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music The Sam Black Sketches--From Pictures to Music by Stewart Grant The evolution of The Sam Black Sketches began a number of years ago when Gerald Boreh and Colleen Williamson visited the renowned visual artist Sam Black at his home on Bowcn Island. On the way back to Horseshoe Bay on the ferry, the two of them discussed their impressions of Sam's work and together conceived the idea of a piece of music or a ballet based on his sketchbooks. In the summer of 1984, Gerald introduced himself to me after a concert I conducted at the Banff Centre Festival of the Arts and explained his idea to me. He had heard a performance of my Dance Rhapsody by Musaeus on the Calgary Pro Musica series and decided that I was the man he wanted to have compose the music for the project. Attempts on his part to interest a ballet company came to naught so we finally decided to go ahead with a concert work for full orchestra--a kind of B.C. coastal "Pictures at an Exhibition." He sent me out to meet Sam and I shared his strong impression of Sam's work as well as of Sam himself. In fact, I was so struck with many of Sam's works that I purchased a couple of limited edition prints on the spot. The musical work that finally grew out of this whole process is nine interconnected sections, each based on either · single picture or a collection of pictures. The work opens with "Dawn," based on a lithographic print of a lone fishing dorry viewed dimly through a pinkish haze. It is appropriately soft and mysterious, first in the flute and then in the English horn emerging out of a tremolo ostinato in the high violins. Out of this emerges "Bowen Island in Sunlight." which is inspired less by any of Sam's paintings as by my strong impressions of the view of the sea from his house that bright, sunny day I visited him on Bowen Island. The next section of the piece is based on a collection of wood-cut prints of B.C. coastal scenes centring on fishing boats and other nautical work. The music is appropriately angular and busy, and it moves directly into "Farewell to Summer," based on a print of sunflowers in brilliant yellow and black and featuring the brilliance of the upper winds and lines and gentle colours. My music for these is a calypso that tries to achieve both the colours and the inner strength of Sam's drawings. "The Accuser" is a picture of an arctic owl that Sam saw at the Toronto zoo. The music depicts the arctic chill and the caged owl in its attempted flight, with the owl's haunting song played by the bassoon in its upper register. District. Mary Sokol Brown,firstviolinist with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, will leach the children's string program and coach small ensembles. This program enables parents to enroll in the adult sessions. Afternoons are free for hiking, swimming, tennis, golf, informal musicmaking, or exploring scenic Vancouver Island. There are also daily opportunities Other staff members include: Stephen Wilkes, violist and Music Director; Arthur Poison, violinist; Bob Bardston, cellist; Gerald van Wyck. Choral Director; Janet Warren, vocal jazz; Jerry Domcr, Brenda Fcdoruk, Pat Daniels and Jim Ewen, woodwinds; Jim and Holly Littleford. brass; Mary Ellenton, guitar, Richard Epp. pianist; David Garftnkle, human tune-up, Liz Baker, recorder and early music: and Brian Fairholm. computer music. All artists will perform in the summer evening concert series to which the public is cordially invited. Some bursaries and family discounts are available through the West Coast Amateur Musicians Society, as are special student rates. For a free brochure, write to Shawnigan Lake Music Holiday, 943 Clements Avenue, North Vancouver, V7R 2K8, or call 980-5341. "Storm over Moresby" was inspired by a trip Sam took to the Queen Charlotte Islands. He described to me the context of the painting--the bleak, dark landscape. Indian totem poles and the winds howling high above him as clouds sped across the sky. The music is appropriately stormy and turbulent but from it emerges the gentle music of "Coastal Poem." based on a warm-blue green lithograph of a coastal tugboat on the calm waters of English Bay. As in the opening seascapes, the melody is shared by the violins and the English hom, but the final focus is on the solo flute, which summarizes the whole work before the evening calm gently lades The Sam Black Sketches have been performed by the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra and aired on CBC's Mostly Join the Ambleside Chamber Ensemble The Ambleside Chamber Ensemble meets every Wednesday at 4 pm at the West Vancouver Seniors' Activity Centre. The ensemble is open to people of all ages who have at least an intermediate level of sight reading. Although the group is especially looking for strings and brass musicians, all types of performers are welcome. The Spring term will begin sometime in April; for more information, contact the conductor, Dr. Anita Sleernan, at 980-4900. Family Music Camp The North Vancouver-based West Coast Amateur Musicians Society is hosting a music holiday-cum-summer camp (for adults and families) at Shawnigan Lake on Vancouver Island in July. What better way to spend your vacation? Jan Simons, professor of vocal technique and song interpretation at McGill University, will be the featured guest this year. He will teach several sessions on vocal technique for musicians, discussing posture, breathing, and tone production. Mr. Simons has been Artistic Director of the Canadian Amateur Musicians Lake MacDonald Music Centre for many years, where he teaches singers of all ages and levels of ability. There will also be a master class for more advanced soloists. Because of the demand, this music camp for adults and families will be held for two weeks this year, July 18-25 and/or July 25-August 1. Participants may register for either one week or for both weeks. At this 9th annual camp, there will also be sessions in choral singing, human tune-up, music appreciation, vocal jazz, computer music, piano class, madrigals, handbell ringing, guitar, recorder and early music, chamber music ensembles, and orchestra. The children's program for 6- to 12-yearolds includes drama, music, arts and crafts, and swimming. It will be led by Michclc Denny and Margaret Inglis. both Orff specialists and classroom music teachers with the North Vancouver School "The Home Guard" is a picture of Canada geese strutting along in a military fashion, and the music that it inspired is similarly military in a rather satirical way with frequent interjections from the geese Sam's "Caribbean Sketches" were done un a trip to the Bahamas and depict the people and boats of the islands in strong 12 Art. A« ·I