The Music Hall at New Vision United Church
Various Dates
The acoustic setting of the soaring church space at Hamilton’s Music Hall will be an important highlight of the experience of Jazz Vespers first gathering on December 10, 2017. The intent of using the “acoustically pure” meeting space is to experience the musicians’ vibe the way the musicians really mean it. Jazz pianist Adrean Farrugia observes, “I’ve found some of my best playing experiences have been in these events. People can close their eyes and listen to and feel the vibration and have the experience as intended.”
Jazz began in the resistance of African American slaves to white church culture. The slaves took the harmonic and rhythmic structures of white church music, and made it speak in an African way. Saxophonist John Coltrane is a transcendent example of the evolution of this resistance: ““My music is the spiritual expression of what I am — my faith, my knowledge, my being. When you begin to see the possibilities of music, you desire to do something really good for people, to help humanity free itself from its hangups. I want to speak to their souls.”
Farrugia, who is playing the Jazz Vespers in The Music Hall at New Vision United Church on Sunday December 10 at 4:30 pm, returned to his hometown of Hamilton after starting his career in Toronto. Though most of his career is still in the GTA, he’s noticing that a topic of conversation among musicians in Toronto is the stuff that is going on here. New Vision United Church’s decision to offer its space as a mid-sized concert venue is just another step in what is happening locally.
Farrugia is joined on Dec 10 at The Music Hall by fellow JUNO award winner vocalist Sophia Perlman, with Darcy Hepner on saxophone and Clark Johnston on acoustic bass, and New Vision’s Rev Ian Sloan. The gathering is pay what you are able for the musicians, and a collection for a simple meal so everyone can remain in the space afterward for something to eat regardless of their ability to pay.
To see the latest listings in the Jazz Vespers series, here’s the link: http://newvisionunited.org/jazz-vespers/
