Burlington concert to support musicians impacted by K-W Symphony closure

West Plains United Church is hosting a special concert this weekend, to assist musicians impacted by the sudden closure of the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony Orchestra.

The origins of the church in Burlington's west end can be traced back to 1871, when the first members met in a little school house standing next to the present church site at 549 Plains Rd. West, in the area known as Aldershot. The congregation continued to grow and in 1925, with the union of Methodist, Congregational and Presbyterian churches, West Plains United Church came into being.

In addition to the usual Sunday services and religious ceremonies, West Plains has a strong tradition of opening its doors to many local groups, organizations and community events. The site has hosted municipal information sessions, craft fairs, dinner theatres, six beehives that produce honey and, over the past eight years, a series of musical performances.

Lianne Tan is the current music director for the Live!@West Plains concert series, which curates live musical events in a variety of genres from classical to rock, featuring both local and regional performers. Tan is also an amateur musician in the Dundas Valley Orchestra.

When she heard through her connections that the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony orchestra had abruptly ceased operations on Sept. 21, she decided to organize a live concert at West Plains to support some of the musicians affected by the closure. More than 50 musicians were locked out, with no recourse.

The performance takes place Saturday, Nov. 4 at 2:30 p.m.

“We put on four or five concerts each year in the Live!@WestPlains series”, said Tan. “We had one in October and the next one is Nov. 26, ‘The Barrel Boys Sing Christmas’, but we had this weekend open.

"We’re all talking about the K-W Symphony so it seemed like a great thing to do.”

Shortly following the cancellation of its 2023-24 season, the K-W Symphony (KWS) filed for bankruptcy and the board of directors all resigned. The symphony has since directed all inquiries to a representative of BDO Canada Limited.

“We are absolutely devastated about this outcome,” (former KWS) board chair Rachel Smith-Spencer said in a news release. “In the last three days, we have appealed to all of our major stakeholders and have exhausted all available avenues to secure the $2M required immediately to continue operations.”

Tan jumped into action, seeing that there was an opening in the music series schedule to help organize a concert in the 100-seat sanctuary at West Plains United Church. Five KWS players, each with over 20 years at the orchestra, will perform live and the concert will be livestreamed for those who cannot attend in
person at https://youtube.com/live/-q63FGU0AM8?feature=share.

Admission is by donation and 100 per cent of the money received at the door will aid the KWS musicians and their goal of rebuilding the K-W Symphony. For more about their efforts, visit www.savethekws.ca.

Tan said, “Proceeds from the concert and donations will go directly to support the musicians of the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony and will be used to further the welfare of the musicians as they explore all options for rebuilding a new organization which can continue to enrich our community through music.

"Rebuilding the organization is going to take time," she added. "The money raised will help to support musicians whose livelihood is upended until this work is complete."

The Board at West Plains United unanimously supported hosting the concert and bearing the associated expenses, Tan said. "Just as we do outreach for other needs in the community, we consider this ‘cultural outreach.’”

Musical selections for the Nov. 4 performance include movements from Handel's Harp Concerto, Mozart's Flute Quartet in D Major, Debussy's Sonata for flute, harp and viola, a Suite from Swan Lake by Tchaikovsky, Piazzolla's Café 1930, among others.

The musicians have also set up a GoFund Me page and have achieved almost $500,000 towards their goal of $2 million. Money raised through the campaign will be used to assist with lost salaries, musician fees, and possibly to help re-build the orchestra following the failure of the board to keep the orchestra solvent.

More information about the concert and the music series at West Plains United Church can be found on the church's website. 

The Nov. 4 concert is sponsored by Live!@WestPlains and West Plains United Church, email [email protected] or call 905-320-4989.