{ Monthly Archives }
Limeworld — January 29, 2005.
“Banff: Oh, the technological hardships I am having to endure. I’m staying at the Banff Centre, and there is no internet connection in my room. In fact, there’s hardly any connectivity on the main floor. One must go down into the basement, where the library is closed, to get a signal. This, along with sitting on my ass on a concrete floor should indicate just how dedicated I am to all of you who come to read Limeworld.”
Will Pate— January 29, 2005.
“My good friend Patrick Reid forwarded me an email to announce the launch of the Chris Driscoll Memorial Scholarship Fund at the Banff Centre of Fine Arts. This scholarship will be awarded to an attendee of this year’s International Workshop in Jazz and Creative Music under the direction of world renowned trumpet player and composer Dave Douglas. Chris and the band he and Pat formed attended this workshop last summer and it was one of the most rewarding experiences of their lives. The memories the band has of their time there will be cherished forever. Since its existence, this workshop has influenced the lives of hundreds of talented musicians from all over the world and now with this scholarship fund, we can give someone else the same opportunity in Chris Driscoll’s name. This is a wonderful way to honor his memory.”
The Globe and Mail — January 27, 2005. MARY MacKINNON, CRIME VICTIM: 1910–2004. More than 80 years ago, she and her sister witnessed the murder of their policeman father by a rum-runner and his moll. Only when it was learned that the crime was to be the basis for a new Calgary Opera production did she tell her story.
Canadian Music Centre— January 17, 2005. The Canadian League of Composers (CLC) and the Canadian Music Centre (CMC) are pleased to announce Thomas and Isobel Rolston as the recipients of the 2004 Friends of Canadian Music Award.
A National jury of composers and performers recognized Thomas and Isobel Rolston for their many contributions and dedication to Canadian music as well as their outstanding leadership in the development of the Music and Sound program at the Banff Centre for the Arts. The Rolstons have mentored and inspired countless Canadian music artists and transformed Music and Sound into a year-round, intensive program that is known for its world-class faculty and international successes.
John Murrell was born in 1945 in the United States and is one of the most successful playwrights in Canada, with a long record of plays continuously produced and continuously in print.
Murrell’s most recent play represents the culmination of his passion for opera, for large-scale subjects, and for poetic language. Filumena, produced by the Calgary Opera in 2003, is an opera libretto that stands as a great drama in its own right. Murrell’s text and John Estacio’s score combine into a soaring, romantic story of exquisite beauty.… The scale of the opera and the opulent libretto/score took everyone by surprise, and raised a serious challenge to the notion that “grand opera” is a dated art form.
