Rhapsody Quintet Releases Rhapsody in Red

November 19, 2004

Halifax's Rhapsody Quintet will release its fourth CD, the eagerly anticipated Rhapsody in Red, on Tuesday, December 7 in the Red Chamber, Province House, 1726 Hollis Street, from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. The CD launch is free and open to all, with catering sponsored by Scanway Catering and Pastry Shop, cash bar. Actor and motivational speaker Bill Carr will be the Master of Ceremonies. The Quintet will perform some of their favorite selections from the new disc, which was taped in the historic Red Chamber featuring the vintage restored 1910 Pleyel piano recently obtained for the House. The CD was recorded, engineered and mastered by Christopher Mitchell. It will be available through Rhapsody's website and amazon.com, at independent retailers and in the Symphony Nova Scotia Boutique.

Rhapsody Quintet has been performing salon music, light classics, theatre music, and chamber music since the mid-80s, and has released three previous recordings. They've played for royalty, for symphony goers and school kids, and for audiences of all ages throughout the Maritimes and Ontario. Their lighthearted and sometimes frivolous music is greeted everywhere with great enthusiasm and a demand for more. Frequently broadcast on CBC Radio, Rhapsody has continued the century-old tradition of adapting orchestral and piano music to suit their unique instrumentation. Nova Scotian arrangers Gary Ewer, Earle Fralick, Scott Macmillan, Christopher Palmer and Rhapsody's own John Rapson provided much of the Rhapsody in Red repertoire, along with British composer Ernest Tomlinson and Newfoundland's Clifford Crawley. Also included is the beautiful Valse de la Baronnie by Nova Scotian Acadian composer Paul Saulnier.

From the romantic (Destiny, Isn't it Romantic?/Lover) to the whimsical (Robert Farnon's Jumping Bean and the aptly titled Blind Date), this recording will bring a smile to every face! As Halifax's Dr. Walter Kemp writes, "So wake up your listening, and enjoy the smooth sophistication, the sighs, and the surprises of the Quintet's
latest collection of treats."

The members of the Rhapsody Quintet are Anne Rapson, Violin; John Rapson, Clarinet, Shimon Walt, Cello, Diana Torbert, Piano and Catherine Loftin, Bass. All are important members of Nova Scotia's professional musical scene, as teachers, members of Symphony Nova Scotia, recording artists and soloists. Mark Warren joined the musicians as Music Consultant for the CD.

On January 21, 2005 Rhapsody Quintet will once again be featured as guest artists on Symphony Nova Scotia's "Traditional Pops" Series - for concert tickets contact the Rebecca Cohn Box Office at (902) 494-3820 or visit www.symphonynovascotia.ca.

Rhapsody Quintet gratefully thanks the Provincial House of Assembly, including the Honourable Murray Scott, MB, MLA, Speaker of the House, Michael Laffin, Peter Theriault and Paul Read for their assistance with this project. The recording was made possible through the assistance of the Canada Music Fund and the Music Section of the Canada Council for the Arts. Visit www.rhapsodyquintet.com for the
latest Rhapsody Quintet news.



For more information, press kits/photo or a review cd of Rhapsody in Red, please contact:

Peggy Walt,
Cultural Affairs Consulting & Promotion
1240 Edward Street
Halifax, NS Canada B3H 3H4
Telephone/fax: (902) 422-5403
E-mail: pwalt@hfx.andara.com

or visit Rhapsody Quintet's website: www.rhapsodyquintet.com Peggy Walt Cultural Affairs Consulting & Promotion 1240 Edward Street Halifax, NS Canada B3H 3H4
Telephone/Fax: (902) 422-5403
Cell: (902) 476-1096
E-mail: pwalt@hfx.andara.com

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