Feature Article August 21, 2002
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Matthew Zadow - Summer Concert Seriesby Julia Kent Matthew Zadow, a talented baritone from Toronto, performed at St. James Catholic Church on Aug. 17 as part of the Wednesday night summer concert series. Matthew amazed the audience with his powerful voice, and with the precision and detail that he brought to each complex piece. He was accompanied by the very talented pianist Fran Harkness.
Throughout the evening the crowd was enthralled by operettas, arias, ballads, old American songs, and songs of travel. The selection of composers ranged from Beethoven, Copland, Mentotti, to contemporary operas. Matthew thoroughly explained each piece so the listener would be able to understand what the composers wanted to express, the history behind the song, and the context of each piece. Some of the arias were sung in German, Spanish, and Italian but Matthew, with hand gestures and facial expressions, was able to give the audience a sense of the emotion of the piece.
The second half of the program was made up of Songs of Travel, with music by Ralph Vaughan Williams and poetry by Robert Louis Stevenson. Nine songs were linked together by thematic material that told a story of a traveller.Matthew loves to perform in Sharbot Lake because he lived here for a short time. He commented that St. James was a great location to have these concerts because of the fabulous acoustics and wonderful interior. His only suggestion was that a real piano is much in need for the concert series because the electronic keyboard cannot show the performers true talents. Matthew currently has a number of projects underway in Toronto. He has recently completed the Summer Opera Lyric Theatre, which gave him his debut in opera. Matthew is also the leader of a blues quartet, Moses Gillespie Redemption, and is working on arranging their upcoming CD. Fran Harkness, who accompanied Matthew, is a piano teacher in Kingston and a well-known accompanist for various soloists, performing in recitals and concerts throughout the area. There was a standing ovation and a request for an encore at the end of the concert. Matthew and Fran finished the evening with Fosters Beautiful Dreamer. It was great to hear the lively performance of such a selection of music.
