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Lunch with Mayor Ford

Taking aim at Rob Ford tonight seems like shooting fish in a barrel. As I write, he is being abandoned in Shakespearean proportions, not only by those who never liked him, but also by his closest supporters. My own tragic liaison with our ill-fated Mayor was early in his leadership when I was invited to the Mayor’s “Arts Awards” lunch. I was really excited to attend this event. We shaggy, ill-kempt artsy types were seated at round tables with spiffy business people, with whom we could hobnob and cook up meaningful partnerships. I thought it was truly a stroke of… Read More »Lunch with Mayor Ford

Thomas Morley treatise

Plaine and Easie Introduction to Modern Learning

Maximus: Ho there, Stephanus! Why run you so fast from your smart classroom? Stephanus: Oh, my dear Maximus, I’ve just lectured to my students and now I’m late for my Tenure and Promotions committee meeting. But I always have a moment to talk with you, my wise colleague. How are you? Maximus: I am in good health, but exhausted. So much to do this time of year! Stephanus: I should say so, what with exams in a month, end of term concerts and the lengthening darkness of the Autumnal season. My students are stressed out. And I am frustrated because… Read More »Plaine and Easie Introduction to Modern Learning

Recipe for collaboration

Up here at York University we are exploring undiscovered territory. In a truly daring and innovative experiment, all of the various departments in our Fine Arts Faculty are collaborating on a production of a theatre piece written three centuries ago – a work so important, so controversial, so wildly popular that it toppled the London theatre giants of the time, bringing the musical genius Georg Frederic Handel to his knees financially and artistically. The work is John Gay’s Beggar’s Opera and it is going to be a wild and wacky show. Our Beggar’s Opera production culminates in a week long… Read More »Recipe for collaboration

Composer’s craft

Voces Capituli, a men’s choir in Antwerp, have been singing my music for a while in their beautiful church in Belgium. They took some of my liturgical music on tour to Rome this summer. I have never met any of them, but I correspond with their conductor, Dirk Maes, and he sent me this photo of St. Laurence church where they sing regularly, on the other side of the world. Many of the men in the choir are former choirboys at the cathedral in Antwerp. Needless to say they are all grown up now and have their own website. Click… Read More »Composer’s craft

How it used to be

I had some fun today teaching my music history students at York University how to dance a Pavan, and explaining how a renaissance person was expected to know how to dance, sing, play an instrument, recite poetry in Latin and hold their own in a polite debate. I asked them for their thoughts about what social skills were essential today. They said it is essential to read (English) and to be able to text quickly. Clearly, I set them up for that response. I know full well that texting on a cell phone is a priority for them. If I… Read More »How it used to be

Free download

My latest free download is the Gloria from my Mass for Three Voices. You can check this out on the “compositions” page of this website, download, print and sing! The other movements of the mass are published by Cypress Choral Music . The version posted here is SSA. If you need SAB or TTB, just ask me. Steph

An aspect of being Mennonite

Sometimes it takes a momentous event to shake you out of complacency – to shake you out of your routine – shake you out of taking for granted all the imperceptibly small things that add up to something big. The event today was a funeral for my friend Paul Penner. I had not been back to Toronto United Mennonite Church for quite some time. I had been busy making music at a high Anglican Church downtown for a while, so being on Queen Street east today, in the embrace of my cultural family, was one of those moments. It was… Read More »An aspect of being Mennonite

Pax Christi 2013-14 season

If you read my blog you may know that I conduct a lovely big oratorio choir called Pax Christi Chorale. I have a fabulous team of musicians backing me up, including Dan Norman, assistant conductor, accompanist Simon Walker, and an enthusiastic choir of amateur singers supported by a professional ensemble of choral scholars. We present an annual concert series in Toronto at Grace Church on-the-Hill, collaborating with professional soloists, orchestra, and incorporating young singers into our concerts whenever possible. This is just a quick note to encourage you to view our Youtube video which summarizes our new season with a… Read More »Pax Christi 2013-14 season

Time

Time

The old common arbiter, the healer of all things, the teller of all truths: Time. You are a god, and I wear your talisman on my arm. I perpetually gaze upon that counterfeit countenance, your potent, ticking charm. The symbol of your omnipotence circles my wrist like a handcuff, binding me to your power. Time, I am your slave! You govern my every action; when I rise, when I eat, when I work, when I play. Without you there can be no life, no music, no movement, no breath. My very pulse is enthralled by your ceaseless rhythm. The changing… Read More »Time

What is a hymn?

I suppose you cannot really understand what a hymn is all about unless you’ve had a personal encounter with a hymn, maybe singing with hundreds of people in a vast cathedral to the visceral accompaniment of a mighty organ, or maybe picking out the notes on your ancient piano on a quiet Sunday evening with your sister singing alto to your soprano. If you’ve ever been singing a hymn and had a moment where the music just gets to you, and a few of the notes choke your voice just a bit, and you have to pretend nothing happened but… Read More »What is a hymn?