The Sound of the Stockey July 18 to 22

In 2003, the Festival of the Sound’s brochure was written with great anticipation as we watched the finishing touches being put on the building that had been so long awaited. These words from that brochure convey the excitement: “After all those seasons of wonderful music in the gym at Parry Sound High School, our dream has come true. We will be taking our music, musicians and audience with us to the Charles W. Stockey Centre for the Performing Arts. The stonework and woodwork are breathtaking in their beauty as they take shape. But only as the music is shared, ovations offered, minds stimulated and friends greeted will the Centre take on the spirit that has made the Festival of the Sound so unique. There will be choral music, a brass band, piano recitals, outstanding singers, winds, strings and jazz, all helping us to make the Charles W. Stockey Festival Performance Hall our own.”

And here we are in 2012, writing another brochure to invite you to our 10^th season in the hall that has come to be known as one of the world’s finest, with superb acoustics and a warm and inviting atmosphere. We have expanded our opening weekend to a five-day celebration of all the wonderful sounds that have been heard in the Charles W. Stockey Centre for the Performing Arts since its opening. In those five days, you will hear choral music, pianos, strings, winds, brass and chamber music by such renowned performers as the Choir of Trinity College Cambridge, the Canadian Brass, the Gryphon Trio and the Borodin String Quartet.

The Sound of the String August 2 to 3

Mark Fewer is known as a superbly versatile artist who loves to perform early music, contemporary music, jazz and many genres in between. Join him for two days of concerts that will include the many sounds of the violin: classical, jazz, Gypsy, Mariachi and Newfoundland fiddling.

Beethoven Sonatas                       

Read our brochure carefully and you will find three great pianists playing five of Beethoven’s “nicknamed” sonatas. Can you find Moonlight, Tempest, Appassionata, Waldstein and Pathétique? To make it easier, they will take place from July 25 to 27 and August 9. A mini-series for Beethoven lovers.

Music from the Inside Out

The Festival’s series of free lectures, interviews and open rehearsals gives you opportunities to better appreciate the music being heard and the people that make it possible. This year, in Conversations with Keith, you will hear two exceptional musical stories. Meet Earl and Dinah Rosen, managers of Marquis Classics, Canada’s oldest classical music label (July 26) and William Littler, classical music critic at the Toronto Star for 39 years (August 10). Jeffrey Stokes shares his insights into the late works of Schubert and Beethoven on August 9.

Island Queen Cruises

Enjoy Georgian Bay sunsets as the cruise ship Island Queen takes a wandering three-hour route through the wild and rugged beauty of the 30,000 Islands, a region recently designated by the United Nations as the Georgian Bay Littoral Biosphere Reserve. These cruises have been a highlight of every Festival season since our inception, blending wonderful music (Celtic, Dixieland, East Coast and jazz) with breathtaking scenery. Performances are on the lower deck of the Island Queen and can be heard throughout the ship.

The Grand Finale August 12

The last concert of the season, Sunday August 12 at 1:00 PM, is presented by the Festival of the Sound to honour Margaret Boyd, who is retiring from her long career as Festival of the Sound Executive Director. Many of the musicians with whom she has worked since 1989 will be donating their services to make this concert a real celebration. There is no admission charge for this special concert. However, we are inviting all who are part of the Festival of the Sound “family” to give Margie a congratulatory gift through our “Go the Distance” fundraising campaign. This will symbolically make it possible for all the musicians who want to participate to travel to Parry Sound and home again, a total of 37,000 kilometres.