Music played at the April 19, 2015 session

Host: John

Round 1:

- John: Sonatina in G, by L. van Beethoven
- Gregory: King All-Glorious, by George M. Vail
- Liz: Waltz in B minor D145, by F. Schubert
- Lynda: Sonata Op. 14 #2,  2nd movement, by L. van Beethoven
- Christopher: New England Dawn, by Christopher Norton (composed 2007)
- Teresa: Nocturne in C Minor Op. Post., by F. Chopin
- Elizabeth: Take 5, by Dave Brubeck

Round 2

- John: Sonata in C, 2nd movement, K545, by W. A. Mozart
- Gregory: Lara’s Theme (from Dr. Zhivago), by Maurice Jarre
- Liz: Meditation (her own improvisation) on a Schubert theme
- Lynda: Swipesy, by Scott Joplin
- Christopher: “The Colors of my Life”, by Cy Coleman (arr. by Dan Coates)
- Elizabeth: Jazz improvisation
- John: His own arrangement of “Yield not to temptation” (Anglican Hymn)


After the refreshments, John sang a Russian song, accompanying himself on the balalaika.

Music played at the March 15, 2015 session

Host: Lynda

Maybe it was Spring in the air, but we had a fun-filled get-together this afternoon with piano music, singing, and poetry. Two new members, Teresa and Aida, attended and Teresa was brave enough to play for us.

Round 1:
- Gregory; Moment Musical in A flat, Op. 94 #6 by F. Schubert
- Vanessa: Over the Rainbow by Harold Arlen and E.Y. Harburg, arr. by George Shearing (from current Grade 9 Royal Conservatory book)
- Karin: Sonata in C, first movement, by Baldassare Galuppi (From British pianists magazine)
- Lynda: March Past, by Oscar Peterson (piano transcription of #7 of the Canadian Suite, Hal Leonard publisher)
- Mary-Lou: Sonata in E flat major Hob #49, middle movement, Adagio Cantabile, by F. J. Haydn
- John: Own arrangement of three Irish Folk Songs (Londonderry Air, It’s a long long way to Tipperary, and Airman’s Hymn)
- Irina: Italian Polka by S. Rachmaninoff
- Teresa: Once upon a December, theme from Anastasia, by Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty

Round 2

- Lynda: Misty, by Errol Garner (from “Great songs of the 50’s”)
- Greg: Here’s that Rainy Day, by Johnny Burke and James van Heusen (also sung by Vanessa)
- Vanessa: Decadent Sentimental Song by Miguel Manzano (from current Grade 9 Royal Conservatory book)
- Mary Lou (read poem): Poco a Poco by Betsy Sholl
- Irina: Waltz in A flat minor, op. Post., by F. Chopin
- Karin: Prelude in G flat major op 16 #3 by A. Scriabin
- John: Own arrangement of three Russian Folk Songs (Serenade, Heart, and Far away, Far away)
- John and Irina: sang Russian folk songs (a capella) 

Music played at the February 1, 2015 session

Thanks again to Mitchell for hosting our Sunday afternoon session at Ottawa Pianos.  It was a great reunion with Liz (the group's founder), meeting old friends and making new ones.  This might have been the largest number of performers that we have had at one gathering.

Here's what was played:

Gregory — Chopin, middle section of Fantasie Impromptu, Op. 66 No. 4
Lynda — Mozart, 2nd movement of Piano Sonata No. 16, K. 545
Karin — Edward MacDowell, Beauty in the Rose Garden
Liz — Charles-Valentin Alkan, Petit Air Dolant
Nick B — Beethoven, 1st movement of Piano Sonata No. 5, Op. 10 No. 1
Nick M — Kabalevsky Preludes,  Op. 38 No. 2 and No. 6
John — own composition, Chorus of Morning Glories
Irina — Chopin, Waltz in A Flat Major, Op. 69 No. 1
Elizabeth — Beethoven, 1st movement of Piano Sonata No. 6, Op. 10 No. 2
Gared — Chopin, Étude Op. 25 No. 1
David — Bach, Siciliano from Flute Sonata No. 2, piano transcription by Wilhelm Kempff, SoundCloud recording of David playing this piece is here
Sachie — Rachmaninoff, Étude, Opus 39 no. 6 in A minor “Little Red Riding Hood”
Christopher — Borodin, Nocturne from Petite Suite
Mitchell — Mendelssohn, Venetian Boat Song, Op. 30 No. 6
Julie — Rachmaninoff, Étude Tableau, Op. 33 No. 8 in G Minor
Eleanor — Bach, Arioso

2nd round:

Gregory — Jimmy McHugh, I’m in the Mood for Love
Nick M — Arvo Part, Fur Alina
Liz — Cecile Chaminade, Meditation
Gared — own composition, Dusk
Lynda — Oscar Peterson, Laurentide Waltz
John — own composition, Black Key Improvisation 1 2 15
David — Chopin, Nocturne, Op. 9 No. 2
Liz — Samuel Maikapar, Matin Calme

Vote for Mary Ann in CBC's piano competition!

Long-time Ottawa Piano Group member Mary Ann has entered CBC's amateur pianist competition. You can read all about the contest and view her entry here http://piano.strutta.com/entry/8301092.

To show your support, you can vote for her each day until January 22.

Good luck, Mary Ann!

Music played at the January 18, 2015 session

Host: Mary Ann

Round 1:

- Greg Z: “The girl with the flaxen hair” by C. Debussy
- Karin T: “Beauty in the Rose-Garden” by E. MacDowell (Op. 4#3)
- Christopher C: “Petite Suite #6-Serenade” by A. Borodin
- Irina B: “Waltz in A Minor” by F. Chopin (Op. Post.)
- Winnie C: “Sonata in D Major” by J. Haydn (Hob. XVI:51)
- John W: Russian and Polish national anthems
- Mary Ann: “Song without words (Duetto)” by F. Mendelssohn (Op. 38#6). Note that Mary Ann entered her performance of this work in this year’s CBC amateur pianists contest “Piano Hero”.

Round 2:

- Greg Z: “I dream of Jeannie with the light brown hair” by S. Foster
- Irina B: “Waltz in A flat” by F. Chopin
- Karin T: “Prelude” by F. Chopin (op. 28 #6). Note that Chopin requested that this piece be played at his own funeral.
- John W: Two Russian folk songs, Serenada (Serenade) and Serdtsa (Heart)
- Christopher C: “Petite Suite #7-Nocturne” by A. Borodin
- Winnie C: “Meditation from Thais” by J. Massenet

Music played at the December 15, 2014 session

Thanks to Sachie for hosting our Sunday afternoon session and for sharing her Yamaha grand piano.
In addition to the usual diversity, there were some delightful arrangements of Christmas favourites.

Here's what was played:

Liz -- Enrique Granados, Vals Poético No. 6
Lynda -- Pietro Alessandro, Gesù Bambino, arrangement by Tom Roed from Christmas Encyclopedia
Vanessa -- traditional, What Child is This, arrangement by Charlie Bisharat
Christopher/David  -- Johannes Brahms, Intermezzo O. 117 No. 1, transcription for clarinet and piano by Eric Simon
Winnie -- Adolphe Adam, O Holy Night, arrangement by John Sullivan Dwight
Julie -- Dimitri Kabalevsky, Prelude Op. 38, No. 9
Sachie -- Alexander Scriabin, Sonata No. 4, 1st Movement, Op. 30
John -- own arrangement, Jingle Bells, variations in the style of 10 classical composers

2nd round:

Christopher -- traditional, God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen, In the Bleak Midwinter, arrangements by Christopher Norton
David -- Maurice Ravel, Piano Concerto in G Major, first section of 2nd Movement Adagio Assai, SoundCloud recording of David playing this piece is here
Vanessa -- Irving Berlin, White Christmas
Lynda -- Lee Mendelson & Vince Guaraldi, Christmas Time is Here from a Charlie Brown Christmas, arrangement by Tom Roed
John -- own arrangements, O Holy Night, Huron Carol
Winnie -- Don Besig, Sleep, Little Baby, Sleep
Sachie -- traditional, O Tannenbaum, arrangement by Vince Guaraldi
Julie -- Sergei Rachmaninoff, Études Tableaux, Op. 33 No. 8 in G Minor

Are you Canada's best amateur pianist?

The CBC is running a contest for amateur classical pianists. Does anyone dare to enter?

http://music.cbc.ca/#!/Piano-Hero

Wine expert Natalie MacLean donates Yamaha baby grand to city

And you can play on it!

http://ottawa.ctvnews.ca/city-of-ottawa-gets-gift-of-music-1.2140036
http://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news/video-donated-piano-brings-music-to-the-lobby-at-ottawa-city-hall

Should all piano keyboards be the same size?

The loosely-organized group PASK (Pianists for Alternate Size Keyboards) doesn't think so: http://www.paskpiano.org/

They also have a Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/pask.piano

Demise of a Karn pump organ

This article in the Ottawa Citizen shows the sorry end of an antique pump organ, dumped beside a city road:

http://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news/abandoned-organ-strikes-sour-note-with-park-piano-project