A special fundraiser hosted by the Cochrane Guitar Quartet aims to help strum up some funds to help support Big Hill Haven with a benefit concert on April 5.
The concert will take place at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $25 per person or $15 for students and youth. Tickets can be purchased online by visiting eventbrite.ca.
Member of the quartet and local guitar instructor, Martin Russell, explained that the group consists of three students that he taught online over the COVID-19 pandemic.
“When we actually got out of restrictions, we put on a month of work together and put on our first concert, which we called ‘Just because,’ and it was just because we could do it,” he said. “Since then, this will be our third year in a row that we’ve done a concert.”
This will be the first time the group will be performing as the Cochrane Guitar Quartet, and Russell explained that they will be playing Tchaikovsky’s "The Nutcracker," arranged by Andrew York. Russell said this was inspired by one of the recordings by the LA Guitar Quartet, who also played the same piece beautifully together.
“I actually got in touch with Andrew York and asked him if he would mind if I could by the arrangement from him so we could play it,” Russell said. “And he just sent it for free, and he said – no you can have it, just mention my name. So, the arrangement is originally from the 80’s when he first recorded it. 'The Nutcracker' has always been a favourite of mine.”
With so many melodies women into that particular suite of music, and the fact it is only being played on four guitars, Russel said it will make for a breathtaking experience.
“It’s ridiculously difficult, of course, because you can’t blink off time and each one of you have to be absolutely the same as an orchestra, but you don’t have a conductor to look at,” he said. “You just have to be on time, all the time. It’s an amazing honour to have my talented students.”
