Beat by Beat |
Beat by Beat | BandstandSummer Floodjack macquARRIEIn last month’s column I speculated that many bands in ourarea would have a wide variety of events for the summer months.Nothing like the way it was,of course, when I started playing ina band many years ago, shortly after the dinosaurs had departedfrom the local scene. For us back then it was all about band tattoosin towns throughout Southwestern Ontario. There were the boysbands and the company bands (both now almostextinct) and the town bands. I rememberwell the Pressey Transport Company band, theChatham Kiltie band and, most impressive of all,the White Rose Oil Company band from Petrolia,Ontario, in their elegant white uniforms. Atthe end of the summer it was, more often thannot, the long bus trip to the Canadian NationalExhibition to compete with other bands on theold North Bandstand. Local town band tattoosare now very rare, and the CNE no longer hostssuch band events, but I had an inkling it wouldbe a summer of relative plenty. So I sent a briefsurvey questionnaire to a number of bands locatedwithin an hour’s drive of Toronto. Are theytravelling far afield for special events or are theyhosting concerts on home territory?Initially there was little response. So little,in fact that I started a “Plan B” column about acouple of events in which I was involved sincelast month’s column was written. The first ofthese was the York University Concert Band Festival. A series of individualworkshops in the morning was followed by band workshopswith coaching from a York University professor. This was followed bya reception where keynote speaker Bobby Herriot regaled the participantsin his inimitable style. His very appropriate topic: Benefitsof Being Involved in a Community Band. During the evening each ofthe participating bands performed short concerts with members ofthe other bands in the audience. The entire event was organized byYork University music graduate students. Let’s hope that this will bethe first of many such events.The second event was a concert entitled “The Beat Goes On andon …” by the Toronto New Horizons Bands. Started in September 2010with one daytime band, the local New Horizons program now hasgrown to two daytime and two evening bands. For their end ofseason event they returned to the CBC’s Glenn Gould Studio. Inthe formative stages I watched many people checking out variousinstruments to determine which should become their musical soulmate. Now, with over 80 members in the four groups, the spectrumof required instrumentation is well covered. Yes, they even haveoboe, bassoon and bass clarinet, but alas the tuba has been neglected.So, you guessed it, yours truly was invited to participate as a guest.What an experience to play with each of the four groups individually,and then with all 80-plus members on stage. I didn’t see an emptyseat in the hall. There were a lot of very proud family members in theaudience that night.So, what do our community bands do during the summer months?Just as I was about to give up, the flood gates opened. From a newband less than a year old to one celebrating 140 continuous years ofserving its community, they responded. Rather than risk any suggestionof favouritism, here is a synopsis in alphabetical order.The Aurora Community Band, still in its first year of operation, hasperformances slated for the Aurora Farmer’s Market and a moreformal concert at Trinity Church, Aurora.The Brampton Concert Band and their companion Jazz Mechanicsgroup have a host of special events in and around Brampton in addi-tion to their regular Thursday Night Concert Series in Gage Park. Aswell as the regular concert series, the Jazz Mechanics Big Band willbe playing at The Rex in Toronto and at the 24th annual BeachesInternational Jazz Festival. The Brampton Concert Band will alsobe hosting the Rocky Mountain Concert Band from Calgary. One oftheir last concerts will be entitled “O Canada: A Memoir” featuringthe Pipes and Drums of the Lorne Scots.The Clarington Concert Band has announced appearances in PortHope, Orono and Bowmanville, so far.The Columbus Centre Concert Band, now completing its second year,will be at Vaughan City Hall for Heritage Month on June 2, and thenoff to the Waupoos Winery in Prince Edward County for a wine andcheese celebration the following day. In July they will present a seriesof outdoor concerts at Villa Colombo in Toronto.The Festival Wind Orchestra will present thefinal concert of its 15th anniversary season onSunday, June 17, at the Betty Oliphant Theatre,404 Jarvis St., Toronto. We have not heard of anyother events for the balance of the summer. Theprogram, titled “Then to Now: Celebrating 15Years of Music,” is a trip back and forth throughtime, featuring music that was relevant from1997 and 1998, the orchestra’s first full season,up to the present day.Grand River New Horizons Music is anotherNew Horizons group serving Kitchener-Waterloo and the surrounding area. They havefar too many events to list here, but a fewhighlights deserve special mention. Saturday,June 23 is the Teddy Bear Parade in Listowelwhere they will play at the park as the teddyYourstruly.bears are marched up the street toward thepark. Everyone is invited to join the paradewith their teddy bears. Canada Day sees themat Doon Heritage Village dressed as an 1914costume band with players wearing straw boater hats. Men will bein long sleeved blue and white striped shirts and baggy trousers.Women will be wearing white middy tops with blue trim and longblue skirts. The band will also be in 1914 costume in Palmerston forthat town’s 100th anniversary of its Pedestrian Bridge.The Markham Concert Band will be going to the Orillia AquaTheatre once again this summer and also will be traveling toFenelon Falls for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Fest. Last year, thisband introduced a series of afternoon concerts on Markham’s MainStreet with duties shared by several visiting community bands. Thisyear there will be a similar series but they will shifted from theinflatable bandshell on Markham’s Main Street to the UnionvilleMillennium Bandstand.The Milton Concert Band is gearing up for a busy June and Julywith several performances planned for both the concert band andtheir swing ensemble; Then the band will take a rest for the monthof August. In addition to their free summer concert series at VictoriaPark Gazebo in Milton, they will be appearing in the BurlingtonSound of Music Festival at the Burlington Art Centre. On July 5, theyplay host to the Rocky Mountain Concert Band of Calgary, Alberta.The Toronto New Horizons Band, after its successful concert atthe Glenn Gould Studio will be gearing down somewhat. After oneconcert at Ryerson University, and a band party, there will be a fewsporadic performances at retirement residences with ad hoc rehearsalsas required. The band is already receiving calls from potentialmembers wanting to know when the next new band will be starting.The beat does go on.The Newmarket Citizens’ Band started this season off early with aparade for the opening of the local baseball season. As in past years,it will be participating in a variety parades and festivals and willmake their appearance again at the Orillia Aqua Theatre. Early inJune the band will be leading a “Stroll” down Newmarket’s MainStreet to the town museum to herald the opening of an exhibit featuringthe Band’s 140 years in the town. More anniversary eventshave yet to be finalized. In the meantime, if you are near Newmarket,28 thewholenote.com June 1 – July 7, 2012
drop around and have a look at the band’s 140 year history at theElman W. Campbell Museum located at 134 Main St. S., Newmarket;hours are Tuesday to Saturday, 10am to noon and 1pm to 4pm andadmission is free; call 905-953-5314 for more information.The Northdale Concert Band reports only two major out of towncommitments, so far, for the summer: an evening performance at theOrillia Aqua Theatre and a Sunday afternoon concert at the StratfordOutdoor Theatre.The Pickering Community Concert Band, with many members awayfor most of the summer, has chosen to close down for the summerwith no performances after July 8.The Richmond Hill Concert Band will be at a Canada Day celebrationfor Richmond Hill at Richmond Green Park, and at the MarkhamSummer Concert Series at Unionville Bandstand.The Scarborough Concert Band has told us of performances at theScarborough Civic Centre and at a festival in Port Union.The Thornhill Community Band will be performing at The Taste ofAsia Festival, in the Markham Summer Concert Series at UnionvilleBandstand and at Mel Lastman Square.The Uxbridge Community Concert Band, now in its 21st season, is asummertime only band and they have just had their first rehearsal.As in past years their first performance will on Decoration Day atUxbridge Cemetery with subsequent concerts at Palmer Park in PortPerry and at Trinity United Church in Uxbridge.DEFINITION DEPARTMENTThis month’s lesser known musical term is Tempo Tantrum: whatan elementary school band is having when it’s not following theconductor. We invite submissions from readers. Let’s hear yourdaffynitions.Jack MacQuarrie plays several brass instruments andhas performed in many community ensembles. He canbe contacted at bandstand@thewholenote.com.INDEX OF advertisERsAlexander Kats 47Amoroso 60ATMA 5Bayfield Festival ofSong 7Brott Music Festival 7Canadian Children’sOpera Company 12Canadian OperaCompany 22Cantemus 34Christ Church DeerPark Jazz Vespers 27Church of St. MaryMagdalene 31Claim Your VoiceStudios 45Classical 96 72Cliff Ojala 47Conrad Chow 36Cosmo Music 29DCAT Chorus 46Elora Festival 26Festival of the Sound55Gallery 345 31Gary Topp / ConsulGeneral of CzechRepublic 35Hamilton Philharmonic38Heliconian Hall 46Jean-Paul Reymont 33Kindred SpiritsOrchestra 36Laptopolist 47Liz Parker 47lizPR 43Long & McQuade 25Meredith Hall 36Midland SummerSerenade 29Mississauga SymphonyOrchestra 18Mooredale Concerts 13Music at Metropolitan23Music at Sharon 11Music Gallery 19Music in the Orchard /City of TorontoHistoric Museums 15Music Mondays /Church of the HolyTrinity 20Music Toronto 9Musique Royale 58New Music Concerts30, 32NO Strings Theatre 46Norm Pulker 47nyCO 45Ontario Philharmonic15Our Lady of Sorrows 23Pasquale Bros 46Pattie Kelly 47Peter Mahon 24Remenyi House ofMusic 4Scarborough ConcertBand 35Schola Magdalena 33Sheila McCoy 46Sinfonia Toronto 16Sphere Music 68St. Philip’s JazzVespers 27St. Stephen in-the-Fields AnglicanChurch 14Steve’s Music Store 19Sue Crowe Connolly 47Tafelmusik 2TD Sunfest 21TD Toronto JazzFestival 39, 41The Sound Post 17Thornhill ChamberMusic Institute 44Toronto Centre for theArts 31Toronto ConcertOrchestra 33Toronto Consort 4Toronto MendelssohnChoir 44Toronto OperaRepertoire 45Toronto Summer MusicAcademy andFestival 71Toronto SymphonyOrchestra 3Victoria Scholars 32VOCA Chorus 33Westben 12Women’s Musical Clubof Toronto 17Yamaha Music School47You and Media 47July 6July 13July 15July 20July 22July 27July 29Aug 3Aug 6Aug 10PRESENTSMidland’s SummerSerenade 2012Artistic Director John FrenchSinfonia TorontoThompson & FrenchBuzz BrassDavid JalbertWolak & DonnellyBax & ChungVesuviusZodiac TrioAnton Kuerti &Afiara String QuartetCecilia String QuartetMidland welcomes visitors to the shoresof beautiful Georgian Bay in the heart ofhistoric Huronia.Sunday concerts are at 2pm at thenewly opened Midland Cultural Centre.All other concerts are at 8pm atSt. Paul’s United Church.For tickets call 705-528-0521More info: www.brooksidemusic.comJune 1 – July 7, 2012thewholenote.com 29
