Music on Union- Opening the Path to Peace and fair pay


With the launch of its second season, Sounds of
Peace, Music on Union is echoing poet Kahlil
Gibran—”Music… opens the secret of life bringing
peace’.
At 12:10p.m. on August 12, 2022, long-time
crowd-pleaser, vocalist Ralph Kuster,
accompanied by pianist Tim Hallman, kicks off
the season of eight, weekly, 40-minute concerts
at St. James Anglican Church, 10 Union Street.
“Last year our series, Sounds of Hope, looked to
our emergence from the bleakness of COVID.
Now war and social conflicts are hitting our
headlines, so our goal this year is to help bring
peace into the hearts, souls and daily living of
our audiences,” said Michael Capon, Music
Director at St. James’ Anglican Church.
In addition to harnessing the power of music for
peace, the organizers are also intent on
honouring Jesus’maxim that “the labourer is
worthy of his hire”.
“It’s great that there are now more and more
opportunities for musicians to perform,”
commented Sue Moore, Secretary-Treasurer of
the Union of Professional Musicians AFM Local
518 (serving eastern Ontario).
Capon and Moore were happy to be able to
include vocal and wind performances in their
eclectic 2022 line-up.
The first four concerts feature: Kuster’s
extensive repertoire of Broadway hits, country
music and crooner classics; jazz, baroque and
contemporary clarinet pieces played by Carina
Canonico and David Gazaille; the Bach to the
Beatles repertoire of clarinet and cello trio Two
Thirds Down Under; and the jazzy tones of
singer Chantal Thompson. Thompson affirms
the power of music to be a medium for peace.
“Music is a spiritual consciousness that brings
us together”, she said, “and I’m thrilled to be
offering a gift of meditation for the listeners in a
venue redolent with such beauty and history.”
Subsequent concerts showcase: Amber &
Zebulun on cello and guitar performing the likes
of Mancini, Bacharach and Cohen; traditional
Iranian and contemporary pieces from santurist
Sadaf Amini; and songs and dances for four
hands performed by piano duo Peletsis-
Dardykina.
“The final concert falls on Orange Shirt Day,”
noted Capon, “and it is exciting that Lynn Brant,
a Mohawk who sits with the Bear Clan, has
agreed to perform some of her original
compositions to close out our Sounds of Peace
series.”
Moore and Capon hope to repeat the success of
the 2021 season. “We had lots of positive
feedback from last year’s performers and
audiences about the heightened acoustics and
aesthetics of St. James,” said Moore. “With this
venue and a strong program for the 2022
season we expect capacity audiences again this
year.”
The series also aims to promote
the wellness benefits of music for the nearby
hospital and university communities.
Media contact:
Sue Moore
kingstonmusicians@gmail.com
613-484-3554