By Lloyd Mackey

WHEN violinist Philip Manning performed at Symphony Splash this past summer, in front of an audience of 42,000 in Victoria’s Inner Harbour, he was quietly grateful for “the gift from God” that his musical skill, for him, represents.

Leland Makaroff, the new principal of Lighthouse Christian Academy, from which Manning recently graduated, noted that he is the youngest ever to perform in Splash’s adult section.

Even in that youthfulness, Makaroff said, there is a remarkable “strength and authority” in Manning’s performances.

And Manning, himself, credits his Christian upbringing, home school education and his time at Lighthouse, for helping him to realize and act on the gift within him.

He told BCCN he believes that “my performing confidence comes from God.

“Once I am out on the stage, there is a sense of peace – and I can concentrate.”

As denotes its overflowing attendance, ringing around the harbour, Splash is one of the most popular events in Victoria’s summer. So the competition is keen for a spot to perform.

Manning had auditioned several times. On this occasion, he made it, along with a Victoria pianist Grace Ma, for the two adult solo performances of the event.

Manning has been playing violin for as long as he can remember – likely since the age of six. He has learned under the experience of several teachers – the most recent and current being Robert Skelton, a retired music prof from the University of Western Ontario now residing in Victoria.

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Manning is picking up a couple of courses this year from Camosun College, and taking on some performance work around Victoria over the next few months, before starting in music studies next year at the University of Victoria.

The piece played by Manning at Splash was one with which he has been familiar for about two years. It was the second movement of Max Bruch’s very popular – and difficult –  Violin Concerto No. 1 in G Minor.

“It fit well into the [Splash] program. It was a slow movement, lyrical, with lots of contrast,” he told BCCN.  “That is why Tania Miller, the conductor, chose it.”

Manning said his Christian faith and confidence in God developed “on my own, with encouragement of my family. And Christian teachers helped expand my thinking.”

Manning and his brother Eric, who plays piano and cello, were home schooled from kindergarten to grade nine. He did some distance learning through The Link, before finishing grade 12 and graduating from Lighthouse.

He credits both his parents – Todd, a biologist with the provincial Ministry of Environment, and Denise, “an extremely good stay-at-home mom” – for the kind of person he has become.

The family’s home church is St. Mary’s Open Gate, located in the Western Communities and part of the Anglican Network.

Manning has a few performances coming up in the next few months. He particularly noted two evenings, October 30 and 31, with the Sooke Philharmonic Orchestra, where he will play the full Bruch concerto from which his Splash appearance was drawn.

The first evening will be at the Edward Milne Community School in Sooke; and the second at the Victoria Conservatory of Music, on Pandora at Quadra.

September 2010