Just last Sunday evening at St. Mark’s Church here in our old town, I marvelled at the musical and speechifying talents of Atis Bankis. This chap is an internationally respected violinist, and we are so lucky to have him with us as the Artistic Director of Music Niagara.

Both his bow hand and his left hand move so fast, so he came by his talents on the tennis courts honestly. His segues between songs lead the audience through the performances.

Music Niagara, where the world comes to play. Atis realizes I am way out of my league around classical music, but he is always encouraging. Never condescending.

For several reasons, my life has been dominated by various sports. I would feel comfortable reading an article headlined “Gretzky, Ovechkin & Beyond.” Now here I was ready to enjoy a Classical Series evening with Music Niagara entitled “Mozart, Beethoven & Beyond.”

I felt happy to still be curious, but at the same time, sad because my life has been so lacking in music. I know so little, but am able to lose myself in this world that is so foreign to me.

Today, we are part of a celebrity society. It seems that if a celebrity is celebrated enough, the cost of a ticket is somewhat irrelevant.

Consider the upcoming Paul McCartney concert on Nov. 21 at the TD Coliseum in Hamilton. I have done some very basic research.

For a seat way up in the nosebleeds, the selling price is US $824. Plus the accepted taxes and drip fees, for a total outlay of a lot of money. Probably over $1,000.

Compare this to my second row pew, cushion included, last Sunday with Music Niagara. An evening of nonstop classical music, with internationally acclaimed pianist Norbert Heller, who is celebrated for his technical brilliance and poetic style.

To quote the program, he is a laureate of the Beethoven Competition and a participant in the Chopin and Tchaikovsky Competitions across Europe, North America and Japan.

My seat in the second row pew at St. Mark’s was $40 in Canadian dollars, with only GST added. Before the concert, I chatted with new friends Declan Lane and Catherine Cornell. Both very happy and involved NOTLers, and regular participants in many things artsy.

Up front, Music Niagara’s production manager, Colin Maier, was making final adjustments to the sound system. He is multi-talented and dedicated, and on this evening proved himself to also be a flawless page turner for Norbert Heller.

Talk about teamwork — with precisely no room for timing flubs. A subtle nod of the pianist’s head, and yet another fresh page would deftly appear.

The aforementioned Paul McCartney concert in late November in Hamilton will almost certainly be sold out, at incredibly high ticket prices. The secondary markets will be active, and attendees will be thrilled, even up in the nosebleeds.

Meanwhile, we are so lucky to be enjoying Music Niagara’s 27th Summer Festival. Some 19 different performances, at five wonderful venues. Ironwood Cider House, St. Mark’s Church, Grace United Church, Spirit in Niagara Distillery and Ravine Estates Winery.

May I simply and respectfully ask the good people of the Niagara region to consider spending some time with Music Niagara? So much variety, in such unique venues, and at such fair and reasonable prices.

Enjoy Duelling Pianos or a Cabaret with Julie Nesrallah. Nashville at Night, and then Music Niagara continues its important tradition of Glory to Ukraine.

This concert on July 27 will pay tribute to the strength and culture of the Ukrainian people — a message that resonates deeply in our world today.

There are so many new worlds out there to discover. For my experiences with Music Niagara, so stimulating, so well priced, I have to dig out my thick dictionary.

And, have an Italian friend translate the program. “Allegro moderato. Andante cantabile, ma pesto con moto.”