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Divertimento Orchestra
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The Orchestra
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©Photo by John Perrins
(613) 820-8812
20th Anniversary
2003-2004 |
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"Ottawa's best-kept musical secret"
"A hidden jewel"
"High calibre of music"
Divertimento
Orchestra is an Ottawa-based group of 65 musicians.
It began in 1984 as
a small ensemble playing in someone's basement
for their own pleasure and has evolved into a full-fledged
community symphony under the direction of Gordon Slater. |
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Divertimento Orchestra is now on
FACEBOOK |
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Elsa Slater, Gordon Slater, Bob Brown, Angela
Blackwell, David Sale
The fiVe
Orchestra Music at the Library
2008 |
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©Photo by Charles Frost
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The British High Commission in Ottawa
held a reception in honor of
Divertimento Orchestra
April, 2008
ŠPhoto by Lois Siegel
British High Commissioner Anthony Cary
and his wife Clare
Divertimento Orchestra conductor Gordon
Slater with his wife Elsa
Divertimento played two all-English concerts
Vaughan Williams, Overture to "The
Wasps"
Coleridge-Taylor, Violin Concerto,
Mark Hartt-Palmer, violin (Canadian premičre)
Elgar, Enigma Variations
And as an encore
a tune that everyone left humming
Elgar, Pomp & Circumstance March No. 1
Photos
(under construction)
Video
by John Worrall |
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Gordon Slater
has conducted the orchestra since 1987
ŠPhoto by
Charles Frost
The Seventh Berkeley
Carillon Festival
&
The 66th Congress of the Guild of Carillonneurs in North America
2008
The University of California at Berkeley
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ŠPhoto by
Benjamin Kim
Concertmaster
Shirlee Mays |
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Listen to Divertimento Orchestra
in Live
Performance
(mp3)
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©Photo by Lois Siegel |
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Audience
Response
"I will never forget the emotions of
last week. It has been a while
since I had been "involved," and a longer time since the involvement
was with such dear people. You are all very special to me, and I
thank you and bless you for taking on such a "bold venture" with such
exciting and heartfelt results. I am much indebted to you all.
I salute all the artists, orchestra, chorus, Gloria Jean Nagy,
for unusual dedication and love for music."
You have much of which to be proud.
Walter Babiak
Toronto
Composer "Movin' in My Heart"
First Performance, Divertimento
Kanata Choral Society
November 24-25, 2005.
I just have heard the CD
you sent which included my Concerto for Bass Trombone.
I'm so thrilled with that performance! Doug Burden sounds SO
beautiful--what a
lyrical player!! And your orchestra is just terrific - you got just the
right, lively energy and sparkle in the outer movements, and the middle
movement was wonderfully expressive - lush orchestral sound and
beautiful
colors. I give your orchestra my heartiest congratulations. I really
thank you for introducing my music to your audience
with such a lovely performance!
Eric Ewazen
New York City
Julliard
"Congratulations
on your Divertimento concert last night...
my
first opportunity to hear the whole orchestra in a final, polished
performance."
Douglas Burden
Bass Trombone
National Arts Centre Orchestra
Ottawa
"I enjoyed the concert. I had no idea that such
an ensemble exists in our city.
Faces of the musicians clearly
reflected their concentration and devotion to their art.
Evening
well spent."
Zdenek Viteznik
Ottawa
"Yesterday, I
enjoyed very much the Divertimento concert. As a matter of fact,
it
was amazing! Congratulations! I was impressed with the
size of the orchestra."
Daniela Witzman
Ottawa
"I saw
Divertimento last night. Very impressive orchestra,
impressive sound."
Richard McCarthy
Ottawa
"Deborah and I greatly enjoyed the concert.
We were blown away by
the
program and the skill that the musicians demonstrated
in making this
a very
memorable evening."
Brian and Deborah Foster
Ottawa
"I really enjoyed the show. Lots of mood changes, and the orchestra
sounded good."
Dayle Reynolds
Pendleton, Ontario
"The concert was fantastic! We greatly enjoyed ourselves,
rocking
out on the carols, and listening to the orchestra's selections.
The Sleigh Ride tune was a definite highlight of the show,
as was the 'Toy'
(Symphony)
piece."
Jennifer Kershaw
Ottawa "Great concert!
You know, it's really a very good group.
And it's wonderful to be sitting out there in the audience. Apart
from the
fabulous flute section, Gordon's commentary was fascinating."
Fred Brown
Ottawa
"The Divertimento Orchestra music excerpts are wonderful.
I had no idea that you folks sound so good. And looking at the
pictures of the strings,
I see you have three ( count 'em!) double bass players.
Now it's gotta be hard finding double bass players,
who can play classical music in a smaller city
like Ottawa."
Paal Juliussen
Montreal
"The music is lovely, and the orchestra
sounds impressive.
Wish I could play like that...."
Marlena Yannetti
Boston
Bizet,
Ewazen, Borodin
"....a wonderful program...very stirring and
enjoyable."
Sheldon Lewis
Ottawa
"It was terrific hearing
the orchestra last night. When you are playing, you don't
hear the same way as you do when you are just listening. I
sat in the back. The acoustics were excellent, and I could
hear all the changes in dynamics. Very smooth. Sounded
wonderful.
I really appreciated the quality of the orchestra.
And the audience was very large and attentive. I noticed
many people I knew who had been there before to hear
Divertimento, people who do not have the same DNA as anyone
in the orchestra, so you are building up a repeat audience
of new listeners. That's excellent.
The word has spread that Divertimento is an orchestra of
high quality."
Lois Siegel
Ottawa
"Six
Thumbs Up" to everyone.
Brigid Fitzgerald
Ottawa
Divertimento Orchestra's
"25th Anniversary CD"
Your new CD is excellent. Bravo!! Now you must begin
planning No. 2
Milford Myhre, Former Carillonneur,
Bok
Tower Gardens
Lake Wales, Florida
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©Photo by Lois Siegel |
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©Photo by Lois Siegel
Carl Widstrand recently received a wonderful accolade.
He traveled to Sweden for the jubilee , the 50th anniversary of the PhD
that he earned in 1958 at the University of Uppsala. Since 1804 that
institution has brought its PhD graduates back to celebrate their
accomplishments with their colleagues. Only seven of the
original class of 1958 returned to Uppsala, and it was Carl who
delivered the convocation address.
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Sections
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Photography and Photo Web Page Design
by Lois Siegel, violin
©Photo by Paul Jean |
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Lunarpages Affiliate Program
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