Day 7 Session (July 8, 2006)
- Posted by: chantal
- On: 07/08/2006 11:43:07
- In: Uncategorised
Live from the Banff Centre
Janis Tarchuk, MLA for Banff-Cochrane, welcomed Saturday's crowd in Washington to the Banff Centre, a globally respected arts, cultural, and educational institution and conference facility.
Jens Lindemann, world-famous trumpet player, and his ensemble entitled "Brassfire" were the first to provide Washington with a taste of the progressive and creative talent fostered by the Banff Centre. Children in Washington were curious where the name "Brassfire" originated and how old Jens was when he learned to play the trumpet.
Following Brassfire's musical rendition, a scene from the opera "Filumena" was performed by James McLennan and Christina Tannous. It tells the tragic true story of Florence (Filumena) Lassandro, who married into a bootlegging family in Alberta's Crowsnest Pass region during the prohibition era, and was convicted of murdering a provincial police constable. She was one of the last women hanged in Canada. Young members of the Washington audience wanted to know if opera was fun and how long it took to memorize the songs performed.
Washington audience member proudly displays his Banff t-shirt (above):
Finally, Annette av Paul, Head of the Dance Program, and Choreographer Simone Orlando spoke about the Banff Centre's Dance Program and Simone introduced an excerpt of new ballet which will receive a world premiere this summer. Following the ballet performance, young girls in Washington wanted to know what age dancers started training and if anyone could be a ballet dancer.
In addition, artists from the Banff Summer Arts Festival provided Washington with a second hour of entertainment through song and music. Each year, over 5000 artists from over the world attend the Banff Centre to work on their own instruments and to perform publicly.
