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Volume 11 Issue 6 - March 2006

  • Text
  • Toronto
  • Theatre
  • Jazz
  • April
  • Musical
  • Symphony
  • Orchestra
  • Arts
  • Quartet
  • Mozart

Lib Lab, now in its 10th

Lib Lab, now in its 10th year, was founded by Wayne Strongman and Claire Hopkinson to create a forum where artists of various disciplines could explore the operatic form. Through working on 5- minute scenes together writers could discover which composers best suited their vision and vice versa. Many pairings from Lib Lab such as composer Alexina Louie and librettist Dan Redican have continued to work together since. Signing up for "Opera to Go" involves rather more than agreeing Instrument Bank: The TMA Music Education Committee continues to receive instruments for the Instrument bank, for which we are most grateful. Four sets of timbales donated by Mike Stanutz of Mist Productions are already on permanent loan to the percussion department of Humber College, where we know they will be well used. A set of drums has also been donated by Steve Wilcox, a former member of the TMA. These have gone to the Mississauga Youth Symphony. The drums, made by Gretsch dating from about 1973, have been donated without hardware (stands, hi hat, cymbals). So if you have some drum hardware hiding in your basement, please think of us as a good place to store it! We have three violins of various sizes available, and requests for a cello and a clarinet. If you have or are aware of instruments which could be used by our program, we accept donations or loans, and will help appraise and refurbish all instruments. Please contact Corkie Davis for more information at corkie.davis@sympatico.ca. Specialized school music programs: A rhythm basics program, called Rhythmody, developed by member musician/ educators Jane Fair, Brian Katz, and Alan Hetherington continues to be offered to schools in the GTA. Aimed at grades 6 to 8, it is a fun and lively way to gain a better understanding of rhythm . Many students could use more time in this area, and our program is intended to help them find fun ways to practise rhythm skills as a warm up or focus for a music session. We will be developing a program addressing vocal basics for the same age group shortly, and hope to get that into schools looking for some fresh ideas and new inspiration in this area. If your school is interested in the program, or for after school programs, please be in touch with Jane Fair atjanefair@sympatico.ca. We will send out a description of the program and follow up any inquiry. The committee also continues to meet with our partners in the Music To My Ears program, which is looking for ways to encourage at-risk youth to participate in music programs. Instruments have been donated to this program also through Dean Jarvis (TMA Board member and music director to direct a conventional opera, since in "Opera to Go" the director also functions as dramaturge. Diamond' s take on this role is that it entails asking the artist strategic questions "to help the work to blossom, to let the artist find his or her sharpest vision". As a director, Diamond similarly does not seek to impose a concept on an opera but tries "to work from the inside out", to have the singers explore and project the psychology and human interactions of their characters. To this end he has the cast read through the libretti first as plays so that the singers understand "the emotional arc of their characters and the emotional arc of the piece as a whole". Diamond says that determining the sequence of six short pieces for an evening programme is "like hanging paintings for an exhibition" since the desired effect is of both variety and balance in both content and style. "Some of the pieces will seem like complete entities, some like distillations of a larger work, but none will feel like excerpts" he says. The programme promises to give us an exciting TORONTO MUSICIANS' ASSOCIATION NEWS compiled and edited by Brian Blain for member Nellie Furtado), and after-school programs are being developed in several different areas of the city . This is an exciting program that has great support from our partners, and we are hoping for some spectacular results. Honouring our finest: Composer, arranger and trumpet player Johnny Cowell was honoured with the TMA's Lifetime Achievement Award. His compositions have been recorded by such luminaries as Vera Lynn, Chet Atkins, Lawrence Welk and Andy Williams, and his association with the TSO has lasted more than 50 years. His most recent recording "The Art of Johnny Cowell: Virtuoso Trumpet Gems" contains performances as recent as 1996. At the presentation, president Rosemary Galloway read Johnny's astonishing list of achievements to an appreciative audience. In his acceptance speech, Johnny noted that he'd been a member of the TMA for 63 years - yet another impressive achievement. At a Benefit Event held at the Montreal Bistro on December 12 2005, TMA member Eugene Amaro was honoured with a Special Recognition A ward and a host of fabulous jazz instrumentalists and vocalists performed for this unique occasion. Eugene and his extended family were there for dinner and to enjoy the musical proceedings. Secretary Allan Macmillan spoke briefly honouring him with the award, "to be presented to him one-on-one as soon as we can get the dang thing made up". Congratulations also to Archie Alleyne, a 50-year veteran of the Toronto jazz scene, who received a Lifetime Achievement A ward at the Urban Music Awards presented at the Kool Haus on November 29. He's played with Billie Holiday, Mel Tonne, Nancy Wilson and countless others. He currently fronts the popular group Kollage as well as bringing jazz into the classrooms and finishing up his autobiography. Canadian Jazz Archives: In recent years, major jazz related collections have been lost to researchers who wish to look into this invaluable cultural heritage. Recogniz- glimpse into the state of the art of opera in the 21st century. "Opera to Go" has previews on March I and 2 and opens at the new Young Centre in the Distillery Historic District on March 3 with further performances March 8, 9, 11, 16 and 17 at 8pm. See www .tapestrynewopera.com for further information. See also Opera, Music Theatre Listings page 54 Opera at Home page 65 ing this loss, a group of dedicated jazz fans and musicians has recently established a format vehicle for collecting and preserving all jazz related material. Known as the Canadian Jazz Archives Network (CJAN), the group is working with the York University Library and will play an important role in networking, promoting and reaching out to the jazz community at large. The York/CJAN collection will be easily accessible to the general public and will include music on disc, tape, piano rolls, or any other electric/electronic medium; plus published music, band arrangements, books, periodicals, catalogues, manuscripts, personal scrapbooks, correspondence, photographs, and all ephemera that would assist research into jazz music and related cultural events. CJAN's purpose is to collect and save this material in the already well-established music library and archives at York University. For further information, see the web site at www .yorku.ca/cjan and/or contact Rob van der Bliek: 416-736-2100 ext. 33694, e-mail bliek@yorku.ca or Ken Crooke: 416-481-8140, e-mail: khcrooke@rogers.com Lord of the Rings: March 23, 2006, opening night of The Lord of the Rings, promises to be an auspicious date for the revitalization of large scale commercial theatre in Toronto. There is no question that the drastic downturn in tourism that Toronto suffered in 2003 and 2004, which precipitated the premature closing of the excellent productions The Producers and Hairspray, had the effect of discouraging producers from mounting open-ended commercial productions in Toronto. With the opening of The Lord of the Rings at the Princess of Wales Theatre, Toronto hosts the world premier of the most elaborate and expensive commercial theatre production ever produced. Here's hoping it's a wonderful production, audiences line up to buy tickets and musical director, Rick Fox, contractor, Jim Spragg and the 18-musician orchestra have work for years to come. As we know from the past, successful productions encourage new productions. 32 WWW. TH EWHOLENOTE.COM M ARCH 1 - A PRIL 7 2006

WE ARE All Music's CHILDREN March's Child .... photo taken 1961 by mJ Buell Identify this member of our music community, who you'll find consorting with kings, courtesans, men of the church, vagabonds, goddesses and hurdy-gurdy players, for a chance to win tickets or a recording. """L.__~~ Th_ink you might know who March's Child is? Send your best guess to mus1cschlldren@thewholenote.com. (Winners will be selected by random draw among correct entries received by March 15th, 2006.) February's Children .... were Lara and Scott St. John "l recognize this photo! It sure brings back memories. Their mother is accompanying them at the piano. 1 was studying violin performance at the University of Western Ontario during that time, and actually competed against Scott in a Kiwanis violin class. 1 believe they also pe,formed as a duo with the London Symphony Orchestra (of which I was a member) that same year ... " Susan Guise­ Bagley (Barrie, Ontario) ACADEMY CONCERT SERIES 40 ACROBAT M USIC 71 ALEXANDER KATS 5 6 AMADEUS CHOIR 4 7 AMICI 34 ASSOCIATES OF THE TORONTO SYMPHONY 36, 44 ATMA CLASSIQUE 5 A UDIOLIN Music 1 3 BACH CHILDREN'S CHORUS 47 BATA SHOE M USEUM 20, 41 BAY BLOOR RADIO 80 BETH TIKVAH SYNAGOGU E 48 BRAVADO 23 CAMMAC 59 CANADIAN SINFONIETIA42 CANCLONE SERVICES 71 CATHEDRAL BLUFFS SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA 3 5 CHRIST CHURCH DEER PARK ]AZZ VESPERS 28 CONTINUUM CONTEMPORARY MUSIC 26 CosMo Music 30 DAVE SNIDER MUSIC CENTRE 24 DEER PARK CONCERTS 46 DEWEY COLLEGE 55 DR. KATARI NA BULAT 58 EARSHOT CONCERTS 40 ELENA CIOICI 5 7 Scott and Lara St. John began playing ELMER ISELER SINGERS 23 Suzuki violins at the ages of 3 and 2. Their mother, an accompanist, motivated their musical beginnings. When this childhood photo ESPRIT ORCHESTRA 2 EVE EGOYAN 49 was taken during a London Ontario Kiwanis Festival their success as perfonners was already well underway. "There was always something about the brother and sister team that people really enjoyed" comments Scott. G EORGE HEINL 18 "One of the nice things about the relationship is that we still get along well enough to play together!" Enrolled at the Curtis Institute (Philadelphia) as very young teenagers, they quickly developed separate musical identities ,'i· as the world became various and inviting. =,•· ""''"""'':.c Scott has won numerous competitions and awards and delights recital HELICONIAN HALL 58 and chamber audiences around the globe. Scott is Associate Professor of Violin at the University of Toronto, Faculty of Music, and has recently been appointed to the St. Lawrence String Quartet. Salon Paris­ HYMN SOCIETY, ien, on CBC Records, is his newest release. Lara made her first appearance as concerto soloist with orchestra at age 4. She performs all ] ANET CATHERINE D EA 56 ~ver the world as soloist and recitalist, and has won several competit10ns. She perfonns on the 1779 "Salabue" Guadagnini thanks to an ]AZZ AT ROYAL YORK 28 KOFFL ER SALON SERIES 44 anonymous donor and Heinl & Co., Toronto. Re: Bach (Sony Classical) is her most recent recording. LE

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