Another successful Viennese Ball of Montreal is in the books

For over 50 years, every November, the Austrian Society of Montreal holds its signature event, the Viennese Ball of Montreal, celebrating the splendor of the Viennese ball tradition during a glorious evening of lively music and dance, elegant atmosphere and a magical debutante performance. A night full of excitement, including dancing till dawn, good food and champagne, prizes to be won, great entertainment, and of course, all for great causes!  Over the years, the Ball has brought together people of many different nationalities and cultures with one common desire: to keep the Viennese Ball tradition alive.

Opening waltz on the dance floor after the call for "Alles Walzer" 

 

Austria’s rich and varied cultural history plays a central role in determining a theme for every Ball. This year’s theme is the wonderful, multi-faceted City of Vienna. Trendy clubs, ‘young’ galleries, modern architecture and stylish shops are as much Vienna as the State Opera, the concert halls, the large museums, the splendid buildings and the nostalgic souvenir shops. From classical music to compositions of the 20^th century, from traditional Viennese tunes in wine taverns to electronic and hip hop, and with street parties until dawn, Vienna’s image truly reflects “from classic to cool”.

 The Ball took place on November 16, 2013 at the Hotel Marriott Château Champlain   under the patronage, and in the presence of the guest of honour, Austrian Ambassador to Canada Arno Riedel, as well as the Austrian Consul General in Montreal Ulrike Billard. Member of the Vienna Provincial Legislature and Vienna Municipal Counsellor Elisabeth Vitouch, as well as Manuela Figar from Vienna’s Press Service which supports Viennese balls worldwide, flew over from Vienna to attend.

The Ball opened with an Austrian Champagne (“Sekt”) reception and a wine tasting event sponsored by the Austrian Trade Commission. Head Table guests entered the Ballroom to the tune of Austrian composer Michael Zehrer’s Faecher Polonaise.

Debutantes and escorts.

Opera McGill singers Chelsea Mahan soprano, and Dimitri Katotakis baritone, sang the national anthems and performed a coquettish scene from Franz Lehar’s The Merry Widow accompanied by McGill’s Rich Coburn. 17 debutantes in identical white gowns and glittering Swarovski coronets, accompanied by their white tied dancing partners , were officially presented to visiting dignitaries before performing their opening waltz to the tune of Johann Strauss Jr.’s  The Emperor’s Waltz (Kaiserwalzer) played by the new Pronto-Musica orchestra directed by Austrian Maestro Alexis Hauser, also Artistic Director of the McGill Symphony Orchestra. The group also performed Kreisler’s “Liebesleid und Liebesfreude”, and after the official call of “Alles Walzer”, had everyone twirling to Strauss’ traditional “Blue Danube” waltz. Harold Birkens' Orchestra, alternating with the Peter Freeman Band, provided music for traditional and modern ballroom dancing until 2.30 a.m.

 

Music by strolling musicians added a special touch to the 5-course gourmet dinner, based on Viennese classics and contemporary fusion cuisine. The Grand door Prize - two plane tickets to Vienna’s neighboring city: Prague, courtesy of Air Transat was won by first-time guest Jean Pierre Bourdeau. Bidding was active at the silent auction, open throughout the evening and the Casino was jumping all night with super prizes being drawn every few minutes. After its successful premiere last year, many dancers took part in the “Midnight Quadrille” to the music of Johann Strauss Jr.'s “Annen-Polka” under the guidance of dance instructor Carole Brown from Arthur Murray. The evening continued at the rustic Heuriger wine tavern from midnight to a record 4.30 a.m. serving Austrian Goulash soup, sausages, beer and wine and featuring lively Viennese music and songs with guests performing.

West Island gang from left to right: Michael Habrich, Zachary Marquis, Niklas Lorenz, Daphne Kullmann, Jennifer Hillebrand, Zachary Battah, Nicolas Barkun, Stefan Nettel, Jean Chammas,  with Ball Committee member Birgit Klema  Erdan (whose daughter Leyla Erdan was an usher at the Ball)

 

As in previous years, all proceeds from the Ball go to deserving causes related to youth initiatives. The primary beneficiary is SOS Children’s Villages, the largest orphan-focused charity in the world, founded in 1949 by an Austrian doctor to help children who lost family and home in the war. The Schulich School of Music of McGill University is also an important recipient in the form of bursaries for the study of music in Austria. The Ball also supports General Romeo Dallaire’s Child Soldier Initiative, Leave out Violence - L.O.V.E. - the leading youth violence prevention organization in Canada, and DSQ (German Language Schools of Quebec) which offer German courses for all ages. 

Ball President Harold Scheer,   President and Chief Investment Officer of Baker Gilmore & Associates Inc from NDG and Master of Ceremonies Gunter Voss from Kirkland.

 

 

Concordia hosts its first Terry's Cause on Campus: Remembering Terry Fox

Concordia University’s Le Gym, in collaboration with the Terry Fox Foundation, the Concordia Student Union and the Concordia Outdoors club, is hosting its first Terry’s Cause on Campus event from December 1-8 to benefit the Terry Fox Foundation and cancer research.

 The objective is to mobilize the Concordia community to run or walk a cumulative distance equivalent to the distance across Canada to commemorate Terry Fox’s 1980 Marathon of Hope. While Terry ran over 5,000 kilometers in his bid to cross Canada from St John’s, Newfoundland, to Victoria, British Columbia, he was forced to stop at Thunder Bay due to the cancer spreading to his lungs. Le Gym hopes to collectively reach over 8,000 kilometers  and raise over $5,000 to outrun cancer.

Terry Fox was a Canadian icon, athlete, and humanitarian who has inspired people worldwide with his commitment to raise money for cancer research. After being diagnosed with bone cancer in 1977, and ultimately having his right leg amputated below the knee, the young man embarked on his Marathon of Hope campaign using a prosthetic leg in order to raise awareness and critical funds for finding a cure to cancer. The cross-country tour, which began on April 12, 1980, started in St John’s, Newfoundland, where Terry ceremoniously dipped his artificial leg into the Atlantic Ocean, with the objective of running across Canada in his bid to fundraise for cancer research. His East-West trajectory, difficult in its own right and made exponentially more difficult with a prosthetic leg, led him to also contend with fierce winds against him, inspiring the documentary, “Into the Wind.”

Terry was compelled to end the Marathon of Hope at Thunder Bay, Ontario, on September 1, 1980 as a result of the cancer spreading to his lungs. By then, he had ran over 5,373 kilometres in 143 days. He persevered despite extreme pain, weather challenges, and hostile drivers, and was cheered on by each community he passed during his Marathon. While Terry Fox ultimately succumbed to the cancer in 1981 at the age of 22, his commitment and fierce determination to persevere despite personal pain has inspired millions worldwide. The annual Terry Fox Run, which takes place in September every year, has expanded from its largely Canadian base to worldwide, with over 51 international runs taking place annually. As Terry said, “Even if I don’t finish, we need others to continue. It’s got to keep going without me.”

Students and community members are encouraged to sign up and run a cumulative distance of 8,000 kilometers equivalent to the distance across Canada, and raise over $5,000. There is no limit to how many kilometers an individual can walk, and students, teachers and alumni are encouraged to participate. In accordance with Terry’s wishes, there is no minimum donation required. To download a pledge sheet, please visit http://www.terryfox.org/CauseCampus/_Library/Pdfs/2013_Cause_Eng.pdf.

The event begins at 7 am on December 1,  with the hours being 7 am to 10 pm from December 2 to 6  and  9 am to 7 pm on December 7 and 8.  The event will wrap up with a commemorative ceremony in which the amount of kilometers reached and the fundraising total will be announced. Montreal’s Terry Fox Run veteran, Eddy Nolan, master caretaker at Roslyn School in Westmount, will be joining the 5 à 7. Throughout the week, a map of Canada will be updated daily with the amount of kilometers reached and funds raised.

Info: 514-848-2424 ext. 3860.

ABBA Memories show set for Place des Arts November 30

I have been a fan of the Swedish pop group ABBA ever since I can remember, yet I never saw them perform live in concert. Montrealers will be treated to the next best thing on Saturday, November 30 (8 p.m) at the Place des Arts when Sheldon Kagan Productions presents  Abba Memories.

"I brought them to the Place des Arts for  two nights in 2011 and the audience response was great," Kagan told me. "ABBA is one of the groups that brings back fond memories. Everyone remembers Dancing Queen and Mama Mia.

"Since the broadway and motion picture versions of  Mama Mia came out a new younger generation relates to ABBA. At this concert many members of the audience sing and dance. It is a feel good show! Montrealers love ABBA!"

 

ABBA Memories comes across as the "true" thing.

The two and a half hour concert will feature an exceptional sound and lights as well as outstanding vocal and musical performances featuring  legendary songs such as Dancing Queen, Chiquitita, Waterloo, SOS, Fernando, Money Money Money, Voulez-Vous, Super Trouper, I Have a Dream, Mamma Mia and many more.  The eight  performing artist, from a group now called One,  are all Québecois: François Rochefort,  Jacynthe Pépin Nancy McIntyre, Sylvain Haché, Claude Jaume, Gabriel Laberge Montpetitm Bruno Dubé, Cynthia Tremblay and Alexandra Chayer. Below is a clip of what to expect.

There has recently been talk that the real ABBA   might reunite next year to mark the 40th anniversary since they won the Eurovision Song Contest and were catapulted to global stardom, singer Agnetha Faltskog has revealed. 

ABBA formed in 1972 when Faltskog met guitarist and songwriter Bjorn Ulvaeus -- whom she later married -- and Benny Andersson and Anni-Frid Lyngstad. Andersson and Lyngstad were also married for a while. Both couples divorced. The group's self-penned hit "Waterloo" won the Eurovision Song Contest in Brighton, England, in April 1974, and immediately became a global phenomenon.

They became Sweden's biggest-ever pop act and one of the most successful pop groups in history, selling more than 380 million records worldwide.The band never formally broke up, but their last album "The Visitors" appeared in 1982. In July 2008, all four ABBA members were reunited at the Swedish premiere of the film Mamma Mia, only the second time all of them had appeared together in public since 1986.

For tickets to the Montreal show go to www.laplacedesarts.com or call 514-842-2112.

Breast Cancer Action Montreal to benefit from surprise musical fundraiser

A  few weeks ago Patricia Kearns  picked up the phone at Breast Cancer Action Montreal, where she serves as director of Campaigns and Outreach. A young woman introduced herself as Elizabeth Laushway, a member of the Hart House Chorus, a choir from Toronto.

"How would you like it if we performed a concert in Montreal and all proceeds would go to you? This is something we do. We perform benefit shows in cities across the country. Michelle Landsberg suggested I call Breast Cancer Action Montreal to see if you would be interested."
 
"Interested" Kearns  blurted, "Did you say all proceeds would come to us?"
 
It turns out Breast Cancer Action Montreal was in the process of organizing a fundraising event at Avis Antel's, a member of the board of directors. "We struggle to keep up with all the demands that come our way," she said. "We need to hire more people but we don't have the means. 'Yes, we are definitely interested.' I answered sincerely."

Added Kearns: "We really want to get the word out so to show this group of musicians from Toronto how appreciative a Montreal audience can be. And to add to BCAM's coffers as much as we can."
 
With that in mind Montrealers are invited to an afternoon of sublime music from 19th and 20th century French composers Maurice Duruflé, Gabriel Fauré, Charles Gounod, and Francis Poulenc on Saturday, November 30 (2 p.m. to 3 p.m.) at St. James United Church, (463 Ste-Catherine Street West).  Performed works will  include Gloria, Cantique de Jean Racine, and more. The concert will be directed by David Bowser and features pianist Jacqueline Mokrzewski and soprano Melanie Conly.
 
Tickets can be purchased online at http://harthousechorus-montreal.eventbrite.ca/, or at the door. Proceeds from ticket sales will be donated to Breast Cancer Action Montreal. The cost is $10 for adults and $5 for students and seniors. Also check out this Facebook page.

Here is a look at the choir.

The Hart House Chorus is a 50-member SATB choir composed of students, faculty, alumni and members of the community at the University of Toronto.

Delisle joins morning team at K103 FM

Program Director Al Gravelle has unveiled a  new look to the K103 FM morning show, with Lance Delisle stepping in as the new partner to news and sportscaster Paul Graif and traffic and weather specialist Zack Rath. The crew are on weekdays from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m., playing today's hits and yesterday's favorites.

Rath, Delisle and Graif.

I am one of those people who tunes in  to every single English radio station in the morning for a bit. K103 FM broadcasts live from the Kahnawake Indian reserve. It first got my full attention when Ted Bird joined  the morning team. He ended up leaving to join TSN 690 and was subsequently let go when Bell Media acquired CJAD, Virgin Radio and CHOM.

Delisle steps into the role formerly occupied by Java Jacobs. He began his broadcast career in 1988 and has co-hosted and hosted almost every show at K103 over the years.  For the past two years, he was working at CKON in Akwesasne.  "This is my 25th year as a 'broadcaster,'  however I have always felt I'm a communicator and a voice for the community I serve!" Delisle says.  "I am very lucky and humbled by my place at K103 Kahnawake."

 

Brittany Kwasnik releases her second video called "City"

Brittany  Kwasnik in a scene from the video.

Dollard  des Ormeaux singing sensation Brittany Kwasnik released her latest video last week, the second from her new CD launched in June. She shot it one Saturday evening downtown, appropriate since it is called "City."In a Q & A conducted by her publicist Bob Dubois, Brittany was asked why she chose City as her new    “I thought visually, a video for this song would really bring it to life!” she said. “I wanted to capture the beauty of Montreal, as it is the city that inspired the line ‘If I was a city, you would be my lights.’  As I was writing the song, I was thinking about the night-time skyline of Montreal, specifically from the view on top of Mount Royal. The lights from that view of the city, at night, are so powerful and breathtaking. I really wanted to share that image with everyone that listens to the song.

The shoot took place on a cold Saturday evening in October.  It was a very cold and windy night, probably the most chilly we had experienced since the end of last winter,” Brittany remarked. “It made the night feel quite long! We began to shoot around seven in evening, and I got home around two in the morning! Although it was lots of fun to shoot, I really wish I had considered to wear something with a few more layers for some of the shots!

As Brittany describes it,  the idea for the video really matches the lyrics, especially of the chorus  “If I was a city, you would be my lights, through my eyes, you'd shine so bright, if I was an airplane, dancing through the sky, you would be my guide.  Besides the various shots of the city, you can see in the video that I'm on a journey from my apartment to the airport.”

For the shoot Brittany gained access to a rooftop in Griffintown  and did  some walking scenes  on downtown St. Catherine Street.  “It was funny shooting there, because it was a Saturday night and there were tons of people walking on the streets,” she says. “We had to get scenes without people getting in the way, and without people staring right into the camera as they saw us walk by.”

Here is the new video:

New Montreal radio stations delayed until next fall

The Canadian Radio-television Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) has given TTP Media authorization to delay the launch of their 940 AM French talk radio station until September 2014, thereby signalling that the planned AM600 English talk radio station and the 85O AM all-sports outlet will also go on the  air by that time as well.

TTP Media is headed by radio industry veteran Paul Tietolman, former Montreal city councillor Nicolas Tétrault  and  former FIDO boss Rajiv Pancholy.

I reached Tietolman who told me that there a few reasons for the delay. First and foremost there are some technical difficulties regarding the transmitter site. He also points to the delays that occurred in getting CRTC approval for the AM 600 frequency and the 50,000 watt frequency at 850 AM for French sports talk.

Tétrault and Tietolman.

Furthermore, Tietolman said he was on hold to see whether the CRTC was going to approve Bell Media's purchase of Astral properties, which included CJAD, Virgin Radio and CHOM.  Bell Media did get the thumbs up at the end of June, which TTP Media had to take into account for its own strategy.

"Our project and strategy was based on launching all three stations in the same location with many services being shared," Tietolman maintains.

So, for radio observers and  the abundance of on air talent anxious to get back to work -especially where AM 600 is concerned - patience will be required.  Radio vet Steve Kowch is still in the mix as the likely general manager of the three stations

It is not unrealistic to predict that the outfit could begin hiring some people in the spring. If Kowch wants to challenge his old station, CJAD, he will need plenty of time to vet potential candidates. How about Ted Bird on the morning show? 

Star media blogger Fagstein did this excellent backgrounder  on TTP Media last month.

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