NACO director Alexander Shelley launches festival of Roaring 20s music

Flappers,gangsters and speakeasies may behallmarks of the Roaring 20s,but for Alexander Shelley, newly minted MusicDirector of the National Arts Centre Orchestra, it's an era that produced some of themost exciting and influential soundsin the history of music.

To prove it,Shelley is launching afestival devoted to the music of the Roaring 20sat the NAC on Thursday.

'Music exploded in all different directions'

In the aftermath of the carnage of the First World War, and the prosperity of the post war years,a cross fertilization of ideas and sounds spread across the globe, according to Shelley.

"The 1920s was a time when music exploded in all different directions," said Shelley.

"At that point in history, suddenly the world was a much more open place, you could hear recordings from music that was recorded on the other side of the world, you visit parts of the world more easily than ever before."

From Elgar, Sibeliusand Stravinsky to Gershwin, Cole Porter and Charlie Chaplin, thegreat names of theera's music will be performed by the NACO, under Shelley's baton.

Shelley said that on both sides of the Atlantic musicians inspired each other, as American jazz mingled with the DNA of European melody.

"For the first time a lot of composers felt unbridled, they felt free in their willingness to engage in music they never heard before," said Shelley.

Shelley has promised a lot of excitement and surprises, including his own turn at the keyboard, performing some Cole Porter standards.

Here he is sharing some of the highlights of the festival.

Alexander Shelley talks about Roaring 20s festival

9 years ago

Duration 2:21

NACO director Alexander Shelley talks about the events going on during the Roaring 20s festival at the NAC.

Special guests will include violinst James Ehnes,pianist Peter Jablonski and singerSophie Milman. Charlie Chaplin's score for his silent film classic City Lights, will be performed by the orchestra onOct. 14, while the movie is screened.

The Roaring 20s festival runs from Oct. 8 -17 at the National Arts Centre.