Do the kind of listening and reading I've been doing over the past couple of weeks, and it's inconceivable that something so fundamental to the city's, and the country's, creative musical life and international musical reputation for thirty years could disappear. But for Jonathan Bunce, the only one of the three new Gallery co-directors actually sitting in the building, calling it "inconceivable" is not helpful, if it leads to complacency. "This is a really serious situation" he says. "We need people to get involved, urgently, in a tangible way. "Like a fire in the building?" I say. "You want to yell fire but just loudly enough that people will join the bucket brigade rather than stampeding for the exits?" "That would be a very good note to end on" he replies. As I commented at the beginning of this little piece, I talked to far too many people to do any of their ideas justice here. And I didn't reach several others I really needed to in order for this to be anywhere near a balanced account. So instead I've followed the principle that, rather than quote people inadequately or inaccurately, I won't name names at all. Instead, with the help of the new music coalition website www.torontohearandnow.com we're putting this article online, as a kick-start for discussion; in such a way that people who spoke so passionately in solidarity with the Music Gallery at the meeting (and anyone else) can continue to speak for themselves about the issues affecting us all at this particular crossroads. One road from here leads to some kind of centre for creative music practice. Whether that's the right path for the Music Gallery to be on remains to be seen. "GALLERY ROGUES" The photographs to the right are illustrative of some of the Gallery's uses and partnerships over the years. Right New Music Concerts Ensemble March 7, 2004. NMC has been a frequent collaborator with the Music Gallery throughout its history. In recent years this included a number of sound sculpture installations at 179 Richmond St., productions at several venues during the "Guerrilla Gallery" year and more than a dozen concerts at the Church of Saint George the Martyr as both copresenter and renter. Right the Music Gallery as part of a Canada-wide and,_..__._ .. international network of venues: vocalist Mike Donovan in last season 's "Bethune" , by Montreal-based - Bradyworks. Right Montreal-based Tim Brady, recently appointed codirector of the Music Gallery, with Peter Hatch and Jonathan Bunce. "Art music can never exist on a for-profit basis but you are still accountable. Negotiating your way can be a heavy responsibility because of its being public money. At what cost artistically do you get good at it?" Left: ARRAYMUSIC, I985. L to R: Roberto Occhipinti, Douglas Perry, Beverly Johnston, Bob Stevenson, and Henry Kucharzyk. "In those days the Music Gallery was on Richmond Street. A typical ARRAYMUS/C/Music Gallery event that in that year might well have been an interdisplinary collaboration: "extramusical" work with a strong visual, dramatic or movement component. We were working with small indie and well established choreographers at the time like Dancemakers, and Toronto Dance Theatre. The musicians might well have been at the back, or under the risers ... not necessarily in a classical onstage set-up, although we did some of that as well. Risk-taking was a big part of the mandate from the beginning ... Each of us would have had, at the time, other connections to the Music Gallery through other collaborative work. I was working with Evergreen Club, Henry (artistic director at the time) had his own work he was doing, Beverly was performing as a soloist with all kinds of other ensembles ... Bob Stevenson 14 Back to Ad Index WWW. THEWHOLENOTE. COM
ORCHESTRA VOICES THE ROYAL CONSERVATORY ORCHESTRA Richard Bradshaw conductor MAHLER Symphony No. 5 FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 8 PM George Weston Recital Hall Toronto Centre for the Arts (5040 Yonge Street) Adults , Students & Seniors Group rates available 416.872.1111 GLENN GOULD SCHOOL VOCAL SHOWCASE Featuring Glenn Gould School Voice Department Students FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 8 PM RCM Concert Hall 90 Croatia Street (Bloor & Dufferin) Adults , Students & Seniors Group rates available 416.408.2824, ext. 321 GREAT ARTISTS Harpistry Piano Mastery Judy Loman, harp, with special guests Nora Shulman, flute and Teng Li, viola Program to include SCARLATTI Sonata in E Minor, K. 15 DEBUSSY Prelude a /'pres-midi d'un faune FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 8 PM RCM Concert Hall 90 Croatia Street (Bloor & Dufferin) Adults , Students & Seniors Group rates available 416.408.2824, ext. 321 Li Wang piano Program to include LISZT Mephisto Waltz No. 1 MUSSORGSKY Pictures at an Exhibition SATURDAY, DECEMBER 3, 8 PM RCM Concert Hall 90 Croatia Street (Bloor & Dufferin) Adults , Students & Seniors Group rates available 416.408.2824, ext. 321 l+I Canadian Heritage Patrimoine canadien ~ ~i~~ncial ~Group t! I\ ! i> l '1' • ~ 1•.\V ! www.rcmusic.ca !'• N OVE MB ER 1 - D ECEMBER 7 2005 WWW.THEWHOLENOTE.COM Back to Ad Index
