Bringing early music to unusual spaces
KITCHENER — It was while studying vocal performance in Italy that Corey Linforth stumbled upon a style of singing that is little known in Canada. It’s all about the ladies and bringing music to places one would not expect to hear a soprano singing 17th century songs; small, intimate venues such as cafés and bars.
The music, she said is “florid and virtuosic” even if it is being sung while servers are serving coffee or slinging beer.
That’s part of the charm of this style of music that was not only performed, but often composed by women. And it could be quiet naughty.
“Some of this music is very difficult to sing, even for professional singers,” she said. Adding, “I loved the music.”
Linforth recruited friends, soprano Sheila Dietrich and mezzo soprano Jennifer Enns Modolo and together, the three Waterloo Region sopranos formed Eviole, pronounced “ay-vee-oh-lay.” The term is Italian, from “e viole, ”which means “and violets” taken from a song that first inspired Linforth to create the group.
All three singers are sopranos but each possesses very different vocal timbres, bringing a unique sound to these three century old songs.
“I knew our voices would blend together,” said Linforth, who holds a degree in vocal performance from the University of Waterloo. “We each have very different voices, yet it works together.”
Accompanists for the concert include Miriam Stewart-Kroeker on cello and Borys Medicky on harpsichord.
They had their first concert in a church back in May just to test local musical waters and it went so well, they are ready to take their music out to the public with “Songs of Venus” this Friday at Innocente Brewing Company in Waterloo and on Sunday at Monigram Coffee Roasters in Cambridge.
“With this concert, the music is not appropriate for a church,” she said, adding it’s nothing scandalous though perhaps a bit suggestive. Lots of innuendo.
“It’s often very clever,” she said, adding that this presentation should cure any misconceptions that classical music is always highbrow. Done in an intimate space the way this music was written to be performed, gives it a unique level of intimacy.
“We’re having a conversation with the audience,” he said.
The public has come to expect such venues are more inclined to present contemporary music so this will be a stretch for audiences.
“It’s almost never done,” she said of the style of music. “We’re so used to seeing SATB (soprano, alto, tenor and bass).”
Linforth describes this early music as having more a vibrato with “very long lines” meaning the singer must have perfect control to hold those notes.
“The early music has a clear, clean sound,” she said.