True North Strong and Free: Celebrating Canada Day on Classic 107

Whether you are taking in all the fantastic Canada Day events around Winnipeg or heading out to the cottage or camping at one of our amazing provincial or national parks, make sure you bring Classic 107 with you!

We have an entire day of Canadian artists and composers, from Classical to Jazz! It is 100% Canadian Content throughout the day.

At 9:00 a.m. tune in to hear an outstanding piano concerto written by a composer who is sometimes described as the Canadian Mozart.

Written in the early 1940’s, André Mathieu’s Concerto de Québec was written when he was just 13 years old. Written very much in the style of Rachmaninov, this is a showpiece for both piano and orchestra. It is flabbergasting to think that Mathieu could perform this music at such an early age.

The Canadian pianist Alain Lefèvre has taken it upon himself to be both a beacon and champion of Mathieu's music and it is his phenomenal recording with the Quebec Symphony Orchestra that will go to air at 9a.m.

Also, in the 9a.m. hour tune in to hear music of Canadian composers Healy Willan, Christos Hatzis, Sid Robinovich, and Jaques Hétu.

In the 11a.m. hour Canadian composers will be front and centre once again. You will hear Marjan Mozetich’s beautiful violin concerto called Affairs of the Heart. Written in 1997 and premiered by our own Manitoba Chamber Orchestra with Juliet Kang as soloist, this is a sublime work that is sure to make you stop and listen. The recording you will hear will be the one Kang recorded with the CBC Vancouver Symphony Orchestra.

In the second half of the 11a.m. hour listeners can tune in to hear Manitoba composer Robert Turner’s work called Manitoba Memoir. Written in 1989 for string orchestra, Manitoba Memoir is Turner’s Love letter to the province. This fantastic piece will be performed by our Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra led by the late Bramwell Tovey.

At 2p.m. music of Canadian composers, Sophie Carmen Eckhardt-Gramatté, Eldon Rathburn, and Srul Irving Glick will be on display.

The hour starts out with Sophie Carmen Eckhardt-Gramatté’s Introduction and Variations on a Theme from My Childhood. Written in 1936 this is a wonderful Schumann-esque style piece that consists of 15 variations based on a children's song.

Also, in the 2p.m. hour listeners can hear the quirky and hilarious Ottawa Suite by composer Eldon Rathburn. Written in 1996, this suite pokes fun at many aspects of the nation's capital, such as The National Arts Centre, The Senate chamber, the tedium of civil servants, The National Gallery of Canada, and the Byward Market to name just a few. Written for the Ottawa chamber music festival, the piece is one of the most popular pieces ever programmed at the festival.

Listeners can also hear the music of Srul Irving Glick. Of Jewish background, Glick’s music often draws on Jewish traditions such as cantorial song and celebration dances. The lullaby, dialogue and circle dance section of his Suite Hebraique No.1 will be performed by clarinetist James Campbell.

In the 8p.m. hour tune in as we celebrate Canada with some musical fireworks.

At the top of the hour Handel’s Music for the Royal Fireworks will be heard performed by Canada's pre-eminent baroque ensemble, Tafelmusik under the direction of Jeanne Lamon. Selections from Offenbach's Gaite Parisienne will add some lively spice to the mood of the hour. And it would also not be a fireworks display with Tchaikovsky’s iconic 1812 Overture. Listeners can hear it performed by the Montreal Symphony Orchestra, the carillon Bells of Notre Dame Basilica, and the canons of the Royal 22nd Regiment.

In the 10p.m. hour listeners can expect to hear one of the most beloved Canadian Jazz albums of all time. Released in 1964 Oscar Peterson’s Canadiana Suite pays tribute to the diverse landscapes of Canada. It draws on his travels by train across the country, starting in the Maritimes and making its way west to British Columbia. Peterson is joined by Ray Brown on bass, and Ed Thigpen on drums. The Canadiana Suite is a celebration of this remarkable country. As Peterson said, “This is a musical portrait of the Canada I love.”