A special pre-Mother's Day program presented by the White Rock Chamber Music Society is calculated to bring a smile to the lips and a song to the heart of local music lovers.
The May 12 concert, which takes place at 7:30 p.m. at Pacific Carlton Retirement Residence, 15366 17 Ave., will feature tenor Sunny Shams, pianist Jennifer Hung, accordionist Maria Loginova, the Sandpipers Recorder Ensemble and soprano Leanne Page with her sons, Liam (piano) and Connor (piano and guitar).
The versatile and busy Page sings a wide variety of material but has a particular passion for medieval, renaissance and baroque music, as well as Celtic folk songs, in which she is often accompanied by Connor, a Grade 8 French-immersion student at Lord Tweedsmuir Secondary and a gifted improviser in many musical genres.
Liam, a Grade 11 French-immersion student at the same school, shares his brother's musical versatility. Also a clarinetist, he has received awards for his piano playing in the school's Grade 8,9, 10 and 11 jazz ensembles.
A society favourite, Laginova, a former professional musician now in her 80s, will return to share her repertoire of Russian folk tunes.
Hung, 17, a student of noted instructor Dr. Kirill Bolshakov, is currently studying for her ARCT piano performer's diploma.
The Sandpiper ensemble has been in existence since the 1980s, playing instruments ranging from the tiny sopranino recorder to the large contrabass on everything from early music to folk and jazz.
Starting from a background as a jazz singer and pianist, Shams has emerged as a valued and busy operatic tenor after studies at the Victoria Coinservatory of Music.
Since 2007 he has been a member of UBC's opera ensemble, performing leading roles in Die Fledermaus, Don Giovanni, Falstaff, Louis Riel and La Boheme.
Admission is $5 at the door.