Toronto members of Monarchists League Travel to Ottawa to see "Will and Kate"-July 2011

MONARCHIST OF CANADA MEMBER, TRAVELS TO SEE “WILL AND KATE” FOR

CANADA DAY CELEBRATIONS

W. Ian Walker, Royal Reporter

It is the eve of July 1^st, 2011 and I am trekking to Ottawa, ON Canada (our nation’s capital) with other 50 members of Toronto Monarchist League of Canada. Our members have come from all over Ontario wanting to be a part of  these July 1^st,  Canada Day celebrations, honouring the 1^st international tour, of their HRH Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, alias “William and Kate’s” royal tour!    We left Toronto at 12:15 a.m. and travelled by bus, for five hours t arriving in Ottawa at 5:45 a.m.  We took our places on Parliament Hill around 7:00 a.m. for the long wait until 2:00 p.m. when the show would be over.  All of us on this “monarchist tour” wanted to be a part of Canadian history, being “on the hill” with the Duke and Duchess in Ottawa, our 144^th, national birthday celebration.  How exciting for Canada and for us! 

Our Monarchist League of Canada members will be well represented throughout the cities on their national tour.  Being a new member to the League, I wanted to be a part of this “24 hour whirlwind bus trip.”  Interacting with some of the members on the trip, I discovered that many people have a passion for seeing the monarchy remain a vital part of our Canadian history.  I interacted with seniors, retired teachers, business people and university students who all wanted to be a part of this “magical day”. We all believe that our connection with the monarchy and with the Commonwealth needs to be a strong and ongoing link with our Queen of Canada. 

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will soon experience our traditional noon-time grand showcase featuring the performances of “Great Big Sea”, newly minted young vocalist Maria Argaon, who sang “Oh Canada” (Lady Gaga fan and upcoming artist) combined with outstanding array of English and French artists who demonstrated the bilingual unity which is a part of our national mosaic.  This show has become a staple on Parliament Hill, and in the evening the Royal couple will experience a specular array of fireworks which will light up the Ottawa skies.

I’ve been a “royal watcher” for at least 40 years, well represented by my British and Scottish roots on both sides of the family who immigrated to Canada around 1910. The photo that I’ve included in this report is from my grandparent’s interaction with the Royal Tour of 1939 in Hamilton, ON.  King George VI and Queen Elizabeth (The Queen Mother) started their “first” Royal Tour to Canada, via our national railway. The Queen Mother publicly stated on many occasions that the 1939 tour “really made us.”  The Royal “train visit” stopped in Hamilton. My grandmother was in the crowd and purchased this flag which she later gave to me in the 1970’s.

Many in the Royal Family have visited our nation several times. Most Canadians have a deep respect and passion for the Queen and her family. Seventy-two years later, this young Royal couple are beginning their first national and international “made in Canada” tour.  Stay tuned, I’ll be reporting on my experiences of being “in the crowd” on our Canada Day celebrations.

Raising the Next Generation of Sondheim Actors-August 2011

Picture enclosed is with the two “Mrs Lovett’s” from the NST “Todd Product” of 2011, Olivia Cox (left), Mary Askwith (right) and W. Ian Walker, Arts Development Officer.

RAISING THE NEXT GENERATION OF SONDHEIM ACTORS

W. Ian Walker, Arts Reporter

Denise Williams, Artistic Director of Toronto’s No Strings Theatre Productions (NST) has been working with youth ages 13 to 21 for the last seven years producing summer musicals in her musical theatre school  within Toronto’s busy theatre district. During her 2011 preparations for producing Sweeney Todd, Williams mentioned to her colleagues that she was considering producing Sondheim’s classic musical.  She thought, “Will my students be vocally able to handle this repertoire and libretto?” When the word for NST auditions for “Todd”; 80% of her alumni and student community wanted to be in this production.  Some of these students at the tender age of 13 to 17 years old, already they have several difficult Sondheim songs in their repertoire.

I spoke to three young actors, some experienced Sondheim fans and one young talented baritone and alumni of the program, Jonathon LeRose, 21 years old (Todd) and asked him; What were your impressions of Sondheim and for you, this being your first musical role with this composer? LeRose said” I think that Sondheim is a brilliant composer and never before, did I understand the complicated layers of underscoring and chord progressions in his vocal parts until I studied this role of Todd. The rhythm and constant changes in time signatures from 5/8 to 6/8 are hard enough to grasp. Then you add the chromatic different verses that sound the same, but are just a bit different and are subtle in ways as you learn so much about the composer and his intentions for the character.”

I then spoke to seasoned Sondheim fans and actors Mary Askwith, 16 and Olivia Cox, 17 (Mrs. Lovett), I asked these young ladies: What is about Sondheim, for your age group that really interests you and your future development as a singing-actor? Askwith said: “Stephen Sondheim’s scores are always so complex and precise and I love that whether I’m listening to his music or performing it.  Sometime trying to sing Sondheim is difficult, but I personally love challenging myself. I love acting his songs too, because the way that he writes songs is always so full of character. 

Cox continued:” Sondheim is challenging, interesting and excellent preparation for the “real world” of musical theatre.  Sondheim is, without a doubt, the hardest composer that I ever sung. The notes are so intricate that they require your full attention and all of musical abilities that you have at your disposal. His music has improved my vocals drastically. Sondheim writes with such care, every sentence, every word is wholly important to the show.  Nothing in it is unnecessary and everything is beautifully written.”

Denise Williams understands the competition and interest in Sondheim’s music at this youthful age. “At the end of our 2010 production of “Les Miz” our students were hungry for more drama and intensity in the musicals that we selected. They were hungry for Sondheim.” Williams is a classical singer and educator with her own Toronto voice studio who has worked as a singing-actor performing on stage, screen and recently in the cast of the Toronto run of Mirvish/Andrew Lloyd Webber’s production of The Sound of Music

Williams continued: “I got to thinking, several years ago, what can I give or help to nurture the next generation of musical theatre students; with practical skills that they can use in their careers? Thus, No Strings Theatre Productions was born! We have been learning, growing and reaching out to the theatrical international youth community from Germany, Poland, Dominican Republic, USA and this year Syria-- for the last seven years.  This age group loves to be challenged! We want to attract future candidates and students to NST, who want this insensitive musical theatre experience for their own growth.”

Williams said “Along with three other professional coaches on staff, our students have fun, as we teach them valuable skills in dance, drama and vocal classes, as well as scene study and character development. We have weekly master classes and seminars in how to survive working in the “biz”.  

“Our program encourages our students to gather as much experience as they can from A-Z in how to produce a major Broadway musical in only less 20 days of preparation in total. Or as Sondheim says, they learn how to “put it all together.” Sondheim’s music and lyrics are challenging! His music, especially with its large vocal ranges and details in intonation, combined with his lyrics are difficult, even for season professionals. However, these young students want to sing and perform Sondheim! I think that as young actors, it’s good for these students to stretch themselves, learning both about the roles that they are portraying and the difficult lyrical content of Sondheim. Our training will hopefully help them for future auditions and ongoing career opportunities.”

No Strings Theatre Productions had its first online auction from July 27-September 11, 2011 www.32auctions.com  Stephen Sondheim graciously gave 2 signed autographed pieces that were combined into two lots with other CDs, DVDs or books about Sondheim. If you would like to know more about NST, please check out our website at www.nostringstheatre.com   

Maureen Forrester Tribute-July 25th, 2011

INTERNATIONAL, CANADIAN ARTISTS’ AND FRIENDS ASSEMBLE FOR FORRESTER TRIBUTE

W. Ian Walker, Arts Reporter

On July 25^th, 2011, internationally beloved contralto, performer and Arts Administrator, Maureen Forrester would have been 81 years old.  Sadly in June 2010, Maureen passed away at 79 from dementia. Canada’s arts’ community never had the opportunity to gather together and celebrate Maureen’s life and career as our national treasure.   In Stratford ON, at their annual Stratford Music Festival, the sold out arts community, the Forrester and Kash family and friends all assembled for a special tribute concert entitled: “A Serenade for Maureen Forrester.”  

Forrester’s daughter Gina Dineen, the second born of five children, recently spoke to the press on her mother’s Canadian and international legacy: “For a woman in the 50’s to have a large family and a career and stay in Canada to promote Canadian composers internationally, to wear Canadian fashions in both national and in international circles… and later on in her career to be recognized as vocal artist of distinction for her interpretation of Mahler’s music… these things can’t be taken for granted.”

The tribute included video excerpts of memorable moments from Forrester’s career, personal reflections from friends, family and peers including video tributes from Sir Andrew Davis and Zubin Mehta with performances from some of the many talented singers and artists whom were mentored by Forrester including: Kimberly Barber, Allyson McHardy, Catherine Robbin, Kristina Szabo, Jean Stilwell and  Mary Lou Fallis.  Sharing their own tributes of working with Miss Forrester, were Stratford’s own legendary chorographer, Brian MacDonald and Karen Kain, international dancer and former Chairman of the Canada Council. Miss Forrester had a great impact on youth.  Representing the artistic youth in our country were performances by the newly minted ladies chorus of Wilfred Laurier University, The Maureen Forrester Singers and members of the National Youth Orchestra of Canada.  

Born in Montreal on July 25^th, 1930, Forrester sang with nearly every major orchestra in North America, Europe, Asia and the Middle East. She sang and performed with many great conductors, including the late Bruno Walter, Eugene Ormandy, Hebert von Karajan, Leonard Bernstein, Andrew Davis and Seiji Ozawa.  Maureen’s favourite repertoire to sing were German lieder, oratorios (including the Verdi Requiem) and Mahler.

The late Ken Winters, CBC broadcaster and Globe and Mail arts reporter described Maureen’s talents in this manner. “She was a big woman, magnificent on the platform (always gorgeously gowned and coiffed) and charismatic on the operatic stage. She was always present for her audience; your eyes couldn’t leave her and when she sang, neither could your ear. Maureen loved to live and laugh and spend money on beautiful things. Her singing career was major from the outset, stretching five continents and in her prime she sang as many as 120 concerts a year. Her voice, arguably an opulent and capacious mezzo-soprano, officially a contralto was famous for Mahler, ideal for Brahms and Dvorak, supple and agile for Bach and Handel, intimate in the most delicate lied and mélodie, simple or rude or funny in folksong or operetta.”  

Forrester was made a member of the Canadian Hall of Fame in 1990; Maureen was also the Chairman of the Canada Council from 1983 until 1988, she was also inducted to the Juno Hall of Fame and was made a Companion of the Order of Canada in 1967.  Forrester throughout her long career received the Molson Prize in 1971, the Toronto Arts Award in 1988 and had 29 honorary university doctorates. She was the Chancellor of Wilfred Laurier University, (in Waterloo ON) from 1986 to 1990. This university now holds all of Forrester’s archives.

For this reporter in 1989, Maureen Forrester was one of my mentors and she made a significant impact on my young career. I was fortunate to look after Maureen on a press junket, being one of our international soloists for duo vocal engagement and me as the publicist; looking after two significant choirs, performing the Verdi Requiem. Maureen took me out to dinner, as both of us were starving from the afternoon’s press activities. We became friends. Considering her international and diva like status, Maureen was never that way to me or others who had the opportunity to know her, work with her as a teacher or as an arts’ professional.  

During out time together, Maureen shared with me that performing the Verdi Requiem was one of her favourite roles to sing! She was the belle of the ball, at our closing night party, sharing with others her wonderful stories and constantly making us all laugh. During the “meet and greet” someone would ask Maureen about working with the many of the international conductors whom she had worked. Maureen would say, “Oh working with one conductor is like working with others” keeping these personal memories to herself.  Always thinking about home and her family, during a TV camera set-up for an interview, as the sound-man was checking the levels, Maureen described how she had made “this great paella this week” and then went on to describe all of the ingredients to make this dish, until it was time to start the interview.  

Dineen stated to the press, that like other Canadian international artists such as Glenn Gould or Oscar Peterson statues have recently been created in their honour and there should be one for Maureen, her mother. “Because she’s really up there with those people who established the Canadian Arts scene on a world stage.”  

I couldn’t agree with you more Gina, and let’s start the process of coordinating a statute for Maureen to be put in a significant national space, perhaps somewhere in Ottawa or Toronto.  In this gesture, Maureen Forrester will never be forgotten to all of her international fans and dear friends who loved her!  

Revamping New Blog from old "Emlian Adventures"

Sadly, life have been very busy and my old blog "Emlian Adventures" has dissapeared into cyberspace! Since we're soon to be winding down 2011, why not come up with some thing new for 2012...thus "Poems and Prayers of a Singer". I want to have an opportunity to post my current arts articles as well as my prayers and thoughts about Christian Arts events, books that I am reading or CD's or songs that are blessing me at the moment. Combined with ministry related thoughts, I will communicate all these thoughts and ideas in prose, as the New Year of 2012 enfolds. I hope that you enjoy the "journey" as much as I love to share about my abounding arts and ministry experiences in my life.  Signing off for now...its 6:00 a.m. and its time for some sleep!   WIW