Principal Violist Catherine Jillings celebrates her lustrous silver anniversary with this city’s premiere orchestra under the leadership of guest conductor and candidate for TBSO’s next Music Director, Alastair Willis.
On first read Willis’ background is near-dizzying for the sheer diversity and energy of this man’s conducting experience with orchestral conduits throughout North America, Europe and Japan. On the night of this concert the audience, as always, will be asked for feedback on what they hear.
As for the featured soloist, her musings on the fine music running through her life and how it all began were forthright, modest yet disarming.
“Choosing music was a gradual thing for me,” said Jillings. “My parents liked music, always sang to my brothers and me before bed. They listened to CBC radio, and classical and folk records. Apparently my grandmother’s uncles played the fiddle at home in Scotland, but I never met them or thought to ask what they played; I always assumed it was Scottish folk tunes.
On first read Willis’ background is near-dizzying for the sheer diversity and energy of this man’s conducting experience with orchestral conduits throughout North America, Europe and Japan. On the night of this concert the audience, as always, will be asked for feedback on what they hear.
As for the featured soloist, her musings on the fine music running through her life and how it all began were forthright, modest yet disarming.
“Choosing music was a gradual thing for me,” said Jillings. “My parents liked music, always sang to my brothers and me before bed. They listened to CBC radio, and classical and folk records. Apparently my grandmother’s uncles played the fiddle at home in Scotland, but I never met them or thought to ask what they played; I always assumed it was Scottish folk tunes.
"Mom sang in the symphony choir and her brother was a jazz drummer (though he had a day job). So music was there, but just one of many things. I was horse-crazy (though I never had one), a nature lover and an avid reader. I played sports with my 3 brothers.”
Jillings’ relationship with the viola didn’t really begin until, in Regina, she joined an extra-curricular music session in grade six.
“I was the only one who practiced so I was soon given private lessons.” She joined a youth orchestra and then, already in grade ten, encountered a major inspiration. “It was at the Festival of Youth Orchestras in Banff; there were some fine orchestras there. I was chosen for the composite orchestra; we learned Dvorak’s New World Symphony. That was wonderful!”
Sometimes accomplished musicians speak of their instruments in a highly personal, near reverential way. Asked about her relationship with her viola, Jillings’ reply was refreshingly candid, even practical.
“Viola maker Greg Walke is not especially well known. Being a small player I needed to find an instrument that suited me without causing strain. I really liked one of his,” she explained, “and asked him to make me one. The shoulders are very slightly asymmetrical to make it easy to reach around.”
Jillings’ 25 years with the TBSO are complemented by her teaching career at LU, collaborations with Aris Carasthathis and New Music North, LUMINA, the Harbour String Quartet, and guest appearances with numerous other symphonies in North America.
For this 3rd Masterworks concert Jillings performs Bartok’s Concerto for Viola and Orchestra, the hue of which intriguingly she describes like this: “I think of the Bartok as having many tone colours, but I don’t name them after ordinary colours. I did think a red dress was what the piece demanded, though. Some of the piece is singing, some declamatory, some is being overheard, some is ferocious. There is a lovely prayer and a burst of anguish. It all ends with a fiery dance which has a bit of the devil in it. Bagpipes are hinted at more than once.”
Also on the evening’s gleaming program: Dvorak’s Symphonic Variations and Schumann’s Symphony No.3, the “Rhenish”. Curtain rises on Silver Jubilee on Thursday Jan.14 at the Community Auditorium at 8 p.m.
Jillings’ relationship with the viola didn’t really begin until, in Regina, she joined an extra-curricular music session in grade six.
“I was the only one who practiced so I was soon given private lessons.” She joined a youth orchestra and then, already in grade ten, encountered a major inspiration. “It was at the Festival of Youth Orchestras in Banff; there were some fine orchestras there. I was chosen for the composite orchestra; we learned Dvorak’s New World Symphony. That was wonderful!”
Sometimes accomplished musicians speak of their instruments in a highly personal, near reverential way. Asked about her relationship with her viola, Jillings’ reply was refreshingly candid, even practical.
“Viola maker Greg Walke is not especially well known. Being a small player I needed to find an instrument that suited me without causing strain. I really liked one of his,” she explained, “and asked him to make me one. The shoulders are very slightly asymmetrical to make it easy to reach around.”
Jillings’ 25 years with the TBSO are complemented by her teaching career at LU, collaborations with Aris Carasthathis and New Music North, LUMINA, the Harbour String Quartet, and guest appearances with numerous other symphonies in North America.
For this 3rd Masterworks concert Jillings performs Bartok’s Concerto for Viola and Orchestra, the hue of which intriguingly she describes like this: “I think of the Bartok as having many tone colours, but I don’t name them after ordinary colours. I did think a red dress was what the piece demanded, though. Some of the piece is singing, some declamatory, some is being overheard, some is ferocious. There is a lovely prayer and a burst of anguish. It all ends with a fiery dance which has a bit of the devil in it. Bagpipes are hinted at more than once.”
Also on the evening’s gleaming program: Dvorak’s Symphonic Variations and Schumann’s Symphony No.3, the “Rhenish”. Curtain rises on Silver Jubilee on Thursday Jan.14 at the Community Auditorium at 8 p.m.
