In 1967 The Beatles released “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band,” their eighth album and an instant success.
From songs such as “Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds” and “With A Little Help From My Friends,” the album blurred the lines between pop and fine art, crossing genres and bridging divides.
Now, almost 50 years later, the album does even more by connecting generations who love the classic music of the Fab Four. That’s the hope for the Collins Center for the Arts show, “Art of Time Ensemble: Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band,” set to hit the stage 7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 17.
“This will be something for Beatle fans or people who love good music,” said Danny Williams, executive director of the CCA.
Toronto’s Art of Time Ensemble, led by artistic director Andrew Burashko, intends to fuse high art and popular culture. Formed in 1998, the ensemble began “with the support of a small group of like-minded musicians and prominent figures in dance, theatre and other art forms, beginning with one-off concerts to small but enthusiastic audiences,” according to their website.
“They call it a reimagining. I think it is a modern-day interpretation of a classic album,” Williams said.
The ensemble will feature names recognizable by many, including singers Steven Page, founder and former lead of Barenaked Ladies, Andy Maize of Skydiggers, Craig Northey of The Odds, and Glen Phillips of Toad the Wet Sprocket.
The ensemble includes Carolyn Blackwell and Doug Perry on viola, Bryan Holt and Rachel Pomedli on cello, Veronique Mathieu and Stephen Sitarski on violin, John Johnson on saxophone, Joseph Phillips on bass, Larry Larson on trumpet, Rob Piltch on guitar, Rick Sacks on percussion and artistic director Andrew Burashko on piano.
“Part of what Art of Time does is find where classical music intersects with the pop world — it finds the common ground,” said Phillips, whose alternative rock band Toad the Wet Sprocket formed in the late 1980s.
Phillips was brought into the group by Northey, who had done previous shows. He had sung with Page before and was happy to jump in, both to help and for a respite from routine.
“It was exciting to do a project that had nothing to do with me. I was ready for a break from myself and my songs,” Phillips said. Toad the Wet Sprocket recently reformed after their breakup in 1998, during which time Phillips undertook a solo career.
“I love The Beatles, because they’re The Beatles,” Phillips said. Williams believes that others feel much the same.
“Sgt. Pepper is an iconic album, and even if people aren’t familiar with The Beatles, they’ll know something from that album,” Williams said.
As for the audience, both Phillips and Williams hope they will enjoy themselves.
“This is intended to be a very high quality musical experience. It’s for people who love The Beatles, but it’s also for people who love music,” Williams said.
“It’s a Beatles night with a few twists and turns that are unexpected. It’s not a note-for-note reading of the record. It’s a combination of surprise and similarity,” Phillips said.
To purchase tickets to “Art of Time Ensemble: Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, visit www.collinscenterforthearts.com/event/art-of-time-ensemble-sgt-peppers-lonely-hearts-club-band/
