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NOVA SCOTIA MUSIC WEEK: A GREAT TIME AT THE GALA AWARDS CONCERT

It was great this year to be invited and available to play for the annual Gala Awards Concert at the end of Nova Scotia Music Week. So much talent in such a small province, and what a great opportunity to meet old friends and to make new connections, to see what people are doing and to hear some really fantastic music. Full credit to the organizers at Music Nova Scotia for putting on a well-coordinated event with great sound, lighting and staging and for filling it with an audience that knew how to have a good time. We were thrilled, at the end of our spot to receive the only standing ovation of the evening and we wished we could have played more. Tony Quinn and Candy Palmater did a great job hosting the evening, and we got a great pic of us with Candy backstage.

After the concert the party was really swinging, with the music of Afro Nova Musica – these guys have so much energy! It was nice to have the opportunity to have a drink, unwind and meet musicians and industry people from all over the province, and from all the different genres…rock, country,…you name it. Looking forward to next year.

- David Langstroth, November 7, 2011

RHAPSODY APPEARING AT CONTACT EAST SHOWCASE

Rhapsody Quintet has been selected by Contact East to present a showcase at the Contact East Conference at the End of September in PEI. Musicians from across Atlantic Canada and from other parts of the country as well compete for the opportunity to strut their stuff to the assembly of concert presenters and music industry people that gather each year for this event. So, think of us on September 29 and wish us luck!

RHAPSODY'S RECORDING SELECTED FOR BROADWAY PRODUCTION

Halifax's Rhapsody Quintet is thrilled to announce that a track from their CD, Café Chantant and other Salon Delights has been selected by Broadway's Roundabout Theatre Company for inclusion in their upcoming Live in HD production of The Importance of Being Earnest. Earnest stars beloved Canadian actor Brian Bedford in his unforgettable role as Lady Bracknell in Oscar Wilde's comedic masterpiece about class, mistaken identity and name-dropping.

The track, Bal Masqué, is by English composer Percy Fletcher (1879-1932), who conducted in various theatres in London and composed many works in a light melodious style. You can view a trailer featuring Rhapsody's recording for the hit Broadway production, and find screening locations at www.earnestHD.com.

The Importance of Being Earnest is currently playing to rave reviews on Broadway. The New York Times said "Brilliant! Brian Bedford gives one of the great performances of the season!" It will be screened in high definition beginning June 2 in cinemas and performing arts centres in the United States, Canada and other international locations. Rhapsody's piece is being used as background and transition scene music. The HD broadcast of Earnest will bring this acclaimed production to a much wider audience, allowing many more people to see a first-class production of this classic play.

Roundabout Theatre Company (www.roundabouttheatre.org) has provided high quality live theatre for more than 40 years in New York, and currently operates five theatres on Broadway (the Stephen Sondheim Theatre, the American Airlines Theatre, Studio 54 and the Harold and Miriam Steinberg Centre for Theatre/Laura Pels Theatre & Black Box Theatre).

"We were thrilled to be approached by Roundabout while on PEI at this year's ECMA's about using Bal Masqué in this amazing production. Having seen Brian Bedford in this role at Canada's Stratford Festival, I immediately knew the production values would be very high quality. He is stellar, and it's an honour for our music to be included," said Rhapsody's cellist, Shimon Walt.

Internationally acclaimed actor Brian Bedford studied at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, where his classmates included Peter O'Toole, Albert Finney and Alan Bates. A six time Tony nominee, he has performed for 27 seasons at the Stratford Shakespeare Festival, and was inducted into the American Theatre Hall of Fame in 1997.

Other performers include Charlotte Parry, Dana Ivey, David Furr, Paul O'Brien, Paxton Whitehead, Santino Fontana, Sara Topham and Tim Macdonald.

Rhapsody Quintet has delighted audiences throughout Canada and internationally with its sparkling arrangements of a wide range of music, including light classical, salon, musical theatre, jazz, tango, klezmer, movie tunes and more over its 20 year history. The group has released five CDs to date, performed as guests with Symphony Nova Scotia, played for royalty, women in prison, hundreds of students and on many concert series. Released in 1999, Café Chantant and other Salon Delights is available from Rhapsody's website, www.rhapsodyquintet.com, through Amazon, cdbaby, I-tunes and other select retailers.