| Look Who’s Playing Again! |
 Rehearsals (Virtual) Resume for CBSO It’s been a very long time coming, but rehearsals (via Zoom) have finally resumed for CBSO musicians! Instruments were brought out, dusted off, tuned up and played enthusiastically in an attempt to get back to music-making again for all members. What we didn’t expect was the level of joy felt by all who were able to participate. We started off with a simple Christmas medley arranged by Robert Sheldon called “A Most Wonderful Christmas” that set a light-hearted and hopeful tone at the virtual gathering. CBSO Board President, Tim Hendrickson, was excited by the prospect of playing again. “You don’t know how great it is to be getting a rehearsal schedule,” he was heard to exclaim during our weekly Board meeting. Following the rehearsals, flurries of emails revealed an eagerness to continue to get together virtually in order to stay connected. Despite the excitement, we are all looking forward to getting together in person soon! |
| What Really Matters According to Vanity Fair magazine, the Proust questionnaire had its origins in a parlour game popularized by Marcel Proust who believed it revealed a person’s true character. I thought that by modifying the questions a little, we might learn a bit about some of our musicians at CBSO. While I am not sure how much it revealed about our players’ character, it certainly revealed what is most important to us in these uncertain times. Here are the modified questions: What is your favourite instrument? This is a revealing question. Samir wrote, “horn, of course!” Rana wrote, “flute.” Paul wrote, “naturally, percussion.” Cello got a vote! As did trumpet. What is your favourite type of music? “Opera,” “Classical,” “sometimes Rock, sometimes Jazz,” and “all of it, except country.” What is your greatest fear on stage? Clarinets: fear of squeaking. Which historical figure (musician or composer) do you most identify with? “Female composers,” “Beethoven,” and “Bruckner; revising, never completely sure it’s done.” Which talent would you most like to have? “To dance well,” “to sew well,” “to draw well,” and “to play piano by ear.” I would like to be able to fly. Which words or phrases do you most overuse? Some of the answers could not be printed here. What is your idea of perfect happiness? Some people wrote, “good health,” “travelling with my family,” “biking in the mountains,” and “snuggling on the couch with a cup of tea.” What is your current state of mind? No surprises here! “Scattered and overwhelmed,” “tired,” “confused,” and “coping.” What is the trait you most admire in your fellow musicians? “A sense of community and support,” “camaraderie,” “listening to each other…” Here are the things that truly matter! And one more: What is your greatest extravagance during these strange covid days? “Buying a new car.” “Board games.” Elizabeth wrote, “rice crackers.” Rana wrote, “chocolate and wine.” I’m definitely going with Rana on this one! |
| News flash: Our esteemed Conductor Emeritus Maestro Norman Reintamm will be presenting a Liturgy of Readings and Carols on Sunday, December 20, 2020 at 4:00 pm from St. Joseph’s R.C. Church in Hamilton on Youtube. Here is the link: https://youtu.be/12ujp0yZpjs |
| Your Support is Greatly Appreciated! We want to reassure our CBSO patrons and community that our CBSO Board and administrators are meeting weekly and working hard to make sure that we will be able to bring music to you in Scarborough and beyond. Thankfully our government has not forgotten about the Arts, so there are opportunities out there. Even so, we need your help to keep things running so that we can open up again in the near future. To all of our dear patrons: please consider making a donation this month in order to help us continue to be able to bring quality music to your community! The orchestra is a registered non-profit charitable organization and provides tax receipts for donations of any amount (Charity # 89036 4573 RR0001). Thank you for your support! Click on the CanadaHelps.org logo below to be redirected to the orchestra’s Canada Helps page, where you can make a one-time or recurring donation via credit card. |
