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SUMMARY:North of the Arctic Circle - Isbjørn!
URL:http://www.harbourliving.ca/event/north-of-the-arctic-circle-isbjrn/
LOCATION:St. Elizabeth's Catholic Church - Sidney :: 10030 Third Street Sidney, 
DESCRIPTION;ENCODING=QUOTED-PRINTABLE:Nicholas Fairbank’s Isbjørn! premières in November=0D=0A=
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On November 10th and 15th five Victoria choirs will collaborate for performances of “Isbjørn!,” a work inspired by the High Arctic and whose title means “polar bear” in Norwegian.  From mid-September to mid-October 2012 the composer participated in The Arctic Circle Expedition, an international artistic residency in the Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard, north of the Arctic Circle and just 500 miles from the North Pole.  There he sailed around the island of Spitsbergen aboard a 50-metre tall ship with 25 other artists from around the world and began writing a large choral work inspired by the Arctic landscape.  His trip was financed in part by a number of individuals who sponsored one or more bars of music in the score; each sponsored bar contains the sponsor’s initials represented by musical notes.=0D=0A=
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Now, a year later, the Saanich Peninsula choir Via Choralis, who commissioned the work with financial assistance from the BC Arts Council, will be joined by Ensemble Laude, Vox Humana, the Viva Youth Choirs, and Hexaphone, all conducted by the composer, for the opening performance in Sidney on Nov. 10th, and a repeat concert in Victoria on the 15th.  The piece is also scored for piano and percussion and uses the full extent of the performance space, placing singers around the room.  “The logistics are proving to be quite a challenge,” Fairbank admitted, “but fortunately we have a great group of people helping with the practical details.”=0D=0A=
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Prior to the concert, photos from Mr. Fairbank’s visit will be projected onto a large screen over the stage as an introduction to the Arctic theme. =0D=0A=
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In the first half each of the participating ensembles will present a brief 10-to-12-minute programme, and then after a short interval “Isbjørn!” will close the concert.=0D=0A=

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