One patron considered staying in out of the wintery weather, then decided, "I need some music for my soul."
Braving a cold wind and North Battleford's snowy streets Sunday, she found what she sought at Third Avenue United Church.
There, in its second recital of the season, the Music for the Soul series paired professional performers Jaya Hoy and Chris Kelly in the first piano duo to be held in the community for many years. They offered up classical works by Brahms and Bach and some 20th century work by Argentinian composer Astor Piazolla and France's Darius Milhaud, each seated at one of the two grand pianos onstage in Logie Hall.
The Music for the Soul series, now in its third season, is a recital series presented by pianist Hoy and mezzo-soprano Lisa Hornung, friends and colleagues. Both have enjoyed international careers and have used their contacts to put together exciting and high-profile concerts for Battlefords residents, including local, national and international talent.
While Hoy resides in North Battleford, Kelly, though a frequent contributor to the musical scene of the Battlefords, is a sessional lecturer in the University of Saskatchewan's Department of Music, teaching voice and musicianship and serving as an accompanist. He also maintains a private voice and piano studio and performs regularly in recital, opera and oratoria. He was born in Prince Albert. He holds a Master of Music in Vocal Performance, and is one of the faculty of Hornung's Summer School for the Solo Voice held annually in North Battleford.
Special guest at Sunday's recital was a newcomer to the community, Paul Hyunbai JI, originally from Seoul, Korea, where he completed a music degree and performed professionally for several years before immigrating to Canada. He is now a member of the North Battleford City Kinsmen Concert Band, and has captured the interest of the Battlefords with his extraordinary talent and joyful animation as a clarinet player.
The 29-year-old says he enjoys his new life in the Battlefords, helping his uncle at Battleford Shell Food Store and Car Wash in Battleford. There he does everything from cooking to running the till, and he loves it all, he says. He enjoys living in this community, his home for the past year, and has no plans to relocate. He is also enjoying his involvement in the musical community of the Battlefords.
The next recital in the series will be Sunday, Dec. 9 featuring Terry Heckman on trumpet, along with Hornung and Hoy.
