Forty years ago, in 1976, the national Board of Directors of the Canadian Music Centre formed an ad hoc British Columbia Committee, consisting of Allen E. Clingman, Robert Creech, Dennis Tupman, and Christine Callon. (Twenty-four others were part of that effort, including George Laverock, the current chair of CMC BC Regional Advisory Council.)
Thanks to their efforts and those of other BC supporters and composers, CMC BC officially opened its doors on November 2, 1977 on West 4th Avenue in Kitsilano. Christine Callon went on to become the first BC Director. The first chair of the BC Regional Council was Allen Clingman, and he was joined on that founding council by composers Murray Adaskin, Rudolf Komorous, Barbara Pentland, Jon Washburn, and Alex Pauk, along with Phyllis Mailing, Allen Clingman, Hans Burndorfer, and Helen Dahlstrom.
To celebrate that 40th Anniversary, we are embarking on a year-long project to collect the memories of those involved in the creation and early development of the CMC in BC. The first of those articles from William Orr, the Curator of our Digital Archive appears today, outlining memories of the very first BC Director, Christine Purvis.
In addition, we are inviting you to a Gala Open House on Friday, November 10, from 5 – 7pm! Drop by and see our completely renovated Vancouver Creative Hub and the new Murray Adaskin Salon.
There will be food and wine and friends! Stop by to say hi to Glenn Hodgins, the CEO of the Canadian Music Centre.
There will be Music! The gala will feature the unveiling of a new 40th Anniversary Fanfare to be performed by Vincent Vohradsky, Second Trumpet with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra. And Erato Ensemble will perform three songs: One Black Spike by Jocelyn Morlock (from Five Songs for BC commissioned by former BC Director Colin Miles in celebration of BC 150); Elizabeth Knudson’s A Vagabond Song; and Remember by Stephen Chatman.
There will be movies! CMC BC’s Legacy Composer Film Series featuring Murray Adaskin, Barbara Pentland, Rudolf Komorous, Jean Coulthard, and Elliot Weisgarber will be screened in the Murray Adaskin Salon.
And there will be a Memories Booth to capture your ideas and recollections about the Canadian Music Centre over the past 40 years.
Please save the date! Friday, November 10, from 5 – 7pm
