The Canadian Canoe Museum and the Peterborough Symphony Orchestra are teaming up to celebrate their respective 50th and 20th birthdays in 2017 (in the same year Canada is turning 150) with a gala concert that will take people on a musical journey around the northern hemisphere.

  Christine Donkin, is writing a work inspired by the famous Quebecois folktale, La Chasse Galerie, the Flying Canoe. The word premier of this work will be happening at the gala concert on February 4th

Christine Donkin, is writing a work inspired by the famous Quebecois folktale, La Chasse Galerie, the Flying Canoe. The word premier of this work will be happening at the gala concert on February 4th

The music by Norwegian Edvard Grieg, Finnish composer, Jean Sibelius and a specially commissioned work, inspired by the Quebecois folktale La Chasse Galerie (The Flying Canoe), by Ottawa-based Composer, Christine Donkin. With the members of the Peterborough Symphony Orchestra Maestro Michael Newnham will sweep us around the northern world from Norway to Sweden, Finland, Russia and back to Canada. Narrating the concert with words and images from his bestselling book, Circling the Midnight Sun, will be author and paddler, James Raffan. It promises to be a one-of-a-kind gala concert happening on Saturday, February 4th, 2017. Tickets are on sale – click here to purchase!

 

You just never know what’s going to be happening in canoes at the Peterborough Lift Lock! To announce the PSO/ CCM partnership, volunteers from the Canadian Canoe Museum paddle while, under the direction of Peterborough Symphony Orchestra Musical Director Michael Newnham, members of the PSO French horn section play the Hunter’s Chorus from the opera “Der Freischütz” by Carl Maria von Weber. 

It’s from an opera called “Der Freischütz”, and usually sung by a men’s chorus. In parka and beaver hat, looking ahead through binoculars, is James Raffan, .

Having negotiated a lease with Parks Canada, the Canadian Canoe Museum is hoping to relocate to this site in the future but, in the meantime, we’ve been doing a variety of programs in and around the Lift Lock. Visit Museum on the Move on our website for more information.

Nothing would ever happen at the Canadian Canoe Museum without our dedicated volunteers, like Russ Musgrove, who stepped away from his duties on the front desk to be the avant for this musical canoe caper at the Lift Lock.

Enjoy some more photos from the partnership launch, and we’ll hope to see you at the symphony in February!

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