Piano highlights final concert of Vox Musica season

By Lethbridge Herald on May 1, 2025.

Alexandra Noad
Lethbridge Herald
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

People who love the sound of pianos and those who love waltzes are in for a treat at Vox Musica’s final concert of the season, which will take place Saturday evening.

Danse!, which is named for the evening’s music, as they all were inspired for dance. The centrepiece of the evening will be Liebeslieder (Lovesong) Waltzes, Op. 52 by Johannes Brahms, which will feature the choir, soloists and four-hand piano-commonly known as a duet-performed by Cheryl Emery-Karapita and Carolyn Herrington, both are local pianists.

Emery-Karapita says learning to play four-hand is much different than playing with just a choir or another instrument as she isn’t sitting in the same spot she does when she’s playing piano solo.

“The challenges I find come a lot from being seated in a very different spot on the piano, I find I have to think a little bit more about where my hands are going.”

Herrington says four-hand is a great opportunity for all pianists to explore different repertoire, no matter their skillset.

“I think the form of playing piano duets is a really wonderful opportunity for pianists and for students for leaning and for the enjoyment of all kinds of music in general.”

Joanne Collier, music director for Vox Music, says attendees will enjoy the uniqueness of having two pianists playing one instrument.

The Liebeslieder Waltzes are written in a Vietnamese waltz style from the 19th century and are all about love. While the choir will be singing in German, there will be translations available for the audience.

Collier says it has been a fun challenge for the choir for them to sing in German. She adds that this concert is a quieter more intimate than previous ones they have done.

“This is actually a little bit of a quieter program in that regard, even though its dance, there’s lots of lively music, this is what would be called chamber music and the music is a lot more intimate than these bigger works.”

Herrington describes the music as “tuneful” but it also has a lot of energy to it.

While it will be an intimate evening between the audience members, choir and pianists, the true spectacle of the show will be a magnificent Fazioli grand piano, which was rented out from Lipnicki Pianos Ltd. In Calgary.

The piano was originally arranged to be brought down for the Lethbridge Symphony for their concert on Monday and Vox Musica was able to collaborate with them to be able to utilize the instrument.

Collier says everyone is very excited about the instrument but doesn’t think the choir really knows what they’re in for and what kind of sound the piano can produce but has full faith they will rise to the challenge.

Emery-Karapita has had experience playing on a Fazioli piano when she studied in Austria and is excited to play it again.

“There’s just something about having an instrument that really responds to what you do that is very satisfying.”

It will be Herrington’s first experience on a Fazioli piano, but she is very excited to play it.

“I have not played on this piano, I’m really looking forward to getting to know it a little bit over the next couple of days.”

Danse! will take place at South Minster United Church at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday. Tickets for the show can be purchased at CASA, Eventbrite or at the door.