Laugh Tracks
Groundswell concert shows the lighter side of new music
Jared Story

Diana McIntosh is laughed at in the new music world — and she’s also one of its most respected composers/performers.

That’s because her innovative pieces are characterized by a fantastic sense of wit and humour, which are not overly common neo-classical traits.

To celebrate comedy and laughter in music, McIntosh has put together On a Lighter Note for Groundswell, and the evening of music should prove to be seriously unserious.

“I’ve always wanted to do a concert with music that has a sense of humour, a sense of playfulness,” McIntosh says. “I think in all the arts life, humour is a very important part.

“I think it’s certainly part of what’s called ‘serious music.’ It’s fun to do music that knows how to smile. So often, serious composers of serious music take themselves really seriously. A number of the works in the piece skewer that pomposity or over-seriousness.”

Poking fun at pretentiousness is the specialty of PDQ Bach, a composer who claims to be the last son of Johann Sebastian Bach.

“Maybe the highlight (of the show) is the pieces by PDQ Bach, who is the alter ego of composer Peter Schickele. He skewers pomposity,” McIntosh says. “He gets a big charge out of pretending to be very serious, and the music is funny. He uses a lot of extra musical devices, and it’s quite theatrical and quite entertaining.”

Three PDQ Bach pieces will be performed: lover’s duet Sonata Innamorata, the hilariously titled Safe Sextet and Sonata Abassoonata.

“Sonata Abassoonata is for bassoon and piano, but quite a tardy pianist, and whether or not the pianist turns up to accompany the bassoonist is in question. You’ll have to come to see,” McIntosh says.

Another piece that promises to cause a few chuckles is …and 8:30 in Newfoundland, one of McIntosh’s own.

“I’ve always been fascinated by the idea that Newfoundland is a half-hour out of sync with the rest of Canada on national broadcast,” McIntosh says. “I have written this piece where I use my voice, electronics, percussion and some movement.

“The rhythms in the piece go in and out of sync with each other, and I explore all the sounds I can find in the words ‘national broadcast,’ like national broadcast (she says ‘national’ quite slowly, and she rolls the R in ‘broadcast’), so I really deconstruct the words ‘national broadcast,’ which is quite fun and unusual.”

Also on the bill is Calamity Jane by Calgary composer Quenten Doolittle. It’s a tale of the famous whisky-guzzling, gun-toting South Dakotan.

The audience will be further treated to a collaboration between McIntosh and Toronto percussionist Beverly Johnston in That Damned Elusive Muse of Mine. Rounding out the lineup is Dante Dances, a piece by Texas composer Dan Welcher that McIntosh calls a “devillishly hard piece for clarinet.”

Of course, humour will characterize the evening, resulting in an informal concert that should be fun for everybody.

“I don’t like overly formal concerts because there is a great separation between the performers and the audience,” McIntosh says.

“It’s unusual for Groundswell to feature a whole concert that features music that has a sense of the playful and sense of humour. It’s great for spring, with its lighthearted sense of fun. I’m really looking forward to it.”