March A and L, 2005-5 - Arts and Letters Club

14 Elm Street, Toronto,
Ontario, M5G 1G7
416-597-0223
[email protected]
www.artsandlettersclub.ca
The Newsletter of The Arts & Letters Club of Toronto
For the LAMPSweek schedule
see Centrefold, pages 8–9
February 2016 Vol. 75 No. 2
President’s Column
My Presidential Objectives:
Follow Up
Last June I wrote about my objectives
for my term as President. I spoke of
implementing the goals and objectives
of our Strategic Plan, adding: “I will be
asking all Board members to become
involved in some portion of the
Strategic Plan actualization so that the
Club can achieve the benefits that have been identified.”
This report brings you up to date on my plans.
Here is a summary of those assignments, grouped under the
three Objectives of the Plan.
Everyone seemed a little brighter during LAMPSweek!
This issue looks fabulous in colour—read it online!
MARDI GRAS!
Party at the Club
Warm up your winter with a party,
and get together for a good time
with old friends and new.
Join a Mardi Gras party
at the Club.
Shrove Tuesday, February 9, 7:30–10:30 p.m.
New Orleans-style jazz, shenanigans and finger food
(including pancakes of course!) Cash bar.
Costumes are optional, but come masked—
you may win a prize!
$20 by reservation, payable in advance.
Members are very welcome to bring guests.
Strategic Priority #1:
Expanding the Influence of the Club
1. Liaison with the Arts and Letters Club of Toronto
Foundation: Find and encourage partnership
opportunities such as the New Playwright’s Award, and
the Alice Munro Festival of the Short Story. Jess Hungate
(also Club Counsel).
2. “The Business of the Arts” Mentorship Series: Set up a
mentorship/training program that draws on the wealth of
talent among our members. John Ryerson.
3. Carry on the Breakfast Series of speakers on Public Policy
and the Arts. David Phillips (also Board Secretary).
4. Arts Service Organizations Relations: Establish and
improve ongoing relations with other arts service
organizations. Wendy Boyd.
5. School Relations: Establish relations with Secondary Arts
Schools and Post-Secondary institutions. Peter Russell.
6. Communications and Social Media: Introduce and
maintain an active interactive presence on social media of
all types. Irene Katzela.
7. Branding. Identify and standardize our “Brand” and make
decisions about the unification of our communications
“look” and how we want to be perceived beyond the
Club. Alan Somerset.
continued on page 2
President’s Column continued
New Members
Strategic Priority #2: Making the Club the Preferred
Destination of Our Members
Welcome back to Lara Bozabalian after a short time away
from the Club.
1. Website Development: Transition the existing website
into the primary location for information about Club
events as well as interactive functions for reserving and
paying online. Carol and Ken Anderson.
Bradley Crawford was a professor of Law at U of T, with
numerous law articles and books published both in Canada
and internationally. He is an amateur sculptor, painter and
tapestry artist, and has produced a privately published
collection of his poems. Bradley is sponsored by John
Lawson and David Phillips.
2. Property: Continue stewardship of our physical plant:
repairs, maintenance and capital projects. Ian
McGillivray, Property Committee Chair.
3. Activities: Coordinate the LAMPS committees’ activities;
expand the array of art forms the Club celebrates; manage
the program calendar. Penelope Cookson.
4. New Member Orientation: Welcome and integrate new
Club members into the fabric of our community.
Margaret Kerr.
5. Hospitality and Events: Work with LAMPS committees
to develop events available to working members (i.e.,
weekday evenings and Sundays) as well as
intergenerational events. Work with staff to identify and
promote catering options. Judith Davidson-Palmer.
Strategic Priority #3: Making the Club Financially Viable
1. Monitor financial performance: Bill Buchanan as a major
part of his Treasurer’s responsibility.
2. New member recruitment: Susan Goddard, as Chair of
the Membership Committee.
3. Fundraising: Introduce and implement fundraising
activities for the Foundation, the two Heritage Toronto
Funds, and for the Capital Reserve of the Club. John
Goddard (also President and Board Chair.)
4. Jonas Club Software: Work with the Club’s
administration to find cost savings within our existing
(and expanded) software management programme. Carol
and Ken Anderson (reporting through Fiona McKeown).
5. Great Hall: Investigate options for expanding the capacity
of the Great Hall to increase rental income and
accommodate more members at Club events. John Snell.
It is important for you to know how enthusiastically these
Board members (and the Andersons) have assumed these
added responsibilities. They have all agreed to become
personally involved in the achievement of our plans for the
future. I encourage you to give them whatever support you
can, as well as continuing to target our one over-riding
purpose: to maintain the Arts & Letters Club of Toronto as a
vibrant and supportive environment for all the artists and arts
lovers of Toronto.
John Goddard, President
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February 2016
Laurie De Camillis is a visual artist whose painting in our
NEXT! exhibition won an award of merit. She is a founding
member of the Canadian Art Collective, is passionate about
promoting visual arts and will enjoy the Club’s art activities
and conversations about art and culture. Laurie is sponsored
by Zora Buchanan and Lynn Bertrand.
Puneet Dutt is a freelance arts administrator and was
Marketing Communications Coordinator at Ryerson
University. She is a creative writer, also a published poet, and
is the founder of White Couch Creative, a multidisciplinary
salon series. She will enjoy socializing with fellow writers.
Judy Finch is an award-winning portrait artist who also
taught portraiture for ten years. She expects to participate in
various art activities, attend our concerts and other events,
and enjoy the social aspects of the Club. Judy is sponsored by
Zora Buchanan and Joan Dubros.
Maxine Laine is an educator, and is presently Chair of
Community Services at George Brown College. She has
interests in coaching, conflict resolution and marketing,
among others, and looks forward to meeting and exchanging
ideas with members of the Club.
Daphne Maurer is a retired professor of Science from
McMaster whose speciality is child development, both physical
and psychological. Her book The World of the Newborn won an
award for excellence from the American Psychological
Association. She has attended events at the Club as a guest of
her husband, and will enjoy more of the same as a member.
Daphne is sponsored by Charles Maurer and Norma Rowen.
Robert O’Driscoll comes from a family of artists. His
mother was a singer and storyteller, and his father a writer
and specialist in Celtic Studies. Robert is a musician,
woodcarver and poet, and has taught drama at the Toronto
Waldorf School, as well as in the UK, Ireland and the U.S.
His sponsors are David Skene-Melvin and Zora Buchanan.
Sheila Tait was a secondary school teacher of drama, history
and contemporary studies. As a drama teacher she directed
stage productions, and as a performer has done professional
work on stage, television and radio. She has had a lifelong
interest in theatre and painting, and looks forward to being
involved in a variety of activities on offer at the Club. Sheila
is sponsored by Ezra Schabas and Brian Parker.
New Members continued
Margarete von Vaight was introduced to the Club through
her membership in the Wagner Society. She is a professional
opera singer who is currently studying in the Performance
Program in the Faculty of Music at the U of T.
We are pleased to welcome Chris Birkett, Donald and
Judith Fleming, and Susan Wilkinson as complimentary
members.
Members’ News
Marion Abbott’s Confidential Musical Theatre Project
performs at the Club on Sunday, February 21, 1:30 p.m. This
will be Marion’s 11th production—always great fun and well
received. It works like this. Marion chooses a show that is not
produced often but deserves to be. Each cast member receives
a role in advance, but is not told who the other cast members
are; they only meet an hour before the show, so perform with
no rehearsals. The audience shows up not knowing what the
show is (and to maintain confidentiality, is given a program
only at intermission). What happens next is always exciting
and it works! (Pssst! Marion hints that President John
Goddard will appear in this performance.) (For tickets:
www.confidentialmusicaltheatreproject.com: $25.)
Issue 77 (Fall/Winter 2015) of the Devil’s Artisan (DA): A
Journal of the Printing Arts celebrates the golden anniversary
of Coach House Press, founded by Stan Bevington. It also
includes an examination of the career of the Toronto
illuminator Alfred H. Howard, a charter member of the
Club. Don McLeod has been the editor of DA since 2000.
A HotShots pick for January
When I was in a small village in France with my
grandson, we saw this little kitten in a window and it
looked so forlorn I had to take a picture.
Kitty Gibney
The “Club Table”
Are you a new(ish) member who would like to meet other
new members? You will know about, and have perhaps
joined, our hosted New Members’ Table at Club Night
events (invitation via the New Members’ email list).
But why not wider horizons? Club members are generally
interesting and welcoming to newcomers and guests, so we
are now expanding this idea to invite any member to join us
at the renamed “Club Table” (with a sign to indicate which
table it is). Some events will continue to be hosted, and
members may ask the office to be added to the New
Members’ email list to learn about them.
When you reserve for an evening event you can enquire if
there is going to be a Club Table, and ask to reserve a spot
there; or you can ask for the Club Table when you go in for
dinner. Either way you will meet interesting new people!
Online Applicant Postings
Applications from aspiring new members are now available
for review online on the “For Members” web page
(link: www.artsandlettersclub.ca/login) for the two-week
posting period following each Membership meeting. Log in
and then choose “View Application Postings.” Hard copies
will continue to be posted in the binder on the piano.
Susan Goddard
Cover: Current Fall/Winter issue of
The Devil’s Artisan
February 2016
3
You are invited to a Fundraising Cocktail Reception
hosted by
The Arts and Letters Club of Toronto Foundation
to announce an award
in partnership with the Club and
the Alice Munro Festival of the Short Story
This new award is for the best original short story
by a writer in his or her twenties from
the Greater Toronto Area.
Debentures
We are once again offering to issue new debentures to
members as a way to help finance the Club’s long-term
infrastructure and building renovation program. Debentures
were first introduced many years ago when the Club
purchased the building at 14 Elm Street.
New debentures will be unsecured, start at a minimum of
$500, and have a renewable 1–5 year term. They will carry
an interest rate of 1% per annum above the best GIC per
annum rate offered by Canadian financial institutions at the
time of issue, with interest paid annually on June 1.
I would like to thank those members who purchased new
debentures last year. I invite others members to think about
doing so. For more information please contact me at
[email protected].
Bill Buchanan, Treasurer
Thursday, February 18, 5:00–7:00 p.m.
Great Hall of the Arts & Letters Club
The award will be administered by the Foundation,
juried by members of the Club’s Literary Committee
and the Alice Munro Festival for the Short Story,
and presented at the Festival
on June 4, 2016, in Wingham, Ontario.
Tickets $50 • please reserve through the Club Office.
(a tax receipt will be issued for the eligible portion)
This event is open to the public.
Reminder
The Arts & Letters Award
Call for Nominations
See the January LAMPSletter or the Club website
for criteria or information
closing date: Monday, February 29
This is your opportunity to nominate a non-member
who deserves recognition for a significant contribution
to the cultural life of the city and beyond.
Submissions go to David Phillips via the Office.
Obituary
Elodie Sandford (1941–2015)
Elodie joined the Club in 2007, interested in art and
photography. She was also a member of the Women’s Art
Association of Canada, the Scientific Exploration Society
(SES) and the Explorers Club. She was a Registered Nurse
until 1971, when she went on her first scientific expedition
in the Rockies to assess the Nigel Creek bed. In 1977 she
changed careers to systems design and worked for IBM/Sears.
After a long break to raise her family Elodie began exploring
again. Her expeditions took her to Nepal, where she tracked bull
elephants in 1991 and 2001; on a three-week SES expedition in
2002 into Gunn’s Strip, Guyana, a Wai Wai Indian village near
the headwaters of the Essequibo River; and to Mongolia in
2005, supporting three Mongolian scientists and Professor
Munkhtsog of the Snow Leopard Trust. On this expedition in
the Gobi Desert she prospected for dinosaurs and documented
plant specimens. That same year Elodie joined an expedition to
the Highlands of Papua New Guinea to document the tribal
celebrations at the Goroka Sing Sing. Her Papua New Guinea
photographs were shown in a solo exhibition at CONTACT in
May 2007. In 2007 she accompanied an expedition into
Ecuadorian Amazonia to help the Cofan and Quechan Indians
by drilling a well, constructing eco-tourist accommodations, and
supplying medical and dental assistance.
In recent years health challenges frustrated Elodie’s desire to
continue on SES expeditions. Her enjoyment in developing
the Explorers Club Film Festival somewhat alleviated that
frustration. In 2011 she resettled in Ontario (Toronto and
Creemore) to pursue a quieter life with her children and
grandchildren.
Barbara Mitchell
4
February 2016
Allen Koretsky on Harry Potter
A Few Words About The Masque
Like everyone else, I had heard about Harry Potter from the
time of the big splash it made when the first volumes were
published in the late 1990s. A colleague of mine in the
Department of English at York University, whose literary
opinion I valued, said very good things about the books.
From the Renaissance patronage of Lorenzo de Medici to the
original productions of the Toronto Masque Theatre, the
masque has enchanted both players and spectators.
But I didn’t come into direct contact with the text until much
later. About eight years ago Linda (Beck) began reading the
series to me. Over the following years she read, beautifully,
the entire series, every word (more than a million), every page
(about 4,000), all seven volumes. It was our regular afterdinner entertainment.
I was enchanted (so to speak) from the beginning. I roared
with laughter at the delicious satire of smug, middle-class
English life in the portraits of Harry’s guardians Aunt and
Uncle Dursley, and I delighted in J.K. Rowling’s inventiveness
and imagination. Then, as we got deeper into the series, in the
middle and late books, I marvelled at Rowling’s architectonic
skill, the brilliance of her narrative design, which gradually
became apparent as the complex plot unfolded. I liked, too,
the strong social and political themes in the series.
On the occasion of her marriage to the Dauphin of France,
Catherine de Medici introduced the elaborate spectacle of the
masque to the French court. Eventually, it landed in Tudor
England, where it shone as the centre of royal entertainment.
From the rule of Henry VIII to the closing of the theatres in
1642, the masque reigned as the most magnificent of the arts.
Like a Diaghilev ballet, it dazzled both the eye and the ear
with its blaze of colour, light and rapidly changing scenes in
which noble lords and ladies performed.
On February 2, I will tell you more about Harry Potter for
the serious adult reader, in hopes that you will come to
appreciate Harry Potter as much as I do.
Allen Koretsky
The Swimming Pool at
24 Sussex Drive
I was the design architect of the Pierre Trudeau’s much-in-thenews swimming pool and sauna at the prime-ministerial
residence at 24 Sussex Drive in Ottawa. The design evolved in
talks with Trudeau and wife Margaret. He wanted a Finnish
sauna and a diving board. She objected to the removal of a
hedge. But the saving of a large elm tree and the addition of a
glazed sitting area with a good view of the garden pleased her.
As you will have read, the original almost 150-year-old main
residence and the 40-year-old pool suffer from lack of proper
upgrading and maintenance over many years. Present public
debate centres on possible demolition, new construction or
renovation of both buildings.
The residence enjoys federal heritage status. The pool barely falls
short of such status. (My 1960s federal Brooke Claxton tower in
Tunney’s Pasture, however, has gained heritage recognition.)
I retired in 1993 after a 35-year professional life as an
architect in Ottawa. I moved to Toronto for family reasons,
where I continue to be active in, and write about,
architecture, planning, urban design and politics, and am
able to enjoy spending time at the Club.
Stig Harvor
Inigo Jones costume design for Ben Jonson’s
The Masque of Augeres, 1622
In the manner of its masked characters and writers who often
preferred to remain anonymous, this genre eludes definition.
It embodies elements of poetic drama, song, dance,
costuming and special effects. A slight plot of a mythological
and allegorical nature serves to weave these components
together. The climax of the show is often the final dance of
masked figures and audience members.
Shakespeare’s best-known version of the masque appeared in
the fourth act of The Tempest, when Prospero conjured up
certain fanciful figures to bless the marriage of his daughter
Miranda with Prince Ferdinand.
During the Stuart epoch in the seventeenth century, the masque
showcased the finest talents of the day, among whom were Ben
Jonson for the poetic script and Inigo Jones, the distinguished
architect, for the stage machinery. Of course, each event had its
fair share of feasting and libation. One wit at the court of James I
even dared to record how several actors in this diversion slumped
down into oblivion after imbibing too much fine wine.
So, we look forward to a delightful evening with the Toronto
Masque Theatre transporting us back
to the realm of Purcell’s Fairy Queen
to sprinkle us with stardust sheen.
by A.B., who has had a long-time interest in the masque as
performance, but who, like the maskers, prefers to remain anonymous
February 2016
5
Plein Air (open air): The act of painting outdoors
Hosts Wanted
for Summer Plein Air Gatherings
Would you be interested in hosting
Summer plein air artists
between June and September
at your home, cottage or château?
These are potluck social occasions for Club artists
to draw, paint or photograph outdoors.
The usual day is a Sunday from 12:00–4:00 p.m.,
but the date and time would be at your discretion.
Plein air artists bring food and drink to share;
we ask the host to provide
coffee, tea, water, cutlery, cups and plates.
If you could host a gathering,
or would like more information
please contact Corin Pinto:
[email protected]
A HotShots pick for January: Room with a View
This shot was taken out the bedroom window of a newly
renovated small house in London, England. It reflects some key
aspects of life for many young people…the bedroom below ground
level, the stairs leading from the well to the sidewalk above, the
bicycle as a serious mode of transportation, and the light and the
plant as evidence of the outside world beyond the wall.
Judith Davidson-Palmer
Margie Hunter Hoffman with her monumental painting Ode to Ildy at the Club Night opening
of her one-woman show on Monday, January 4
6
February 2016
Visual Arts News
Exhibitions
When submitting work, in the interests of accuracy and
smooth processing of sales:
• Make sure the title of your work clearly identifies the
piece. It would be useful to have more detail than
“Untitled,” particularly if you have more than one
untitled work in the same show.
• In unusual cases, such as when a work is offered either
framed or unframed at different prices, or when there is
a different price for a work sold individually or as part
of a set, please make sure such details are clearly
indicated on your submission form and pointed out to
a member of the intake team.
January
Breaking the Ice Group Show
• Last day of viewing, Friday, January 29
• Take-down, Saturday, January 30, 8:30–11:00 a.m.
February
Winter Group Show
CALL FOR ENTRY: “Winter” is not a theme, but refers to
the season when the show is on display. This exhibition
will fill the Lounge, Foyer and Great Hall, and will be on
the walls during LAMPSweek. Members may submit a
maximum of three works.
In 1925 the Club held an Artists’ Jamboree, with 100
paintings by 40 Club artists. An elaborate program survives,
which shows the names of all the artists and the titles of their
(frequently spoof ) paintings—with prices—and details of the
banquet and vaudeville performances that took place in the
evening. Recently, two of these pictures, one by L.A.C.
Panton (former President) owned by Tom Humphries, and
the other by Frank Johnston owned by Kent Beattie, have
come to light. Their owners will allow us to show them in the
Great Hall during the Winter Show.
• Intake: Friday, January 29, 11:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m. and
Saturday, January 30, 8:30–10:00 a.m.; Jurying from
10:00 a.m., followed by installation
Member jurors: Charlie Maurer and Julian Mulock
Guest juror: Stuart Reid
• Club Night Opening, Monday, February 1, speaker
Alan King
• Public Opening, Sunday, February 7, 1:00–4:00 p.m.
• LAMPSweek lunchtime speaker, Thursday, February
25, Doreen Balabanoff, glass artist/designer
• Last day of viewing: Friday, March 4
• Takedown and pick-up, Saturday, March 5, 8:30–
11:00 a.m.
January 31, 2016
until March 4, 2016
Public Opening
Sunday, February 7, 1:00–4:00 p.m.
Please come and bring your friends!
March: two concurrent solo shows:
Rosemary Aubert, City Love, Lounge and Foyer
James MacDougall, A Brush with Others, Great Hall
April: two concurrent shows:
Spring Boutique Group Show, Lounge and Foyer (this is not
a theme, just the season). Members may submit a maximum
of two pieces.
• Intake Friday, April 1, and Saturday, April 2. Pick-up,
Saturday, April 30.
John Inglis Solo show, “Quest: A Retrospective, 1960–2016,”
Great Hall
Please note that Sunday Studio hours are now 9:45 a.m.
–12.45 p.m.; fee, $15.
Looking ahead
We are just starting to design an application process for solo
shows for 2017. It will be available and announced well in
advance of the submission deadline.
There is a Visual Arts e-list to which omnibus messages are
sent out about once a month. This is of interest to the visual
arts community in the Club. Any member can be on the list
upon request to Marvyne Jenoff, [email protected]
Art Committee Co-Chairs: Marvyne Jenoff, Administration
Chair ([email protected]); Alan King, Exhibitions Chair.
Alan’s new email address is [email protected].
compiled by Marvyne Jenoff
February 2016
7
LAMPSWEEK
Please reserve for all LAMPSweek events
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 22: MUSIC
Dinner 6:30 p.m., program 7:30 p.m. • $24.50
TORONTO MASQUE THEATRE
“Hark the echoing air”: Henry Purcell and The Fairy Queen
Toronto Masque Theatre’s Artistic Director, Larry Beckwith,
opens our celebration of LAMPSweek with an advance peek
at TMT’s upcoming production of Purcell’s The Fairy Queen.
Along with a wide-ranging lecture about the life and career
of the seventeenth-century English composer Henry Purcell,
Larry will discuss The Fairy Queen in detail
and, along the way, connect it to the Renaissance masque tradition.
With live and recorded musical examples.
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 23: LITERATURE
Lunch 12:15 p.m. • $20
ADA LOVELACE: DAUGHTER OF THE DEVIL
•
•
•
•
she was a brilliant mathematician
she is renowned as the woman who helped Charles
Babbage develop an early form of computer
her life ended in chaos: bankruptcy, a broken marriage,
devastating illness
and she was the daughter of the famous/infamous Lord
Byron
NORMA ROWEN
will tell us about some aspects of this fascinating life.
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 24: ARCHITECTURE
Lunch 12:15 p.m. • $20
In LAMPSweek 2015,
our guest was Jennifer Keesmaat;
In 2014 it was Jack Diamond
We await confirmation for this year,
but please hold the date for
an inspiring talk by an
equally absorbing guest speaker!
8
February 2016
LAMPSWEEK
Please reserve for all LAMPSweek events
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 24: FILM NIGHT
Dinner 6:30 p.m., film 7:30 p.m. • $24.50
Hosted by Warren Clements
COLD COMFORT FARM (2002, British, 105 minutes)
A classic of twentieth-century literature, Stella Gibbons’s Cold Comfort Farm is
brought to rollicking life by director John Schlesinger, screenwriter Malcolm
Bradbury and a cast including Kate Beckinsale, Joanna Lumley, Rufus Sewell, Ian
McKellen, Eileen Atkins and Stephen Fry. In this parody of pastoral romances, a
spoiled young woman from London sets out to enjoy free lodging at a rustic farm,
the routine of which she is determined to overhaul.
NOTE: Because of the accents and Ms. Gibbons’s glorious penchant for inventing
words, the movie will be shown with occasionally intrusive subtitles (closed
captioning).
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 25: VISUAL ARTS
Lunch 12:15 p.m. • $20
DOREEN BALABANOFF
Light, Colour and Environment:
Embodied Perception
Doreen Balabanoff is Associate Professor in
Environmental Design at OCAD University and the
President of the Colour Research Society.
Her work as an artist/designer explores aspects of light
(the inseparable trio of light, darkness/colour) in spatial
settings. This presentation will offer images and ideas
drawn from her work about “embodied experience” in
architecture.
Learn where the skeletons are buried! Thursday, February 25, 6:30 p.m.
A Tour with the Club Archivists. Of particular interest to new members, the secrets of the building and the Club
will be revealed and all your questions answered! A “Pub” supper will be served ($12), with the tour to follow.
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 26: STAGE
Dinner 6:30 p.m., event 8:00 p.m. • $25.75
STAY TUNED!
There will be a LAMPSweek Stage Night, but our invited guest
is not able to confirm until a couple of weeks before the event.
Be sure to hold the date, and check the weekly e-bulletins for the updates!
We’ll let you know as soon as we receive a confirmation.
February 2016
9
Jon Kimura Parker’s Rite of Spring
Finale of a World War I Recital
“I heard this astounding performance/transcription during
the 2014 Summer Festival in Ottawa. Debussy and
Stravinsky had tried out the piece as a piano duet; Mr.
Parker improved on them.”
WA
The history of style, the dogs of war,
unleashed on a piano without hammers.
Write all this down, what is transcription for?
On Bluethner rack the incendiary score—
Debussy, Stravinsky—Katzenjammers
teaming up to read the dots of war.
Colossal technique jams an open door
to chanting elders, adolescent screamers.
Write all this down, what is transcription for
but to record revolt, concussion, stark décor,
barbaric orchestration, leaping mummers,
prophetic fists that mesh the cogs of war.
The Demoiselle Elue is nude, her hair,
her ginger pubis, fanning outraged stammers;
two merest hands show what transcription’s for.
The Rite’s explosion snares the Kaiser’s snore,
his dislocated rhythms, Europe’s jammers;
the history of style, the gods of war
are written out. What is transcription for?
William Aide
from Massenet’s Elegy (Oberon Press)
A HotShots pick for January: Through the Bakery Windows
Bill Michelson
10 February 2016
WHAT’S ON IN FEBRUARY
Super Tuesday
The Art of Conversation
Tuesday, February 23
Wednesday, February 10, 6:00 p.m.
in the LAMPSroom
CLUB PUB NIGHT
The topic is “Love.”
Our once-a-month pub nights are an opportunity
for members and guests to enjoy a casual,
drop-in-style evening of camaraderie
and good conversation from 4:00 p.m.
Each person will present this theme
with reference to one of the LAMPS disciplines.
$12 Pub Supper from 6:00 p.m., while quantities last.
To order a sandwich please contact the Club
no later than Monday, February 8.
Reservations are NOT required.
Hosted by Carol Vine:
[email protected]
ART DISCUSSION GROUP
5:00–7:00 p.m.
A discussion led by an artist speaking about his or her work,
and other subjects of interest.
Professional Visual Arts members
will find these sessions of particular interest.
All members welcome.
Film Night
Wednesday, February 24, 6:30 p.m.
COLD COMFORT FARM
This month’s Film Night takes place in LAMPSweek.
For information see page 9
CALLIOPE POETRY GROUP
7:00–9:00 p.m. in the Studio
Are you harbouring a work of spoken word,
or reveling in the love of a new poem
you’ve found that you can’t get over?
The poetry and spoken word group, Calliope,
welcomes published poets, poets at large,
and poetry lovers to thaw out, share great poems,
and encourage one another’s work.
We’ll start compiling the reading roster
in the Studio at 6:00 p.m. Reading starts at 7:00 p.m.
If you haven’t been to Calliope, this is not a committee-type
group. We don’t take minutes or administer anything, really,
unless it’s a laying on of hands in applause and appreciation.
New work welcome.
Poesia es luz.
Poetry is light.
For information: Diane Boyer [email protected]
HotShots Photography Group
A lively meeting to start the New Year
was held by the HotShots Photography group
to discuss our most recent project, “Through the window.”
We reviewed photos from both inside and outside of
windows and of all manner of subjects, including animals,
sunsets, homes at night, stores, and kids.
The next meeting’s challenge is: “Ice and snow.”
MUSIC SALON
Wednesday, February 3, at 6:30 p.m.
7:00–10:00 p.m. in the Great Hall
Sandwiches are available if ordered by Monday at noon.
Please check your e-Bulletin for programming.
Those interested in taking part, please contact
Jonathan Krehm: [email protected]
NOTE THIS CHANGE: Please send two high-resolution
images by email to Jack Gilbert: [email protected]
by Monday February 1
or contact him for further information.
February 2016 11
WHAT’S ON IN FEBRUARY
Club Nights
Bar 5:30 p.m.; Dinner 6:30 p.m.
By reservation • $24.50
Monday, February 1
ALAN KING
“Laughing Till It Hurts”
Alan King will speak about his disaster-prone career as an
editorial cartoonist and arts writer at a daily newspaper.
LAMPSweek: Monday, February 22
LARRY BECKWITH
“Hark the echoing air”:
Henry Purcell and The Fairy Queen
Toronto Masque Theatre’s Artistic Director,
Larry Beckwith, opens our celebration of LAMPSweek
with a discussion and musical foretaste
of TMT’s upcoming production of
Purcell’s The Fairy Queen, a “magical baroque gem”
to be performed by the Toronto Masque Theatre in May.
(see also page 8)
Monday, February 29
CITY HALL AND THE ARTS:
A Conversation with Councillor John Filion
Councillor Filion joins David Phillips for a conversation
about the state of the arts in the City of Toronto
and the efforts of City Hall to promote the arts
as a vital element of city life.
Monday, February 8
TWO WINNING PLAYS!
The two prize-winning plays for the
2015 Robert Beardsley Award for Young Playwrights
will be read at this Club Night. The awards were presented
in late October as part of the Playwrights Guild of Canada’s
2015 Tom Hendry Awards, in collaboration with
The Arts and Letters Club of Toronto Foundation.
The Robert Beardsley Award for Young Playwrights is
administered by the Foundation.
This evening’s conversation will provide members
and their guests with an opportunity to learn about
recent developments in the City’s involvement with
and support for the arts scene in Toronto.
Come and engage in a discussion about the importance
of the arts in the City of Toronto.
The plays are:
Definition by Luke Reece
and
Everything I Wanted to Tell You by Remi Long
This will be an opportunity to hear the first reading of works
by young playwrights we are supporting.
Note: There will occasionally be strong language.
Monday, February 15
The Club is Closed for Family Day
12 February 2016
Last June 29, 2015 Councillor Filion was appointed
by the Mayor as the City’s Arts Advocate.
A journalist and author, he has served
in elected office in Toronto since 1982.
WHAT’S ON IN FEBRUARY
Literary Tables
Bar 12 noon; Lunch 12:15 p.m.
By reservation • $20
Tuesday, February 2
ALLEN KORETSKY
“Harry Potter for the Serious Adult Reader”
Allen will speak about why he enjoys the Harry Potter series
as adult literature, and why you might as well.
(See also page 5)
Tuesday, February 16
JAMES NEUFELD
“Reborn Digital:
The Diaries of Robertson Davies”
Much to his surprise, Club member James Neufeld
found himself in charge of editing the voluminous
diaries of one of Canada’s foremost literary figures.
The complexity of the materials quickly established digital
presentation as the only practical way of going forward.
And by this twist of technological and historical fate,
Robertson Davies, one of the champions of the book
in the twentieth century, will be “reborn digitally”
in the twenty-first.
Tuesday, February 9
SHARON SINGER
Librettist of a new Canadian opera
Isis and Osiris, Gods of Egypt
James promises an onscreen presentation of the
appearance of the diaries, in both manuscript and online
format, followed by some of the insights gleaned from
them. Despite the technical nature of some of its content,
this will be an entirely acronym-free talk.
LAMPSweek: Tuesday, February 23
NORMA ROWEN
“Ada Lovelace: Daughter of the devil”
Ada Lovelace, the mathematical genius renowned for
helping Charles Babbage set up an early computer,
was also the daughter of Lord Byron,
the most notorious man of his age.
Toronto poet and ardent Egyptophile Sharon Singer
is the librettist of a new Canadian opera. Inspired
by the magic, mystery, and myths of ancient Egypt,
Sharon created this larger-than-life tale that centres
on one of the greatest love stories in the canon.
With music by composer Peter-Anthony Togni, this lyrical,
evocative, new dramatic work will have its
World Premiere at the St. Lawrence Centre on April 1, 2016.
In this talk Norma Rowen will explore Ada’s complex
relationship with the father she never met and how it
shaped her life, from her early encounters with his veiled
portrait to her final deathbed gesture of loyalty to him.
(See also LAMPSweek listing on page 8)
February 2016 13
WHAT’S ON IN FEBRUARY
Music Wednesdays
Bar 12 noon; Lunch 12:15 p.m.
By reservation • $20
Wednesday, February 3
Wednesday, February 10
KARINE WHITE, soprano
KATHRYN TREMILLS, piano
gamUT CONTEMPORARY MUSIC ENSEMBLE
of the U of T Faculty of Music,
directed and introduced by Wallace Halladay
We welcome again award-winning soprano Karine White,
who this time brings us songs on themes of love and
romance, with music by Strauss, Debussy, Grieg, and Arditi.
A rare opportunity to hear newer chamber works by leading
European composers of today played by top performers.
Directed and introduced by saxophone virtuoso and
NAXOS recording artist Wallace Halladay,
this concert features a modern classic,
the Anton Webern Quartet for clarinet, violin,
saxophone and piano. Other ensembles feature flutes,
bass clarinet, bassoon, violin, viola, cello, guitar,
saxophone, accordion, piano!
Artists of the future playing music of the future!
Members may remember this warm, vivacious performer
from our recent Christmas Lunch or from our Cabaret in
December 2014, when she stole our hearts singing show
tunes with Bradley Christensen. Join us in this tribute to the
warming of the heart in these cold winter months.
Wednesday, February 17
PETER REGAN, piano
Award-winning Irish pianist Peter Regan, praised in the Irish
Times as “the most individual and developed young Irish
pianist … heard in years,” is rapidly making a name for
himself in venues in Ireland and “the new world.” He is
currently continuing his studies under the internationally
celebrated Irish pianist John O’Conor, at the Royal
Conservatory of Toronto’s Glenn Gould School.
Peter makes his Arts & Letters Club debut with a
performance of Bach preludes and fugues,
Chopin nocturnes and Beethoven’s Waldstein sonata.
A HotShots pick for January
Gord Fulton
14 February 2016
WHAT’S ON IN FEBRUARY
Ad Lib
6:00 p.m.–11:00 p.m.
Friday, February 5
ERNEST HEMINGWAY RETURNS
TO THE ARTS & LETTERS CLUB!
A HotShots pick for January
Ian McGillivray
Leon Warmski will be showing a rare documentary about
the Spanish Civil War, The Spanish Earth, a 1937 black and
white film written and narrated by Ernest Hemingway.
The film is 54 minutes long and will be screened at
8:00 p.m. in the Great Hall
Friday, February 12
JOTO IMPROV
Hosts Stevie Jay and Damon Lum present
Toronto’s friendliest open improv comedy jam.
Participate on stage or sit back in the crowd, and meet
the next generation of Canada’s comic actors.
ARTWORK CREDITS
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The laughter starts at 8:00 p.m. in the Studio.
Friday, February 19
CHOCOLATE TASTING!
“I understand the reason why you love choc’late,
’cause so do I!”
Come and celebrate the joys of tasting delightful
chocolate while sipping delicious wine and
listening to de-lovely music.
8:00 p.m. in the Studio • $20 (to be confirmed)
Reservations required.
Friday, February 26
NO AD LIB
Instead, come to the LAMPSweek Stage Night!
REMEMBER, AD LIB IS YOU!
If you have ideas for Ad Lib events for March and beyond,
please contact our NEW Ad Lib Chair
Rebecca Collins: [email protected]
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LAMPSletter masthead, Ray Cattell
Everyone seemed a little brighter during LAMPSweek!
Cartoon by Warren Clements
John Goddard, photo by Judith Davidson-Palmer
Cover from the Fall/Winter 2015 issue of The Devil’s
Artisan, from devilsartisan.ca
Photo of kitty by Kitty Gibney
Alice Munro, drawing by Anthony Jenkins, from Stories
About Storytellers, by Douglas Gibson, ECW Press, 2011
Inigo Jones costume design for Ben Jonson’s masque
Augures, from the Devonshire Collection, Chatsworth
House
Room with a View, photo by Judith Davidson-Palmer
Margie Hunter Hoffman with her painting Ode to Ildy,
photo by Gord Fulton
Winter Show, poster art by Alan King
A Midsummer Night’s Dream by Marc Chagall, 1938.
Musée des Peintures et des Sculptures, Grenoble
Ada Lovelace portrait by Edward Chalon. The Science and
Technology Picture Library of the British Science Museum
Question mark and mask photo collages, Carol Anderson
Cold Comfort Farm, movie poster
Doreen Balabanoff, photo from the artist
Through the Bakery Windows, photo by Bill Michelson
Explorers Club poster art, by Elaine Wyatt
Stephen Fry in a movie clip from Cold Comfort Farm
Scream! cartoon by Alan King
John Filion, photo CTV News
Sharon Singer, photo from the artist
Robertson Davies photo collage, Carol Anderson
Photo by Gord Fulton
Wallace Halladay, Karine White and Peter Regan,
photos from the artists
Ad Lib logo by Andrew Sookrah
Photo by Ian McGillivray
LAMPSletter editor:
Copy editor:
Carol Anderson
Jane McWhinney
February 2016 15
February 2016MArc
Sunday
Monday
1
Tuesday
2
Membership Cttee
5:15 p.m.
Literary Cttee Mtg
10:45 a.m.
Club Night
Literary Table
Alan King
Allen Koretsky
“Laughing Till It Hurts” “Harry Potter for the
Dinner 6:30 p.m.
Serious Adult Reader”
12:15 p.m.
7
8
9
Public Art
Club Night
Opening
1:00–4:00 p.m. Two Award-Winning
Sunday
Painters Note
time change:
9:45 a.m.
–12:45 p.m.
14
Plays
(Robert Beardsley
Awards 2015)
Dinner 6:30 p.m.
15
21
Sunday
Painters
28
Sunday
Painters
CLUB CLOSED
22
LAMPSWEEK:MUSIC
Larry Beckwith
The Fairy Queen
Dinner 6:30 p.m.
Thursday
Literary Table
James Neufeld
“Reborn Digital:
The Diaries of
Robertson Davies”
12:15 p.m.
23
LAMPSWEEK: LITERATURE
Norma Rowen
“Ada Lovelace”
12:15 p.m.
SUPER TUESDAY
Pub Night
Art Discussion Group
5:00–7:00 p.m.
Calliope Poetry Gp
7:00–9:00 p.m.
Music Salon 7:00–10:00 p.m.
Friday
Saturday
3
4
5
6
10
11
12
13
Painters’ Studio
Music Cttee Mtg
10:45 a.m.
Music Wednesday
gamUT Contemporary
Music Ensemble
12:15 p.m.
HotShots
Photography Gp
6:30 p.m.
Painters’ Studio
Literary Table
Music
Wednesday
Sharon Singer on her
Karine White, soprano
opera libretto
12:15 p.m
Isis and Osiris
LAMPSletter Deadline
12:15 p.m.
Art of Conversation
Mardi Gras Party
6:00 p.m.
7:30 p.m.
16
Family Day
No Sunday
Painters
Wednesday
17
Painters’ Studio
TGIF Lunch noon
Ad Lib
JOTO
Studio, 8:00 p.m.
18
Painters’ Studio
Music Wednesday
Peter Regan, piano
12:15 p.m
24
Painters’ Studio
LAMPSWEEK:
ARCHITECTURE
12:15 p.m
LAMPSWEEK: FILM
Cold Comfort Farm
Dinner 6:30
Film 7:30 p.m.
Painters’ Studio
Art Committee Mtg
10:00 a.m.
TGIF Lunch noon
Ad Lib
Leon Warmski
Ernest Hemingway Film
The Spanish Earth
Great Hall, 8:00 p.m.
Alice Munro
Festival of the
Short Story
Cocktail Reception
5:00–7:00 p.m.
19
20
Painters’ Studio
TGIF Lunch noon
LAMPSletter Mailing
Ad Lib
Chocolate Tasting
Studio, 8:00 p.m.
25
LAMPSWEEK:
26
VISUAL ARTS
Painters’ Studio
Doreen Balabanoff—
glass artist/designer
TGIF Lunch noon
12:15 p.m.
Property Committee Mtg LAMPSWEEK: STAGE
5:30 p.m.
6:30 p.m.
LAMPSWEEK: Talk and
Tour by the Club
Archivists 6:30 p.m.
27
29
Club Night
City Hall and the Arts:
Councillor John Fillion
in conversation
with David Phillips
Dinner 6:30 p.m.
Events requiring reservations are shown in bold.
March Issue Deadline:
Wednesday, February 10, at 12 noon
Please ensure that the time and date of each event are clearly
marked.
If you are planning an article or feature, please contact the
editor with as much advance notice as possible, so that space
can be reserved.
Email submissions no later than the deadline to the attention
of the editor, [email protected] or place in
the LAMPSletter mailbox to the attention of Naomi Hunter in
advance of Wednesday deadline. Late submissions cannot be
accepted.
The LAMPSletter is also available each month on our website
www.artsandlettersclub.ca/lampsletters.
RESERVATION/CANCELLATION/PAYMENT INFORMATION
By email: [email protected]. By telephone: 416-597-0223, ext. 2
(voicemail). Please specify which events you are booking and the number of places you
require.
Make advance reservations to avoid disappointment. Reservations are required for
most events with meals except TGIF lunch and Pub Night Supper. Please reserve at least
24 hours in advance, with the exception of Monday Club Night, for which reservations
are requested on the preceding Friday by end of day.
Payments: Most events with meals are payable at the door, with the exception of Special
Events and Members’ Dinners, for which payment is required in advance. The Club prefers
payment by cash, cheque, debit and Club card, and accepts VISA and MasterCard.
Cancellations: Cancellations will be accepted 24 hours in advance of the day of the
event. A refund or credit will be issued for events (some exceptions will apply) that have
been paid in advance, provided that the cancellation is received 24 hours in advance.