Page 13 February16,2009 ENITERTAINMENT

PANTHER POST

Maritime wrestler says to keep in mind “The Wrestler” is just a movie

In “The Wrestler” Mickey Rourke plays a wrestler down on his luck. Photo www.iwatchstuff.com

Vancouver Chamber Choir premieres music of Island composer

By Nancy Beck Post Contributor

When Andrew Zinck began composing his “Agnus Dei” a couple of years ago, little did he know that the work would receive its premiere performance from one of the country’s foremost profes- sional choirs.

And that the premiere would take place in his home prov- ince of Prince Edward Is- land.

But that’s exactly what will happen on March 4 when the Vancouver Chamber Choir takes to the stage at the Har- bourfront Theatre in Sum- merside.

Charlottetown audiences will have a chance to hear Zinck’s composition when the choir continues its Mari- time tour on March 5 at the Confederation Centre.

By day a musicologist, Dr. Zinck teaches in the UPEI Music Department, but his passion for music also finds him appearing as a collab-

orative pianist (e.g., in the ‘musical revue Amazing Gra-

cie), and providing musical direction for the vocal trio Rising Tide.

Despite his busy sched- ule, Zinck is committed to making time to focus on his

work-in-progress, the cham-

ber opera Confession Stone, from which the four-minute “Agnus Dei” is taken.

\The attention paid to the acappella piece by the highly respected Vancouver Cham- ber Choir provides plenty of motivation for Zinck to con- tinue honing the opera.

“This time last year I was in- vited by the VCC to travel to Ottawa and participate in In- terplay, an interactive work- shop they hold with indi-

By Peter Corbett

While the movie The Wres- tler may be one of the most realistic portrayals of the wrestling business on film, it’s still just a movie, says a professional wrestler.

The movie has already won several awards and critical aclaim for its depiction of a wrestler past his prime. It has also been praised in some wrestling circles for treating wrestling in a realis- tic manner.

Lincoln Steen is a 26-year- old professional wrestler from Nova Scotia.

_ He said that while he likes

the movie and can identify

vidual composers,” explains Zinck. ‘“Workshopping the ‘Agnus Dei’ with Jon Wash- burn and the members of the Chamber Choir was scary and exciting. Hearing them sing my music gave me shiv- ers.

“It brought tears to my eyes. I was surprised by how closely they were able to match the sound I imag- ined in my head.”

Obviously, Washburn an the choir were equally im- pressed by what they heard in the workshop, because this past summer they con- tacted Zinck to ask if they could include his “Agnus Dei” in their programming for the 2008-2009 season. He was delighted.

Since its formation in 1971, the award-winning Van- couver Chamber Choir has travelled extensively and has gained international reputa-

with some of the problems the character faces, he hopes people remember it was made by Hollywood.

“Tt is a fictitious portrayal,” he pointed out.

He knows people in the wrestling business who have faced some of the same is- sues aS Rourke’s character in the movie. Luckily, the wrestlers he knows haven’t hit the bottom the way the movie’s character did, “but almost.”

Clint Corbett, also 26, from Cape Breton is a life long wrestling fan and plans on attending wrestling school in June.

The problems faced by the character can be found in

any career, he said

“T don’t think it’s the pro- fession.”

Steen said one thing he and many wrestlers have in com- mon with the fictional char- acter is lack of money. He said he and most wrestlers he knows have day jobs to pay their bills.

“There is absolutely zero money to be made in North America.”

But Corbett said he is fol- lowing a dream and not get- ting into the business for money.

“If the dream could come true, it’s worth more than anything.”

Corbett is a journalism

student at Holland College

Dr. Zinck composing, with St Cecilia (the patron saint of music) nearby. Submitted photo

tions for its singers and for conductor Washburn.

“When someone of Jon Washburn’s stature calls your music ‘magical’, it’s vali- dation,’ Zinck comments.

“And when the singers en- courage you to ‘Write more! Write more!’, it makes you want to do just that. After all, they’re one of the truly great choirs out there.”