The Fun Begins!

If you are lucky, you will be able to take in the opening of Stratford Summer Music with the orchestra playing on the island while fireworks split the air at Lower Queens Park on Monday night around 9 p.m. Then the fun begins! Until August 22, Stratford will be humming with music, much of it free and all of it very affordable. If you need to watch the budget, or you would like to expose children to a fun concert series, head down to the War Memorial for the next 5 weeks at 12:30 from Thursday to Sunday. 3:00 p.m. performances are added on the weekends. Take a picnic, sit on the grass and enjoy the "Barge Music". The Langley Ukelele Ensemble who are playing next week are truly amazing. Plan to arrive early to get a good spot on the lawn. Ben Heppner will also be in town performing from Tuesday to Saturday at St. Andrew's Church for a mere $35. On Friday and Saturday evening, Pazzo's will feature "Jazz Legends" from 9:00 to 11:30, and the Church Restaurant will host a "Saturday Night Live" cabaret starring comic singer Bruce Dow. You can find more information about these and other concerts at www.stratfordsummermusic.ca

I will be out and about during the Summer Music Festival, so will try to keep you informed.

Maureen Forrester (July 25, 1930 – June 16, 2010)

Today is a day of nostalgia. The news of Maureen Forrester's death brought back a wave of memories, taking me to the Festival Theatre on a Sunday afternoon, where I sat enthralled, listening to her soaring voice filling the auditorium. In those days, (1967, 1974) there were no microphones used to amplify the sound, just the singer and the piano. In searching the Festival Archives this morning, I discovered that in the 1967 concert, her accompanist was none other than Mario Bernardi, and in 1974, Raffi Armenian. She also starred in the Festival's 1984 production of Gilbert and Sullivan's Iolanthe.

Looking through the list of concerts in the archives, once again took me to that place in my youth where Stratford was filled with the sounds of classical music every Sunday afternoon during the Festival season. What a time we had as young people being exposed to so many great musicians. These music archives can be viewed at http://www.stratfordfestival.ca/about/history.aspx?id=9201

Thanks to the Stratford Summer Music Program, now in its 10th season, music will once again be filling our city from July 19 - August 22 this summer. Part of their anniversary program features a group of concerts honouring Maureen Forrester. It is called the "Next Generation of Canadian Artists" series. You can find out about all of this season's concerts by checking on line at www.stratfordsummermusic.ca

So, to Ms. Forrester, thanks for the memories. Thanks for enhancing the Canadian music scene for so many years. May you rest in peace.

Sky Dancers

July 21, 2009



Noisy and precocious
They danced across the sky
Flaunting summer colours
In bright array
Across the stage of night





Symphonic tones
Trailing through the cosmos
Heightened the spell
Of cultural delight
With ethereal sounds
And phantom shades of light



Stratford Summer Music has opened once again gracing the shores of our picturesque riverfront. The music on the barge will entertain our noontime picnickers, and downtown streets will host guerilla minstrels, who'll turn up in the most unexpected places to add to the ambiance of our fair town. Local churches, restuarants, cafes, City Hall, as well as outdoor venues in Queen's Park, will offer an array of international musical talent. Many free events as well as recitals at very reasonable rates are running from July 20 to August 15. Check out the website and come partake in the Stratford Summer Music experience.

www.stratfordsummermusic.ca