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Concert Details
Messiah Sing Along
Artistic Director: Jean-Sébastien Lévesque
(www.jeansebastienlevesque.com)
Sunday, December 10th at 2:30pm
Fullford Hall
2591 Fullford-Ganges Rd
Salt Spring Island
Bach on the Rock is excited to continue our yearly tradition of singing Handel's Messiah. We will be featuring four lovely soloists, Soprano Sarah Caulfield, Alto Kathleen Isaza, Tenor John Whitelaw and Baritone Brian Archdekin. The audience is welcome to sing along for the choruses and scores will be provided, courtesy of Salt Spring Singers.
Purchase tickets through Canada Helps by clicking on the blue Tickets button below, or at the door paid by card, check or cash.
Soprano Sarah Caulfield recently completed her M. Mus. in opera at UBC. There, she played the title role in Rusalka, Frau Fluth in Die Lustigen Weiber von Windsor, Corinna in Il viaggio a Reims, Casilda in The Gondoliers, Mrs. Norris in Mansfield Park, the Madame in Shadow Catch, and Giulietta in Les contes d’Hoffmann. Following her UBC debut as Donna Anna in Don Giovanni, Opera Canada described her as “a singer to watch; her voice was brilliant and full, floating high notes effortlessly, with beautiful coloratura”. Other highlights include solos in the Vancouver Symphony’s Traditional Christmas series, at Bard on the Beach, and in Bach masterclasses facilitated by Early Music Vancouver. Concert appearances include Mozart’s Vesperae solennes de confessore and Schubert’s Messe in G with the Kwantlen Chorus, arias from Handel's Messiah with the Borealis string ensemble, and Faure’s Requiem with the Richmond Orchestra. When not singing, Sarah enjoys trivia and spending time outdoors.
Mezzo-soprano Kathleen Isaza Rodriguez is currently studying for a M. Mus. in opera performance with J. Patrick Raftery at UBC. Previously, Kathleen has performed with the San Francisco Conservatory, Opera Parallèle, and the San Francisco Opera. At UBC she has sung the role of Tessa in The Gondoliers, Hansel in UBC’s children’s performance of Hansel and Gretel, La Baronessa Di Champingy in The Florentine Straw Hat, and Nicklausse from The Tales of Hoffmann excerpts at Bard at the Beach. She also recently performed as a soloist in Florent Schmitt's La Tragédie de Salomé with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra. She is thrilled to be performing as the contralto soloist in her first Messiah, with Salt Spring Island's Bach on the Rock.
A recent arrival on Salt Spring, tenor John Whitelaw’s musical journey has taken him from high school choirs and bands to studying trombone with Ted Griffith at McGill University and with Benjamin Haemhouts of the Bamberger Symphoniker. An interest in solo singing led to lessons with sopranos Janet Youngdahl and Heather Dials, and most recently with tenor Adam Dyjach. John has performed as The Baker in Sondheim’s Into the Woods and as a multi-instrumentalist and singer in Virginia Stage Company’s production of A Christmas Carol (where he learned to love the hurdy-gurdy). He is excited to be singing the tenor solos in this year’s Messiah with Bach on the Rock.
Bass Brian Archdekin is currently studying opera at the University of British Columbia. He has an extensive independent background in both singing and directing choral music, and is delighted to sing as bass soloist with Bach on the Rock this season in his first ever Messiah production. Over the past year, Brian performed his very first operatic solo role as Il Caporale in Il Cappello di Paglia di Firenze with UBC Opera in February, before singing alongside The Leonids just a few months later during the Emerging Choral Artist Program in May. Brian also enjoys playing both piano and drums, and is an avid hiker when time and weather permit. Most important of all, he would like to thank his family and friends for their support and encouragement over the past year.