All hands on deck: Calgary Phil’s Symphonic Seas sets sail
By Holly Anghel, October 18 2025—
The Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra and Chorus turned the stage into a sea of sound on October 18 as they immersed the audience in a nautical-themed evening.
Under the direction of conductor Yue Bao, this performance was the first concert of the 2025-26 season that included the Chorus. It was truly all hands on deck as the show featured swelling strings, bold brass and soaring vocal harmonies.
With more than 200 performers, the challenging feat of maintaining balance was masterfully executed. Every composition shone with its own unique features.
The concert opened with Maurice Ravel’s 1904-1905 composition Une barque sur l’océan (A Boat on the Ocean). Inspired by the composer’s seven-week yacht cruise, the piece rippled between sunlight and shadow. Moving from the delicate radiance of the day to the daunting depths of darkness at night.
The following composition was Benjamin Britten’s Four Sea Interludes, which offered an emotional journey through the daily rhythms of an English seaside village. The interludes were inspired by George Crabbe’s poem, “Peter Grimes.” The story follows a fisherman whose apprentices died one after the other. Before long, the villagers began to suspect Grimes as the cause of these deaths and turned against him. The audience was guided through the atmosphere of a single day in the village, with the slow and tranquil “Dawn,” the lively and spirited sounds of a “Sunday morning,” the melancholy of “Moonlight,” and the fiery passion of the “Storm.”
“Storm” was one of the most alluring pieces of the evening, with the intense and tumultuous crashes of the percussion filling the room. This painted the scene of not only a sea storm, but a man tumultuous within himself and the town, using the sea as a metaphor for the journey of both internal and external discovery.
The second half of the presentation featured four installations of Vaughan Williams’ composition A Sea Symphony: A Song For All Seas, All Ships, On The Beach At Night Alone, Scherzo: The Waves, and The Explorers. This composition utilized the entire orchestra and chorus, but truly empowered soprano, Karina Gauvin, and baritone, Russell Braun, to let their talent shine.
A Song For All Seas, All Ships, was arguably the most dynamic composition of the night. The lyrics caused one to marvel at the vast beauty and danger of the sea. With lyrics like “Behold, the sea itself, indomitable, untamed as thee”.
The Phil offers a variety of genres to enjoy, from pop to classical. With special ticket prices for students, it’s a great way to spend an evening away from your studies!
They further offer a community access program, such as first responder discounts, fee assistance, and veteran/military discounts.
If you are a new Canadian citizen or permanent resident, you can get discounted admission to most concerts through Canoo.
Most of the Phil concerts are located at the Jack Singer Concert Hall, which is an accessible venue with elevators, ramps, and staff on site to assist. For information about upcoming concerts, visit the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra website.