Two young musicians from the Battlefords who are pursuing degrees at the University of Manitoba hosted a concert at Third Avenue United Church Saturday, Aug. 22.
Cole Knutson and Jean van der Merwe chose Third Avenue as their venue because it "has always felt like a musical home and so it feels right to perform there once again," said Knutson.
Knutson is pursuing a saxophone performance degree, which he plans to follow up with a master's degree in piano in collaborative performance.
Van der Merwe is going into his third year at the University of Manitoba and is pursuing a classical music degree in vocal performance.
One of the pieces they performed was Vaughan Williams鈥� Songs of Travel, which depict the story of a wanderer and his encounters throughout life and beyond. One of the nine movements is titled Whither Must I Wander? which is the name they chose for their concert.
"We chose this name because over the last few years Jean and I have travelled all over the world because of our careers and in a certain way we feel like the wanderer that is described through the words and music of the piece.鈥�
Knutson also enjoyed presenting variations on the first piano piece he ever learned (on a toy piano), Mozart鈥檚 Ah, vous dirai-je mamam, more widely recognized as Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.
At the concert, the two young musicians thanked their earliest teachers, Dianne Gryba (van der Merwe) and Jaya Hoy (Knutson).
鈥淭hey played a huge part in our lives,鈥� said Knutson. 鈥淲ithout our teachers we wouldn鈥檛 be the people we are today.鈥�
They also thanked their parents and families.
鈥淭hey are the best people,鈥� said van der Merwe.
