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January 2016

The Garden City

On the Compositions page of my website I periodically rotate some free scores and recordings for you. I’ve just posted The Garden City, a little piano piece that honours the town of St. Catharines in Ontario wine country. The piece was premiered by Karin Di Bella, head of piano music at Brock University, at the opening of the new recital hall at their beautiful new downtown campus. You can download this for free, play it, give it to your students, whatever you like. There’s an MP3 recording posted as well, played by a machine, so probably better if you just… Read More »The Garden City

Unexpected Art

On a winter walk, I’m bored with rhythmic trudging On the boulevard.   I can’t stop to look Or idly gaze on cattails In the icy park!   Seven thousand steps: That’s my daily requirement, So my phone declares.   But ’round the next bend, My eyes suddenly perceive Unexpected art.   On a crumbling wall Colours, lines and shapes create A weird gallery:   Bones, skulls, animals, And a misfit sailing ship Delight my sad eyes.   Now, all that I see Becomes ready canvas for Nature’s graffiti.   Magestic towers Stretch magic threads. Ice and snow Become diamonds.… Read More »Unexpected Art

In memoriam Brian Bedford: The haymaking

Summer on the farm in my youth involved making hay. Lots and lots of hay. To city folks, that might sound delightful, pleasantly Arcadian, perhaps vaguely erotic, but I am telling you. It was plain hard work. The whole family pitched in, each with their appointed task; first cutting down the green, maiden grass, then raking and turning it toward the sun, transforming the upright crop into brittle filigree. Then binding it up with twine, forming it into square bales, transferring it to lofty red wagons, driving it steeply up to the mow, unloading the wagon-full onto an ‘elevator’ and… Read More »In memoriam Brian Bedford: The haymaking

Alma Mater

40th anniversary celebrations are starting to roll out for Wilfrid Laurier University’s music faculty where I studied from 1980 – 84. In late January there will be a new music festival and the Penderecki String Quartet are playing a short excerpt of my music! In April is the big show where the Laurier choirs and orchestras will play my choral symphony, Babel. (check out my upcoming events for details) These events make me nostalgic for that simpler, student time, living sparsely in one room with a desk and a bed and a roommate; studying, practicing, practicing, practicing, discovering beer, practicing,… Read More »Alma Mater

The Gift

“No gifts this year” seemed the rational proclamation, since all of us acknowledged we had every necessity in excess; much more than we required, and everything we wanted beyond what we needed. This yearly policy was clearly stated, and yearly the rule was ignored or broken, the gifts wrapped, and placed under the tree bound up with its sparkling bobbles and chains. But this Christmas our privilege seemed more pronounced, and the needs of others seemed more keen – so many without house or home, and we with so much. The holiday mantra was therefore revised: “only re-gifted items please… Read More »The Gift