Nicholas Wright conducts candlelit show Enchanted Brilliance: A British Serenade, February 26
The VSO School of Music’s advanced young string ensemble Sinfonietta plays pieces by Vaughan Williams, Purcell, and more
Nicholas Wright
The VSO School of Music presents Enchanted Brilliance: A British Serenade at Christ Church Cathedral on February 26 at 7 pm
CHRIST CHURCH CATHEDRAL is the oldest surviving building in downtown Vancouver. So when a hundred flickering candles cast a warm glow over its colourful stained-glass windows and cedar ceiling beams, its already charming atmosphere is amplified tenfold.
That will be the intimate set-up for an upcoming concert at the church performed by Sinfonietta, the VSO School of Music’s ensemble of advanced young string players. The program will focus on British music—a fitting choice for the venue, which is built in the Gothic Revival architectural style that gained widespread popularity in 19th-century England.
Of note on the program is The Lark Ascending by Ralph Vaughan Williams, a slow, contemplative piece that draws on a poem by Victorian-era writer George Meredith. The audience can also expect to hear Henry Purcell’s 1695 suite from the tragic play Abdelazer by Aphra Behn. Though that production wasn’t well-received, it’s certainly historic, as Behn was among the first women in England to earn a living from writing. And Purcell’s score is a delight to listen to—it endured thanks in large part to Benjamin Britten’s use of one of its movements in his 1945 composition The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra.
Sinfonietta will be at Christ Church Cathedral on February 26, led by VSO concertmaster Nicholas Wright. The music is set to start at 7 pm. 
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