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Toronto shooting

I love Toronto – it’s my home, where I live. I love Chicago – it’s a second, musical home. We’ve been reeling from an act of violence in Toronto today, which has outraged residents, and sent international news media tongues wagging. We are thrown into self-evaluation, self-reflection, and we’ve all expressed our concern and checked in with loved ones, grateful to be safe, grateful that this is not normal. When I was in Chicago this April, I learned lots of stuff. One thing was this: That weekend eight people were killed in gun violence. I confronted my hosts the next… Read More »Toronto shooting

Look what Larry’s doing!

My old friend and musical collaborator Larry Beckwith, recently retired as Artistic Director of Toronto Masque Theatre is conducting a very interesting programme performed by the Festival of the Sound Ensemble. The concert is called ‘Sounding Thunder’ and it examines the life of Francis Pegahmagabow, a local Ojibwe officer in the First World War who was decorated for his actions as a sniper. The piece is composed by Tim Corlis on a text by Ojibwe poet Armand Garnet Ruffo. Lucky for us we don’t have to go all the way to Parry Sound to hear this. There is a performance… Read More »Look what Larry’s doing!

Llandovery Castle promo VIDEO

If you’ve been wondering about this opera we’ve been working on, here is a little video that gives you a glimpse of how our work is going, and what you’re going to hear in June when we perform the piece, 100 years to the day after the Llandovery Castle hospital ship went down in the Celtic Sea. Click here and have a look, and share the video with anyone who might be interested in what we’re doing: Llandovery Castle promo VIDEO You’ll see director Tom Diamond speaking about the relevance of this story today since hospitals and medical staff, desperately… Read More »Llandovery Castle promo VIDEO

Scribe

Sonnet to my Toyota

My grease monkey calls: ‘Pick up your vehicle.’ That car is my baby! I try not to panic. With pliers and wrenches he gives her a tickle, As if he’s a surgeon, not just my mechanic. Slowly he emerges from the depths of the shop, Dusty and hooded like some ancient druid; A list of requirements now inflate the job: New brakes, new lights, and new washer fluid! Although he’s been thorough, and very efficient, Labour and taxes push the bill higher; A routine service is just not sufficient, And by the way, she’ll need four new tires. Can I… Read More »Sonnet to my Toyota

Scribe

The Muse

Doggerel advice for friends awaiting inspiration. The Muse The Muse is cruel, but she’ll give you Her secrets after all her dues Are paid in full, and after that The artist must endure Her chat. Her gifts require sacrifice And abstinence from every vice. Whiskey is replaced by tea, And definitely no TV! The Deity will drop Her mask While playing at some other task. A simple job can free the mind For presents of a nobler kind. Yoga’s done on bended knees Awaiting her epiphanies. Her servant listens, tied in knots, To hear Her faint Magnificats. The Muse requires… Read More »The Muse

llandovery Castle

Llandovery Castle Query # 3. What’s the music like?

How can I describe the music for our new opera? It’s helpful to talk about influences, so I’ll compare my music with styles, genres and composers which will hopefully strike a familiar chord with you. Here’s a scene-by-scene snapshot of what you’ll hear on June 26 and 27, 2018 at Calvin Church in Toronto. Scene One: The chorus sets the scene: a ship, plying the Atlantic, June 1918. Unison violins paint the ebb and flow of the sea. The music is modal: think Celtic sea shanty, like Gordon Lightfoot’s ‘The wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald.’ The nurses aboard this Canadian… Read More »Llandovery Castle Query # 3. What’s the music like?

Matron M.M. Fraser

Writing Llandovery Castle (the opera) Question #2 – Who were they?

Looking at these faded photographs, I remind myself that there was a real woman and a caring family behind each of these dim portraits. Our opera ‘Landovery Castle’ attempts to bring to life a handful of the extraordinary women who died on the night of June 27, 1918 when their hospital ship was torpedoed crossing the Atlantic. Our three main characters are Pearl, Bird and Kate. Margaret Marjory ‘Pearl’ Fraser was the 33-year-old Matron in charge of the 13 other nursing sisters on the Llandovery Castle hospital ship. She was born in Nova Scotia, moved to Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan and… Read More »Writing Llandovery Castle (the opera) Question #2 – Who were they?

MPS

Michael Purves-Smith RIP

I was both shocked and sad to learn of the death of Michael Purves-Smith who was a professor at Wilfrid Laurier University. He was my harpsichord teacher and he coached our closely-knit Early Music Ensemble, always going the extra mile in his pedagogy. He drove us all to NYC for a medieval conference, helped us to organize tours and major productions. Our ensemble worked hard, rehearsing at 8:00 am in the morning, and (as I repeatedly tell my own students) I practiced harpsichord two hours every day. And that’s true. Michael made we want to do well. This article in… Read More »Michael Purves-Smith RIP

Merry Christmas

Stephanus and Maximus apologize to Mendelssohn

Dear Mr. Mendelssohn, (may we call you Felix?) We feel the need to inform you of some very disturbing occurrences in our local grocery store: a place where people from many lands gather to enjoy the liberty of carefree shopping for hard cheese, Panettone, and obscure pasta shapes. But lately there have been some… unfortunate developments concerning your music. We have always been big fans of your Christmas carol “Hark The Herald Angels Sing.” You must be pretty proud of it, since the tune bears your name in capital letters, and those old words by Charles Wesley – my goodness,… Read More »Stephanus and Maximus apologize to Mendelssohn

Nursing Sisters WW1

Writing Llandovery Castle (the opera) Question #1

I’ve had lots of questions about our upcoming opera project ‘Llandovery Castle’ so I’ll use the forum of my blog to attempt some answers. I welcome your feedback and further inquiry! Question #1. Why are there 3 male characters in an opera about 14 women? It’s a great question. I’ll confess I was surprised when Paul Ciufo’s scenes began to emerge. I never really imagined that I would be compelled to write music for the bad guy! But I’ve come to trust my librettist’s dramatic instincts. He understands that opera needs contrast; good theatre requires dramatic ‘chiaroscuro’ and our objective… Read More »Writing Llandovery Castle (the opera) Question #1