Festival Offers World-Class Music in Holiday Hot Spot

Elora, Ontario is not only home to the sight-seeing sensation that is the Elora Gorge, but also boasts some of the finest dining, quaint accommodations, quirky shops, outdoor adventure sports, and the 35-year-old Elora Festival.

Every summer the village of Elora resounds with one of the longest-running music festivals in Ontario. This summer will be no exception as the Elora Festival transforms a quaint village and its intimate venues into a musical happening of such magnitude that it draws capacity crowds from across Ontario.

Featured in the staggering twenty-two concerts offered this summer are some of the world’s most acclaimed ensembles, including the Juno and Grammy-nominated Elora Festival Singers, The Tenors, Trinity College Choir and a multitude of others.

Season highpoints include a chamber musical by writer and host of CBC Radio’s Shift, Tom Allen. A natural raconteur and trombonist to boot, Allen has scripted a fascinating frolic through the  of The Great War era. Dramatizing the fables and facts of Debussy and Ravel through arrangements, original compositions and narration, The Judgment of Paris is a work of inspired brilliance showcasing the talents of internationally recognized musicians, composers and actors. Tom Allen and friends take over the Gambrel Barn in Elora on July 18^th.

On July 19^th Richard Margison teams up with his daughter Lauren in a stirring program of diverse repertoire aptly called Back to Back. From jazz to pop, and from folk to opera, Back to Back is certain to be a voyage in celebration of song. Widely acclaimed for his vocal command, Richard’s career began in the tiny coffee houses and back-alley clubs of Victoria BC as a rock musician and has culminated on the world’s biggest stages as an operatic celebrity. Having taken the opera world by storm, Richard continues to pay homage to folk music roots, singing works by Gordon Lightfoot, Stan Rogers and even collaborating with Canadian legend, Bruce Cockburn. After appearing on the Tonight Show and sharing stages with such operatic icons as The Tenors, Lauren Margison’s reputation is mounting to match the fame of her father – and given the melodious gene pool in the Margison family, it is indeed true that the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.

Patrons of the festival can also expect to discover what musical magic results when two violinists, one cellist, and one violist come together in boundary-breaking musical exploration on July 27^th.  The incontestable result is, of course, England’s famed Brodsky Quartet. Named after the Russian violinist Adolf Brodsky, the Quartet is synonymous with their mastery of Shostakovich’s complete string quartets, but have also been engaging younger audiences with contemporary collaborations with Elvis Costello, Bjork and Paul McCartney. Now in their 42^nd year, the Brodsky Quartet continues to be what Time Out has dubbed “an agelessly hip foursome.” This summer, they bring their expertise in string quartet repertoire to the stages of Elora, showcasing work by Mendelsohn alongside selections from their 2013 cd release In the South.

Elora may feel as though it was a world-apart, but is a short drive from many urban centers and an opportune vacation spot. Make your summer an enchanted one by booking a stay at one of the many cozy bed & breakfast suites, experiencing the Elora Festival and the village charm that is Elora! Visit elorafestival.ca to discover more.