Thomas Rolston passed away last Saturday, May 29th, 2010. I remember him so fondly, and give thanks for the myriad ways in which he made my life and my music better.

I first attended the summer program in 1996, and from the very beginning Tom made me feel appreciated and supported. He was dedicated to making the Music and Sound program at the Banff Centre a welcoming place for artists. A simple idea, but in no other environment have I felt so well understood and free to learn. Tom and his wife Isobel knew that the greatest gift they could give to an artist was a place where they were treated like artists, trusted as artists and given everything they needed to function as artists.

Through his life and his ideals, he has touched the lives of so many people. He had so much love to give, and he receives so much love back in return.

Edit: Here\’s an excerpt from a wonderful note by Myra Davies (full text here)

One of my earliest music presentations came about when Tom came to my office of UofA, introduced himself and suggested a series of lunch hour concerts with his Alberta String Quartet, at SUB Gallery. \”Music to the people\” Later at Banff, Tom & family formed the nucleus of the music program; interpretive artists, dedicated to classical rep, radiating the vibe, promoting continuity, generating energy, forming artists and producing concerts non-stop.

It was wonderful to work with them in their vibrant dedicated international community. Classical music isn\’t dead. It\’s closer to immortal. Constantly regenerating itself, it moves steadily through time on a conveyor belt of dedicated artists who serve it and pass it on to those they\’ve trained. Through the Rolston years, I watched individual artist, rising and descending in power, and knew many of them. They\’re amazing. They will play on until they drop, even when demented or terminally ill they keep on playing and doing concerts.

The subculture of contemporary arts tends to hostility to the classical music scene. I wonder if some of this attitude is because they have what we don\’t; a rock solid belief in the lasting significance of the work they service. Each to his own. I\’m so thankful that way back when, Tom Rolston invited me into his world.

Edit 2:

No obit in the Globe and Mail, but the Calgary Herald was the first to memorialize him.

Edit 3:

Obit in the Globe and Mail by Tamara Bernstein.

In June, 2008 I was invited by the National Post to write a week\’s worth of diary entries for the Arts&Life section. In my defense, it came at the busiest time of the year (right during soundaXis 2008).  Here\’s what happened:

» Read the rest of this entry «

Hi everyone – the Summerworks show I\’m working on, \”XXX Live Nude Girls\” by Jennifer Walshe,  is in need of \”propular\” assistance.

Check out this post if you are interested in helping out.

Thanks!

Been working at the New Waves Festival in the Distillery during Luminato.  This has been organized by the Young Centre, and has been loads of fun.  Here\’s a nice mention from EYE WEEKLY where I\’m identified as a musician from Toca Loca and The Walter Haul.  Nice to know that my rock star past still lives on in the memories of hip indie writers.

I\’ll be conducting Continuum on their upcoming tour of Europe, which should be plenty fun. We\’re playing a kickoff at the music gallery on November 11th, and then we\’re off to Amsterdam, Aberdeen, Huddersfield and a few other places inbetween. I\’m especially excited about performing at the Muziekgebouw.

John Terauds of the Toronto Star gave me a nice shout out in a very generous review of the recent Centrediscs release, \”So You Want to Write a Fugue\”. This is a live recording of a concert that about ten pianists did at Glenn Gould Studio featuring ten newly commissioned works. I played a prelude and fugue by Andre Ristic that you can listen to on my A/V page.

Hey everyone. Welcome to 6008 Spokes. This post will be edited many times as we get closer to the big day!

We are looking for 111 volunteers to ride in a piece called Eine Brise by Mauricio Kagel. It is not a difficult piece and you do not need to be a trained musician! What you do need to be able to do is:

1. Ride a bike safely at a fixed, leisurely pace in a formation.

2. Have a bell or horn on your bike.

3. Be able to whistle or make wind noises.

4. Be willing to sing – you don\’t need to be able to sing in tune – and make noises.

5. Be committed to coming and riding on the 31st of May, a lovely Saturday afternoon, for a 3 pm concert with a rehearsal that will take place on the same day somewhere between 12-3. Probably 1 pm – this will firm up as we get closer.

6. Be willing to be filmed, recorded and/or photographed.

For those interested in riding in Eine Brise, a piece by Mauricio Kagel for 111 Cyclists, please email me. 6008@ the domain name you are currently visiting (gregoryoh dot com). If you can\’t figure that out, write a comment with your email and I\’ll send it to you.

You need to send me your name, your email and phone number. We will confirm via email/phone and send you some instructions closer to the day.

Anyone can come and play Terry Riley\’s In C. Just bring an instrument or your voice if you wish, plus a copy of the music. You can find it in many libraries, or here is a link to the music (it is only two pages):

In C score

Thanks!

Greg and Sean

Q:  Do you still need cyclists?  A:  YES!!!
Q:  Is it hard?  A: NO!!!!  (5 easy instructions)
Q:  Is it fast?  A:  NO!  (easy, comfortable pace, riding in formation)
Q:  Is Eine Brise a good piece?  A:  I have no idea…
Q:  When is the rehearsal?  A:  Earlier that day – probably around noon or 1 pm.

Where is O\’Callaghan coming from? [National Edition]
Brian Hunt. National Post. Don Mills, Ont.: Aug 18, 1999. pg. B.12

PATRICIA O\’CALLAGHAN

Premiere Dance Theatre, Toronto

It\’s disconcerting when the singer is stage left and her voice is stage right. Especially when the amplification makes it sound as if she\’s even further away — on the line from Sydney, perhaps. Then, while you\’re trying to take this in, you notice she\’s limping. She\’s come on stage with one high heel on her foot, the other in her hand.

» Read the rest of this entry «

Where is O\’Callaghan coming from? [National Edition]
Brian Hunt. National Post. Don Mills, Ont.: Aug 18, 1999. pg. B.12

PATRICIA O\’CALLAGHAN

Premiere Dance Theatre, Toronto

It\’s disconcerting when the singer is stage left and her voice is stage right. Especially when the amplification makes it sound as if she\’s even further away — on the line from Sydney, perhaps. Then, while you\’re trying to take this in, you notice she\’s limping. She\’s come on stage with one high heel on her foot, the other in her hand.

» Read the rest of this entry «