The White Rock Concerts subscription series – a fixture in White Rock for some 55 years – is staying at White Rock Baptist Church, according to board president Rick Gambrel and artistic director George Zukerman.
While the organization had contemplated a change of venue to the much larger Peace Portal Alliance Church – which would have more than accomodated the series’ long waiting list – a trial concert earlier this month convinced them it would change the nature of the experience.
“After careful consideration we determined that neither the acoustics or the sight-lines measured up to those required for a concert series of our nature,” Gambrel and Zukerman said in a joint statement.
“We will not, under any circumstances, sacrifice the quality of the concert experience for our loyal membership.”
Gambrel expressed particular thanks to administration and staff of Peace Portal Alliance for their helpfulness in planning the trial concert.
The current sold-out series continues tonight (Jan. 28) with the internationally famed Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra, led by violinist and artistic director Jeanne Lamon.
Upcoming for the 2011-2012 series will be Musica Intima, Isavel Bayrakdarian, The St. Lawrence String Quartet, Pentaedre, Angela Hewitt, The Elmer Iseler Singers and the Victoria Symphony Orchestra.
Mighty Oaks
White Rock Library’s Authors on the Semiahmoo Peninsula series will feature a reading by Lorne S. Jones from his debut novel, Mighty Oaks, Monday, Jan. 31 at 7 p.m. at the library, 15342 Buena Vista Ave.
The bittersweet novel combines a compelling coming-of-age story set in Ontario in the early 1960s with a drawn-from-life snapshot of two authentic giants of Canadian poetry, Milton Acorn and Gwendolyn MacEwen, at a crossroads in their lives. Registration required, 604-541-2201.