Local artist Amanda Sum makes her Music on Main debut in Music for the Winter Solstice

The theatre artist and singer-songwriter joins pianist Rachel Kiyo Iwaasa, violinist Karen Gerbrecht, and cellist Olivia Blander in the beloved annual seasonal concert

By Gail Johnson

Amanda Sum.

Music on Main presents Music for the Winter Solstice on December 11 and 12 at 7:30 pm at Heritage Hall

AMANDA SUM ISN’T one to sit idle. This festive season, she’s working as an understudy for her sixth year with East Van Panto, and she’s creating new music that she’s recording as an indie artist. She’s also making her debut with Music on Main’s Music for the Winter Solstice, performing vocals and keyboards in the concert that also includes Rachel Kiyo Iwaasa on piano, Karen Gerbrecht on violin, and Olivia Blander on cello.

“I like to be busy,” Sum tells Stir in a phone call. “I’m excited to be a part of Music for the Winter Solstice [and] to learn some new music with the other collaborators and to step outside my comfort zone….I’m excited to get together and rehearse with them and learn new material that I haven’t heard before—being part of something special with such experienced, amazing musicians.”

Music on Main’s annual concert has become a coveted ticket, a respite for people amid the busyness of the holiday season. Set in one of Vancouver’s most charming, iconic venues, Heritage Hall, the performance reflects the sense of peace that the solstice can bring. Among the compositions on this year’s program are the Wyrd Sisters’ arrangement of “Solstice Carole”, Alfredo Santa Ana’s “A Short Song for the Longest Night of the Year”, Caroline Shaw’s “Winter Carol”, and Einojuhani Rautavaara’s “Whispering” .

David Pay.

David Pay, Music on Main’s founder and artistic director, says that with December being so hectic and festive concerts often feeling like “all Christmas, all the time”, he wanted to create something appropriately beautiful for the season but in a completely secular way when Music on Main first presented Music for the Winter Solstice in 2014.

“Caroline Shaw was Music on Main’s composer in residence at the time we started these solstice concerts, and she wrote a piece called ‘Winter Carol’ that really captures the beauty and stillness of winter,” Pay tells Stir. “We also wanted to make a concert where every generation felt welcome, where you could bring friends or family, or come on your own. And we wanted to start a new tradition that brought us together—through music—and gave us a calm, restorative hour in the midst of such a busy time. Over the years, audiences have responded really beautifully to these ideas.”

Each year includes some pieces that feel like they have become a part of the tradition of Music for the Winter Solstice—Shaw’s aforementioned “Winter Carol” and songs by Alfredo Santa Ana and the Wyrd Sisters among them. “But we also ask the different musicians to share a bit of themselves and bring new pieces to the stage,” Pay says. “Sometimes that’s been classical music, or music theatre pieces, pop songs, or world premieres. The solstice concerts are always evolving, and for me it’s that combination of ‘chestnuts’ and new work that helps it feel fresh each year.

“When nights are at their longest, the winter solstice brings the promise that the darkest days will pass,” he adds. “That reminder of light returning is something that many of us could use right now, and I really think the combination of music that Amanda, Rachel, Karen, and Olivia are bringing to this year’s concert will help us all feel that.”

For Sum, Music for the Winter Solstice is all about connecting with others.

“I think that this time of year is when we need lightness in our days,” Sum says. “I do love this time of year. This show brings together community and amplifies the need to be around people you love and bask in beautiful music. I feel very lucky to be doing this show.” 

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