SUNG RA: Rakestar Arkestra with a Choir led by Christine Duncan (Ontario)
In 2000, Rakestar formed as a musical and anagramic tribute to the Arkestra of the legendary Saturnian composer, pianist, and all-around-wisdomystic, Le Sony’r Ra, better known as Sun Ra, and played in Guelph in 2002. In 2017, the group’s leader Rory Magill mounted the ambitious program called SUNG RA, devoted to Sun Ra’s songs and poetry through a collaboration with Ottawa’s Tone Cluster Choir, an LGTBQ vocal group under the direction of the exceptional Toronto vocalist and conductor, Christine Duncan (of Element Choir-fame). To kick off this year’s festival, we are delighted to hear Rory and company remount SUNG RA, this time featuring a massed choir comprising singers from Element Choir, the Rainbow Chorus of Waterloo-Wellington, and a few other intrepid singers, to sing and play songs that swing, dance, incant, and travel the spaceways. Rory Magill (keyboards and trombone), Don Cummings (Hammond organ), Mike Essoudry (drums and clarinet), David Broscoe (alto and baritone saxophones), John Sobol (tenor and baritone saxophones), Rob Frayne (tenor saxophone and electronics), Scott Warren (perscussion and transmissions), and Christine Duncan (voice and conducting)
Wednesday, 12 September, 8pm, Guelph Little Theatre, $15/$10
Rakestar website
Rainbow Chorus website
photo credit: Brett Delmage
