Music 24/7
Life is filled with music these days. Most significantly for this site, we are having a hoot rehearsing the Mummers' Masque with a truly inspiring group of singers and instrumentalists, two immensely talented dancers and a group of children (including my own!). Derek Boyes is outdoing himself with fantastic ideas and connective direction that is very strong on story-telling, humour and warmth. I'm just overwhelmed by how spirited and first-rate everyone is and all the strong talent that's been assembled for this show. If you haven't ordered tickets, I encourage you to do so!
My wife and daughters all have strong and active connections to the Toronto Children's Chorus. I was honoured to be asked to host their "Sing Loo" fundraiser at the Fairmont Royal York hotel yesterday. It was a grand affair and so heart-warming to hear all the different choirs associated with this organization sing so beautifully in such a grand venue. I can remember my father saying that when he arrived in Toronto from Victoria in 1946 the Royal York was one of the tallest buildings in the city and you could see it from miles around. As a lifelong Torontonian, I can well remember evenings at the old Imperial Room, especially one unforgettable concert by Lena Horne. Those seem like distant memories now, but everything came flooding back yesterday. It's so gratifying to know that our city still has organizations like the Toronto Children's Chorus dedicated to music-making at the highest level and to introducing children to the miracle of music-making.
I am also lucky to teach at a school in Unionville that still values the arts and to be surrounded by a talented pool of string players able to pull off performances of the great works of music. Tomorrow and Tuesday night we have our concerts at the Markham Theatre and the students are playing Grieg's Holberg Suite, the first movement of Mendelssohn's VIolin Concerto, two movements of the Dvorak String Serenade and one of his Slavonic Dances. Great music played really well....I'm looking forward to these concerts very much.
And there are many Messiah performances looming after the Mummers shows, with the Elora Singers (playing) and Tafelmusik (singing) and one special performance for kids at the Church of St. Mary Magdalene on December 12 in the afternoon with my good friend Stephanie Martin and her choirs.
It was also a complete joy to sing hymns at St. Thomas' Church this morning. We are blessed to have such a fantastic organist in John Tuttle, and an accomplished choir. I look forward every year to "Helmsley" or "Lo He comes with clouds descending", especially the magnificent final verse with the stirring reharmonization. In the words of Tuttle: "it's a corker", and makes one remember how great it is to be alive.
Back to the Mummers: carols, songs, operatic scenes, dances and an interlude for each of the great players - Joe Macerollo (accordian), Ed Reifel (ugly stick!), Ian Harper (Uilleann pipes), Terry McKenna (bouzouki) and Andrew Downing (bass). Dean Burry has written and assembled a vast array of wonderful music.
I thank goodness for music. 24/7.
