It’s embarrassing but I think I’ve lost my camera. So I’ll just describe this week’s activities. I went out on a limb and went downtown to a club to see an amazing singer/songwriter perform live with her band. Her name is (wait for it) Stephanie Martin, and I found myself at several points very moved by her music and her devotion to performing – and not just because we share the same name. I’d recommend to everyone to step outside of their musical comfort zone and take in a new genre of live music over the holidays.
I’ve returned to Toronto to discover that TIFF has this new cinema “Light Box” on King Street west. I took in a German film about Hildegard von Bingen called “Vision.” Bruce and I spent the better part of the day on Tuesday watching the live broadcast of Wagner’s Die Walkure from La Scala at the cinema at Dundas square.
Back in the swing of seasonal liturgies at the Church of Saint Mary Magdalene, we celebrated the feast of the Immaculate Conception on Wed. evening and then had an old-fashioned potluck supper in the church basement – the kind of hospitality at which SMM excels. Choir practice last night included rehearsal for Messiah, and today I gave a short interview on Classical 96 to promote our “Children’s Messiah” which I’m really looking forward to on Saturday afternoon. SMM also sings our annual “Evensong, Carols and Benediction” service on Sunday afternoon, and as always, a huge snowstorm is predicted – but that will not stop us from singing!
To draw the whole week together, one of the cellists in the Messiah orchestra turned up as a special guest at Free Times cafe during that evening of popular music downtown. George Meanwell, aside from being a great classical cellist, is also a mean song writer, singer and guitarist. The world just keeps on shrinking.
Hopefully I’ll catch you up on some photos really soon.