St. Albert Chamber Music Society

A local society celebrates 15 years of chamber music tinkering

 One night in November, 2022, an audience at St. Albert United Church sat in rapt fascination while harpist Keri Lynn Zwicker accompanied soprano Casey Peden as they went through their classical set list. But after a break, spectators were surprised when the duo hit the stage in cowboy hats, with Peden strapping on a guitar and her husband Nathan McCavana joining in, armed with a bodhran to provide some rustic beats. What followed was a lively succession of Celtic reels, many of them traced to early cowboy culture in North America.

 “It was really beautiful. It was an example of a program that wasn’t classical music, or a repertoire that you wouldn’t normally be exposed to.”

Nancy Watt, artistic director and founder of the St. Albert Chamber Music Society (SACMS), which hosted the event.

Watt isn’t kidding. Since the society’s start in 2009, Watt has often taken liberties with the traditional violin-cello chamber group format that dominated 18th-century Parisian salons in its heyday. For openers, she doesn’t stick to four-piece stringed ensembles, although she’s had a few like the Dover Quartet in 2014 and the locally-based Ednova Quartet, which played in November.

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 As the SACMS celebrates its 15th anniversary this season, all that tinkering continues unabated. The Zwicker-Peden tandem was a colourful example, as was the strictly reed-oriented Edmonton Symphony Wind Quintette, which played in 2023, and the Top Notes Flute Quartet, slated to perform in 2025.

 Such a departure from standard chamber music structure has been part of the SACMS mission statement since the organization staged its first concert.

“When we started, I did a lot of reaching out to artists and I still do. I try to put together a program that’s diverse, so it’s not all stringed instruments or all wind instruments. So, if I feel we haven’t had a harp or guitar in a while, I’ll reach out to people for that. But I get a lot of requests all over the world now, too, to perform in our series. It’s a great honour to be recognized like that.”

Nancy Watt

 That recognition is one auspicious offshoot of an endeavour Watt felt was created out of necessity. Before the SACMS started, she noticed a lack of spaces for classical events, save for the Arden Theatre. Granted, there were several groups providing that type of entertainment in Edmonton, including the Edmonton Chamber Music Society, but given that seniors comprised the bulk of classical music buffs in St. Albert, many of them found that driving and parking in the Alberta capital was too difficult a venture for them.

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 Watt also recognized that several of Edmonton’s cultural groups hosted concerts performed by more internationally-renowned performers. Booking such attractions not only meant facilitators had to charge higher ticket costs, it also reduced prospects for local upstarts to garner live followings of their own.

“We were pretty clear on what we wanted to provide. We wanted to make it affordable, we wanted to make it local, diverse,” noted Watt.

 “I wanted to give young artists opportunities to perform on a concert stage and attend a concert of a high quality because it’s so inspirational as a student to know what it is you’re working towards. At the beginning of every concert, we have a short performance by an emerging artist who has reached a certain level on an instrument, but is also enthusiastic about music.”

 Mixing up the repertoire each season and showcasing new music on occasion have been a few ways for the SACHS to expand its audience.

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“I try to think a little bit outside the box to keep it interesting, to give musicians a stage, and to attract the younger audience or a new audience,” said Watt. “To people who may have that misconception that it’s all Beethoven and Brahms, we can feature a lot of original compositions as well. That’s always fun to have a composer come and have a world premiere of a piece, so we try to provide a nice variety.”

 That variety has incorporated more than Celtic cowboy descants. The society once dedicated a show to French folk songs and even featured a concert of Argentine tango music, including one piece performed on accordion in its season wind-up earlier in 2024. And all indications are that Watt is interested in exploring more out-there possibilities.

 “We’ve never had a dancer,” mused Watt, “but I think if someone was inspired, we would welcome that.”

St. Albert Chamber Music Orchestra

15th Anniversary Season: 2025 Concerts

Jan. 12

Justine Lai, piano

Nancy Watt, piano

February 9

Robert Uchida, violin

Allene Hackleman, French horn

Sarah Ho, piano

March 16

Top Notes Flute Quartet

May 4

Frank Ho, violin

Vladimir Rufino, violin

Fabiola Amorim, viola

June 1

Celebration Fundraiser

Michael Massey, piano 

All concerts take place Sundays at 3 p.m. at St. Albert United Church (20 Green Grove Drive).

Tickets for all events are $40 (adult), $35 (senior 55+), and $15 (student). Exceptions include the Jan. 12 event (free) and the Celebration Fundraiser ($40 adult and senior; $15 student)

For more information: stalbertchambermusic.ca