Urban Flute Ensemble plays tonight at the University of Toronto’s Open Telescopes, free to the general public.

Here’s the info:

Hello Astronomy Enthusiasts!

We’re back for 2010 and bigger than ever! Two items for you today:

1. ASX Symposium
2. February’s Department of Astronomy FREE Public Tour

1. ASX SYMPOSIUM

The U of T Astronomy and Space Exploration (ASX) Society is having their annual symposium TOMORROW. It promises to be a stimulating evening. All information can be found at: http://asx.sa.utoronto.ca/

2. FEBRUARY FREE PUBLIC TOUR

NOTE THE CHANGE IN VENUE! Due to the FANTASTIC INCREASE in tour attendance over the course of 2009, we’ve had to move our public lectures to a bigger and better room, namely Room 1160 of the Bahen Centre for Information Technology. It is located along St. George Street just south of Russell Street, mere steps from the physics building, where the observing session will still be taking place afterwards.

February’s tour is next Thursday! Third-year PhD student Mubdi Rahman will present a fascinating talk entitled:

“Cosmic Music: Astronomy Through the Eyes of the Billboard Hot 100″

Time:         8:10 PM
Date:         Thursday February 4, 2010
Room:       BA 1160
Building:   Bahen Centre for Information Technology (BA)
Address:   40 St. George Street, Toronto, ON

This talk is suitable for all ages.

Lecture Description:

The passion for astronomy is universal and even plays itself out in music. In this talk, I (Mubdi) will be looking at tracks from the Billboard Hot 100 and the astronomy concepts they evoke: from general relativity to the birth of stars. Come join us for a whimsical take on North America’s favourite music and Astronomy!

Speaker Biography:

Mubdi Rahman is a PhD student in the Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics at the University of Toronto. His primary research interests include understanding the effects of star formation on the environment of the galaxy as a whole. An avid astronomer from even his earliest of years, Mubdi is active not only in research but also in the promotion and outreach of Astronomy and Science as a whole.

Observing Session:

After the lecture, graduate students Gregory Paciga, Emma Lloyd, Jamil Shariff, and Lawrence Kim will lead us over to the MP (physics) building to view the night sky through our 8″ refractor, 16″ reflector, 10″ Meade, and and balcony telescopes. If the weather is clear, the Orion nebula, the Pleiades star cluster, and the planet Mars (which is in a good position for viewing right now) should be visible. If it is cloudy, a tour of the telescopes themselves will still be conducted, along with a virtual sky tour.’Celestial music’ may be provided by Jamie Thompson, RCM Flute Faculty, and members of his Urban Flute Ensemble, who have been featured in our tours in the past. Jamie and his trio perform at the historic St. Anne’s Church on the second Wednesday of each month: next on February 10th at 7.30 p.m. More info available at urbanfluteproject.com or contact Jamie at 416-99-FLUTE (416-993-5883)

I hope to see you all on Thursday February 4 at 8:10 PM for our public talk, “Cosmic Music”

More Information and Directions:

http://www.astro.utoronto.ca/StGeorge_tours.html

The U of T Free Astronomy Public Tours are held on the first Thursday of every month (except January).

If you would like to be removed from this e-mail list, please reply
to this e-mail with, “Unsubscribe Public Tour” in the subject line.

Jamil Shariff
Department of Astronomy & Astrophysics
University of Toronto
tours@astro.utoronto.ca

The Sound of Music, Overture

From the outside, I have to admit that this sports dome looked rather unremarkable; however as I entered through the air-sealed revolving doors, my 7-iron in hand, and walked out onto the lush astroturf, I was immediately captivated and felt like I had discovered a Garden of Eden or some forgotten, urban Paradise!

Urban Flute Project from the outset has been laced with serendipitous events, chance meetings and bizarre connects that leave me scratching my head at times. In this case, based totally on a random conversation in a local restaurant, I was introduced to this phenomenal golfing center in Toronto’s east end, out where St. Clair and Bloor collide, and am happy to report that I now have a team of golf pros to help me improve my game!

As I explain further, don’t get me wrong: I love my local watering holes - The Duke of York on Prince Arthur, for example, or The Pour House up on Dupont - you know, for grabbing a beer along with some utilitarian pub fare.

But nothing compares to Le Paradis Brasserie and Bistro just a few steps further up Bedford Road for its superb French cuisine and extraordinary, personable service. We’re talking white linen treatment here, and a bill for soup and a cold one - get this - even including a generous tip, that is less than the same fare at either pub pre-tip, so go figure!

I guess that’s why Le Paradis is packed to the rafters on a regular basis.

Personally, I like perching at the bar near the entrance, in part to watch the comings and goings of the wait staff, as well as to see customers as they arrive and wait briefly to be seated. So it was a couple of weeks ago that I found myself settling into my bouillabaisse, fresh bread and a Stella when presently a trio arrived and assembled themselves around the corner of the dark wood bar adjacent to me.

It turns out that this family manage one of Toronto’s finest golf domes, offering a driving range with targets to aim for as well as informal coaching for golfers of all levels - if only they had this kind of space for musicians, you know, where you could drop by to practice for 20 minutes, and maybe get a pro to offer a few pointers - how cool would that be?

On par with the friendly welcome one gets visiting Toronto City Sports Centre, I would hazard (sorry, golf jokes!) to say that, besides offering excellent value, Le Paradis is remarkable for the atmosphere that they’ve created - just walking in through the doors one is ushered into another world - the aromas that emanate enticingly from the kitchen and fill the air intermingle with a distinct sense of bon vivante. For a singular French dining experience, you owe it to yourself to drop by Le Paradis, located just north of Davenport on the west side of Bedford.

And if you’re looking for some fine golfing, head to Toronto City Golf where you can work your way through a pyramid of balls for just $12. Like the French service offered at Le Paradis, this is a magical, inviting space to work on your game, especially in the off-season. And besides, like impersonal service and paper napkins at the local pubs, why settle for anything less? As compared to hitting some old bucket of balls at some old hackneyed driving range - check out the civilized, carefully stacked pyramids of golf balls in the picture above - well that’s just so, how would you say, declasse!

Not the first time thatI’ve recorded in a sports dome, here’s the sound of my whacking a few balls before switching over to my flute - and yes, I hit the suspended bull’s-eye 2 out of 3 shots when I turned my sights in that direction! Imagine these two soundfiles overlaid as I ‘aim’ my notes out into this fantastic space!

Pottery Road Serenade

Yes, believe it or not, this is a picture I took in downtown Toronto, just up along Bayview Avenue from the fabulous Evergreen transformation of the historic Brick Works site.

With the incessant sound of traffic swirling overhead, I recently recorded in one of my favorite spots in the city, playing my flute under the Pottery Road Bridge down in the Don Valley. Juxtaposed with the gritty, urban graffiti and the cooing of pigeons nesting in the girders, this classic war-time song seemed well suited given the sweet nostalgia of the melody…I guess we could rename this (There’ll Be Pigeons Over) The White Cliffs of Dover!?

In this rendition, I pop up and down the octave to best play with the acoustic space that the water, concrete and graffiti afforded me.

To learn more about the revitalization of the Don River, check out Don Watcher.

Here’s the space where I recorded…

…and here’s a detail of the artwork I discovered there beside the Don:

Melancolique, Laszlo Lajtha

Prepare yourself for a sonic feast here. Not the first time I’ve recorded in an automotive shop, the nuance of extraneous sounds that accompany this exquisite flute solo by Laszlo Lajtha appears almost orchestrated at times, and in this regard is truly mystifying - the layers of sound are even stunning, especially towards the end.

My friend Johanness has learned to put up with my idiosyncrasies and knows the drill, so to speak, as I gamely play at being Grease Monkey* alongside him, taking breaks once in a while to jam out on my flute. So he was happy enough to put up with me giving this fav piece of mine a read-through while he tinkered away, truing my wheels and putting on my winter tires just as the snow began to fly outside.

I hadn’t realized that Lajtha was a close colleague of Bartok and Kodaly - learning alongside you here!

Sure, friends raise an eyebrow querulously when I mention that I drive all the way to Newmarket to get my car serviced, but a mechanic you can heed is a friend indeed…or something like that. You can find Allmark Automotive (905-478-1011) just north of Newmarket on Leslie Street in Queensville -  just tell Johanness that Urban Flute sent you.

Oh, and almost forgot to mention - while you’re in the area, be sure to check out the incredible Sharon Temple just down the road. It was back when I was looking for this architectural gem in the summer of ‘08  that Johanness and I first chanced to meet.

What can I say, it’s worth the drive to Newmarket!

* And for a little more Jeff Beck, check out My Thing.

Caprice en Gigue, Bodinus

Talk about your classic urban infiltration, here’s the third of three recordings from the hauntingly deserted Downsview hangars. Once again, my thanks to ArcticLamb for the terrific photos (while my camera is in for repairs) as well as for his camaraderie and shared sense of adventure! While AL snapped away, I set up to record with my flute, all the while keeping a wary eye and ear open for any approaching security.

My gratitude as well for the kind offer of a lift up the Allan Expressway on a cold winter afternoon - if you venture up that way, you can dump your car at the nearby Idomo parking lot, though you don’t actually need a car to get there - there’s a TTC station right across the snowy field from the hangars.

Currently listed as a Grade 8 piece in the RCM Syllabus, this charming work for solo flute by Sebastian Bodinus seemed well-suited for some classic infiltration! Recording it in one take, huddled as I was behind a discarded pile of pink insulation, would bode well for the glorious acoustics of the huge interior space…withe cascading arpeggiated passages reverberating off the high, vaulted ceiling, I wasn’t disappointed!

Toying with the idea of venturing further through the series of massive, interconnected series of hangars and shivering with the cold and adrenaline, we talked it through and quickly agreed: dealing with security or police was one thing, but messing with the military was something yet again. I don’t know, I guess we were undetected as we respectfully tiptoed along the perimeter of this intriguing room, but, call me paranoid, I had the unnerving sensation that some sniper might be training his scopes on me as I played, or that a black-clad members of a SWAT team would suddenly descend from the  overhead skylights- yet again risking my life for Art!?

So we retraced our steps and got the hec out of there, perhaps to return another day.

Note: In reading a bit about Bodinus on good ol’ Wikipedia, there’s both good news and bad. It is quoted that, writing in a late Baroque style, he was a “minor master [who] appears to have written first-rate music.” That’s the good news. The not so good news is that in his latter years he became disoriented and was sent off to an insane asylum.

Insane music for an insane adventure at these historic hangars.

White Cliffs of Dover

Here’s another recording from my recent adventure in the mothballed Downsview Hangars, with a pic courtesy of ArcticLamb. One of my favourite songs, (There’ll Be Bluebirds Over) The White Cliffs of Dover seemed the perfect piece to send discreetly echoing through the massive interior, especially given that this evocative war-song is of the same vintage as the stunning 1940’s architectural space pictured above.

Due in no small part to a public outcry in response the real theat of demolition, the last I heard is that the military - Canada’s Department of Defence owns the abandoned complex - is back at the bargaining table to continue discussions as to how these historic buildings might be saved.

My heartfelt thanks to everyone from the Architectural Conservancy of Ontario and Built Heritage News for their tireless efforts preserving architectural treasures like this!

Tower Automotive Improv

There’s a story here…

Looking for something to do tonight? Here’s another power trio for you! Urban Flute Ensemble will be performing at St. Anne’s in the west end from 7.30-9 pm (see below for details). Max, Lucas and I are really enjoying this monthly concert platform at such an historic location - St. Anne’s is a most remarkable church. For those of you who have not had a chance to drop by, we guarantee that you are in for a real treat!

Me and the boys have cooked up yet another innovative program of duos, trios and solos for tonight, so we hope that you can head to St. Anne’s to hear some superb music in this incredible space. St. Anne’s is such a wonderful place for us to use as a home-base as we explore some of our favorite repertoire!

If you are unable to attend tonight’s concert, please note our upcoming St. Anne’s performance dates:

February 24th and March 31st ~ Wednesday nights @ 7.30pm.

Admission is by donation with a portion of proceeds going directly to the St. Anne’s restoration campaign.

Or you can always catch members of Urban Flute Ensemble most Sundays at L’Espresso Bar Mercurio between 12-2.30 pm. L’Espresso is located on the south side of Bloor, just east of the Bata Shoe Museum at St. George…Sunday Brunch, 12-2.30 pm. Great place to grab a latte!

So, here are the details for St. Anne’s:

…hope to see you soon!

J

Bad Chemicals, The Weirdies

Most would agree that, if anything, there is simply too much music going on these days in Toronto, um, if that’s even possible…one practically has to morph oneself to begin to take it all in!

As your tireless roving music journalist, I’m happy to report that there is a great music scene at The ‘Shoe these days - I find myself heading there regularly for a little R&R. Case in point, I dropped by late last year to check out my friend Prince Perry and his Gladtones, and stuck around long enough to hear the next band. So glad that I did!

The Weirdies were insane, a power trio that sounded like Aqua on bad drugs, and a stage presence to boot that consistently displayed a wry, droll sense of humour - what a tight set they delivered! Edgy to be sure, this song was one of my favourites. I hope you dig Bad Chemicals as much as I did.

Asked whether there was a story behind the writing of this song, it turns out that there was no particular epiphany that inspired the penning of it, but what was suggested is that it reflects “a theme of instability that runs through a lot of our songs“. Quote unquote.

Admittedly not every one’s cup of tea, but if you want to catch The Weirdies you can check them out this Saturday, January 16th at the infamous Silver Dollar, located on the west side of Spadina, just next to the homeless shelter north of College Street.

See you Saturday, and don’t forget your ear gear!

Links to follow…

Estlandler, Arvo Part

I received a press release on January 3 that  these historic hangars up at Downsview, currently owned by the Canadian Military, are about to be ripped down. You can read the details courtesy of Built Heritage News below in Press Release #1.

As if losing the Avro Arrow back in the 50’s wasn’t enough, it has come out of the blue that these hangars are suddenly slated for demolition, going the way of the dodo bird as it were. Located just east of Downsview Park* these classic hangars built in 1944 might very well have housed a few of Arrow prototypes, who knows? Well that is at least before we sold out to the US, the planes were dismantled and Diefenbaker essentially gave away our hard-won, space-age and proudly Canadian technology. Or at least that’s one version of the story, which led to the first prominent brain drain south of the border.

But I digress.

Demolition of these extraordinary, historic buildings has commenced, and this after pitched lobbying from conservancy and heritage groups which include some of the most prominent architects in Canada. Advocates for creative use of this space have been in dialogue with the various players - including the Department of National Defense who own the site - for well over a year, travelling to Ottawa and criss-crossing the continent in discussions which have included exploring the idea of a land-swap with the park and possibly converting these terrific buildings into a public-use aviation museum.

Preservation and public use sounds good by me.

But the end result of all these discussions? The military suddenly broke rank and announced that demolition would begin immediately in the New Year. And this was announced on December 22nd, just before the holidays, a classic move aimed to reduce outside interference. With condos going up right across the street, one can only wonder if it might be some kind of cash-grab.

If these buildings indeed were coming down, I was determined to get up there and record in the space for posterity, and perhaps generate enough public interest that the buildings might yet be saved. Traipsing across some snowy fields with my cohort ArcticLamb, we found the place eerily deserted. However from beyond the barbed wire and chain link fencing, I can confirm that there indeed was demolition equipment on the site.

The place was completely empty, and perhaps there was a work-stoppage in effect - one can only hope! And speaking of the Department of National Defense, I guess I’ll go so far as to suggest that we jumped de-fence to wander in and explore one of these massive hangars!? We didn’t stick around too long - getting escorted off a property by security is one thing, but messing with the military is something again and we didn’t want to push our luck!

There are six conjoined hangars like the one pictured above, replete with a classic control tower at the far south-west corner of the site. Just head to the top of the Allan Expressway if you want to catch a glimpse of the hangars in question. It would simply be a shame to see these historic buildings ripped down.

One of several pieces I recorded that day, crouched down behind a protective bunker of old pink insulation, this flute solo is my version of a musical play on words: written by Arvo Part, this is intended as an ode to the Avro Arrow.

So I hope you enjoy Arvo’s ode to the Avro, recorded in the very hangars where the infamous Arrow perhaps once proudly stood!

NOTE: And good news arrived as I was mid-draft here: as of today, demolition is suspended and they are back at the bargaining table. See Press Release #2 below for more information. Congratulations, Lloyd, and best of luck at the bargaining table.

* The site of SARS-stock (remember that?) and a visit from the late Pope, Downsview Park was inspired by none other than Bruce Mau Design. It might seem that with Mau now based out of Chicago that this might be yet another example of brain drain, but with his strong Canadian roots, I like to think this is not the case!

Press Release #1:

Toronto’s Downsview Hangars Face Immediate Demolition by Department of National Defence
Heritage Canada Press Release

Photo, Paul Oberman

Demolition is scheduled to resume today on the historic Downsview Hangars (Buildings 55 and 58) at former CFB Downsview air base in Toronto, Ontario. Constructed in 1943, these structures were designated as heritage buildings by the federal government in 1992 for the role they played in Canadian aircraft production during the Second World War. The hangars are owned by the Department of National Defence (DND).

There is strong private sector interest in developing these buildings. Mr. Paul Oberman, President and CEO of Woodcliffe Corporation has been working tirelessly to find a solution that could both meet the needs of DND and save the historic Downsview hangars, including a land exchange negotiated with Mr. Tony Genco, CEO of Parc Downsview Park. On December 24, DND offered a short stay of demolition. Now, DND has taken the position that they are not interested in considering any proposals and are not responding to inquiries.

While some demolition has already been done on the hangars, their potential for redevelopment remains intact. DND still has the opportunity to allow the private sector to recycle and adapt these buildings rather than sending them to landfill.

HCF calls on Defence Minister Peter MacKay to delay demolition and allow interested parties to finalize their adaptive reuse and land exchange proposal.

For further information:
Carolyn Quinn, Director of Communications, Cell: 613-797-7206 or Chris Wiebe, Officer, Heritage Policy & Government Relations, cwiebe@heritagecanada.org. Telephone: 613-237-1066 ex 227.

Press Release #2:

Stop the Emails: Demolition Temporarily Halted
Lloyd Alter, ACO President

We are informed by Major A.J. DeBruin that he he has received authorization to stop destructive demolition until Friday morning. He said that “work would continue in the interim but that no materially destructive work would occur until Friday morning”, to allow time for an offer to be presented to National Defence.

High level officers in the Military have specifically asked that we stop “the barrage of emails.”

I want to thank everyone who supported us in this campaign; clearly it got their attention, finally. No guarantees, but it is the best news we have had to date.

Thank you again; clearly when enough people scream loudly enough, the message can get through.

Regards,
Lloyd Alter
President, Architectural Conservancy of Ontario

Editor’s Note: Congrats Lloyd

Dialogue for Wind & Flute

Here is an eery dialogue for wind and flute recorded recently during a return visit to Tower Automotive. This majestic building sits abandoned in Toronto’s west end, and is a popular site for urban explorers wanting a unique glimpse of our city’s rich architectural history.

The extreme winter weather gusting through these broken windows created the perfect soundscape for this short improv on my Native American Flute, and, in combination with this almost Dickensian panorama of the Toronto skyline, yielded a most evocative experience .

My playing continued a little longer, but it was so cold that day the frozen batteries in my Edirol died part way through!

Borisova-Ollas, Elegy

What a way to kick off 2010! I had heard about TLR’s infamous New Year’s Day photo-expeditions, but this was the first time that I tagged along. Tower Automotive is perhaps easy to miss out on Sterling Road - adjacent to some massive chocolate factories, this century-old automotive factorywas to die for.

Every building that I visit and record in has a distinct character, and The Tower had personality in spades!

Believe it or not Tower Automotive in the the city’s west end was once the tallest free-standing structure in Toronto, even taller than The Royal York Hotel, at least back in 1912! This Mies van der Rohe Louis Sullivan-inspired edifice now sits abandoned in the heart of one of Toronto’s most vibrant neighbourhoods, an area rife with transition.

Having been designated historic, the good news is that this classic building will stand the test of time as it awaits its pending conversion into upscale condos, and this in contrast to other factory buildings that I have visited even in this very section of Toronto, some of which are long gone. I guess that would be the bad news: that we are losing as many buildings as are saved these days here in Toronto, or so it would seem.

So the other bit of good news? That I can afford you a glimpse of this place in its present poignant & derelict state and share this with you, acoustics and all.

This picture, kindly taken by acclaimed architect Dieter Janssen who had joined in on the UE fun that day, was snapped on the uppermost floor just steps from the reverberant concrete stairwell where I had recorded after he and I discovered this massive and graffitied wall-sized map of the world.

The acoustics in the stairwell were tensile in the extreme as I read through this piece by Victoria Borisova-Ollas, an Elegy marked Cantabile, Espressivo that I thought well-suited for this forlorn site-in-transition. Like singing in the shower, this was an extremely live echo-chamber - although if you sense a restrained quality, this was because I was extremely wary as I recorded.

The alarm had been sounded early in our expedition as we moved further into the shadowy depths of the monolith, and the text that came around was “stay away from the windows” so you might very well understand my concern in blasting away on my flute - the last thing I would want is to get us all busted! These urban exploration photographers go about their work almost religiously and in near-silence, so I played Sotto-voce almost whispering into my flute, so as not to catch the attention of the security guards who we spotted prowling around the exterior of the antiquated skyscraper!

The image is kind of fun here in how it captures the global parameters of my project, and, with graffiti veiling the world map, there’s just the right suggestion of insouciance, if that’s the right word. After all, the flute - like music itself - is the most ephemeral of instruments in an ephemeral world!

My thanks to Dieter and everyone at TLR, Ms. Borisova-Ollas for her inspired composition, and Urban Explorers everywhere! Below you will find a couple more pics of Tower Automotive from an after-hours visit that I paid to the same site back in the summer…but, well, that’s a whole other story!

…Tower Automotive is even taller than the CN Tower!!

Aulde Lang Syne, Take 2

I don’t know about you, but my 2010 has started with a bang, and the adventures have begun already in earnest!One aspect of Urban Flute Project is to explore what I call comparative acoustics, and so here is a classic example for you.

After recording a solo flute version of Aulde Lang Syne at Laywine’s earlier in the day, I dropped by Mitzi’s Sister out in Parkdale to mark the end of the year and happened to catch this contrasting version of the same traditional Scottish ballad, the one made famous by Robbie Burns.

It was a great way to see in the New Year, together with family and friends while checking out some great music courtesy of two local bands, The Warped 45’s and Milk Run…what can I say, Mitzi’s Sister rocks!

While my Nikon is in for repairs, this photo is courtesy of my colleague and good friend, Bruce Redstone, a wonderful musician and photographer. While still gigging and teaching as a Sax player, he recently decided to dive into a 2-year photography course at Humber College and is having a blast, and judging by the results that he is getting the course is fantastic - it’s Bruce who introduced me to the whole Phanfare platform where I have assembled a number of fun slideshows.

Check out Bruce’s accomplished photography and music as presented on his Phanfare site here.

Thanks Bruce, and best wishes to everyone for a Happy and Prosperous 2010!

Aulde Lang Syne (Scotland)

Nothing like a little guerrilla-style performance to round out the year!

Welcome to Laywine’s, the coolest place in Toronto to browse high end fountain pens and any writing or office accessories you might care to imagine. The term stationery shop just doesn’t do this place justice! Tucked discreetly in the heart of historic Yorkville, I had dropped by just before Christmas to secure some keepsake, last-minute gifts for family - the friendly and resourceful staff looked so spiffy, I asked if I might come back again to record briefly and get a few pictures.

True to form, they welcomed the idea and we settled on New Year’s Eve before closing. Dashing down the street just now with minutes to spare, I arrived out of breath and ready to set up and play. I’m so glad it all worked out, especially since I’ve had Aulde Lang Syne stuck in my head all day (funny that!) and this was a chance to kinda get it out of my system.

One problem  is that my Nikon D-60, which has been a real workhorse of late, happened to have inexplicably jammed on me the other night and is in for repairs - so here’s a quick pic taken on Brenton’s cell phone: check out his classy tails and gold fob. These guys mean business when it comes to style, what can I say??

As often is the case, there is a humorous twist to this tale: Aulde Lang Syne kinda rhymes with the name of the shop, so the tune (an ear worm I believe these are called) is stuck in my head all over again, this time as Aulde Lay Wine’s…go figure!!

As backdrop to my playing of this perennial classic, listen for the gentle candour between staff and customers along with Laywine’s  ringing through their last sales of the year for 2009.

Thanks to the staff at Laywine’s and to all of my loyal readers for a fabulous year and joining me in an ongoing odyssey of Urban Flute adventures! Rest assured that there’s lots more to come, and wishing you all the best for an equally exciting and fulfilling 2010!

Cheers, Jamie

7th Heaven Improv

On one of the last days of my road trip through New England and to Tanglewood for the first time back in the summer, I seized an opportunity to get in a little golf, something I like to do a couple of times a year. This beautiful course, nestled on the shores of Lake Champlain in upstate New York, was simply fabulous, a real treat for the wayfarer!

The first thing to catch my attention as I approached the tricky dogleg 7th was the sound of a steady wind gusting through some dry leaves of a stand of trees that encircled the tee-off area. The combination of sight and sound together with the history of the almost century-old Willsboro Golf Course was a heady one, and inspired me to play on my vintage single-keyed flute - after all, I had tucked a couple of flutes into my golf bag (see picture below) for that very reason!

As I threw my flute sounds out onto the breeze for apparently an audience of none, a dog began to howl in response from a nearby house, hidden from view. I hoped that he was on a leash of some kind! This spontaneous duo was amusing and enjoyable, even though I hadn’t meant to create such a disturbance in this pastoral setting! It reminded me of my crazy duos with Benny, the singing dog.

And of course it was only afterward with the lingering summer light slowly ebbing and as I was about to putt out on the 9th green, that the connection suddenly dawned on me: ‘duo for flute and dog’ at the tee-off area for the only dogleg on the back nine: what were the chances!?

PS: I played the hole brilliantly but messed up my play on the green: note to self, work on my short game!

Hamburger Sonata, CPE Bach

The hats were largely picked over on the last weekend that this historic hat shop was open for business back in the summer, but I finally managed to find one in my size. A classic haberdashery on Spadina, I was saddened to learn that Rotman’s Hat Shop - family owned and operated for decades - was slated to close its doors for business.

On a lovely Saturday afternoon as I was headed home after playing at an Argo’s games (as a member of the Argonotes, not as a linebacker for the football team!) I suddenly remembered the news that I’d heard about this shop clearing off the remainder of its merchandise. So I locked up my bike to one of the trees lining Spadina and ventured in.

The place was abuzz with a steady flow of customers, flocking in to find a great deal and gawking at the ambiance of the historic space. The combination of soft conversation together with the comforting creaks of the aged wooden floors afforded me a heady glimpse into a bygone era. Fortunately for me, the guy overseeing the sale was a die-hard CFL fan, so the fact that I was wearing my FLUTIE jersey established some credibility and won me favor when I asked if I might play a little flute music to pay homage to the old place.

I didn’t have much sheet music on me, but the first movement of CPE Bach’s Hamburger Sonata seemed appropriate: classy and full of style to match the merchandise and aesthetic of this classic haberdashery.

More images from my visit to Rotman’s Hat Shop can be seen on Phanfare where I have assembled a montage of pictures that bear tribute to this evocative piece of Toronto’s vibrant history.

Away in a Manger

From the abandoned barn of the previous post to this dynamic community event that took place on Christmas Eve. I received a casual invitation a few weeks ago to drop by and check out an annual local happening featuring residents in traditional garb - there was even mention of a baby being on loan to play the role of Jesus as part of the theatrical proceedings, so I really didn’t know what to expect!

This was the scene in one of the barns, and it took a while to remember what the actual name is for this kind of living, human-statue type of installation. Tableau certainly came to mind, but the actual term is Tableau Vivant, loosely translated as ‘living picture’. This group of individuals were installed in one of the barn’s stalls - effectively in a manger - as the culmination of an evening of carols, readings and pantomime. Although I was focused on offering a few seasonal tunes of my own as over 150 local residents of all ages filed through, I have to admit that the effect of this Urban Tableau Vivant was immediately striking, and even rather eery as they struck their silent pose.

Toronto is remarkable in how it has historic and active farms within city limits, which are invaluable for greenspace and educational purposes. Black Creek Pioneer Village, Riverdale Farm and Todmorden Mills are but a few of such locations. Given the incredible value of the land alone, it is not unusual for these unique community treasures to face political pressure to be developed or have their grounds encroached upon. The old addage springs to mind “use it or lose it”, and I encourage you to get involved in local organizations like these!

It was an honour to have an invitation extended my way for this special event, and despite my rather humble contribution - I felt a little like the drummer boy who only had his music to offer the newborn King - there was a lot of warm, positive feedback!

And as a photographer, the whole history and ongoing practice of Tableaux Vivants is of particular interest. Current artists who employ this technique include Kate Matthews, Canadian photographers Evergon, Jeff Wall and Paris-based artist Ulla von Brandenburg.

My thanks to Elizabeth and Steve for including me in this special evening and for their warm welcome!

Variations on The Fall

Although this bit of rural urban exploration was over a week ago, I’m still back in this barn up on Gore Road - not sure if I inhabit the place or if in fact it inhabits me. I guess being stuck in a barn over Christmas is kind of appropriate, wouldn’t you say? Wandering around with my friend Rob and puzzling over various deserted buildings on the forlorn site definitely got under my skin even more than the chilling temperatures.

I had suggested to Rob that he bring along his guitar despite the cold, since he plays in a band that does all The Fall covers (talk about your niche market!) and we’d never had a chance to jam together. So he laid out this acoustic version of one of The Fall’s tunes, and I gamely jumped in the fray, frozen fingers and all, to overlay a flute line - all under the eerily back lit and knowing gaze of characters from one of Mike Myers’ Austin Powers movies!

We might have played a little longer, but something very odd occurred. If you listen carefully towards the end of this recording, one of Rob’s guitar strings suddenly re-tuned itself, totally throwing him as it sent the harmonic progression in a new direction - it was actually pretty sick and caught us both off-guard! He couldn’t account for this strange occurrence, as nothing like this had ever happened with his guitar before.

I suggested it was possibly the cold that had wreaked havoc on his instrument, you know, once we were safely back in the car and heading down the country road for the warmth and safety of the nearest Timmy H outlet. But in the end we both agreed it was a playful ghost inhabiting the barn and having its way with us, re-tuning Rob’s guitar and teaching me how to play the blues, or, in this case, a little post-punk flute!

The Frozen Barn Blues

While exploring the haunted and sadly abandoned farmhouse just outside Toronto’s city limits, Rob and I wandered into this adjacent barn space that had clearly been used as a crazy clubhouse, replete with a massive Austin Powers billboard on one wall.

This was the first time we had found a chance to jam together, and man was it freezing in there, one of those penetrating, damp colds that marks the beginning of a good ol’ Canadian winter. I was carting along my old wooden 1920’s flute, an instrument appropriate for the vintage of the farmhouse, which is a piece of work to play in tune at the best of times, so, given the sub-zero temperatures I appreciate you cutting me a little slack in the tuning department…in fact I was kinda pleased with myself that I managed to rock out spontaneously with this Blues riff!

After a couple of hasty takes I could barely feel my fingers anymore, so we hustled out of there and headed for the nearest Tim Horton’s. For more pictures of this desolate country site, check out my slideshow on Phanfare.

Mission Dolores Improv

Nestled in the heart of San Francisco, one can only imagine how the historic Dolores Mission might celebrate the season at this time of year. Merry Christmas from Urban Flute Poject!