Supporters of Windsor Armouries Concert Hall Offer Free Open House and Preview on Tuesday, December 4th
(Windsor, Ontario – November 27, 2007) The Windsor Armouries Concert Hall Committee, in conjunction with the Windsor Symphony Orchestra will present a free preview of the proposed conversion of the historic Windsor Armouries into a world-class concert hall on Tuesday, December 4th at 7:00 p.m.
The Armouries building is a rare example of the impressive historical architecture from the City’s early years. While its Heritage designation will preserve the façade, the proposed concert hall is the one option that would maintain the historical space inside, where generations of local soldiers prepared to defend our nation.
The presentation will cover the art and science of acoustics, discuss how arts organizations make a major contribution to the local economy, demonstrate the way an Armouries Concert Hall would serve as a welcoming symbol for the entire city, and showcase the ways that artists attract the kind of entrepreneurial people who will grow our community in the 21st Century. The presentation will include musical displays of the stunning acoustics with performances by the Windsor Community Orchestra and by a string quartet from the WSO, who have all volunteered for this event.
Vicky Kyriaco-Wilson, President of the WSO’s Board of Directors, said “The beautiful thing about this whole idea is the combination of financial benefits with the infusion of creative, artistic people downtown. It’s a win-win situation. Our goal is to help convince the City Council to join with people and businesses already committed to doing a feasibility study on the economics of the entire project.”
The WSO’s Music Director, John Morris Russell, is a leading enthusiast for this project, mostly due to the extraordinary sound at the Armouries. He said “I’ve been lucky to conduct at some of the world’s great concert halls, like the Musikverein in Vienna and Carnegie Hall in New York City. In a hall with great acoustics, the entire audience is immersed in the sound. It’s a physical connection between the artists and the audience. Unfortunately, alot of multi-purpose auditoriums miss that; they do an OK job for a lot of different kinds of performances, but not unamplified music. We’ve got an extraordinary orchestra here in Windsor, and a busy musical scene including many wonderful choruses, youth and community orchestras, bands and festivals. The dream is to actually be able to hear them all in a world class venue.”
The evening will include performances by the Windsor Community Orchestra and members of the Windsor Symphony Orchestra who have volunteered their services for this event. Other arts organizations which have expressed interest in the Armouries Concert Hall project include The Classic Chorale, the Youth Orchestra, and the WSO’s own Chorus. These and other choruses, student groups, volunteer adult bands and high school bands, and solo artists from all genres of music will be attending and presenting information on their current seasons. Several businesses, including the Downtown Windsor Business Improvement Association, will also be attending.
The entire public is welcome to come to the open house and presentation, to view the inside of the heritage-designated Armouries building, to hear about its unique features, and to meet other people committed to Windsor’s future as an exciting city defining the future.
TO SEE THE CBC TELEVISION PRODUCTION ON THE FUTURE OF THE WINDSOR ARMOURIES, VISIT THEIR WEBSITE
Then click on the November 1st video.
For more information contact:
Rob Gold, Director of Marketing
519-973-1238, ext. 23
e-mail: rgold@windsorsymphony.com
Or:
e-mail windsorarmouries@hotmail.com
This presentation is sponsored, in part, by:
