johnson Music Foundation, the world. Cornelius Opthof. which sponsors the festival has lined up two The Bach Aria Group, which will give a re- Although the form of Brittens church weeks of extraordinary performances for 1971. cital on May 8, is an ensemble of nine virtuosi. was suggested by the Japanese No The roster reads like a whos who and whats Soprano Lois Marshall, contralto Maureen theatre, they have a convention of movement what of music: Beverly Sills, Lois Marshall, Forrester, tenor Richard Lewis and bass- and presentation entirely their own. The ritual- Maureen Forrester, Oscar Shumsky, The Fes- bariton Norman Farrow combine their vocal ized action emerges, as the actors emerge, tival Singers, The Orford String Quartet, talents with the instrumental expertise of from the ranks of the chanting monks, and Anton Kuerti, The National Arts Centre Or- Sam Baron, flute, Robert Bloom, oboe, Ber- when the conflict is resolved the monks re- chestra. It also features imaginative experimen- nard Greenhouse, cello, Osar Shumsky, violin, sume their habits and their role as worshippers, tal theatre, music and dance. and Yehudi Wyner, piano. Founder and con- leaving the audience exhilarated yet at peace. A world premiere will open the Festival on ductor of this exquisite ensemble is William "The Burning Fiery Furnace" will be direct- May 1. The Festival Singers of Canada and Schiede, an authority on the music of Bach. ed musically by Nicholas Goldschmidt, Artistic the Mendelssohn Choir will present An "Intermedia" concert on May 10 will Director of the Festival. Dramatically, the a new setting of Psalm 148 by Andre Prevost. feature the world premiere of a new work by performance will be guided and inspired by Mr. Prevost, composer of "Terre des Hommes" Dr. Charles Wilson. A poem by D. G. Jones Lode Verstraete, poet, actor, playwright and the musical theme of Expo 67, was commis- titled "Phrases from Orpheus" has been Director of the Belgian National Theatre. sioned to write a new work for the festival by scored for tenor soloist, chorus, modern dan- The church selected for the presentation of the Edward Johnson Music Foundation which cers and narrator. The tenor soloist who por- this dramatic parable on May 12, 13, and 14, every year invests in Canadian composers as trays Orpheus will be Garnet Brooks. is the Church of Our Lady, Guelphs beautiful well as performers. The two hundred voices Members of the Toronto Dance Theatre will cathedral on the hill. will be augmented by a brass ensemble in respond creatively as they scale scaffolding The National Arts Centre Orchestra, under what promised to be a jubilant entry into the above the chorus in this multi level presentation. Mario Bernardi, will bring the Guelph Spring Festival. Also featured on this exciting program will be Festival to a triumphant conclusion. Soloists The Orford String Quartet return to Monteverdi ballet, Brittens "Voices for Today" for the occasion will be Erica Goodman, Guelph on May 2 where they are always and "Five Newfoundland Songs" by Harry harp and Fred Mills and Robert Oades, trum- received joyfully. With pianist Anton Kuerti, Somers. pets. In keeping with the festival tradition of these four gifted young musicians will present "The Burning Fiery Furnace," the second balancing the known and the new, the orches- an evening of Schubert, Ives and Brahms. of Benjamin Brittens trio of musical parables tra will perform Vivaldi, Beecroft, Mendels- The proceeds from this concert will be con- for church performance, will be the featured sohn, Somers and Haydn. tribed to a scholarship fund to be presented opera of the Festival. The first all-Canadian per- So the program is undeniably high-minded, in the memory of Edward Johnson to assist formance of this opera, this production pro- aiming for excellence, for the creation of new promising young musicians to further their mises to achieve once more the artistic and works and the demonstration of the quality careers. critical success of the festivals presentation of of Canadian performers. The careful budgeting The Czech Black Box Theatre will give Brittens "The Prodigal Son." is the concern of the Edward Johnson Music three evening performances and a special mat- In this parable about the trial of faith, Foundation. Everyone else can just enjoy the inee for children. According to Nathan Cohen, tenor Garnet Brooks who sang the title role "the Black Box Theatre has to be one of the most truly unique entertainments in North America. Imagine an animated film cartoon come to life, they manipulate luminously painted objects and make them perform feats that seem to make a mockery of the laws of gravity and anatomy." This remarkable group will perform several new works prepared es- pecially for the Guelph appearance, including

The News Bulletin is published by the Department of Information and edited by Mrs. Betty Keeling. Copy for this special edition was prepared by Professor Neil Carson and Mrs. Edwina Carson. Cover design by Eric Barth.