March 2, 2025

MUSKOKA PHILHARMONIC ‘HAS ARRIVED’ WITH WONDERFUL WEEKEND CONCERTS AND ‘WHIMSICAL MUSINGS’

MUSKOKA — No wonder today’s second weekend Muskoka Philharmonic concert is sold out.

“The Muskoka Philharmonic has arrived,” boasted its director Alana Nuedling during a special permission piece.

Notably after yesterday’s opening treat at Trinity United Church in Gravenhurst, their 4 p.m. performance at St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church will be another delightful afternoon of symphonic entertainment.

The Muskoka Philharmonic’s weekend concert tour began in Gravenhurst Saturday and moved to Huntsville this afternoon with 14 works of symphonic music that showcased their ever evolving musical tastes and talents. Photos Mark Clairmont

Whimsical Musing is a pleasantly lush offering by 24 exquisitely talented and equally split string and brass/woodwind players under Nuedling’s gentle nuanced direction and musical guidance.

In the dozen pieces they played it’s obvious the three-year-old orchestra’s harmonic sound has evolved greatly in performance and pieces as they tackled ever more engaging musical compositions and arrangements for just more than 50 appreciative audience members inside out of the cold and wind.

**Violinists Anna Nuedling, left, and Kirsten Jewell and violaist Anneke Murley-Evenden perform during yesterday’s concert at Trinity United Church in Gravenhurst.**

Edward’s Elgar’s Wand of Youth, First Suite — Music to a Child’s Play — included seven movements including the its overture, serenade, old style minuet, Sun Dance, Fairy Pipers, Slumber Scene and finally the Fairies & Giants.

Married Life, from Pixar’s popular Up movie and Felix Mendelsson Silnfonia II, D-dur followed.

The brass and woodwinds were featured beautifully before the intermission with and Dvorak’s Serenade for Winds.

The second half began with the well-known theme from Alfred Hitchcock’s 1960s murder mystery TV series, Marionetten, Trauermarsch, by Charles Gounod, which drew smiles and from the seats.

Guest soprano Paige Meunier, of Huntsville, soared in her performance of Leo Delibes’ *Le Filles de Cadix.*

Then came a highlight, with guest soprano soloist Paige Meunier, of Huntsville, joining the philharmonic and soaring on Leo Delibes’ Le Filles de Cadix. Her bright and sparkling voice cascading on high notes that reached the ceiling of the nave and bounced off the back balcony’s window seats.

A three-part version of Florence Price’s Dances in the Canebrakes: Nimble Feet, Tropical Noon and Silk Hat & Walking Crane had Nuedling spreading her arms wide to show a huge score while proudly announcing the MPO had arrived.

The two-foot-wide sheet music left Nuedling hidden behind its breadth, which covered her torso when displayed.

**MPO director Alana Nuedling embraces the *Dances of the Canebrakes* score while proudly announcing that the “Muskoka Philharmonic has arrived.”**

The finale of the concert concluded with a delightful version of Johan Strauss’s Blue Danube.

Then what better than two more bonus encores, which combined familiar medleys of classical hits anyone with an ear and remotely tuned in to any movie, TV, theatrical, music genre, concert or cartoon would recognize.

Indeed the Muskoka Philharmonic has arrived on the Muskoka musical scene.

Hear them again at their Strawberry Moon concerts June 14-15 and next fall’s Nov. 22-23 Winter’s Awakening.

Visit their website at muskokaphilharmonic.ca or email them at [email protected]