Heart of Canada

Just...Wow

Photo: Ray Mickshaw/FOX

Taylor Hicks!

Dala Girls

This album is so awesome...

Check out Dala Girls!

Yes, Melissa! (but how about that Bird?!)

Melissa O'Neil -- what an incredible, absolutely magnificent, surreal voice and super-duper personality. I certainly will buy her cd when it comes out. I have to say all that first, before I say to anyone who watched Canadian Idol tonight...where can I get a copy of, well ANYTHING AT ALL, sung by Deborah Bird? I don't care if it's just "Happy Birthday." Wowowowowow!

Kokopelli!

For your enjoyment, the Kokopelli Choir from Edmonton.

All Brass 1812

If you never have had the occasion to hear Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture played by an all-brass band, please let me recommend the experience to you. This evening, I attended the evening performance at the Prairie Brass Band Festival, which included

- Rupertsland Brass Band, Winnipeg
- Queen City Brass Band, Regina
- Mill Creek Colliery Brass Band, Edmonton
- Saskatoon Temple Salvation Army Band
- Saskatoon Brass Band

These five groups combined together to play the 1812, as described in the following promo excerpt:

Capping off the evening will be a stirring performance of Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture. The impressive sound of over 100 brass and percussion players performing this classic and popular tribute to Russia’s victory over Napoleon’s armies has never before been heard in Saskatoon. Guest conductor for the combined band will be Bob Gibson.

"Stirring" was the correct word. With regard to the five bands participating, while each can be commended for its work, the Mill Creek Colliery Brass Band from Edmonton reached extraordinary heights of precision and dynamics, particularly with the gracefully dignified and captivating Hymn to Diana.

Bravo!

If you ever have the opportunity to hear the 1812 Overture performed all brass, I highly recommend it. In the mean time, enjoy this full-orchestral snippet of the Cincinnati Symphony's version.

Kalan Porter: Beauty Still Exists After All

The show was much, much larger than the venue in which it was performed. The lighting, the sound, edge were all reminiscent of those massive rock shows we used to lose ourselves at when we were teens; yet tonight's audience was very different from back then. By the way, we were in the rafters, but managed to get a few decent pics. Kudos to the show producers, who allowed non-flash pics to be taken.

Tonight, Kalan played to a sold-out, mostly female crowd in Saskatoon's Centennial Auditorium. I went with my daughter, a plan that I cleverly disguised as a Christmas present for her last December. The age range in the crowd was unusual, probably extending from 7 to 70. He sang some new tunes from his album, but, given my age, I especially enjoyed his rock classics, including covers of David Bowie, Charlie Daniels, The Doobie Brothers, Peter Gabriel, and the song that made me give him a standing ovation, Neil Young's "Old Man."

At one point, Kalan performed a song he wrote himself, the theme of which was that, despite all the conflict and horrors in the world, beauty and goodness exist. Kalan shouldn't ever doubt that beauty exists in the world, as he, himself, embodies it, reminding people that goodness walks among us.

After the show, mobs of girls waited outside what they thought was Kalan's bus for a glimpse of the young star. Clever decoy tactics ensued and, after a quick wave, Kalan was spirited away in a completely different vehicle, with security forces running after it long enough to prevent swooning fans from catching up. It was quite a sight.

The band backing Kalan had a rock-and-roll soul and handled everything from love ballads to acid-rock riffs that made me glad I was there. I couldn't help but think that, if Kalan continues with the kind of back-up vocalists and musicians he performed with tonight, then I'll look forward to the day he has a full cd of his own rock music.

If I were my daughter's age, I would have been awfully worked up about seeing Kalan Porter. However, in my much more, er, mature manner, I appreciated his talent and was amazed that he seems to fiddle better than Charlie Daniels. I liked the way one Amazon.ca reviewer summed it up:

The emphasis on contemporary pop will likely make Porter’s teen fans happy. His future, however, is rooted in his love of timeless melodies. In fact, the disc’s highlight is the cover of Cyndi Lauper’s "True Colours" with fellow Idol alumni Theresa Sokyrka, a reminder that Porter’s voice makes a great song even greater--which will serve him well as he grows into a Canadian adult, rather than just an Idol.
-- Denise Sheppard

Would I pay to see him again? Absolutely.

The show was awesome. I loved it,
and, uh, clearly I wasn't the only one!

Rock on, you wonder boy, and come back soon!

Eastern Christian Music

I received a postively exciting cd in the mail the other day. It is a cd that celebrates the Centennial of the Order of St. Basil the Great in Canada. Entitled, Liturgical Chants & Hymns, the cd consists of very old "samoyilke" pieces performed by the Basilian

Students and Associates along with the Schola Cantorum from Edmonton, Alberta. The cd is adorned with a beautiful jacket in both Ukrainian and English text. The jacket includes an icon of Our Lady of All Graces and a photo of the singers in front of the magnificent iconostas the Basilian Fathers recently had designed for their House of Studies in Edmonton.

The pieces on the cd were collected, arranged, and conducted by Fr. John Sembrat, OSBM, who is well-known for his exceptional knowledge in the area of Eastern Christian musicology. I once had a conversation with Fr. Sembrat during which we were discussing a particular chant that is sung in Eastern Catholic churches. I commented on one particular arrangement of the chant, and he quietly commented in his extraordinarily humble manner that he had collected dozens of versions of that particular chant from all over Eastern Europe. I was shocked.

What is so very rare about this cd is that it collects chants that have become lost from congregational practice. As I listened to the cd, I was surprised at the number of arrangements I had not previously heard. I was also struck by the number of pieces I had heard sung before, but only in my childhood. A particular kind of samoyilke arrangement has become common in Eastern Catholic churches, kind of a "standard" chant that has been dominating liturgies. Unfortunately, the standardized usage of this particular style has squeezed out other versions and arrangements, some of which are much more beautiful and ornate but equally suitable for congregational participation.

If you would like a copy of this cd, e-mail me (above), and I will let you know how to obtain it.

Young People Have So Much To Offer

This must be one of the most beautiful songs ever. I never really listened to it very closely before, but, gosh, Josh Groban and Charlotte Church just take my breath away.

Now It's Just The Slugs

Doug Bennett, of Doug and the Slugs, passed away today in Calgary. He was in his early 50s and apparently had been ill for a long time.

Sad.

Despite my hard-rock roots, the music of Doug and the Slugs reminds me of my young adult years and of the friends I had during that time.

You can send the band condolences here (just ignore the blatant political plug at the top of the page).

You can reminisce about their music (and buy it) here.

Credit Where Credit is Due

I've been watching Kalan Porter videos from Canadian Idol over the past week, and I've come to my own conclusion about his talent. If you're over 40, brace yourself.

Kalan Porter's voice is better than Jim Morrison's.

*gasp*

Now, I don't make this claim lightly. I'm a huge Jim Morrison fan, but I have to admit that the range, resonance, and quality of Kalan's voice is better...plus he has that amazing soul. Just wait until he's even older. I hope he can write his own songs.

I also hope he doesn't take on the same kind of lifestyle that Jim Morrison did. I'd much rather see Kalan around doing his thing for a long, long time. The question is...will he ever be bigger than Jim Morrison?

Kalan rocks, for real. Please, please, BMG, don't make him sing kiddy pop.

Postscript:

If you liked this post, you'll probably like this one, too.

UPDATE: Here's a post with pics about Kalan's 219 Days show.

My Happy CD

Have you had that experience of feeling just great when you listen to your favourite cd? A number of years ago, hubby made me a cd of a bunch of my favourite tunes. I was listening to it today and marvelling at just how much I like this cd. Here's the playlist:

Led Zeppelin - Black Dog
Santana - Black Magic Woman
Aerosmith - Dream On
Nazareth - Hair of the Dog
John "Cougar" Mellencamp - Jack and Diane
Paul McCartney and Wings - Live and Let Die
The Hollies - Long Cool Woman in a Black Dress
Tom Cochrane - Lunatic Fringe
Heart - Magic Man
The Doors - Riders on the Storm
Five Man Electrical Band - Signs
Supertramp - The Logical Song
George Thorogood and the Destroyers - Who Do You Love
Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here

Rock on!

Point of Clarification

First of all, I'd like to welcome the thousands of Theresa Sokyrka fans who have been coming to this site over the past couple of days. WOW. If the readership on this site is any indication, Theresa's going to have a fabulous fan base and career ahead of her.

I just want to tell all you fans that, despite our having the same first name, I am not Theresa Sokyrka. Much as I'd love to be able to sing like her, and even though we live in the same city, she and I are not the same person. So, I'd suggest that you send your fan mail to idol [at] CTV.

It's really nice to get e-mails that say "You are the best!" or "I looooooooooooooooooooooove you, Theresa!" and things like that. I used to get a lot of complimentary e-mails from my students, but nothing quite like these. One was from someone who called himself "Mr. Sexy!"

It's kind of like when I was at CU place or the park by the Bessborough, and folks were chanting "GO THERESA!" or "THERESA! THERESA!" As a result of those experiences, I now know what it would be like to hear thousands of people screaming support for me. Honestly, it would almost be a gigantic self-esteem boost, except the e-mails and chants aren't actually for me!

So, as much as I like reading your sentiments, please don't send me Theresa Sokyrka fan e-mail because, well, I'm not Theresa Sokyrka. You're more than welcome to keep leaving comments on this site about Theresa Sokyrka -- you know, like at the end of my posts about her (under the "Music" category on the right-hand side of the page). Just save the actual fan e-mails for Theresa, herself.

She's is great, isn't she? If you really want to hear her sing again, you can watch videos of her performances at this site.

Woooooooooooooooooooooo!

Canadian Idol Top 2
Theresa Sokyrka

Getting Ready to Dial....

I noticed a Saskatoon bus today that had on its electronic sign a message saying vote for Theresa Sokyrka. Cool!

Here's hoping she makes it through to the next round...I'll be voting for her.

---

Wow, the phone circuits were busy right until midnight, but I did manage to get in several times.

Local Support

I noticed that some local businesses are showing their support for Theresa Sokyrka, which is kind of sweet.

Tonight's show should be interesting. I can't believe I'm so sucked in to it! I think it's because there's a local girl competing...plus it's down to one girl amongst the guys.

You go girl!

Theresa Sokyrka

Theresa Sokyrka is postively captivating. I saw her today in a downtown park performing at Ukraine Day. We got there nice and early so that we could sit up front to see her. The entire time we were waiting for her to appear, people around us were talking about her and about Canadian Idol. Later, after she performed, we stood in line to get her autograph and the two young men in front of us were talking like they wanted to marry her! Wow.

This young woman is clearly blessed with a stellar talent, but that isn't what makes her so captivating. When I saw her in person, I realized that she has an inner light, perhaps a depth of joy and compassion for others, that shines from her as she interacts with people and performs on stage. As I listened to her, I actually found myself feeling deep emotion well up into tears. Really, she brought me to tears with her beautiful voice and the love she exudes as she sings. Look at her face as she responds so excitedly to the enthusiastic crowd:

I really loved her performance and wished she could have stayed longer. My teen took great pics, but she missed out on getting Theresa's autograph as the handlers from CTV whisked her away in time to fly back to TO. I was impressed that they let her attend the community festival and pleasantly surprised that they allowed her to wear a sorochka. I thought it was cute that she wore it half tucked in over faded and tattered blue jeans. Very cool.

Theresa Sokyrka is a breath of fresh air, and her music lifts your soul as you listen to her. I don't know if she's going to win the Canadian Idol contest, but, to me, it doesn't really matter. I'd buy her cd's either way, just to hear her tremendous spirit.

         
"You're our flower"

The Soundtrack of My Youth

I had a kind of rock 'n' roll revelation this past week after going to the Nazareth/Prism concert. After kiddo swooned over Prism's drummer, I went out to my garage to pull out an old Prism LP to play for her. As I stood there scanning over all our our LPs, I thought, "Why are these out here in the garage?" Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, John Miles, Elton John, Yes, and on and on, all abandoned for years.

The slight had to be corrected, so now they're all back in the house, and we've oiled up the record player. This morning I listened to sides 1 and 2 of Goodbye Yellow Brick Road and side 2 of Zaragon.

I realized that the change in technology from LP to cd made a big impact on our listening habits. For a long time, we didn't have a cd player, not until 1998 when we were gifted one, and we didn't start buying cd's for a couple of years after that, simply because we were both in school still and couldn't afford much. When we did start buying cd's, we rarely bought old stuff, thinking, "We have that album on vinyl or cassette." In addition to LPs, we had a lot of cassettes, which we started purchasing once we had a cassette player in the car. The problem was that we didn't play any of our old LPs, the combined record/cassette/8-track player having been set aside once the cd player arrived. Thankfully, we continued to listen to old rock on cassettes in the car, since we didn't have a cd player there. However, our old LPs just continued to gather dust, and a part of my musical self remained silent for about a decade.

This week, I decided to reclaim our musical past. I'm also going to reclaim the 100 or so 8-tracks I have, because our 8-track player is the kind that doesn't make that horribly disruptive click between tracks. Hey, we can even record 8-tracks if we want, except we don't have any tapes -- although I don't really know anyone who'd want to do something like that. Those 8-tracks were all the rage when I was younger and used to cruise around in my 1979 Road Runner (360), which looked like this but in burgundy and gold. I miss that car but honestly couldn't afford to run the 360 with its gas-guzzling barrels given the price of fuel today.

Nope, I don't have the Road Runner any more, but at least I have the tunes.

On a sadder note, I also learned that Ron Tabak, the lead singer of Prism, was killed after being struck by a vehicle...twenty years ago. Somehow, after the band broke up in the early 80's, I missed that news, so, as I listened to Ron's resonant, sultry voice again on the original album, I felt a deep sense of regret at the loss. Lindsay and Al are doing a great job carrying the torch today, but we'll never forget Ron.

Old Rockers

I came back to Saskatoon a couple of days ago and heard that Nazareth and Prism were going to be playing with guest band Remedy. I'd always wanted to see Nazareth, so I thought, hey, why not. Hubbie was busking at the fringe, so I picked up a couple of tickets and dragged my teen along. She was uncertain but willing.

So there we were at Prairieland Park. The last rock concert I was at was Heart and the Black Crows. I don't like the Black Crows, and they weren't a good guest band for Heart fans. When the crowd didn't respond well, a stream of something vulgar came over the mic -- which made me hate them more. My apologies to the Black Crows fans out there, if there are any. The last really big, outdoor rock concert I was at featured Bob Dylan and the Grateful Dead, with Tom Petty, in Buffalo. Very groovy.

This wasn't a big rock concert, but there we were. I had on shades and my cool black Rawlco Rock 102 t-shirt, and my teen was wearing a Blink 152 132 182 t-shirt. Question for rocker mom on concert etiquette: Is it okay to wear a t-shirt from another band? Heh. I said, yeah, you'll look more your own era. The average age of the crowd at this concernt was about 43, and I got to point out "70s dancing" to my teen. I think I saw a mullet. My teen said that, judging by the hairstyles, some people in the crowd were stuck in the 70s.

We got our seats and hung out until mic checks started. Then, BOOM, time to check the bass drum. For a second I thought my heart skipped a beat; then I realized it was reverberation. I hadn't felt that in a while. Looking up, I realized I was sitting directly across from the speakers. Check, check, BOOM, BOOM. I looked at my teen and said, I think we have to move. She gives me a strange look and I'm, like, really, I mean it. I bribed her to scout out a better location. It turns out that at Prairieland, less reverberation occurs in lower seats, where you're below the speakers, so we moved on up front. I don't ever remember reverberation being a cause for concern at a rock concert, well, except that time I went to the Psychedelic Furs when several months pregnant, but that's another story.

Remedy was great. I'd go see them again. They have a good name for people like me: with all their 60s and 70s rock covers, they were a very good remedy in general. Once I got used to my rib cage vibrating, I really felt I could just embrace the awesome sound. Prism put on a good show. I'd seen them in my youth on a much larger stage. After they performed, kidlet claimed to be going to get coffee and then swerved off the coffee path to totally flirt with the Prism drummer. Gah. I have photo proof of the event which I'll have to drag out at her wedding or something one day.

Nazareth was astonishing, really. Dan McCafferty's voice hasn't changed a whit, which was really strange because there was this hard-rock voice coming out of this pretty old guy up there. You've gotta give him and bass player Pete Agnew credit for keeping the rock flame burning all these years. Broken Down Angel, Love Hurts, and Hair of the Dog sounded uncannily like they did when I was a teen. Weird.

One of my niece's favourite songs is Hair of the Dog, so I called her while Nazareth was playing it. She was doing groceries with her friends in another city, and they rocked in the store aisles while the song played. Hey, who's got the coolest aunt ever? I also had to call my brother, who recently accused me of being a disco queen. *shudder* I couldn't reach him, so, with Nazareth screaming out in the background, I shouted into his voicemail something about not ever being a disco queen, which pretty much oughta end that argument.

After the concert, a few people hung around to get Nazareth autographs. A woman in front of us didn't have anything for them to sign, so she turned to her friend and said all she had for them to sign was her b**bs. Her friend suggested she get them to sign her bra. She says, "Do you think they'd sign my bra?" Her friend says, "Oh, yeah. They'd sign your bra." Then, a young guy walked up next to us and showed his friends a Nazareth shirt that he bought for the band to sign. He looks at his friends and says, "Now she'll marry me." Geez, would you marry someone for bringing you a signed Nazareth t-shirt? I dunno -- it probably would at least have to be Led Zeppelin. Some guy told me about all the bands he'd seen after hitting it rich in the oil patch and then blowing it all going to concerts. While he went on about seeing Pink Floyd, my mind was simultaneously wondering why people like him strike it rich and why anyone would blow all their cash on rock concerts. At least he agreed when my teen later told him rap music was an oxymoron.

I had Nazareth sign my ticket -- not my b**bs or my bra. Ick. On a happy note, they each let me take their picture. Dan McCafferty, obviously thinking me to be a lot younger than I am, told me it was something I could share later with my kids. I pointed to my very tall teen and said, "That's my kid." He jumped back a bit and said something like, "Woah. We'll she'll be able to share with it her kids."

The concert brought back some youthful memories, but it also highlighted for me a few differences. The first outdoor concert I went to was K-97s Rock Circus in Edmonton, with Heart, Ted Nugent, Rush, and I really can't remember who else. Anyway, at that event, I didn't have an umbrella or bottled water with me, I don't remember bringing anything for rain, people tried to smuggle in booze (which I probably wanted to try), and there was a lot of illegal smoke in the air. At this event, I had an umbrella and a bunch of other "in case" stuff, people were buying booze (but I didn't want any), the illegal smoke in the air was...tobacco...and, just like in the 70s, nobody said a word. Oh yeah, and I didn't see anyone holding up lighters while Prism sang Night to Remember or Nazareth sang Love Hurts because hardly anyone smokes anymore.

Rock on. [Link]

Brandy Forever

Would somebody please give this woman a record contract?

I could listen to her sing all day long.

Photo: CTV

New Alberta Symphony

Blogging from Edmonton

Last night, I attended the World Premiere of a new symphony written by the truly gifted  Bernie Zolner, and the great Alberta composer, George Blondheim. The two have collaborated before on other projects, such as the score for the movie The Jewel of the Nile and on the recent production of the NHL´s Heritage Hockey Classic, recently performed outdoors in Edmonton for over 60,000 people.  When they collaborate with each other, magic happens.

Bernie and George were commissioned by the Grand Lodge of the Alberta Freemasons to compose a symphony for the lodge's provincial centenary.  They then created Symphonia Masonica, a symphony in three movements, which is the result of "hundreds of hours of collaboration" between these two brilliantly talented Albertans.

For the premiere, they chose the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra and the Winspear Centre for Music in Edmonton. I´d never been in the Winspear centre before, although I knew Francis Winspear when he was alive, so it was nice to be in the building named for him. The event production was handled by Aquila Productions and famous videographer in his own right, Don Metz, who not only was dressed in the most beautiful suit I think I´ve ever seen, but also looked positively glowing after the performance.  Like the program notes said, "If you watch TV, then you have seen Don´s work." The production was filmed and recorded, and large video screens on either side of the concert hall projected inspiring artistic images during the evening´s performances.

Having only heard the symphony once, I can tell you that the three movements each inspired for different reasons. The opening movement moved smoothly between allegretto and a lively allegro, full of promise and wonder in its motifs. The movement opened with the grand resounding of the Davis Concert Organ, the largest one in Canada (and in the top-ten of North American organs), itself a work of art. After the organ, a pause, and then enchantment, which didn't end until the final, enlightenend note at the end of the symphony. The second movement gripped me with emotion. It was slow, full, and rich, bringing the piece to its final maturity in the third movement and the most incredible 1st violin solo I believe I have ever heard. The talent of the musicians in the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra brought out the complexity of this symphony´s multiple motifs, which included poignant moments highlighted with that most natural of instruments, the human voice, in a full-range choir which stood between the orchestra and one other very pleasant surprise.

If you can believe it, on top of all that amazement, world-reknown Canadian artist, James Picard, stood elevated above the choir and in front of the organ pipes, where he composed and produced a painting while the entire event was happening. I can´t even imagine what it was like to stand above the entire gathering in the Winspear Centre and paint while the massively ornate, gorgeous pipe organ resonated right through him. It must have been a transcendent experience.  I know watching the entire production was just that for me.  In the end, he produced a work of art that was symbolically representative of Masonic culture and a testament to his own greatness as an artist.  James, George and Bernie became a triangle of excellence in that concert hall last night.

Now, one truly noble characteristic of George and Bernie is that they fundamentally are down-to-earth Albertans. They aren´t pretentious, and both demonstrated their belief in the unconquerable power and value of the human spirit. So, not only did they premiere their symphony and invite James Picard to create along with it, they also invited audience participation during the first half of the evening. The symphony, itself, occurred during the second half of the program, the first half being devoted to other pieces. The evening opened with Mozart's "Overture" from The Magic Flute, followed by the first movement of Beethoven's Fifth Symphony, Opus 67 , which I had not heard live before.

After Mozart and Beethoven, it was our turn.  Upon entering the Winspear, each person was able to take a musical instrument -- recorders, drum skins and sticks, harmonicas, slide whistles, and various percussion instruments. I had a clear blue recorder, which I´ll tell you more about in a sec. After the perfection of Beethoven, George turned to the audience, and conducted us in our own symphonic presentation, the Steelcraft & Coast Music Interactive. Using a little mental imagery and some visual stimuli presented on large video screens, he encouraged us to play our instruments however the images struck us with full permission to give it our all. It was so cool. Everyone had a chance to contribute, and George alternated between the full audience orchestra as well as various sections -- "Ok, now all the harmonicas!" Like that.  Then, solos from each -- performed by whomever had the guts to play out loud while everyone else in the concert hall was silent.

At one point, looking at a small duck going about its business on the video screens, George called for a single recorder. To my own astonishment, the most beautiful recorder note came out of me and my clear-blue recorder. Starting subtly and growing, it turned into a trill as the duck shook itself and moved around. I think George was impressed : )  I wonder if I´ll get a credit on the DVD ; )  It was such great fun (plus we got to keep the instruments).

After the audience ensemble, George conducted the orchestra in what was the most smile-inspiring moment of the entire night: the performance of The March of the Shrine (with George wearing a Shriner's hat and coat!).  I say this was the most smile-inspiring moment because The March of the Shrine was composed by my brother, Bernie, and arranged by George. The piece is an incredibly complicated march with a touch of camp, as the conductor, at critical junctures, blows this great, old whistle. You have to know my brother -- genius mixed with old fashioned humour -- to fully appreciate intricately blending music of the eternal spheres with down-to-earth, in-your-face humanity. Priceless.

I'll tell you something else about my Bernie. His photo doesn't appear anywhere in the program, and he just barely takes credit for anything to which he contributed during the evening, not even the design of the playbill, itself.  He did write an introduction to the event in which he made some notable points about the arts, which I would like to quote:

"There are certain occasions that bring to mind the nature and position of art within our community and its deep connection with the identity of our culture. Art lives on as a testimony and a legacy towards future generations. In matters of Classical Music, it is unusual when you realize that the concentration of efforts remains on the performances of past masters of the old world. Their great works remain a living legacy to their age and are grand statements of 'we lived' and 'this is what we achieved in our time.'

Alberta will soon celebrate its centenary, and Albertans must put aside political differences and realize that we are a culture equal to any other in the world, past or present. We have matured, and at this juncture, we must begin to consider what kind of statements we will leave behind and continue to build into the future.

Art has become buried in an avalanche of the pragmatic and the mundane. Great art requires the nurturing of budding artists and the patronage of great people. The Symphonia Masonica is a spendid and benevolent gesture of the members of the Grand Lodge of Alberta, who recognize that a need has developed in our society to demonstrate that the people of Alberta are capable of contributing to the grand cultural legacy of the world. We are more than hewers of wood and carriers of water, and this most ancient and venerable institution has stepped up to the mark in its firm conviction that the human spirit and resources of Alberta must be nurtured, grown and celebrated, as they are surely greater and more valuable than all of the natural resources that we are blessed with in this province.

To achieve our equal position as contributors and not just consumers of the great legacy of human civiolization, we must pause every so often to put aside our worries, our fears and the daily stress inflicted upon us by the modern world. We must stop and smell the fowers of art that spring from the inspiration that we, ourselves, give to our artists through simply living together and thus sharing our hopes, our triumphs and our tragedies.

To this end, we present the Symphonia Masonica, the fruit of many hundreds of hours of collaboration between composer, George Blondheim, and myself. This work would have been impossible to achieve without the efforts and support of many people, and a herculean effort by Mr. Cameron MacKay."

This excerpt from the playbill spoke strongly to me of the importance of creation, innovation, and art as part of the life-blood of our heritage. Bernie has that kind of vision.

That's Bernie Zolner, Albertan. I couldn't be more proud.

Bernie then goes on to thank other great Alberta artists supporting the symphony's premiere, including Hon. Gene Zwosdesky, the Alberta Minister of Culture, who presented a cheque for 50,000 to the Grand Lodge, as well as Don Metz and Aquila Productions, who, among many other events, regularly produce the Edmonton Oilers and Edmonton Eskimos for television.

The performance will be available on CD and DVD, and proceeds will go to the Masonic Higher Education Bursary Fund, which was founded in 1959 with four bursaries. This is one of the largest private bursary programs in Alberta, and, in the past six years alone, has funded 560 students for a total value of over six-hundred thousand dollars.

I hope someday you have the opportunity to see the DVD or, even better, to hear the Symphonia Masonica performed live. Like me, you will remember the experience always, and it will enrich your life.

I extend my deepest congratulations to Bernie, George, James, Don, the choir and all the musicians for their outstanding performances during this remarkable event in the province of Alberta. You have elevated us all to new heights of inspiration and a brighter, more hope-filled future.

You Made Me Love You

I'm sitting here doing paperwork (as usual), and in the background, I have Danny Aiello's new album playing, which I received in the mail yesterday.

I called up his press contact, Tracy Miller and Associates in New Jersey, and chatted for a while about the album (can you tell by now that I'll talk to just about anybody?). The album is so amazing, so New York. He wrote a short little bit about himself in the cd booklet, about how he came to do the album, and about how he didn't really think anyone would buy it except his family. That's kind of sweet.

Here's the review I wrote of the album for Amazon.com:

Heart of Canada loves Danny, Heart of New York
I fell in love with NYC a long time ago, and Danny's new album made me fall in love all over again. His voice is rich and wonderfully suited to the kind of music he's singing. Also, the orchestration and other vocals are positively fantastic -- at times soothing, even classy, and at other times so snappy that you just want to get up and jump. What I really want to say is, "Thank you, Danny." Thank you for putting out this gem of an album and for sharing your great gifts with us.

"There are no tears in jazz"

"Is the kindness we count upon hidden in everyone? ... Are we stronger than we believe?"
- from "Narrow Daylight," Diana Krall and Elvis Costello

Diana Krall defines class. Together with Peter Erskine (drums), Christian McBride (bass), and Anthony Wilson (guitar), she defines brilliance. Her new album is worth every penny.

I was given tickets to Diana Krall's May 12 concert as a present. What a great present it was. Diana's impeccable piano technique and dexterity were matched only by her unbelievable instinct for musical dynamics and timing. Fondly describing her mentor's grouchiness, Diana commented that "there are no tears in jazz." Yes, um, especially if you're listening to her, unless you want to cry out of sheer relief and gratitude that such a talent exists in the world.

I've heard people talk about Diana Krall's talent as a pianist or as a vocalist. After seeing her perform, describing her as either a pianist or a vocalist wouldn't do her justice. She's a musical genius. You can see her living it. She doesn't just play and sing; she breathes the composition in and out of her, giving it life and then celebrating that life with her fellow musicians on the stage.

Past Diana Krall albums that I've listened to have been very good, sultry jazz, but covers of other people's work. Tonight, she showcased her ability across a range of compositional styles and arrangements, many developed with her husband, Elvis Costello. In her performance, I thought she captured real emotion as easily as she ran her fingers miraculously up and down the keyboard. This woman has soul.

I enjoyed her speaking, too. The intimacy of the set-up and her natural way of addressing the audience made me feel like I was in her living room. I loved that, and it is, most of all, why Diana Krall, for me, defines class. With all of her fame and true giftedness, she's not arrogant. She accepts that the crowd loves her, even if she still seems so amazed by that.

The only drawback to the evening was that the woman sitting next to me kept staring at me. She seemed to find me at least as interesting as Diana Krall. I don't know how she could have been so profoundly mistaken.

Definitely worth seeing!

The Saskatoon Summer Players have decided to perform West Side Story for their 2004 production. In fact, the Saskatoon performance is listed on the official West Side Story webpage! Very cool. I just can't wait to see this musical for a couple of reasons.

First of all, I love West Side Story, so that, alone, makes me want to go. I can hear it now... Maria! I've just met a girl named Maria, And suddenly that name will never be the same to me...." Okay, you get the idea : ) However, there's another reason that this year's performance promises to be special.

Cast in the part of Tony, is Gavin Logan. You might have read some of Gavin's writing locally, if you ever read The Sheaf on campus newspaper at the U of S. Or, perhaps you catch his "Green Eggs and Ham #3" show at 6 am Tuesday mornings on CFCR (90.5 FM). Or, maybe you're just a buddy of his.

I met Gavin when he played Pilate in a production of Jesus Christ Superstar! at the Broadway Theatre last year. I was choral director for the production, and Gavin was great. Not only did he bring a rare combination of vitality, strength, and sensitivity to his role as Pilate, but his vocal performance was emotive, and he was a gem to have as part of the cast throughout all the practices.

When I heard Gavin was going to play Tony, I was thrilled, both for him and for the Summer Players. I don't think they could have picked a better person for the part. I've never seen a Summer Players production before, so this will be my first, and I'm really looking forward to it. My advice, check it out! I think it runs June 22nd to 30th at the Castle Theatre.

La-la-la-la-la Amerika! La-la-la-la-la Amerika! ... I feel pretty, oh so pretty, I feel pretty, and witty and bright....

(Now I wish I'd tried out for it! I could have been the dress-shop keeper or someone's mama or something!)

Croon, Danny, Croon

I've always liked Danny Aiello. So, imagine how happy I was when I got to order this:

You can listen to selections from the album, called I Just Wanted to Hear the Words on Danny's website. He sounds pretty smooooooooth. Makes me miss "the city."

I knew he could sing...ever since he did that classic, Hudson Hawk, with my favourite actor. I know, I have tacky taste in movies; then again, if it's got Bruce Willis in it, its not a movie: it's psychological art. I mean it. Stop laughing!

At least when Aiello sings he sounds a lot better than what Andie McDowell sang in that movie.

Prey Music Video

Do you remember the Prey television series? It was one of my all-time favourite tv shows. Some faithful fans of the series have been promoting the idea of a Prey music video for a while, and they finally succeeded in having one produced by SilverEye Productions. Most of the credit for spearheading this music video's production goes to Lee Ann Gradwell, the coordinator for the Prey for Us website (catchy title, eh?).

You can watch the music video at AXZ's site.

Saskatoon Music

I like traditional jazz music and swing, but I'm not a music buff by any stretch of the imagination -- I just like listening to it. One cd that I was proud to add to my, admittedly paltry, collection is Bumper Crop II: Outstanding in Their Fields. This cd was put out by the University of Saskatchewan Jazz Ensemble (2002-2003), Directed by Dean McNeill, and I picked it up at a U of S Music Department event.

The cd features students playing, and guest artist Brian O'Kane joins them with his exceptional trumpet and flugel horn talents. According to the accompanying cd booklet, they do four jazz classics, five unpublished arrangments and five original compositions. I think the name of the cd reflects the quality of the work on it: outstanding. Plus, the cover of the cd brings a special Saskatchewan flair to the name:

That picture brought a little smile to my face.

If you have the opportunity to hear the U of S Jazz Ensemble, go listen to them or pick up this cd. From my perspective, these local jazz musicians have made a wonderful contribution to the music community in Saskatoon.

Holy Cross Choirs Take Double Honours

Yesterday, I had the pleasure of attending an event that I have come to love going to year after year, the High School and Select School Choral Adjudication at the Saskatoon Music Festival. Three classes performed yesterday, which were adjudicated by Mr. Jack Partridge:

Class 211: High School Girls' Chorus, Grades 8 to 12
Class 210: High School Mixed Chorus, Grades 8 to 12
Class 200: Select School Chorus, Grades 8 to 12

Let me tell you...there's nothing like listening to young voices sing. If young people could only know and understand what a gift it is to their community to share their music, they'd know how important their presence is in our lives and in our society.

High School Girls' Chorus, Grades 8 to 12 Performing in this group were the Holy Cross High School Junior Choir, conducted by Ms. Leanne Baldwin; The Christian Centre Academy Senior Girls' Choir, conducted by Mrs. Anne MacMillan; and the E. D. Feehan High School Junior Choir, conducted by Ms. Camille St. Amand, who also permitted her intern to conduct one of the pieces. I didn't get his name, but he did a super job.

The Holy Cross High School Junior Choir took top honours, with their clarion angelic versions of Evening Prayer from "Hansel and Gretel" (E. Humperdinck) and Psalm 121 (I. Raminsh). The Christian Centre Academy Senior Girls' Choir took second. They sang a dignified and expansive version of Praise Thou the Lord (F. Mendelssohn) and a really hip, swinging version of The Power of Your Love (G. Bullock). The E. D. Feehan High School Junior Choir took, defacto, third, although in this kind of adjudication only first and second are awarded. I believe that the adjudicator doesn't have to award any "first" or "second" honours if the adjudicator chooses. The E. D. Feehan choir performed, with great pathos, Take These Wings (Besig) as well as the blue-collar bluesy Workin' Partner Song (arr. Printz).

High School Mixed Chorus, Grades 8 to 12 Performing in this group were the Holy Cross high School Senior Choir, conducted by Ms. Leanne Baldwin, and the E. D. Feehan High School Senior Choir, conducted by Ms. Camille St. Amand.

The Holy Cross High School Senior Choir took top honours with their sweetly performed La Bella Bimba (arr. Max V. Exner), in Italian, no less! When asked by Mr. Partridge how many spoke Italian, none put up their hands. Well, especially given that none speak Italian, they did a wonderful job. They also performed the complicated, humorous and progressively more insistent Soldier, Won't You Marry Me? (P. Halley) with notable expertise. The E. D. Feehan Choir took second with a comforting rendition of Wiegenlied (Cradle Song; Brahms arr. Porterfield), that familiar lullabye so many parents have sung to their children. They sung it in German, a challenge even for adult choruses. They also entertained with a peppy Cantate Brasilia! (Emerson), sung accurately in Latin.

Select School Chorus, Grades 8 to 12 Performing in a class by themselves, was the Christian Centre Academy Celebration Choir, conducted by Mrs. Anne MacMillian and Mr. Kevin MacMillan.

I say that this choir performed in a class by themselves, in part, because no other choir performed in this group, but also because this choir really does stand out in a class by themselves. The reason is that they have managed to create a wonderful balance of both young men and young women in their chorus, with a full range from resonant bass through their finely tuned soprano, giving this choir a resoundingly powerful sound. The ability for a choir to attract as many young men as this choir has is a testament to their ability to create a welcoming atmosphere for the arts and music in their school, making the arts important and equal to other activities such as sports or science. This choir took first with their stellar version of the complex Hallelujah Chorus from Christ on the Mount of Olives (Beethoven) and the traditional, glorious Let All Men Praise the Lord (F. Mendelssohn).

At the conclusion of the evening, I left feeling so very impressed with the talents of our local teens. They clearly worked extremely hard and with great dedication to reach the level of achievement they all attained last night. These young people are all local stars, and we should gaze on them with wonder and amazement.

Saskatoon Music

One day a few months ago, I went downtown. I was rushing a little because I had an appointment with my lawyer, and I couldn't find a parking space along 2nd Avenue. Finally, I found one, and, as I was plugging the meter, I became aware of this gentle guitar strumming and earthy singing nearby. I looked up and sitting on a bench a few feet away from me was a guy crooning about his life. Even though I was in a big hurry, I walked over to him and stood listening. Something about his voice mesmerized me. I wanted to sit down next to him and just let his music sink into me for a while, but, well, you know, reality bites, and I had to go. He did, however, have a stack of his music on cd, so I bought one and then scooted off to my appointment.

When I got home, I put on his cd. It's this completely amazing combination of unplugged acoustic guitar and electric/rhythm guitar plus his edgy, folk-baritone voice. The album, recorded at Hergott Productions Saskatoon, has become a real gem in my collection, in part because it is so real in its tone and style.

The album is Golden Crossroads by Gene McCrae (click image for a larger version):

Here are the lyrics to one of my favourite songs on the album. They are, of course, the intellectual property of Gene McCrea.

walls of shame
gene mccrae

give me some hope for today
just like the earth soaks up the falling rain
and if you hurt that's okay
cause i know i sometimes feel the same way
you say you're a clown
and then you found
you're just an actor behind a disguise
and then you laugh at me
when i say we're free
you're always tied up in simple goodbyes

we're all lonely
we'll never live in walls of shame
walls of shame

please don't compromise yourself
to fit the means of somebody else
and if someone treats you bad
don't be sad
just be glad you're alive
and when the going get's tough
when life is rough
shrug your shoulders
and keep movin' on

it's a mystery
why we all don't see
life is precious
and someday it's gone

we're all lonely
but we'll never live in walls of shame
walls of shame
we'll never live in walls of shame
walls of shame

[cool guitar riff]

we're all lonely
but we'll never live in walls of shame
walls of shame
we'll never live in walls of shame
walls of shame
never live in walls of shame
walls of shame
we'll never live in walls of shame
walls of shame
we'll never ever live in walls of shame
walls of shame
never live in walls of shame

Here's to you, Gene.