The title of the concert Friday June 12th at Christ Church Deer Park was “Of Whales and Willpower: The Jamaican Jonah, Part 1”, suggesting that there’s a sequel in the works.

This first step was hearing excerpts from Samuel Felsted’s oratorio Jonah (thus the reference to Whales in the title). At a future date Felsted’s complete oratorio is to be presented with an orchestra as Apocryphonia artistic director Alexander Cappellazzo explained.

Apocryphonia aims to find obscure or hidden works to play at their concerts. In this program nothing could be considered familiar and of the 13 pieces 9 received their Canadian premiere, a concert featuring a lot of organ music. Organist Joshua Duncan Lee assembled the program, played every piece, collaborating with singers on four arias from the oratorio Jonah, and a fifth aria from Joseph Bologne’s L’Amant anonyme. The other 8 were compositions for organ. Joseph Bologne is the only non-Jamaican composer in the program, born in Guadeloupe.

Ted Runcie- Amen
Samuel Felsted- Voluntary I in E minor (Canadian premiere)
Samuel Felsted- Voluntary II in F major (Canadian premiere)
Craig Alastair Bloomfield- Gethsemane (Canadian premiere)

Joshua Duncan Lee-Organ

Samuel Felsted- Excerpts From Jonah (1775)
Jonah Arise – Out of the Deep – Billows Foam (Canadian premieres)

Paul Williamson & Alexander Cappellazzo, tenors
Joshua Duncan Lee-Organ

–intermission–

Rashaan Rori Allwood- Miniatures for Mark
Samuel Felsted- Voluntary V in B-flat major (Canadian premiere)
Joshua Duncan Lee-Organ

Joseph Bologne- from L’Amant anonyme “Depuis longtemps mon coeur soupire”
Alexander Cappellazzo, tenor
Joshua Duncan Lee-Organ

Samuel Felsted- Voluntary IV in G minor (Canadian premiere)
Noel Da Costa- Variations on Maryton
Joshua Duncan Lee-Organ

Samuel Felsted- Aria From Jonah (1775)
Lord I Obey (Canadian premiere)
Paul Williamson, tenor
Joshua Duncan Lee-Organ

It was a hot evening in the big church. As I was leaving I heard someone say that this was an important occasion. Considering the usual perceptions of organ music, I’d have to insert the caveat that it’s not for everyone. But I loved what I heard, and agreed that it was important. On a day when Toronto hosted its first World Cup game downtown, in the midst of Pride Month, it is a beautiful feeling living in Toronto, a welcoming multi-cultural city.

Perhaps it’s no coincidence that as I emerged from the church in the middle of a busy city, walking to my car, I came upon a rabbit happily grazing in the grass on Heath St, undisturbed and unafraid. No it’s not Bach’s sheep safely grazing but it felt kind of miraculous, and I think it’s a wonderful omen.

Joshua was tireless, as they played every piece, but that’s the least of it, considering that they curated our evening, preparing the scores and rehearsing the works with the singers.

Perhaps I should declare my sympathies, as a tenor and as an organist. I can’t do what Joshua did (and never could, I’m not that good on the organ). I understand orchestration playing on the synthesizer or organ, a thrilling game of timbres, textures & contrasts. At best one aims for clarity & simplicity rather than complexity for its own sake. In almost every piece we were hearing, Joshua was employing multiple manuals to maximize the drama in the music. Where there were voices exchanged, they were given contrasting stops on the organ, sometimes switching so quickly as to dazzle us. Joshua exploited the possibilities with the big organ in this church.

Given how unfamiliar the music was, the audience was tentative about applause until we were sure, at which point we’d show our appreciation with enthusiasm.

Felsted was a revelation, writing in a style that could comfortably entertain a baroque or early-classical audience. His melodic gifts were especially impressive in “Billows Foam”, as the accompaniment billowed appropriately under tenor Paul Williamson. Paul sang in a manner that I’d think of as appropriate for the concert, understated as far as the drama with exquisite musicianship. I always enjoy hearing his voice.

I was especially thrilled by Rashaan Rori Allwood’s “Miniatures for Mark”, a moment that was for me the highlight of the evening. I was delighted to find Joshua playing this fascinating piece recorded two years ago on YouTube, although I think the version they played this time was even better.

Titles like this one inspire curiosity, but maybe we aren’t meant to know the subtext.

This was the final Apocryphonia concert of the season. If I hear anything further concerning the fund-raising for the future presentation of the complete oratorio of Judah I’ll post the information here.

You can read more about the past & future of Apocryphonia on their website.