May 19, 2020
I want to start with a thank you to the people who keep us safe, healthy and fed. Thank you to all who have been very cautious with protocols and kept sickness so low here. And thank you to our generous patrons who are donating to the WJO in large numbers. We hope you all are doing well and look forward to performing big band favourites on stage once again.
Normally this month we would be holding our annual St. James Infirmary fundraiser which unfortunately had to be cancelled. Thanks to our friends at Nostalgia Radio CJNU 93.7 FM, we are delighted to announce that you can enjoy a virtual version of this event on May 24 from 7 to 10 pm. CJNU hosts Grant Patterson and Lorne Kearns have been kind enough to prepare a playlist of songs (chosen by our Artistic Director Richard Gillis) that would have been performed at our fundraiser. Grant and Lorne have mixed them with short cuts of musicians and friends of the WJO. A highlight of the CJNU broadcast will be an interview with Richard about our planned season (see concerts below).
Given that St. James Infirmary is an important event in our fundraising calendar, we are offering various ways for your to show your support for the WJO.
On the night of the May 24 radio broadcast (or up to 26 hours later) you can donate and we will draw for a pair of tickets for a concert (of your choice) in the 2020-21 season. Also, all subscriptions received between now and midnight on May 25, will be entered in a draw for a pair of tickets to the next St. James Infirmary fundraiser (date to be determined in May 2021).
If you buy a 2020-21 season subscription before June 30, you will also be entered in a draw for a half food-share in Jonathan’s Farm. Jonathan brings his fresh produce into the city every week until the growing season ends.
Subscriptions received before July 31, will also be put into a draw for a free second subscription equal to the original purchase.
Given the uncertainty attached to efforts to deal with COVID-19, we must stress that any concert may be cancelled, moved online, the date or venue changed, or adapted in some other manner to adjust to safe venue practises. We will do our best to find a way to get you this music, but if concerts cannot safely, or fiscally take place, we will pro-rate your subscription to account for any lost concerts. Our box office is available by phone at 204-632-5299 or by email at tickets@winnipegjazzorchestra.com.
We hope to see you all again safe and sound when we start the 2020-2021 season. Thank you for staying with us to share the joy of live big band music.
Joan Gillis
General Manager
Winnipeg Jazz Orchestra
--------------------------------------------
May 3, 2020
The Winnipeg Jazz Orchestra regrets to announce both our remaining concerts are cancelled. In March, when we realized the danger of COVID-19, we were hoping that the pandemic would pass quicker than it has. Even though Manitoba has not been hit as hard as other provinces, we are still in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. We treasure our audience and want to keep you all safe. It would not be responsible, or legal, to have over 500 people in our audience in June (or 200 people in August).
We plan to perform these concerts at a future date. Many of our patrons have donated their tickets, but also let us know how much they are looking forward to hearing this music. The Winnipeg Jazz Orchestra has already paid six musicians to arrange over ten pieces for the Aretha Franklin concert, which we are tentatively thinking will be held in June 2021. We have commissioned five new pieces for the Carpathian Blues concert, which we are tentatively thinking about holding in September 2020 or as soon as we safely can.
We request that you consider donating your ticket to the Winnipeg Jazz Orchestra for a charitable tax receipt. You can instead receive a gift certificate for our 2020-2021 season for the amount of the ticket or receive a refund. Please contact the WJO Box Office at 204-632-5299 or by email at tickets@winnipegjazzorchestra.com to arrange your tax receipt or gift certificate. I cannot stress enough how much we appreciate the confidence and support our patrons have shown.
Our 2020-2021 season is now on the website, and we are looking forward to returning with the Winnipeg Jazz Orchestra to bring you the best big band music. Thank you for your patience and your generosity. Please continue to take care of yourself and the others around you.
Joan Gillis
General Manager
Winnipeg Jazz Orchestra
--------------------------------------------
April 13, 2020
Dear St. James Infirmary fundraiser ticket holders.
Thank you for your generosity in supporting the Winnipeg Jazz Orchestra and purchasing a ticket for the annual St. James Infirmary fundraiser. We regret to tell you that the WJO is postponing St. James Infirmary until 2021. Our wish is that you all stay safe and healthy until we can enjoy live music again.
We request that you consider donating your tickets for a charitable tax receipt. You can instead receive a gift certificate for our 2020-2021 season for the amount of the tickets or receive a refund.
The revenue from St. James Infirmary will be used for a recording session, tentatively scheduled for the week of August 18. Please contact the WJO Box Office at 204-632-5299 or by email at tickets@winnipegjazzorchestra.com to arrange your tax receipt or gift certificate. We are also exploring ways we could bring the music of St. James Infirmary to you.
Our 2020-2021 season will be on the website soon; from swing to Sinatra, to Be Bop to Latin. We would love to see you during the season or next May at St. James Infirmary 2021. Thank you for your patience and your generous support.
Stay safe and healthy,
Joan Gillis
General Manager
Winnipeg Jazz Orchestra
--------------------------------------------
April 3, 2020
I am sure it is not news to you that the Winnipeg Jazz Orchestra has to postpone the concert that was to be held on April 26, 2020. An important part of the decision to reschedule the concert rather than cancel is to make sure our musicians still receive income. We are rescheduling this concert to August 19, 2020, on the open-air roof garden of the Winnipeg Art Gallery. Picture us all enjoying jazz on the rooftop as the sun goes down on a warm summer evening.
As you may already know, this concert brings you a new work by John Stetch and other compositions reflecting his Ukrainian background, including Carpathian Blues. We also have the pleasure of bringing you compositions by Rodrigo Muñoz (Chilean), Michelle Gregoire (Metis), Jeff Presslaff (pre-historic theme), Richard Gillis (Icelandic), and Andrew Balfour (Cree) which will reflect their cultural roots. We are always pleasantly surprised by the musical gifts these composers bring us and hope you will join us on this adventure.
All tickets for April 26, 2020, will automatically be moved to August 19, 2020. If you prefer, you can donate your tickets and receive a charitable tax receipt or exchange the ticket amount to a concert in our 2020-2021 season. Please contact the WJO Box Office at 204-632-5299 or by email at tickets@winnipegjazzorchestra.com for exchanges or tax receipts. We will also take names on a waiting list for a possible overflow date of August 18, 2020, if you prefer a Tuesday night with less people. We are looking forward to, once again, bringing you the joy of the best big band music with the Winnipeg Jazz Orchestra.
Thank you for your patience and support during this unprecedented time. We will continue to monitor the physical distancing protocols and how they may affect our ability to safely bring you music. Your health and the safety of our musicians, volunteers and staff are of prime importance. Please take care of yourself and the others around you. We are proud of the way our community looks after each other - in snowstorms, floods, and now, during the coronavirus pandemic.
Our best wishes for your health and safety,
Joan Gillis
General Manager
Winnipeg Jazz Orchestra
--------------------------------------------
March 13, 2020
The Winnipeg Jazz Orchestra has been monitoring changes in the local COVID-19 situation. As the local situation changed rapidly throughout the day on Thursday it became apparent that it would be responsible for us to find an alternate date to present Respect: The Music of Aretha Franklin. We are saddened that we cannot present this concert on March 15 as originally scheduled, but our first priority is the health and safety of our patrons, musicians, volunteers, and staff. We have arranged to move the date of this performance to June 28 and 29 at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights. We hope that if we all act responsibly that the COVID-19 outbreak will be over by then. If it is not, we will address the situation then.
If you have tickets to the concert on March 15, they will automatically be attributed to the new date on June 28. If that date does not suit you, we would be pleased to exchange your tickets for any concert in our 2019-2020 season, or if you prefer, we will send you a receipt for tax purposes. Please contact the WJO Box Office at 204-632-5299 or by email at tickets@winnipegjazzorchestra.com by June 26. Please be patient as we try to serve all our patrons.
If you would like to purchase tickets to the new dates, we would also be pleased to help you at the contact information above.
For more information on COVID-19 and how to take precautions, please visit Manitoba Health: https://www.gov.mb.ca/health/coronavirus/ and the Public Health Agency of Canada https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/diseases/coronavirus-disease-covid-19.html.
Thank you,
The Winnipeg Jazz Orchestra
I want to start with a thank you to the people who keep us safe, healthy and fed. Thank you to all who have been very cautious with protocols and kept sickness so low here. And thank you to our generous patrons who are donating to the WJO in large numbers. We hope you all are doing well and look forward to performing big band favourites on stage once again.
Normally this month we would be holding our annual St. James Infirmary fundraiser which unfortunately had to be cancelled. Thanks to our friends at Nostalgia Radio CJNU 93.7 FM, we are delighted to announce that you can enjoy a virtual version of this event on May 24 from 7 to 10 pm. CJNU hosts Grant Patterson and Lorne Kearns have been kind enough to prepare a playlist of songs (chosen by our Artistic Director Richard Gillis) that would have been performed at our fundraiser. Grant and Lorne have mixed them with short cuts of musicians and friends of the WJO. A highlight of the CJNU broadcast will be an interview with Richard about our planned season (see concerts below).
Given that St. James Infirmary is an important event in our fundraising calendar, we are offering various ways for your to show your support for the WJO.
On the night of the May 24 radio broadcast (or up to 26 hours later) you can donate and we will draw for a pair of tickets for a concert (of your choice) in the 2020-21 season. Also, all subscriptions received between now and midnight on May 25, will be entered in a draw for a pair of tickets to the next St. James Infirmary fundraiser (date to be determined in May 2021).
If you buy a 2020-21 season subscription before June 30, you will also be entered in a draw for a half food-share in Jonathan’s Farm. Jonathan brings his fresh produce into the city every week until the growing season ends.
Subscriptions received before July 31, will also be put into a draw for a free second subscription equal to the original purchase.
Given the uncertainty attached to efforts to deal with COVID-19, we must stress that any concert may be cancelled, moved online, the date or venue changed, or adapted in some other manner to adjust to safe venue practises. We will do our best to find a way to get you this music, but if concerts cannot safely, or fiscally take place, we will pro-rate your subscription to account for any lost concerts. Our box office is available by phone at 204-632-5299 or by email at tickets@winnipegjazzorchestra.com.
We hope to see you all again safe and sound when we start the 2020-2021 season. Thank you for staying with us to share the joy of live big band music.
Joan Gillis
General Manager
Winnipeg Jazz Orchestra
--------------------------------------------
May 3, 2020
The Winnipeg Jazz Orchestra regrets to announce both our remaining concerts are cancelled. In March, when we realized the danger of COVID-19, we were hoping that the pandemic would pass quicker than it has. Even though Manitoba has not been hit as hard as other provinces, we are still in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. We treasure our audience and want to keep you all safe. It would not be responsible, or legal, to have over 500 people in our audience in June (or 200 people in August).
We plan to perform these concerts at a future date. Many of our patrons have donated their tickets, but also let us know how much they are looking forward to hearing this music. The Winnipeg Jazz Orchestra has already paid six musicians to arrange over ten pieces for the Aretha Franklin concert, which we are tentatively thinking will be held in June 2021. We have commissioned five new pieces for the Carpathian Blues concert, which we are tentatively thinking about holding in September 2020 or as soon as we safely can.
We request that you consider donating your ticket to the Winnipeg Jazz Orchestra for a charitable tax receipt. You can instead receive a gift certificate for our 2020-2021 season for the amount of the ticket or receive a refund. Please contact the WJO Box Office at 204-632-5299 or by email at tickets@winnipegjazzorchestra.com to arrange your tax receipt or gift certificate. I cannot stress enough how much we appreciate the confidence and support our patrons have shown.
Our 2020-2021 season is now on the website, and we are looking forward to returning with the Winnipeg Jazz Orchestra to bring you the best big band music. Thank you for your patience and your generosity. Please continue to take care of yourself and the others around you.
Joan Gillis
General Manager
Winnipeg Jazz Orchestra
--------------------------------------------
April 13, 2020
Dear St. James Infirmary fundraiser ticket holders.
Thank you for your generosity in supporting the Winnipeg Jazz Orchestra and purchasing a ticket for the annual St. James Infirmary fundraiser. We regret to tell you that the WJO is postponing St. James Infirmary until 2021. Our wish is that you all stay safe and healthy until we can enjoy live music again.
We request that you consider donating your tickets for a charitable tax receipt. You can instead receive a gift certificate for our 2020-2021 season for the amount of the tickets or receive a refund.
The revenue from St. James Infirmary will be used for a recording session, tentatively scheduled for the week of August 18. Please contact the WJO Box Office at 204-632-5299 or by email at tickets@winnipegjazzorchestra.com to arrange your tax receipt or gift certificate. We are also exploring ways we could bring the music of St. James Infirmary to you.
Our 2020-2021 season will be on the website soon; from swing to Sinatra, to Be Bop to Latin. We would love to see you during the season or next May at St. James Infirmary 2021. Thank you for your patience and your generous support.
Stay safe and healthy,
Joan Gillis
General Manager
Winnipeg Jazz Orchestra
--------------------------------------------
April 3, 2020
I am sure it is not news to you that the Winnipeg Jazz Orchestra has to postpone the concert that was to be held on April 26, 2020. An important part of the decision to reschedule the concert rather than cancel is to make sure our musicians still receive income. We are rescheduling this concert to August 19, 2020, on the open-air roof garden of the Winnipeg Art Gallery. Picture us all enjoying jazz on the rooftop as the sun goes down on a warm summer evening.
As you may already know, this concert brings you a new work by John Stetch and other compositions reflecting his Ukrainian background, including Carpathian Blues. We also have the pleasure of bringing you compositions by Rodrigo Muñoz (Chilean), Michelle Gregoire (Metis), Jeff Presslaff (pre-historic theme), Richard Gillis (Icelandic), and Andrew Balfour (Cree) which will reflect their cultural roots. We are always pleasantly surprised by the musical gifts these composers bring us and hope you will join us on this adventure.
All tickets for April 26, 2020, will automatically be moved to August 19, 2020. If you prefer, you can donate your tickets and receive a charitable tax receipt or exchange the ticket amount to a concert in our 2020-2021 season. Please contact the WJO Box Office at 204-632-5299 or by email at tickets@winnipegjazzorchestra.com for exchanges or tax receipts. We will also take names on a waiting list for a possible overflow date of August 18, 2020, if you prefer a Tuesday night with less people. We are looking forward to, once again, bringing you the joy of the best big band music with the Winnipeg Jazz Orchestra.
Thank you for your patience and support during this unprecedented time. We will continue to monitor the physical distancing protocols and how they may affect our ability to safely bring you music. Your health and the safety of our musicians, volunteers and staff are of prime importance. Please take care of yourself and the others around you. We are proud of the way our community looks after each other - in snowstorms, floods, and now, during the coronavirus pandemic.
Our best wishes for your health and safety,
Joan Gillis
General Manager
Winnipeg Jazz Orchestra
--------------------------------------------
March 13, 2020
The Winnipeg Jazz Orchestra has been monitoring changes in the local COVID-19 situation. As the local situation changed rapidly throughout the day on Thursday it became apparent that it would be responsible for us to find an alternate date to present Respect: The Music of Aretha Franklin. We are saddened that we cannot present this concert on March 15 as originally scheduled, but our first priority is the health and safety of our patrons, musicians, volunteers, and staff. We have arranged to move the date of this performance to June 28 and 29 at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights. We hope that if we all act responsibly that the COVID-19 outbreak will be over by then. If it is not, we will address the situation then.
If you have tickets to the concert on March 15, they will automatically be attributed to the new date on June 28. If that date does not suit you, we would be pleased to exchange your tickets for any concert in our 2019-2020 season, or if you prefer, we will send you a receipt for tax purposes. Please contact the WJO Box Office at 204-632-5299 or by email at tickets@winnipegjazzorchestra.com by June 26. Please be patient as we try to serve all our patrons.
If you would like to purchase tickets to the new dates, we would also be pleased to help you at the contact information above.
For more information on COVID-19 and how to take precautions, please visit Manitoba Health: https://www.gov.mb.ca/health/coronavirus/ and the Public Health Agency of Canada https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/diseases/coronavirus-disease-covid-19.html.
Thank you,
The Winnipeg Jazz Orchestra
