The Capilano Brass

This is the third year the Capilano Brass has performed at the Scandinavian Midsummer Festival. Their eclectic range of music includes classical, baroque, pop, jazz, and modern works for brass. They have performed in Metro Vancouver for over fifteen years. This year they have good fortune to join with the Four Eyes Quartet for some jazz and rock here at Midsummer. The members include Tom Parr on trumpet, Dave Langley on trumpet and flugal horn, Charlie Seaton on french horn, Tom Koven on trombone and Robert Toren or bass trombone.

Charlotte Diamond

Vancouver's own award-winning family performer, Charlotte Diamond, grew up on Capitol Hill in North Burnaby, and is a graduate of the University of British Columbia, majoring in zoology and French. She taught science, music and French in New Westminster for many years before entering the music business with her first recording, "10 Carrot Diamond", which won a Juno Award.

With twelve recordings and many international awards, Charlotte now tours across North America presenting family concerts and educational workshops, and has even performed in Central America and Europe.

For this year's Scandinavian Midsummer Festival, Charlotte will be performing with her long-time friend and accompanist, Bob Wishinski, who plays keyboards and is one of the original members of the Hug Bug Band. The concert will include many of Charlotte's favourites, such as "May There Always Be Sunshine", "I am a Pizza / Soy una Pizza" and "La Bamba".

Four Eyes Quartet

The Four Eyes Quartet is a Vancouver-based jazz group featuring piano, bass, woodwinds and drums, comprised of talented young musicians. The quartet has a unique style that is playful while being of a high level of musical sophistication. They exhibit a wide range of influences, from Ahmad Jamal to Brad Mehldau, Béla Fleck to the Beatles, and all members of the band contribute original tunes and arrangements to the band's repertoire. The Four Eyes Quartet was featured in the 2008 TD Canada Trust Vancouver International Jazz Festival (as the Jennifer Hodge Quartet) and at the 2007 In the House Festival in Vancouver. In 2008, the band was nominated for the Galaxie Rising Stars Award in affiliation with CBC.

Catherine Toren - piano
Jennifer Hodge - bass
Jens Christiansen - woodwinds
Mike Ardagh - drums

Hauka Male Choir

Hauka Mannskor, Hauka Male Choir, is located in a small community named Soknedal, in the middle part of Norway. Currently, they are 24 singing members, some who have been members since the choir was founded in 1978. Hauka Male Choirs repertory has always been inspired by local and national music. Over the years, the choir has been to several national choir competitions in Norway, with good results. This journey to America is the third tour for this choir abroad.

Tove Ramlo-Ystad, the choir's conductor, was educated from Trøndelag Conservatory of Music followed by a Master Degree in music from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, both in Trondheim, Norway. She has continued studying choir direction with Stefan Sköld and Anders Eby. In 1986, together with a group of eager girls, she founded the choir Cantus. This became the foundation for a female choir which, in later years, has been among the top choirs in Europe. For the last six years Tove has been the conductor of Hauka Male Choir which both Tove and the choir find very inspiring. As one of Norway's most acknowledged choir conductors, she is a very popular and inspiring guest conductor nation-wide and she is frequently used as an adjudicator in international choir competitions.

Our first musician, Ronny Kjoesen, is a man of diversity and a great resource. He is not only a great musician but also a producer, composer and music organizer. His main instruments are accordion and tangent instruments. He works mostly with choirs, theatrical-music, pop/rock and different types of folkmusic. Mr Kjoesen is an active member in several assemblies who play Norwegian and international folkmusic and pop/rock music.

Our second musician is Thomas Lomundal, a local fiddler. Thomas is working as a teacher, and was brought up with folk music. We are happy to say that he is also singing in Hauka Male choir!

Hauka Male Choir and all our travel companions are looking forward to our journey in USA. We hope we can give a little piece of Norway to you through our singing.

Laudate Singers

Laudate Singers is a world-class choir based on the North Shore known for performances of uncompromising beauty and excellence, capably and passionately presenting the vast range of choral arts music. Music from around the world, from choral music's early development in medieval times to today's newest compositions, all are explored and presented by some of the country's most competent choral singers. Laudate also champions Canadian choral music and commissions many fine composers as well as having its own composer-in-residence.

Recent concerts include Mysterium - an a cappella, candlelit exploration of this sacred Christmas text over 500 years; Voice of the Tango - a fascinating foray into this popular world genre with tango experts Douglas Schmidt on bandoneon and Kay Sleking on guitar, and Viva Vivaldi! - an all-Vivaldi program with an early music orchestra.

Laudate discography includes A Baroque Christmas, Christmas Journey and Songs of Heaven and Earth. Its newest release, Celtic Journey with Amy Stephen and Michael Viens, has received high praise from the famed Celtic specialist Michael McGlynn: "The combination of such excellent voices under a decisive guiding hand is very refreshing to hear on such a stylistically difficult release. This is easily one of the finest available records in the Celtic genre of vocal music that I have ever heard".

Mariachi Los Dorados

Previously known as Mariachi Romántico, Mariachi Los Dorados was established in Vancouver, BC. The group was founded on May 5th, 2003 by its director Alex Alegria and his goal was to bring to Canada the traditional music of Mexico , best known as Mariachi music. The name Mariachi Los Dorados comes from General Francisco Villa's army "Los Dorados", in which some members were from North America. Los Dorados are well known through Western Canada for their mixture of Canadian and Mexican talent. These musicians deliver the passion, love and respect they feel for Mexico and its culture. One of the missions of Mariachi Los Dorados is to maintain and promote the beauty of Mexico through its traditional and uplifting music. For that reason Alex Alegria has opened the Los Dorados Mariachi School. This is the first of its kind in Canada, a place where kids, youth and adults develop their understanding of Mariachi music.

In 2006, Mariachi Los Dorados opened a venue, La Casa Del Artista, where supporters and audience members could come to relax and enjoy music. La Casa is considered "Little Mexico" and a place where people from various backgrounds gather together to enjoy traditional Latin and Mariachi performances. Mariachi

Los Dorados has been in various movies, radio and television appearances. They also perform in many concerts locally and outside the greater Vancouver area, having toured BC and Alberta and even staged their own international festival in Vancouver in 2007. Most recently, in September 2008, they represented Canada in the 15th Annual International Mariachi Festival in Guadalajara, Mexico, also known as the land of Mariachis. Mariachi Los Dorados performs in La Casa Del Artista on Friday nights and this year, they are very excited to represent Mexico and bring their Mariachi music to the Scandinavian Midsummer Festival.

Mexico Vivo

Mexico Vivo is a Vancouver-Based troup specializing in Mexican Folkloric and Salsa Dances. The group consists of several dancers mostly from Mexico. Founder and Director, Maria Hillmer, is originally from Mexico and acquired her phenomenal dance skills at the Dance Academy of the National Auditorium in Mexico City. "I feel great love and passion for my Mexican culture and music, so the purpose for this group is to share this with the public through our dances", Maria says.

Purpurit

Founded in 1973, Purpurit is a Finnish-Canadian folk dance group. Purpurit perform at local and international festivals including Kaustinen Folk Festival, Expo '86, Finnish Canadian Grand Festivals, and at Finn Fest USA. Purpurit have traveled to Australia and toured the Nordic countries with great success. Purpurit welcomes all experienced and beginner dancers.

Louis Riel Métis Dancers

The Louis Riel Métis Dancers perform Métis traditional dance - a blending of French, Scottish, Irish, Scandinavian and First Nations - which reflects the unique cultural history of the Métis people. The Métis dance is very joyful and uplifting Ð we believe that our dance is healing for our audiences. Our Louis Riel Métis Dancers have performed all over the Lower Mainland, throughout BC and other parts of Canada to share the culture and history of the Métis with both Aboriginal and mainstream audiences.

Scandinavian Dancers

Traditions

Known for its joie de vivre, Traditions invites you to go back in time and enjoy a selection of folkloric dances from French Canada... and even join us for a few easy dances! Influenced by the dance traditions brought to Canada by the French, the Irish, the English and the Scots, French-Canadian dances are very lively and often feature some step-dancing.

West Vancouver Concert Band