The Sultans of String, their Indigenous collaborators, and the Cathedral Bluffs Symphony Orchestra are teaming up to present a multimedia concert experience on February 2.
Along with the Sultans of String (Chris McKhool, Kevin Laliberté, Drew Birston), performers will include Shannon Thunderbird, Alyssa Delbaere-Sawchuk, Marc Meriläinen (Nadjiwan), and The North Sound, along with conductor Martin MacDonald and the musicians of the Cathedral Bluffs Symphony Orchestra.
The Sultans of String: Walking Through Fire
Toronto-based ensemble Sultans of String base their sound around the combination of violin, guitar and bass, and have a discography that includes Billboard charting releases and six CFMA (Canadian Folk Music Award) wins. Known for their genre-crossing adventurous sound, their ninth album Walking Through Fire involves collaborations with award-winning First Nations, Métis, and Inuit artists. For the last several months, they’ve been touring with a multimedia concert experience of the music.
Genre-wise, it’s as diverse as the music of Turtle Island, from East Coast kitchen parties with Alyssa Delbaere-Sawchuk of the Métis Fiddler Quartet to the melodic modern rock of Ojibwe/Finnish Singer-Songwriter Marc Meriläinen (Nadjiwan) and beyond. The concert also includes virtual guests who join on screen.
For a few of the concerts, they’re adding the dimension of orchestral instruments. Here’s an excerpt of their concert with the ensemble Northern Cree and the Stratford Symphony:
The Cathedral Bluffs Symphony Orchestra
The Cathedral Bluffs Symphony Orchestra was founded in 1985 in Toronto, and draws its members from the local community. As a community orchestra, it’s known for helping to support and nurture young artists. They present a six-concert subscription series as a registered charitable organization. As an organization, they are dedicated to notions of equity and diversity.
Music Director Martin MacDonald is the recipient of both the Heinz Unger Award and Jean-Marie Baudet Award for orchestral conducting. He has worked with orchestras and ensembles across Canada, and has served as a Cover and Guest Conductor for the National Ballet of Canada, among other dance companies.
Martin holds a Master’s in Orchestral Conducting from McGill, and a Bachelor’s in Cello from Memorial University.
The Concert Tour
One of the central precepts of the concept of Reconciliation involves first speaking and hearing the truth about the Indigenous experience in Canada, before any real change can occur. Walking Through Fire offers a chance to learn in a way that heals and enlightens.
On March 2 and 3, the group will be performing in Winnipeg with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, along with several dates through Ontario without orchestra in between. You can find more details about upcoming shows [HERE], and tickets for the February 2 performance in Toronto [HERE].
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