A musical show that incorporates the stylings of history, blending it with an international and modern sound is coming to the Energy City. Terry Barber, a countertenor singer, thrives on a career in which he looks to make the sensibilities of classical music fun and interesting to a contemporary audience. He will be bringing that unique blend of style to Estevan, on Oct. 27.
Around the World in 80 Minutes, is a collection of music with what he describes as “the world’s greatest melodies,” featuring songs in 10 languages performed by Barber and two soloist collaborators; a Juilliard-trained concert pianist, and a wind soloist from the New York Philharmonic, playing the oboe, English horn, flute and clarinet.
“It’s been on my bucket list to perform in Canada more. I love it there; the people are great. I’m working with exceptional musicians, and what we’re doing is giving the audience songs, which in a lot of cases, they already have some relationship with,” said Barber, in a phone call with the Mercury. “The most obvious example might be Danny Boy, in the case of Ireland, or La Vie en Rose for France; but we’re going to perform them in a way that nobody’s ever heard before.”
Around the World in 80 Minutes will feature songs sung in a variety of languages, including Portugese, Thai, Mandarin, French, German and Italian.
Barber has a wide vocal range and his ability to sing countertenor, in particular, will be thoroughly showcased during Around the World. Countertenor is a classical voice that Barber noted may sound foreign to someone more accustomed to contemporary male singing voices.
“I want to challenge people’s perception of what is possible with a male voice, stylistically,” said Barber. “Countertenor is a man who sings higher than a tenor, in what we’d typically associate with the singing range of a woman, in a classical sense.”
Barber said his approach to doing a show entails asking himself, “How can I get people to enjoy and listen to music that is driven by classical more?” In an effort to make classical music more accessible to a wider audience, Barber noted that he likes to depart from the snobbery often associated with that style of music.
“There are unfortunate parts of the etiquette that say things like, ‘You’re not part of this,’ ‘You don’t know how to dress,’ or ‘You don’t know when to clap,’ and I don’t subscribe to that at all,” said Barber. “I want everyone to love classical.”
Barber noted a good example in making classical more accessible can be found in his version Habanera, in the opera, Carmen, in which he adds percussion and sings all the backing vocals to the song in English, “so everyone will know what it’s about.”
While performing, Barber noted that his shows are ones in which he likes to connect with the audience in a personal manner, treating listeners as if they were in his living room.
“I want everyone to feel like they’re part of the performance,” he said. “It’s not a monologue for me. They’re not supposed to just sit there in some controlled and contained way. I don’t agree with that mentality.”
Barber said he’s often asked what he considers his most important performance.
“That’s a hard question to answer, because I care about one performance as much as I care about others. It’s a different kind of opportunity in each case,” said Barber. “Some people have asked why I tour specifically in Canada, going to rural areas and small venues. It’s not Carnegie Hall, but I still get excited about it. I like my audience and I like being able to share my art.”
In addition to the concert, Barber is arranging for pre-release copies of a new album he’s completed, which will be available at the upcoming concert, and will include five songs from the performance and six Christmas songs from his Christmas Presents album, created with the help of Grammy Award winning producer Steven Epstein.
Around the World in 80 Minutes will take place at 7:30 p.m., at St. Paul’s United Church. Tickets are available at Henders Drugs or online at TicketPro. For more information, contact the Estevan Arts Council at 306-634-3942.
