Songs Strings and Steps Events presents an intimate outdoor concert series in Abbotsford starting on Friday, July 17.
The annual Symphony in the Park series has been cancelled due to COVID-19, but violinist Calvin Dyck has come up with an alternative – three concerts for a maximum of 50 people.
The first concert on Friday, July 17 features three musicians from the Vancouver Island Symphony: Dyck on accordion and violin, Mark Beaty on double bass, and Paolo Bortolussi on flute and cajon.
The program is an eclectic mix of traditional Irish ballads, tangos by Piazzolla and Gardel, and music by Bach and Telemann.
The trio just finished a week-long tour on Vancouver Island playing 12 concerts in a variety of venues, including one on top of a mountain.
The second concert on Friday, July 31 features award-winning musician Eric Harper and his fiery Flamenco guitar.
His performance involves audience participation, improvisation and writing tunes on the spot. The music and often hilarious stories are about his travels throughout the world – from the US to Portugal, Spain to Israel, Switzerland to China and back to Canada.
The third and final event on Friday, Aug. 21 features award-winning jazz saxophonist Eli Bennett and international violin sensation Rosemary Siemens.
This duo has been wowing audiences across the globe with their beautiful melodies, innovative sound and electrifying performance style since joining forces as SaxAndViolin.
Based in Vancouver, this married duo has a deep love of hymns and gospel music. In 2020, their cover of Lauren Daigle’s hit song You Say earned them a Canadian Gospel Music Award for Instrumental Song of the Year.
Siemens recently launched a new YouTube series titled Sunday Hymn Serenade, where she debuts a new hymn every Sunday at 7 a.m. PST on her YouTube Channel. The series, produced by Bennett, has featured SaxAndViolin and has been seen by millions of people around the world.
SaxAndViolin has also performed countless private events and concerts around the world. Their music videos have received over six million views on Facebook and YouTube and their debut album titled Can’t Help Falling In Love (Instrumental Love Songs), Vol. 1 released on Valentine’s Day and debuted at #3 on the Canadian iTunes Charts.
A limited number of seats are available for each concert, with performances at 2 p.m., 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. Visit calvindyck.com/concerts for tickets and more information.