Maple Ridge Music Society putting on last official concert

The Maple Ridge Music Society will be presenting one final concert as the society takes a step back from putting on live music events in the city.

A decision was made to temporarily halt the concerts because of a fall in attendance numbers, and The ACT Arts Centre started a similar chamber music series.

Josine Eikelenboom, artistic director of the Maple Ridge Music Society, explained that growing her audience back would take much work and publicity.

And, she added, they don’t want to compete with The ACT.

“They have more possibilities to reach out to a large audience,” said Eikelenboom, noting hopefully that things can change in the future, hence the society’s dormant mode.

The society has been holding concerts in the community for more than 40 years, holding an average of five concerts each year.

However, Eikelenboom said the roots of the music society actually extend back more than half a century.

The seed for the beginnings of the Maple Ridge Music Society was actually planted in Eikelenboom’s head on Nov. 21, 1970, when an intimate concert was held in her family home in the Netherlands.

When her family arrived in Maple Ridge as new immigrants in 1980 they found themselves on a 20-acre property in a house that had a “disproportionally large room”, explained Eikelenboom. This property would eventually be known as Westacres.

In 1982 they held their first concert with Eikelenboom’s piano teacher, Karen Andrews, and singer Diane Loomer, the founder of Vancouver’s Electra choir. The audience was about 30 guests.

Then, Eikelenboom welcomed a “recorded music” group, started by Bob and Jean Pamplin, which featured music played from an LP and a talk by a presenter. The group, who held their gatherings elsewhere had invited Ellen Silverman, a pianist and teacher at Douglas College, to give a presentation on the piano sonata. However, she needed a piano, and they decided to have the meeting at Westacres.

The event was so successful, Silverman came back with a flutist friend to play a concert and the Pamplins decided to organize more.

“That was the start of the music society,” said Eikelenboom.

Over the years many world-class musicians entered the chamber at Westacres to play to an intimate audience that averaged about 100 per concert.

They had performers from the Vancouver Recital Society, UBC Music School Faculty, and Vancouver Symphony principal players.

“Those connections brought us many world-class musicians from this continent, Europe, and Asia,” Eikelenboom explained – many staying at Eikelenboom’s house overnight.

Cellist Jian Wang was 22 when playing in Maple Ridge in 1992. He stayed overnight and ventured outside before breakfast, described Eikelenboom.

“Breathlessly he stormed into the kitchen shouting: ‘a leopard, a leopard!’,” she said. They went out to chase away the animal, which Eikelenboom believes was possibly a cougar, but it had already disappeared.

Eikelenboom also remembers when cows grazed behind the house and the “crazed” flies they would attempt to spray before a concert. Nevertheless, when Li Kum Sing was playing Johann Sebastian Bach’s Jesu Joy of Man’s Desire one afternoon, a crazed fly was still buzzing between the strings, she said.

In addition to the venues Candlelight series, Westacres played host to many other musical events including the first five years of Winter Harp performances, which now take place every Christmas season at The ACT.

Eikelenboom was forced to close down her venue in 2021 when the city told her she could not hold the concerts there anymore because it was not a commercial building and she didn’t have a licence.

They found a new home at Golden Ears United Church where the Rose Gellert String Quartet will be playing at 3 p.m. on Sunday, May 7.

The quartet will be performing music by Fanny Hensel-Mendelssohn and Felix Mendelssohn.

Admission is $40 per person and $15 for students.

In the near future, Eikelenboom is planning to hold one outdoor summer concert in the field at Westacres, in addition to one or two intimate house concerts. These concerts, said Eikelenboom, will be limited admittance and by donation.

She is also planning a few house concerts this winter.

“On a smaller scale but of the same high quality as ever,” she said.

“Our audience has let us know that the house-concert idea has much appeal,” added Eikelenboom.

Eikelenboom also plans to form another group including members of the music society, and anyone else who is interested.

Golden Ears United Church is located at 22165 Dewdney Trunk Rd, Maple Ridge.

To reserve a ticket call 604-467-3162.

For more information about the Maple Ridge Music Society go to mapleridgemusicsociety.ca.