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Volume 23 Issue 3 - November 2017

In this issue: conversations (of one kind or another) galore! Daniela Nardi on taking the reins at "best-kept secret" venue, 918 Bathurst; composer Jeff Ryan on his "Afghanistan" Requiem for a Generation" partnership with war poet, Susan Steele; lutenist Ben Stein on seventeenth century jazz; collaborative pianist Philip Chiu on going solo; Barbara Hannigan on her upcoming Viennese "Second School" recital at Koerner; Tina Pearson on Pauline Oliveros; and as always a whole lot more!

In this issue: conversations (of one kind or another) galore! Daniela Nardi on taking the reins at "best-kept secret" venue, 918 Bathurst; composer Jeff Ryan on his "Afghanistan" Requiem for a Generation" partnership with war poet, Susan Steele; lutenist Ben Stein on seventeenth century jazz; collaborative pianist Philip Chiu on going solo; Barbara Hannigan on her upcoming Viennese "Second School" recital at Koerner; Tina Pearson on Pauline Oliveros; and as always a whole lot more!

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Eddie Graf<br />

It is with great sorrow that I report on the passing of Eddie Graf.<br />

Edwin John Graf was a composer, arranger, musician and bandleader.<br />

During WWII Eddie was a band leader in an army entertainment<br />

troop in Europe. It was there that he met his wife-to-be Bernice<br />

(Bunny), who was at his bedside when he passed away 73 years later.<br />

I first met Eddie in the late 1960s when I was acting as MC for many<br />

concerts in Toronto parks. Over the past few years Eddie had been<br />

gradually declining, but continued playing and writing music. He<br />

played in and wrote music for the Encore Band and his son Lenny’s<br />

band. He last played his clarinet at a band concert just a few days<br />

before his passing.<br />

On my return from London I headed straight to a service to celebrate<br />

Eddie’s life. Such services are frequently very sombre memories<br />

of a person’s life, but not this time. This was truly a celebration of<br />

Eddie by hundreds of fellow musicians and family members. Son<br />

Lenny spoke and showed a video which he had compiled about his<br />

father. This was followed by music from a small band of friends. I<br />

personally met up with many people with whom I had played as long<br />

as 50 years ago. Before we knew it, people were dancing to the band’s<br />

music. Why, I even had a dance with Resa Kochberg the founder and<br />

director of Resa’s Pieces Band. (By the way, Monday, December 4 at<br />

7:30, Resa’s Pieces, which over the years has grown to four distinct<br />

ensembles, presents “Music from your Favourite Films” at York Mills<br />

Collegiate, 490 York Mills Rd.)<br />

A TORONTO CHRISTMAS TRADITION FEATURING<br />

ST. MICHAEL’S CHOIR SCHOOL<br />

SPECIAL GUESTS<br />

Schola Cantorum Orchestra<br />

Members of True North Brass<br />

SOLOISTS<br />

Meredith Hall, soprano<br />

Christina Stelmacovich, alto<br />

Lawrence Wiliford, tenor<br />

Stephen Hegedus<br />

(SMCS 1998), bass<br />

CONDUCTORS<br />

Vincent Cheng (SMCS 1999)<br />

Maria Conkey<br />

Teri Dunn<br />

Peter Mahon<br />

ACCOMPANIST S<br />

William O’Meara<br />

Joshua Tamayo (SMCS 2003)<br />

Missed<br />

Too late to attend, we learned of an interesting evening in Richmond<br />

Hill called “Notes and Quotes” on October 22. There was a lecture and<br />

concert on the music history of York Region by professor Robin Elliott,<br />

Chalmers Chair, University of Toronto. This was a partnership with<br />

the Richmond Hill Historical Society and Richmond Hill Heritage. The<br />

Richmond Hill Concert Band performed a newly commissioned piece<br />

by Bobby Herriot.<br />

A different kind of missed concert for me, will be the Northdale<br />

Concert band’s 50th anniversary concert which will take place<br />

on Saturday, <strong>November</strong> 4, 3pm, at the Salvation Army Citadel on<br />

Lawrence Ave. E., at Warden. Having been a member of the band for<br />

several years, I had hoped to be able to attend their special concert<br />

but a long-term prior commitment has to be given precedence. On a<br />

visit to one of their recent rehearsals, however, I did manage to hear<br />

Gary Kulesha’s new Dance Suite for Concert Band and guest trombone<br />

soloist Vanessa Fralick’s stunning performance of Arthur Pryor’s<br />

Thoughts of Love.<br />

Upcoming<br />

Nov 2 and Dec 7 at 12pm: The Encore Symphonic Concert Band<br />

presents their “Monthly Concert” of big band, swing, jazz and film<br />

scores. John Liddle, conductor. Wilmar Heights Centre, 963 Pharmacy<br />

Ave., Scarborough.<br />

Nov 3 at 8pm: Etobicoke Community Concert Band presents<br />

“Movie Magic” featuring current and past motion picture box<br />

office hits; Hollywood blockbusters, Disney at the movies, Queen’s<br />

Bohemian Rhapsody and more. Etobicoke Collegiate Auditorium, 86<br />

Montgomery Rd., Etobicoke.<br />

Nov 19 at 3:30pm: The Wychwood Clarinet Choir presents “Harvest<br />

Song” featuring Claribel by Roland Cardon, The Lark in the Clear<br />

Air (arr. Roy Greaves), and many others too numerous to mention;<br />

conductor and clarinet soloist, Michele Jacot. Church of St. Michael<br />

and All Angels, 611 St. Clair Ave, W.<br />

Nov 25 at 7:30pm: Silverthorn Symphonic Winds open their<br />

<strong>2017</strong>/2018 season with “Fall Festival” at the Wilmar Heights Event<br />

Centre Concert Hall, 963 Pharmacy Ave, Toronto (just north of<br />

Eglinton).<br />

Jack MacQuarrie plays several brass instruments and has<br />

performed in many community ensembles. He can be contacted at<br />

bandstand@thewholenote.com.<br />

Christmas at Massey Hall<br />

PART<br />

Handel’s Mess1 ah<br />

December 2& 3 at 3pm<br />

TICKETS $20 TO $60<br />

416.872.4255<br />

MasseyHall.com<br />

and an array of<br />

seasonal favourites<br />

thewholenote.com <strong>November</strong> <strong>2017</strong> | 37

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