The oboe as snake charmer: Caitlin Broms-Jacobs in conversation with Kevin Lau and Anne Manson
From Bugs Bunny to the Nutcracker—why are snake charmers so often depicted as playing an oboe? Last week, MCO oboist Caitlin Broms-Jacobs spoke with MCO Music Director Anne Manson and composer Kevin Lau about an oboe concerto Kevin’s composing for her and the MCO. In this conversation, she also talked about three common associations popular culture and classical music have with this ‘dark, seductive’ instrument: oboe as snake charmer, oboe as shepherd, and oboe as toy trumpet. Watch here.
Let us know what you’d like from MCO at Home!
What would you like more of in MCO at Home? More archival recordings? More home recordings? Perhaps a podcast? Would you prefer if the missive came every second, week instead of every week? Answer these and a few other questions in our short survey, accessible here.
More MCO listening and viewing treats…
Desiree Abbey, who frequently acts as the MCO’s principal cellist, performs David Eby’s lovely Celtic Passage in moving tribute to the victims of the recent tragedy in Nova Scotia. Click here to watch.
We’re delighted to provide you with free access to the MTS film Concerto about Victoria Sparks’ premiere with the MCO of Sid Robinovitch’s Percussion Concerto. Click here to watch!
Last week we shared an excerpt of a conversation between composer Kevin Lau and Anne Manson about Kevin’s work gorgeous work Writ In Water. Now you can hear the work in full performance here.
Classic 107’s biweekly broadcasts of MCO performances
The MCO is very pleased to work with our good friends at Classic 107 to deliver this initiative: on Sunday afternoons, beginning at 2PM, attend a radio concert broadcast of a classic MCO performance from the archives. Brought to you by the Winnipeg Foundation, we will continue the feature every second Sunday. Though we are not able to gather in person, we are able to gather on the radio airwaves for a physically-distanced concert. The next broadcast concert will be 2PM Sunday, 10 May on 107.1 FM
The MCO gratefully acknowledges support from the following:
Header images: Vardagen whisk: IKEA; Carlton double French horn: Long & McQuade; Chinese checkers: Dice Game Depot; Thyme: Zucchini Greengrocers; Dewit Forged Trowel X-Treme: Home Depot; Penn tennis ball: Walmart; croissant: Robe Bakery; paperweight: My Design Life; Pocket Operator: Teenage Engineering (eBay); Chantilly Lace: iCollector.com; Leica M Monochrom: Leica Camera AG.
