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