New Music for Old Hands (The WholeNote)
From The WholeNote magazine - May 13, 2026
Written by Wendalyn Bartley
Category: New Music
In contrast to the high-profile Luminato Festival, a newcomer to this column – the grassroots, community-based New Music for Old Hands Concert Series, curated by Toronto composer and performer Laura Gillis. Beginning May 2, the series presents biweekly concerts through June 20 at the Labdara Lithuanian Nursing Home in Etobicoke. Gillis’s work focuses on collaborative music-making in non-traditional settings, particularly with older adults and people in long-term care. Her projects are often process-based and participatory, involving non-professional musicians. One such project, Vintage Voices, documents the musical memories and voices of long-term care residents.
The first three events in this five-part series feature the Labdara Bell Choir, an ensemble Gillis conducts. For the series, she has invited several guest musicians to present their work, beginning with Adam Scime on May 2 who will discuss his approach to music-making through his work Morning Rain. On May 16, Louise Campbell will explore creating participatory music practices, lead an interactive activity for audience members, and discuss Music Dairies, a project she co-created with Anne McIsaac, a woman living with Parkinson’s Disease. Lieke van der Voort will join virtually from Germany on May 30 to share Old Flames, a new work for voice and electronics, and discuss her work as a vocalist, improviser and composer. On June 13, Alex Eddington will present “The First Song I Remember...” and speak about his work in collaborative community music-making. The series concludes on June 20 with Martin van de Ven, who will present Mellow Bells, speak about Klezmer traditions, and perform works from that repertoire.
The series places contemporary music in a uniquely intimate setting, emphasizing participation, dialogue, and intergenerational exchange.
The June 13 presentation of New Music for Old Hands (details below) includes the world premiere of The First Song I Remember… for bell choir and piano, by Alex Eddington. Composed in collaboration with the members of a bell choir in a Mississauga seniors’ home, the piece unlocks the memory of an Italian song that several of the participants remembered from childhood: “Quel Mazzolin del Fiori”.
DETAILS
Saturday, June 13, 2026
2:00 PM 3:00 PM
Labdara Lithuanian Nursing Home5 Resurrection RoadToronto, ON, M9A 5G1Canada (map)
Tickets: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/new-music-for-old-hands-concert-series-tickets-1983887551070
