Archive

Chinguacousy Swing Orchestra back at Century Church Theatre

April 7, 2016   ·   0 Comments

Here is the equation: “People plus music equals fun!”

Such is the  motto of the  Chinguacousy Swing Orchestra, coming to Century Church Theatre this Saturday, April 9, with a program of swing music that promises to both delight and surprise you.

This all-volunteer musical ensemble loves to bring music to venues all over the area and this will be the ninth annual performance for them at the Century Church Theatre in Hillsburgh.

Chris Worsnop [“An old English name,” he told us.], drummer for the orchestra, vice-president of their not-for-profit organization and spokesperson, for our purposes, chatted with us on his hands-free cell while driving for his day job, transporting import/export goods to and from Pearson Airport.

“We are all volunteers with the Chinguacousy Swing Orchestra,” he said. “We’re a not-for-profit, community-based orchestra based in Brampton .”

He went on to explain how the orchestra works: “Everyone is welcomed. The conditions are that each player has to have his[/her] own instrument and be able to come to rehearsals to play.”

The orchestra rehearses in the former Brampton Civic Centre where, once upon a time, there was a community band that played in Brampton and for which the town created a music room when the civic centre was originally built. The music room is still there and still being used by grateful amateur musicians belonging to the two Chinguacousy orchestras.

Between the desire to play, to perform as often as possible and a true desire to share many kinds of music with the community, the  Chinguacousy Swing Orchestra plays wherever a suitable occasion needs their style of entertainment.

Like community artists everywhere, Mr, Worsnop is clear about the advantages of inviting people in and he told us the story much like those we have heard about before within the arts community.

“We have musicians of all ages,” he remarked. “Students from high school who are not necessarily in arts programs but still want to play come to us, even if they’re in a school band. A couple of our students came because they wanted that extra playing time once a week and are now in programs for music at Humber College. There have been students who went on to have musical careers.”

It is not only students, of course, who volunteer to participate in the orchestra.

In fact, Mr. Worsnop himself began playing with the Chinguacousy Concert Orchestra in 2004, when he was in high school. Playing in a community orchestra has retained his enthusiasm and interest ever since.

“Not everybody can become a professional musician on this planet,” was his comment. “People still love to perform. Some of our musicians are multi-instrumentalists. Some of them play for other bands as well. One might play a bass for the Concert Orchestra and then play a flute in ours.”

There are several older musicians too, people who join after they retire.

However, the extent of the largess of the Chinguacousy Swing Orchestra to play goes much farther than the boundaries of Brampton.

With their upcoming ninth engagement at Hillsburgh, the evening they have dubbed as A Hot Night in Hillsburgh, cribbed from the show they did – A Hot Night in Paris  – a couple of years ago, they are hosting a fund raising event for Erin Arts Foundation.

While it is true that the players receive no remuneration for their performance, there are some costs in running the orchestra. So, generally, the orchestra is given an honorarium to help pay for those costs.

We are promised a night of music that will raise the roof. Traditional swing music from the likes of Count Basie, and Duke Ellington are part of the program.

Said Mr. Worsnop, “This year there is something different that we’ve never had before – a vibraphonist, Kelly Schmidt, for the entire two sets. We’re starting at 8 p.m., two full sets with a 20-minute break. We like to try the big band sound with contemporary music.” I ask myself what would Guns and Roses sound like as a big band piece?

“We’ll have a singer as well, Erin Willie..,” he was pleased to tell us. “She has her own band, Erin’s Marlore, a Celtic Trio. Also, something from the Brian Setzer orchestra. Some of the other contemporary things are from a band called Toto and Adele: could Adele sing in front of Basie’s band?

We will see on Saturday.”

Mr. Worsnop reckons they’ll deliver a night as close to Paris as possible.

For tickets call the box office at 519-855-4586 or visit www.centurychurchtheatre .com.

Written by Constance Scrafield

Readers Comments (0)