Dispatches from Musicians
« Previous EntriesChinese Canadians to have classical music taken away, again
Wednesday, August 20th, 20082008/04/24
A lot of our Chinese Canadians had western classical music taken from them once before in their lifetime. Their children were allowed to listen to the music forbidden during the Cultural Revolution not so long ago. Now, “only in Canada” the extermination of the CBC Radio Orchestra and the stripping of the CBC Radio Two […]
Keith Kinder, McMaster School of Arts Director: CBC genre argument spurious
Tuesday, August 5th, 2008On Fri, 01 Aug 2008 23:57:47 -0400
Keith Kinder wrote:
Prime Minister Harper, Minister Verner, Deputy Minister LaRocque;
I am writing to add my voice to those thousands of Canadians who are
dismayed by the demolition of CBC’s Radio 2, in particular the
reduction of “classical” - I prefer the term “serious” - music
broadcasting from 120 to 25 hours/week and […]
Measha Brueggergosman, May 24th speech
Wednesday, May 28th, 2008“It’s called the CANADIAN Broadcasting Corporation. They are the sole media
representative for Canadian culture TO CANADIANS. They’re the last
organization I would have expected to sell out. But instead of creating
innovative programming to bring in NEW audiences for classical music and
giving airtime to NON-pop musicians WITHOUT huge record labels or massive PR
budgets to […]
Zimfira Poloz, conductor of Hamilton Children’s Choir (CBC prize winners)
Wednesday, May 28th, 2008Dear Ladies and Gentlemen,
I feel it important and high responsibility to speak to you! I am an Artistic Director of High Park Choirs, Hamilton Children’s Choir and I teach at University of Toronto. I came from Kazakhstan ( Soviet Union) where I had special Choirs School and my best choir Koktem was a prize […]
Ben Heppner
Tuesday, May 27th, 2008Dear esteemed Ladies and Gentlemen,
I am in a state of shock. As I have travelled throughout the world performing, I have been hearing alarming things about the CBC.
I listened on-line from Paris with sadness as the host of Saturday at the Opera, Howard Dyck, gave his final session. I noted with some fatalistic glee as […]
Alain Trudel’s Rally Speech
Monday, May 26th, 2008May 24, 2008
Good afternoon to all of you,
My name is Alain Trudel, I am the conductor of the CBC Radio Orchestra, and I have been asked to say a few words to you about the work we do.
Over the years the CRO has been one of the main physical entities that connect the CBC and […]
Letter of support from musician and actor, John Mann (Spirit of the West)
Monday, May 26th, 2008As the singer in Spirit of the West, I’ve performed and recorded with
symphony orchestras across the country. I’ve shared their stages and
felt the power and emotional punch of their musicianship. No one can
tell me that their voice is no longer relevant.
Classical music isn’t a trend. It’s not a yo yo or a […]
Open letter from James McIntosh, Founder of the National Youth Orchestra of Canada
Monday, May 26th, 2008Saturday, May 24 2008
To Whom It May Concern:
In the spring of 1961, in the first
ever issue of Performing Arts in Canada
Magazine; CBC historian/writer/researcher
Thomas Brown wrote: “In the fall of 1952,
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
organized its first full-sized
Symphony Orchestra on a permanent
Basis…” They broadcast from the old
Carleton Street Theatre on
Parliament Street in Toronto.
Before 1952, our cultural history
was […]
Ivars Taurins’ Rally Speech
Sunday, May 25th, 2008CBC Rally Speech, May 24, 2008
I’m here today because I have a passion for the things I believe in.
That passion runs deeper than logic can rationalize or explain.
Time and time again the old debate of the relevance of western European art and music in our modern North American society rears its head. What relevance does […]
Choral singers infiltrated CBC Atrium prior to rally in Toronto - Youtube video
Sunday, May 25th, 2008Report from Toronto rally - click here for link to choral infiltration of the CBC Atrium prior to rally yesterday.
As we sang 3 new verses to Bach’s Wachet Auf Chorale and then O’Canada, a 32′ long banner was unfurled by people of all ages with the inscription “CULTURE FOR ALL AGES - SAVE OUR CBC”. […]