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In memoriam Pete Seeger

I’m beat up today that Pete Seeger has died. And people ask, “you were a Pete Seeger fan?” The thing is, with Pete you were not a “fan.” You did not sit idly by and merely listen and pledge fan-ship to a performer. You did not “like” him on FaceBook. You didn’t even buy the records. You didn’t have to because your parents already had them on the shelf. There wasn’t kid’s music and parent’s music, there was just music. No, you were not a fan. You were a collaborator. You were part of the band. You sang along with… Read More »In memoriam Pete Seeger

The Beggar’s Opera at York University

About two years ago Gwen Dobie, Catherine Robbin and I had lunch on a patio under a tree, sipping white wine and evaluating our production of Dido and Aeneas at York University. We were exhausted but happy after our initial collaboration, and keen to sink our teeth into something even bigger. That’s when the idea was hatched to produce The Beggar’s Opera at York. We open next week after a year of planning, designing and rehearsing. The production is high energy, imaginative, and a little off the wall. Gwen presents the opera as a “play within a play” set in a… Read More »The Beggar’s Opera at York University

Candlemas

Music for Candlemas: free score for you

You’ll know it as “Groundhog Day.” It’s a turning point in the year surrounded with Northern mythology, like the Celtic folk tale of the Blue Hag, or the more down-to-earth Canadian legend of the rodent who sees his shadow and returns to his lair for 40 days. The Church of St. Mary Magdalene celebrates Mary presenting her baby to Simeon in the temple. The service involves a beautiful procession with candles and lovely music like the Nunc Dimittis. It’s sort of the last remnant of the Christmas season, and you have to eat all your left over plum pudding by… Read More »Music for Candlemas: free score for you

blessing the door 2013

Adieu 2013

2013 was a step up from annus horribilis 2012. My annual New Year’s Eve party usually involves Haggis and pagan rituals: a dark stranger, coins, whisky and coal. This year Fr Tay Moss blessed my house with the works, holy water and all. During the infamous Toronto ice storm I lost power for two days. Thank goodness for Bruce Hill’s stubbornness! He insisted on installing a gas stove when we moved here in 1998, not for heating mind you, but for efficient cooking. Boiling up cinnamon spiced water filled the house with Christmas fragrance throughout the dark and chilly episode,… Read More »Adieu 2013

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