Prepared with Files from the St. Marys Community Players.
St. Marys Community Players have announced their 2026 Season Lineup: Marc Camoletti’s BOEING BOEING and the beloved Peanuts Musical You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown.
“Our 52nd season lineup of productions will offer a vibrant pairing of plays that celebrates the full spectrum of theatrical joy—combining the dizzying precision of a classic farce with the warmth, wit, and gentle introspection of a beloved musical,” says Greg George, the company’s Marketing and Communications coordinator.
BOEING BOEING: A High-Flying Comedy.
Opening the 2026 season in April, the St. Marys Community Players present the delightful farce that has captivated audiences worldwide. Written by Marc Camoletti and translated by Beverley Cross and Francis Evans, this fast-paced production chronicles the misadventures of Bernard, a swinging bachelor in 1960s Paris. Bernard’s elaborate scheme of juggling three fiancées – all airline hostesses with staggered layovers – takes a turbulent turn, threatening to send his plans crashing.
Directed by Ralph Small and produced by Stephen Brockwell and Read Paxton, BOEING BOEING features door-slamming, smart dialogue, and hilarious situations, guaranteeing nonstop laughter and entertainment.
Performance Dates:
April 24 to May 9, 2026, Town Hall Theatre, St. Marys, ON.
You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown: A Musical for All Ages.
Happiness is great musical theatre. With charm, wit and heart, You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown explores life through the eyes of Charlie Brown and his friends in the Peanuts gang. This revue of songs and vignettes, based on the beloved Charles Schulz comic strip, captures childhood worries, quiet hopes, and the universal desire to belong and be understood. Musical numbers include “My Blanket and Me,” “The Kite,” “The Baseball Game,” “Little Known Facts,” “Suppertime” and “Happiness.” Guaranteed to please audiences of all ages.
Performance Dates:
October 22 to November 7, Town Hall Theatre, St. Marys, ON.
Tickets for the 2026 Season are available through the St. Marys Community Players website www.stmaryscommunityplayers.ca beginning in early March or locally at Troyer’s Spices in Downtown St. Marys, 110 Queen St. E. Phone: (226) 661-8777.
“Music doesn’t lie. If there is something to be changed in this world, then it can only happen through music.” – Jimi Hendrix
The concert I want to tell you about won’t involve rock, open rebellion, or active protest. It involves Lara St. John, a brilliant violinist, a Londoner, a personality who fills a concert hall, and a champion of honesty whose very presence is a gift to London this Saturday evening at Metropolitan United Church.
Sometimes we just NEED great music.
“Your brain responds to music like it’s a survival tool. When music plays, almost the entire brain ignites. The motor cortex drives your body to the beat. The hippocampus ties melodies to memories. The amygdala unleashes waves of feeling. And in the orbitofrontal cortex—the brain’s reward and decision hub—the same circuitry that flares in OCD lights up with music’s cycles of tension and release.” (Attributed to Harvard Medicine: The Magazine of the Harvard Medical School.)
Listen to Lara and Matt Herskowitz in this video from her Shiksaalbum. It’s not on Saturday night’s program- but her passion for truth and music will be.
Meanwhile, what has the London kid who picked up a violin and joined her older brother Scott in playing done with all of that talent?
As for most musicians’ bios, you’ll need an atlas and incredible patience to follow the list:
She debuted with an orchestra at age 4 – and with Lisbon’s Gulbenkian when she was 10.
AT 12, she toured Spain, Greece, Portugal, and Hungary
She’s studied at Curtis, the Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory, the Guildhall, Mannes College, and the New England Conservatory
She has been a soloist with the major orchestras of every continent.
She created her own label – Ancalagon – in 1999
She received the Order of Canada in 2021 – for “service to society and innovations that ‘ignite our imaginations’.”
It was Sting who said, “The truth is like a sword. You have to hold it with an open hand.”
And Lara St. John’s devotion to truth has been as inspiring as her music. In 2019, she told a Philadelphia newspaper that she had been abused and raped as a student at Curtis Institute of Music in 1985. That distinguished school had covered up the crime when she reported it. She is currently finishing a documentary film about the abuse of young music students. Read about the documentary here: https://theviolinchannel.com/lara-st-john-to-release-documentary-about-sexual-abuse-in-classical-music-industry/
Her hope for the documentary, Dear Lara, is not a selfish one: “They need to admit to wrongdoing and take every possible precaution to never let these things happen again. Predator Whack-A-Mole (my term for allowing depraved men to quietly resign, enabling them to simply take their behavior elsewhere) must stop. It’s unconscionable, and it’s everywhere,” Lara appealed.
Saturday’s Program:
Lara’s chosen concerto to perform with London Symphonia is Avner Dorman’s Concerto No.2, which premiered in 2018 when it won the Azrieli Prize. The composer tells an intriguing tale about the piece. The 92nd Street Y (and Gil Shaham) approached him to write a piece for their Jewish Melodies program. He admits his research surprised him in finding common modes and melodies in Jewish music from various parts of the world. One of these, he said, is the Nigun – a melody that can be sung in Yiddish and understood by an Arabic speaker: “The Nigun has no beginning and no end and is eternal.”
Lara discusses Avner Dorman’s Violin Concerto No. 2, “Nigunim,” with Andrew Chung, Artistic Producer, London Symphonia, in this Behind The Music video clip: https://youtu.be/t6FuSbI_5fw
On Saturday night, London Symphonia will also perform Mendelssohn’s Midsummer Night’s Dream Suite and Aaron Copland’s Appalachian Spring.
It’s January – the month of miserable weather, broken resolutions, and depressing realizations. This year, the news from our neighboring country shatters our trust and brings even more dismay into our lives. And January 27th is the annual International Day of Commemoration in memory of the victims of the Holocaust. Each year, Canadians and individuals all over the world take this opportunity to remember the victims of the Holocaust and to reflect on the dangers of anti-Semitism.
Sometimes, just being in the presence of truth-tellers and creators of incredible beauty can remind us of our power to change the world. Lara St. John and London Symphonia will be at Metropolitan United on Saturday night to keep us from forgetting.
IF YOU GO:
What: London Symphonia presents Lara St. John: The Ancient Flame.
When: Saturday, January 17, at 7:30pm.
Where: Metropolitan United Church, 468 Wellington Street, London, ON.
The Voices of Broadway Show Choir has been entertaining London area audiences since 2013. The Beat Magazine conducted the following Q&A Session with Artistic/Musical Director Julie Pietrangelo in advance of the choir’s Show Stoppers concert on January 17 at the Joanne and Peter Kenny Theatre at King’s College. The Interview has been edited for clarity.
(Pictured: The Voices of Broadway Show Choir Artistic/Musical Director Julie Pietrangelo.)
Q. When was the choir founded? By whom, and why? How did the name The Voices of Broadway Show Choir come about?
We were founded in 2013. I wanted to start a show choir and talked to several people whom I led as singers before, and they were with me. So, we got together and figured out how to make it work. We brainstormed names, put them on a board, and voted. By process of elimination, we decided upon the name The Voices of Broadway Show Choir.
Q. What sets your group apart from the other London area choirs?
I think the fact that we’re a show choir. I don’t think there’s any other show choir in London, per se. We don’t just stand on risers and sing holding music. Our shows include acting and dancing. It’s just bigger.
Q. Who are the facilitators/administrators of the choir? Backgrounds? Does the choir have a Board of Directors?
We do not have a board of directors. We have what we call the lead team of four people who are elected by the membership. They look after all the administration and running of the choir and so on. I’m heavily involved and sit on the lead team as well.
Q. Does the choir have a Mission or Statement of Purpose?
We are a non-professional show choir with high standards and high entertainment value. Our mission is to present a well-balanced program of traditional choral singing, along with choreography, staging, costumes, special effects, and props.
Q. How many members does the choir have at this time? Can you give me some details about the range of experience, backgrounds, and ages of choir members?
Right now, we have twenty-four members, but we have had as many as forty. We take people from all walks of life. We have people who have music degrees and have taken voice lessons. We also have people who have never sung in a choir before. Choir members must be eighteen years of age. We have had members in their eighties.
Q. How does one become a member of The Voices of Broadway Show Choir?
We have an audition process. Candidates are asked to bring a prepared song and do a vocal audition. I test the range and their sight-reading ability and decide from that. They also go through an interview process. We do a dance assessment, although candidates aren’t rejected if they have zero dance experience or limited abilities.
Q. Could you give me an idea of the choir’s repertoire?
Our repertoire is all drawn from Broadway musicals.
Q. Does the choir perform in one venue or move around?
We do two shows a year. In January, we perform at the Joanna and Peter Kenny Theatre at Western’s King’s College. And in the spring, in either May or June, depending on available dates, we hold our year-end show at Wolf Performance Hall.
Q. Can you give our readers an idea of what to expect if they attend your January 17th Show Stoppers concert?
Show Stoppers presents many of Broadway’s most famous songs. Audience members will know a lot of the music and the shows that they come from. The concert is highly entertaining, and it just has that whole element of familiarity.
Q. Is there anything else you think readers should know about The Voices of Broadway Show Choir?
We’re always looking for new members. In fact, we have auditions on January 21st. People can register for those at any time now. And, of course, we’re always available for hire. We have a public website where people can find out more information about the choir and look at some of our past performances. We’re always looking for sponsors, too. If you are interested in becoming a sponsor, we offer several benefits. Information about how to become a sponsor can be found on our website.
Magisterra Soloists are honoured to begin 2026 with their annual Holocaust remembrance concert, dedicated to commemorating the victims of the Holocaust and honouring the survivors on Sunday, January 11, at Museum London.
—
Nine years ago, I picked up the phone. When the call comes from a former student (and former member of the London Youth Symphony), I’m curious to see where innate talent and hard work have taken a person like this. It was a request: “Daina, my Western professor is starting up something unique. She’s brilliant, and the idea is great. Can you help?”
An irresistible request. Through months of meetings with Annette-Barbara Vogel and some of the most brilliant young people in London, Magisterra Soloists International acquired the documentation to become a non-profit charitable organization, with the mission of playing a significant role in invigorating and enriching the local artistic experience.
And what has happened in the last ten years?
Magisterra at the Museum: An annual series of accessible, educational chamber music experiences that strengthen community ties in London.
Sensory Concerts: Inclusive shows for those with sensory sensitivities, led by emerging Magisterra Fellows to promote disability awareness in the arts.
Magisterra in Schools: Outreach reaching thousands of youth, especially in underprivileged and rural areas, with live classical music exposure.
Fellows Mentorship: Trains nearly two dozen young artists in performance and operations for professional careers.
Young Performer’s Award: Annual auditions for local string players, offering stipends and solo spots at events like the Christmas Baroque concert.
What makes a Magisterra chamber concert unique? I’d have to credit that to Annette-Barbara Vogel’s amazing vision and circle of friends in the varied professions of music. Each program is assembled from a trove of world literature, and the performers are assembled for intense days of rehearsal before the concert. The result is a freshness, energy, and connectedness that is breathtaking.
This year’s program for the annual Holocaust Remembrance Concert brings together some chamber musicians you will long remember.
Joining Magisterra’s Artistic Director Annette-Barbar Vogel will be:
Brett Kingsbury: Dr. Kingsbury is a Canadian classical pianist and educator known for his work as a soloist, chamber musician, and professor. He serves as pianist for the Madawaska Chamber Ensemble and holds the position of assistant professor at Western University’s Don Wright Faculty of Music, teaching studio piano, Performance Research, and Piano Literature
Vera Sherwood: Vera is a Russian-Canadian violinist and educator active in the classical music scene, particularly in Ontario. She began her violin studies at the Perm Music School in Russia, continued at Moscow Gnessin High College, and completed her education at the M. Glinka Nizhny Novgorod Conservatory. Her work includes recitals and concerts in Canada, reflecting her transition from Russian training to a prominent role in North American classical music circles.
Jutta Puchhammer: Let me try to condense her bio! Jutta Puchhammer-Sédillot is a Viennese-born violist renowned for her exceptional performances and dedication to the viola repertoire, now residing in Canada. She has served as a full professor of viola and chamber music at the Université de Montréal since 2002, with prior teaching at institutions like Juilliard, Curtis Institute, and international festivals including Orford Music and Sarasota. Puchhammer-Sédillot has also led masterclasses worldwide and held leadership roles such as president of the Canadian Viola Society (2006-2014) and the International Viola Society since 2020.She earned the International Viola Society’s Silver Alto Clef Award (2019), the highest honor from IVS, where she has served as president since 2020, plus the Maurice Riley Prize (2006) and Canadian Life Achievement Award (2022).
Miriam Stewart-Kroeker: The versatile Canadian cellist from Hamilton, Ontario, is known for her work with regional orchestras and chamber ensembles. A graduate of Wilfrid Laurier University (Honours BMus in Cello Performance and Chamber Music Diploma) and McGill University (MMus with Matt Haimovitz), she studied under Paul Pulford and the Penderecki String Quartet. Founding cellist of the Andromeda Piano Trio and Kestrel String Quartet, she performs regularly in prominent Southern Ontario series, including Kitchener-Waterloo Chamber Music Society, Guelph Connections, and Toronto Chamber Players. Her Banff Centre residencies, chamber awards, and innovative events like “Yoga with Cello in the Park” highlight her engaging, community-focused artistry that resonates locally.
THE PROGRAM:
Blues for piano by Simon Laks
Simon Laks (1901–1983), known for surviving Auschwitz as conductor of the prisoners’ orchestra, composed this likely in the interwar period amid his Parisian output of chamber works and songs. The “Blues” evokes a moody, syncopated idiom fitting his blend of Polish lyricism and French elegance.
Sinfonia Concertante op.68 by Walter Braunfels
The piece spotlights virtuosic interplay among the soloists against a string backdrop, evoking a “curmudgeon grotesquery” alongside hearty peasant vigor and high emotional torque. Its edginess and folk-lyric passages reflect Braunfels’ influences from Berlioz, Mahler, and Schoenberg, while rooted in his conservative tonal world.
Quintet No. 1 by Ernest Bloch
The opening Agitato surges with a gruff motto theme amid whirling rhythms and anxious microtonal shadings, cycling Brahmsian motifs into thorny, powerful exchanges. A haunting Andante mistico offers lyrical respite with long-breathed lines, flowing into the Allegro energico finale’s rippling currents and consoling C-major close. Extended techniques like harmonics, sul ponticello, and col legno amplify its raw, visceral string writing.
Every time I attend a Magisterra concert myself, I thank the fates for that phone call nine years ago.
What Magisterra has developed in our relatively small “City of Music” is a testament to the incredible powers of music. I was going to quote Martin Luther about those powers, but Billy Joel fits the bill about Magisterra: “I think music in itself is healing. It’s an explosive expression of humanity. It’s something we are all touched by.”
It’s December in Canada, and Mother Nature has already announced in no uncertain terms that she intends for this one to be a white Christmas. This also means the ubiquitous Christmas albums will be hitting shelves and streaming platforms with more of the same old carols that you’ve been hearing since you were a little kid, without much variation in the sound. London, Ontario’s Maggie’s Wake have made a statement of their own with the release of Close to Home, a seven-song holiday-themed EP, with three never-before-heard, original Christmas tunes.
Maggie’s Wake is a bit of a super group, (forgive me if you’ve read me saying that once or twice before), including two of Canada’s finest fiddle players in Tara Dunphy (The Rizdales and solo) and Lindsay Schindler (Rant Maggie Rant and Trent Severn) rounded out by the rhythm section of Andrew Kosty on upright bass and Kenneth Palmer on guitar. Kenneth was also the EP’s engineer/mixer with production by Tara and Lindsay.
(Pictured: Maggie’s Wake.)
The seven songs include a gorgeous cover of Gordon Lightfoot’s “Song For A Winter’s Night”, a handful of traditional/original Christmas/winter songs arranged for fiddles, guitar, and bass, as well as flute and tin whistle by Tara, plus three original Christmas songs written by Tara Dunphy. If you have not been exposed to the music of Maggie’s Wake thus far, you should know that these are four serious players! Their chemistry as a band is highly evident within the first notes of the warmly endearing “Ontario”. It’s a song that describes some of the best parts of being an Ontarian, like making snow angels and coming in to hot chocolate and maybe a “mini sticks” game in the basement or maybe a proper game of shinny when dad gets the frozen pond lit up.
“It’s dark before dinner but now we can play, I’m Wendell Clark and you’re Gilmour today!” – from “Ontario” by Tara Dunphy.
The beauty of Maggie’s Wake is their ability to jump around genres from traditional Celtic sounds to country, folk, and jazz. The latter is evident in the second Tara penned piece, “It ain’t Christmas without You” which sounds like it would be right at home on a Stéphane Grapelli album with its bouncy blend of Hot Club Jazz and Western swing vibes. The Line “they can deck the halls and trim the tree, but I’ll tell Santa when I’m on his knee, that it ain’t Christmas without you” is typical of the playful and clever lyricism that a veteran songwriter like Dunphy is capable of, as evident in the darkly romantic pieces she has written for her Honky Tonk band, The Rizdales.
(Pictured: The Rizdales. Photo by Paul Latorre.)
Interwoven throughout the EP are traditional song sets expertly arranged by Lindsay Schindler and the fellas, and they have that same sort of playful feel as opposed to old recordings of pieces like “God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman”, “The First Noel”, or “Oh Holy Night” that can often come off as staid and stuffy. The quality of the musicianship within this ensemble cannot be overstated! Two of the instrumental pieces were written by Lindsay Schindler, “Into the Shadows”
which is part of the “God Rest Ye…” set, and the beautiful title piece, “Close to Home”.
Rounding out the seven-song effort is another Tara Dunphy original, “Christmas is Coming (for you!)” which is probably one of the sweetest, yet cheerfully cynical new Christmas songs I’ve heard in many decades. It describes the stresses of the holiday season as being a holiday hyped by marketing execs and gives a nod to Christmas Music and decorations coming out before Hallowe’en has even passed. Like all the classic stories of the “bah humbug” attitudes of the protagonist, this song resolves into the realization that what it’s all really for is that moment when you get to step back and see that it was all about your love of family and friends and community.
Throughout the album, Tara sings naturally and almost effortlessly with a very controlled and clear voice. I’d hate to embarrass her by stating this, but she almost reminds me of Anne Murray in that she can take a song in any genre and make it her own, just from the distinctiveness of her voice. Don’t get me wrong on that; she sounds 100% like Tara Dunphy, and when blended with Lindsay’s rock-solid harmonies, this album has some of the finest singing this country has ever produced. There is a pretty good reason why they were bestowed with the Canadian Folk Music Award for Best New/Emerging artists in 2025.
This is my first real exposure to Maggie’s Wake, other than some YouTube videos and such that I have seen posted online. To say I am in awe of their talents is a huge understatement. Everything about this group and this release is very refreshing and somewhat wholesome, and is music you can share amongst friends and family, and also music that I hope reaches the ears of folks right across this vast country of ours. These pieces have what it takes to stand the test of time, so I encourage you to follow the links and check it out for yourself.
Please check out their Patreon-style page, where they are trying to raise funds for a trip to Ireland for the whole group, for a showcase in Belfast in the Spring of 2026. This is a chance for this hidden Canadian gem to gain exposure throughout the world!
Pianist/vocalist Marque Smith is a very busy, well-known musician in the London area. Since moving to London in 2007, he has been the musical director for plays with Musical Theatre Productions, London Community Players and Original Kids Theatre Company, to name a few. He is also a very experienced choral musician and has been a member of The Karen Schuessler Singers, The Nathaniel Dett Chorale, The Toronto Mendelssohn Choir, The Toronto Mendelssohn Youth Choir and The Canadian Children’s Opera Chorus.
He has performed with many of the city’s leading soloists, choirs and ensemble groups, including Denise Pelley and London Symphonia. He is currently the Accompanist/Band Leader of the London Gospel Collective.
Marque was the Recipient of the 2012 Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal from the Governor General for dedicated service to his peers, his community and to Canada.
What follows is an edited Q&A Interview with Marque conducted by The Beat Magazine’s Publisher and Content Manager, Richard Young.
(Pictured: Marque Smith.)
Some basic stuff first: Where were you born? How long have you lived in London?
I was born in Toronto. I lived in London from February 2007 to September 2025. I moved to Port Stanley in October 2025.
Was yours a musical home? Did you have any professional training, or are you self-taught? A bit of both? Could you tell me about your early musical endeavours as a child and teenager?
Yes, music was played quite a bit in my home. I studied classical piano at The Royal Conservatory of Music and jazz piano at Humber College. I sang in The Canadian Children’s Opera Chorus, The Toronto Mendelssohn Youth Choir, The Toronto Mendelssohn Choir, The Nathaniel Dett Chorale, and The Karen Schuessler Singers.
Do you remember the moment when you made the decision that music was going to be a big part of your life?
I was in my last year of high school when I decided to pursue music as a career.
How long have you been playing music professionally?
I have been playing music professionally for twenty-seven years.
Other than keyboards, do you play any other instruments?
I am a vocalist. In elementary school, I played the Baritone and in high school, I played the guitar.
(Pictured: Marque Smith.)
What are your main musical influences?
I love classical, jazz, disco, R & B, hip hop, rap, gospel and pop music.
What influence does your Christian faith have on your music?
I grew up in the church, and faith has had a huge impact on my life.
Tell me about the various groups and musicians you have played with since you started playing professionally. Who are you currently playing with?
The list is long indeed. I perform with a variety of vocalists, instrumentalists, and choirs.
Tell me about any recordings you have made in your career.
I recorded two albums with Nathaniel Dett Chorale, one album with Elizabeth Paddon, one album with Cindy Ashton and one album with Angus Sinclair.
(Pictured: Marque Smith in concert with London Symphonia, The Sounds of Home, December 6, 2025.)
Your social media posts suggest that you are a very busy musician. What projects are you currently pursuing? Do you have any gigs coming up this month or two you would like our readers to know about?
I have a concert on Saturday, December 13 in London with London Gospel Collective and one on Saturday, December 20, with Maggie Grace and Guitar Gord in Port Stanley. There will be more in 2026.
In addition to your musical endeavours, are you involved with any other arts organizations or activities in the London community?
I am a collaborative pianist at the Lester B. Pearson School for the Arts in London. I occasionally perform for The London Arts Council, as well.
Is there anything else you think our readers should know about Marque Smith the musician and Marque Smith the individual?
I am the music director at Grace United Church, Sarnia and have been since October 30, 2022. I have been happily married to my husband, Andrew Koornstra, since September 28, 2024.
All hail the rise of craft beer brewing! The feared rival to the big guns of Labatt and Molson, which once ruled the Canadian brewing industry for over a century, has dug deep roots throughout the province, with a handful of fine breweries taking up residence in London.
My local is Storm Stayed on Wharncliffe Road, approaching its eighth year in 2026.
Like most craft breweries, Storm Stayed engages its community with a wide variety of events, ranging from a mom and kids time to the music of opera. And do I need I advise you that there is beer available for those of a certain age?
Snaggle, a six-piece jazz fusion band from Toronto, took up residence on November 25; their second engagement at Storm Stayed within the last twelve months.
They have been defined as a “cross between Miles Davis and Rage Against The Machine” with a nod to American jazz fusion band Snarky Puppy.
In the words of band leader, keyboardist Nick Maclean, “expect performances swinging between moments of quiet clarity to cataclysmic bursts of energy, worthy of a crumbling galactic empire.”
Adding to that attack of a ‘galactic empire’ is Jay Yoo on electric guitar, Matt Gruebner on bass, and Adam Mansfield on drums. Fronting the entire musical onslaught are the Ali brothers, Brownman on trumpet and Marcus on tenor saxophone.
So, what is it like for musical siblings to perform and record together? Marcus Ali tells me, “He’s five years older than me, so I was in high school when he was in university. We played tunes around the house, but by the time I got out of high school, we were starting to gig together and eventually began getting calls to play as a ‘horn section.’ We grew up listening to the same music, so we have an instant connection.”
Marcus adds, “We are anomalies in our family. Our parents were math and science teachers. They moved to Canada from Trinidad as my Dad saw the future and wanted to work with computers. We grew up in a house that was full of music. Dad listened to a lot of classical and calypso and loved Baroque music. My mother loved Sarah Vaughn, Nancy Wilson, Joe Williams and Count Basie, so we had all of that music ringing in our ears.”
So, here’s to parents!
(Photo Credit: J. Bruce Parker.)
It was also the ether of the Canadian airwaves permeating the Ali household, specifically station CJRT FM, which offered the music of Moe Koffman and the Boss Brass. The brothers absorbed it all.
Band leader, Nick Maclean, began as a music student at Humber College. In his fourth year, he was required to create a recording project and the essence of ‘Snaggle’ was born in 2012. Over time, the band has evolved and expanded. Nick refers to the current lineup as his “dream team” wound up tight with a “ton of synergy.” And it shows!
Nick tells me, “Inspiration was from my grandfather. He wasn’t a musician, but he introduced me to jazz. He introduced me to Louis Armstrong, Fats Waller, Glenn Miller, Duke Ellington and Count Basie. My high school years were filled by listening to all that. When I got to Humber, I discovered more modern jazz bands which directly affected the sound of Snaggle like Weather Report, Brecker Brothers, electric era Miles Davis, Return to Forever and the Mahavishnu Orchestra. One of my big touch stones is Herbie Hancock.”
(Photo Credit: J. Bruce Parker.)
Now there is a musical pedigree!
Describing them as an ‘up-tempo jazz fusion band’ does not do them justice. Tight? Like a Ludwig drumhead! They do not proceed with caution, but rather digging a groove and working it like a coal mine.
Composer, arranger, producer of Browntasauras Records and trumpet player, Brownman Ali embraces the work of the electric Miles Davis era. He is a protégé of the mighty Randy Brecker, who referred to him as “One of the next great voices in the new generation of jazz improvisers.” Adding to the natural sonics of the saxophone, Brownman often incorporates the Boss ME-50, a pedal unit designed for electric guitars. With the added effects of modulation, reverb, echo and delay, his sound becomes stratospheric.
Guitarist Jay Loo does not get lost in this brass onslaught. He cuts through cleanly, given ample opportunity to stretch out his skill and musical legs on his Fender.
In the rhythm section, Matt Gruebner on five-string bass initiated several songs, bringing his melodic sound to the forefront.
Rounding out the rhythm section, drummer Adam Mansfield holds it all together. No drum solos, just great timekeeping, locking it all in.
On this tour, the music is inspired by the writings of American science fiction author, Issac Asimov. So, without hearing a note, I am a bit lost. Outside of ‘Star Trek’ and its many incarnations, I am not a huge science fiction fan. The only Asimov book that I own is his guide to the works of Shakespeare. Yes, he actually did write that.
Nick Maclean tells me he was introduced to the writings of Issac Asimov by Brownman. Being a science fiction fan, he connected immediately and eventually read all fifteen novels of Asimov’s ‘Foundation Universe.’ The huge anthology tells the future of humanity and the rise and fall of the human galactic empire.
Nick explains, “Things Asimov was writing about in the 1950s, we are starting to deal with now, especially the rise of AI. I find it all an incredible and fruitful source of inspiration for composition. So, all of the compositions that we are playing on this tour and that we will be recording are inspired by places, people, events, and ideas from those 15 novels”.
The song, ‘Twilight of Civilization,’ begins as a plaintive call from Brownman’s trumpet. It quickly grows into an aggressive pedestrian strut, backing down somewhat when brother Marcus brings in the voice of his tenor. It rumbles along, very tough, very urban, but surprisingly, very softly, reminiscent of the theme of loneliness and marginalization of American composer Aaron Copland’s ‘Quiet City.’
‘Lonely Man Robot’ seems to summon the tenderness of Chet Baker’s trumpet with Nick carefully meandering on his Rhodes keyboard in quiet contemplation.
Science fiction, like jazz, can be considered a niche genre. Both have fans which are vast and loyal but tend to scamper into the sanctity of darkness when illuminated. So maybe it makes sense to blend the two. I mulled over this notion while studying and forgetting the sequence order of my beer flight.
Their two sets were made up of entirely original material: no covers.
Snaggle, at this stage in their musical evolution and on this tour, retains the essence of jazz fusion from the 1970s and, with the help of Issac Asimov, propels it into the next century. Their sound is big, bold, engaging, and tough as nails.
Every single city around Canada has people/bands that you can consider “Canadian Rock Royalty”. Sarnia has MaxWebster/Kim Mitchell, Hamilton has Tom Wilson/Junkhouse and Teenage Head, Toronto has RUSH/Rheostatics/Triumph, Vancouver has Bryan Adams/54-40/Bif Naked, and London has Demics, Helix and 63 Monroe! As mentioned in previous reviews, I am a local sound engineer, so I have gotten to work with just about every local musician at some point, and the one artist that has always left me awestruck was Scott Bentley, aka “Steven R Stunning” of ’63 Monroe.
Mr. Bentley was the former manager and/or owner of three great London Venues, Key West, Big Bobs and the Electric Banana (the latter being where I got to see Seattle band “Hole” and meet Courtney Love et al) and he was also the creator of the “What’s the Poop Awards” which at best was a tongue in cheek look at the “best” London had to offer in entertainment. Every time I worked with ’63 Monroe, I was impressed by Steve Stunning’s towering presence, sometimes partially dressed in drag; they were the reigning kings (queens?) of Glam Punk, born of the 70s with one foot always firmly planted there.
(Pictured: Scott Bentley, aka “Steven R Stunning” of ’63 Monroe.)
So now in 2025, I was asked to review the LP by Scott Bentley’s latest project, “Stunning”. At first glance, it’s a supergroup of London area musicians including the aforementioned S.R.S., plus rock solid drummer Brad Lavard (Twin Fin, ’63 Monroe), the low-slingin bassist extraordinaire Oscar Macedo (Rizdales, Rumblebees, Burnt Reynolds) and on guitar duties there’s Tim Thompson (Ugly Stepsisters, ’63 Monroe, Aces Wild) and Paul Sguazzin (Freekshow, Before the Damned), with all joining in on vocals throughout.
On deeper exploration of their debut album “Fukk you Rock n Roll, I love you”, this album is a total love letter to the late 70s groups that revolutionized music at the time. All over this record are little nods to power pop, punk rock, glam rock, and then some straight garage rock, paying tribute indirectly to bands like Iggy and The Stooges (who actually gets a mention in one song), Sex Pistols, Ramones, Cheap Trick, MC5, The Cars and New York Dolls with an added tribute to the King of Rock and Roll himself, Elvis A Presley (“Elvis” on side 3)!
This album is super fun. It’s something I could hear the cast from “That 70’s Show” spinning in the basement after getting colossally stoned and ordering too much pizza! A bunch of kids sitting on the floor, records scattered about and the scrapes and scratches on one cover from where the last hash joint was twisted up, with everybody looking and feeling cool. But this is not the 70s, and the musicians on this album are far from being kids, most of them having raised kids now, though it doesn’t slow down their ability or willingness to ROCK THE F*** OUT!
The musicianship is phenomenal, and Steven R Stunning himself, the band’s namesake, has not lost a bit in his voice over the years. As I mentioned earlier, he towers as a “6’3” mean ole rocknroll (sic) machine” and carries a larger than life presence on the stage. I’ve seen all of these guys somewhere at some time in the past, and I know them to be monster players in whatever units they were in. As Stunning, they bring together all of the best parts of their time in the other bands and add it to what may be akin to a big old rock and roll melting pot.
I like all of these songs; they are mostly fun romps to party to, though some with serious themes of revolution and making change in the world. A standout for me is Loaded and Lonely, which features the voice of Tara (aka Mrs Stunning) dropping the line “Whatever!” which oozes with sarcastic sass! It’s essentially a pop-punk version of Billie Eilish’s now-iconic “DUH!”. Because I know Tara and knew her voice, I accidentally spit out my drink laughing when I first heard it. It’s a fun song overall.
Two cover songs also made their way onto this album in the form of the Ginger Wildheart & Courtney Love collab called “Honour” and UK’s “The Subways” banger “Rock n Roll Queen”.
The other big highlight for me is the excellent album closer and title track “Fukk You Rock n Roll, I love you”. The song is pretty much about kids with a dream to make rock and roll an integral part of their lives, doing whatever is necessary to be around it. It’s a tribute to all of the shows thrown together with several bands to share the wealth of an audience, the little venues that dared to welcome punk rock onto their stages for the first time, the vans that took them from city to city breaking down constantly, the fans that showed up and made it all worthwhile and even a little shot at the classic grumpy sound guy character. That’s all neatly packed into this one little song.
This album is a solid offering at 18 tracks over 2 LPs, one of which is a picture disc of a Pepperoni pizza! Just over an hour of total play time, which is best listened to very loud!
This Rock and Roll adventure gets 5 out of 5 on the pizza slice scale. To quote Steven R. from “Night Eater”: “Live fast, Rock Hard and don’t let those bastards grind you down!”
NOTE: On Sunday, December 7th, the Palasad Socialbowl will come alive with the 13th Annual 63 Monroe Toys for Tots extravaganza. This benefit concert will feature 13 of London’s premier Punk and Rock n Roll acts.
Yes, I know The Beat Magazine publisher has dubbed me a local scribbler about “classical music” – but the London Symphonia concert on Saturday night doesn’t look as though it fits into that niche until you read about the organizer, the soloists, and the choir and orchestra players who will bring that stage alive with an authentic greeting of the season!
Care to glance at The Sounds of Home program?
Snow (from White Christmas) Music and lyrics by Irving Berlin. A Place Called Home (from A Christmas Carol) Music by Alan Menken. Lyrics by Lynn Ahrens. On the Street Where You Live (from My Fair Lady) Music by Frederick Loewe. Lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner. It All Fades Away (from The Bridges of Madison County) Music and lyrics by Jason Robert Brown. I Love the Way (from Something Rotten). Streets of Dublin (from A Man of No Importance), and many more classic selections from the stage and celebration.
“Classical”- I don’t know- but I DO know that this is ART MUSIC with roots in church choirs, jazz clubs, and musical theatre, carried by the colours of a live orchestra. It challenges, delights- and empathizes – and it’s brought to you by magnificent performers with roots in this community.
(Pictured: Alexandra Kane.)
Do you know Alexandra Kane? She’s a Music graduate of Western University, but also holds degrees in Communication from Fanshawe and in DEI from Cornell (I wonder if that program still exists in Trumpland?). She is a music director, singer, activist, TV producer- and you already may have witnessed her incredible work at the Grand Theatre.
If you’ve lived in this area for a while, you know Olivia Sinclair-Brisbane. Born and raised in London, Olivia began her career at the Grand Theatre in Annie at the age of 12. From Original Kids and Amabile Youth Choir to attending H.B. Beal Secondary School and participating in the Grand Theatre’s High School Project, Olivia went on to Sheridan College for Musical Theatre Performance. From there, four seasons at Stratford in Cabaret, Mamma Mia, and Something Rotten.
(Pictured: Olivia Sinclair-Brisbane and Henry Firmston.)
Henry Firmston grew up in London, where he performed in four seasons of the Grand Theatre’s High School Project (2011-2015) and for two years in Beal Musical Theatre. He’s spent the last seven seasons performing at Stratford, in shows like The Music Man, Rocky Horror, Billy Elliot, Little Shop of Horrors, Chicago, Spamalot, Annie, and Dirty Rotten Scoundrels.
(Pictured: Tiffany Deriveau.)
Tiffany Deriveau All right- not a Londoner but a Windsor-born performer of Afro-Haitian and Indo-Guyanese heritage. She has over twenty-five professional credits across stage, film, and television. She’s appeared in productions with Mirvish, Stratford, Soulpepper, Charlottetown Festival, Drayton Entertainment, and the Grand Theatre – and her screen credits are from Disney, Netflix, NBC, and MTV.
(Pictured: Trevor Patt.)
Trevor Patt is another Londoner who has been in professional theatre now for over fifteen years after his start in London with Original Kids, The Grand Theatre High School Project (‘06,’07), and Beal Music Theatre. He then went on to graduate from George Brown College’s ballet program and Sheridan College’s Music Theatre program. His versatility has amazed audiences from coast to coast and during six seasons in Stratford – Spamalot, The Rocky Horror Show, and the North American premiere of Shakespeare in Love.
And there’s a choir too – the London Gospel Collective!
Who are they? Let’s ask them:
We are a diverse, spiritual community uniting through the power of worship and gospel music.
We arrange and perform gospel songs which inspire others through messages of hope and thanksgiving. We sing to worship and connect spiritually with the City of London, particularly its Black communities. The people in the choir and the songs we sing emphasize hope and unity through faith.
Our city’s symphony, some of the brightest performing stars London has nurtured, and a cultural tapestry that will make you even prouder of being a Londoner, will be on stage at the Metropolitan Church on Saturday night. Be part of it!
IF YOU GO:
What: London Symphonia presents The Sounds of Home.
When: Saturday, December 6, 2025, at 7:30pm.
Where: Metropolitan United Church, 468 Wellington Street, London, ON.
“In an orchestra, the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Together, we can create something truly extraordinary.” – Yo-Yo Ma
And looking at this recent photo of the London Youth Symphony on that beautiful stage at The Met below, these words resonate.
(Pictured: London Youth Symphony.)
They bring back sweet memories: Taking my stoic 12-year-old son and his bassoon to an audition with conductor Jerry Summers over 30 years ago. Wondering how he’d get through the chosen piece, some scales on that gigantic piece of pipe, and then a piece of sight-reading. When he was accepted, there were cheers from his nerdy parents and a chocolate cake at Sebastian’s on Richmond.
And then his mom started over 30 years of volunteering for London’s youth orchestra, thankful for what orchestra playing provided for her own kids.
Oh, the Londoners in LYS whose performances continued to enrich our lives ~
String players like Alex, who went on to Montreal’s Symphony.
Andrea, who is now part of the Montreal ensemble she created: collectif9.
Susan, who left London to study at Oberlin and was principal cello in Louisiana before returning to London to teach and inspire.
Becky, who played in a Polish salt mine- and the Krakow Cathedral – but now delights audiences in Kitchener-Waterloo.
But equally inspiring- the LYS musicians who used their talents in other fields ~
Steve, who adds fire to the local community orchestra while completing his epidemiology degree.
Sharon, who started her own Suzuki school to help generations of little ones flourish.
Ana, a dedicated therapist who also plays her violin in LCO.
Mary, the oboist- member of the first LYS over 60 years ago, still sets that tuning A for the community orchestra.
So why am I indulging in personal memories as the first LYS concert of Season 2025-26 begins?
Because I find the power of the music these young people rehearse, the energy that their conductors and mentors provide their efforts, and the willingness of the audience- even non-family members – to offer them applause, one of the most powerful beacons of hope in a world that is showing the distressing speed at which values can be lost.
Only this past weekend, some of you might have seen this demonstration by some gentlemen across the Wortley Road Bridge in London.
This group announces on its website that The Second Sons is a men-only, Canadian white nationalist group. The group operates chapters throughout Canada, using gyms as meet-up spots and to train their fitness via martial arts. The group appears publicly in white masks and sunglasses, similar to the Patriot Front, and has adopted a modified version of the Red Ensign as its logo.
What would they and their “Remigration Now” banner make of the LYS kids (and their supportive families), whom you can hear this Saturday night? What would they learn from the Kims, Lees, Sanatanis, Wongs, and Smiths who create beautiful harmony and stirring rhythms with notes put together by composers around the world?
Overall, the discipline and collaboration required in classical music ensembles nurture well-rounded individuals who are socially aware, emotionally mature, and cognitively equipped, qualities that are invaluable for sustaining democracy and community life. This makes the London Youth Symphony’s first concert not only a musical event but a celebration of these deeper civic and personal benefits.
But as Daniel Barenboim reminded us, “An orchestra is not an orchestra without the musicians, but the musicians are not an orchestra without the audience.”
(Pictured:Argentine-Israeli classical pianist and conductor, Daniel Barenboim.)
Among a gazillion other accomplishments, Daniel Barenboim worked with the late Palestinian scholar to create a youth orchestra of young Israeli and Arab musicians. This ensemble was created to show that music can break down barriers once thought insurmountable. Their commitment is to showing that bridges can be built if we listen to each other’s narratives. You won’t be hearing the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra on Saturday night, but you WILL be part of building bridges and bearing witness to young people merging their right and obligation to create something exquisite for each other and for you.
(Pictured: LYS Conductor, Ben Bolt-Martin.)
And what scores will LYS Conductor Ben Bolt-Martin be bringing to life with his baton- and his dedication to London’s musicians? Some of them will be familiar to you – and I’ll even add some links to previous performances if you’d like to get your expectations ready:
There’s “Nimrod” from Enigma Variations — Elgar
Elgar’s “Enigma Variations” began almost as a private joke at the piano, when he started improvising little musical caricatures of his friends to amuse his wife after a long day of teaching and routine work. Each variation is a musical “portrait gallery,” where you can actually hear personalities, inside jokes, and even remembered conversations, yet the whole piece is wrapped around a secret hidden theme that Elgar claimed, “goes through and over the whole set, but is not played” and that he took to his grave without ever explaining. The “Nimrod” was written about a friend, but its slow, gentle start and rise to glorious sound have made it a favourite selection for funerals!
And what about Capriccio Italienne -Tchaikovsky?
Peter Ilyich’s love life was the pits at that time, but Tchaikovsky’s Capriccio Italienne was composed during that dark and turbulent time in his life, bursting with the vibrant energy of the Roman Carnival he witnessed firsthand. The piece captures the bright colours and lively folk tunes of Italy as Tchaikovsky absorbed local street music and dances, creating a joyful, almost theatrical celebration of a city that stirred something vital in his sensitive soul.
And are you ready for Academic Festival Overture – Brahms?
Will you catch its irony? He offered it as a thank-you for a new degree – an honorary doctorate- and gave the bigwigs a rousing potpourri of boisterous student drinking songs rather than a solemn academic piece. He used four drinking songs and ended with “Gaudeamus igitur,” a centuries-old student anthem meaning “Let us rejoice, therefore, while we are young,” capturing the mischievous, playful spirit of youth amid a formal academic celebration.
I‘m sure we’ve all heard this one, too – Overture to Der Freischütz – von Weber
Are you ready to take the risk of Weber’s overture to “Der Freischütz”? It stands out for how it dramatically sets the scene for the opera’s dark romantic tale of supernatural bargains and moral struggle, weaving together actual themes and motifs from the opera—especially the eerie diminished seventh chord associated with the devil figure Samiel and the lyrical hunting horn calls—into a vivid musical narrative.
Your openness of mind, your willingness to learn, and your celebration of some of London’s most inspiring young artists are gifts that you have the power to give and receive by your presence. An orchestral performance is a collaboration between the conductor, the musicians, and the audience. It is a shared experience where everyone involved becomes a part of something greater than themselves. It is a connection of souls, united by the power of music.
IF YOU GO:
What: London Youth Symphony presents Old Friends and Overtures.
When: Saturday, November 29, 7:30pm.
Where: Metropolitan United Church, 468 Wellington Street, London, ON.
The Beat Magazine 2025 