WE'VE MOVED!

OOPS! We have a new home - if you've missed all the latest updates at Third Ave Centre, please head on over to: www.thirdavecentre.org Thanks for your patience while we pack up the place and move over there!

Tafelmusik! Must see concert of the year


The world's greatest baroque orchestra is coming to Saskatoon, and taking us from a November's night on the Canadian plains to 16th century Italy - follow in Galileo's steps as he first sees the moons of Jupiter...marvels at the rings of Saturn. 

Picture it now - a concert experience like no other. 
An actor who makes you feel like you are with the great explorer of the universe.
A projection screen showing the images from the Hubble Telescope.
18 instruments from the renaissance.  And an orchestra filled with some of the most gifted, inspired, and expressive musicians in the world.

The Galileo Project was conceived, scripted, and programmed by Alison McKay - McKay grew up right here in Saskatoon, giving this performance a homecoming trimuph.

And why is this not to be missed?  This is the second last performance EVER of the Galileo Project.

Tickets are on sale now at Persephone Theatre Box Office
384-7727 - Online Tickets

FREE concert performance!

Join us at Third Ave for a romp through Bach's Coffee Cantata - completely re-vamped for the 21st Century!

ITS FREE!
7:30 on September 29th - click the banner for more info

Proms a HUGE hit!

The First Annual Saskatoon Summer Proms was a smashing success - and we've had fans begging to bring it back!

This summer the Proms saw 32 professional musicians, 10+ volunteers, and over 2000 people in 9 concerts!

Concerts ranged from familiar classical works of Bach and Mozart, to lesser known works by Montsalvatge and Debussy, to works by new composers like Pratley and Reich.  With a fiddle night featuring everything from Metis to Celtic fiddle, a Jazz night with torch songs about love, and a Memory Lane with everything from Smoke Gets In Your Eyes to the Beatles. 

Thank you Saskatoon and music lovers for making this summer so darn much fun!

Lets do it again next year!!

Third Ave - the home of great music!

We're excited to release the performance dates of the fall season here at Third Ave.

Click here for the complete line up!
We are thrilled to have the Amati String Quartet and the Metro Jazz Band move their series performances to Third Ave - opening up the sounds of their incredible groups to the downtown audiences, and giving them new acoustic life in the world renowned acoustics of Third Ave.

We're very excited to have StarBach's Coffee Cantata as a free public performance feature of our contribution to Culture Days - an instant classic, Bach's Coffee Cantata has been revamped and modernized, and has all the scandal coffee addiction can bring!

But the most exciting event is the return of Tafelmusik!  Few performing groups in the world have reached the acclaim of Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra.  Its been nearly a decade since they last wowed Saskatoon audeicnes.

Their triumphant return is a production of the Galileo Project: Music of the Spheres. 

Be amazed by the video - and wait till you hear the Saskatoon connection!

Friends of Third Ave

Link for Information for Friends of Third Ave

In the upcoming days, there'll be a lot of news coming forward about the recent dialogue taking place around Third Ave United Church being allowed to apply for Heritage Status.

We are very much strong supporters of Third Ave in its endevour to overturn a decision made by Presbytery to not allowed the congregation of this exceptional building to apply for Heritage Status for the building - the Friends of Third Ave website has been set up to inform the public about the issues.

Watoto African Choir makes stop at Third Ave!

This coming Saturday, April 28th, the African Watoto Choir will be performing at Third Ave at 6pm.

The event is a fundraiser for the Watoto organization, whose motto is Rescue, Raise, Rebuild!

The choir has been on extensive tour of Canada, and the Third Ave performance will surely be a highlight of the tour.  The acoustics are so exceptionally world class for choirs (as well all know from Saskatoon Childrens Choir concerts, Fireside Singers years ago, and the annual Messiah performance from the Saskatoon Symphony!)

For more information on this awesome event, check out our upcoming events page.

Watoto Choir Info

Proms!


Every Thursday night all summer long, Third Ave comes alive with Saskatoon's best and coolest musicians. 

Check back here May 14th for the announcement of concert performers!

Trust us, you'll want to clear up your Thursdays.

A room with a view.


Some pictures today, from the lense of Heather Fritz. 



Can you guess what part of Third Ave we're looking at in this awesome picture?

Did you show passion?

When a person died, the ancient Greeks chose not to ask what their accomplishments had been, but rather "did they show passion?"
We're all too busy.  Take a day off....but keep your BlackBerry on so that you get your emails.  Check in with work to make sure everything is going smooth without you.  Make sure you spend your day off running around town dropping off, picking up, looking for, parking, driving, shopping, parking, not getting done what you meant to do.  Don't forget to clean the kitchen floor.  Its been way too long since you washed it.  You know what, do the walls.  The walls need a serious pick me up.  Why are you still that house?  Is your mortgage up for renewal?  You changed the oil in the van right?  Isn't it great to have a day off.

Its no wonder when it comes time to find the passion left over, you're fresh out.  Its really hard to keep up with the Jetsons.  Forget the Jones' - the Jones' could never survive a mortgage/rent, a car, buying gas, and cell phone bills.  The Jones' wouldn't know what hit them.  We all do it.  We work to have the life we want to live, and as the cliche goes, we don't get time to actually live.

So what are you doing about your passion level?

Go ahead.  Look it up.  Its 2012 and we all have internet on our phone...so goodness knows that if you google it up, there'll be some sites that can help you out.  They'll suggest you take some "you" time.  Maybe a holiday. 

I've got your answer and you don't even need to sift through crummy websites.

Get inspired. 

I know, sounds too simple right?  Nope. 

Think about the last time you went to a concert - how amazingly great did you feel afterwards? 

Have you ever been to the Vatican?  Or Westminster Abbey?  Now that...that was inspiring.

This past week, I needed to find some passion.  I went to Third Ave.  I went upstairs and sat in the balcony.  I just took time to think about what it would really mean if those arches were just gone.  Where would I go to sit completely still and get such a rush of emotions and inspiration. 

The upcoming weeks we're going to ask Saskatoon to get passionate about Third Ave....we can't stand by and let people tear old buildings down.  We can't just ride by on bikes.  We can't be left to wish we'd taken more pictures before it was gone. 

But don't take my word for it....listen to someone who's lived through it.

A Piece of History

To celebrate the 100th anniversary of Third Ave being Saskatoon's most important cultural space, we're going to be selling prints of some inspiring images.

This summer, you'll be able to purchase prints of some of the images from the windows, and even prints of the early drawings of the building. 

Its a fundraising intitiative that will also help bring a piece of Third Ave into your home.

Wouldn't you love a copy of this?

The Proms are coming to town!

For over a century, The Proms has been a summer-way-of-life in England.  London's Royal Albert Hall has performances all summer long featuring some of the world's best musicians....its a way to celebrate life and inspire people under the summer sun.

Third Ave is excited to host the first ever Saskatoon Summer Proms - the concerts will take place every Thursday through July and August.  The shows start  at 7pm...that way people can come out after supper, and still have time after the concert to enjoy wandering around the gorgeous downtown.  Take in a glass of wine at the Ivy, head over to the Holiday Inn for dessert.

The Proms will feature incredible exciting combinations of performances - the meeting of classical and jazz, musical theatre and world.  Gypsy music one week, and opera the next.

Diverse and funky.  It's what we do.

Check out some Prom History in London

Help us save Third Ave - the start of something big!

Carol Welsman Live

In just 8 days there will be a massive concert event at Third Ave.  Internationally acclaimed jazz aritst Carol Welsman celebrates the launch of her brand new album "Journey" from the stage located in the concert hall at 304 3rd. 



Welsman has captivated audiences around the world with her expressive vocal styling and dynamic stage presence. She has sold over 60,000 CDs in Canada alone, something few jazz artists in Canada have experienced.

“We are excited and honoured to present Carol Welsman in concert. She is one of the best jazz artists in the world,” says Third Avenue Centre Artist Director Mark Turner. “Saskatoon is Carol’s first performance following the release of her brand new album, Journey. It is a concert and a celebration,” explains Turner.
The Welsman concert is a fund raising event for Third Ave Centre for Community Enrichment, a newly established non-profit organization. Its vision is to establish Third Avenue United Church as a premium cultural venue in Saskatoon. The Centre operates independently from the Church and promotes the space for concerts and community events to raise funds. Proceeds will be directed toward building facility upgrades and sustainability.
“Third Ave, as it is commonly called in Saskatoon, is a cornerstone of culutral and community events for the city. As we enter the centennial year of the building, our organization will work to ensure the building’s existence and significance in the heart of Saskatoon,” says Angela Kempf, Chair, Board of Directors, Third Avenue Centre.

Turner encourages people to purchase tickets and experience an inspirational performance in a beautiful concert venue. In his own words, “Carol’s performance will blow everyone away.”

Tickets are available through Persephone Theatre Box Office
384-7727 or www.persephonetheatre.org

Culture Revitalized!

So just a week ago we made the cover of the paper! 

Check out the awesome article.

Group aims to save Landmark

Add to that an interview we just had with NewsTalk Radio...seems like the media is starting to feel the excitement that the city has about Third Ave.

I have been interviewed and drilled with questions about this project a lot lately (a WORTH Magazine article is forth coming), and the question that I keep getting hit with is "Why are you so passionate about this?"

Its such a simple answer.  When you think of great cities, you think of their great buildings.  New York has Carnegie Hall or the Empire State Building.  London has Buckingham Palace and Westminster Abbey.  Paris has Notre Dame and the Louvre.  Rome has the Vatican. 

When you go to those cities, those are "must see" locales.  So why isn't Third Ave a must see locale? 

We just don't give ourselves credit yet - I mean, we're a young culture, so we haven't yet adjusted to the idea that someday people will want to come here to see what we have going on.  The world has been watching us carefully; obviously they're taking note, it seems big business is booming.  Now is the time to start defining what landmarks make up this city.

Third Ave is, in my opinion, the best example of historic landmark in the city.  The Bes is beautiful.  The University is stunning.  And culturally, Third Ave is the one that has had the most impact over 100 years. 

The city, the media, the arts community - everyone is excited!

Carol Welsman LIVE at Third Ave!!

WOW!

When I was a teenager I got this MASSIVE crush on this amazing jazz singer/pianist - I bought up all her albums, and listened sooooo close to every sound she made.  Everyone told me how great a singer she was...but as a pianist, I sat and listened intensely to the way her fingers fell on the keys. 

It is completely rare to find a pianist, classic/jazz/rock, who actually understands the way that a piano REALLY works.  The idea that the way the fingers leave the key is AS IMPORTANT as how they hit the keys.....
Then along came Carol....and my ears had a playground of sound. 

And now, in some absolutely bizarre twist of fates, not only do I get to hear her new album...but I get to hear it live, in our very own concert hall! 

Friday March 23rd - Carol Welsman Quartet LIVE!
Tickets on sale at Persephone

Carol Welsman - On the Road Again! - hear a track off the new album before it hits stores!

This event is the first ever self-produced event by Third Ave Centre.  And its important that it sell out.

Why?

Many reasons.

We need a sell out so that Carol will come back and lap up the audience for her next album as well.

We need a sell out to show people that actually, a concert hall is vital to the city's downtown - and prove that its not about size, but about acoustic sound!

We need a sell out because, frankly, we have lofty goals ahead of us - to save a building the size and age of Third Ave, we need to bring in as much revenue as possible in these first few months.  We're keeping ticket prices low, and hoping that people will pack the place to show their support for saving Third Ave. 

Lets make culture happen people!!



Brew Notes!

So we have this awesome coffee house concert series that has started up.  Brew Notes.

We've had a few performances over the last few months and something really cool has happened - its created a cool place for the occasional Friday night for some music and coffee.

This last weekend, we had a Brew Notes that featured young performers in an all ages show.  High school kids who were needing a place to play.  We ended up with a crowd of 50 who got to listen to some very cool performances.  Great covers.  Great originals.  A performance by the AWESOME Left and Right - a young boy/girl duo from here in Saskatoon.  At one point during their first song I thought, hhmmmm these two are the real deal.

We had some great contact with the performers and we're totally going to make the youth coffeehouse a regular event at Third Ave - a place where teenagers can come and have friends and family and strangers listen to their stuff...they get a chance to try out new things...they get to work on their stage skills....they get to be awesome for a night. 

We have another coffee house concert coming up

Saturday, February 11th - Mostly Music and Partly Puppets by the Larsens with guest performer Cinderella

A GREAT kids show starting at 7pm.  Tickets at the door!

Here's to 2012!

Well, that does it - its 2012....the stunning building we call home is 100 years old. 

These last few weeks have confirmed my suspicions: everyone loves Third Ave. 

I have talked to many of my musical colleagues and everyone is excited to help us solidify a creative inspired cultural space in a building that so warmly welcomes both audience and musician alike.  I've started work on putting together a season of artists of national and internaional calibre - and the response from musicians around the globe is often "I can't wait to hear the acoustics".

Cut to people outside the music world....stained glass window people....architects......heritage afficionados; they all love it.  Emails have poured in from across Canada, and with each email comes the same message: how can we help? 
What made this so gratifying was to discover that my passion for this tremendous landmark is shared by all walks of life.  One man even commented that there may be no greater architectural landmark in Saskatoon than Third Ave.  Another talked of how every resident in the city knows exactly what building sits on the corner of 3rd and 24th.  One quipped that the city wouldn't make sense without the bell towers looking over downtown.  And mostly, people gushed about the windows.

Those windows, have you looked at them?  No, I mean REALLY looked at them.  Don't say you have, because you probably haven't.  I hadn't.  I mean I thought I had, but really I hadn't.  After learning that the giant windows that adorn the balcony walls were installed in 1912, with state of the art installation techniques, and were hand painted by the aritst, I decided I needed to take a closer look. 

I realized that for years I had been in the presence of great art, and had simply taken it for granted.  Stepping up to the balcony during the day and seeing the minute details that must have taken weeks to exact, one is overcome with a sense of awe. 

Remember, each pane of glass is hand painted.  The folds of each piece of clothing; the veins in an old man's hands; the curl of a hair against a face; the tableclothes that show wear.  Its like I'd been standing in the Louvre and failed to notice they had art....wandered through the Sistine Chapel and didn't bother to look up.  How have we missed this?

Those windows created a firestorm of emails last week - the Institute of Stained Glass, numerous heritage organizations, and even magazines.  Everyone wants to marvel at these irreplaceable works of art. 

This spring, Worth Magazine (an architecture journal) will run a full colour feature on the windows - in fact, this Wednesday, those 100 year old beauties are having a photo shoot! 

All this wealth of good will, passion, memories, and love has confirmed in my mind the mission even more.  Third Ave Centre is not just about creating culture, art, and community - its about helping the citizens of Saskatoon and the province, heck even the nation, realize that art is where you find it.  And you'll find it right here at 304 Third.

Keep your eyes pealed...you'll be seeing a lof of these windows this year!