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One of the great birthday gifts – Wagner’s Idyll

On July 7, 1864, the most infamous ménage á trois in music history took place in the Villa Pelle on Lake Starnberg. It resulted in a divorce, a child, a marriage, lots of rumors, and a mythical piece of music.

Cosima Liszt, daughter of the famed Franz Liszt, was married to Hans von Bülow, one of the most famous conductors and pianists of the day, and a close friend of Wagner’s. The triangle between Hans, Cosima, and Wagner at the Lake Starnberg Villa supposedly inspired a “Starnberg” quartet from him, of which only the theme survived. However, it is now thought that even the “Starnberg” theme originated four months later, while Wagner was alone in Munich.

A definite product of Lake Starnberg was Wagner and Cosima’s child, Isolde. Because Wagner feared that an illegitimate child would anger his patrons, causing him to lose financial support, he didn’t claim Isolde as his own, and acted only as her godfather. Five years and two more illegitimate children later, Richard and Cosima were finally married, on August 25, 1870. Von Bülow never remarried.

During this time Wagner was at work on Siegfried, the third part of his imposing Ring tetralogy. He used the “Starnberg” theme to set the love duet between Siegfried and Brunnhilde, no doubt a reference to Wagner’s own love for Cosima. On June 6, 1869, a son was born to him and Cosima. “[Cosima] has borne to me a wonderfully beautiful and vigorous boy whom I could boldly call ‘Siegfried’; he is now growing, together with my work . . .”

In Siegfried Idyll, Wagner wove together a set of musical references to his love for Cosima and their newborn son Siegfried. The “Starnberg” theme is not only a reference to his and Cosima’s love, but also to Siegfried and Brunnhilde’s in Act III of Siegfried. Wagner’s love for his son is expressed in the Idyll via “Sleep, Children, Sleep”, a German cradlesong. The Idyll is a labor of love, a sumptuous piece of music that expressed Wagner’s paternal and romantic love in a tender and unforgettable way.

Originally entitled Tribschen Idyll, the Siegfried Idyll was composed in Tribschen in 1870 as a birthday present for Cosima. Rehearsals took place with the utmost of privacy; the trumpeter is said to have rowed to the middle of the lake in order to practice without giving the secret away. The work was performed on Christmas morning, on the stairs outside the bedroom. Cosima recorded the performance in her diary: “As I awoke, my ear caught a sound, which swelled fuller and fuller; no longer could I imagine myself to be dreaming, music was sounding, and such music! When it died away, Richard came into my room . . . and offered me the score of the symphonic birthday poem.”

Hearing the impact of Share in the Future

Some one recently said to me that the SSO is “punching above its weight class”. It has been a wonderful season and the last few events have not only been incredible concerts but show exactly how important Share in the Future was.

For many Share in the Future was the tangible reality of being debt free – for the SSO, truly Share in the Future was about so much more than that.

This season has allowed the SSO to boldly make some big artistic statements. Making music that speaks loudly to the wider audience. Creating meaningful concerts that are more than just a concert.

At the beginning of this month we launched a brand new experimental concert series called After Dark. With only a few days notice, music lovers came out of the wood work and we sold out both performances – our Core musicians played some incredible new music, and we transformed our dull old rehearsal studio on 20th Street into a hopping night club, complete with musician led pub trivia.

On Valentines Day we brought back the Chamber Orchestra for the first time in years. The smaller version of a full sized orchestra allows the SSO to program highly detailed and expressive Baroque repertoire that Saskatoon and this entire region is dying to hear. Many would consider it a success because we had a big crowd, who clearly loved what they were hearing, on the Sunday of a long weekend. But for me, the bench mark of success was hearing our SSO musicians perform beautiful Baroque music as it was supposed to be played. It felt light and buoyant, it danced. Exactly like Baroque music should. Our SSO Chorus added an extra level of artistry to the whole experience. It will not soon be forgotten by those who were there!

And I am, and likely you are too, still speechless and still in a state of awe from the experience that was Tanya Tagaq’s ground breaking performance with the SSO. Whether you were moved, or scared, or inspired, I am certain that the performance made you feel something very deeply. Nothing else needs to be said.

Next weekend will be the same level of emotional intensity with Jan Lisiecki – I might even go as far as to say that it has been decades since the SSO played with an artist of this depth and caliber. I’ve heard him play Beethoven Concerto 4 three times, and I am certain that this will be one of those nights that people talk about for years to come as a highlight of music making in Saskatoon. Besides that we get to take him to perform in La Ronge, a once in a lifetime event!

Share in the Future did this. Having a conductor who calls Saskatoon home and who believes in the artistry of his musicians and sets the bar high, that is because of Share in the Future. Share in the Future allows the staff to work towards new programming and new outreach opportunities for next season. It allows Eric and I to take a step back from programming and look years ahead to musical ideas that we want to bring to life for our audience. It has allowed the SSO as an organization to begin to talk about what turning 100 will look like.

Share in the Future allowed all of you to feel part of the big picture too. It wasn’t just the SSO that achieved this amazing thing, it was people who care about their orchestra. And that speaks volumes.

I’m a pretty big music geek, and a few years ago I was thinking that I might have to move because Saskatchewan, wasn’t offering me the musical experiences I needed to feel that I was enjoying living here. Now I am proud to tell people across this country that what we Saskatoon is in a renaissance – we are the lucky few who are seeing an orchestra rise from the ashes to not only make great music but tackle social dialogues, build new musical partnerships, reach out to perform for people who wouldn’t have the chance to see anything like this if it weren’t for the SSO.

We needed Share in the Future, and its transformation, but it should be just the beginning. $100 is really easy to give, even when times are tough. And each of those $100 allowed us to take major leaps forward. Its now time for the SSO to have an annual spring giving campaign because both Eric and I have some big plans.

We see a future where we get to have more concerts so that our audience can enjoy more and our musicians get more work. Where we get our musicians performing more for students and seniors and the people in our society who most need music. A future where our musicians truly get to make some great musical moments on stage alongside real artists who aren’t just good at playing their instrument, but who really have something to say. Where the SSO connects visiting musicians with the public and students to learn more and expand our musical horizons. We want to create unique musical opportunities that connect us with other art forms and build partnerships that not only enrich what we do but enhances our music community.

This is what a community can do. It can create one heck of a good orchestra. And it can have a lot of fun doing it. Let’s see what weight class we’ll be punching in next year…want to help?

See you at the symphony,
Mark Turner
Executive Director

Haydn’s London

Franz Joseph Haydn (March 31, 1732–May 31, 1809)

Adagio–Allegro

Andante

Menuetto: Allegro; Trio

Finale: Spirituoso

Although Symphony #104 is the only of Haydn’s last twelve symphonies which bears the nickname London, this moniker applies equally to them all. Haydn composed six symphonies for each of his two journeys to London in the 1790s. His tremendous financial and musical successes in England were a source of joy to him, but also made him feel underappreciated in his native Austria.

Also known as Salomon, Haydn’s final symphony was composed in early 1795, and first heard on a concert given for his benefit on May 4, 1795. The first reviewer admired the work “for [its] fullness, richness, and majesty in all its parts,” and thought that it would “surpass all his other compositions.” It is true that Haydn’s last symphonies reflect not only his experience, but originality, profound feeling, and technical mastery.

The first movement, after a foreboding introduction, breaks into a fanfare-like theme for the full orchestra. The portent vanishes with the subsequent cheerful Allegro. The second movement’s soaring melody with free nuances has a pleasant Viennese elegance. The tight energy of the Finale is awesome. Its principle theme is thought to be based on an English street song.

Bach’s Orchestral Suites

For a long time, most of Johann Sebastian Bach’s chamber and ensemble music was assigned to the years 1717 to 1723, when he served as Kapellmeister at the princely court of Cöthen. However, more recent studies based on original sources and style criticism have led to a thorough revision of the traditional chronology affecting this part of his output, including the four Orchestral Suites BWV1066–1069. It now seems that only the smaller part of the instrumental ensemble music (or at least the part which survives) belongs to the Cöthen period, while the greater part was composed at Leipzig — principally for the Collegium Musicum, a concert society consisting of active professional and amateur musicians as well as passive members.
Throughout the 17th century, students primarily from the University of Leipzig had formed private societies that played an increasingly important role in public musical life — they were often led by the city’s most prominent professionals, such as Adam Krieger, Johann Rosenmüller, Sebastian Knüpfer, and Johann Kuhnau. In 1701, the young and energetic law student and first organist of the recently rebuilt New Church, Georg Philipp Telemann, founded a new Collegium that he led for four years and that attracted the most capable musicians from within and outside the city. Bach was associated with this organization throughout his Leipzig years, and he served as its music director from 1729 until the early 1740s.
There is no question that the Collegium directorship amounted to a major commitment. Bach was now responsible, in addition to his regular church music obligations, for preparing and carrying out a weekly series of performances throughout the year. The schedule of these ‘ordinaire Concerten’ was made even more demanding by the additional commitments of the thrice-yearly trade fairs, when the Collegium performed twice weekly. Programmes were printed only for very special occasions such as the reception of members of the Electoral Saxon and Royal Polish Court
in Dresden. However, vocal and instrumental pieces by a great variety of composers must have been included in the weekly concert series; it is impossible to reconstruct, even in the broadest outlines, any of the more than 500 two-hour programmes for which Bach was responsible.
Pertinent performing materials from the 1730s are extremely sparse. Nevertheless, among the traceable compositions are four overtures by Bach’s cousin, Johann Bernhard Bach of Eisenach, the cantata Armida abbandonata by Handel, four Italian solo cantatas by Porpora and Scarlatti, and a Concerto Grosso in F minor by Locatelli. Additionally, “Mr. Bach de Leipzig” is found among the subscribers to Telemann’s Nouveaux Quatuors, published in Paris in 1738, which suggests that he wanted these pieces for his Collegium series. Although these few works and composers cannot be considered representative at all, they confirm that the repertoire was both instrumental and vocal, and that the most modern kind of music — such as the Porpora cantatas and the Telemann flute
quartets — played a role. This is definitely also the primary context for most of Bach’s extant instrumental chamber music. The concertos for one, two, three, and four harpsichords and strings, for example, were among his major contributions to a new kind of instrumental music.
The four Orchestral Suites belong here, too. Their sources definitely point to Leipzig, even though it remains unclear whether they were specifically written for the Collegium Musicum or perhaps for Bach’s activities outside of Leipzig. One needs to keep in mind that the Thomaskantor maintained the position of titular court Kapellmeister after leaving Cöthen until the death of Prince Leopold in 1728, and that he immediately accepted another titular Kapellmeister appointment at the ducal court of Saxe-Weißenfels in 1729, followed in 1736 by the appointment as Electoral-Royal court composer in Dresden.
Moreover, a recently analysed inventory of the old St Thomas School library indicates that at least some of the Orchestral Suites and the Brandenburg Concertos were used for student
performances. This happens to be corroborated by some extant early copies of scores and performing parts that point to their use even during the decade after Bach’s death. There is new general evidence that instrumental music played a much larger role in the life of the St Thomas School students than heretofore assumed. Throughout the 17th and 18th centuries the school produced a significant number of professional musicians so that it earned the reputation of a true conservatory of music.
The use at the School does not mean, however, that any of Bach’s instrumental ensemble works were composed for this purpose, it only suggests their broader function. The principal sources of the Orchestral Suites indicate that the first and forth originated from around 1725 whereas the third Suite can be dated to 1731. No.2, with its hybrid mixture of concerto elements and suite form and the extraordinary virtuosity of its flute writing, dates from 1738–39 and hence counts as Bach’s very last orchestral work.
In terms of format, the Orchestral Suites differ significantly from the keyboard suites in that they do not adhere to any kind of pattern in their organization of movements. However, they all have in common an ouverture that serves as an opening movement — a tradition going back to the ballet suites in 17th-century French opera. Apart from this, no suite resembles any other and taken together they offer the broadest possible spectrum of traditional dance types and modern gallantry movements: Courante, Gavotte, Forlane, Minuet, Bourrée, Passepied, Rondeau, Polonaise, Badinerie, Air, Gigue, and Réjouissance — presenting a much more innovative mixture than can be found in the keyboard suites. In quite a few movements Bach also takes an adventurous approach. Characteristic examples in this respect are on the one hand in No.3 the tantalizing and lilting melody of the ‘Air on the G string’ that put Bach right next to the very best tunesmiths in the business, and on the other the daring venture of strict canonic treatment of the outer voices in the Sarabande of the B minor Suite.
Another differentiating element consists in the orchestral scoring of the works. Nos. 3 and 4 resemble each other the most because both of them make use of three trumpets and timpani, two and three oboes, respectively, and a standard string ensemble. Suites nos.1 and 2, however, feature two completely different orchestral sounds: oboes, bassoons, and strings versus solo flute and strings.
Above all, the four Orchestral Suites serve as a vivid reminder of the general importance of Bach’s art of dance composition that Forkel so rightly emphasized in his 1802 biography. This art transcends the genre proper as it indeed affects all facets of instrumental and vocal music, notably the arias and their expanded expressive range. By composing dances Bach significantly refined his musical language, not so much in the basic realm of vocabulary, syntax, and grammar but notably in the area of articulation and expression. Nowhere else but in his suites of dances do we encounter a more systematic, sophisticated, and far ranging exploration of the subtleties of musical articulation and along with it the fine tuning of musical expression.

Vivaldi’s glorious Gloria

Gloria in D major, RV 589 Composed: 1715

Antonio Vivaldi is remembered as one of the fathers of instrumental music and the master of the concerto for soloist(s) and orchestra – of which he wrote over 550, including some 240 for the violin. Colorful and tuneful works like The Four Seasons are among the most popular in all of classical music. His operas and religious works also brought him fame during his lifetime. Ordained as a priest in 1703, the redheaded Vivaldi came to be known as “il prete rosso” (“the red priest”). He decided to pursue musical rather than ecclesiastical duties, and became a teacher at the Ospedale della Pietà, an orphanage and school for girls famous for its excellent choir and orchestra, where he worked in several capacities over the ensuing three-plus decades. Meanwhile his concertos and other instrumental works were being published to great acclaim, attracting the admiring attention of famous musicians such as Johann Sebastian Bach. In his later years Vivaldi fell on hard times, and on his death he was buried (as was Mozart five decades later) in a pauper’s grave in Vienna.

Most of Vivaldi’s responsibilities at the Ospedale della Pietà involved teaching and the composition of instrumental music. But around 1713 and for the next six years – as the Ospedale’s choir master recovered from a serious illness – Vivaldi’s role expanded to include the writing of sacred works. Sometime during this period he composed the Gloria in D major. As was the case with so much of Vivaldi’s music, the Gloria was long unknown even to scholars. It was only rediscovered in the late 1920s and received its first modern performance in 1939. Typical modern performances of the Gloria include both male and female voices in the chorus. But that wasn’t the case in Vivaldi’s time: no men, aside from priests like Vivaldi, were allowed at the Ospedale, so all performers (even the choir’s tenors and basses) would have been female.

The Gloria’s joyous opening “Gloria in excelsis Deo,” featuring octave leaps and obbligato trumpet and oboe, is followed by a more meditative “Et in terra pax,” with its canonic imitation in the chorus, chromatic harmonies, and throbbing string figures that call to mind Vivaldi’s concertos. Two sopranos are featured in the lively, passionate “Laudamus te.” While the opening of “Gratias agimus te” is stately and homophonic in texture, when the chorus enters in the “Propter magnam gloriam tuam” the tempo speeds and the texture becomes more contrapuntal.

Soprano and violin duet in the slow “Domine Deus, Rex coelestis.” The joyous “Domine Fili unigente,” with its four-part choral harmonies, is followed by the slow “Domine Deus, Agnus Dei,” in which a contralto soloist joins the chorus. After the short, somber “Qui tollis peccata mundi,” the contralto is once again highlighted in the “Qui sedes ad dexteram Patris.”

The “Quoniam tu solus sanctus” recalls the work’s opening section, before the complex double fugue of the “Cum Sancto Spiritu” brings the Gloria to a sparkling conclusion.

Cameco and SSO bring Jan Lisiecki to La Ronge

For many in Saskatchewan’s north, this will be the first time they’ve heard a classical pianist of this calibre.

On Thursday March 3, internationally acclaimed concert pianist Jan Lisiecki will bring his talents to Senator Myles Venne School in La Ronge. Lisiecki will perform and talk with students during the day and in the evening he will give a free public performance at Churchill Community School.

Lisiecki is no stranger to Saskatoon crowds – his three recitals here have all been sellouts. Last year while finalizing his SSO appearance, Jan requested an opportunity to visit a community in northern Saskatchewan and the La Ronge project was set in motion.

That’s when Cameco stepped in to help make Lisiecki’s request a reality. “Nothing like this has ever been done before,” says SSO executive director Mark Turner. “Thanks to Cameco, we’re bringing a world class artist from the stages of Carnegie Hall right to La Ronge.”

For Cameco, it’s about giving northern youth a chance to dream. “No matter what the youth are interested in, they may look at Jan and say, ‘There’s a role model to be like,’” explains Jonathan Huntington, Cameco’s director of corporate relations.

On March 4, 1:30 p.m. Lisiecki will return to Saskatoon to play and speak in Quance Theatre at the University of Saskatchewan. That event—celebrating the SSO’s continuing strong relationship with the U of S Department of Music—is free and open to the public.

At the age of 20 years old, Jan Lisiecki has made a major impact in the music industry. His recent Carnegie Hall debut garnered him a very loud standing ovation and triumphant reviews. He is known for his poetic and refined sound at the instrument – his sense of tone and style are paramount to his success. Jan records exclusively for the prestigious Deutsche Grammophon record label. His recent release features the Schumann piano concerto.

His Saskatchewan visit will wrap with a concert March 5 with the Saskatoon Symphony Orchestra at TCU Place in a performance of Beethoven’s 4th Piano Concerto.

For more information about Jan Lisiecki visit www.janlisiecki.com

Connect on social media:

@camecocommunity / @ssoyxe / @janlisiecki

jan-lisiecki-poster-La Ronge-01

Shostakovich’s Second Piano Concerto

For Shostakovich, 1953 to about 1960 was a period of relative prosperity and security: with Stalin’s death a great curtain of fear had been lifted. Shostakovich was gradually restored to favour, allowed to earn a living, and even honoured, though there was a price: co-operation (at least ostensibly) with the authorities. The peak of this “thaw”, in 1956 when large numbers of “rehabilitated” intellectuals were released, coincided with the composition of the effervescent Second Piano Concerto.

Shostakovich was hoping that his son, Maxim, would become a pianist (typically, the lad instead became a conductor, though not of buses). Maxim gave the concerto its first performance on 10th May 1957, his 19th birthday. Shostakovich must have intended all along that this would be a “birthday present” for, while he remained covertly dissident (the Eleventh Symphony was just around the corner), the concerto is utterly devoid of all subterfuge, cryptic codes and hidden messages. Instead, it brims with youthful vigour, vitality, romance – and such sheer damned mischief that I reckon that it must be a “character study” of Maxim.

Shostakovich wrote intensely serious music, and music of satirical, sarcastic humour (often combining the two). He also enjoyed producing affable, inoffensive “light music”. But here is yet another aspect, the “Haydnesque”, both wittily amusing and formally stimulating:

First Movement: Allegro Tongue firmly in cheek, Shostakovich begins this sonata movement with a perky little introduction (bassoon), accompaniment for the piano playing the first subject proper, equally perky but maybe just a touch tipsy. Then, bang! – the piano and snare-drum take off like the clappers. Over chugging strings, the piano eases in the second subject, also slightly inebriate but gradually melting into a horn-warmed modulation. With a thunderous “rock ‘n’ roll” vamp the piano bulldozes into an amazingly inventive development, capped by a huge climax that sounds suspiciously like a cheeky skit on Rachmaninov. A massive unison (Shostakovich apparently skitting one of his own symphonic habits!) reprises the second subject first. Suddenly alone, the piano winds cadentially into a deliciously decorated first subject, before charging for the line with the orchestra hot on its heels.

Second Movement: Andante Simplicity is the key, and for the opening cloud-shrouded string theme the key is minor. Like the sun breaking through, an effect as magical as it is simple, the piano enters in the major. This enchanting counter-melody, at first blossoming and warming the orchestra, itself gradually clouds over as the musing piano drifts into the shadowy first theme. The sun peeps out again, only to set in long, arpeggiated piano figurations, whose tips evolve the merest wisps of rhythm . . .

Finale: Allegro . . .which the piano grabs and turns into a cheekily chattering tune in duple time, sparking variants as it whizzes along. A second subject interrupts, abruptly – it has no choice as its septuple time must willy-nilly play the chalk to the other’s cheese. The movement is a riot, these two incompatible clowns constantly elbowing one another aside to show off ever more outrageously. In and amongst, the piano keeps returning to a rippling figuration, which I fancifully regard as a “straight man” vainly trying to referee. Who wins? Don’t ask – just enjoy the bout!

Notes by

Paul Serotsky

Calling all choristers – Saskatoon Symphony Chorus returns

Last year marked the first year of the Saskatoon Symphony Chorus – and it was a resounding success!

The chorus performed with the SSO for both the concert and sing-along performances of Handel’s Messiah. After the astounding response we had from the audience to the choir, we immediately planned to expand the chorus’ performances for the 85th season. In the upcoming season, the chorus’ performances will include Handel’s Messiah and Vivaldi’s Gloria – two of the most beloved choral works.

The SSO is excited to have Duff Warkentin return to work with our choir – Duff’s commitment to the text and the music brings out the best in ever choir he works with. The choir will also work with maestro Eric Paetkau who will lead the orchestra in performances.

Last year’s Messiah performance had many people saying it was one of the best performances they’d ever heard of the work – and this year’s performance is sure to exceed that…there might just be some choruses in the work we didn’t sing last year!

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR AN AUDITION

A hometown pianist worth championing

Samuel Deason has made a habit of impressing Saskatoon audiences. Since his days of capturing the attention of adjudicators and judges as a teen who made playing monstrously difficult music look easy, to his annual performance in his hometown each summer that has garnered him a devoted following, Samuel has made people sit up and listen.

The young pianist has an incredible pedigree having studied with the likes of Marc Durand and Menahem Pressler and getting his start right here at home with Bonnie Nicholson, and has a string of competition titles under his belt. He’s a seasoned performer, and next spring embarks on a solo tour of Saskatchewan.

Not every pianist is a good fit in the idiom of the concerto – it requires a special talent. For a piano to sing out over the full body texture of an orchestra the pianist must find such intense clarity in tone, rhythm, and refinement of the piece. A unique position of being both soloist and ensemble at once. It takes endless precision and commitment to finding something new to say…something that is their own. These are the skills that seem to come effortlessly to Deason.

Samuel made his SSO debut after winning the Saskatchewan Concerto Competition…and people are still talking about his Khachaturian more than a year later. It was clear as he took his last bow on that debut performance that he was a perfect fit to open our 85th season. A powerful sound at the instrument driven by his physically economic style – as one recent reviewer noted “No ounce of energy is wasted, and the powerful weighted sound easily pours out of Deason’s stature…The body stays distant from the keyboard, and the arms move little despite the wide leaps and difficult dissonant rhythmic passages he is undertaking.”

The Shostakovich Piano Concerto 2 is one of the true triumphs of the genre’s 20th century sound – the composer wrote it for his son as a vehicle to not only make music but show off. Samuel will make the Shostakovich look like child’s play. The concerto sparkles and bounces and avoids getting too serious with itself, yet the second movement’s simple melody is a heart breaker.

We are certain that Samuel’s performance will have you instantly out of your seat – and we’re certain it won’t be the last time he brings the SSO audience to their feet.

See Deason’s return to the SSO – click here

Volunteer with the SSO!

Looking to share your volunteer time with Saskatoon’s orchestra? There are many ways to support the Saskatoon Symphony Orchestra!

VOLUNTEER BENEFITS

Not only is volunteering beneficial to the SSO, it’s beneficial to volunteers! Volunteer benefits include:

Complimentary tickets to SSO concerts.
Invitations to Volunteer Appreciation Events.
Invitations to other special events.

All volunteers are required to:

Complete an application form.
Be over 18 years of age.
Attend a personal interview.
Read, understand, sign a form for, and adhere to the SSO’s confidentiality policy.
Possess excellent communication skills.
Have a professional demeanor and appearance as dictated by the volunteer role and activity.
Have a positive attitude.
Act as an ambassador of the SSO.
Have their own transportation to and from volunteer activities.
Have a willingness to perform a variety of tasks.
Be available to volunteer for at least two activities during a season.
Be punctual.

Opportunities for volunteers are provided without regard to religion, creed, race, national origin, age, sex, disability or sexual orientation. Please read the volunteer role descriptions and then complete the form.

CLICK HERE TO VOLUNTEER!

Volunteer Roles

Concert/Event Greeters – one or more positions per event
- Stationed at the Information Desk set up just inside the venue, greeters will welcome guests and help them pre- and post-event and during intermission.
- Interact with patrons in a warm, welcoming way as they arrive at the event or approach the Information Desk.
- Arrive at the venue 65 minutes prior to the start of the concert and check in at the Information Desk with the supervisor.
- Assist patrons as needed, particularly directing them to the various facilities or stations set up at the venue.
- Handout special materials for the SSO, and be familiar with the information contained therein. (Saskatoon Youth Orchestra members and parents are ushers at TCU Place events and hand out the concert programs.)
- Concert/Event Greeters are expected to adhere to the list of requirements for all volunteers.

Information Desk Supervisor – one position per concert
- Lead activities pre- and post-concert and during intermission at the information table set up at the entrance to concerts.
- Perform the same duties as and supervise the activities of the Concert Greeters.
- Be knowledgeable of the types of questions expected from and answers to give to patrons and advise Concert Greeters of that information.
- Monitor the need for materials to be handed out.
- Liase with SSO and TCU Place (or other venue) staff as needed.
- Arrive at the venue 75 minutes prior to the start of the concert to set-up the information table.
- In addition to the requirements of all volunteers, Information Desk Supervisors are expected to have the interest and ability to monitor/supervise other volunteers.

Boutique Assistants – one or more positions per event
- Stationed at the Boutique tables, help to sell SSO items and tickets/subscriptions pre- and post-concert and during intermission.
- Interact with patrons in a warm, welcoming way as they shop the Boutique.
- Arrive at the venue 75 minutes prior to the start of the concert and check in at the Boutique table with the supervisor.
- Assist patrons with their shopping and purchases.
- Have experience handling money. Experience with cash registers, POS machines a plus.
- Boutique Assistants are expected to adhere to the list of requirements for all volunteers.

Boutique Supervisor – one position per event
- Lead activities pre- and post-concert and during intermission at the boutique table.
- Supervise the activities of Boutique Assistants.
- Help to sell boutique items, visiting vendors’ items as needed, and/or SSO event tickets and subscriptions.
- Have experience handling money.
- Have experience processing transactions on a cash register, POS machine, and/or online payment system.
- Have retail sales experience and great customer service.
- Liase with SSO, TCU Place (or other venue), and visiting vendors’ staff as needed.
- Arrive at the venue 90 minutes prior to the start of the concert to help set-up the Boutique tables.
- In addition to the requirements of all volunteers, Boutique Supervisors are expected to have the interest and ability to monitor/supervise other volunteers.

Fundraising Assistants – one or more per concert or event
- Stationed at/near the Boutique tables, help to sell SSO take and answer questions about donations pre- and post-concert and during intermission.
- Arrive at the venue 65 minutes prior to the start of the concert and check in at the Boutique table with the supervisor.Interact with patrons in a warm, welcoming way.
- Assist patrons with their donations including completing paper and online forms.
- Have experience handling money. Experience with POS machines and completing online forms a plus.
- Fundraising Assistants are expected to adhere to the list of requirements for all volunteers.

Special Event Assistants – one or more per event
- Duties will vary by event, but could include greeting/registering guests, serving food or beverages, selling tickets or other items, taking donations, etc.
- Interact with guests in a warm, welcoming way.
- Arrive at the venue prior to the event as requested and check in with SSO staff.
- Assist guests as needed, particularly directing them to the various facilities or stations set up at the venue.
- Have a willingness to help solve problems quickly and maintain a professional demeanor during event emergencies.
- Understand the role of volunteering as event helper and not patron/guest/attendee.
- Special events volunteers are expected to adhere to the list of requirements for all volunteers as well as any additional requirements of the event at which they are volunteering.

Poster distribution/hanging – multiple volunteers needed throughout the season
- Pick up a stack of posters from the SSO office and distribute them in areas of Saskatoon as mutually agreed upon with the SSO office staff.
- Volunteers will be provided with a packet of supplies for hanging posters. This must be returned with any leftover posters within 48 hours of receipt from the SSO office.
- In addition to the requirements of all volunteers, poster distribution/hanging volunteers are expected to
  - have their own transportation to access the SSO office and the location of poster distribution.
  - be knowledgeable of the area of town in which they will be distributing posters.
  - have attention to detail.
  - communicate well with supervisors/owners of businesses where posters will be distributed.
  - make sure that posters are well-placed and visible.

Office Assistants
- From time to time, the SSO needs extra assistance performing light clerical activities in the office. There are no set times, but schedules will be arranged with those expressing interest in volunteering in this way.
- Activities could include:
  - updating electronic and paper files
  - database entry
  - mailings (sorting, stuffing, and stamping)
  - photocopying
  - answering phones
  - assisting with donations to the Book and Music Sale
  - assisting patrons visiting the office as needed
- Office Assistants are expected to adhere to the list of requirements for all volunteers.

Special Projects/committees
- Some special events or projects require additional planning and committee work.
- Serving on such a committee may involve working with SSO staff, members of the Board of Directors, SSO musicians, members of the public, or others.
- Volunteers for special projects will be invited to participate based on their indication of interest in the area of the project and their availability.
- Volunteering for a special project or committee will require a longer commitment than volunteer shift work.
- Special Project/Committee volunteers are expected to adhere to the list of requirements for all volunteers as well as any additional responsibilities required of the project.

Book and Music Sale
- Volunteer positions and assignments are made by the Book and Music Sale leadership.

- Visit http://sale.wgpotter.com/bms_contact.html#volunteer for more information.